Questionable parents and maiden name. It has been claimed she was a daughter of convicted and executed witch, Rebecca Greensmith, by her first husband, Abraham Elsen.
I am trying to locate evidence of Sarah’s parentage. This must be the source of the claim: Abraham Elsen and William Hills are listed consecutively in Thomas Patrick Hughes and Frank Munsell, American Ancestry, Volume 12 (1899), page 131, as ancestors of Mary (Butler) Gilbert, who married Capt. Nathaniel Gilbert of Middletown CT on 25 Dec 1744.
A gedcom, “Vandiver, Neal, Atherton, Pyland, Settle, Stavely, Lynn, Gish, Rust, Abner, Mchood, Tayloe, Outlaw, Atherton,” at Ancestry.com, posted by “Christy,” identifies Mary as a granddaughter of William and Hannah (Hills) Butler and the mother of Hannah Hills as Sarah Elsen.
All records I have located on the Internet seem to track back to a lady named Ellen Baker of Seattle WA. Her email address is no longer valid.
Abraham Elsen
First Puritan Settlers of Connecticut: “Elson, Abraham, of Wethersfield, left a widow and two daughters, one 3 years and the other one year and a half old. He ordered his lands be rented for four years to support his children. Estate valued at 221 pounds. He gave to his friend B. Gardner’s children, his lot at the meadow gate, and the remainder to his wife, except his house and home lot, which he gave to the two sons of his [brother’s] wife, Benjamin and Job, after her decease.”
Ancestral Heads of New England Families: “John, brother of the preceeding (Abraham) was an inhabitant of Wethersfield as early as 1638.”
Torrey has: Abraham Elson (-1648) & Rebecca _____, m/2 Jarvis Mudge 1648, 1649; by 1644; Wethersfield {Wethersfield 2:317; TAG 9:27, 30; Mudge 30; Hartford Prob. 1:7, 122}
Jarvis Mudge
Rebecca’s second husband was Jarvis Mudge. Findagrave.com has the following: JARVIS MUDGE, born in England, came to this country about the year 1638; was in Boston that year; in Hartford in I640; in Wethersficld in 1644, and removed to Pequot, now New London, in 1649, where he died in the early part of 1653.
He married Widow Rebecca Elsen, of Wethersfield, in 1649.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Micah, b. in New London in 1650: m. Mary Alexander.
| Birth: | Dec. 9, 1650 New London New London County Connecticut, USA |
| Death: | Jan. 1, 1722 Hebron Tolland County Connecticut, USA |
 After the death of his father, in 1653, his mother removed from New London to Wcthersfield, Conn., where they lived, and where, probably, the mother died. The first record of him appears on the town books of Northampton, Mass., where he marries Mary Alexander, Sept. 23, 1670. Northampton was settled in 1654, and George Alexander, the father of Mary, was one of the original proprietors. Here Micah Mudge resided, and acted as surveyor, and appears to have been one of the original proprietors of Northfield, Mass., the settlement of which was attended with great difficulties, as the Indians burnt the village and drove off the settlers in 1675. He returned with others afterwards, as appears from an order from the General Court, dated Boston, May 24, 1682,* and became an actual settler. He removed to Lebanon, Conn., and was one of the early settlers of that town prior to 1698,* where he also served as a surveyor, and assisted in laying out the town. |
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2. Moses, b. in New London in 1652: m. Mary .
Information from “Mudge Memorials in America” Alfred Mudge Boston 1868.
Nathaniel Greensmith
Hartford, 11 ffeb. (16)62(3): Respecting the Estate of Nathaniel Greensmith, It is ordered that the Marshall, Mr. Gilbert, James Ensign and Paul Peck shall take care to preserve the estate from Waste and to take in ye account of Debts, and to discharge any just debts, and to pay fourty pounds to ye Treasurer for ye County, and to secure ye rest of ye estate in their hands until March Court next ensueing, when there will be further order taken about ye Remainder of ye Estate. And they are desired and authorized to dispose of the 2 daughters, with the Advice of ye Assistants in Hartford, & to advice with them about any Expedient in referent to ye premises. Pr or of ye Assistants: Danll Clarke, Secry.
An Inventory of the Estate of Nathaniel Greensmith, who was executed the 25th of January, 1662, L137-14-01. Other Estate found with the aforementioned Estate of Nathaniel Greensmith, with the Exception, viz., that is hereafter mentioned is claimed by Hannah & Sarah Elson. vizt:
44-04-04 John X Cowles 137-14-01 Jonath: Gilbert, James Stell. 181-18-05 Total Value.
Note: Part of Inventory at the Prison:
Two blanketts 1-05-00 One Rugg one Blankett 1-15-00 One Boulster 0-15-00 One Bed well filled 2-15-00
Court Record, Page 190-5 March, 1662-3: Daniel Garrett is allowed 6 Shillings a week for keeping Nathaniel Greensmith and his wife, besides their fees, wch is to be paid out of Greensmith’s Estate.
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