Sergeant James Danielson

1648 - 1728  (80 years)

• Name	Sergeant James Danielson
  Title	Sergeant
  Born	1648	Ayrshire, Scotland   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Died	22 Jan 1728	Killingly, Windham, Connecticutt   [1]
  Notes	THE ORIGINS OF THE DANIELSON FAMILY By Marcella Pasay Reading early histories of the area one may be led to believe that James Danielson arrived in Connecticut almost directly from Scotland. Some texts refer to his being "of New Shoreham" (now Block Island, RI) at the time he buys land in Pomfret in 1706. Where did he come from? In RI Genealogies, in the chapter entitled "Early Block Island Families, we read: "Some of the first proprietors in Dorchester and Braintree did not go to Block Island in person but sent agents and factors, among them several of the Scots from the Braintree iron works, who left numerous descendants on the island. Among these may be mentioned William Tosh (McIntosh, Duncan Ross alias Tormut Rose, Alexander Enos (Innis), Duncan McWilliamson, Robert Guttridge, James Danielson, and others." What was James Danielson's connection with the Braintree iron works? Established in the mid-seventeenth century on the Saugus River, the iron works recruited "skilled and unskilled, free and indentured" workers. Among the indentured were a number of Scots prisoners taken at the Battles of Preston and Dunbar and Worcester. Was James Danielson, namesake of the Borough, a Scots prisoner? No. James was born in 1648/1649. These battles took place within a few years after his birth. Searching the New Shoreham records, however, we read: "James Danelson Juner his Marke being the marke?." It was, in fact, his father, James, who first arrived in New England, probably not as a prisoner, but as a skilled worker from Scotland. Prisoners were not allowed to bring their families and were not paid much. According to the New England Genealogical Register (vol. 6, p. 250) and the Essex Quarterly Court Files, a James Danielson resided in Braintree and gave a deposition in 1653. It states he was twenty years old but he was most likely older. (If James, Jr., was born in 1648 his father would only have been fifteen years old in 1653.) There are no further records of this first James, his wife, or what happened to them. It may be that when his work was completed he returned to Scotland and left his son as an apprentice in Braintree. James, Jr., must have been a trusted employee and exhibited good business sense to be selected as an agent for the New Shoreham enterprise. He must also have had some capital of his own in order to begin his land purchases. James did very well on the island buying and selling property and building a cattle herd. He married twice and each wife bore him a son. When he arrived in Connecticut James and Samuel accompanied he and his wife, Mary. At least one historical account mentions a son, William, but there is no record of his birth or death and he is not mentioned in his father's will. There is a William Danielson in the Pomfret land records but the property does not seem to be in any way adjoining or part of the Danielson property. There are no land transactions recorded between the aforementioned William and the other Danielsons. The surname of William may well be a corruption of Dennison as the early text is not clear. Until other records are found, we must exclude this William from the family of James. Source: http://www.johnhoyt.com/donaldson.html James Danielson was on the roster of the Saugus Iron Works in 1653. He died in 1728 in Killingly, Ct. The epitaph on his tomb stone says he died in the 80th year of his life so that makes his birth date abt. 1648. The battles that he was supposed to be captured at and sent to this country as a prisoner took place in 1650 and 1653 so there no way he could have been sent as a prisoner. He gave a deposition while at the iron works in 1653 which stated that he was 20 years old. That would have made his birth date 1633 in Scotland. David P. Wilson, researcher of Ct. genealogy found a book of Rhode Island records in the library at ECSU, that listed James Danielson being made a free man May 5, 1696. Since James Jr. was born 5/15/ 1687 he would have been 9 years old, so this was apparently James Sr. The info from my mother's 30 year research into her family reflects the following: James Danielson was resident of Ayrshire, Scotland. He settled at Block Island in May 1683. The reason for the move to America has been explained by being a prisoner in Scotland of a war with England and being sold or forced to immigrate as an indentured servant for 10 years at an iron works on Block Island. The iron works went out of business and he became a free man. This info came from Helen Winslow Mansfield, historian at Block Island in letters dated in 1952. The other explanation is that he came of his free will to work for the iron works. Which ever was true, he became an important and influential citizen with much land on the island before selling and moving to Killingly, Conn. The records we have shows land purchases of 170 acres on the island between 1686 and 1696. He sold 124 acres of land and a mansion house on the island to Thomas Mitchell for 545 pounds. He already lived in Conn. at that time. We do not know when he moved to Conn. but they still bought Block Island property in 1704 and started selling it in 1705. If the arrival date is correct, he would have been about 35 years old and two years later he married Hannah George Rose (widow of Tormut Rose) on 3/11/1685. She died abt. 1693 in New Shoreham, RI. He then remarried Mary Tosh (MacIntosh) at New Shoreham, RI (Block Island) 1/22/1700. He had three children: James B. , John B., Samuel B. The Killingly, Conn. Donaldsons (Danielsons) are descended from Samuel. Anita Leon, of NYC, now deceased, was a family historian. In a letter to my mother, Harriet H. Donaldson, she said that James 1st wife was Abilgail by who he had a son, John. There is no record of a wife Abigail on BI and no record of the date of birth for John on BI. My mother speculated that John was born in Scotland and his mother Abigail died there. This would explain the missing info on BI. There is more info about property purchases, etc. but too much to list here. Send Email for more info if interested. He is buried at the Old Westfield Cemetery which is the cemetery he gave to the community. Sergeant James Danielson, progenator of the family in America, was a native of Ayrshire, Scotland, whence he emigrated to the new world settling on Block Island which is now the town of New Shoreham, Rhode Island. Early land records show that Sergeant James Danielson was a man of considerable fortune. He assumed a prominent place in town affairs. Between 1689 and 1705 he purchased large tracts of land on Block Island and was admitted a freeman of Rhode Island at the May session of the General Assembly in 1696. In September, 1696 he agreed to raise 100 pounds to pay for making a suitable harbor. In that year he served as a soldier in the expedition against the French under General Montcalme and fought in the engagement on the heights of Abraham with General Wolfe. In 1700 he was elected Sergeant of the town of New Shoreham. In early life he served almost continuously in wars against the Indians. During King Phillip's war he was Captain of a company of troops who passed through the region in which the present town of Danielson is located and was charmed with the beautiful "neck of land" between the Quinebaug and Assawauga Rivers. As a result of his "heroic services" in the Indian wars he received a grant of land in Voluntown, Conn. His later purchases of land were very extensive. In 1706 he bought 800 acres of land on the Quinebaug River in what is now the town of Pomfret. This included a mansion house and barn. In 1707 he bought 2000 acres of land between the Quinebaug and Assawauga Rivers. He is said to be the first settler south of Lake Mashapaug (now Alexanders Lake) at the southern end of which he built a garrison house. This settlement afterward became the town of Killingly. James Danielson became one of the most prominent and influential men in that part of Connecticut. He presented the town with a large burial ground located between the two rivers and was the first person to be buried in it. He died January 22, 1728 at the age of 80. His first wife was Abigail ____. His second wife was Mary Rose _____, who died February 23, 1752, aged 86." In 1724, he deeded his homestead in Killingly to his son Samuel, of which action John Danielson (his son) was one of the witnesses.
  Person ID	I1147	Wm L Gann Ancestors
  Last Modified	13 Apr 2024

  
  

  Family 1	Abigail
  Family ID	F514	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 2	Theodate Rose
  Married	11 Jun 1685	New Shoreham, Washington, Rhode Island   [2]
  Children	1. James Danielson,   b. 15 May 1687, New Shoreham, Washington, Rhode Island ,   d. 16 Jan 1751/2, Lebanon, New London, Connecticut  (Age 64 years)
  Last Modified	20 Jul 2011
  Family ID	F815	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 3	Mary Tosh,   b. 6 May 1669, New Shoreham, Washington, Rhode Island ,   d. 23 Feb 1752  (Age 82 years)
  Married	22 Jan 1699/00	New Shoreham, Washington, Rhode Island   [3]
  Children	1. Samuel Danielson,   b. 1701,   d. 1785, Danielson, Windham, Connecticut  (Age 84 years)   2. John Danielson,   b. 1701 - 1705, Brimfield, Hampden, Massachusetts
  Last Modified	20 Jul 2011
  Family ID	F816	Group Sheet

  
  

• Sources

  [S40191] Find a Grave, Jim Tipton, founder, (http://www.findagrave.com), Memorial# 34206147 (Reliability: 2), 27 Oct 2010. [S40197] Vital record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850, Arnold, James N, (Providence, R.I.: Narraganset Historical Publishing Co., 1891-1912), vol 4 part 4 p 11 (Reliability: 3), 20 Jul 2011. [S40197] Vital record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850, Arnold, James N, (Providence, R.I.: Narraganset Historical Publishing Co., 1891-1912), v. 4 part 4 p. 11 (Reliability: 2), 20 Jul 2011.