Lt. John Bigelow was born 20 December 1681 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts to Joshua Bigelow (1655-1745) and Elizabeth Flagg (1655-1729) and died 8 March 1770 Colchester, New London County, Connecticut of unspecified causes. He married Hannah (-1709) 1704 in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut. He married Sarah Bigelow (1681-1754) 4 November 1709 in Colchester, New London County, Connecticut. He married Abigail Hempstead (1702-1760) 17 September 1775 in Colchester, New London County, Connecticut.
Biography
Lieutenant John 3 BIGELOW, son of Joshua 2, John 1, and Elizabeth (FLAGG) BIGELOW was born 20 Dec 1681 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA. John had 2 sons with first wife Hannah _____. Her grave found in Cemetery Rd Cemetery,Colchester 110494.RJB with her grandson John 5son of John 4.(this grave of Hannah appears to be a wife of John 5, not Lt. John) Lt. John born in Watertown,early moved to Hartford,CT, his grave in the Colchester Common Cemetery found 110494.RJB. Also stones for Hanna Munn, other Munns and Bigelows including children of Asa and Dorothy. When John moved to Hartford he followed his uncles John 2 and Jonathan 2 BIGELOW.
Marriage (1) to Hannah
He married (1) at unknown date, Hannah _______. Following the birth of their first child, they moved to Colchester,CT in early 1709, and there his wife Hannah's death is recorded 31 Mar 1709.
Children with Hannah_______:
- David Bigelow (1706-1799) - son of Lt. John3 and Hannah______, born before 22 Sep 1706 Hartford,Hartford,CT. Married (1) about 1726 Editha (Edith) DAY, daughter of John and Grace SPENCER DAY, who died 19 Jan 1746 in Colchester,New London,CT. They had 8 children. Married (2) 21 Jan 1747 Mary (Mercy) LEWIS KELLOGG in Colchester?,New London,CT, daughter of Stephen and Lydia BELDING KELLOGG. No children. She died 5 Jan 1795. David died 2 Jun 1799, both in Colchester,New London,CT.
- John Bigelow (1709-1789) - son of Lt. John3 and Hannah_______, was born 25 Mar 1709 in Colchester,New London,CT. Married (1) 23 Oct 1736 Anna BATE, bapt 29 Jul 1716 in Colchester?, New London,CT, daughter of James & Anna (TILLOTSON) BORDON. She died 2 Sep 1737, leaving 1 son John born 2 Sep 1737. John4 married (2) 2 Feb 1738, Sarah Bate, sister of his first wife, She was born 9 Apr 1711 Haddam,CT. They lived in Cochester where they both died, he on 17 Jan 1789, she on ? Feb 1796. John drew up his will 22 Jun 1787, mentioned his wife Sarah, son John, daughters Sarah BIGELOW, Anna BIGELOW, Lydia HUNGERFORD, and daughter Mary (Mercy). No mention was made of daughters Aimee and Hannah. Administration of the estate of Sarah Bigelow, widow of John, was granted 12 Apr 1796 to Capt. Zechariah HUNGERFORD, Mercy wife of Joseph ARNOLD, Anne and Sarah BIGELOW, and heirs of Ephraim BIGELOW (deceased). Again, no mention of Aimee and Hannah, leading to the assumption they died unmarried before the parents' deaths.
1790 Census: CT-New London-Colchester-Sarah BIGELOW: 0-0-4-0-0.
Marriage (2) to Cousin Sarah Bigelow
John then married (2) 4 Nov 1709, his cousin Sarah BIGELOW, daughter of Jonathan Bigelow (1646-1711) and Rebecca SHEPHERD , born unknown date. Sarah buried in Colchester Common Cemetery, near Lt. John. Sarah was born Hartford, Hartford,CT unknown date. She is said to have been a tailoress by trade, and to have brought John as dowry a bushel of silver coins earned with her needle. With this money, they built "the most elegant house on Bulkeley Hill" bringing 12 men from Hartford, 25 miles through the woods by a blazed trail. There was not sufficient skilled labor to be found in Colchester. The house stood until the 1870's.
- Sarah Bigelow (1712-1741) - daughter of Lt. John 3 and Sarah 3 BIGELOW, born 17 July 1712 in Colchester, New London,CT. Unmarried?. Died 30 Nov 1741 in Colchester,New London,CT. No other information available at this time 08/04/96. RJB.
- Jonathan Bigelow (1714-1720) - son of Lt. John 3 and Sarah 3 BIGELOW, born 12 May 1714 in Colchester, New London,CT. There is a headstone in Colchester Common Cemetery that states: "Jonathan; son of John; died Aug 11, 1730 (1720?)"; see picture below . No other information at this time 8/4/96 RJB.
- Asa Bigelow (1720-1754) - son of Lt. John 3 and Sarah 3 BIGELOW , born 3 Sep 1720 in Colchester, New London,CT. Died 3 Oct 1754 in Cochester of a fever. Married 13 Dec 1737 to Dorothy OTIS, "while fitting out for college he met Dorothy Otis, and it caused him such a headache he was obliged to give up his studies and marry her, and they went to live with his parents, both being yet of tender years". She survived to marry twice more. 9 children, the last born posthumously. Asa died in fever with mother, and 2 children. Headstone "Asa Bigelow 35 yrs old Oct 9,1754." Afa ?" It was near the Munn stones and a broken one nearby may have been Dorothy OTIS? Daughters:Delight & Betty buried nearby with son Jonathan & Elizabeth OTIS (his wife)and their children and grandchildren. Asa's Headstone found in Colchester Common Cemetery with Lt. John and about 50 others, Sarah,Abigail,etc.by RJB 110494.
Epidemic of 1754
Sarah died 13 Oct 1754 in an epidemic fever which claimed also her son Asa and 2 of his children, all within 6 weeks.
Marriage (3) to Abigail Hempstead
John then married (3) Abigail Hempstead (1702-1760), whose headstone states she died 1 Aug 1760 in the 58th year of her age, as John's 3rd wife. (Addenda: Abigail identified in Joshua Hempstead diary as follows: "Wed, Sept 17,1775. Afternoon I went to Capt. John Miller's and married his mother [Abigail) to Mr. John Bigelow and he carried her away about 3 o'clock." Hempstead was a justice-of-the-peace in New London, CT. Abigail said to have probably been nee Lewis, and a widow of Jeremaih Miller.)
Marriage (4) to Hannah Munn
John then married (4) Hannah Munn, of whom no records. May be headstone in Colchester Common Cemetery, where a lot of Munns are buried.
Will of John Bigelow
John died 8 Mar 1770 in Cochester, New London, CT. He made his will 1769, bequeathing the house and part of his personal property to Hannah, lands and property to sons David & John Jr. and 6 shillings apiece to children of his deceased son Asa, whose children he had raised.
Colchester Common Cemetery
Lt. John Bigelow's grave - Burying Ground in Colchester CT.
Burying Ground - Colchester CT.
- Headstone in Colchester Common Cemetery " In Memory of Mrs. Sarah ye wife of Lt. John Bigelow who died July 13,1754 at age 75.""So Pious,Prudent, Patient and Kind. Perhaps he Equal may not be left behind." (Age may be wrong or misread) John's headstone reads"In Memory of Lt. John Bige(cont. on next line)low who died March ys 1770."
- Headstone to the right of Lt. John in Colchester Common Cemetery reads " Abigail wife of Lt. John Bigelow died Aug 1,1760 58th yr""She was a vir____ among women.""
- Headstone in Colchester Common Cemetery near Lt. John's looks like Hannah, may be male Isaiah Munn "d. Sept 23, 1799 60 yrs old"..Next to that stone is Mr. or Mrs. Abi, consort to Hannah or Isaiah MUNN died Oct 3,1823. Age 80. These stones are also near Asa 4 BIGELOW, whose children John raised after Asa died.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| David Bigelow (1706-1799) | 1706 | 2 June 1799 | Editha Day (1705-1747) Mercy Kellogg (1709-1795) |
| John Bigelow (1709-1789) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Sarah BIgelow (1712-1741) | |||
| Jonathan Bigelow (1714-1720) | |||
| Asa Bigelow (1720-1754) | 3 September 1720 Colchester, New London County, Connecticut, United States | 9 October 1754 Colchester, New London County, Connecticut, United States | Dorothy Otis (1721-1795) |
Siblings
References
- History of Lt John Bigelow - Bigelow Family History Society
- Bigelow Family Genealogy Volume. I page.33;
- Howe, Bigelow Family of America;
- Wm. H. Bigelow, Genealogy of a Branch of the Bigelow Family, 1877;
- vital records and cemetery inscriptions Colchester;
- Barbour, Index of Vital Records Early Connecticut;
- also see article below found on the web by Don Bigelow at: http://wuzzup.com:80/hometown/archives/vol6/quarter2/20BIGEL.HTML