Babcock family

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RKYNOLDq HI^TORfCAL
GENEALOGY COLLECTION

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ALLEN COUN

3 1833 01179 4499

THE BABCQCK FAMILY, x

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1830740

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THE BABCOCK FAMILY. /

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Wo ticarctli Ar-i'iit; tliroe fKilo C.ioks on a I'V'ssc L'ules, 1>ctwcen
tWM <''iltiMs -ulc-. Crc-t, a Cock's lic;i.I. MMtl... /^i im SpiuM'^i
(C.mI i.'^ my iH.pr).

i;xrr.\.\A riciv. — Afjnif. wliile. /'cifr, n liroml Imml croHsiiig llic sliinlJ
hoii/ijiiiiiUy ill llie iiiiilfllc. folli.ie.a niirriiw luiiul >iiir!iUi'l lo ami nciir tlio
FcBse. (.-iiha, red. Tlic Crest, is \,\»cvil on tlic t.ip of llic sliicld. The '
nrniM nii-jhl be iIhih expr(■^'?^oll in coniiiion I.iiipiiaKe : He liearclli a wliitc
."liiol.l, Willi Ihrcc pair c-opks on a broad red baud, crosaiiip llie sliicM hori-
lorilally, iviili a narrower red ban<l on eaeli siilc of il.

Mention is Tn;i<!e of this Fiiniilyin the earliest histo-
ry of New Kiij^hnid. Traditions imd nationiil records
have handed down to us a knowleiljre of Jamks ]5ai!-
COCK, the first founder in the I'nited States (who
•'lian^'ed his name fi-o7n IVmx'ock at the time of hia

i-tftt

emigration). lie was Ix^rn in Essex, England, alx)ut
the year 1580; was one of thi' Puritans; and in the
year 1020, removed with Iiis family to Leydcn, in '
ilollatid, to emigrate with tlie Pilgrims to America.
He embarked in the ship Anne, early in the year
1G23, and arrived at Plymouth. Mass.. in .'nl}-, where
he lived the residue ol' his lill'time, and dit'd.

Historians have celelirated, and ])oets sung, the
praises of the Pilgrims. "The Puritans were the most
remarkable lj<xly of men, |)erha])s, which the w'orld
has ever produce<l. 'I'licy were men whose minds
had derived a peculiar chanicti-r. from the daily con-
templation of SujK'rior ])eings. and eternal interests.
Not content with acknowledging, in general, an over-
ruling Providence, they habitually asciil>ed every event
to the will of the (ii'eat Pcing — for whose jK)\ver no-
thing was too vast — lor whose inspection nothln^^ was
too miinite. To know him, to serve him. to enjoy
him, was with them the great end of existence. 'J'bese
were the men to whom the world owes the preserv;i-
tion of Civil and Keligious Liberty."

Jamks Bai'.cock, at the time, of his emigration, irad-
four children : .Iamf.s. .Iohx, dou. and M.suv.who were
l)orn in Kngland, from flu' year 1(112 to 1020, and
were brought over with their father. He was married
again, in Plymouth, about IboO, and had one son —

JOSFI'II.

J.\MES, the first child, Joii, the third, and Marv, the
fourth, remained with their father in PlyTiiouth,
JosEPU, the fifth, removed to Connecticut, near Say-
brook, where he made settlement.

John Baucock, the second son, remove<l. withanum-
l)er of others, about the year KUS. into that part of

18S0740

Rhode Island now called Westerly township, wlioix;
I the company U'gan a settlement, and named tlie place.
[. , lleix' he remained the ivsidue of his lifetime, and died
I July 19, 17i;), aged over 100 years. He letl ten
[ children at tlie time ol' his death, whose descendants
t ' to the pi-esent time, amount to more than five thou-
f sand. He was the first Magistrate chosen in Westerly,
and held the ollice many y<-'!»"s. He owned nearly all
of Westt'Hy, and a part of South Kimrston; and much
of this land is now in the jjossession of his descend-
ants, having been in the family almost two hundred
yeai-s.

Nearly all the ollices of the townsliip within the
gift of the people, were filled i)y memhers of this fami-
1\', for many 3 ears.

Josiiu.v JJaik'ock (horn May 17, 1707 ; died Apiil
1,1780) was not unknown to fame. His ahilities and
integrity as a statesman, in the discharge of several
important ollices of trust, the pul)lio reconls of his
country testify, as do all who knew him. As a phy-
sician, he was eminent — in his profession as a Christ-
ian, exemplary and worthy of iuutation.

Many of the descendants of the Hauctick fanuly,
like their former progenitors, were among the earli^'st
pioneers of the west. They were tlie first settlers of
nniuy towns in diflerent parts of the western States,
and have contributed their full share towards the con-
version of ''the wilderness and solitary places into
fruitful fields." They also took an acti\e ])art in the
Revolutionary war of tlie country, and many of tiiein
laid down their lives on the Itattle field.

Hen'hy HAiH'orK (born April 2(J, I7.';fi) was a Colo-
nel in tlie Uritish service, before the war. He com-

iniiiidod a regiment in the Frcncli war, and was wound-
ed at the l.attle of Tieoiideio-a. During the llevolu- \l\
tionary w:.r, he was C.eneral of the State Troopn of >|
Rhodi' Ishmd, and disth.guished himself on many oc- '^
casioiis.

Oi.iVKU Baiwock, another ineuilKM- dfthis family, was
a Captain in the Itevoluticmary army. He was at the
siejre of Fort Washington, on the Hudson, and was so
indignant at the surrender l)y the Colonel, that ho
broke his sword across a eanuon, deelaring that it
should never be yielded to the British.

ALBERT WELLS.

r„i- the above (witli the .■N-ri.tioii <■[ the fi,.

ure of the arms, ami

the exi.hii.atioM. wlii.h were a'hle.l hy :' 'nt^^"

I), 1 am imlebte.l t(.

Mr. Alhert Welle, of I'ahnyni. X. V.. wli.'^e ii

(liber's maiden name

was Haheoek. The indiistriou. re.-eureh vl' tl

is neiitleman has en-

able.1 him t,. e.m.i.ile a lar-e amount ol' inlorn

ation relative to the

early liistury of our family, a"<l he has kiti.lly

permitted mc to copy

the above from a sheet printe.l by /-'/»«'//", for

bis own gratification

aml*;mmseme.,t. Members of the fan.ily hnvi

I'j any information to

myU respecting the subjeel matter ot the

ibove, will eoiifer an

..blijitiou on Mr. Wells by a.blressiM- hin<

it ralmyra,— ami we

may a.bi, that he will rheerfully -ive any inf.

rmaiioM in hi- p^wer

f„ i>„,„. who niav re(,uire it.

S. ILMU'OCK.

UOWI.ANH, I'ltl

4-^

JAN 7 5