Editha Stebbins, a founding pioneer of the Connecticut River Valley
Connecticut River Valley, Claremont, New Hampshire (1868) by German-American Painter Albert Bierstadt, 1830-1902.
Editha Stebbins had an exciting and interesting life as a pioneer in the Connecticut River Valley. In addition to being a founder of Hartford in its first year and having a family there with Robert Day, she finished her married life with Elizur Holyoke, a founder of Springfield and one of the wealthiest men in that town. Holyoke surveyed the area now named after him, Mount Holyoke. His house, while he was married to Editha, was destroyed during an Indian raid led by the chief Wequogan in 1675 and he died during King Philip’s war in 1676. His relationship to his nephew Thomas Putnam of the Salem Witch Trials is described further below.
Editha Stebbins’ father William Stebbins was born in 1567 in Black Notley, Essex, England. His wife and Editha’s mother Mary (last name unknown) was also from Black Notley. Editha was born in 1613 in Woodham, Eng and died on 24 October 1688 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. Her older brother Deacon Edward Stebbins, a founder of Hartford, was born before 24 Feb 1594/95 in Black Notley, Essex, England and died before 19 Aug 1668 in Hartford, Hartford Co., CT.
Edward Stebbins is one of the original pioneers settling Hartford, coming in October 1635 from Cambridge, Mass. (along with Robert Day) Connecticut. This group included about 25 men. Thomas Hooker and the rest of his congregation arrived from Cambridge the next year, 1636. Editha married Robert Day, son of Richard Day and Anna Kirby, about 1636. (Robert Day was born in 1604 in Ipswich, co. Suffolk, Eng. and died before 14 Oct 1648 in Hartford, Hartford Co., CT.) It is not known exactly when Editha arrived but it likely was not with her brother in 1635 but rather with the congregation that journeyed through the wilderness and arrived in 1636.
Editha and Robert had three children: Thomas (born 1635, died 27 Dec 1711 in Hartford) who married Sarah Cooper and is in the Silence Burt/Noah Bissell line of the Bissell family; Mary (born 28 Oct. 1641, died 17 Oct. 1725 in Hatfield, Mass); and John (born 1645 in Hartford, died 29 April 1730 in Hartford).
Hartford was named in 1637 after the English town of Hertford. The Indian name was Suckiaug. The first colonial settlement, called Hous of Good Hope, was made by he Dutch in 1633. The Reverend Thomas Hooker arrived overland from Newtown (Cambridge) Massachusetts with his congregation in 1636. At first the settlement was called Newtown.
The map below is “The North-Side Plantation” from 1635, the first group of settlers in Hartford. As can be seen, it includes lots for Edward Stebbins (Editha's brother) and Robert Day, as well as for William Goodwin, another Great-grandfather, the first house lots and homes in Connecticut. The Meeting House lot is described elsewhere.
The South-Side Plantation was developed when the larger group of settlers arrived the next year, in 1636.
In 1639 the Fundamental Orders were adopted, often considered the first written constitution creating a government. Hartford served as capital of Connecticut Colony until 1701, when after absorption of New Haven Colony there were two capitals, Hartford and New Haven. In 1875 Hartford became the sole capital. Editha was Executrix of Robert’s will and inherited his full estate for the bringing up of their children.
She was also sole executrix of the will of her second husband, John Maynard, and inherited his house & land which passed to her son Thomas. Maynard had also been one of the original settlers in 1636. Maynard was in Cambridge, MA in 1634, and an original proprietor at Hartford. His Hartford home lot in 1639 was on the west side of Main St., about where Christ Church now is. He was surveyor of highways, 1641 and 1648. He died 1657-8. His will names wife Editha, her eldest son Thomas Day, youngest son John Day, daughters Sarah and Mary Day. John Day received the property of Maynard, and it is probably in remembrance of him that he named a son Maynard Day. Maynard gave his dwelling-house and lands in Hartford to his wife, and after her decease to go to her youngest son, John Day.
Editha married Elizur Holyoke as her third husband in 1658. Elizur was born in 1613 in Tamworth, Stafford, England and died in 1675/76 in Springfield, Mass. Elizur’s first wife was Mary Pynchon, daughter of William Pynchon and Ann Andrews, and she died in Springfield 20 Oct 1657, at age 34. William Pynchon was the founder of Springfield, Mass. Elizur and Editha married in 1658. Elizur, the second-largest landholder in Springfield, named Mount Holyoke while surveying the boundaries of Springfield, Hadley and Northampton.
In 1661, Elizur was chosen as Springfield's deputy to the General Court; 1662, he was appointed associate county judge - recorder of all courts; 1663, made the rank of Captain, and was a selectman and deputy to the general court; in 1675, the Holyoke home was destroyed during a raid by Indians led by Wequogan.
During the King Philip’s War, Capt. Elizur Holyoke was in command of the successful defense of Springfield, until his death in 1676, one account says not due directly to any injury. However, there are other accounts that say he was killed by theWampanoag Indians on 5 Feb 1676.
Elizur was the uncle (through his sister Ann Holyoke and her husband Thomas Putnam) of Thomas Putnam, Jr. and the great uncle of Ann Putnam of the Salem witch trials. Thomas Putnam (January 12, 1651/2 - May 24, 1699) was a participant in the Salem witch trials as a leading public figure of the town.
Elizur Holyoke, the third husband of Editha Stebbins. Born 1613, died in 1675.