Gamaliel^{3 (John2)} and Elizabeth (Scott) Terrill

Nancy Tyrrel Theodore, January 2011

All highlighted and underlined items in this article are links to copies of original documents, or DORII articles.
All Milford deeds are from LDS Film #4919 and Waterbury deeds are from LDS Film #6111.
(PDF files of size 2 MB or less)

Gamaliel³, the youngest child of John² and Abigail TERRILL, was bp. 14 Aug 1698^a at Milford, New Haven, CT. Gamaliel married Elizabeth SCOTT, daughter of George and Mary (RICHARDS) SCOTT, at New Milford, Litchfield, CT on 17 May 1725.^a

Like other of John's children, Gamaliel moved from Milford. Let's follow Gamaliel's trail to New Milford and then Waterbury. As John did with other of his children, on 29 January 1719/20 John deeded [Milford Deed 6:83] to his two youngest sons, Josiah and Gamaliel, for "love and affection," parcels of land in the township of Milford.

Shortly after that, on 17 February 1719/20, Gamaliel and his brother Josiah purchased a Right of Land in New Milford from Enos CAMP, son of Samuel CAMP, while all parties were still of Milford. The description of this land from Orcutt's History of New Milford: ""Laid to Josiah and Gamaliel Terrill a home-lot seven and a half acres, butting west upon the highway or town street, south upon Joseph Garnsy's home-lot, north and east upon undivided land, twenty rods wide, sixty rods long. Mar. 3, 1720. At same time a ten-acre division east of the above, twenty rods wide, eighty rods long." This was at Park Lane, east side of the street."^b [Milford Deed 6:135/6]

On 22 Mar 1720/21 [Milford Deed 6:193/4] Gamaliel deeded to Josiah his land at New West Field in Milford in exchange for Josiah's "1/2 of whole share of land in New Milford which was Enos Camp," and by a separate document deeded to Josiah his land in Milford called the New West Field as his contribution to Josiah for his care of their "Honoured Father & Mother" [Milford Deed 6:257]. On that same date Gamaliel and Josiah sold their land, 2 acres and 1 rod at Great Meadows in Milford, to Thomas TIBBALS for 27 pounds. [Milford Deed 6:174/5].

All of this activity predicts that Gamaliel is leaving Milford for New Milford and selling or turning his Milford lands over to his brother Josiah while keeping the jointly-acquired New Milford land.

Elizabeth's SCOTT and RICHARDS families had meanwhile established themselves in Waterbury. On 14 June 1725 Gamaliel and Elizabeth deeded to Samuel GUNN land in Waterbury with the following added information: Gamaliel Terrill and Elizabeth Terrill his wife - sometime lately Elizabeth Scott daughter of George Scott Sr. late of Waterbury Deceased - now both of New Milford in the county of New Haven....one certain parcel of division land within the township of Waterbury in the county of Hartford in the above said Colony of Connecticut in a place that is called the village or northwest division which is known or distinguished by the name of George Scott, Jr. bachelor lott and is the forty seventh lott in the division.... [Waterbury Deed 1-2:628]. George SCOTT, Sr., son of Edmun of Farmington, married Mary RICHARDS, daughter of Obadiah, in August of 1691. George, Sr. died 26 September 1724 and George, Jr. died 9 May 1725 at age 30.^c Thus Gamaliel and Elizabeth came into land in Waterbury while residents of New Milford.

On 16 May 1726 Gamaliel and Elizabeth are listed among the heirs of "our Honoured Father and Grand Father Obadiah Richards, Sr. deceased of Waterbury" who are selling Lot 98 in the township of Waterbury, lying northwest of the town in the Village, to Jonathan PRINDLE. [Waterbury Deed 1-2:799]

By deed dated 15 May 1727, Gamaliel and Elizabeth turn over rights in several parcels of Waterbury land to brother Samuel SCOTT to reimburse him for debts he paid against George and Benjamin SCOTT's estates. [Waterbury Deed 1-2:857]

In Anderson's History of Waterbury^c, in the chapter entitled "Waterbury Lands Held by Non-Resident Owners," is the following: "In 1739.....Gamaliel Turrell of New Milford bought 20 acres at Scovill's mountain lot and 27 acres at Buck's Hill on the east side of Benjamin Warner's house lot, and laid out six parcels of land." Six parcels of land, one for himself and one for each of his five surviving children.

Gamaliel³ and Elizabeth TERRILL had six children, all born in New Milford^a:

Gamaliel's name first appears in Waterbury as a tax-paying inhabitant in 1741 where his tax was 108 pounds, a substantial amount for the time. Joshua first appears on the list in 1748, his year of marriage; Benjamin appears in 1756, the year of his first marriage and Amos in 1758 when he turned 25 as he didn't marry until 1764. Mercy's husband, Henry GRILLEY first appears on the tax list in 1763, the year of their marriage. Elizabeth's husband, Robert SCOTT made his first appearance on the tax list in 1756, six years before their marriage.^d

Gamaliel's will was written 13 November 1761 at Waterbury, New Haven, CT and probated at Woodbury, CT on 11 April 1769. He appointed his wife, Elizabeth, and son, Benjamin, as his executors. He left to his grandson Matthew the son of Joshua, who was deceased, some of his land and stated that he had paid for Matthew's maintenance until he was over four years of age and had paid the larger debts which Matthew's father contracted in his lifetime.

Gamaliel further left his "four well-beloved children viz: Benjamin Terrilll, Amos Terrill, Elizabeth Terrill and Mercy Terrill all the remaining part of my estate both real and personal to be equally divided between them...." The will was witnessed by Thomas MATTHEWS, Zebulon SCOTT and Benjamin SCOTT. Distribution was made 28 October 1768.

When Matthew became of age to choose his guardian, he chose on 7 October 1766 Daniel BROWN of Waterbury, his step-father [Woodbury 5:263 LDS #6173].

a The American Genealogist, Volume 25, pages 38 & 41-42, "The Terrill Family of Connecticut," by Donald Lines Jacobus.

b History of the Towns of New Milford and Bridgewater, Connecticut, 1703-1882, by Samuel Orcutt, Case, Lockwood and Brainard, 1882, pages 70-71.

c The Town and City of Waterbury, Connecticut, from the Aboriginal Period to the Year Eighteen Hundred and Ninety-Five, Vol. I, edited by Joseph Anderson, New Haven, The Price & Lee Company, 1896, pages 363 and 130Ap.

d Ancient Burying-Grounds of the Town of Waterbury, Connecticut Together with Other Records of Church and Town, compiled and edited by Katharine A. Prichard, 1971, The Mattatuck Historical Society, page 303 for Terrill.