Scan of a 1984 Town Clerk booklet cover.
`Medical |
James Pension
Northrop ~ Penfield Genealogy
~~Penfield Tavern ~~ Flouring / Grist Mill ~~
Scan of a 1984 Town Clerk booklet cover.
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Sun Tavern, on the Fairfield Green, was built about 1780, replacing an earlier Sun Tavern, burnt during the British raid of 1779. The Tavern was operated by Samuel Penfield (younger brother of ancestor, James Penfield) , who acquired the property in 1761. George Washington stayed at the Tavern the night of October 16, 1789, during a presidential tour of New England. The building, which had an early ballroom on the third floor, remained a tavern until Penfield’s death in 1811, after which it passed through several owners as a private home. It was purchased by Robert Manuel Smith in 1885 and remained in the Smith family until 1977. The following year, it was acquired by the Town of Fairfield and was used as the Town Historian’s residence into the early 1990s. Still owned by the town, Sun Tavern has been recently restored and is now managed as a historic site by the Fairfield Museum and History Center. Presumably, the easy access to products of his father's/brother's mill assisted in providing a reliable (and hopefully, high quality) offering of foodstuffs at the Tavern. |
Timeline Sun Tavern, Samuel Penfield (younger brother of ancestor, James Penfield) , acquired the property on the Fairfield Green |
1776 After 1779 I believe of Old Society included Black Rock.
1761 map (History of Black Rock) shows Peter Penfield just on the now-Fairfield side of Ash Creek.
Later David Penfield and Captain Benjamin Penfield are in the center of the Black Rock community.
1790 Census Fairfield
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Burning of Fairfield and Firelands The Burning of Fairfield (also known as the Battle of Fairfield) American Revolutionary War at Fairfield, Connecticut on July 7, 1779, At the time, Fairfield and surrounding areas had developed a reputation for their strong support of the Revolution.[5] As the war dragged on, British commanders became increasingly irritated by the rebel resistance in this area. Of particular annoyance were the privateering and spying activities originating from Black Rock Harbor. In response, the British decided to run a series of punitive raids against New Haven, Fairfield, and Norwalk with the sole purpose of destroying rebel property. On July 7, 1779, the people of Fairfield awoke to a warning from the fort at Black Rock. A British fleet had been spotted and was anchoring off the coast. With feelings of dread and uncertainty, residents prepared to defend the town. Livestock was driven to safety. In haste, people gathered their possessions, hiding their valuable silver in wells and stonewall crevices. Some loaded wagons with household goods and food, and took refuge inland. Others stayed to defend the town. A few remained in their homes, believing the British would not harm them. No one predicted the extent of destruction that was about to occur, and with it, the downfall of the town’s prosperity. The British invasion came in late afternoon when the troops disembarked at McKenzie’s Point (near the end of what is now South Pine Creek Road), and marched along the beach, heading northeast. When they came to the lane that is now Beach Road, they marched inland toward the center of the town. As they came within range of cannons at Black Rock Fort, Isaac Jarvis, the fort’s commander, ordered his men to fire on the troops. Local militia near the town center opened fire with muskets. Undaunted by the attack, General Tryon and his troops proceeded to set up headquarters in a home on Beach Road. The Fairfield men did not give up. They successfully defended a makeshift fortification at Round Hill, and tore up a strategic bridge crossing Ash Creek.
The destruction wreaked by the British was extensive and had lasting impacts on Fairfield’s economy and development. Within the Four Squares, only six houses survived the burning. Their modern addresses are: 952 Old Post Road, Andrew and Elizabeth Rowland’s House An itemized list of the material damage caused by the British in Greens Farms and Fairfield, is also published in Royal R. Hinman’s A Historical Collection. On July 7, 1779, during the Revolutionary War, the British anchored a fleet of warships off the coast of Fairfield, Connecticut. The British soldiers waited for the fog to lift so that they could come ashore and punish Fairfield, a Patriot stronghold in Loyalist territory. Many residents who saw the ships off the coast sought safety in nearby Greenfield Hill, but others stayed to protect their property. Once ashore, an estimated 2,000 British troops, under the leadership of General William Tryon, burned the town. By the end of the day, 97 homes, 67 barns, 48 stores, 2 schools, a courthouse, 2 meetinghouses and the county jail had been destroyed. When President George Washington visited the town a decade later, he noted that the devastation could still be seen and that “there are the chimneys of many burnt houses standing.” Many of the residents who lost their homes were offered the choice of money or an equivalent value of land from the half-million acres owned by Connecticut in what is now part of Ohio. Many took the property in what came to be called “the Fire Lands” and never returned.
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Grandmother, Estella Keeler Jennings was the daughter of Mary Penfield (b. Sept 11, 1792) & Wakeman Jennings (12/25/1815 d Feb 11 1872) of Greens Farms. Mary was the daughter of James Penfield (b Feb 24, 1761d dec 11, 1842). & Mary Tucker (b sept 18 1766 d. sept 22, 1854). I believe it was her grandfather James Penfield who ran the Penfield Mills at the time of the Revolution and her father may have worked or run the mill. Mary's great, great grandfather was Samuel Penfield, but he is probably too early to have been the operator of Sun Tavern. The family lore is that someone in the family ran the tavern, so perhaps an uncle ran the tavern. |
| The town is nearly finished restoring a historic structure where George Washington slept in October 1789 during his tour of colonies invaded and torched by the British.The original Sun Tavern on Town Green didn’t survive the British invasion of Fairfield in 1779, but Samuel Penfield, a prominent Revolutionary War-era resident, rebuilt the tavern in 1784.
Washington, inaugurated as the country’s first president in April 1789, stayed overnight in Sun Tavern from Oct. 16 to 17 of that year, according to the Fairfield Historical Society. “There is pretty sound evidence to support George Washington having stayed here when he came to Fairfield,” said David Parker, a local architect who’s done a lot of research on Sun Tavern. “In that way, this building ties us to the history of the United States.” Sun Tavern, one of six town-owned historic structures managed by the Fairfield Historical Society, needed a lot of work, Parker said. Goals of the restoration were to make the tavern structurally sound and return it to the way it looked in the early 19th century, Parker said. The restoration was done by town Department of Public Works employees and Domus Constructors of Norwalk and is expected to cost nearly $200,000 by the time it’s finished, according to Michael Jehle, executive director of the Fairfield Historical Society, and Chief Fiscal Officer Paul Hiller. |
The Excavations at Sun Tavern by Rob Wallace For over the past three years volunteers from the Fairfield Historical Society and members from the Norwalk Community College Archaeology Club have contributed their time and expertise excavating on the grounds of an 18th century building known as the Sun Tavern. The building itself is situated on one of the original "Four Squares" of the Town of Fairfield which was founded in 1639. This site was occupied by various families beginning with the Reverend John Jones in 1640 until 1761 when Samuel Penfield purchased the land from Thomas and Hannah Gibbs. Research is still on going to determine the year that Penfield actually started to operate the building as a tavern. But records do show that, when the British burned Fairfield during their invasion in 1779, Penfield lost his house, barn, shop, outbuildings, and other items. The building was rebuilt about a year later and by 1789 was operating as a tavern. Among its guests was George Washington, who stayed there while on his tour of the New England states that same year. The tavern operated until Penfield's death in 1811. Afterwards the building became a private residence. During the 1830s an addition was added on to the east side of the structure by Reverend Lyman Atwater. The property changed hands several times during the mid 1800's and was purchased by Robert Manuel Smith in 1885. A barn and a small cottage were built in 1888 and are still standing on the site [There are copies of newspaper clips at the History Museum Library documenting the structures as built by Northrop Brothers] 1978 and was used as a residence by the Town Historian till the early 1990's. During the past three seasons archaeology has been initiated at the site and has yielded some interesting features such as a dry well and a foundation of a small structure. The function of this structure has not yet been determined and research is still ongoing. A total of eighteen 1 meter x 1 meter square units have been excavated so far (with one still in the process of being completed at the time of this writing). Many artifacts have been recovered and are currently being analyzed. Recovered artifacts include pipe stems and bowls, including a nearly intact pipe. These clay pipe artifacts provide further evidence of the structure's use as a tavern in the 18th century. Based on their bore diameter, close to 75% of these recovered pipe stems date to the second half of the 18th century. Nails are represented from the hand wrought through the wire style. Many different ceramic types have also been uncovered. They include pearlware, delft, redware, whiteware and stoneware. An interesting note on the stoneware: in one quadrant (50 cm x 50 cm) of a one meter square unit over 150 pieces were recovered representing as far as we can tell at least three different vessels. The density of the ceramic shards could possibly represent vandalism by British forces as they burned the town in 1779. Other interesting items recovered were gunflints, spoons, scissors and buttons. There is also a small prehistoric Native American component of the site, represented by several pieces of pottery and some debitage (stone tool waste flakes).
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Samuel Penfield wagonmaker and 3 sisters
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I think about these forebearers around family and patriotic holidays. It is so hard to wrap one's head around what they did. The immigrants actual voyage took an average of 10 1/2 weeks - (Think Christmas to the end of February more here) perhaps after having waited months to sail. The great threats of dysentery & smallpox added to the risk of storm & shipwreck. They had no expectation of ever seeing the family and friends they left behind. If they were able to send letters, they might never arrive. Hopes to join family and friends already here might not be realized. Similarly it's hard to comprehend the incredible risk for our revolutionary forebearers. It wasn't just the risk of death of the soldier. It wasn't just the hardship at home because they sent food and supplies to the troops and had problems getting necessary supplies. They risked the entire family, their home, their livlihood, their community. http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Witness-to-history-The-burning-of-Fairfield-26055.php# http://www.fairfieldct.org/content/10724/12146/12165.aspx http://www.fairfieldhistory.org/library-collections/learn-more/burning-of-fairfield/ The Penfields were in the center of this destruction and suffered losses to homes as well as James' brothers loss of the Penfield Sun Tavern. So on Thanksgiving, thanks Penfields. You risked so much and some of that was for us, your future generations! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 8G-GF Immigrant William Penfield1625 was the 8G-GF for my generation (Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Grandfather). He started out in Massachusetts and moved Rhode Island then Guilford, CT (East of New Haven, CT). Fast-forward to "In ca. 1750, local resident Peter Penfield [5G-GF] constructed a tidal grist mill and a dam at the mouth of the Ash Creek. At approximately the same time, a corduroy road was constructed along the edge of the Ash Creek salt marsh that connected with a bridge over the narrowest section of the Creek. The road and bridge linked an old Fairfield town road, the Penfield mill, and the community of Black Rock, a section of what is now Bridgeport. This access way not only allowed for the transport of raw materials and products to and from the mills, it provided a much needed short cut across the Ash Creek from the colonial Fairfield town center to Black Rock Harbor." 4G-GF James Penfield1732 James was an American Revolutionary Patriot serving as a private under Col. Samuel Whiting and supplying bread and food to soldiers during the war, In 1779 his home was burnt down to the ground by the British Soldiers. He may have had as many as 3 brothers seving in the Revolution including Samuel [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9069300] who ran the Tavern shown at the top of the page. "The Tavern was burned in the British Raid in 1779. His claim of £1065 was reimbursed with a Fireland Land Grant in Ohio which was taken up by his sons." 3G-GF James son, James Penfield [Jr.] 1761 also served in the Revolution and experienced the terror and devastation of the burning of Fairfield. Wife, Mary Tucker Penfield could not write her name when she applied for a widow's pension at age 77. We don't know if she was denied education or became unable to write by disability. She survived 11 more years to age 88. At James' death their children (All but one still living) were ~ age 33-55. 2G-GM Mary Penfield 1792 [Jennings] was born after we became a country. It looks like Mary's generation may have grown up in other locations still within Fairfield. There is mention of both Greenfield (NW) and Greens Farms (west by the shore). Mary m. Wakeman Burr Jennings. They lived on Creek and directly across from Southport Beach. This side of the creek later became part of the town of Westport. G-GF Lewis Burr Jennings 1828 - m. Mary Keeler. They also lived on Creek and directly across from Southport Beach. This side of the creek later became part of the town of Westport next to his father's house. There were a number of closely related Jennings families in the immediate area. |
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| William PENFIELD 8G-GF b.1625 Suffolk, Eng .d .Guilford, Middlesex, CT & ?? |
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| 7G-GF | Samuel Penfield Samuell Penfeald, Samuell Penffeald45 |
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| 6G-GF | Samuel Penfield Jr.
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SAMUEL SIBLINGS |
>(dau Isaac & Hannah) Elizabeth 2 JAN 1716/17 East Haven m Isaac GOODSELL b: 14 MAR 1714/15 His son Issac GOODSELL b 17 JAN 1737/38 East Haven, CT d: 18 DEC 1808 Washington, CT Isaac "went to Wells, Vt. and purchased land, settled on it, ... but soon the Revolution came and when war broke out the depredations of the Indians were fearful,... returned to his old home, Washington, Conn. with his family. His wife's name was Elizabeth Howe. In the year 1787 Daniel Goodsell, his son, came to take possession of those lands.--- He moved with his wife and child to Wells in the year 1788 where he resided for 16 yrs. They had a family of six children. --- His mind then set for the west, he sold his possessions, moved to Honoeye Falls, Ont. Co., NY. |
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| 5G-GF |
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SIBLINGS Brother, Samuel Penfield(19 Jul 1700 - 2 Nov 1747 Branford, CT) Sister, Abigail Penfield Wadsworth (22 Dec 1704 - 14 Feb 1747/8) Durham, CT Brother, Nathaniel Penfield(10 Feb 1705/6 - 5 Jan 1776 Meriden, CT) Sister, Mary Penfield Hand (ca 1710 - 6 Jul 1785 Guilford, CT) Sister, Hannah Penfield Johnson (20 Aug 1714 - ??) |
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| 4G-GM | James Penfield b. Apr 28, 1732 Fairfield, d. May 12 1794 Fairfield Cemetery age 62 (Older Brother of Samuel M. Penfield (1734–1811) Keeper of the Sun Tavern in Fairfield, CT, where Washington, Adams, & Lafayette were often? guests.) 23 Apr 1758 m. Ellen Burr, (d/o Ephraim Burr & Abigail Burr) Fairfield, CT
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SIBLINGS
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1n 1790 census James, & James Jr. were next to Nehemiah Burr & John Squire. ====== Heald documentation l.a.heald@gmail .com but his might omit some of mine |
OTHER PENFIELD NEWS CLIPS |
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| 3G-GF | James Penfield [Jr.] b Feb 24, 1761 m. Dec 24, 1786 d Dec 11, 1842 apoplexy, age: 81
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SIBLINGS
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| 2G-GM | Mary Penfield (11 b.Sep 11, 1792, Fairfield - Feb 11, 1872 Greens Farms, CT, age: 79) & Wakeman Burr Jennings b.12 Apr 1793 d.28 Oct 1867, age 74 |
SIBLINGS |
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| G-GF | Lewis Burr Jennings (18 Feb 1828 - 15 Jul 1900) b.18 Feb 1828, Westport, CT d.15 Jul 1900, Westport, CT, age: 72 & Mary Keeler | SIBLING Andrew Jennings  Jennings, Andrew Wakeman  160820936 b. Aug. 22, 1820 d. Apr. 16, 1895 Oak Lawn Cemetery |
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| GM | Sylvester Penfield Jennings (5 Dec 1856 - 26 Aug 1859) Emma Frances Jennings Cole Alice May Jennings (30 Oct 1865 - 7 Dec 1868) Estella Keeler Jennings (19 Jun 1872 - 7 Jan 1910) |
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| additional info from http://www.penfield.fm/genealogy/wc01/wc01_078.html | ||||||||||
| Children of Samuel Penfield & Mark Lewis |
Samuel Penfield Jr.(17 Sep 1676 - 22 Nov 1714)
Mary Penfield(24 Oct 1678 - aft 1748)
Sarah Penfield(20 Feb 1679/80 - 21 Oct 1730)
John Penfield(30 May 1683 - 3 May 1750)
Isaac Penfield(27 Jul 1685 - 22 Oct 1754)
Hannah Penfield(29 Oct 1687 - 12 Oct 1778)
Jonathan Penfield(21 Nov 1689 - 11 Apr 1735)
Rebecca Penfield(23 Oct 1692 - 3 Oct 1714) [Twin]
Abigail Penfield(23 Oct 1692 - 9 Sep 1756) [Twin]
Benjamin Penfield(26 Apr 1696 - ca 1770) |
| Children of Samuel Penfield, Jr & Hannah Boreman Fry |
Samuel Penfield(19 Jul 1700 - 2 Nov 1747)
Peter Penfield(14 Jul 1702 - 11 Jul 1772)
Abigail Penfield(22 Dec 1704 - 14 Feb 1747/8)
Nathaniel Penfield(10 Feb 1705/6 - 5 Jan 1776)
Mary Penfield(ca 1710 - 6 Jul 1785)
Hannah Penfield(20 Aug 1714 - ) |
| Children of Peter Penfield & Mary Allen |
Mary Penfield(18 Apr 1731 - 16 Jul 1753)
James Penfield(28 Apr 1732 - 12 May 1794)
Lt. Samuel M. Penfield(5 Nov 1734 - 2 Apr 1811) Tavern Keeper
Hannah Penfield(10 Nov 1737 - 7 Jan 1809)
Sarah Penfield(23 May 1740 - )
Lydia Penfield(14 Feb 1741/42 - 28 Dec 1816)
Capt. Peter Penfield(13 Sep 1743 - 12 Jan 1812) |
| Children of James Penfield & Ellen Burr |
Mary Penfield(10 Mar 1759 - )
James Penfield(24 Feb 1761 - 11 Dec 1842)
Ephraim Penfield(18 Feb 1763 - 1809)
Thaddeus Penfield(7 May 1765 - 28 Jun 1845)
Ellen Penfield(10 Jun 1767 - )
David Penfield(10 Sep 1769 - 25 Mar 1845)
Eunice Burr Penfield(28 Feb 1773 - 4 Oct 1831) |
| Children of James Penfield & Mary Tucker |
Ruth Penfield(22 Sep 1787 - 22 Jun 1874)
m. John Burr Jennings
Ruth Penfield49
Descendant, generation 6
b.Apr 1784
d.13 Jul 1863, Westport, CT, age: 79
Chiildren
Sally Penfield(22 Dec 1788 - 19 Mar 1870) m James Burr b. ca 1787 d. 6 Nov 1826, age: 39
Wakeman Penfield(23 Oct 1790 - 9 Oct 1865) m. Deborah Terrill b. 21 Dec 1786 d. 20 Sep 1858, Willoughby, OH, age: 71
Mary Penfield(11 Sep 1792 - 11 Feb 1872) m. Wakeman Burr Jennings b. 12 Apr 1793 d. 28 Oct 1867, age: 74 s/o Peter Jennings(9 Sep 1764 - 5 May 1841) & Sarah Wakeman(1773 - 1857)
Eunice Penfield(7 Jul 1794 - 27 May 1872)b. 7 Jul 1794 d. 27 May 1872, age: 77 m. Rev. Cyrus Silliman s/o Cyrus Silliman(25 Aug 1770 - 12 Aug 1842) & Hannah Jennings(1776 - 1833) (Gershom & Rhoda Sanford b. 20 Feb 1794 d. 14 Oct 1884, age: 90
Burr Penfield(7 Mar 1796 - 25 Mar 1824) b. 7 Mar 1796 d. 25 Mar 1824, age: 28 never married
Hannah Penfield(4 Aug 1798 - 3 Apr 1878) m. William Leavenworth Peet b. 17 Nov 1788, Bridgeport, CT d. 12 Sep 1866, age: 77
Lydia Penfield(8 Jun 1800 - 28 Nov 1882) b. 8 Jun 1800 d. 28 Nov 1882, age: 82
Lewis W. Penfield(5 Dec 1802 - 26 Jun 1865) b. 5 Dec 1802 d. 26 Jun 1865, age: 62 Coachmaker m. b. 26 Aug 1800, Monroe, CT d. 15 Sep 1862, age: 62
William Penfield(8 Feb 1805 - 12 Apr 1892) b. 8 Feb 1805 d. 12 Apr 1892, age: 87 m. Jane Edwards b. 31 Jul 1812 d. 31 Jan 1844, age: 31
Andrew Penfield(17 Jul 1808 - 2 Jan 1885) b. 17 Jul 1808 d. 2 Jan 1885, age: 76 m. Mary Bennett b. 20 Apr 1813 d. 29 Apr 1874, age: 61
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contact paul@penfield.fm http://www.penfield.fm/genealogy/wc06/wc06_366.html
Check Moss Kent with Northrop connection
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by Cece Saunders, Historical Perspectives, Inc. hpix2@aol.com, 203-226-7654 How did man, horse and wagon traverse the mud, muck, and marshes that so often surrounded our earliest coastal towns and river settlements? Without the modern benefits of steel and concrete that create reliable bridges, how did the 18th century road builder span those wet and muddy stretches? 
http://www.fosa-ct.org/Reprints/Spring2009_CorduroyRoads.htm
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This Wheeler "homelot" at the "head of shipharbour" was the nucleus of Black Rock village. The village was for many years inhabited by Thomas Other families came to share with the Wheelers the homesites by the |
Backwards
"1 AMOS NORTHROP, b. Jan. 8, 1778, probably at Chatham, N. Y most of children's census records say NY-- between 1774-1800 but may not have been LIVING in NY. Amos' 1850 Census record says CT . Lived also at Warren and Kent, Conn. D. May 16,1855, Warren, Conn. (have not found any record of his death or marker) M. Rachel Ivés (b. March 15,1775).had at least two wives married Susuan Chaugham/Chaugum (Lighthouse tribe Molly Barber descendant) Kent, CT Oct. 26, 1829. |
Elmore Connections elmer h 31 in 1860 lucy northrop brookfield in 1870 census there is a younger Elmer elmore age 41 farmer also a george age 14 cornwall geo age 47 |
Abel with Camp,Fenn
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| Fenn connections |
clocks http://mysite.verizon.net/time-saver/ |
This home on Pequot Avenue, Southport, Connecticut is a recently restored example of the Northrop Brothers fine carpentry and building in the Southport-Greeens Farms area.
Image Courtesy of David Parker Associates
