1. Biographical sketch of William and a letter from Rev. Amos Chesebrou gh about the sketch from Anna Chesebrough Wildey's book:

"William (Cheesbrough) Chesebrough, the first settler of English linea ge in the town of Stonington, Connecticut, was born in England in the ye ar of our Lord, 1594. The place of his nativity and the names of his pare nts cannot with certainty be determined. The probabilities are, that he w as born in possibly nearby / Boston, Lincolnshire, where he is known to ha ve had his residence some eleven or twelve years prior to his emigrati on to America in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and where he and his wife w ere communicants in St. Botolph's Church. The home of the Cheesbrough fam ily was in the eastern counties of England, and the name occurs in the pub lic registries of Wills in the County of Norfolk, which adjoins Lincolnshi re. Sarah Chesebrough, whose name stands No. 78 on the roll of the Fir st Church of Boston, Mass., was a passenger with William on the ship, Arbe lla, and was thought to have been his mother but is recorded as a daught er in the Winthrop Fleet records. His wife, Anna and three surviving chil dren of the eight that had been born to him, - the youngest, Nathanie l, an infant in arms, - came with him in the same company. The Arbell a, a ship of three hundred and fifty tons, whereof Captain Peter Milbor ne was master, received its name 'in honour of the Lady Arbella' spou se of Isaac Johnson, Esq., one of the more prominent personages among t he passengers. This ship was one of a fleet of fourteen vessels with eig ht hundred and forty passengers, comprising the Massachusetts Bay Colon y. It set sail from Cowes Isle of Wight, on Tuesday, March 30, 1630, a nd was termed the 'Admiral' of the fleet, for the reason partly, that it w as the staunchest and best furnished of the vessels, and partly perhap s, as Savage in his notes in Winthrop's Journal suggests, that it was own ed by and carried 'the principal people' of the Colony, including Johnso n, Winthrop, Coddington, Dudley, Bradstreet and Saltonstall with their res pective families among others.

The first thirty-six years of William Chesebrough's life were closing wh en he set foot upon American soil. They covered the last nine years of Qu een Elizabeth's reign, the entire reign of James I, and the first five yea rs of the reign of the ill-fated Charles I, and they were among the most e ventful years in the history of England. Mary, Queen of Scots, was behead ed only seven years before Chesebrough's birth; and only six years befor e, occurred the issue of the first English newspaper, and also the destruc tion of the Spanish Armada. It was the period in which Edmund Spencer, Wi lliam Shakespeare and Lord Bacon won their undying fame; in which the fir st telescopes were invented, and in which also the authorized version of t he Bible was prepared by order of King James. He was eleven years o ld at the time of the Gunpowder Plot; thirteen when Jamestown (now New Yor k) was settled by the Dutch, and twenty-six when the Pilgrim Fathers land ed upon Plymouth Rock.

The corruption in both Church and State in England, the high-handed and cr uel measures of the Courts of High Commission and of the Star Chamber to c rush out all freedom of thought and speech and worship, the insecuri ty of life and property, and the civil and religious disintegration whi ch threatened ruin to the nation, prompted many of the better class of t he clergy and of the people to sacrifice their homes and seek an asylum wh ere they could enjoy a rational liberty. The immigrants who came to New E ngland with the illustrious Winthrop, organized their churches on the simp le polity of a self-governing brotherhood. Such an organization was effec ted in their new settlement which they named Charlestown, on the 30th of J uly, 1630, with Rev. John Wilson as teacher, but in the course of three mo nths it was transferred to the south side of the Charles River to Bosto n, which the majority preferred on the score of healthiness, as the pla ce for a permanent settlement. The names of William and Anna Chesebrou gh appear as Nos. 44 and 45, on the roll of the original members of thi s, the First Church of Boston. When Rev. John Cotton, their former Minist er at St. Botolph's in England, came over some three years later, he to ok the place of Mr. Wilson as teacher of the church, and Mr. Wilson was ch osen as the pastor.

The government of the new colony was administered under a charter grant ed by Charles I to 'The Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay in New E ngland,' bearing date March 4, 1629. On the emigration to America of t he leading members of this Corporation, the Corporation itself with all i ts powers and privileges was transferred to them and the other freem en of the company who should inhabit the new plantation. Thus the adminis trative officers of the company became 'The General Court of Massachusetts ,' which took charge of the civil government, and John Winthrop was chos en governor. Under this government, William Chesebrough was made a freem an in May, 1631. It soon became necessary to order the several towns whi ch had been organized by the colonists, to choose each two deputies to app ear at the Court, for the purpose of concerting a plan for a public treasu ry and for levying taxes for the support of the government. William Colbu rn, who was the deacon of the Church, and William Chesebrough, were appoin ted upon this service as the first deputies or representatives of Bosto n. This was the entering wedge to the yearly representation of the tow ns in the legislative body. Mr. Chesebrough filled other responsible posi tions in the young municipality. He was chosen constable, an office equiv alent to what would now be called an 'high sheriff', and subsequently an a ssessearliest record / rates, and again one of a committee to allot to 't he able bodied men and youth' grounds for planting.

For the purpose of attaining more arable land and pasture than was assign ed to them within the limits of Boston, Mr. Chesebrough, with many other s, removed their residences a few miles southward, near to a promontory ca lled Mount Wollaston, in 1637 or 1638. A church was organized for the gro wing community, September 17, 1639, to which he and his wife brought lette rs of dismission and recommendations from the Boston church on the 6 th of the ensuing February. This Mount Wollaston section was set off t he same year as a distinct town and named Braintree, and Mr. Chesebroug h, with Stephen Kinsley, was chosen to represent the new municipality in t he General Court. He was appointed commissioner or local judge to try cer tain classes of cases which came up for adjudication, and held also oth er responsible positions. The grounds he occupied are those which have co nstituted for more than two and a half centuries the old homestead of t he Adams family, and are now included within the limits of the city of Qui ncy. The late Ex-President, John Quincy Adams, informed the writer that t he deed of transfer given by William Chesebrough to his ancestor was sti ll in his possession.

In the course of two or three years the subject of this sketch joined a co mpany which settled at 'Seekonk', in the vicinity of the Plymouth Colon y. Early in July, 1644, he with twenty-nine others of the resident plante rs there, entered into a civil compact, agreeing to be governed by nine pe rsons, 'according to law and equity, until we shall subject ourselves join tly to some other government.' It appears that this compact and agreeme nt was drawn up and carried through by Mr. Chesebrough's efforts, for on t he 12th of July following, at a public meeting, his efficient servic es in setting up the new government were gratefully acknowledged by the en actment of a provision, 'that he shall have division in all lands of Seeko nk, for one hundred and fifty-three pounds, besides what he is to have f or his own proportion, and that in the way of consideration for the pai ns and charges he hath been at in setting off this plantation.' (Our no te - this land is located in and around Rumford, near East Providence, Pro vidence County, Rhode Island. William's land is now part of the Wannamoise tt Country Club golf course and Walter Palmer's original land is part of t he Agawam Hunt golf course. Both families are eligible for the First Fami lies of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.)

The question of jurisdiction was settled by the plantation submitting itse lf to the government of the Plymouth Colony, rather than that of Massachus etts Bay, and it was incorporated by the scriptural name of Rehoboth. Th is decision was arrived at contrary to Chesebrough's wishes and judgmen t, and the Plymouth authorities took his opposition as an affront, and tre ated him harshly. Feeling deeply the prejudice awakened against him, he m ounted his horse, and in company with one of his sons, turned his face wes tward with a view of finding a place of settlement where he could escape u njust treatment and live in peace. On this tour of about seventy miles al ong the coast, he carefully noted the different localities on the route un til he reached Pequot, now New London. John Winthrop, Jr., an old acquain tance, under commission of the General Court of Massachusetts, had char ge of a new settlement at Pequot, and he was strongly urged to make this p lace his permanent abode. But the location did not suit him, although a t own-lot was offered him as an inducement. After successive exploratio ns he made choice of the head of Wequetequock cove, in what was called Paw catuck, on the bordering lands of which he found arable lands for plantin g, with an abundance of pasture ground for stock raising, to which he h ad largely turned his attention. To this place after having built a dwell ing house on the west side of the cove, he removed with his wife and fo ur sons, assisted by his friend, Roger Williams, in the summer of 164 9. At this time he was fifty-five years old, his wife fifty-one, his s on Samuel twenty-two, Nathaniel nineteen, John seventeen, and Elisha twelv e. John died from a wound by a scythe in 1650, at the age of eighteen, a nd was the first white person whose remains were buried in Stonington.

Singularly enough, he had hardly become domiciled in his new home, wh en a trouble came upon him similar to that from which he had just fled. Co nnecticut was about as jealous of Massachusetts as was Plymouth, and unfri endly persons belonging to Plymouth, took advantage of this fact to awak en the suspicions of the Connecticut authorities against him. The trumped -up charge was that he had taken up his present residence with a view of c arrying on an unlawful trade with the Indians, furnishing them with and re pairing their firearms. The General Court of Connecticut thereupon issu ed a warrant to the constable of Pequot to require him to give an accou nt of himself in answer to this charge. Supposing that he was within t he jurisdiction of Massachusetts, he refused for a year or more to pay a ny attention to the order of the Court; but afterwards on the advice of M r. Winthrop and his friends at Pequot, he voluntarily presented himself be fore the Court at Hartford and refuted the slanderous charge, in suppo rt of which not a particle of evidence was presented. Ostensibly as a meas ure of precaution, he was required to give a bond not to engage in any tra de with the Indians forbidden by the Laws of the Colony, and before the su cceeding winter to furnish the Court with the names of such perso ns as he could persuade to settle in his neighborhood. On these conditio ns permission was given him to remain unmolested where he was. This acti on of the Court was largely prompted by a jealousy of all settlers in th at section who were supposed to be favorable to the Massachusetts claim s, lest that colony should get the control of the Pawcatuck territor y. It now became a burning question to which Colony this territory belong ed, - whether to Connecticut or Massachusetts. Connecticut attempted to s teal the march on the sister Colony by a public act making the Pawcatuck R iver the eastern boundary of Pequot, so that Chesebrough's place of settle ment came within the boundaries of that town. On this basis the town n ot only voted him a house-lot within the Pequot settlement itself, but al so confirmed his title to three hundred aces of land at Wequetequock, whi ch were subsequently increased to twenty-three hundred and sixty-two acres .

The first man who joined Mr. Chesebrough in the new plantation was Thom as Stanton, the famous Indian interpreter, who in 1650 built a trading-hou se on the west side of the Pawcatuck River, though he did not remove his f amily thither until 1657. In the year 1653, Walter Palmer, one of the set tlers at Rehoboth, dissatisfied for some reasons with his residence with in the Colony of Plymouth, located himself near to his old friend and neig hbor Chesebrough, erecting his dwelling-house on the east side of Wequeteq uock Cove. Thomas Minor moved into the neighborhood in 1654, and built h is house at Mistuxet, now Quiambog Cove. These four men: Chesebrough, Sta nton, Palmer and Minor, were the founders of Stonington, in honearliest re cord / whom the monument in the ancient cemetery at Wequetequock was erect ed in 1899, that being the two hundred and fiftieth year from the first se ttlement by Mr. Chesebrough.

The action of the General Court of Connecticut in pushing its claims eastw ard to the Pawcatuck River, was by no means acquiesced in by Massachusett s, and the seriously controverted question of jurisdiction was referr ed to the Commissioners of the United Colonies for decision. Meanwhil e, or until the matter could be amicably decided, the planters were advis ed 'to carry themselves & order their affaires peaceably, and by common ag reement.' Acting on this advise, the original settlers and a few others w ho had joined them, met together on the 30th of June, 1658, and organiz ed a local government with what may be termed a constitution, entitled 'T he Asotiation of Poquatuck people,' which was signed by eleven persons, vi z.: William Chesebrough, and his three sons, Samuel, Nathaniel and Elish a, Thomas Stanton and his son Thomas, Walter Palmer and his two sons, Eli hu and Moses, George Denison, and Thomas Shaw. This compact is in the han dwriting of William Chesebrough and pledged the signers 'to maintain and d effend the peac of the plac & to aid and asist one another according to l aw & rules of righteousnes, till such other provition be maide ff or us as may atain our end above written.' After affixing their nam es to the document, the signers chose Capt. George Denison and William Che sebrough to be 'comytioners' to carry out the provisions of the contrac t. Three months later the Commissioners of the United Colonies decided th at the territory in dispute belonged to Massachusetts, and the General Cou rt of that Colony named it Southertown and annexed it to the county of Suf folk. Southertown remained a township of Massachusetts until the iss ue of the Charter of Connecticut by King Charles, II, dated April 25, 166 2, which fixed the eastern boundary of Connecticut at Pawcatuck River, the reupon this territory which for three and a half years had been subje ct to the control of Massachusetts, reverted back to the sister Colony. T hrough this period Mr. Chesebrough held the office of selectman.

During the time in which the plantation was included in the town of Pequo t, Mr. Chesebrough had been elected its deputy to the General Court of Con necticut at Hartford in 1653, 1654, 1655, and 1656; he held also the offic es of assessor and commissioner. On its reversion to Connecticut under t he charter, some of the planters manifested an almost defiant unwillingne ss to acknowledge the jurisdiction of this Colony, at which the authoriti es at Hartford took offense. In 1664, however, they united in choosing Wi lliam Chesebrough as their first representative to the General Court. Wi th much effort and considerable delay, he was successful in adjusting t he disturbed relations between them and the court (see Petition note below ). In 1665, the name of Southertown was changed to that of Mystic, a nd in the year following to Stonington. During the last three years of h is life, which closed on Sunday, the 9th day of June, 1667, he being th en seventy-three years old, Mr. Chesebrough was selectman of the town. H is wife, Mrs. Anna Chesebrough, died on the 24th day of August, 1673, at t he age of seventy-five. Their remains rest side by side in the old cemete ry, a short distance from their dwelling-house."
------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- -------------------------------------------------------------

"This brief sketch of the life of William Chesebrough makes it clearly evi dent that he was a strong character, - a man well fitted in capacity and h igh purpose to be a pioneer in laying the foundations of a well-ordered, c ivil and religious community. Mature in years, of a well-balanced mind, w ise in counsel, a man of positive convictions, and withal of uncompromisi ng uprightness, he naturally drew to himself the confidence of his associa tes, as to one whose lead it would be safe to follow. He was a man of dee ds rather than of words; and yet, when the occasion called for it, he cou ld give utterance to his views in language that needed no interprete r, or he could put them in to proper written form.

His organizing capacity was very marked. He took a prominent part in brin ging in to associated and orderly form the scattered and diverse populati on of Braintree, Rehoboth and Stonington; and his versatility was wonderfu l. On all occasions we find him possessed of large resources, and capab le of turning his hand without difficulty to almost any business or bran ch of employment that offered itself. He could frame a building or s it as a judge in a case at law. He forge a chain, or draw up a plan for t he organization of a municipal government. He could survey a tract of lan d, or worthily represent a town in the General Court.

One fact which marks him as a man who commanded great respect, is that aft er gathering around him such men of superior ability as Thomas Stanton, Wa lter Palmer and Capt. George Denison, they worked so harmoniously with h im in the organization and ordering of the new community.

And further, it needs only to be added, that he was a man of decided Chris tian principal, and that wherever he planted himself he was an earnest sup porter of religious worship, and religious institutions. When he emigrat ed to America he brought his religion with him, and both he and his wife w ere enrolled among the first members of the church in Boston, Mass., a nd on his removal to Braintree and Rehoboth, he took his church relatio ns with him; and although he died prior to the organization of the First C hurch in Stonington, the tradition is that prior to the establishment of r eligious worship in his neighborhood, he was accustomed, in all suitable w eather, to attend Sunday services at Pequot, starting a little after midni ght that he might in good time accomplish the fifteen miles of travel ov er rough roads and the crossing of two rivers. There can be no doubt th at he took an active part in the measures which were initiated in 1657 f or establishing regular religious services within the limits of the planta tion, and which issued after the employment of several preachers for sho rt seasons, in an invitation to Rev. James Noyes to serve the people as th eir permanent pastor. Mr. Noyes entered upon his labors here in 1664, abo ut three years before Mr. Chesebrough's death; but he was not ordained, n or was the church organized until 1674. In his last will and testament M r. Chesebrough speaks of Rev. James Noyes and Mr. Amos Richardson, as ' my truly and well-beloved friends,' - thus showing that one of the perso ns to whom he was strongly attached was a Christian minister."

Rev. Amos S. Chesebrough, D.D.
New Hartford, Conn.
March 5, 1901

2. Boston, Lincolnshire, England record of payment for William's servic es (from the Wildey book);

"From the 'Boston Corporation Records' in England:

1626, Allsoe at this Assembly there is xviij s. taken out of the trea sury & paid to Wm Cheesbrough for keeping of Geo.
Melton xviij weeks w/ch is allsoe prcell of the money for Smith digil ls house."

3. Massachusetts land record of William before removing to the part of Ma ssachusetts later to become Connecticut (from the Wildey book):

"Suffolk County, Massachusetts Deeds, Lib. I, page 26:

Will Chesebrough of Mount Wollaston, in consideration of fower hundr ed pounds of current money of England, to him
payed, granted unto Rich Wright & his heirs, six hundred acres of La nd more or less lyinge in Mount Wollaston
aforsayde bounded ptly wth Mount Wollaston Rive & p'tly wth the sa lt water shore towards the north & otherwise
diversly bounded, mentioned in the deed with all the Appurtenanc es & Priviledges that doe or shall thereto belonge, &
this was by deed of sale dated 15 day 8 mo 1639.

In behalf of William Coddington of Aquidnecke gent and further bein ge all the wood & Timber reserved to Will
Coddington growinge upon the sayd land of Will Tinge.

Will Chesebrough of Mount Wollaston alis Braintrye for & in considera tion of one hundred twenty and seaven pounds
current money of England. ---Con----ninge wh he acknowledged himsel fe satisfyed granted unto Willm Tynge of Boston
mercht two hundred acres of land more or less lynge & beinge in Brain trye aforesd (only reservinge fivteene acres & a
halfe of waist to himselfe) the bounds whereof are expressed in the d eed, wth all the appurtenances and privilidges
thereto belonginge & this was by deed of Sale---dated the tenth d ay of the ninth month, anno domini, 1641---this was
ye land yt Will Chesbrowe purchased of Richard Wright.

hand & seal,"

4. Petition of William Chesebrough trying to soothe Connecticut General C ourt when residents of Southertown (later Mystic) objected to Massachuset ts relinquishing the area to Connecticut (from the Wildey book):

"The petition of William Chesebrough, to the General Court of Connect icut, in behalf of the planters of Southertown for
pardon for their refusal to submit to its jurisdiction on the iss ue of the Royal Charter:

To the Hono'ble General Court now assembled at Hartford in the Colo ny of Conectyecott.

Honnorable may it please you, we your poore petitioners being summon ed by the Honnered counsel of this jurisdiction
to yield our obedience & subjection to this jurisdiction accordi ng to his majestyes' letters patent gratiously granted to
this colonie & to make choice of a person to be a comishoner & to att end the servis of this present court in obedience
to this summons we have yielded ourselves & sent up one to be comisho ner to atend the servis of the court.

We humbly beseech you thearfor that you will pardon all such mistai ke or miscariges wch through human frailty hath
been offencive or grevious unto you & receave us with a loving aspe ct & renue your your former favor unto us that we
may be remembered with equall priviledges of other towns accordi ng to our capacitie that we make be preserved in
truth & peac & that scandal may be removed, for the former we may n ot be so bould as to prescrib knowing the
wisdom and prudence of the Honnered court, hose wisdom & fav or we do commit ourselves unto.

We humbly do beseech also that the bounds of our plantation may be co nfirmed wch was granted unto us by the Bay.,
thus being loath to trespass upon your patienc we humbly taik our lea ve & rest your pore petichoners.

Willm Chesebrough in the name of the rest
October 13, 64."

5. From The NEHGR, 1992 Volume 146, page 237 titled "Gentlemen's Companie s":

"Gentle Leaders of East Anglian companies were most common at the beginni ng of the 1630s. The 1630 Lincolnshire company looked to the wealthy Isa ac Johnson, brother-in-law of the Earl of Lincoln, as their leader and foc al point. Apart from his own relatives, like the Lady Arbella and Charl es Fiennes, his party was made up of the earl's clients, such as Thomas Du dley and his son-in-law Simon Bradstreet, William Coddington, William Ches eborough, and their families and servants. Johnson's early death may ha ve contributed to the subsequent dispersal of the company*

"*The Johnson Company numbered 17; it included Isaac and the Lady Arb ella, the Thomas Dudley family of
seven, William Coddington and wife, the William Cheseborough fami ly of four, and Simon Bradstreet and wife."

6. The Last Will and Testament and subsequent actions relating to the wi ll of William Chesebrough, aged 73 years (from the Wildey book with paragr aph punctuation added for clarity):

Stonington, May23rd, 1667

First: I give unto my son Samuel, all Lands formerly granted to h im and taken in by his fence.

Nextly: I give unto my sons Nathaniel and Elisha ye neck of land cal led Waddwonnet wch was formerly granted to
them, bounded by ye fence yt crosses ye aforesd neck called Waddawonn et, with their broken up lands wch they now
have in possession, all other lands wch is in my manageing, brok en up or meadow, and two or three acres my son
Elisha improveth this year.

I give to my loving wife wch commons answering to it during ye ti me of her life, and after her decease I give unto my
son Samuel, two acres next ye sd Samuel's, now dwelling house, a nd ye remainder of my broken up lands and
meadow, to be divided equally between my two sons, Nathaniel and Elis ha: The little island I give to my son Nathaniel,
and ye piece of meadow land by Goodman Yorks.

I give to my son Elisha, and all other lands that I had from New Lond on.

I give to my three sons, every one of them an equal share. And if th ese do want advice about ye dividing of it I do ordain
my trusty and well beloved friends Mr. James Noyes, and Mr. Amos Rich ardson, to be helpful to them about ye dividing
of it.

And ye farm of land and meadow three hundred and fifty acres, mo re or less, near to a place called Cowsatuck I give to
my son William (Note: This "son William" apparently is William's gran dson, son of Samuel, as no records exist for
William having a son so named.).

For all my housing I give to my loving wife to be wholly at her dispo sing, to keep, or sell, or dispose of, as she shall
please, and likewise ye house joineth to mine through out ye pastu re to ye stone wall next to the highway, and for my
son Samuel's eldest son, Samuel and his youngest daughter Sarah a nd yt his wife is now with child with I give five
pounds a piece, and likewise my son Nathaniel's three children five p ounds a piece which is to be paid them within six
years.

All ye rest of my goods and chattels, my debts being paid I gi ve to my loving wife whom I make full and lawful executrix.

William Chesebrough

Witness:
Gershom Palmer
Thomas Bell

This Will was attested to upon oath before me by the witnesses: th at Mr. Chesebrough dec'd, was in his right senses
when he signed this his last will to the best of their understandi ng this 17 of September 1667

Thomas Stanton, Commissioner.

------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- -------------------------------------------------------------

At a county court holden in New London Sept. 19. 1667 The last Will and In ventory of William Chesebrough was exhibited in court, proved, and order ed to be entered upon Record May 6, 1693 extracted out of the original a nd court records and recorded by Daniel Wetherell county clerk. A true co py of record examined per Rich'd Christopher's Clerk Probate.

The Inventory of William's estate was "prized by whose names are underwrit ten:" (Thomas Stanton, Thomas Minor and Amos Richardson) included:

The housing and home lot; 35 acres of broken upland and meadow; 2,0 00 acres of land lying in common; 12 acres wheat,
pease, and Indian Corn; Brass, Pewter, and Iron Pots; Tubs and oth er milk vessels; Chains, stools, and table; One gunn;
Feather beds and their furniture; Wearing cloaths, and books; Linen a nd chests; A quarter part of the mill; Debts due;
Grind stone, cast chains and other lumber; Four mares, Two horses; O ne mare more; Two mares more of 3 years old;
Three (?) of two years old; Three horses kind of one year old and t wo colts; Eight cows; Two oxen; Four cattle of three
years old; Two cattle of two years old; Five yearlings; Seven calve s; Swine

The total, errors excepted in casting, is 672-10 (672 Pounds, 10 Schi llings) this day of August, 1667

Thomas Stanton
Thomas Minor
Amos Richardson

------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- ------------------------------------------------------------

At a county court holden at New London Sepage19 1667, the last will and In ventory of Mr. William Chesebrough was exhibited in Court, proved and orde red to be entered on Record. Extracted out of ye original and court recor ds for me.

June 6, 1693

Daniel Wetherell
County Clerk

7. William and his wife were buried in the Wequetequock Cemetery. Vanda ls stole or destroyed their gravestone which was engraved with the Chesebr ough crest mentioned above and which William used throughout his life. Th is crest and variations of the motto were also used by King David Chesebro ugh and others.

• Married: 15 DEC 1620 in by the "blessed John Cotton" / St. Botolph's Church, Boston, Lincolnshire, England
• Sealing Spouse: 15 DEC 1620 in Parish Register/St Botolph's Church, Boston, Lincolnshire, England
• Note:

  
  1. A CONCISE STONINGTON CHRONOLOGY (From Historical Footnotes, February 1 999):
  
  In reaching an age of 350, the history of Stonington has extended ov er five of the Biblical spans of threescore years and ten.
  The dates here, drawn from Williams Haynes's Stonington Chronology (1 949, 1976), are divided, for intelligibility, into those five
  life spans, or generations:
  
  First Era, 1649-1719
  
  1649: William Chesebrough and family settled at head of Wequetequo ck Cove.
  1650: Thomas Stanton built trading post at The Rock on west bank of P awcatuck River.
  1651: Connecticut granted Chippachaug (Mason's Island) to Major Jo hn Mason, who defeated the Pequots.
  1658: On June 30, settlers, stranded between Massachusetts and Connec ticut governments, drew up "Association of
  Poquatuck Peple," a commitment to conduct their own affair s, in effect a declaration of independence. Later in t
  year, most of the area was handed to Massachusetts, which n amed it Southertown.
  1661: First meetinghouse built on what is now Montauk Avenue.
  1662: Town restored to Connecticut.
  1665: Connecticut General Court changed name of Southertown to Mystic .
  1666: In May, General Court changed town name to Stonington but did n ot explain why.
  1675: Outbreak in May 1675 of King Philip's War; Stonington houses fo rtified; Stonington troops participate in the climactic
  battle, the Great Swamp Fight in Rhode Island. War end ed in August 1676 with the death of the Indian leader,
  Metacomet or King Philip.
  1680: Davis homestead, oldest surviving house in Stonington, bui lt at Osbrook Point.
  1682: Samuel Richardson became first settler in area of North Stoning ton village.
  
  Second Era, 1720-1789
  
  1720: Connecticut Assembly separated North Stonington from Stoningto n, May 12.
  1752 First house built in Stonington Borough.
  1774: As Revolution approached, town meeting named Committee of Corre spondence to support patriot agitation in Boston.
  1775: British frigate Rose bombarded Stonington but volunteer milit ia prevented troops from landing, August 30.
  1781: Stonington men killed in Benedict Arnold's slaughter of captur ed American troops at Fort Griswold, Groton.
  
  Third Era, 1790-1859
  
  1798: Samuel Trumbull issued first Stonington newspaper, Journal of t he Times, October 2.
  1801: Stonington Borough incorporated, January 7.
  1814: During the War of 1812, Stonington bombarded by a British squad ron; landing barges repulsed, August 9-10.
  1815: The Great Hurricane hit Stonington, September 23-24.
  1818. First Stonington sealing ship, brig Frederick, sailed to Antarc tic grounds; took 28,000 sealskins.
  (Last sealing ship sailed in 1892.)
  1820: Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer, on the sealing sloop Hero, discove red the Antarctic Continent, 1820.
  1822: Stonington's first whaling ship, Hydaspe, built on the Mystic R iver, sailed for South Atlantic. (Last whaler sailed abo
  1855.)
  1823: First Stonington lighthouse built; replaced, 1841.
  1825: First steamboat trip on New York-Stonington run. 1837: Large st fire in Stonington Borough history destroyed stor
  south Water Street, April 2.
  1837: Stonington-Providence Railroad and the Stonington Steamship Li ne (Stonington to New York) inaugurated, Nov10;
  Wadawanuck Hotel built for patrons.
  1840: S.S. Lexington of Stonington Line burned, with loss of 250, Jan uary 13.
  1840s: First Portuguese immigrants arrive, primarily from the Azores.
  1861-1865: Several hundred Stonington volunteers served in the Civ il War.
  
  Fourth Era, 1860-1929
  
  1876: Atwood Machine Company moved to Stonington Borough from Willima ntic.
  1880: Steamers Narragansett and Stonington collided in fog; Narragans ett lost with heavy loss of life, June 11.
  1890: North village officially named Old Mystic, May 29; Mystic Bridg e, to the south, became Mystic a month later.
  1895: Stonington Historical and Genealogical Society held its first m eeting, February 4.
  1914: Portuguese Holy Ghost Society organized, February 8.
  1917: Five hundred or more Stonington men enlisted or were drafted f or service in World War I, April 1917-November 1918.
  1928: New town hall opened, June 14.
  1929: Marine Historical Association, creator of Mystic Seaport, organ ized, December 31.
  
  Fifth Era, 1930-1999
  
  1938: Hurricane struck New England, causing immense damage in Stoning ton, September 21.
  1941: Whaling ship Charles W. Morgan arrived at Mystic Seaport, Novem ber 8.
  1941-1945: Stonington men and women serve in U.S. forces during Wor ld War, II; more than twenty-five were killed.
  1949: Town observes tercentenary, June-August.
  1954: Hurricane Carol caused $5 million damage in Stonington., Aug. 3 1.
  1956: First Blessing of the Fleet, July 1.
  1957: New Stonington High School on Route 1 dedicated, September 15.
  1960: Fierce fire on Stonington side of Mystic River destroyed more t han a dozen buildings, December 12.
  1964: Interstate 95 opened from Groton to the Rhode Island line, pass ing through Stonington and North Stonington, Dec 15.
  1971: Railroad ended station stops in Stonington, closing 134 yea rs of local rail service.
  1974: Opening of Mystic Marine Life Aquarium, later the Mystic Aquari um.
  1978: Immense blizzard paralyzed the Northeast, including Stoningto n, February 6-7.
  1982: Monsanto Company left the Borough's old Atwood Machine Compa ny plant, leaving the site unused for the first time
  since 1851.
  1992: Resurgent Mashantucket Pequot tribe, aided by federal recogniti on, opened Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard,
  adjacent to North Stonington. Opened Museum and Research Ce nter, 1998.
  1995: Statue of Captain John Mason removed from site of 1637 batt le in Mystic and sent to Windsor, Connecticut.
  1996: American Velvet Company mill in Stonington, opened in 1892, clo sed.

1. Marie Cheesbrough b: BEF 2 MAY 1622 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England
2. Martha Cheesbrough b: BEF 18 SEP 1623 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England
3. Sarah Cheesbrough b: BET 1623 AND 1625 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England
4. David Cheesbrough , (twin) b: BEF 9 SEP 1624 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England
5. Jonathan Cheesbrough , (twin) b: BEF 9 SEP 1624 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England
6. Peter Chesebrough b: BET 1625 AND 1626 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England
7. Samuel CHESEBROUGH , Sr b: BEF 1 APR 1627 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England
8. Andronicus Cheesbrough , (twin) b: 6 FEB 1628/29 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England
9. Junia Cheesbrough , (twin) b: 6 FEB 1628/29 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England
10. Nathaniel Chesebrough , Sr b: BEF 25 JAN 1629/30 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England
11. John Chesebrough b: BEF 11 NOV 1632 in Boston, Suffolk County, MA, USA
12. Jabez Chesebrough b: BEF 3 MAY 1635 in Boston, Suffolk County, MA, USA
13. Elisha Chesebrough b: BEF 4 JUN 1637 in Boston, Suffolk County, MA, USA
14. Joseph Chesebrough b: 18 JUL 1640 in Braintree, Norfolk County, MA, USA

1. Title: Genealogy of the Descendants of William Chesebrough, Founder of Stonington, Ct.
   Author: Anna Chesebrough Wildey
   Publication: New York: Press of T. A. Wright 1903
   Note: None
   Note: Excellent
   Repository:
   Note: Chesebro' Reference Material
   Media: Book
   Page: page 17
2. Title: Winthrop Fleet of 1630, The
   Author: Charles Edward Banks
   Publication: Boston, 1930 Originally; reprinted by the Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc, Baltimore, 1994
   Note: None
   Note: Excellent
   Repository:
   Note: Chesebro' Reference Material
   Media: Book
   Page: page 64
3. Title: Great Migration Begins, The
   Author: Robert Charles Anderson
   Publication: NEHGS, Boston, 1995
   Note: None
   Note: Excellent
   Repository:
   Note: Chesebro' Reference Material
   Media: Book
   Page: page 342
4. Title: IGI, British Isles, v3.06 - 5.0
   Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
   Publication: FamilySearch(tm), (c) 1999-2005 by Intellectual Reserve Inc.
   Note: None
   Note: Good
   Repository:
   Note: http://www.familysearch.com/
   Media: Church Record
   Page: Batch C032021, (baptism); Baptisms, marriages and burials of Tattershall, 1569-1642; manuscript transcripts of parish registers Church of England. Parish Church of Tattershall (Lincolnshire)
5. Title: IGI, British Isles, v3.06 - 5.0
   Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
   Publication: FamilySearch(tm), (c) 1999-2005 by Intellectual Reserve Inc.
   Note: None
   Note: Good
   Repository:
   Note: http://www.familysearch.com/
   Media: Church Record
   Page: Batch M011331 (marriage); The Parish registers of Boston in the county of Lincoln Besant, Frank