Biography
John Steele was born 12 December 1591 in Fairstead, Essex, England, United Kingdom to Richard Steele (1549-1631) and Elizabeth Graham (1565-1626) and died 25 February 1665 Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States of unspecified causes. He married Rachel Talcott (1602-1653) 10 October 1622 in Fairstead, Essex, England, United Kingdom. He married Mercy Ruscoe (1610-1664) 25 November 1655 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States.
Research Notes
(1) DO NOT CONFUSE THIS JOHN STEELE (b. 1591, Fairstead, Essex; m. Rachel Talcott; d. 27 Feb 1664, Farmington, CT) with JOHN STILES (b. 1596, Millbrook, Bedfordshire; m. Rachel (Unknown), d. 4 June 1662 ) (2) VIEW BIOGRAPHICAL ITEMS IN STORY (MEMORIES) FOR THIS RECORD, L1MX-2SB. (3) See also BIOS: (A) Excerpts from sketch about John Steele in outstanding historical series, "The Great Migration Begins......" by Robert Charles Anderson. JOHN STEELE ORIGIN: Fairstead, Essex MIGRATION: 1633 FIRST RESIDENCE: Cambridge REMOVES: Hartford 1635, Farmington 1645 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP: Admission to Cambridge church prior to 14 May 1634 implied by freemanship. FREEMAN: 14 May 1634 [ MBCR 1:369]. EDUCATION: Sufficient education to be recorder at Hartford and Farmington. His inventory included "two Bibles" valued at 16s., "fourteen books" valued at £3 and "three quires of paper" valued at 2s. OFFICES: Deputy to the General Court for Cambridge, 4 March 1634/5, 6 May 1635, and 2 September 1635 [MBCR 1:135, 145, 156]. Appointed Massachusetts Bay commissioner for new settlements on Connecticut River, 3 March 1635/6 [MBCR 1:171]. On 11 April 1640 "Mr. Steele is returned Recorder for the town of Hartford, and hath brought into the Court 114 copies of the several parcels of land belonging to & concerning 114 persons" [ CCCR 1:48]. On 1 December 1645, as part of the establishment of Farmington, "Mr. Steele is entreated for the present to be recorder there, until the town have one fit among themselves" [CCCR 1:134]. Probably the "Mr. John Steele" requested 5 March 1656[/7] "to go over the great river and take an exact view of the land in difference between Robt: Sanford & Jno White" [ PCCR 175].
Will and Estate
ESTATE: On 5 August 1633 granted three roods for a cowyard in Cambridge [ CaTR 5]; granted two acres in Westend Field, 1 December 1634 [CaTR 10]; in 20 August 1635 division of meadow ground given a proportional share of two [CaTR 13]. In Cambridge land inventory of 20 August 1635 John Steele held nine parcels: one house with garden and backside in town, about half a rood; three roods in cowyard row; half an acre in Old Field; two acres on Small Lot Hill; two acres in Westend Field; ten acres and a half in the neck of land; one acre in the Ox Marsh; three acres and a half in the Long Marsh; and twelve acres in the Great Marsh [ CaBOP 13-14]. On 28 August "John Steele of the New towne" sold to Robert Bradish "all his parcels of land lying or being in Newtowne" [CaBOP 15-16]. In the Hartford land inventory John Steele held four parcels: two acres "on which his dwelling house now standeth with other outhouses, yards & gardens"; two acres in the Little Meadow "part whereof was received of Georg[e] Steell"; three acres and thirty perches in the North Meadow; and twenty-one acres, three roods and twenty-two perches "part whereof he bought of John Tayllcott" [ HaBOP 410-11]. In his will, dated 30 January 1663[/4] and proved 15 June 1665, "John Steel of Farmington, being stricken in years and weakness," bequeathed to "my dear and loving wife Mercy Steel the house wherein I now dwell with the appurtenances belonging to it in all three little closes thereunto belonging, also one barn during the time of her natural life"; to "the said Mercy a certain parcel of household goods that were hers at the time when I married her ... also a mare colt ... also two cows and one three year old heifer, as also one third part of all the provision in the house ... one half of all the linen cloth she hath made since I married her ... a parcel of pasture land enclosed ... at three acres for her use during her natural life"; to "my son Samuell Steel my best bed" and household goods, also "a silver bowl which was mine own marked with three silver stamps and an "S" all on the upper end of the bowl ... also ... one half of all my books, also my gold scales and weights ... a piece of enclosed pasture" of three acres after "my and my wife's decease"; "and to avoid the trouble of other conveyances of house and land to my son Samuell Steel of what I gave him at his marriage with Mary Boosy I here express it," also a parcel of land on which his stillhouse stands, and seventeen acres and one parcel of three and a half acres of meadow; one parcel of land in the **** Crook; to "my son-in-law William Judd one third part of my land called ****'s Crook"; to "my son-in-law Thomas Judd one third part of my land at *****crook" and twenty acres at Hartford"; to "my two sons-in-law William and Thomas Judd my now dwelling house and barn, house lot, yards, garden, orchard" after "mine and my wife's departure out of this natural life"; "a few things should be disposed to my loving wife and children and grandchildren: to my wife two small silver spoones and some small matter of linen, and to Mary Judd one piece of gold and to Sarah Judd one piece of Gold to John Steel son of John Steel deceased one silver spoon, to Samuell son of the said John deceased one silver spoon and to Benony Steel one silver spoon and to Rachel daughter of Samuel Steel one silver spoon to be delivered to them at their marriage by my son Samuell Steel, but my wife and two daughters shall have theirs immediately after the departure of my natural life"; "the remainder of my silver spoons broken or whole as also a small gold ring I give and bequeath to my son Samuell Steel"; residue to "my two sons-in-law William and Thomas Judd and do make them my sole executors"; "my son Samuel Steel and James Steel to be the overseers" [ Hartford PD Case #5187; Manwaring 1:239-40; Steel Anc 251-52]. The inventory of the estate of John Steele, presented on 20 June 1665, was untotalled, and included £67 in real estate: "house, barn, lot & orchard," £55; and "one piece of pasture land," £12 [Hartford PD Case #5187].
BIRTH: Baptized Fairstead, Essex, 12 December 1591, son of Richard Steele. DEATH: Farmington 27 February 1664[/5?] [ Farm VR Barbour 158, citing Farmington LR 2:319]. MARRIAGE: (1) Fairstead 10 October 1622 "John Steele, son of Richard of this parish, & Rachel Talcott of Brancktree [i.e., Braintree]." She died at Farmington 24 October 1653 [Farm VR Barbour 158, citing Farmington LR 2:320]. (2) Farmington 25 November 1655 Mercy (Ruscoe) Seymour [Farm VR Barbour 158, citing Farmington LR 2:331], widow of Richard Seymour [ NEHGR 71:111-13]. She died after 4 July 1668 (on which date John Winthrop treated "Mrs. Steele, widow, 67 y. of Farmington" [ WMJ 829]).
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| John Steele (1624-1654) | 17 June 1624 Fairstead, Essex, England, United Kingdom | 8 March 1654 Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States | Mary Warner (1626-1684) |
| Samuel Steele (1626-1685) | 1626 Fairstead, Essex, England, United Kingdom | 14 August 1685 Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States | Mary Boosey (1635-1704) |
| Daniel Steele (1628-1645) | |||
| Rachel Steele (1632-) | |||
| Lydia Steele (1637-) | |||
| Mary Steele (1637-1718) | |||
| Sarah Steele (1638-1695) | |||
| Hannah Steele (1647-1655) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Thomas Steele (1657-17120 | |||
| John Steele (169-1713) | |||
| Richard Steele (1661-) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| James Steele (1587-) | |||
| Richard Steele (1588-1665) | |||
| George Steele (1589-1664) | 1589 Fairstead, Essex, England, United Kingdom | 25 February 1664 Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States | Margery Sorrell (1590-1653) |
| Rebecca Steele (1590-1663) | |||
| John Steele (1591-1665) | 12 December 1591 Fairstead, Essex, England, United Kingdom | 25 February 1665 Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States | Rachel Talcott (1602-1653) Mercy Ruscoe (1610-1664) |
| Henry Steele (1593-) | |||
| Samuel Steele (1604-) | |||
Residences
See Also
- John Steele
- Steele Family
- Steele in Essex
- Steele in Hartford County, Connecticut