Misc. Notes
“Aprill the 2d, 1640. a Prticular Court.
Jno. Haynes Esqr. Govr.
Mr. Willis, Mr. Welles, Mr. Webster, Mr. Phelpes, Mr. Hopkins.
Mary Brunson, now the wiefe of Nicolas Disborough, Jno. Olmested, Jonathan Rudd and Jno. Peerce were corrected for wanton dalliance and selfe pollution.”
130, pg 45He is first found in April 1640 on the records of the Particular Court of Hartford, CT. He appears to be quite young, perhaps a late teenager, he was then of New Haven. How he reached Connecticut is unknown, no parents to be found in early colonial records. Apparently he was of English descent, although the RUDD name is often found in very early records of Ireland, Scotland and Wales as well as England. Many Rudd ministers found in England.
Jonathan removed soon to Saybrook, where he took the Oath of Fidelity 1 Oct 1644 and was made Freeman.
“The Oath of a Freeman.
I, Jonathan Rudd, being by the Providence of God an Inhabitant wthin Newhaven jurisdiction doe acknowledge myselfe to be subject to the Govrmt thereof, and doe sweare by the greate and dreadfull name of the ever living God to be true and faithful unto the same, and doe submit boty my person and my whole estate therevnto, according to ll the wholesome lawes and orders thatt for present are or hereafter shall be made and established by lawfull authority, and that I will nether plott nor practice any euell agt the same, nor consent to any that shall so doe, but will tymely doscouer the same to lawfull authority there established; and that I will, as I am in duty bownd, mayntayne the honner of the same and of the lawfull magestratts thereof, prmoting the publike good of yt, whilst I shall soe continue an Inhabitant there; and whensoeur I shall giue my voate or suffrage touching any matter weh conserns this Comon welth being cauled thereunto, will give yt as in my conscience I shall judge, may conduce to the best good of the same, wthout respect of prsons or favor of any man. Soe helpe me God in or Lord Jesus Christe.”
130, pg 62 He was Admitted Freeman and took the oath of Allegiance in1651, Hartford
"It is generally accepted that all persons of the name of Rudd are descendants of that Jonathan Rudd whose romantic marriage is so beautifully described by Miss Caulkins on page 48 of her "History of New London, Conn.".
"Jonathan appears to have been quite a lad in his early years. He is thought to have been a native of England who came to America around 1640. He first appears at Hartford, Conn. on April 2, 1640 when, with other youths, he was before the court for being intimate with Mary Bronson. On Jan. 4,1643/4 he was fined in New Haven for defective arms. Three months later he was fined with others for attending a drinking party. He took the oath of fidelity on October 1, 1644. He seems to have returned shortly after to Hartford, and although he was mentioned in New Haven records on June 2, 1646 as having told Edward Parker some gossip he heard from the boatswain, he did not appear to testify in the case.
"It is not known when he settled in Saybrook except that he was there by the winter of 1646/7. He was made a freeman of the Conn. Colony May 15, 1651. On Feb. 23, 1652/3 he was appointed with Thomas Tracy to assist Capt. John Mason in fitting out the six great guns for the defense of Saybrook. He was made leather sealer for Saybrook on Oct. 4, 1656.
131, pg. 105 He was listed in attendance at a Saybrook town meeting, January 7, 1655.
87"Jonathan Rudd and John Olmstead appointed Sealers of Leather"
132 He must have been a reliable, able man to be assigned to such responsible duties. His home property adjoined the Meeting House yard, another larger grant close by.
133 "Jonathan's title of Lieut. which appears in records of his estate may have come from his being one of the two men appointed to assist Capt. Mason at Saybrook Fort, but unlike his co-assistant Thomas Tracy, he does not seem to have been formally commissioned.
"Jonathan died in July, 1658, as recorded in the inventory of his estate, filed August 28, 1658. A copy of this document is in the Conn. State Library.
"Probably Jonathan was not a seeker after religious liberty, but apparently came out of England a youth in search of adventure and advancement. In New Haven he was guilty of minor indiscretions during the first year of his residence there, but on becoming a free burgess in 1644 he assumed the stringent religious obligations incidental to citizenship in that colony, and appears henceforth to have taken up the responsibilities of life with earnestness and vigour.
"In a new country where each individual is thrown to a great extent upon his own resources for a livelihood, it is difficult to detlermine a man's actual social status by his pursuits. Jonathan was by vocation a leather worker and a farmer, and by avocation a soldier. In civil life he was among the Selectmen or governing board of the settlement, held one or two minor offices, and would probably have made greater impress on his time had not death so clearly cut short his career.
"Jonathan is a qualifying ancestor for Sons of Colonial Wars.
"The inventory of Jonathan's estate amounting to L106/03/10 was taken July, 1658 by John Westol and Stephen Post who were desired by the court of administer. Mr. Fitch was also desired to be helpful to the children as is declared are two sons and four daughters. Mr. Westol showed his accounts Jan. 2, 1663 and has paid debts totaling L95/08/00.
“Lieut. Jonathan Rudd of Saybrook, Inventory of the estate taken July 1658, amount L106-03-10; apprized[sic] by John Westil and Stephen Post.
“This Court desired these to Administer on the estate. Mr. Fitch is also desired to be helpful to the Children, as is declared are two sons and four daughters. June 2, 1663, Mr. Westell brought his books to me, wherein was an account of Debts paid upon the account of Jonathan Rudd, amount L96-08-00. The account was accepted by the magistrates.
“Test: Samuel Wyllys. Recorded by me, John Allyn, Secretary, May 23, 1667 (Manwaring’s “Early Probate Records of Hartford County, Conn.; Vol. 1, page 148).
The disposal of the estate, only ten pounds being left after payment of debts, is found incidentally among various land items of Saybrook. “Lands of William Bushnell bought of Jno Westall, December 30, 1662.” -- the above lands were formerly Jonathan Rudds and John Westall being administrator to that estate sold them to William Bushnell.”
134“Saybrook 20 January 1684. Know all men that whereas upon certain personal knowledge as well as by sufficient testimony, Mr. John Wastoll in his lifetime upon mature deliberation did give and bequeath unto Nathan Rudd now of Norwich a Certain piece of land formerly belonging to Robert Williams of Kenelworth Recovered by the said Wastell by judgement of cost and seized and delivered by execution according to appraisal made by Mr. Edward Griswold and Leiftenant Henry Crane as appeareth under their hands” -- Thomas Buckingham Executor & John Kirtland, heir, quit claim any right to sd land.
Saybrook January 20, 1684, the Rev’d Mr. Thomas Buckingham and John Kirtland executors to the estate of Mr. John Wastell dec’d acknowledged the above written deed before [there’s nothing typed after this--on the next line is James Fitch Assistant.
Saybrook 20 January 1684. Nathaniel Rudd of Norwich, County New London, Colony of Connecticut, assigns and makes over the contents of the above conveyance to Samuel Cogswell of Saybrook, and quit claims to Cogswell all claims on lands “which were formerly my father Lieut. Jonathan Rudd’s, “for myself and my heirs, &c.”
Witnessed John Chapman and Samuel Jones. Acknowledged at Saybrook January 20, 1684
134JONATHAN RUDD - first appears in New Haven, where he was a worker in leather, a farmer and a soldier. New Haven County court records show that "he kept a dirty gun and drank spirits while on guard duty." He was a sergeant in the Saybrook train band in 1646 and married that winter to the nameless bride of the "Bride Brook Story," which has been immortalized in poetry, history, and fiction. Some genealogists believe she was Mary Metcalf, while others think she was Mary Burchard. After Jonathan's death in 1658, the Rev. Fitch was appointed guardian for the children and the family moved with him to Norwich.
135Jonathan and Mary were married in the winter of 1647 by John Winthrop of New London, who was acting under a MA commission. The name of his bride is not given, but the circumstances attending the marriage have been preserved: "The wedding day was fixed and a magistrate from up river engaged to perform the ceremony, as there was not anyone in Saybrook qualified to officiate. But, there falling out at that time a great snow, so that the magistrate intended to go down thither was hindered by the depth of the snow. Application was made to Mr. Winthrop to come to Saybrook to perform the ceremony, but he, deriving his authority from MA, had no legal right to officiate in CT. He agreed that if the parties would meet at a brook designated, he would there perform the ceremony, as that was MA territory. The offer was accepted. On the brink of this little stream, the boundary between the two colonies, the parties met, Winthrop and his friends from Pequot, and the bridal train from Saybrook. One group was on one side of the stream and the others on the opposite. Never perhaps was the rite performed in a situation so wild and solitary and under circumstances so interesting and peculiar. The stream received the name of 'Bride Brook' on the spot, and is so known today."
135, #7, September 1974,135, #6, June 1973,136,87,137, relating the reenactment of the Brides Brook Marriage of 1646, twice daily in the Village Green of the New England State exhibit at the World's Fair,138, the enactment of the wedding, beside the "artistic beauty of stream, natural pageant setting - 300 persons taking part (descendants of Jonathan)."Connecticut Nutmegger", Vol. 7, Sept. 1974:
"WHO WAS THE WIFE OF JONATHAN RUDD?
Volume 6, No. 1 of the Connecticut Nutmegger, June 1973 issues, pages 3 and 4 of an article entitled "The Lee House" by Wilbur B. Beckwith contains a story regarding Brides Book where Lieut. Jonathan Rudd and his wife, Mary, were married. Mr. Charles G. Bennett, Genealogicasl Librarian for The Bennington Museum, Bennington, VT, has submitted for publishing the following letter regarding this romantic incident in history and genealogy.
Last summer this Library was privileged to announce that it had discovered in the very slow process of cataloguing previously uncatalogued material the original letter written by Joseph Rudd (1740-1818) on August 26, 1777, to his father, Joseph Rudd (b. 1708), then living in Norwich, CT, concerning the Battle of Bennington, August 16, 1777, in which the son Joseph had been a participant. Our announcement of the findings of this letter received considerable interest, and is expected to become of even more interest with the approach of the Bicentennial of the Battle of Bennington, August 16, 1977.
Many Rudd descendants have lived, and some still live, in this Bennington area and in nearby Hoosick, NY. This library continues to be in touch with many of them, and through correspondence, with other Rudds at greater distances.
With the finding of Joseph Rudd's letter, many of his descendants have intensified their efforts -- and have asked this Library to assist in the project -- to learn the maiden surname of the wife, Mary--- of the first American ancestor, Lieut. Jonathan Rudd, of the Rudds in our area. Lieut. Jonathan came from England, settled in New Haven, CT, 1640; was a freeman of Saybrook in 1644, took the oath of allegiance in Hartford in 1651, and held positions of local importance in Saybrook.
Lieut. Jonathan married under romantic circumstances that have been described by many historians. According to Cuyler Reynold's "Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memois", Vol. IV, pp. 1442-1444, inc., a magistrate had been engaged to perform the marriage ceremony (in 1646/7), but was prevented from coming by a snowstorm. Gov. Winthrop was appealed to. He could perform marriages in MA, but the bridal couple lived outside of the Governor's jurisdiction. He proposed that the contracting parties come to the boundary of the colonies, where a narrow stream separated them. Winthrop and his party from Pequot and the bridal party from Saybrook met at the agreed-upon spot. "Never, perhaps," Reynolds says, "was the legal rite performed in a situation so wild and solitary and under circumstances so peculiar and interesting." Because of that experience, the stream took the name of Bride Book.
Recently this Library came across, under the heading of "The Bride of Bride Brook," the account of Lieut. Jonathan Rudd's romantic wedding as given in Vol. 1 of the 3-volume "The Bingham Family in the United States," compiled by Theodore A. Bingham, and published by the Bingham Association, Easton, PA, 1927 (Vol. 1) and 1930 (Vols. 2 & 3). (Mary Rudd, daughter of Lieut. Jonathan Rudd, married Thomas Bingham). The Bingham Genealogy's account included a 22-verse poem describing the Bride Brook wedding written by G. P. Lathrop and published in the Atlantic Monthly for April, 1876.
More particularly, the Bingham Genealogy account suggested (in one place with a question mark but elsewhere as a plain statement of fact) that the name of Lieut. Jonathan Rudd's bride was Mary METCALF. I do not find where any authority is cited for this conclusion. But the Bingham account did include two illustrations, one an artist's conception of the Bride Brook wedding, and the other a picture of an old chest which, according to the caption, "may have been a bridal gift to Jonathan Rudd and Mary Metcalf of Bride Brook fame." On the top of the chest's center panel are the initials "I.R." and on the bottom of this panel are initials "M.M."
The caption under the picture of the wedding says the artist was believed to be Alice Parker Champion, and that the picture was used to illustrate a story by May Kelsey Champion, titled "Clad in Doublet and Hose," published in the Ladies Home Journal, No. 11, Vol. IX, in 1892. The implication here seems to be that the artist Champion and the author Champion between them came up with the maiden surname Metcalf for Mrs. Jonathan Rudd.
It seems possible that there may be descendants of the Rudds (though certainly not the ones we have talked to), or the Metcalfs or the Champions who have the definite answer to this mystery of Mrs. Jonathan Rudd's maiden surname. In our records here in the Bennington Museum's Genealogical Library we cannot find anything else supporting the Metcalf name or, if that name is accurate, what Metcalf line Mrs. Rudd's may have been. To find the answer would be a fitting rounding-out of the story of the bride and groom of Bride's Brook. It would also provide an interesting Rudd family fact to supplement the finding of the Battle of Bennington letter written by Lieut. Jonathan's descendant, Joseph Rudd (1740-1818)."
"Regarding the above letter we have the following from Brainerd T. Peck (CSG#17):
I have looked over the letter from the Bennington Museum and have been doing some checking in the State Library.
Since Jacobus uses the "Granberry Family Genealogy" as his favorite reference on Jonathan Rudd, I looked it up. He says Jonathan Rudd married 1646/7, name of wife unknown. I am sure that he would have named the wife if available from sound sources.
I believe that the burden of proof is on those who have suggested a Mary Metcalf as wife of Jonathan Rudd. No Metcalf information is in the State Library confirming this.
Lt. Jonathan Rudd and his wife were married by Winthrop over a brook between New London and Saybrook, according to Jacobus' Granberry Family. The picture has it at East Lyme."
87 "Connecticut Nutmegger", Vol. 6, June 1973:
In the winter of 1646/47, Jonathan Rudd and Mary Metcalf of Saybrook wished to be married. There was no magistrate in Saybrook and as the winter was very severe. the magistrate from Hartford was unable to make the trip to Saybrook. John Winthrop of New London was asked to perform the ceremony. At that time New London was part of the Massachusetts Colony and Winthrop was not authorized to perform the ceremony in Connecticut. The stream now known as Bride Brook was considered to be the boundary between the Connecticut and Massachusetts colonies. The parties met on the stream bank and Winthrop officiated at the marriage on the east bank or Massachusetts side where he had authority. A dower chest belonging to the bride with the initials JR and MM carved on it has been preserved. Until recently it was owned by the Bingham family and a photograph of it is in the Bingham Genealogy. It was last owned by the Lyman-allen Museum in New London until two years ago when the ladies of the society raised funds to purchase it. The chest now stands in the keeping room of the house.
Documentation of the Bride Brook wedding is unusually good. During the 1670s there were some excellent hay fields in the vicinity of the Lee House. The right to cut the hay was claimed by farmers from both New London and Lyme. John Winthrop, Jr. testified before the court that was attempting to settle the boundary dispute and told of the wedding and established Bride Brook as the boundary at that time. The dispute remained unresolved until finally it was agreed to settle the matter by means of a fist fight; each town selecting a man to represent it. The fight was held and the man from Lyme won. As a result, the boundary was moved about 2-1/2 miles eastward where it remained until 1839 when East Lyme was formed from parts of Lyme and Waterford."
87 From "Some Ancestors and Descendants of Joseph Rudd, Jr., 1740-1818 and his wife, Sarah Story, 1744-1842," by Dorothy Rudd DuMond:
"The Bride Brook Wedding - 1646/7
By Charles Boynton Martin,
Descendant of Bride Brook Marriage
In quaint East Lyme there is a stream
That flows from lake to sea
Bride Brooke is its romantic name --
It lives in history.
Between Peqwuot and Old Saybrook
It was the boundry[sic] line
When they were little separate states
In old colonial time.
Young Jonathan Rudd of fair Saybrook
A married man would be
And he would wed 'mid winter's cold
Brook no delay would he.
In snow-bound Saybrook none was found
The nuptial knot to tie;
The Governor of Pequot was asked,
Who sent this kind reply.
"Within the limits of Pequot
I'll gladly marry thee
So meet me at the boundary stream
Where it flows out to sea."
The day was fixed; the parties made;
They all set forth with glee --
But oh! in flood the little brook
A river proved to be.
When hopes are high and lovers young
And hearts are all aquiver,
What shame a marriage to postpone
Justs for a raging river!
The governor pointed up the stream
Where banks were close together
And where the voice could bridge the brook
Through the blustery weather.
And there the wedding was performed
Across the boundry[sic] river
While cakes of ice were floating by
'Mid cold that made them shiver.
The snow flakes wove the bridal veil
Her train - the drifting snow
The winds played in the pine tree tops
A march both sweet and low.
The wild fowl flying overhead
The Indians lurking nigh
Were witness of their plighted troth
Beneath the vaulted sky.
The prayer by John Winthrop offered up
The vows that there were made
Are written in the books above
Where records never face.
And Winthrop at that time and place
Gave to that little river
The name of Bride Brooke as its own
Which it will keep forever.
And lovers linger on its banks
And talk in voices low
Of lovers true who there were wed
In days of long ago.
“The American ancestor of the Rudds of Bennington, Vermont, and Hoosick, New York, is Lieutenant Jonathan Rudd, who came from England, settled in New Haven, Connecticut 1640; was freeman of Saybrook, 1644, took oath of allegiance in Hartford, 1651, was of importance in the town of Saybrook, assistant to Captain Mason in the fort 1652, leather sealer, 1656, and held main public offices of trust. He married, 1646-47, the name unknown, but she was one of the principals in the most romantic marriages ever performed in Connecticut. The wedding day was fixed and a magistrate engaged to perform the ceremony, but a great snowstorm prevented his coming. Application was made to Governor Winthrop, but he, deriving authority from Massachusetts, could not legally marry in Connecticut, but proposed that the contracting parties come to the boundary of the colony, a narrow stream, and he would marry them from the Massachusetts side. This was done, and Winthrop and his friends from Pequot met the bridal party from Saybrook. Here the ceremony was performed “under the shelter of no roof, by no hospitable fireside, without accommodations, but those furnished by the snow covered earth, over-arching Heaven and perchance the sheltering side of a forest of pines or cedars,” never perhaps was the legal rite performed in a situation so wild and solitary and under circumstances so peculiar and interesting. From that day the little stream has been known as Bride Book. Winthrop in his deposition says: “And at that time, the place had (received) the denomination of Bride Book.” That a considerable party had assembled is evident from the narrative, and he further says, “all were well satisfied with what was done.””
76, Hudson-Mohawk Family Memoirs, Vol. IV, Hudson-Mohawk Family Histories