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Francis Nichols Family Tree


Francis Nichols Family Tree
By Linus Joseph Dewald Jr., Editor
Revised 15 Nov 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS
  1. Early Belief as to Bruce Roots .
  2. Possible Sedgeberrow, England, Roots .
  3. Paul Nichol's Analysis of Sedgeberrow Roots .
  4. Troubling Aspects Remaining .
  5. A Tentative Francis Nichols Family Tree .
  6. Footnotes .

Early Belief as to Bruce Roots

It has been commonly, but erroneously, believed by many persons that Francis Nichols is the son of Francis Nichols and Margaret Bruce of Ampthill, Bedfordshire, England. That erroneous assertion can be found, for example, in "Sergeant Francis Nicholls of Stratford, Connecticut, 1639, and the Descendants of his son, Caleb Nicholls" by Walter Nicholls, former librarian of Bridgeport CT Public Library, and published in 1909 by The Grafton Press of New York. It is also found in "Genealogy & Family History of the State of CT" and "Americana Quarterly" Vol 15.

Francis and Margaret also had a son, Col. Richard Nichols, who later became Governor of the State of New York.

However, not all early authorities accepted Walter Nicholls' views. Donald Lines Jacobus, in the "History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield" said:

      "It should hardly be necessary to refute the foolish assertion that he was brother of Gov. Richard Nicholls of New York..."

In the Fall of 1988, while visiting in London, England, I had the opportunity to do some research at the highly-regarded Guildhall Genealogical Library in London to see if I could locate information about Francis Nichols and Margaret Bruce of Ampthill and their sons. The Guildhall library had a copy of Col. Richard Nichol's Will of 1672 which quite clearly recited the death of his brothers:

      "Edward and Francis, the one dead at the Hague, the other at Paris during the late usurpation."

The sentence structure of Col. Richard's Will would indicate that Edward died at the Hague and that Francis died in Paris. But even if the death locations were reversed, it is clear that Francis died in Europe. Further, there was no indication in Guildhall records that the Francis, who died in Paris or the Hague, was ever married or had any children.

Since Col. Richard Nichols' Will demonstrates his personal knowledge of his brother Francis' death in Paris, or the Hague, the Francis who died in CT quite obviously had to be a different person and it would have been on that basis that Jacobus dismissed Walter Nicholls' "foolish assertion" that Francis was the son of Francis and Margaret of Ampthill.

Possible Sedgeberrow, England, Roots

Our attention has been directed to information which, if verifiable, solves a 370 year old mystery: the identity of the parents of Francis Nichols,, father of John Nichols and grandfather of Hester Nichols who married John Prentice. Neil D. Thompson, CG, FASG, in the October, 2000 issue of "The American Genealogist" [Vol. 75, No. 4], traces Francis' roots back to about 1510 as set out below:  (But see Fn. 1)

1. Thomas Nycholls of Sedgeberrow, co. Worcester, was born c. 1510 and perhaps at, or in the vicinity of Sedgeberrow. Thomas died between 27 Nov 1558 (when he executed his Will) and 4 Apr 1559 (when the Will was proved). He married c. 1535, Elinor; she was buried as Elinor Nichols, widow, at Sedgeberrow on 8 Jun 1592. Children of Thomas and Elinor included:

  1. John Nycholls, b. c. 1542. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [2]
  2. (perhaps) Roger Nicholls, b, c. 1545 per Sedgeberrow Parish Records: Children:
    1. Henrie Nicholls, bap 1 Oct 1569. Probable children of Henrie per Sedgeberrow Parish Records:
      1. Marie Nicholls, bap 10 Apr 1590
      2. Edward Nicholls, bap 27 May 1592
      3. Elizabeth Nicholls, bap. 21 Oct 1594
      4. Henrie Nicholls, bap 20 Mar 1596
      5. Joan Nicholls, bap 13 Feb 1599
    2. John Nicholls, bap 24 Aug.1571
    3. George Nicholls, bap 24 Oct.1577
    4. Francis Nicholls, bap 30 July 1580
    5. Stephen Nicholls, bap 11 Sept. 1584. Probable children of Henrie per Sedgeberrow Parish Records:
      1. Stephen Nicholls, bap 25 April 1611
      2. John Nicholls, bap 13 April 1614
      3. Richard Nicholls, bap 6 Oct. 1616
      4. Mary Nicholls, bap 20 Feb. 1617
      5. William Nicholls, bap 14 June 1620
      6. Thomas Nicholls, bap 1 Sept. 1622
      7. Henrie Nicholls, bap 27 April 1626
      8. Francis Nicholls, bap 11 May 1628
      9. Ann Nicholls, bap 26 Sept. 1630

2. John Nichols, son of Thomas, was born c. 1542, perhaps at or near Sedgeberrow. John was buried at Sedgeberrow on 6 Aug 1597. He married Joan, who was buried at Sedgeberrow on 29 Nov 1697 as widow and "once the wife of John Nicholes." Children of John and Joan included per Sedgeberrow Parish Records:

  1. Francis Nichols, bap. 25 May 1575. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [3]
  2. John Nichols, bap. 3 May 1577
  3. William Nichols, bap. 3 January 1579. Perhaps children of William, although he would have been 43 when the the first child was born, per Sedgeberrow Parish Records:
    1. Anne Nicholls, bap 27 Feb. 1622
    2. William Nicholls, bap 27 Nov. 1627
    3. Elizabeth Nicholls, bap 21 April, 1630
    4. Mary Nicholls, bap 30 May 1634
    5. William Nicholls, bap 1 May 1636
    6. Margaret Nicholls, bap 24 April 1638
  4. Goodith Nichols, bap. 17 March 1581
  5. Henrie Nichols, bap. 13 April 1583
  6. Elinor Nichols, bap. 18 August 1586
  7. Ann, daughter of John, bap. 15 Sept., 1590
  8. Elizabeth Nichols, bap. 22 Sept. 1592

3. Francis Nichols was bap. at Sedgeberrow on 25 May 1575; he died before 8 Jan 1650/1. He settled at Stratford, Connecticut, by 10 Oct 1639, when he was appointed sergeant of the Stratford trainband, and that same year was listed with his three sons (John, Isaac, and Caleb) among the 17 first settlers of Stratford.

Francis Nichols married, 1st, at Sedgeberrow on 24 Jan 1599/1600, "Francis" Wimarke. She was bap. there on 2 Nov 1577 and apparently died before the family's removed to New England. She was a daughter of Robert Wimarke of Sedgeberrow. Francis Nichols and his first wife had a number of children, all but the youngest bap. at Sedgeberrow.

  • John Nichols, bap. 16 May 1601. Thompson's article says he is the John Nichols who d. at Fairfield Ct. before 19 Jun 1655.   (But see Fn. 2)

  • Jane Nichols, bap. 3 Nov 1603, living Hempstead, N.Y., 16 Feb 1666/7; m. co. Worcester (probably Bengeworth) about 1625, William Washburn, bap. Bengeworth, 9 Nov. 1601, d. before 11 June 1659. (See Fn. 3).

  • Henry Nichols, bap. 19 Nov. 1605, bur. 21 Dec 1606.

  • Anne Nichols, bap. 18 Oct. 1606, bur. 25 Oct. 1606.

  • Margaret Nichols, bap. 4 Jan 1608/9. (See Fn. 4).

  • Francis Nichols, bap. 25 Aug. 1611. (See Fn. 4)

  • Joseph Nichols (twin), bap. 31 Aug. 1614, bur. 2 Sept. 1614.

  • Jonathan Nichols (twin), bap. 31 Aug. 1614, bur. 4 Sept. 1614.

  • Sarah Nichols, bap. 12. Nov. 1615. Thompson says only that she is "probably" the heretofore unidentified daughter of Francis Nichols who m., as his 1st wife, Richard Mills of Wethersfield, Stratford, and Stamford, CT.

  • Isaac Nichols, bap 27 Dec 1617. (See Fn. 5).

  • Caleb Nichols, b. c. 1623, but apparently bap. at some location other than Sedgeberrow. Thompson's article says he is the Caleb Nichols who m. Anne Ward and d. at Fairfield Ct. (But see Fn. 6).

There still exists a large time gap between 1623 (when Caleb was apparently born) and 1639 when Francis Nichols appears in Stratford, CT records. No information has yet been produced which accounts for Francis' activities during those years.

    Note: By email of 30 Sep 2001, Marilyn NicholsTrumbull brings new information to our attention.

    1. She has a copy of the Nichols entries in the Parish register of Sedgeberrow. She says Francis and his family left Sedgeberrow before her direct line ancestor, Caleb, was born. Caleb was apparently b. c. 1623, but where? It apparently was not in MA since Marilyn indicates that Francis was "in Mass. as early as 1635..." We have sent her an email asking if she has information where Francis was between 1623 and 1635.

    2. Isaac's Bible was discovered in CT with births, baptisms, etc. recorded. We do not yet know if those entries include those of Isaac's parents and siblings. If so such a listing, if in the Bible, would remove any possible doubt as to Francis' Sedgeberrow roots. We have asked Marilyn for additional information about those entries.

    3. Marilyn's cousin, Jon K. Nichols of MI, is doing a follow-up investigation to view and copy those documents. We have asked Marilyn if he has an email address so we can coordinate with him.

    4. Finally, she also indicated that, along with the bible, was stored a "bondodlier" (bandolier?) and sword which may have been those of Sgt. Francis. An expert in antique weapons could date both items for us to determine whether they are sufficiently old to be those of Sgt. Francis.

Assuming that the Sedgeberrow Francis Nichols is the one who settled in Fairfield, Fairfield Co. Ct, he married, 2nd, c. 1649 as her first husband, Ann Wines. She was born c. 1632 and was living on 4 Mar 1693/4, daughter of Barnabas and Ann (Eddy) Wines of Southold, Suffolk County, New York. Child of Frances and Ann (Wines) Nichols:

  1. Ann Nichols (again), b. about 1650; m. by 4 Feb. 1677/8, Christopher Youngs of Southold, b. Salem, Mass., 1643/4, d. Southold, 5 Dec 1698, son of Christopher and Priscilla (Elvin) Youngs. Issue.

After Francis Nichols' death, Anna Wines married, 2nd, John Elton, 3rd, John Tooker, and 4th, John Youngs Esq., all of Southold. >

Paul Nichols' Analysis of Sedgeberrow Roots for Francis Nichols

We have received additional information from Paul Nichols in his email of 27 Dec 2001. It reads, in part, as follows:

    "On December 3 of this year, I had the opportunity to visit the tiny village of Sedgeberrow in Worcestershire, England (1991 population, 713). Sedgeberrow is the town in which genealogist Neil Thompson, in an October 2000 article in The American Genealogist, suggests that Sgt. Francis Nichols of Stratford, Connecticut, was born. One of the things I wanted to see was whether the parish church might be old enough to be the same one that Francis and his ancestors attended centuries ago.

    I found the old church, took a picture, and it is online at http://www.his.com/~pnichols/sedgeberrow.html . Unfortunately, the church was locked, so I couldn’t get inside. I asked a couple people in the only store in town if they knew the age of the church; they not only didn’t know, but didn’t seem to care. That afternoon, when I went to the Worcestershire Library and History Centre, I learned from Page’s Victoria History of the Counties of England: A History of Worcestershire, Volume III (1913) that the church was dedicated in 1331, so it was already 300 years old by the time Francis Nichols left the area. This book has a photograph of the chancel area inside the church, which I’ve also put online at http://www.his.com/~pnichols/Sedgeberrrow_church_chancel.jpg

    I didn’t have much time, but I did want to see what else I could find at the History Centre. They have baptismal, marriage, and burial records on microfilm (courtesy of the LDS) of about 250 Worcester parishes, including the Sedgeberrow parish. Luckily, that parish is one of several to have had the hard-to-read parish records transcribed and bound and available in the Centre. The transcribed volume is not attributed, but the web site of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (Sedgeberrow isn’t far from Stratford-upon-Avon) indicates it is the work of J. Harvey Bloom around the beginning of the 19th century. I should have Xeroxed the entire thing, but instead I rather hurriedly wrote down all the Nicholls records (which turned out to be more than I thought there would be). Unfortunately, even Bloom’s transcription was a bit hard to read, and I probably got some of his abbreviated months wrong. I found 44 Nicholls baptisms (1569-1638), 6 Nicholls marriages (1568-1636) and 26 Nicholls burials (1582-1644). See Fn. 7

    These records are now online at http://www.his.com/~pnichols/nicholls_records.html .

    During this 70-year period, Nicholls was one of the most common names in Sedgeberrow; there were only 235 baptisms, and 44 of them (19%) were Nicholls children. After the dates indicated above, the name Nicholls never again appeared in the register, lending support to the idea that Francis Nicholls left Sedgeberrow before his son Caleb was born. The baptismal records include the children of John Nicholls baptized between 1575 and 1592; he is thought to be the father of Sgt. Francis Nichols (baptized 1575). I copied the Francis Nicholls baptismal record, and it too is online at href = "http://www.his.com/~pnichols/baptism.gif . This record shows how difficult these old parish records are to read - the early ones aren’t even in English, but in Latin. Around the same time John’s children were born, there are also baptismal records of five children of a Roger Nicholls. All of the Nicholls records at Sedgeberrow were for the families and descendents of John and Roger. So far, there’s no indication if or how Roger was related to John.

    Interestingly, Roger also had a son Francis, baptized in 1580. Our Francis married Frances Wimarke, who was baptized in 1577. John’s son Francis would have been about 2 years older than Miss Wimarke, and Roger’s son Francis about 3 years younger. These slight age differences and the names of subsequent children would suggest that our Francis was the son of John rather than Roger. It’s possible that both of the Francis Nichollses had children; Neil Thompson, in his article, attributed all children of Francis Nicholls except one (Elizabeth, born September 1606) to the Sergeant.

    The last book I could find to consult was a volume of Worcestershire County court records, 1591-1643. The only reference I found to a Nicholls in Sedgeberrow indicated that William Nichols (possibly Francis Nicholls’ brother) was indicted in 1643 with three others "for not working in the repair of the highways there on the appointed days." I didn’t think I would find any reference to Francis’s son Caleb, and I didn’t. And just to cover all bases, before I went, I had a professional researcher in Worcester see if she could find anything on Caleb, and she couldn’t either.

    One minor detail that doesn’t agree with Thompson’s article: neither she nor the ranscriber of the parish records thought the record showed that Francis Nichols had twin sons, Joseph and Jonathan, born in 1614. I looked at the microfilm of those records, and it appeared that Joseph was baptized 30 April (or August?) 1614; the next record was Jonathan, last name unclear, baptized 31 August. Carol Tilson thinks the format of the entry for Joseph (one line instead of two) suggests that he was indeed a twin of Jonathan. Those of you who have copies of the LDS film can see what you think.

    Overall, I believe the evidence that Francis Nicholls of Sedgeberrow was the immigrant Sgt. Francis Nichols of Stratford is stronger than that presented by Neil Thompson.

    1. First, he concluded that Francis of Sedgeberrow was our immigrant ancestor with only records of the baptisms for all but the last three of his children. As we now know, the Sedgeberrow records fortunately include the baptism of an eighth child, Isaac Nicholls (a much less common name).
    2. Also, Sedgeberrow is only 3 miles south of Bengeworth, where Francis Nichols’s daughter Jane’s husband lived. Mr. Thompson told me that he was not searching for Francis Nichols near Bengeworth, so the fact that the two towns were so close definitely strengthens the case that he found the right Francis Nichols. (By email of 30 Dec 2001, Paul Nichols elaborates as follows:)

        "I think the Jane Washburn connection is very significant, especially since Neil Thompson did not search the Sedgeberrow records because the town was near Bengeworth. We know that William Washburn's wife was Jane Nichols because of the [reference in the Will of their son] to "uncle Isaac

        Nichols of Stratford," and we also know that William came from Bengeworth. Finding Francis Nichols with a daughter Jane 2 years younger than William Washburn and living within a 5-minute horseback ride of his home is, to me, pretty good evidence that Thompson found the right family."

    3. One other thing that may offer a slight connection between the Sedgeberrow Nichollses and the immigrant ancestor - the name of Roger Nichols's wife appears to be "Timbrell," same as the maiden name of William Washburn's mother. William married Sgt. Francis Nichols's daughter Jane.

    I would be interested in comparing notes and thoughts with any other descendents of Sgt. Francis Nichols as I rewrite my version of The Nichols Family to include the Sedgeberrow information. "

Troubling Aspects Remaining

While Thompson's article might correctly identify Francis Nichols' ancestry, and while the contents of Paul Nichols' emails, above, adds additional background information and perspective, some troubling aspects still remain:

    1. There still is no direct evidence that the Sedgeberrow Francis Nichols ever emigrated to America. He could have died anywhere in England after the last recorded birth of a child in 1617 in Sedgeberrow. There is a gap of 22 years until 1639 before the Stratford, CT Francis Nichols first appears.

    2. The only evidence is indirect and based on two children (John and Isaac) having the same names as those of Francis Nichols of Stratford, CT and on finding Francis Nichols with a daughter Jane 2 years younger than William Washburn and living within a 5-minute horseback ride of his home.

    3. "John" is a common name which would have been found in a great many Nichols families in England. That leaves only "Isaac" as a common denominator.

    4. There still is no evidence that the Sedgeberrow Francis ever had a son named Caleb, so, for now, one has to resort to imagination that he did.

Paul Nichols has now established a website at The Nichols Family which essentially takes the information gathered by Neil D. Thompson, CG, FASG, in the October, 2000 issue and carries the line forward, treating Francis Nichols of Sedgeberrow as the same person as Francis Nichols of Stratford, CT. The above concerns are still unresolved at Paul Nichols' website. However, in an email of 25 Aug 2002, directs our attention Note #10 in his website article. It read as follows:

    "[Francis of Sedgeberrow's] daughter Jane provides the best evidence that Francis of Sedgeberrow was in fact the Stratford immigrant. Sedgeberrow Jane (baptized in 1603) was the right age to have married William Washburn (baptized in 1601) and lived only a short horseback ride from her future husband’s home in Bengeworth. And it is known that William married the immigrant Jane Nichols, because their son John named Jane’s brother ("loveing Uncle Isaac Nicholls of Stratford") as an overseer. Hempstead, New York, Court Proceedings 1657-1660, pp. 95-97."

Paul Nichols suggests that the court reference to Note #10, and its reference to Isaac Nicholls of Stratford, proves that Sedgeberrow Francis is the same person as Stratford Francis.

It is tempting to believe that the court document reference established Sedgeberrow Francis as our Stratford Francis, but before accepting that conclusion we first need answers to the foregoing questions

  1. Did Jane and William emigrate to America? And if so, when and where?
  2. What was the Hempstead court proceeding about? Was it a land dispute, probate, Will contest, or what?
  3. Who were the parties involved in the court proceeding?
  4. What was the textual context of the reference to "Loveing Uncle Isaac" who was named "as an overseer." Overseer of what? And why was an overseer needed?
  5. What other people were mentioned in the document, and in what context?
  6. When and where was John Washburn living at the time he mentioned "Loveing Uncle Isaac Nicholls of Stratford?
  7. Where was "Loveing Uncle Isaac" living at the time he was named as an overseer?
  8. How do we know the reference was to Stratford Connecticut rather than Stratford, England?
  9. Was there an Isaac Nichols living in Stratford, England?
  10. How do we know that the quoted John Washburn is the son of Jane Nichols and William Washburn?

Paul Nichols sent us an email in which he says he is seeking answers to those question.

Conclusion

Depending on the answers to the foregoing questions, it just might be that Francis Nichols of Sedgeberrow is the same person as Francis Nichols of Stratford, CT. But before reaching that conclusion, we first need those answers. Until they are received, Paul Nichols' website should be viewed with much caution.


A Tentative Francis Nichols Family Tree

Although there will be some additional research needed for confirmation of some of the father-son relationships listed, and tentatively assuming that the Sedgeberrow Francis Nichols is the one who settled in Fairfield, Fairfield Co., CT, we have set out below a proposed family tree for FRANCIS NICHOLS of Fairfield, Fairfield Co., CT, can be found at Ancestry.com .

1. Thomas Nycholls, b. 1510, Worcester, Worcestershire, England, and d. 4 Apr 1559, Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire, England.

He m. Elinor who was b. c. 1510-1515, and d. 8 Jun 1592, Sedgeberrow. Children of Thomas and Elinor included, per (see Sedgeberrow records ) and Ancestry.com :

  1. Julian Nycholls, 1536, Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire, England
  2. Margery Nycholls, 1538, Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire, England
  3. William Nycholls, 1540, Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire, England
  4. John Nycholls, b. c. 1542. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [2]
  5. Henry Nycholls, 1544, Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire, England
  6. Nicholas Nycholls, 1546, Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire, England
  7. (perhaps) Roger Nicholls, b, c. 1545 and bur. 3 Oct 1621 per Sedgeberrow Parish Records: He m. Marie Timbrell (?) on 29 Jan 1568, Sedgeberrow.. She was bur. 17 Jan 1614. Children:
    1. Henrie Nicholls, bap 1 Oct 1569. Probable children of Henrie per Sedgeberrow Parish Records:
      1. Marie Nicholls, bap 10 Apr 1590 and bur. 14 Feb 1601
      2. Edward Nicholls, bap 27 May 1592
      3. Elizabeth Nicholls, bap. 21 Oct 1594. She might be the Elizabeth Nicholls who m. William Widows (?) on 30 Oct 1628, Sedgeberrow.
      4. Henrie Nicholls, bap 20 Mar 1596
      5. Joan Nicholls, bap 13 Feb 1599
    2. John Nicholls, bap 24 Aug.1571
    3. George Nicholls, bap 24 Oct.1577
    4. Francis Nicholls, bap 30 July 1580
    5. Stephen Nicholls, bap 11 Sept. 1584. He is likely the Stephen Nicholls who was bur. 17 Jan 1637. He may have had 2 wives, 1st Joane who was bur. 28 May 1628 and he m. 2nd Anne Brige (?) on 31 Dec 1629, Sedgeberrow, who was bur. 9 Oct 1630. Probable children of Stephen per Sedgeberrow Parish Records:
      1. Stephen Nicholls, bap 25 April 1611 and bur. 21 Jul 1623.
      2. John Nicholls, bap 13 April 1614
      3. Richard Nicholls, bap 6 Oct. 1616 and bur. 26 May 1617.
      4. Mary Nicholls, bap 20 Feb. 1617
      5. William Nicholls, bap 14 June 1620
      6. Thomas Nicholls, bap 1 Sept. 1622
      7. Henrie Nicholls, bap 27 April 1626 and d. 1 mo. later on 20 May 1626.
      8. Francis Nicholls, bap 11 May 1628 and d. 3 weeks later on 1 Jun 1628.
      9. Ann Nicholls, bap 26 Sept. 1630

2. John Nichols, b. 1542, Worcester, Worcestershire, England, and d. 6 Aug 1597, Worcester, Worcestershie.

He m. Joan c. 1575, Sedgeberrow. She was b. c. 1542, Sedgeberrow, and d. there 29 Nov 1627. Children of John and Joan included per Sedgeberrow Parish Records:

  1. Francis Nichols, bap. 25 May 1575. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [3]
  2. John Nichols, bap. 3 May 1577
  3. William Nichols, bap. 3 January 1579. Perhaps children of William, although he would have been 43 when the the first child was born, per Sedgeberrow Parish Records:
    1. Anne Nicholls, bap 27 Feb. 1622
    2. William Nicholls, bap 27 Nov. 1627 and bur. 31 Aug 1628.
    3. Elizabeth Nicholls, bap 21 April, 1630
    4. Mary Nicholls, bap 30 May 1634
    5. William Nicholls, bap 1 May 1636
    6. Margaret Nicholls, bap 24 April 1638. She might be the Margaret Nicholls who was bur. 29 Oct 1644.
  4. Goodith Nichols, bap. 17 March 1581, Sedgeberrow, and d. 1 year later on 15 Apr 1582, Worcester, Worcestershire, England, and bur. 27 Apr 1582, Sedgeberrow.
  5. Henrie Nichols, bap. 13 April 1583, Sedgeberrow and d. 12 yrs. later on 5 Jun 1595, Sedgeberrow
  6. Elinor Nichols, bap. 18 August 1586, Sedgeberrow and d. 15 Jan 1613. She may be the Elinor Nicholls who m. Thomas Payton on 2 Jan 1613, Sedgeberrow.
  7. Ann, daughter of John, bap. 15 Sept., 1590, Sedgeberrow, and d. 1638, Charles City, Charles Co., VA, per Ancestry.com .
  8. Elizabeth Nichols, bap. 22 Sept. 1592, Sedgeberrow and d. 19 May 1595, probably Sedgeberrow.
  9. (perhaps) Harry Nicholls, b. ???? and bur. 5 Jun 1595.

3. Francis Nichols was bap. at Sedgeberrow on 25 May 1575; He is assumed to be the Francis Nichols who settled at Stratford, CT, by 10 Oct 1639 and d. before 8 Jan 1650/1. On 10 Oct 1639 he was appointed sergeant of the Stratford trainband, and that same year was listed with his three sons (John, Isaac, and Caleb) among the 17 first settlers of Stratford.

Francis Nichols married, 1st, at Sedgeberrow on 24 Jan 1599/1600, "Francis" Wimarke. She was bap. there on 2 Nov 1577 and apparently died before the family's removed to New England. She was a daughter of Robert Wimarke of Sedgeberrow. Francis Nichols and his first wife had a number of children, all but the youngest bap. at Sedgeberrow.

  1. John Nichols, bap. 16 May 1601, Sedgeberrow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [4]

  2. Jane Nichols, bap. 3 Nov 1603, Sedgeberrow.(See Fn. 3). For her probable marriage to William Washburn (1601-1658) and descendants, see Ancestry.com .

  3. Henry Nichols, bap. 19 Nov. 1605, Sedgeberry, and bur. there 21 Dec 1605.

  4. Anne Nichols, bap. 18 Oct. 1606, Sedgeberrow and bur. there 25 Oct. 1606.

  5. Margaret Nichols, bap. 4 Jan 1608/9. (See Fn. 4).

  6. Francis Nichols, bap. 25 Aug. 1611. (See Fn. 4)

  7. Joseph Nichols (twin), bap. 31 Aug. 1614, Sedgeberrow and bur. there 2 Sept. 1614.

  8. Jonathan Nichols (twin), bap. 31 Aug. 1614, Sedgeberrow and bur. there 4 Sept. 1614.

  9. Sarah Nichols, bap. 12. Nov. 1615. Thompson says only that she is "probably" the heretofore unidentified daughter of Francis Nichols who m., as his 1st wife, Richard Mills of Wethersfield, Stratford, and Stamford, CT.

  10. Isaac Nichols, bap 27 Dec 1617, Sedgeberrow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [5]

  11. Caleb Nichols, b. c. 1623. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[6]

There still exists a large time gap between 1627, when his son Isaac was born in Sedgeberrow, and 1639, when he is first known to have been in Stratford, Connecticut, are unknown. Histories of Stratford have suggested he went to London and belonged to the famous regiment of the Royal Horse Guards of Charles I, but no evidence whatsoever has been found to support that claim.

4. John Nichols, (son of Francis Nichols) bap. 16 May 1601, Sedgeberrow.

Neil D. Thompson, CG, FASG, in the October, 2000 issue of "The American Genealogist" [Vol. 75, No. 4], says that Sedgeberrpw John Nichols is the John Nichols who d. at Fairfield Ct. before 19 Jun 1655.   (But see Fn. 2)

Unfortunately, John Nichols is not yet included in the DNA test results for known descendants of Francis Nichols shown at http://www.brian-hamman.com/ResultsForNicholsSurnameProject.htm . However, there is good circumstantial evidence linking my John Nichols with Francis Nichols. See Fn. 8.

John m. 1st Unknown. Children, apparently assumed by Orcutt to be from John's 1st unknown wife:

  1. Esther Nichols, b. perhaps in England.
  2. Elizabeth Nichols, b. perhaps in England.
  3. Hannah Nichols, b. perhaps in England

John m. 2nd Grace per Samuel Orcutt (see Fn. 8, referenced above). Children listed by Orcutt as by 2nd wife, Grace:

  1. Isaac Nichols, b. c. 1645 and d. 20 Dec 1713, Derby, New Haven Co., CT.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [7]
  2. Sarah Nichols.
  3. John Nichols; d. in King Phillip's War. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[8]
  4. Samuel, b. in 1655-6, Fairfield, Fairfield Co., CT, and d. 1736/7 in Derby, New Haven Co., CT. . Orcutt's History of Stratford contains the following: "He m. Mary, dau. of Rev. John Bowers of Derby in May 1682 and settled in New Jersey, probably at Newark." No children listed by Orcutt and the "Hisdtory of Derby." The will of Samuel Nichols of Derby was dated 3 September 1736, proved 7 February 1736/1737. It mentions cousin John Bowers of Derby, son of Nathaniel Bowers of Newark; cousin Nichols Moss, son of William; cousin Mary, wife of Jonah Tomlinson of Derby.

5. Isaac Nichols, bap 27 Dec 1617, probably Sedgeberrow, England, and d. 1695, Stratford, Fairfield Co., CT. Isaac Nichols is identified as a son of Francis Nichols in Samuel Orcott's 1886 History of Stratford, and by DNA testing (see Brian Hamman Chart, above). The name, "Isaac," was not a common name at that time and place and is one clue that his father may have emigrated to American. Additionally, it is unclear whether Isaac, b. 1617, was married when Francis' sons first appear in 1639 Stratford, CT records. The Sedgeberrow Isaac would have been 22 at that time. It would not be unusual to be a bachelor at that age.

He m. Margaret Washburn (1620-c1675). Descendants of Isaac Nichols per DNA charts:

  1. Jr. Isaac Nichols b.March 12, 1653, d. 1690 (I question this) He m. Mary Baldwin. Direct descendants:
    1. Joseph Nichols 1684-1686 (for detailed descendant info., see Chart person 83819) Joseph Nichols 1724 (for detailed descendant info., see Chart person A101-84896 Simon Nichols 1751 etc.
    2. Richard Nichols 1720
    3. Joseph Nichols 1749. Direct descendants:
      1. George Nichols (person 45486 for details)
      2. Richard Nichols (person104212 for details)
      3. Samuel Nichols
      4. Charles Nichols
      5. Charles Dennison Nichols
      6. Charles Dennison Nichols (Jr.)
        1. Frank A. Nichols
        2. Robert Thomas Nichols
        3. Michael J. Nichols
      7. Isaac Nichols 1779
      8. Horace Nichols 1807
      9. Edward Nichols 1838
      10. Lamont Nichols 1875
      11. Ray E. Nichols 1901
      12. Roy E. Nichols 1933
      13. Christopher M. Nichols 1969
    4. Richard Nichols, b. November 26, 1678 d. Sept.29 1755
      1. Nathaniel Nichols, b. April 8, 1707 d. May 10, 1785
        1. Theophilus Nichols, b. May 13, 1748 d. October 23, 1785
          1. James Nichols, b.Sept. 9, 1775 d. Nov. 4, 1852
            1. Drusus Nichols, b. March 2, 1805 d. Oct.16, 1850
              1. Charles Graves Nichols, b. Sept. 13, 1836 d. July 21, 1890
                1. Frank Morse Nichols Sr. b.Feb. 6, 1874 d.June 12, 1915
                  1. Charles Kenyon Nichols, b. Nov. 8, 1905 and d. May 18,1977
                    1. Jon Kenyon Nichols, b. April 18, 1933

  2. Ephraim Nichols (b.16 Dec 1657-Stratford,Fairfield,CT; d.16 Mar 1690-Fairfield,Fairfield,CT). He m. Hester Ward (1660-1732), first widow of Dr. William Ward and second widow of Ebenezer Hawley per History of Fairfield. Children: per History of Fairfield:
    1. Ignatius Nichols (b.17 Dec 1683-Fairfield,Fairfield,CT; d.17 Dec 1758-Greenfield,Fairfield,CT). He m. Abigail Staples (c1689-1745).
      1. Ephraim Nichols (b.Abt 1711-Stratford,Fairfield,CT; d.1782-Fairfield,Fairfield,CT). He m. Rebecca Gold (1724-1810).
        1. Hezekiah Nichols (b.25 Jan 1743/1744-Fairfield,Fairfield,CT;d.19 Mar 1819- Fairfield,Fairfield,CT) He m. 1762 Ann Penfield (1745-1793)
          1. Silas Augustus Nichols (b.24 Jan 1771-Fairfield,Fairfield,CT;d.18 May 1811-Derby,New Haven,CT). He m. 1795 Freelove Chidsey (1772-c1859).
            1. Joseph Chitsey Nichols (b.22 Jul 1800-,CT;d.29 Jun 1844- Bridgeport,Fairfield,CT). He m. 1836 Adeline Amelia Strong (1810-?)
              1. Joseph Humphrey Nichols (b.Feb 1838-Hebron,Tolland,CT; d. 17/18 Feb 1886, Birmingham, AL??)
        2. David Nichols b 1746, Fairfield Co, Ct. He m. Hannah Alvord per Ancestry.com. Descendants:
          1. Jesse Nichols b 1772, d1823, Fairfield, CT
            1. Walter Nichols, b 1809, d1847, Memphis, TN
              1. James Royal Nichols, b 1840, d 1895
                1. Thomas Bolles Nichols b 1879, d 1956
                  1. Robert S. Nichols b 1909 d 1997
                    1. Robert S. Nichols Jr. b 1945 (Participant)
                      1. Robert S. Nichols III b 1980
    2. Disbrow Nichols, b. 1 Jan 1685.
    3. Esther Nichols, b. 18 Dec 1689
    4. (perhaps others)

6. Caleb Nichols, b. c. 1623, but apparently bap. at some location other than Sedgeberrow. Thompson's article says he is the Caleb Nichols who m. Anne Ward and d. at Fairfield Ct. The name, "Isaac," was not a common name at that time and place and is one clue that his father may have emigrated to American. Additionally, it is unclear whether Isaac, b. 1617, was married when Francis' sons first appear in 1639 Stratford, CT records. The Sedgeberrow Isaac would have been 22 at that time. It would not be unusual to be a bachelor at that age. The DNA tests, discussed, above, confirm that he is a son of Francis Nichols of Stratford, but leave unanswered whether his father was born. in Sedgeberrow.

For his DNA established descendants, see chart persons 49800, 121183 and 56467

7. Isaac Nichols, b. c. 1645 and d. 20 Dec 1713, Derby, New Haven Co., CT. Orcutt's History of Stratford contains the following:. He was brought up by his uncle, Isaac Nichols, of Stratford, and therefore was called "Cousin Isaac" (not Issaac Junior, as stated in the Derby History,.) He settled in Derby about 1678 and was one of the first two deacons of the first church in that place. He died Dec. 20, 1713."

"He m. Esther Clarke 1 Aug 1672. dau. of John Clarke, of New Haven,She was b. 1646 and d. Jan 5, 1717. Children per History of Fairfield:

  1. Grace Nichols, b. 6 Jun 1673; d. 2 Mar 1708.
  2. Alice Nichols, b. 25 Oct 1674.
  3. John Nichols, b. 10 Oct 1676, Stratford, Fairfield Co., CT, and d. young and/or in Very, Meuse,Lorraine, France per Ancestry.com
  4. Samuel Nichols, b. 6 Dec 1678, Stratford, Fairfield Co., CT, and d. Y (young?), Somme, Picardy, France.
  5. Abigail Nichols, b. 1686, New Haven, CT, per Ancestry.com . She m. 1st Edward Riggs (1680-1712). Their children can be found at Ancestry.com . She m. 2nd William Moss (1682-1749) Children can be found at Ancestry.com .

8. John Nichols, b. c. 1650-1654 and d. Dec 1675 in King Phillip's War (see http://www.pilgrimhall.org/philipwar.htm )

    The Sanford-Shulsen Family web page at http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=sanford-shulsen&id=I8840 says:

      "John [Francis Nichols' son] died in 1676 in King Philip's war. His inventory was presented 2 May 1676 by brother Isaac Nichols. He had interest in cattle in New London; also his wages due from the Country. A footnote indicates may be possible ancestor of the Nichols family of Westport. 1 2 (emphasis added and citing Savage and Jacobus)

    The reference to Isaac Nichols likely refers to Isaac, another son of John Sr. and Grace.

Marriage: John died unmarried according to the "History of Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut", from Vol 1 by Elizabeth Hubbell, found at Google.com/books .

It reads, in pertinent part, as follows:

    "John 2 s of John Nichols 1 of F joined the army in King Philip's war and died the first year unmarried Savage's Gen Dic" (emphasis added)

Some have mistakenly said that he married Mercy Holbridge. For more abut Mercy and her marriage and children, see Fn. 9 .


FOOTNOTES:

Fn. 1: Tracing Francis' roots back to about 1510:. Thompson's article acknowledges that it is predicated on two Nichols' Wills made prior to the commencement of the registers of the parish of Sedgeberrow, co. Worcester. The article leaves some uncertainty when it says:

    "...one appears to be that of the grandfather of the emigrant. Thomas Nycholls of Sedgeberrow, husbandman, whose will was dated 27 November 1558 and proved on 4 April 1559, mentioned sons William, John, Henry and Nicholas Nichols, daughters Julyan and Margery (married names not given), and son-in-law James Alyson. A John Nycholls was also a witness to this will. The testator' wife Elynor and son William were appointed executors.

    "On the assumption, based largely on the pattern of Christian names given to the children and grandchildren of John Nichols, father of the emigrant, that this is the correct identification, the family may be reconstructed." (italics added)

If the assumption were to fail, then the identification of Francis Nichols' ancestry would also fail.

The Sedgeberrow parish registers are said to be available on LDS microfilm (#0905307 is written on first page).

Fn. 2: John Nichols as son of Francis Nichols: John Nichols is identified as a son of Francis Nichols in Samuel Orcott's 1886 "A History of the old town of Stratford and the city of Bridgeport, Vol. 2" at Google Books .

Orcutt indicates John had 2 wifes, the first apparently dying before John m. 2nd, Grace.who appeared in Stratford, CT, records when Franccis Nichols and his sons first appear in 1639 Stratford, CT records. The Sedgeberrow John would have been 38 at that time. If the Sedgeberrow John Nichols had been unmarried by 1838, that would have been unusual.

Fn. 3: Jane Nichols, Emigrating to America: There is no present evidence that Jane and her husband emigrated to America. If they had also emigrated, that would have provided some corroborating circumstantial evidence that her father, Francis Nichols, is the one who emigrated to Stratford, CT. For now, she is identified as the Jane Nichols shown in Ancestry.com with her husband and children.

Fn. 4. Emigrating to America: There is no present evidence that Margaret or Francis Jr. emigrated to America. If they had also emigrated, that would have provided some corroborating circumstantial evidence that her father, Francis Nichols, is the one who emigrated to Stratford, CT.

Fn. 5: Isaac Nichols: The name, "Isaac," was not a common name at that time and place and is one clue that his father may have emigrated to American. Additionally, it is unclear whether Isaac, b. 1617, was married when Francis' sons first appear in 1639 Stratford, CT records. The Sedgeberrow Isaac would have been 22 at that time. It would not be unusual to be a bachelor at that age.

Fn. 6: Caleb Nichols: This is the most troubling part of the article since Thompson offers no evidence that the Sedgeberrow Francis ever had a son named "Caleb."

Fn. 7: Sedgeberrow Parish Records:

Sedgeberrow Parish Records. Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials 1566-1783. A Full Abstract of the Register of Sedgeberrow, County Worcester. Bound volume at the Worcestershire Library and History Centre, Trinity Street,
Worcester WR1 2PW, UK. 

Nicholls baptisms:

Henrie, son of Roger, 1 Oct 1569
John, son of Roger, 24 Aug.1571
George, son of Roger, 24 Oct.1577
Francis, son of Roger, 30 July 1580
Stephen, son of Roger, 11 Sept. 1584

Francis, son of John, 25 May 1575
John, son of John, 3 May 1577
William, son of John, 3 January 1579
Goodith, daughter of John, 17 March 1581
Henrie, son of John, 13 April 1583
Elinor, daughter of John, 18 August 1586
Ann, daughter of John, 15 Sept., 1590
Elizabeth, daughter of John, 22 Sept. 1592

Marie, daughter of Henrie, 10 April 1590
Edward, son of Henrie, 27 May 1592
Elizabeth, daughter of Henrie, 21 Oct. 1594
Henrie, son of Henrie, 20 March 1596
Joan, daughter of Henrie, 13 Feb. 1599

John, son of Francis, 16 May 1601
Jane, daughter of Francis, 3 Nov. 1603
Henrie, son of Francis, 19 Nov. 1605
Elizabeth, daughter of Francis, Sept. 1606
Anne, daughter of Francis, 18 Oct. 1606
Margaret, daughter of Francis, 4 Jan. 1608
Francis, son of Francis, 25 August 1611
Joseph, son of Francis, 31 Aug 1614
Jonathan, son of Francis,  31 Aug 1614
Sarah, daughter of Francis, 7 Nov. 1615
Isaac, son of Francis, 27 Dec. 1617

Stephen, son of Stephen, 25 April 1611
John, son of Stephen, 13 April 1614
Richard, son of Stephen, 6 Oct. 1616
Mary, daughter of Stephen, 20 Feb. 1617
William, son of Stephen, 14 June 1620
Thomas, son of Stephen, 1 Sept. 1622
Henrie, son of Stephen, 27 April 1626
Francis, son of Stephen, 11 May 1628
Ann, daughter of Stephen, 26 Sept. 1630

Henrie, son of Anne, 18 June 1615

Anne, daughter of William, 27 Feb. 1622
William, son of William, 27 Nov. 1627
Elizabeth, daughter of William, 21 April, 1630
Mary, daughter of William, 30 May 1634
William, son of William and Elizabeth, 1 May 1636
Margaret, daughter of William and Elizabeth, 24 April 1638

(No more Nicholls baptisms listed)

Nicholls Burials:

Goodith Nicholls, daughter of John, 27 April 1582
Margerie Nicholls, widow, 20 April, 1586
Elinor Nicholls, widow, 8 June 1592
Elizabeth Nicholls, daughter of John, 19 May 1595
Harry Nicholls, son of John, 5 June 1595
John Nicholls, 6 August 1597
Marie Nicholls, daughter of Henrie, 14 Feb. 1601
Henrie Nicholls, son of Francis, 21 Dec. 1605
Anne Nicholls, daughter of Francis, 25 Sept. 1606
Henry Nicholls, son of Margaret, widow, 22 August 1614
Joseph Nicholls, son of Francis, 2 September 1614
Jonathan Nicolls son of Francis, 4 Sep 1614.
Marie Nicholls, wife of Roger, 17 Jan. 1614
Richard Nicholls, son of Stephen, 26 May 1617
Roger Nicholls, 3 Oct 1621
Stephen Nicholls, son of Stephen, 21 July 1623
Henry Nicholls, son of Stephen, 20 May 1626
Joane Nicholls, wife of John, 29 Nov. 1627
Joane Nicholls, wife of Stephen, 28 May 1628
Francis Nicholls, son of Stephen, 1 June 1628
William Nicholls, son of William, 31 August 1629
Anne Nicholls, wife of Stephen, 9 October 1630
William Nicholls, son of William and Elizabeth, 15 July 1637
Stephen Nicholls, 17 Jan. 1637
Margaret Nicholls, daughter of Elizabeth, 4 Sept. 1640
Margaret Nicholls, widow, 4 March 1640
Margaret Nicholls, 29 October 1644
(No more Nicholls burials listed)

Nicholls marriages:

Roger Nicholls married Marie Timbrell (?), 29 Jan. 1568
Francis Nicholls married Francis Wimarke, 24 Jan. 1599
Elinor Nicholls married Thomas Payton, 2 Jan. 1613
Elizabeth Nicholls married William Widowes (?), 30 Oct. 1628
Stephen Nicholls married Anne Brige (?), 31 Dec.(?) 1629
Thomas Nicholls married Anne Smyth (?), 11 Oct. 1636
(No more Nicholls marriages listed)

.

Fn. 8: Circumstantial evidence linking John Nichols with Francis Nichols: For example:

  1. John Nichols is identified as a son of Francis Nichols in Samuel Orcott's 1886 History of Stratford. Samuel Orcutt's 1886 "A History of the old town of Stratford and the city of Bridgeport, Vol. 2" at Google Books reads, in part, as follows:

      ". . .Sergeant Francis. . .came to America about 1635 or 6, possibly earlier. The title of Sergeant was given him at Stratford and is no indication of his military standing before he came here. In the spelling of the name there is no particular significance as a distinct family, for this name on Stratford records is many times spelled without the H. as Nicols, Nicolls, Nickols..." Children listed by Orcutt:
      1. Isaac, b. in England.
      2. Caleb, b. in England.
      3. John, b. in England. He m. Grace for 2nd wife. Children, apparently assumed by Orcutt to be from John's 1st unknown wife:
        1. Esther, b. perhaps in England.
        2. Elizabeth, b. perhaps in England.
        3. Hannah, b. prhaps in England
        Children listed by Orcutt as by 2nd wife, Grace:
        1. Isaac Nichols. Orcutt's History of Stratford contains the following: "He m. Esther, dau. of John Clarke, of New Haven, Aug. 1, 1672. He was brought up by his uncle, Isaac Nichols, of Stratford, and therefore was called "Cousin Isaac" (not Issaac Junior, as stated in the Derby History,.) He settled in Derby about 1678 and was one of the first two deacons of the first church in that place. He died Dec. 20, 1713. His widow Esther died Jan 5, 1717." Children per Orcutt:
          1. Grace Nichols, b. 6 Jun 1673; d. 2 Mar 1708.
          2. Alice Nichols, b. 25 Oct 1674.
          3. Isaac Nichols,b. 18 Oct 1676.
          4. Samuel Nichols, b. 6 Dec 1678.
        2. Sarah Nichols.
        3. John Nichols; d. in King Phillip's War.
        4. Samuel, b. in 1655-6. Orcutt's History of Stratford contains the following: "He m. Mary, cau. of Rev. John Bowers of Derby in May 1682 and settled in New Jersey, probably at Newark." No children listed by Orcutt..
      4. Daughter, prob., who m. Richard Mills.
      5. Anne; was mentioned in her grandfather Wines will in 11675, she being unmarried. She m. Christopher Young, Jr."

  2. John bought land from Isaac Nichols, son of Francis Nichols.
  3. He named Isaac Nichols, son of Francis Nichols, as an Administrator of his estate.
  4. Sarah Nichols, daughter of Francis Nichols, cared for some of John's children after his death.
  5. He named his oldest son, " Isaac," arguably after his brother, Isaac, who, as noted above, was an Administrator of John's estate (see above).
  6. He named a daughter, "Sarah," arguably after his sister, Sarah Nichols, daughter of Francis Nichols, who cared for some of John's children after his death (see above).
  7. A posting at Ancestry.com has text pertaining to Isaac Nichols, son of John Nichols and Grace. Isaac was b. in 1645 in Fairfield. When Stratford records call him "Cousin Isaac...to distinguish him from his uncle [Isaac]", the latter reference has to be a reference to Isaac Nichols who was bap. 27 Dec 1617, son of Francis Nichols of Fairfield. The text therefore establishes a brother-brother family relationship between John Nichols (father of Isaac) and Isaac Nichols, son of Francis Nichols. See also Orcutt's History of Stratford, discussed under John Nichols, #1 above.

Fn. 9: Mercy Holbridge:

A search of Ancestry.com shows claims that he m. Mercy Holbridge, but no proof has yet been found. It has been said that Mercy Holbridge m. "by about 1670 and perhaps earlier, a (blank) Nichols; m. 2nd about 1680 Thomas Disbrow". (Ref: Ancestry.com ). The Ludwick Family Tree at Ancestry.com shows the following children for her:

  1. John Nichols, b. 1669, Westport, Fairfield Co., CT, and d. 2 Feb 1749, Westport.
  2. Nathaniel Nichols, b. 1671, New London, New London Co., CT, and d. 6 Mar 1762, Westport, Fairfield Co., CT.
  3. Thomas Disbrow 1680 – 1757
  4. Abigail Disbrow 1686 – 1725

Some, without providing any documentation, have claimed that John Nichols is the (blank) Nichols who had m. MercyHolbrdge, leaving John and Nathaniel Nichols, above, as his children.

Tentative Children of (blank) Nichols and Mercy Holbridge::

    1. John Nichols, b. 1669, Westport, Fairfield Co., CT, and d. 2 Feb 1749, Westport. p>He m. Abigail b. 1672, Westpport, CT, and d. there 2 Feb 1749. Children per Ancestry.com (Note: For now, we are tracing only male descendants of male children): :

    1. Samuel Nichols, b. 21 Mar 1697, Fairfield, Fairfield Co., CT, and d. 5 Sep 1757, Wilton, Fairfield Co., CT. He m. Hannah Peet, b. 12 Ayug 1694, Stratford, Fairfield Co., CT. per Ancestry.com . Children per Giugler Family Tree, Ancestry.com::
      1. Eliakim Nichols
      2. Mary Nichols
      3. Esther Nichols 1720 – 1739
      4. Samuel Nichols , b. 1722, Westport, Fairfield Co., CT. He m. Millident Darrow (1723-1754) Children per
        1. Jesse Nichols, son 1754-1832
        2. Samuel Nichols 1758-1849. He m. Hannah Resseguie (1757-1827). Children per Giugler Family Tree Ancestry.com:
          1. Samuel Nichols 1779 – 1871
          2. Lucinda Nichols 1781 – 1862
          3. Annis Nichols 1783 – 1812
          4. Hannah Nichols 1785 – 1868
          5. Clarissa Nichols 1787 – 1788
          6. Henry Nichols 1787 – 1789
          7. Harry Nichols 1789 – 1846
          8. Abraham Resseguie Nichols 1792 – 1812
          9. William Nichols 1795 – 1881. He m. Nancy Randall (1797-1826). Children per Ancestry.com:
            1. Hannah Sabrina Nichols 1814 – 1887
            2. Abram Resseguie Nichols 1816 – 1852, Lowell, Lake Co., IN. He m. Samantha Fuller per Ancestry.com . Children:
              1. Samantha Fuller 1815 – 1852
              2. Horatio James Nichols 1841 – 1898. He m. Sarah Elizabeth Wheeler. Children per Ancestry.com :
                1. Etta Lucretia Nichols 1862 – 1864
                2. Edna Luemma Nichols 1864 – 1893
                3. Albert Lafayette Nichols 1867 – 1896
                4. Laura Amelia Nichols 1869 –
                5. Wheeler James Nichols, b. 1872 and d. 1947, both Lowell, Lake Co., IN. He m. Cora Nichols. Children per Ancestry.com:
                  1. (dau.) Nichols.
                  2. (son) Nichols.
                  3. Dilwyn Nichols 1898 –
                  4. Ruby Nichols 1900 –
                  5. Ruth Nichols 1900 –
                  6. Paul Nichols 1907 –
                6. Jessie Samantha Nichols 1874 – 1897
                7. Sadie Ellen Nichols 1877 –
                8. Elva Pearl Nichols 1880 – 1971
                9. Horatio Calhoun Nichols 1882 – 1972
                10. Huron Osman Nichols 1890 – 1964
              3. Albert L Nichols 1842 – 1862
              4. Benjamin Franklin Nichols 1845 – 1898
              5. Archibald W Nichols 1848 – 1902
              6. Abram R Nichols 1851 – 1895
            3. Horatio Nelson Nichols 1818 – 1897. He m. Phoebe Eliza Kenyon
              1. William Calvin Nichols 1845-????. He m. Mary J. Gragg.
                1. William Horatio Nichols, b. 1883, Lake Co., IN. He m. Ellen C. Love.
                  1. Virgil L. Nichols, b. 25 Sep 1904 and d. May 1953, unknown location. Nichols-Pierce Family Tree, Ancestry.com .
            4. Caroline B Nichols 1819 –
            5. Eunice Rosetta Nichols 1821 – 1909
            6. Rhoda Almeda Nichols 1824 – 1897
            7. Nancy Nichols 1825 – 1844
            8. William Wallace Nichols, b. 1 Nov 1827, Fenner, Madison Co., NY and d. aft. 1852 in La Porte, LaPorte Co., IN. He m. Harriet Malvina Judd (1835-????).
            9. Huldah Nichols 1831 –
            10. Mary Jane Nichols 1833 –
          10. Polly Nichols 1797 – 1798
          11. Matilda Nichols 1799 – 1811
          12. Harvey Resseguie Nichols 1802 – 1876
      5. Jonathan Nichols 1724 – 1790
      6. Thaddeus Nichols 1730 –
    2. Margery Nichols
    3. John Nichols 1694 –
    4. Ebenezer Nichols 1695 –
    5. Samuel Nichols 1697 – 1757
    6. Solomon Nichols 1699 – 1734
    7. Thomas Nichols 1700 –
    8. Joseph Nichols 1704 –
    9. Benjamin Nichols, b. 12 Aug 1711, Fairfield, Fairfield Co., CT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [3]

2. Nathaniel Nichols, b. 1671, New London, New London Co., CT, and d. 6 Mar 1762, Westport, Fairfield Co., CT. p>He m . Esther Beers Children per Connie's Family, Ancestry.com :

  1. David Nichols. He m. Mary.
  2. Elizabeth Nichols
  3. Ephraim Nichols, b. 1699, Westport, Fairfield Co., CT, and d. 1759, Fairfield, Fairfield Co., CT.. He m. Sarah. Children:
    1. Paul Nichols, b. c. 1725, Fairfield?, CT. He m. Sarah Middlebrook.
    2. Ann Nichols.
    3. Thankful Nichols
  4. Esther Nichols
  5. Mary Nichols

3. Benjamin Nichols, b. b. 12 Aug 1711, Fairfield, Fairfield Co., CT, and d. 1744 per Ancestry.com .

He m. Elizabeth Trowbridge on 13 Oct 1730, Fairfield, Fairfield Co., CT. She was b. 25 Jun 1710, Stratfield, Fairfield Co., CT, and d. 1780. Children:

  1. Abel Nichols, b. 24 May 1732, Fairfield, Fairfield Co., CT. and d. 1 Jan 1833, Fairfield. He m. Jemima Weed. Children:
    1. John Nichols, b. 1769, Canaan Parish, Fairfield, CT, and d. 12 May 1862, Wayne Co., NY. He m. Sarah Corbin (1779-1850). Children per Ancestry.com :
      1. Diana Nichols – 1877
      2. Elijah Nichols 1792 –
      3. Charles Manson Nichols 1799 – 1873
      4. Asa Corbin Nichols 1804 – 1893. He m. Rosella Elizabeth Niles (1828-1895) Children per Ancestry.com :
        1. Adelia Isabel Herron 1850 – 1908
        2. Alvia Trowbridge Nichols
        3. Adah Bell Nichols 1853 – 1929
        4. Mary Nichols 1857 – 1918
        5. Asa Corbin Nichols 1858 – 1941 (posted notice for Angela Glossop on Ancestry.com, above)
        6. Katherine Kate Georgia Nichols 1863 – 1946
      5. George M Nichols 1805 – 1900
      6. Juliana Nichols 1813 –
      7. Laura Nichols 1814 –
      8. Trowbridge A Nichols 1815 – 1898
  2. Daniel Nichols 1735 –
  3. Eunice Nichols 1738 –
  4. Sarah Nichols 1743 –
  5. Josiah Nichols 1746 – 1831
  6. Jesse Nichols 1747 –
  7. Gershom Nichols 1753 –

If you have any information about the folks mentioned, please send your information to us at the Nichols Newsletter. Be sure to give the full title and date of this article in the Subject line of the email.

Caution: If you don't use the above email link, your email to us may be rejected as spam by our email filter.


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