John Wheeler was born 27 February 1624 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England to Thomas Wheeler (1589-1654) and Ann Halsey (1592-1659) and died 5 April 1690 Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut of unspecified causes. He married Judith Turney (1635-1672) 1660 in Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut. He married Elizabeth Rowland (1652-1703) 1673 in Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Biography
John was Deputy of Fairfield 1657-1689. He was Sergt. of Fairfield Trainband. In his father's will it said he had lands in Fairfield. He may have been the John named in Ephraim's will dated 1670, listed as cousin. He was called brother by Robert Turney in 1689, so it was probably his wife's brother.
John settled in Fairfield with his father in 1644; was a Freeman in 1669. He was granted 100 acres by the Gen. Ct. and was one of the largest land owners in Fairfield; served as Deputy to the Conn. Legislature for 15 terms.
1644 Fairfield Settlement
He accompanied his father to Fairfield in 1644. In 1654, he was made executor of his father's estate, inheriting by the will his father's lands at Fairfield. He was the owner of considerable property before his father died, as his father had several times deeded to him valuable parcels of land. In 1673 the town granted him eight acres at Black Rock, bounded on the East by the creek and on all other sides by his own lands. He was also granted one hundred acres by the General Court.
Marriage and Family
MARRIAGES: (1) Judith Turney, d/o Benjamin and Mary (Odell) Turney. (2) Elizabeth Rowland, d/o Henry. Father of 14 children, 13 of whom survived him. CHILDREN: The 13 children listed are the 13 that survived John. Their birth dates are based on the ages given in the distribution of his estate.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Julianne Wheeler (1661-1711) | |||
| John Wheeler (1662-1754) | |||
| Elizabeth Wheeler (1667-1706) | |||
| Thomas Wheeler (1669-) | |||
| Mary Booth Wheeler (1671-1711) | |||
| Rebecca Wheeler (1672-1713) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Rebecca Wheeler (1672-1751) | |||
| Thomas Wheeler (1673-1728) | |||
| Joseph Wheeler (1674-1759) | 1674 Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut | 13 July 1759 Greenfield Hill, Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut | Deborah Nichols (1685-1748) |
| Obediah Wheeler (1676-1696) | |||
| Hannah Wheeler (1676-1748) | |||
| Martha Wheeler (1677-) | |||
| Obadiah Wheeler (1682-) | |||
| Ann Wheeler (1684-1711) | |||
| Abigail Wheeler (1684-1764) | |||
| Johnathan Wheeler (1687-1772) | |||
| David Wheeler (1689-1774) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Richard Wheeler (1614-) | |||
| Maria Wheeler (c1615-) | |||
| Hannah Wheeler (1617-) | |||
| William Wheeler (c1618-1666) | |||
| Thomas Wheeler (1621-1704) | 8 December 1621 Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom | 24 December 1704 Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | Sarah Meriam (c1626-1676) Sarah Beers (1639-1724) |
| Rebecca Wheeler (1622-1691) | 24 November 1622 Bristol, Gloucestershire, England | 12 December 1691 Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut | Henry Rowland (1625-1690) |
| John Wheeler (1624-1690) | 27 February 1624 Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England | 5 April 1690 Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut | Judith Turney (1635-1672) Elizabeth Rowland (1652-1703) |
| Sarah Wheeler (1628-bef1659) | |||
| Timothy Wheeler (1630-) | |||
| Joseph Wheeler (1632-) | |||
Residences
Research Notes
2705. JOHN WHEELER, son of Thomas (2700) and Anne (Halsey) Wheeler. Bapt. at Cranefield, Bedfordshire, England, Feb. 27, 1624. Married Judith Turney, dau. of Benjamin Turney.
He had 14 children, thirteen of whom were mentioned in the distribution of his estate in 1690.
He was one of the richest men of his time in the colony, and was the third largest taxpayer in Fairfield township in 1681, when he paid tax on 1004 acres of land.
He was Representative from the town in 1671, 1672, 1674, 1677.
He died intestate in the latter part of 1689 and on April 5, 1690, the Court at Fairfield appointed his widow and his son John to administer upon the estate, which inventoried March 8, 1689-90, £1656 4s. 6d.
See Also
- Sgt John Wheeler of Fairfield on GENI.com
- John Wheeler
- Wheeler in Bedfordshire
- Wheeler in Fairfield County, Connecticut
References
- Families of Old Fairfield, Vol I, pp. 666-668.
- "Fifty Great Migration Colonists," Threlfall, pg 501-503, citing the following: TAG 12, 14, 27, 28;
- Cranfield Parish Register;
- History of Fairfield, Schenck, 1889; -
- Unpublished Studies of Lt. Col. Raymond D. Wheeler.