Someone asked about Jewett City (outside Norwich) the other day, which
reminded me of the following helpful site:
There is a Connecticut Town Finder, which is a listing of Connecticut
Communities before 1820, at
http://www.vineyard.net/vineyard/history/allen/CT_ctys.htm
It is helpful, but not to be taken exactly, since, for example, it lists both
Clinton and Killingworth, but Killingworth is listed as "(now Clinton)".
This is confusing to some genealogists who are not from the area and not
familiar with the history of the shoreline settlement of Homonoscitt
Plantation in 1663 (between Guilford and Saybrook colonies) by members of
Thomas Hooker's party who had previously settled what is now Hartford.
Homonoscitt, home of the (now-spelled) Hammonassetts, became Kenilworth in
1667 and later, through misuse, became Killingworth. In 1838 the community was
separated into Clinton in the south (the first ecclesiastical society) with
the northern section (the second ecclesiastical, or "School Society")
retaining the name Killingworth. The ecclesiastical societies were established
in 1735.
Thus, the entry for Clinton should read (Killingworth prior to 1838) and the
entry for Killingworth should read (southern portion renamed Clinton in 1838).
I recently discovered a "cousin" out-of-state who had mistakenly copied this
"now Clinton" into his genealogy database.
Today the Hammonassett River, wandering inland from the Clinton Harbor behind
Cedar Island, separates Clinton from Madison (once part of Guilford) and is
the southwestern boundary of Middlesex from New Haven Counties.
OK, now can someone define the process and dates of the division of Saybrook
into Westbrook, Deep River, Essex, Ivoryton, etc. to me? In particular, I'm
interested in the community of Winthrop. Thanks.
Martha Miller Byrnes
descended from BARNES, BELDEN, BUSHNELL, CARTER, CHAPMAN, CHATFIELD, CONKLING,
DiVALLE, DOANE, HILL, HULL, HURD, KELSEY, L'HOMMEDIEU, MEIGS, MILLER,
NETTLETON, OTIS, PARMALEE, PICKET, POST, SPENCER, WRIGHT... and then there's
my mother's side...