8 Original Settlers of Danbury, Connecticut

THOMAS TAYLOR was also an founder of Norwalk, Ct. The General Assembly of May 1684 "appoynted. .a committee for to order the planting of a Towne above Norwalke or Fayrefeild". In the same year eight families "trekked through Sugar Hollow and over Pandanarum" to settle there. Thomas Taylor’s family was one of those families. He married Rebecca Ketchum, daughter of Edward. He survived all the original settlers, and died in January, 1735, aged 92 yrs. He had 10 children and their average life span was 85 years. Only 3 lived to be less than 80. He was the first representative to the General Assembly from Danbury. His son Nathan was the grandfather of P.T. Barnum. He was the 9th great-grandfather of my mother, Eleanor Fairchild.

JOHN HOYT was born at Windsor, Ct. Five of his children were born in Norwalk, Ct. He lived to a very ripe old age. He owned land in Fairfield and Norwalk, Ct. Before helping to establish Danbury. He and the other founders of Danbury purchased their land directly from the Indian proprietors. He was the 9th great-uncle of my mother, Eleanor Fairchild.

JAMES BENEDICT and SAMUEL BENEDICT were brothers who came from Norwalk, Ct. Their Father, Thomas, was appointed to make a new settlement in 1684 at Paquiage, later named Danbury. His sons, James and Samuel settled the new village. At the session of the General Assembly in May 1702, a patent was granted, giving town-privilages to the inhabitants and proprietors of Danbury. James and his brother John married two Gregory sisters. My mother descends from James Benedict.

JUDAH GREGORY is the ninth great-grandfather of my mother, Eleanor Fairchild, and is the brother of Sarah Gregory, wife of James Benedict.

Francis Bushnell, Thomas Barnum, and James Beebe were also among the 8 original settlers of Danbury Connecticut, but are not directly related to my family.