Father: Timothy Ford
Mother: Eliza *****

Spouse: Elizabeth Hipkins or Hopkins - b: ~1643
  m: 27/Jan/1672(1673) - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT

Child-1: Mary - b: 11/Sep/1676 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT
                         d: 30/Jul/1712 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT
                        m: John Thomas
          2: Elizabeth
          3: Samuel, Jr. - b: 31/Aug/1683 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT
          4: Hannah - b: 16/Sep/1687 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT - bp: 28/Nov/1687
                             d: 1725 - CT
                            m: Peter Perkins - ~1705 - New Haven, New Haven Co., CT

Biographical Details:

Samuel Ford was probably born about 1640 in the New Haven Colony.  His father was Timothy Ford who had originally settled in Massachusetts, but had moved to New Haven, perhaps, with the party of colonists led by Theophilus Eaton and Rev. John Davenport.  Samuel and his wife, Elizabeth, were married by William Leete, Governor of the colony, on January 27, 1672 (1673 N. S.) at the First Congegational Church in New Haven.  Savage has recorded her maiden name as "Hopkins"; however, other reliable sources indicate that it was "Hipkins", which according to the consensus of later family researchers seems to have been the more likely spelling.¹  Four children have been attributed to them.  (In addition, Mr. Steven C. Perkins has noted that "Talmadge" has also been proposed as the maiden name of the wife of Samuel Ford; however, he further stated that such an assertion is not supported by any known evidence.)  Elizabeth Hipkins Ford was admitted to church membership of the First Congregational Church on June 30, 1686.  Her origin remains unknown.

It has been proposed by some researchers of the Hipkins family that Samuel Ford journeyed to Virginia as a "traveling salesman" and that this was where he met his wife.  This would have been quite unusual and seems quite  unlikely.  First of all, travel was difficult and dangerous in the seventeenth century and colonial commerce was almost exclusively directed toward the mother country rather than between colonies.  Second, there were considerable cultural, religious, and political differences between New England and Virginia which would have tended to discourage trade, i.e., New England was settled by Puritans and Virginia by "Cavaliers".  Third, there is no documentary evidence from his will or any other source to suggest that Samuel Ford was anything other than a successful Connecticut farmer.  Within this context, according to probate records, Samuel Ford made his will on November 20, 1707.²  He died on June 2, 1712, and an inventory of his estate was made the following September.  The estate was valued at  £318 10/ 6d.  According to the provisions of the will, he left everything to his three married daughters.  Moreover, neither his wife, Elizabeth, nor son, Samuel, Jr., were mentioned, which is an almost certain indication that they had already died.  However, he did mention his grandson, Joseph Perkins, to whom he bequeathed his gun and sword.

1. James Savage, A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England - Vols. 1-4, Little, Brown and Co., Boston, MA, 1860-1862: Vol. 2, pg. 183.  (Reprint available from Genealogical Publishing Co., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD, 21202-3897)
      "SAMUEL, New Haven, s. of Timothy of the same, m. 27 Jan. 1674 Elizabeth Hopkins  was a propr. 1680. His ch. were Mary, b. 11 Sept. 1676; Elizabeth 19 Feb. 1680; Samuel, 31 Aug. 1683; and Hannah, 17 Sept. 1687; and he d. 2 June 1712."
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2a. "Att a Court of Probate Held at New Haven June 20th 1712
      Present John Alling Esqr Judge  Warham Mather  Abraham Bradly Esqrs  Justices quorum
      John and Mary Thomas Executors of ye Last will and Testament of Samuell ford Late of New Haven Deceased, Exhibited ye said Instrument which was proved in Court and approved for Record // Thomas Accepted ye -mnt of Executors before ye Court ---

      I Samuell fford of New Haven in ye Colony of Conecticut do leave this as followeth as my Last will  I Commit my Soule to God -
      I give my homestead to my Daughter Mary and fourty acres of Land lying between ye Land of John Beecher and ye Land yt is Nathaniell Heatons:  Eight(y?) acres Lying by Derby Road fronting upon ye sequestred Land  = more six acres of  sequestred Land  = more I give her a third of the Land that is to be Layed out this I give to her and her heirs for Ever  = and then mary shal have liberty to take out thirty pounds out of the moveables and then ye Rest to be Equally divided among the three sisters =
      To my Daughter Elizabeth Perkins I give ye Rest of ye Land lying in Darby Road, and more I give her Lying at ye upper end of my lot Lying upon hay cock plain, more I give her my half Division being Eighteen acres more a third of ye sequestred Land Also I give her Joseph my gun and Sword
      To my Daughter Hannah Perkins I give ye lower end of my lot upon hay cock plain being ten or twelve acres also I give her a third of the sequestred Land   Also I give a third of the land yt is to be layd out with her sisters =
      And Mary shal have all ye Linen yt is in my hous and al yt provission yt is in being yt is Raissed of from ye Land
      And I do Leave my son John Thomas and his wife to be Administrators of my Estate to pay al Lawfull Debts and this I do Leave as my Last will and Testament
      Having forgot to put in upon or above that my two Daughters should have a part of ye fruit of my orchards I do hereby signify yt they shal have Liberty for yt space of ten years If the trees bear anythig Like twenty Buslls. of apples a piece Novr. 20th 1707
      (no signature) {seale}  Signed and Sealed in ye presense of ye witnesses
      Witnesses Joshnah Culver Sarah Culver

      Joshnah and Elizabeth Culver both of Wallingford appeared before ye Court and made oath yt they heard Samuel ford Late of New Haven Decd. publish this Instrument as his Last will and Testament and yt he was (According to ye Best of their understanding) of Sound mind and memory at ye doing of it. Test. Jos Whiting Clerk.
      Sarah Thompson formerly Culver made oath in Court yt Samel. ford Late of New Haven Deceased desired her to set to her hand as witness to this instrument as his Last wil and Testament yt he was of Sound mind and memory at ye doing of it According to the best of her understanding Test. Jos. Whiting Clerk (date is 1712 or 1717).
      Stephen and John Perkins Desireing an Appeal from the Probate of the will of Samuel ford Late Deceased to ye Superior Court to be held at New Haven on ye 2d tuesday of Sept next which is granted upon their Giving sufficient bond to prosecute ye same.
      Stephen Perkins and Peter Perkins principal and Jonathan Perkins surety of New Haven in ye County of New Haven Acknowledge themselves Joyntly and Severally Bound in a Recognizance of 50£ Lawful mony of this Colony payable to ye treasurer of New Haven County If they ye sd Perkinses shal not prosecute their said Appeal to Effect and answer at Damage in Case they make not their plea Good."

The will of Samuel Ford was made on the 20th or 28th of  November 1707 and proved June 20, 1712.   (New Haven Probate Records, Bk. 4, pgs. 53-4.  (cited by Steven Curtis Perkins, "Ancestry of Jabez Perkins", freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~scperkins/jabez.html, 1989-2001.))

b. An inventory of the estate of "Mr. Samuell Ford" was taken by John Beecher and Isaac Johnson on September, 15, 1712.  The estate was valued at £318 10/ 6d, a considerable sum in the eighteenth century.  (New Haven Probate Records, Bk. 4, pg. 85.  (cited ibid.)
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Additional Citations:

3. Donald Lines Jacobus, Families of Ancient New Haven - Vols. 1-9, Printed by Clarence D. Smith, Rome, NY, 1923 & 1929: Vol. 3, pgs. 611-20 & Vol. 8, pg. 1727;  also appeared as "New Haven Genealogical Magazine", Vols. I-VIII, 1922-1932.  (Reprint available from Genealogical Publishing Co., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD, 21202-3897)

4. Vital Records of New Haven, 1649-1850, pub. by Connecticut Society of the Order of the Founders and Patriots of America, Hartford, CT, 1917-1924: Vol. 1, pgs. 65 & 207.  (cited by Steven Curtis Perkins, "Ancestry of Jabez Perkins", freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~scperkins/jabez.html, 1989-2001.)

5. Records of the First Congregational Church, New Haven , CT: No. 320.  (cited ibid.)

6. New Haven Dist. #4028; New Haven Probate Packets, 1683-1880, Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT, (microfilm: roll #1022997). (cited ibid.)

7. Paula Perkins Mortensen, English Origin of Six Early Colonists by the Name Perkins, Gateway Press, Baltimore, MD, 1998.

8. Ancestral File: 84TK-TR, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, UT, continuously updated.

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