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Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs:
Hitchcock

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[This information is from Vol. III, pp. 1102-1105 of Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs, edited by Cuyler Reynolds (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911). It is in the Reference collection of the Schenectady County Public Library at R 929.1 R45. Some of the formatting of the original, especially in lists of descendants, may have been altered slightly for ease of reading.]

This family is supposed to have come originally from the county of Wiltshire, England, where it has been numerous from the time of William the Conqueror. Anciently there were two families bearing coats-of-arms, one as follows: Argent on a cross azure five fleurs de lis or in the dexter chief quarter a lion rampant gules. Crest: a castle gules on the tower a Lion's head erased, in the mouth a round buckle. Motto: Esse quod opto. There were several immigrants of the name to America: Thomas and William Hitchcock, who settled in Virginia, and Matthias, Luke and Edward, who settled in New England.

(I) Luke Hitchcock came probably from Fenny Compton, county Warwick, England, and settled in Connecticut. He married Elizabeth, sister of William Gibbons, of Hartford, Connecticut, who came from Fenny Compton, and who left a bequest in his will to his "brother Hitchcock." Luke Hitchcock took the freeman's oath at New Haven in company with Edward Hitchcock, July 1, 1644. He was living in Wethersfield in 1646, and served on the jury at the court held at Hartford. He was by trade a shoemaker, and lived in the centre of the village. The house now standing on the place was built by Silas Dean some time before the revolution. He was selectman of Wethersfield in 1655-56. He owned considerable land there. It is said that he was very friendly with the Indians, who gave him in return for his kindness a deed of the land which comprises the town of Farmington. His deed was a clear and valid title to the land, but was so little thought of that his wife used it to cover a pie in the oven, and it was destroyed. In 1659 Luke signed an engagement to remove to Hadley, but died November 1, 1659. His will was dated October 17, 1659, and proved November 28, 1659. His widow married (second) October 2, 1661, William Warriner, of Springfield, where she removed, taking with her John and Luke Hitchcock, her sons. She married (third) September 17, 1678, in Milford, Connecticut, Joseph Baldwin, of Hadley. Again becoming a widow, she returned to Springfield, where she died April 25, 1695. Children:

  1. John, mentioned below;
  2. Hannah, born 1645, died August 31, 1733, married, October 2, 1661, Chileab Smith, of Hadley;
  3. Luke, born June 5, 1655, married, February 14, 1676, Sarah Dorchester.

(II) Deacon John, son of Luke Hitchcock, married, September 27, 1666, Hannah Chapin, born December 2, 1644. He was a deacon of the church in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was admitted a freeman in 1682, and was constable in 1672. In the meeting house he was seated "in ye backe Seate above the Pillars on the North Side." On May 19, 1676, he was wounded in the fight at Turner's Falls, one arm shot through and the other broken. Major Pynchon asked the governor to give Ensign John Hitchcock a lieutenant's commission for gallant conduct. On November 9, 1686, he was on a committee for the settlement of the town of Quaboag, now Brookfield, and also to make fortifications there. He died February 9, 1712. His will, dated February 5, 1711-12, was proved March 25, 1712. Children:

  1. Daughter, born and died September 4, 1667;
  2. Hannah, born September 10, 1668, married Samuel Parsons;
  3. John, April 13, 1670;
  4. Samuel, August 21, 1672, mentioned below;
  5. Luke, March 23, 1674, married Elizabeth Walker;
  6. Nathaniel, August 28, 1677, married Abigail Lombard;
  7. David, born February 7, 1678-79; married (first) Elizabeth Batt, widow; (second) ————;
  8. Jonathan, November 26, 1682, died February 26, 1683-84;
  9. Sarah, January 11, 1686-87, died April 17, 1690.

(III) Samuel, son of John Hitchcock, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, August 21, 1672. He settled in New Milford, Connecticut, in 1713, and united with the church there November 17, 1716. He married November 17, 1695, Sarah, daughter of John and Mary (Alford) Weller. She was born in Deerfield, Massachusetts, April 15, 1678, and died April 13, 1761. He died December 9, 1727. Children:

  1. Samuel, born September 17, 1699;
  2. Jonathan, April 25, 1701;
  3. Sarah, February 5, 1702-03;
  4. Esther, July 11, 1705;
  5. Deborah, October 9, 1710;
  6. John, September 28, 1716, mentioned below;
  7. Hannah, January 1, 1719-20.

(IV) Captain John (2), son of Samuel Hitchcock, was born in New Milford, Connecticut, September 28, 1716. He settled as early as 1745 on the south end of Rocky Mount, New Milford; was justice of the peace, captain of the militia and representative in the state assembly. He and his sons Isaac and Asahel were grantees of the town of Hinesburg, Vermont. He married (first) May 27, 1736, Sarah Barnum, born August 11, 1717, died May 10, 1754; (second) December 26, 1754, Sybil Sherwood, of Woodbury, Connecticut, who died July 12, 1759. He married (third) May 21, 1760, Mrs. Rebecca Buel, of Kent, Connecticut. He died June 27, 1796. Children of first wife:

  1. Isaac, born February 26, 1737;
  2. Asahel, September 16, 1740;
  3. Eunice, April 12, 1743;
  4. Abigail, October 24, 1747;
  5. John, May 17, 1753.

Children of second wife:

  1. Zina, born November 6, 1755;
  2. John, May 17, 1759.

Children of third wife:

  1. Sarah, born February 22, 1761;
  2. Buel, April 1, 1763;
  3. Hannah, August 28, 1764;
  4. Ebenezer.

(V) Asahel, son of John (2) Hitchcock, was born in New Milford, Connecticut, September 16, 1740, and married (first) December 15, 1766, Hannah Collins, born March 11, 1743, died June 11, 1779; (second) February 24, 1780, Mrs. Anna (Beach) Northrop, born February 19, 1753, at Kingsbury, New York. He moved from Warren, Litchfield county, Connecticut, to Kingsbury, New York, in February, 1785. In 1795 he was justice of the peace for Kingsbury. He died there May 6, 1829. His widow died there February 25, 1842. Children of first wife:

  1. Collins, born December 1, 1767;
  2. Prudence, October 3, 1769;
  3. Noble Barnum, mentioned below.

Child of second wife:

  1. Hannah Ann, born April 4, 1791.

(VI) Noble Barnum, son of Asahel Hitchcock, was born September 8, 1775. He came with his father's family to Kingsbury, Washington county, New York, after the revolution. His father was one of the engineers employed to survey the state line between New York and Vermont. Noble Barnum Hitchcock was a well-to-do farmer. He married, May 11, 1800, Margaret (Peggy) Freeman, born at Sandy Hill, New York, January 16, 1783, died in Kingsbury, July 2, 1863. Children:

  1. Caroline, born April 4, 1801, married (first) Augustus Lemon, (second) George Morse;
  2. Mary (Polly), June 11, 1803;
  3. Asahel, July 26, 1805;
  4. John Vernon, June 5, 1808;
  5. Minerva, March 25, 1815, married Rev. Mr. Eastman;
  6. Alfred Freeman, mentioned below.

(VII) Alfred Freeman, son of Noble Barnum Hitchcock, was born in Kingsbury, February 16, 1818. He was for many years a farmer in his native place; later engaged in the grocery business at Glens Falls for a short time and finally purchased a farm in Monroe, New York, where he lived until his death. He was active in town affairs in Monroe and was at the time of his death supervisor of the town. He was a Republican in politics. He was held in high esteem by his townsmen. He. married, May 23, 1849, Phebe Ann, born March 10, 1825, at Kingsbury, daughter of Jeremiah (2) Finch, son of Jeremiah (1) Finch. Her father was born in 1770 and was a farmer and one of the pioneer lumbermen of northern New York; owned considerable land in the Adirondacks; was a Baptist in religion and a Whig in politics; married Elizabeth Thompson; children: Phebe Ann, Jeremiah, John J. and Daniel J. Finch. Mr. Hitchcock died December 5, 1872. Children:

  1. Alerick Freeman, born March 19, 1850, at Kingsbury; married, January 3, 1878, Frances J. Roberts.
  2. John J., September 16, 1853, died July 4, 1896; married, February 15, 1881, Harriet A. Parks; children:
    1. Harriet Louise, born 1882, married Lester J. Backus, and had Willard Hitchcock and Elizabeth Backus;
    2. Alfred Finch, born 1888;
    3. George Parks.
  3. Alfred Willard, mentioned below.
  4. Mary Elizabeth, June 4, 1865; married, January 8, 1889, Eugene L. Ashley, and had Katherine R. Ashley.

(VIII) Alfred Willard, son of Alfred Freeman Hitchcock, was born November 13, 1856. He married, June 20, 1889, Mrs. Harriotte Rogers (Rugge) Tearse, daughter of George and Martha Mahala (Sherman) Rugge, and widow of Addison Tearse (see Rugge VI).

(The Rugge Line)

John Rugg, immigrant ancestor, came to this country about 1650, and settled at Watertown, but soon removed and was one of the first settlers at Lancaster, Massachusetts. Rugg is an ancient family in Norfolk county, England, and Lord Braybrooke says that two men of this branch were aldermen of Norwich. One report says that John Rugg was born at Sowerby, Halifax parish, England, March 11, 1632. In 1652 he was in Lancaster. In 1654 he married (first) Martha Prescott; married (second) Hannah Prescott. They were both daughters of Jonathan and Mary (Platts) Prescott. John Rugg was active in town affairs, and was made a freeman in 1669. His wife Martha died May 4, 1660, leaving two children, both of whom died young. He died at Lancaster in 1696, and his widow was killed by the Indians at Lancaster, September 22, 1697. Children of first wife:

  1. ————, died January 18, 1655-56.
  2. John, born January 17, 1655-56, died January 29, 1655-56.

Children of second:

  1. John, June 4, 1662.
  2. Mary, July 11, 1664.
  3. Thomas, September 15, 1666.
  4. Joseph, December 15, 1668; he, his wife and three children, and his mother Hannah were killed by the Indians at their home in Lancaster, there were several others murdered during this same attack which was made after peace had been declared between Great Britain and France.
  5. Hannah, January 2, 1671.
  6. Rebecca, May 16, 1673.
  7. Daniel, November 15, 1678, mentioned below.
  8. Jonathan, February 10, 1681.

(II) Daniel, son of John Rugg, was born November 15, 1678, at Concord, while the family was away from Lancaster. He lived in that part of Lancaster which is now Sterling. He died there June 23, 1758. In 1718 he was constable, and he was always prominent in church affairs at South Lancaster or Sterling. He lived near the Sawyers, Fairbanks, Samuel Prescott, John Harris and Rev. Andrew Gardner, and they served together in the same garrison by order of the general court, at Mr. Gardner's house on the west side of the Nashua river. Daniel Rugg saw much service during the Indian troubles. He joined the church March 3, 1716-17, and his wife joined April 1, 1716-17. Both had been members of the Lancaster church. He signed the covenant at Lancaster in 1708. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Reuben Priest, of Sterling, March 10, 1730. He died June 23, 1758, and his wife died December 3, 1754. Children:

  1. Captain Daniel, baptized August 26, 1716;
  2. Reuben, baptized August 26, 1716;
  3. John, baptized August 26, 1716; mentioned below;
  4. Elizabeth, baptized August 26, 1716;
  5. Martha, baptized August 26, 1716;
  6. Deborah, baptized August 26, 1716;
  7. Margaret, baptized August 26, 1716;
  8. Amos, born December 17, 1716;
  9. Nathan, born April 13, 1718;
  10. Isaac, baptized April 3, 1720;
  11. Sarah, baptized July 21, 1728;
  12. Mary (full communion), May 6, 1733.

(III) John (2), son of Daniel Rugg, was baptized at Lancaster, August 26, 1716, died there January 11, 1799, aged eighty-five (gravestone). He joined the Lancaster Church, July 2, 1749. He married, September 5, 1741, Lidia Phelps (the name Fletcher is added to the record in pencil). Children, born at Lancaster:

  1. Susanna, September 21, 1742;
  2. Rebecca, September 9, 1744, died July 6, 1747 (gravestone);
  3. Lucy, August 17, 1746;
  4. John, July 10, 1749;
  5. Abel, June 23, 1751;
  6. Levi, mentioned below;
  7. Joshua, March 31, 1759.

(IV) Levi, son of John (2) Rugg, was born at Lancaster, December 3, baptized December 10, 1752, died February 22, 1824. He was called professor and was for twenty-five years principal of the Rindge Academy, at Rindge, New Hampshire. He served in the revolutionary war and was at Cambridge and Ticonderoga. The records show that he was in Captain William Humphrey's company. (p. 355 Rev. Rolls of N. H, Vol. I). He married, May 11, 1775, Relief Whitcomb. Children: Abigail, Ruth, Relief, John, Abel, Levi, mentioned below; Betsey, Elias, Luke, Betsey, Leceba and Basheba.

(V) Dr. Levi (2) Rugge or Rugg, son of Professor Levi (1) Rugg, was born April 20, 1785, died in 1860. He was a college graduate and studied medicine in Boston, where he practiced for a number of years. He settled at Glens Falls, New York, and followed his profession the remainder of his life. He married, October 8, 1816, Catherine Folsom, born April 30, 1789, died March 21, 1872. Children:

  1. George, mentioned below.
  2. John, born February 16, 1819, died December 20, 1839.
  3. Elizabeth Folsom, December 12, 1820, married, June 20, 1850, William Taylor Norris, born July 29, 1823, killed at the battle of Bull Run, August 30, 1862; children:
    1. Alexander Folsom, January 26, 1852;
    2. Helena Elizabeth, January 8, 1858, married Stowell B. Whitney;
    3. Frederick Taylor, August 25, 1860, married Margaret Rae, and had children:
      1. Elizabeth F., born October 27, 1894, and
      2. Frederick F., September 21, 1895.

(VI) George Rugge, son of Dr. Levi (2) Rugge, was born June 28, 1817, died September 21, 1885. He was educated in the common schools and at Burr Seminary, Manchester, Vermont, from which he graduated and received the degree of A.M., from Union College. He was for many years a teacher in the Glens Falls Academy. Afterward he engaged in the lumber business, and continued in it until the time of his death. In politics he was a Republican, and in religion a Presbyterian. He married, December 15, 1850, Martha Mahala, born January 21, 1831, died April 10, 1902, daughter of Augustus and Nancy (Weed) Sherman. Children:

  1. Augustus Sherman, born June 30, 1852; married, October 16, 1879, Sarah Louise Penrose; children:
    1. Sherman Augustus, born September 22, 1881;
    2. Mabel, May 9, 1883;
    3. George Folsom, April 9, 1885.
  2. Catherine Folsom (twin of Augustus Sherman), married, December 25, 1875, James Pruyn Burdick.
  3. Annie Sherman, April 6, 1853; married (first) October 21, 1873, James M. Haviland, now deceased; children:
    1. Dr. LeRoy Haviland, born March 20, 1875, married, September 8, 1904, Mabel West;
    2. James M. Haviland, October 13, 1877, died July 9, 1890.
    Mrs. Haviland married (second), John Grant Haviland, a brother of her first husband.
  4. Harriotte Rogers, born December 11, 1856; married (first) February 16, 1881, Addison Tearse, died August 5, 1881; married (second) June 20, 1889, Alfred Willard Hitchcock (see Hitchcock VIII).
  5. Elizabeth Norris, September 4, 1858; married, September 11, 1884, Charles O. Howe; child,
    1. Josephine Rugge, born October 31, 1891.
  6. Louisa Abbie, February 14, 1860; married Dr. Lemon Thomson, June 5, 1886; children:
    1. George Rugge, December 20, 1888;
    2. Kathleen L., June 17, 1889.
  7. Mary Lydia, October 6, 1864; married, December 29, 1892, Charles Billings Dix.
  8. Helen Mahala, July 3, 1865; married, October 2, 1895, Dr. John Sutherland Stuart; child,
    1. Sutherland Rugge, October 18, 1900.
  9. Alice E., married John R. Loomis, Jr.; child, Martha M. R.

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