Nathaniel Bliss

Other Events:

• Probate: 11 Feb 1736/37, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts; Estate inventory, total not given but close to £270, including "one negro, Zickry" valued at £110
• Will: 26 Dec 1733, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts; To "my beloved cousin" Joshua Field: a horse, land; to Nath'll Bliss II and Thomas Bliss II, sons of my brother Sam'll Bliss: land; to my "well beloved cousin" Sam'll Colton of Longmeadow: land given to me by my "Honored Father in Law" George Colton deceased; to the four sons of my beloved brother in law Thomas Colton, namely Thom's, William, Eben'r, and Isaac Colton: 40s each; to my "beloved cousins" Nath'll Foot of Colchester, Sarah Alcot wife of Thomas Alcot of Hartford, Nath'll Holcom of Simsbury, Mary Hocum (sic.) of Simsbury, and Sarah Nichols: £10 each, unless the remaining estate is too little, in which case they should equally divide the residue; to my pastor Mr. Stephen Williams: my Great Bible; to the church at Longmeadow: £5; any remaining moveable estate to be distributed by Mr. Stephen Williams among my or my wife's relations as he sees fit; executor, cousin Joshua Field under advice of Mr. Stephen Williams

Notes:

Birth:
"Nathaniell Bliss sonne of Nathaniell Bliss borne ye 27 of ye 1 mon--1653"

Died:
"Nathaniel Bliss of Springfield Dyed the 23d day of Decemb'r Anno. Dom. 1736"

Nathaniel married Deborah Colton 28 Dec 1676, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. Deborah was born 25 Feb 1654/55, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts; died 26 Nov 1733, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

"NATHANIEL, Springfield 1645, br. of the preced. b. in Eng. rem. from Hartford soon after d. of his f. and m. 20 Nov. 1646, Catharine, d. of deac. Samuel Chapin, had Samuel, b. 7 Nov. 1647, wh. liv. to 19 June 1749; Margaret, 12 Nov. 1649, wh. m. 2 May 1672, Nathaniel Foote, and d. Apr. 1745; Mary, 23 Sept. 1651; and Nathaniel, 27 Mar. 1653, wh. d. 23 Dec. 1736. Notwithstand. this tendency to long life in the ch. the f. was bur. 18 Nov. 1654. His wid. m. 31 July foll. Thomas Gilbert, by him had four ch. and m. 28 Dec. 1664, Samuel Marshfield, and had four more, so as to count one doz. ch. On 31 Dec. 1678, or the next day, Samuel, sen. Samuel, jr. and Samuel tert. took o. of alleg. being over 16 yrs. old, and enrol. in the milit. at S. They were a s. of Nathaniel, a s. of Lawrence, and their uncle."

Genealogical Dictionary of new England Settlers (Boston: n.pub., 1860-1862)

No probate authority for the area existed at the time of his death (21 Jul 2017)
Not found in probate index (first series) of Middlesex Co., Massachusetts (13 Jan 2018)

Buried:
"Nathaniell Bliss was buried the 18th of ye 9 mon 1654"

Nathaniel married Catherine Chapin 20 Nov 1646, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. Catherine (daughter of Samuel Chapin and Cicely Penney) was christened 1626, Berry Pomroy, Devonshire, England; was buried 4 Feb 1711/12, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Buried:
"Kathrien Marshfield who was wife to Samll Marshfield was sick and died Feb 4 1711/12"

Notes:

Married:
"Nathaniell Bliss and Katheryne Chapin were married 9 mon 20 day 1646"; remembering the new year started in March, the 9th month would be November.

Other Events:

• Probate: 14 Feb 1650, Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut; Estate inventory
• Probate: 20 Feb 1650, Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut; Administration assigned to widow

Notes:

Buried:
Ancient Burying Ground

Thomas married Margaret Hulings 18 Oct 1621, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England. Margaret (daughter of John Hulings and Margaret Lawrence) was born 15 Jul 1595, Rodborough, Gloucestershire, England; died 28 Aug 1684, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Probate: 30 Sep 1684, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts; Will proved; estate inventory filed, £274
• Residence: 26 Mar 1661, Springfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts; On this date she made complaint to the Hampshire Co. Court regarding "the annoyance shee receives by the passage of the water to the mill at Springfield"
• Residence: 28 Mar 1665, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts; On this date she becomes guardian of her grandson, Samuel Bliss, son of her deceased son, Nathaniel Bliss; she successfully petitions the court for oversight of the lands belonging to her late son's estate for the benefit of his children
• Will: 25 Jun 1684, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts; To son John Blisse: £20 payable in two years in cattle or corn, "also that four acres of Land, he bought of mee in the Long Meadow, wch I was never paid for"; to son Lawrences son Samll Blisse: 7 acres land providing he pay his sisters each £2; to grandson Nathaniel Morgan: £3 when age 20; to daughters Parsons and Scot: "my weareing clothes, bedding & houshold stuffe"; to son Samuel's daughter Hannah: a basin; to daughter Scot: £5; to grandson John Scot: a cow, "if my cowes do live, & I be not forced to sel them for my necessity"; to son Samuel Blisse: all other estate; to Samuel's wife Mary Blisse: if she survives Samuel, one third of my estate during her widowhood, then all to his heirs; executor, son Samuel Blisse

Notes:

Died:
"Widow Margarit Bliss was sick & died Aug 28 1684"

Notes:

Married:
Saint Nicholas Parish

Other Events:

• Probate: 24 Mar 1676, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts; Will proved; estate inventory filed, £45.09.00
• Will: 4 Jan 1674/5, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts; To son Henry Chapin: 20 shillings; to grandson Thomas Gilbert: £10 at age 21; to wife (unnamed): all other estate; unnamed wife, executrix

Notes:

CHAPIN Deacon Samuel Chapin, "The Puritan", was undoubtedly the progenitor of all in this country of the name. There is a tradition that he was of Welsh origin and another that he was of Huguenot descent. The late President A. L. Chapin, of Beloit College, after an exhaustive study of philological records abroad was of the opinion that he was of French Huguenot descent and probably fled with other persecuted Huguenots to Holland, where he associated with the English Puritans who had also fled to Holland. The coat-of-arms also points to French origin and the name of Deacon Samuel Chapin's wife, which was Cicely, or Cecile, is one found in early French families.

Tradition says that he was born or lived in Dartmouth, England, for a time, or at least sailed from that port, about 1635, while there is reason for the belief that he came over in 1631 or 1632 in the "Lyon," if he was not of the original Pyncheon company. He was a contemporary with Pyncheon in the settlement of Roxbury, Massachusetts. He followed him to Springfield and was known as "Pyncheon's right-hand man" and one of the "founders of Springfield". He was made a freeman, June 2. 1641, and elected to town office in 1642. The Chapins of this country are all descended from him, according to the best authorities. He was a distinguished man in church and state. He was deacon of the Springfield church, elected in 1649, and employed to conduct services part of the time in 1656-57 when there was no minister in town. He was appointed commissioner to determine small causes, October 10, 1652, and his commission was indefinitely extended in 1654. His wife, Cicely (???), died February 8, 1682-83; he died November 11, 1675. Of their children five were born in Europe: Catherine, Sarah, David, Henry and Josiah. Japhet was born August 15, 1642, and Hannah, December 2, 1644. Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was a descendant of Catherine Chapin and President William H. Taft is of the Josiah Chapin line."264 He "Samuel CHAPIN - bap. Oct. 8, 1598, Church of St. John the Baptist, Paignton, Devonshire, England.; d. Nov. 11, 1675, Springfield, MA. Son of John CHAPIN and Pillipe EASTON. Member of Rev. John ELIOT's First Church of Roxbury, MA. Removed to Springfield by 1643, where he was a Deacon, constable, selectman, and commisioner. The statue of The Puritan by Augustus Saint-Gaudens in Springfield memorializes Deacon Samuel Chapin. Married in England on Feb. 9, 1623/4.

-- William Richard Cutter, New England Families Genealogical and Memorial, v. IV

Buried:
Springfield Cemetery

Died:
"Samuel Chapin Deacon of the Church at Springfield died the 11 day of November 1675"

Samuel married Cicely Penney 9 Feb 1622/23, Paignton, Devon, England. Cicely (daughter of Henry Penny and Jane) was born 27 Feb 1600/01, Paignton, Devon, England; was christened 21 Feb 1601/02, Paignton, Devon, England; died 8 Feb 1682/83, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Probate: 5 Mar 1682/83, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts; Estate inventory taken, net value was about £30
• Probate: 27 Mar 1683, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts; Will proved
• Will: 16 May 1676, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts; To son Henry Chapin of Springfield: 20s, my great Bible; to son Josiah Chapin of Braintry in this Colony: 20s; to daughter Catharine Mashfield wife of Samuel Mashfield of Springfield: clothing; to daughter Sarah Thomas: clothing; to daughter Hannah Hitchcock: bedding and kitchen implements; to Henry Gilbert now an apprentice to John Hitchcock of Springfield, at age 21: £10 paid in corn; to son Japhet Chapin of Springfield: all remaining estate; executor, Japhet Chapin

Notes:

Died:
"Cisely Chapin the widow of Deacon Sam'l Chapin was sicke & dyed Febr' 8 1682"

Thomas married Alice Smith Abt 1576, England. Alice (daughter of Walter Smith) was born 1563, Daventry, Northampton, England; died 26 Mar 1625, Preston Capes, Northampton, England. [Group Sheet]

John married Margaret Lawrence 1588, Rodborough, Gloucestershire, England. Margaret was born 1557, Olueskirk, Lancashire, England; died 6 Apr 1621. [Group Sheet]

John married Phillipe Easton 14 Sep 1590, Paignton, Devon, England. Phillipe (daughter of Henry Easton and Joan Cliffee) was born Abt 1569, Paignton, Devon, England; died Aft 20 Jan 1614/15, England. [Group Sheet]

Henry married Jane 10 Jul 1589, Saint Andrew, Plymouth, Devon, England. Jane was born 1573, Paignton, Devon, England; died 29 Oct 1637, Paignton, Devon, England. [Group Sheet]