Phineas Holcomb: Man of Mystery

I know very little of my 6th great grandfather, Phineas Holcomb. He was born in Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut on 04 Feb 1726 to Ensign Joshua Holcomb and Mary Hoskins. At some point, Phineas moved from Connecticut to Dutchess County, New York. I'm not sure why, when or who with. I do have information that suggests he married Sarah Tuller in 1745 in Litchfield County, CT. It is possible he had some of his children while still in Connecticut, as well. He and his "large family" left Dutchess County, NY for Panton, Addison, Vermont during the spring of 1774. In 1778, Phineas Holcomb and his sons Joseph, Joshua, Samuel and Elisha were captured by Indians and brought to Quebec. Phineas died during his imprisonment in Quebec on 11 September 1781.

Phineas Holcomb and Sarah Tuller had at least 8 children:

1. Joshua Holcomb was born in 1746 and died in 1781 in Quebec (during imprisonment)
2. Samuel Holcomb was born in 1748 and died in 1781 in Quebec (during imprisonment)
3. Sarah Holcomb was born in 1751
4. John Holcomb was born in 1753 and died sometime before 1785
5. Darius Holcomb was born in 1754
6. Ruth Holcomb was born in 1757
7. Elisha Holcomb was born in 1760 
8. Joseph Holcomb was born about 1726, probably in Dutchess County, NY. He died on 20 January 1833 in Panton, Vermont.

For more information on the Holcomb family's capture by Indians, please see my blog post entitled Carleton's Raid and the Capture of the Holcomb Family.

The Family of Ensign Joshua Holcomb

Ensign Joshua Holcomb II was the fifth child and second son of Joshua Holcomb and Ruth Sherwood. My information about Joshua II is scarce, but I will write down what little I do know about him and his family.

He was born on 18 Sep 1672. Family historians have recorded that he was born in Windsor, Connecticut;  however, we know that his parents were living in Simsbury by the time of his birth. For this reason, I would find it more likely that he was born in Simsbury than Windsor, though I can not be certain without documented proof.

Joshua Holcomb II married Hannah Carrington, the daughter of John Carrington, who’s parents, John and Joan Carrington, were hung for witchcraft in Hartford, Connecticut on 6 Apr 1651. Joshua and Hannah had at least six children together:
1. Caleb Holcomb was born on 1 May 1695.
2. Joshua Holcomb III was born on 18 Sep 1697 and died in Nov 1772.
3. Thankful Holcomb was born on 8 Jan 1700/1.
4. Experience Holcomb was born on 1702 and died on 15 Dec 1774.
5. Eleanor Holcomb was born on 6 Jul 1706.
6. Matthew Holcomb was born on 7 May 1708 and died on 21 Mar 1781.

I also believe they may have had a daughter named Hannah, though I am not sure when. One source says she was born between Thankful and Experience, and another lists her as being born after her mother’s death (which we know can not be accurate).

Hannah Carrington died on 13 May 1708. Considering the closeness to the date of her son, Matthew, I believe it is safe to assume that she died following complications from the birth.

After Hannah’s death, Joshua Holcomb II married Mary Hoskins (whom I descend from). They had eleven children together:
1. David Holcomb was born on 22 Jul 1713 and died in 1803.
2. Mercy Holcomb was born on 4 Sep 1714 and died on 10 Jun 1780.
3. Miriam Holcomb was born on 11 Jul 1716 and died on 16 Sep 1718.
4. Robert Holcomb was born on 2 Mar 1717/18 and died on 8 Mar 1717/18.
5. Sarah Holcomb was born on 2 May 1719.
6. Miriam Holcomb was born on 18 Jan 1719/20 and died on 28 Apr 1795.
7. Joab Holcomb was born about 1720 and died on 5 Dec 1723.
8. Bathsheba Holcomb was born on 3 Jan 1721/22.
9. Joel Holcomb was born on 18 Aug 1723 and died on 24 Feb 1814.
10. Joab Holcomb was born about 1724 and died on 9 Feb 1725/26.
11. Phineas Holcomb was born on 4 Feb 1726 and died in Sep 1781.

Joshua Holcomb and the Simsbury, Connecticut Settlement

Site of the first home in
what is today
Simsbury, CT

It is known that Joshua Holcomb was residing in the Massaco Plantation, Connecticut in 1667 . At that time,
the Massaco, a band of indigenous people from the Wappinger tribe, primarily inhabited the Massaco Plantation. The area was referred to as an “appendix to the towne of Windsor.” Windsor settlers forested and farmed the Massaco Plantation, and began building homes along the Farmington River, on what is today called Terry’s Plain. A survey conducted in 1669 showed that there were 13 permanent residents on the Massaco Plantation. Joshua Holcomb was among these. The area became incorporated on 12 May 1670, and was then called Simmsbury (the name has since been shortened to Simsbury).

King Philip

In June 1675, Native American chief, Metacomet, known to the English as King Philip, coordinated with tribal alliances to push the English settlers off the land the English had taken from the Native American people. This conflict became known as King Philip’s War. In March 1676, Native Americans burned the town of Simsbury to the ground, causing most of the settlers to return to Windsor. Many returned to rebuild in Simsbury a year later. It is unknown what Joshua Holcomb did during this time, but it is known that he was still residing in Simbsbury 23 Apr 1627 when he received land grant from King Charles II for “property east of the Farmington River near present day Terry’s Plain.”

Joshua Holcomb married Ruth Sherwood on 04 Jun 1663 in Windsor, Connecticut. They had at least ten children:

1. Ruth Holcomb was born on 26 May 1664
2. Thomas Holcomb was born on 30 March 1666
3. Sarah Holcomb was born on 23 June 1668
4. Elizabeth Holcomb was born on 4 Apr 1670
5. Joshua Holcomb II was born on 18 Sep 1672
6. Deborah Holcomb was born on 10 Feb 1675
7. Mary Holcomb was born on 25 Oct 1675/6
8. Mindwell was born in 1678
9. Hannah Holcomb was born in 1680
10. Moses Holcomb was born on 4 Jul 1686 and died on 16 Feb 1699

Joshua Holcomb died on 1 Sep 1690 in Simsbury, Connecticut. According to the Simsbury Historical Society, Joshua was “known to be "one of the sound, substantial men of his time;" he was active in both civic and religious affairs until his death.”

Thomas Holcombe and the Windsor, Connecticut Settlement

Thomas Holcombe House, Poquonock 1640
Drawn during the early 1800's
Connecticut Historical Society Collection

In 1631, Podunk chief, Wahginnacut, traveled to Boston to ask Governor John Winthrop to send English settlers to plant on his land. His goal was to have the English settle his lands in hope of establishing an alliance against the Pequot peoples who had been taking over the Podunk’s land for many years. He promised Winthrop to “find them corn and give them yearly eighty skins of beaver.”   Winthrop and other Boston colonists were not interested in Wahginnacut’s offer; however, settlers of the nearby Plymouth colony were intrigued and Governor Edward Winslow was sent to Connecticut to scout the land for viability. Winslow found the land to be desirable, and in September 1633, he sent a small group of English colonists to build a trading post (to cash in on the lucrative fur-trading business).

In November 1635, around 60 people from Dorchester, Massachusetts, Thomas Holcombe included, traveled to the new settlement, which Reverend Warham renamed Dorchester. Over the course of the next two years, more Dorchesters , Massachusetts settlers came to Dorchester, Connecticut, outnumbering the original Plymouth colony settlers. The Plymouth settlers initially resisted the Dorchester settlers, but in 1637, sold most of the claims and returned to Plymouth.

In 1639, Thomas Holcombe moved to a northern area of Windsor now called Poquonock where he lived as a farmer. Holcomb family historians report that Thomas Holcombe had a role in framing the Constitution of the Connecticut Colony, though I have not found concrete evidence of this thus far.

From the Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633:  

“The inventory of the estate of "Thomas Holcom of Windsor" was taken 1 October 1657 and totalled £294 10s., of which £95 10s. was real estate: "eleven acres in home lot with housing and orchard," £50; "four acres and a half adjoining to the home lot," £6; "ten acres and a half of meadow," £10 10s.; "in the fourth meadow twelve acres," £15; "twenty-five acres of woodland over the brook against the house," £3; "forty-eight acres of woodland," £7 10s.; "ten acres of woodland," 10s.; and "his part in that called Tinker's Farm, eighty acres and a barn," £3 [Hartford PD Case #2774]. He also owned two swords. To the inventory was appended the following list:

The related that survive the abovesaid deceased are

The relict Elissabeth his widow

Sons

1 Josuay the eldest of age 17 years

2 Benaiah the second of age 13 years 3 months

3 Nathanell the third of age 9 years

Daughters

4 Abigayle the eldest unmarried of age 18 years 3 quarters

5 Debora the youngest of age 6 years 7 months”

Thomas and Elizabeth Holcombe had 10 children. They were:

1. Elizabeth Holcomb was born in 1634, probably in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

2. Mary Holcomb was born in 1635 in Dorchester (now Windsor), Hartford, Connecticut. 

3. Abigail Holcomb was baptized on 6 Jan 1638 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut.

4. Joshua Holcomb was born on 7 Apr 1640 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut. 

5. Sarah Holcomb was baptized on 14 Aug 1642 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut. She died in 1654.

6. Benajah Holcomb was born on 23 Jun 1644 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut. 

7. Deborah Holcomb was born on 15 Oct 1646. She died in 1649.

8. Nathaniel Holcomb was born on 4 Nov 1648 at Poquonock, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut. 

9. Deborah Holcomb was born on 15 Feb 1649/50 in Windsor, Connecticut. 

10. Jonathon Holcomb was born on 23 Mar 1651/52 in Windsor, Hartford Connecticut. He died on 13 Sep 1656 at Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut.

Thomas Holcombe and The Great Puritan Migration

Historians often use 1620 as the date for the start of the Great Puritan Migration, also the Great Migration. It was then that 101 passengers sailed the Mayflower to settle at what they called Plymouth Harbor. Nine years later, in 1629, King Charles I, who had a strong distaste of Puritans, dissolved Parliament in order to prevent the Puritans from working to make any political changes. This dissolution of parliament remained in effect for 11 years, a period known as The Personal Rule. In 1640, when King Charles I needed funding to support his military he called on the Short Parliament, which lasted for three weeks. This ended his Personal Rule, as well as the Great Puritan Migration.

Ship The Mary and John

It was likely in either 1630 aboard the ship, The Mary and John, or in 1633 aboard the ship, Thunder, when my 9th great grandfather immigrated to America from England as part of this Great Puritan Migration. Because ship passengers lists were not a requirement of the time, we may never know when and on what ship Thomas Holcombe actually arrived in New England. The Mary and John Clearing House has, through historical evidence, created three possible passenger lists for the Mary and John, which sailed from Plymouth, England on 20 March 1630, and landed in what is now Dorchester, Massachusetts on 30 May 1630. List A includes passengers that were certainly or most likely on board (including his pastor, John Warham, and many members of his church), list B includes probable passengers, and list C includes possible passengers. Thomas Holcombe, age 25, from either Dorset or Somerset is currently listed on list B along with his wife, Elizabeth . It has also been suggested that he sailed on a ship called The Thunder, which was commanded by John Tilley and sailed in 1633. In my opinion, I would lean more toward him arriving via The Mary and John.

No matter how or when Thomas Holcombe first came to America, we do know he was residing in Dorchester, Massachusetts on 4 May 1634 when he took the following Oath of a Freeman:

“I, Thomas Holcombe, being by God's providence an inhabitant and freeman within the jurisdiction of this common weale, do freely acknowledge myself to be subject to the government thereof, and therefore do hereby swear by the great and dreadful name of the ever-living God that I will be true and faithful to the same, and will accordingly yield assistance and support thereunto, with my person and estate, as in equity I am bound, and will also truly endeavor to maintain and preserve all the priviledges and liberties thereunto, submitting myself to the wholesome laws made and established by the same. And further, that I will not plot nor practise any evil against it, nor consent to any that shall be so done, but will timely discover and reveal the same to lawful authority now here established for the speedy preventing thereof. Moreover, I do solemnly bind myself in the sight of God that when I shall be called to give my voice touching any such matter of this State, wherein Freemen are to deal, I will give my vote and suffrage as I shall in my own conscience judge best to produce and tend to the public weale of the body, without respect of persons or respect of any man.”

It is also known that Thomas Holcombe owned land in Dorchester, Massachusetts as he is recorded in the Report of Commissioners of Boston as selling his “house and lands to Richard Joanes” on 12 Aug 1635.  Thomas Holcombe moved to Windsor, Connecticut.

Family History Writing Challenge

I have been meaning to write my family history, but it's one of those things that just keeps getting pushed to the back burner. I have written a biography for the Gamble line, and I have written a little about the Holcombs. The Holcomb family of Panton, Vermont is interesting as it is a story of kidnapping, murder, poverty, war, and overall struggle. So for this month, I am partaking in the Family History Writing Challenge by focusing on writing about this Holcomb branch.

My goal will be to write 250-500 words each day for the next 28 days (beginning with today). I will post my writings here, and when all is said and done, I will create a post with the entire piece.

So I am off now to write my first installment of the Holcomb family history. Stay tuned...