Connecticut 1639

The Plymouth Co. of November 1606, provided a framework in which a group of folks joined together to make a new beginning.  The main folks wanted a place to settle were everyone had the right to read the Bible and interpret it according to their own understanding.  They had already "dissented" and "separated" from the established Anglican Church in England [Scrooby Separatists] , and tried to make their way in Holland.   Not satisfied with their lot there, they needed to join with a group of London merchants to pay all their bills.  It took a number of years but they finally made it across the great pond to that northern coast line in a ship that was to echo down the pages of history, the Mayflower !  These "Pilgrims" created a settlement in which many of those wishing to separate from the established religion congregated.  Of course, it would not take long before "interpretations" varied, and many splinter groups moved out of this "New England" settlement.  Connecticut has its origins in such a group.

The Connecticut Valley served as the center of this settlement, and in 1637 Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield was formed.  In 1639, Thomas Jones had joined 40 some settlers into the "Guilford Colony".  It was this Thomas Jones that was to leave a large number of descendents in the Connecticut area.  A complete genealogy of this Thomas Jones is given in Jones Journeys, Vol. VI, pp. 70 - 73.

A readable and very helpful text for this history is "The History of The Thirteen Colonies", American Heritage Book Division , 1967.