~MY ANCESTOR~
Dennis Sperry, widow of Richard Sperry, may have been the daughter of Stephen & Mary Goodyear since they had a daughter named Dennis who was born in England in 1624, and Stephen Goodyear bequeathed his fertile land near West Rock to Richard Sperry at his death.
Her tombstone was not found along the wall of the Grove Street Cemetery, in the crypt under Center Church, or moved and buried in the Grove Street Cemetery.
_______________________________________
THE FOLLOWING FROM RON GRADY: I've doubts that Denise was the daughter of Stephen Goodyear. In the "Genealogy of the Goodyear family", there is no mention her and Richard Sperry is listed as basically an employee (farmer).
https://archive.org/stream/genealogyofgoody00kirk/genealogyofgoody00kirk_djvu.txt
We find mention of Mrs. Goodyear in the settlement of Governor Goodyear's estate and frequently hi the land records of New Haveu. Dr. Stiles in his "History of the Judges'' says: "Mr. Goodyear had bought of the town of New Haven the rich plain lying west of West Rock, about 1,200 acres, and on this land planted his farmer. Eichard Sperry. * * *
Mrs. Goodyear had built on this tract a house for Sperry, and about one mile southwest
stood the house of Ralph Lines, the only house in 1661 westward from New Haven, between West Rock and Hudson River; except a few at Derby, all was wilderness."
Perhaps the property being left to Sperry may have been in gratitude for his service.
___________________________________________
A REBUTTAL FROM STEVE SMITH TO RON GRADY'S COMMENTS (which I think is very good): " Ron Grady seems to downplay the enormity of this property (especially in colonial times). Stephen [Goodyear] bequeathed 1,200 acres to Denise's husband Richard Sperry who was Stephen's lead farmer and possible indentured servant. It is unheard of that someone would give a servant this much land unless there was a family connection. Maybe he would give his lead farmer a few acres, but 1,200?
Stephen Goodyear had many other loving children, so it wasn't like he didn't have anyone else to leave the land to.
Dennis Sperry, widow of Richard Sperry, may have been the daughter of Stephen & Mary Goodyear since they had a daughter named Dennis who was born in England in 1624, and Stephen Goodyear bequeathed his fertile land near West Rock to Richard Sperry at his death.
Her tombstone was not found along the wall of the Grove Street Cemetery, in the crypt under Center Church, or moved and buried in the Grove Street Cemetery.
_______________________________________
THE FOLLOWING FROM RON GRADY: I've doubts that Denise was the daughter of Stephen Goodyear. In the "Genealogy of the Goodyear family", there is no mention her and Richard Sperry is listed as basically an employee (farmer).
https://archive.org/stream/genealogyofgoody00kirk/genealogyofgoody00kirk_djvu.txt
We find mention of Mrs. Goodyear in the settlement of Governor Goodyear's estate and frequently hi the land records of New Haveu. Dr. Stiles in his "History of the Judges'' says: "Mr. Goodyear had bought of the town of New Haven the rich plain lying west of West Rock, about 1,200 acres, and on this land planted his farmer. Eichard Sperry. * * *
Mrs. Goodyear had built on this tract a house for Sperry, and about one mile southwest
stood the house of Ralph Lines, the only house in 1661 westward from New Haven, between West Rock and Hudson River; except a few at Derby, all was wilderness."
Perhaps the property being left to Sperry may have been in gratitude for his service.
___________________________________________
A REBUTTAL FROM STEVE SMITH TO RON GRADY'S COMMENTS (which I think is very good): " Ron Grady seems to downplay the enormity of this property (especially in colonial times). Stephen [Goodyear] bequeathed 1,200 acres to Denise's husband Richard Sperry who was Stephen's lead farmer and possible indentured servant. It is unheard of that someone would give a servant this much land unless there was a family connection. Maybe he would give his lead farmer a few acres, but 1,200?
Stephen Goodyear had many other loving children, so it wasn't like he didn't have anyone else to leave the land to.
~MY ANCESTOR~
Dennis Sperry, widow of Richard Sperry, may have been the daughter of Stephen & Mary Goodyear since they had a daughter named Dennis who was born in England in 1624, and Stephen Goodyear bequeathed his fertile land near West Rock to Richard Sperry at his death.
Her tombstone was not found along the wall of the Grove Street Cemetery, in the crypt under Center Church, or moved and buried in the Grove Street Cemetery.
_______________________________________
THE FOLLOWING FROM RON GRADY: I've doubts that Denise was the daughter of Stephen Goodyear. In the "Genealogy of the Goodyear family", there is no mention her and Richard Sperry is listed as basically an employee (farmer).
https://archive.org/stream/genealogyofgoody00kirk/genealogyofgoody00kirk_djvu.txt
We find mention of Mrs. Goodyear in the settlement of Governor Goodyear's estate and frequently hi the land records of New Haveu. Dr. Stiles in his "History of the Judges'' says: "Mr. Goodyear had bought of the town of New Haven the rich plain lying west of West Rock, about 1,200 acres, and on this land planted his farmer. Eichard Sperry. * * *
Mrs. Goodyear had built on this tract a house for Sperry, and about one mile southwest
stood the house of Ralph Lines, the only house in 1661 westward from New Haven, between West Rock and Hudson River; except a few at Derby, all was wilderness."
Perhaps the property being left to Sperry may have been in gratitude for his service.
___________________________________________
A REBUTTAL FROM STEVE SMITH TO RON GRADY'S COMMENTS (which I think is very good): " Ron Grady seems to downplay the enormity of this property (especially in colonial times). Stephen [Goodyear] bequeathed 1,200 acres to Denise's husband Richard Sperry who was Stephen's lead farmer and possible indentured servant. It is unheard of that someone would give a servant this much land unless there was a family connection. Maybe he would give his lead farmer a few acres, but 1,200?
Stephen Goodyear had many other loving children, so it wasn't like he didn't have anyone else to leave the land to.
Dennis Sperry, widow of Richard Sperry, may have been the daughter of Stephen & Mary Goodyear since they had a daughter named Dennis who was born in England in 1624, and Stephen Goodyear bequeathed his fertile land near West Rock to Richard Sperry at his death.
Her tombstone was not found along the wall of the Grove Street Cemetery, in the crypt under Center Church, or moved and buried in the Grove Street Cemetery.
_______________________________________
THE FOLLOWING FROM RON GRADY: I've doubts that Denise was the daughter of Stephen Goodyear. In the "Genealogy of the Goodyear family", there is no mention her and Richard Sperry is listed as basically an employee (farmer).
https://archive.org/stream/genealogyofgoody00kirk/genealogyofgoody00kirk_djvu.txt
We find mention of Mrs. Goodyear in the settlement of Governor Goodyear's estate and frequently hi the land records of New Haveu. Dr. Stiles in his "History of the Judges'' says: "Mr. Goodyear had bought of the town of New Haven the rich plain lying west of West Rock, about 1,200 acres, and on this land planted his farmer. Eichard Sperry. * * *
Mrs. Goodyear had built on this tract a house for Sperry, and about one mile southwest
stood the house of Ralph Lines, the only house in 1661 westward from New Haven, between West Rock and Hudson River; except a few at Derby, all was wilderness."
Perhaps the property being left to Sperry may have been in gratitude for his service.
___________________________________________
A REBUTTAL FROM STEVE SMITH TO RON GRADY'S COMMENTS (which I think is very good): " Ron Grady seems to downplay the enormity of this property (especially in colonial times). Stephen [Goodyear] bequeathed 1,200 acres to Denise's husband Richard Sperry who was Stephen's lead farmer and possible indentured servant. It is unheard of that someone would give a servant this much land unless there was a family connection. Maybe he would give his lead farmer a few acres, but 1,200?
Stephen Goodyear had many other loving children, so it wasn't like he didn't have anyone else to leave the land to.
