GenConnecticut-L Archives

From:
Subject: Challenge: Moses Wheeler
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 14:29:23 EDT

Some of my ancestors were kind enough to be colorful characters or up to
something. This means I can find them in the records or local history books.

One such person is Moses Wheeler (1898-1698), the first White centenarian in
New England. Moses and his sister, Jane came over from England. Jane was
married to the Stratford minister Adam Blakeman/Blackman. Moses married Miriam
Hawley.

Moses was Stratford's first ferryman, a job he did into his 90's. He was
also a ship's carpenter and farmer. To quote the book The History of Stratford,
by Wm Howard Wilcoxson, 1939
"Moses Wheeler was a picturesque character of indomitable courage, incredible
height adn remarkable strength........"

"He was a strong powerful man of whom the Indians are said to have stood in
mortal terror. The Milford Indians were thought to be unfriendly to him. One
day as some of them came to attack him, he took a big dipper of boiling soap,
which his wife was then making, and threatened to throw it on them. They
dared not advance and left immediately. Another tradition relates that Mr Wheeler
was one morning in the cellar of his house, when 3 Indians with tomahawks
appeared in the doorway. Realizing his helplessness if attacked, he raised a
half-emptied cider cask, saying has he did so 'Let's all have a drink" pretending
at the same time to drink from the bunghole. The Indians seeing this and
supposing the barrel to be full went away, saying they did not want to fight with
such a strong man."

Another story is about Moses and the great plague of England in 1665. Moses
had returned to England and became sick from the plaque. Supposing he was
about to die, he dug his own grave and proceeded to lie in it. People thinking
he was already dead went to bury him and almost buried him alive.

Another story is Moses originally lived in New Haven. After months of being
at sea as a carpenter, he returned home. He kissed his wife and children on a
Sunday. Problem: kissing on Sunday was banned and he was chased out of New
Haven and moved to Stratford.

I can't find the details but I recall that Moses was over 6ft tall and quite
muscular.
He may have come over with John Davenport and Theophilus Eaton

I descend from Moses Wheeler's daugther Miriam who married her first cousin
James Blackman.

Valerie

This thread:

• Challenge: Moses Wheeler by