Richard Sperry

Abt 1606 - 1698  (~ 91 years)

• Name	Richard Sperry
  Birth	Abt 16 Feb 1606	Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, England
  Gender	Male
  Death	1698	New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
  Person ID	I27597	FelsingFam
  Last Modified	21 Dec 2024

  
  

  Father	John Sperry,   b. 18 Jan 1564, Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, England d. Abt 1620, Thurleigh Parish, Bedfordshire, England (Age 55 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Mary Winter,   b. Abt 1569   d. Aft 16 Feb 1606 (Age ~ 37 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	1596	Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, England
  Family ID	F8772	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Dennis/Denise Goodyear,   b. 9 May 1624, Monkleigh, Devon, England d. 17 May 1707, New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, USA (Age 83 years)
  Children	+ 1. Daniel Sperry,   b. Abt 1665, New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, USA  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F8771	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	21 Dec 2024

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - Abt 16 Feb 1606 - Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, England Death - 1698 - New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, USA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Biography This profile is part of the Sperry Name Study. Birth & Family Richard Sperry was born about February 16, 1606 in Thurleigh Parish Of Bedfordshire, England. February 16, 1606 is actually the day he was baptized at St. Peter's Church.[1] . His parents were John Sperry (2nd) & his wife Mary. There are no records in Thurleigh to show a maiden name for his mother or a date for his parents marriage. [2]. Richard had 5 siblings born & recorded in Thurleigh: John baptized October 27, 1598 Agnes baptized November 16, 1600 John baptized May 13, 1604. From this we can assume that the first child named John died in infancy. It was common to name the next child born of the same sex after the child who had passed away. Elizabeth also baptized May 13, 1604. Mary baptized January 13, 1605. Richard is the 6th & last child recorded at St. Peters for John & Mary. He was baptized February 16, 1606.[3] These names, dates & locations match exactly to those listed in "That Great Sperry Family". [4] Unproven Information It is generally believed that Richard Sperry arrived in America on 26 Jun1637 at the Massachusetts Bay Colony, on the ship Hector of London. This group of colonists was headed by Reverend John Davenport & Theophilus Eaton (who later became their Colonial Governor). Many of the families that would later marry in to the Sperry family also arrived at this time. Theses families included those of Samuel Hotchkiss & Henry Peck. We know that the members of this group left the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638 & founded the New Haven Colony. Several published accounts show Richard coming to America as an agent of or being sent by the Earl of Warwick. This would have been Sir Robert Rich - 2nd Earl of Warwick. He had strong connections to the Puritans & in 1631, was granted the patent for colonizing in Connecticut. [5][6][7] While Richard's arrival date of 1637; the “family legend” about the Earl of Warwick & another story about him being granted land in 1643 have been repeated many times, there are no records to prove any of this information. What We Do Know The first record of Richard being in New Haven Colony is on 4 Jan 1643 when he is fined 1 shilling "for having a defect in his gun cock". (Working firearms & ammunition supplies were required by all adult male inhabitants).[8] We don't hear from him again until he was granted "Free colony fellowship" as a " freeman" on July 1, 1644. Some interpret this to mean he had been an indentured servant to pay his passage to this country (a common practice in those days). However, this had nothing to do with being “in service”. Freeman, Free planter, Free Burgess, etc. were designations within the church which controlled not only voting privileges but also civil privileges & the division of land. The government of New Haven Colony was theocratic - under strict control of the church. There was no separation of church and "state". The church was the "state". This oath of fidelity was required by all inhabitants. The day that Richard took this oath, he took it along with 179 other adult, male inhabitants.[9] It is certain that he was gardener/farmer for the family of Deputy Governor Stephen Goodyear The connect to the Goodyear family is shown when on May 2, 1648, Richard has a complaint against him for not being on watch when he was supposed to be (again, required of all adult male inhabitants). Mr. Goodyear comes to his defense by explaining that he needed Richard to go after a sick ox in the woods for fear the animal would die if left out there. [10] The area Richard lived in is now the Connecticut town of Woodbridge ( part of New Haven City) which was formed from New Haven & Milford colonies. According to "Historic Woodbridge", Richard was the first settler in 1648 & built the first home on the west side of Amity Road. He is said to be homesteading & taking care of the lands of the Goodyear family. We find him again on March 7, 1653, when he is in court regarding a controversy of another man marking his pig. Believe it or not, this situation is not settled until Dec, 3, 1656, when the perpetrator of this “very unrighteous thievish act” is made to pay 3 days pay to Richard, 2 days to Ralph Lines & 1 day each to Edward Cap, George Smith & William Meaker for the time they had to take away from their work in order to deal with this case. [11] On Dec 6, 1659, he appears again. This time to apologize for allowing a man he had hired, Samuel Boston, to stay at his house while helping him with pipe staves (parts for making barrels) & letting him use some land to grow seed corn. The town has rules about who is allowed to take up residence & use the land and this kind of “behavior” is not allowed. Richard vouched for the man's good behavior & character & suggested he might be allowed to live with a local widow so as to help her. He was advised to speak to the governor regarding the matter & told he would then get an answer in 2 week. No further mention of this matter in the records.[12] Richard does not appear on the list of Proprietors of New Haven until 1685. [13] The Goodyear Connection You'll notice above that the land Richard lived on & took care of is referred to as having belonged to the Goodyear “family” - not Stephen Goodyear. There are several reasons for this which are explained below. First, a bit about the Goodyears. Mr. Stephen Goodyear was in New Haven in 1639 & served as Deputy Governor until his death in 1658.. His first wife, Mary, was lost in Captain George Lamberton's “Phantom Ship” in 1646. The Lambertons had come from Yorkshire, England to Boston in 1638 with the Ezekiel Rogers party & later joined the Davenport's party in founding New Haven. Both Mary Goodyear & Capt. George Lamberton were declared dead in 1647. In 1648, Mr. Stephen Goodyear married George Lamberton's widow, Margaret. Capt. Lamberton was a very wealthy man & had purchased much land (as far as Philadelphia) - all of which now belonged to his widow & children. Why mention this? There is no mention of Richard on this land until 1648 - after the Goodyear/Lamberton marriage. While many published accounts refer to Mr. Goodyear & his farmer Sperry, the only mention found in actual records speak of Mrs. Goodyear & her farmer Sperry. In fact, Mr Goodyear died in 1658, several years before mention of Richard being the family gardener/farmer or any land transactions. [14] On April 23, 1660, we see in the records “Mrs. Goodyeare & her farmer Rich Sperry haveing lately sustained much losse by fire it was propounded that some help might be afforded vnto them”. One man in each quarter and/or division being required to ask their neighbors how they can freely help. [15] On that same day, we see that Mrs. Goodyear had built on their 1200 acre tract a house for her farmer, Sperry. We find this house mentioned several times as the “Old, moated manor house, in Woodbridge, that was approached in colonial times by a long causeway leading across his estate from the river.”[16][17][18][19] The Regicides and Judges Cave In 1661, two of the judges/Regicides who had signed the execution order for King Charles I had escaped England & found their way to the top of West Rock where they hid from the search party sent by King Charles II to arrest them & bring them to "justice". These men were Colonel Edward Whalley - cousin to Oliver Cromwell - and his son-in-law, Colonel William Goeffe. At the time of their arrival in Woodbridge there were only two houses in the New Haven area west of West Rock, that of Richard Sperry in the valley and that of Ralph Lines on Chestnut Hill. They were fed each day by Richard Sperry or his son who climbed from their valley and left food on a stump near the jumble of great rocks (Judges Cave), where the men had taken shelter. There are several other locations where Richard hid the Regicides during their stay in New Haven. Ezra Stiles, an early President of Yale University, knew both Capt. Tim Bradley who grew up in the home of Eben Sperry (Ebenezer, the son of Richard) and Joseph Sperry (grandson of Richard by his son Daniel) and visited with them at Richard's original home. They retold the stories they had grown up hearing & showed President Stiles the hiding spots. [20] Joseph also told President Stiles that Richard's son John was 11 & Richard Jr. 9 at the time of first visit of judges. John was 14 & Richard Jr. 12 the last time they saw judges. [21] A few books give the account that his son, Richard Jr., did most of the transporting of food, as nobody would think it suspicious for a small child to be wondering through the woods every day instead of doing productive farm work. All accounts state the child was told the food was for farm workers working in the woods. The stories also say that Richard Sperry hid the Judge's belongings on his property after they were transported there - one small bundle at a time - from Reverend Davenport's home. Richard's home was constantly under watch & was searched by the "red coats" twice. Had he been caught hiding the judges he would have been subject to the same charge of treason that they faced. Punishment would have been to be dragged (not drawn), hanged, disemboweled while still alive, beheaded & quartered (literally cutting the decapitated corpse in to 4 pieces). If you were a woman you were simply burned alive. [22] Under Charles I the Puritans has been subject to false arrest, illegal taxes & much suffering. Their main reason for coming here was for a safe "new haven" in which to practice their religion. It is understandable that Richard would go to such lengths to protect those who had voted for Charles I's death. It is equally understandable why the others in this Puritan settlement would help keep it a secret - even though huge rewards were offered for the surrender of the Judge's. New Haven Colony never received it's charter from Charles II & in 1662 it was placed under the jurisdiction of Connecticut Colony - most likely as "punishment" for harboring of the Judges. In 1896 a plaque was placed at Judges Cave which reads: "Here May fifteenth 1661 and for some weeks thereafter Edward Whalley and his son-in-law William Goffe, members of Parliament, signers of the death warrant of King Charles First, found shelter and concealment from those officers of the Crown after the Restoration. "Opposition to tyrants is obedience to God." " It is not by accident that streets by the name of Whalley & Goeffe are connected by Sperry St in New Haven. If you look at a map, you'll notice that they appear to make a huge letter A that points to the Town Green & past that - off to where the regicides hid.[23][24][25][26] Church Membership It has been suggested by some that because Richard & his wife do not show up in the seating assignments at church before 1661 that they didn't attend church. However, there was no such thing as not attending church. If you were an inhabitant you were required to attend church. Seating assignments were called “Dignifying the Church”. Those who were not required to work for a living were referred to as Mr. Their wives were Mrs. Members were called brother & sister. If you were above a certain station in life you were Goodman & Goodwife (or simply Goody). It was absolutely normal for anyone below the station of Goodman or Goodwife to not have an assigned seat. They simply had to sit or stand wherever they found room each time.[27][28] It has also been suggested that Richard was not a member until 1689 due to his appearance as # 408 in the catalog of members. However, the first page of that book tells you that everything before 1685 is conjecture & suggested from various sources. A good “guess” is that #408 is his son - especially since another son appears as #397. Our Richard would not have had an assigned seat in 1661 if he were not a member. It wouldn't have mattered how many regicides he hid. This was, after all, New Haven before they were absorbed in to Connecticut. The same church that had excommunicated the wife of their wealthiest citizen & governor.[29] In November of 1662 we find Richard at court testifying in regards to an argument that started between guests at his home & ended with one man beating the other in the woods after they had both left the Sperry farm. [30] The Land While many published accounts say that Mr. Goodyear gave Richard the land, the records show that Mrs. Goodyear gave him the land.[31] January 3, 1664 Quit Claim deed, Mrs. Margaret Goodyear & her heirs give property, buildings, etc. to Richard Sperry & his heirs. "Bounded north by the mountain (West Rock), east by the river (West River), south by a ridge of hills, and east as far as the good land goeth" to have and to hold as long as trees grow and water runs” [32][33] Again, on August 9, 1669 her giving a farm to Richard Sperry free of molestation from her, her heirs, administrators or executors - to enjoy peacefully & quietly.[34] The last mention of Margaret in the records is in 1670. She is said to be 95 years old.[35] Why should it be of interest that Mrs. Goodyear gave him the farm? Because, in President Stiles visits with his friend, Joseph Sperry (grandson of Richard) he was told “The lady of Mr Stephen Goodyear brought over with them, among others, 2 servants Richard Sperry & Dennis, his wife; that she - Mrs. Goodyear, freed them and bought the farm called Sperry's Farm.” If this is true, we know that the 2nd Mrs. Goodyear gave them the farm & this Mrs. Goodyear didn't arrive with the other settlers of New Haven. She testified that she arrived with the Reverend Ezekiel Rogers group and later joined the Davenport party at New Haven. The account does not say if she actually arrived with Rogers or just a group of his followers. Rogers, we know arrived in 1638 at Boston on a ship Captained by Mrs. Goodyear's first husband, Capt. George Lamberton. We also know that Captain Lamberton had a house in Boston. This knowledge creates new questions as to when & where Richard arrived in America, who's service was he in & where did he live prior to showing up in 1643 New Haven.[36][37][38][39] Death & Legacy Richard died between 1693-1698. His death is not recorded. However, his will dated 18 Apr 1693 is to be found in New Haven Probate Records, Vol II p230-1.[40] It is, however, believed did not die until 1698. His widow Dennis Sperry died prob. Feb or Mar 1707. Her will was also dated April 18, 1693 & proved in March, 1707.[41] Sperry falls in Connecticut is the site of what was once called "Sperry's Pool" where the waterfalls gave power to the Sperry's saw mill, grist mill, and fulling mill. It is said that cloth was produced here for uniforms during the Revolutionary War. Sperry Falls Sperry Falls Park Sperry Park, on the road of that name, was given on September 28, 1907 by the heirs of Enoch & Mary Atlanta Sperry - descendants of Richard, on the site of their home, and in their memory. It overlooks the gorge where those mill wheels turned hundreds of years ago.[42] The Pride of Old Woodbridge Visit Sperry Park Sources ↑ research trip to Thurleigh (September 25 - October 5, 1992), search of St. Peters church records ↑ research trip to Thurleigh (September 25 - October 5, 1992), search of St. Peters church records ↑ research trip to Thurleigh (September 25 - October 5, 1992), search of St. Peters church records ↑ That Great Sperry Family, Harrison Spencer Sperry, Hawkes Publishing Inc., 1977, p. 14 ↑ Rodney Prestage Homer ,“The Sperry family line of Jeremiah Sperry of Minnesota”, 1969. ↑ Commemorative Biographical Record of Hartford County, Connecticut ..., Volume 1, J.H. Beers & Co, Chicago, 1901, p. 186 ↑ New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 3, William Richard Cutter. Lewis historical publishing Company, 1913, p 1267 ↑ Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven, from 1638 to 1649,Charles J. Hoadley, State Librarian for Conn., Case, Tiffany and Co., Hartford, CT, 1857, p. 122 ↑ Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven, from 1638 to 1649, Charles J. Hoadley, State Librarian for Conn., Case, Tiffany and Co., Hartford, CT, 1857, Pp. 136-139 ↑ Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven, from 1638 to 1649, Charles J. Hoadley, State Librarian for Conn., Case, Tiffany and Co., Hartford, CT, 1857. Page 378. ↑ Records of the Colony Or Jurisdiction of New Haven, from May, 1653 to the Union, Volume 2. Pages 202-203 and 300-302. ↑ Records of the Colony Or Jurisdiction of New Haven, from May, 1653 to the Union, Volume 2. Page 424) ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 1, 1847. Page 158. ↑ Genealogy of the Goodyear Family, Grace Goodyear Kirkman, 1899. Pages 37-39. ↑ New Haven Town Records Vol. 1. Page 448. ↑ City Yearbook, City of New Haven, Issue 10, 1870. Pages 191 & 192. ↑ The British Invasion of New Haven, Ct., Charles Hervey Townshend, New Haven, 1879. Page 63. ↑ History of the City of NY, Martha J. Lamb, Vol. II, A.S. Barnes & Co, NY & Chicago, 1880. Page 222. ↑ Genealogy of the Goodyear Family, Grace Goodyear Kirkman, 1899. Pages 37-39. ↑ The Literary Diary of Ezra Stiles, Ezra Stiles, writings date July 16 - July 18, 1785. Pages 168 - 171. ↑ The Literary Diary of Ezra Stiles, Ezra Stiles ↑ The Literary Diary of Ezra Stiles, Ezra Stiles ↑ Library of American History, Volume 2, Samuel Lorenzo Knapp, 1837. Pages 106,108 and 114 -116. ↑ The Welles, Lemuel A. History of the Regicides in New England. New York, NY: , Grafton Press, 1927. Pages 46-47. ↑ Stiles, Ezra. A History of the Three Judges of King Charles I. Major-General Whalley, Major-General Goffe and Colonel Dixwell: who, at the Restoration, 1660, Fled to America, and Were Secreted and Concealed, in Massachusetts and Connecticut, for Near 30 Years, 1794. ↑ Woodward, Sarah Day. Early New Haven. New Haven, CT: Price, Lee & Adkins:1912. Pages 65 - 72. ↑ Early New Haven by Sarah Day Woodward, published in 1912 by Price, Lee & Adkins of New Haven, p.35 ↑ New Haven Town Records, V 1 1649-1684, Pp. 511 & 513 ↑ Historical Catalog of the Members of the First Church of Christ in New Haven, Connecticut (Center Church), Parts A.D.1639-1914, Compiled by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, 1914, NY Public Library ↑ Records of the Colony Or Jurisdiction of New Haven, from May, 1653 to the Union, Volume 2, Pp. 151 - 153 ↑ Ancestors of Henry Ward Beecher and his wife Eunice White Bullard, William Constantine Beecher , 1927, p. 106 ↑ City Yearbook, City of New Haven, Issue 10, 1870,pages 191 & 192 ↑ Records of the Colony Or Jurisdiction of New Haven, from May, 1653 tom the Union, Volume 2, P 124 ↑ Records of the Colony Or Jurisdiction of New Haven, from May, 1653 to the Union, Volume 2, p.444 ↑ Fifty Puritan Ancestors, 1628-1660: Genealogical Notes, 1560-1900 By Elizabeth Todd Nash, Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, New Haven, 1902, p. 127 ↑ The Literary Diary of Ezra Stiles, Ezra Stiles, Pp. 168 - 171, writings date July 16 - July 18, 1785 ↑ Winthrop Papers: 1638-1644, Vol. IV, 1638 - 1644, Mass. Historical Society, 1944, p. 151 ↑ History of the Colony of New Haven, to it's absorption in to Connecticut, Edwad E. Atwater, Journal Publishing, Meridan, Conn., 1902, p. 131 ↑ History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume 1 edited by John L. Rockey, W.W. Preston & Co., NY., 1892, p. 11 ↑ “New Haven Probate Records, Vol. 1-2, 1647-1703”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L92K-G9JS-G : 15 March 2021), New Haven, Connecticut, FHL microfilm 007626739, image 384-386. New Haven Probate Record, 1668-1703, Vol. 2, Part 2, page 213-216. ↑ Families of Ancient New Haven|Families of Ancient New Haven]] (Baltimore Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1981) Vol 7, page 1665 ↑ Quit Claim Deed - signed by Congressman Nehemiah Day Sperry, E. Knight Sperry, Harriet S. Miller, all of New Haven, Ct., Andrew J. Ramsdell, L. Atlanta Ramsdell, and G. Louise McIntosh Brooklyn,NY. Jacobus, Donald Lines, Families of Ancient New Haven, Vol 7, p. 1665. New Haven, CT: Families of Ancient New Haven. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as New Haven genealogical magazine. vols. I-VIII. Compiled by Donald Lines Jacobus. 8 vols. Rome, New York: Clarence D. Smith, 1923-1932. See Also Families of Dickerman Ancestry: Descendants of Thomas Dickerman, an Early of Dorchester, Mass., Edward Dwight Dickerman & George Sherwood Dickerman, Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, New Haven, 1897, Pp. 181-183 Four American Ancestries: White, Griggs, Cowles, Judd, Including Haring, Phelps, Denison, Clark, Foote, Coley, Haight, ayers &n related Families, Peter Haring Judd, NY, NY. 2008, Volume 3 Pp. 621 & 622 (regicides) The descendants of William and Elizabeth Tuttle, who came from old to New England in 1635, and settled in New Haven in 1639, with numerous biographical notes and sketches : also, some account of the descendants of John Tuttle, of Ipswich; and Henry Tuthill, of Hingham, Mass.,Tuttle, George Frederick Pp, 684 & 685 & p. 605 New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 3,William Richard Cutter, Lewis historical publishing Company, 1913, p. 1267 Papers, Volume 6, New Haven Colony Historical Society, New Haven, Pp. 104-106 & 120-121 The Cyclopedia Of American Biography, James E. Homans, Press assoc. compilers, NY, 1918, Pp.71-73 History of the Colony of New Haven, to it's absorption in to Connecticut, Edwad E. Atwater, Journal Publishing, Meridan, Conn., 1902 Records of the Colony Or Jurisdiction of New Haven, from May, 1653 tom the Union, Volume 2 The Literary Diary of Ezra Stiles:Jan. 1, 1769l-Mar. 13, 1776, Ezra Siles, Pp.538-539 Library of American Literature, Volume III, Literature of the revolution, 1765-1787, Charles Webster Co., 1892, pp.118 -121 History of the Ancient Maritime Interests of New Haven,Thomas Rutherford Trowbridge, Jr., Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, New Haven, 1882, Pp. 13-16