Notes

Note N217 Index

Had Jonathan as his father and changed to Abraham. See logic below.
Majdalany "The Early Settlement of Stamford, Connecticut 1641-1700" has much about the Bells. There is a copy of their Bible page on p. 74. It tells us that Johnathon Bell was born in Sept. 1641; that Rebeckah Bell was born in August 1643; and Mary Bell was b. in the last of May 1646. It then says "Abraham his Book grant him grace there in to look that he may ---thus blessed---that haven may be his Dwelling place." It then says "My daughter Mary was born December 7 day 1714; my daughter Susanah was born September 25 day 1718; my son Abraham Bell was aborn April 17 day 1721." Note that the spelling was difficult to read and this is my interpretation, but it would be logical that if Jonathan's only son was named Abraham and this was Abraham's Book who was already dead, his grandfather must have been Abraham and he named his son for him. My question is why did Jonathan tell of his and his sister's births and his grfa's death, but not mention his father who was Francis? One would think that Jonathan's father was Abraham based on this Bible page. Francis was mentioned as being a leader in Stamford and Jonathan was the first child born in Stamford. There seems to be no question as to who his parents were.
Family Chronicle at Ancestry.com has an Abraham Bell b. abt 1588 in England and d. July 1644 in Charlestown, Middlesex, Mass. There was no further info on his parents. Only 6 records had Abraham Bells and most info was "unknown", one b. 1809 could not be him.

Notes

Note N218 Index

Christopher Todd was in New Haven in 1644 and took the oath of fidelity there. In 1681 he was the miller. His will, dated 1656, notes his mill, bakehouse and lands; and the estate inventoried at at Ł985. His name appears frequently in the division of land but he did not have much to do with public affairs.
There should be much additional information in The Todd Family in America or the Descendants of Christopher Todd 1637-1919, compiled by John Edwards Todd, D. D. and edited by George Iru Todd.
from England on the "HECTOR" to Boston 1637, a founder of New Haven 1638, signer of the covenant, owned present site of Yale University
Christopher Todd1, was born at Pontefract, West
Riding, Yorkshire, England, baptized Jan. 12, 1617, died
April 23, 1686, at New Haven, Conn., married Grace,
daughter of Michael Middlebrook, of "Hold Mills" Yorkshire,
England.
He was barely twenty years of age, when he and his
young bride sailed with Mr. Davenports company on the
Hector, probably sometime in April 1637. Two months
was perhaps, the average time consumed in sailing from
London to Boston in vessels of that day. The Hector
arrived in Boston on the 26th of June 1637. The immigrants
received a warmer welcome than ordinary. The
eminence of "the famous Mr. Davenport" and the opulence
of the merchants who accompained him, gave to this
company, in the estimation of the colonists, an unusual
value. Most of the company remained in Boston or the
vicinity during the following winter, many of them
having found employment suitable to their several
vocations. Though somewhat scattered, some finding
lodgings and employment in one place and some in another,
they were still an organized company.
On the 30th of March, the leader of the company and
most of the followers embarked at Boston, having for-
maJJy decided to fix their plantation at "Quinnipiac" on ^
ng Island Sound. After a tedious voyage of "about a
fortnight they arrived at their desired port."
It was perhaps, a peculiarity of New Haven, that
cellars were used for temporary habitations. They were,
as the name suggests, partially under ground and perhaps,
in most cases on a hill side. On the Sabbath, they
worshipped under an oak tree, near the landing place:
and Mr. Davenport, in a sermon on Matthew IV, I, "
insisted on the temptation of the wilderness, made such
observations, and gave such directions and exhortations,
as were pertinent to the present condition of his hearers."
The English, soon after their arrival at Quinnipiac,
observed a day of extraordinary humiliation, when they
formed a social compact, mutually promising "that as in
matters that contain the gathering and ordering of a
church, so likewise, in all public offices, which concern
civil order, as choice of magistrates, and officers making
and repealing of laws, dividing allotments of inheritance,
and all things of a like nature," they would all of them be
ordered by those rules which the scripture holds forth.
For more than a year, they had no other civil or ecclesiastical
organization for the transaction of business and,
if we may judge of that year by the years that followed,
there were penalties inflicted on evil-doers; but if any
individuals were authorized to act as magistrates, the
record of their appointment has not been discovered.
The plantation covenant, like the compact signed in
the cabin of the Mayflower, was a provisional arrangement
of men, who finding themselves beyond the actual
jurisdiction of any earthly government, attempted to
govern themselves according to the law of God. The
elective franchise was limited to church members.
At first, Christopher Todd seems to have been one of
the less prominent of the colonists. He signed the "
General Agreement" modestly, with his mark and
quietly took his allotment in the "Yorkshire Quarter,"
and when the meeting house was "dignified," he had his
place assigned him, not in one of the honorable "Middle
seats," but in "the third seate on the side," though "Sister
Tod" - for they worshipped in those days, "the men apart
and their wives apart" - was a little more fortunate, had
one of the more honorable "Middle seates." It was not
long however, before Christopher Todd began to make
another kind of mark. He bought a grist mill, which
was the first mill erected by the town of New Haven, "at
the falls over the trap dyke at the east end of Mill Rock,
two miles from the center of the town." This was at first,
hired and then bought of the town, before the year 1686.
This mill stood on or near where Whitney's Gun factory
now stands and was long known as Todd's mill, and after
1798 passed into the possession of Eli Whitney, who
erected there, the first establishment in America for
manufacturing fire arms.
The records of the "General Court," show that he
was "continually adding to his real estate." He even
rose to the dignity of a "Viewer of fences."
In 1650, he bought of Jasper Crane, an acre and a
half in the "London Quarter" with the buildings thereon.
There he passed the remaining years of his life. This
lot, which was on Elm street, between Church and Orange
streets remained in the possession of he and his descendants
for nearly a hundred years. It was later known as
the "Blue Meeting house Lot," on account of the interior
of the building, which the "New Lights" erected upon it,
being decorated in that color. St. Thomas's Church now
stands on a part of it.
Mr. Todd was a farmer, miller and baker and acquired
considerable property, some of his land being remote
from his residence.
He lived to be a little over sixty-nine years of age,
having died in April 1686, leaving a will which is a model
for sense and wisdom, and may be seen in the Probate
records at New Haven, Ct.
He had three sons and three daughters, the descendants
of whom the whole country around and in distant
states, has been overspread. Of the sons, John, the
eldest and his descendants for a long time continued to
till the paternal acres at New Haven. Samuel, the second
son succeeded his father in the grist-mill. His descendants
have been the most numerous. Michael, the third
son also had a large family and many descendants
many of whom have been farmers. Mercy, the eldest
daughter married John Bassett and became the mother