Redfield FAMILY of Sullivan County, NH

Welcome to New Hampshire Genealogy Trails!

REDFIELD FAMILY of Sullivan County, NH
Transcribed and contributed to Genealogy Trails by Janice Farnsworth - Farns10th@aol.com
Source: History of Charlestown, NH - Fort 4 by Rev. Henry H. Saunderson pub 1876,
Claremont, NH

p. 534
William Redfield
The family may be traced back for five generations. He was son of William Redfield and wife Susannah (Rockwell) Redfield of Middletown, CT. Wm. Redfield Sr. was b. Aug 9, 1725 and entered very early upon a seafaring life. He was several years of the Revolutionary War, engaged as a non commissioned officer in the Connecticut Militia and honorably discharged at temination of the war. His grandson had the orig. warrant creating him a sergeant. After the war he went to sea again as master of a vessel and was lost near Bermuda while comparatively a young man. He left a widow and two children - Mehitabel Redfield b. 178l and d. 1804 and William Redfield, the subject of of this memoir. His widow lived with her son, William Redfield, Jr. at Charlestown, NH and died a very advanced age.

The grandfather of this William Redfield, also named William Redfield was b. Dec 5, 1727. He too was a sea captain and resided at Middletown, CT where he died in 18l3 leaving four sons all of whom followed the seas. He lived in what was then called High Street, Middletown CT and his house and garden occupied part of the site of Wesleyan University. In 1777 he was apptd Commissary of the troops raised by CT for the war. He had eight brothers and sisters.

William Redfield (subject of this memoir) great-grand father was Theophilus Redfield of Killingworth, CT b. l632 d. 1759. He left a family of thirteen children -nine boys and four girls all of whom married and left families and from whom nine-tenths of all the Redfield(s) in this country are descended.

William Redfield (subject of this memoir) great great grandfather was James Redfield (the name in his day was written often as Redfin) he was prob. b. at New London CT m. in New Haven and lived afterwards in both Saybrook and Fairfield, CT.

William Redfield (subject of this memoir) his great great great grandfather bore the name of William. In his time his name was variously written as Redfin, Redfyn and Red fyne and perhaps other ways. He was prob. one of the early emigrants from England to the Province of MA. He first located on the Charles River where Cambridge now stands but after a time removed from there to Brewster's Neck near New London, CT where he died l662 leaving one son and three daughters.

William Redfield b. at Middletown, CT Apr l9, 1784 m. Dec l0, 1808 Dally Dejean dau of Philip and Sallie (Fos1dick) Dejean, b. Jan 19, 1789. Her father was a Lieut in the French Army and help the office of Vice Consul at the port of New London, CT a place of considerable trade. Their children were:
1. Justus Starr Redfield b. at Wallingford, CT Jan 2, 18l0 m. (l) 1835 Elizabeth C. Hall who d. 1842 leaving one son, Justus S. Redfield b. NYC 1842 d. 1862 Justus Starr Redfield Sr. m. (2) 1850 Elizabeth Jones by whom he had one child: August Sidney Doane Red-field b. Jan 23, 1852. She d. at Lucca, Italy 1864 and he m. (3) 1871 Susan F. Reed. He left Charles-town for Boston in 1823 working as a stereotyper. Then with his employer to NYC (at age 21) He opened his own bus. of printing, bookselling and publishing in NYC for 30 yrs. In 1861 he was apptd by Abe Lincoln as U. S. Consul to one of the Italian ports going to his post Jan 1, 1862. He remained there four years, resigned and returned home. His res. in Jan 1876 was on his fruit farm near Burlington, N.J.