HOYT

SIMON HOYT

bur. 1 Sept. 1657 Stamford, CT

Simon came from England in 1628 and first lived in Charlestown before moving to Dorchester in 1630 and then Salem, and Scituate by 1634 and to Windsor, CT in 1639. He then moved to Fairfield in 1645 and to Stamford where he died in 1657.

The following discussion is from the wonderful research by Douglas Sinclair to be seen at: http://wwwdouglassinclairarchives.com/index.htm

In 1995 Robin Bush, a researcher in England, searched records there for evidence of Simon. One would have expected to find corroboration of the claim in David Hoyt's book that Simon married Deborah Stowers and had four children baptized in Upway (correct spelling "Upwey"), Dorsetshire. Instead it became obvious that the marriage and baptism records for Upswey prior to 1654 have not been available since at least 1831. In any case the parish registers or bishop's transcripts are not known to exist today and cannot be consulted.

Mr. Bush found records in West Hatch, Somersetshire, of the baptisms of four children of Simon Hoyt. Walter and Nicholas are among them and the immigrant Simon is known to have had sons with these names. The supposed Upwey family also had sons Walter and Nicholas. Mr. Bush says that the baptism dates for Walter and Nicholas correspond to the ages of Walter and Nicholas from Massachusetts and Connecticut.

A Micheal Hoyt is given in a Manor Court record(1) dated 18 July 1599 that concerns his occupation of rented land in West Hatch, with his children Richard, Simon, Anne, Thomasine and Elizabeth. This document refers to "the customary rent and services and works of scouring and ditching the lords' rivers" connected with their tenancy. This apparently is the earliest such record, leading Bush to think this was when the family arrived in West Hatch. Michael later occupied other properties. He was a juryman and often foreman of the homage jury in the Hallimote Court and Manor Court between 1606 and 1620(2). Homage juries were composed of tenants who reported to the courts on misdemeanors and deaths among the tenants. Hallimote Court records say he was a reeve (keeper of animals on behalf of the town) in 1612/13(3). In 1613 he had five stray sheep in his custody. He was elected a tythingman (tax collector) at West Hatch in 1614(4), but he was still a reeve, given that in the same year he was holding a horse that was to be given to the lords as fee for someone's tenancy(5).

Simon "made default of the suit of court" in 1616(6), 1618(7) and twice in 1620(8). Michael stated in Hallimote Court records that in 1617 he surrendered his 1599 rental lands to the use of Simon(9). Manor Court records say that Michael and Simon were on the homage jury in 1619(10). Simon acknowledged to his fellow jurymen and the court that he cut down 6 oak trees on his land and sold them outside the manor, which was against custom. On his father's pledge Simon paid a 20 shilling fine at the next meeting of the court. Simon was a juryman again in 1620(11).

"A view was taken between the land of Alexander Hearne called Barleidge and the land of Simon Hoyte called 'Long Medow.' It was found that the boundary was 'an old ditch.' Simon Hoyte was ordered to make a sufficient fence between his meadow called 'Long Medow' and the land of Walter Curry before 28 Oct. on pain of 5 s." (11)

Michael's wife at the time of his death was probably Agnes. The West Hatch Manor Court refers to her as a widow who was holding a tenement of the same description as Michael's and that she was to pay a fee to the lords in 1628 with Richard Hoyt (Michael's oldest son) as one of her pledges(12). Bush suggests that Michael's son John was born to a second wife about 1608. A Hundred Court record(13) of 1620 says that the court ordered Richard Hoyt to bring his brother John to be sworn to the assize. Bush says that this was usually done when a boy reached the age of 12, but how diligent was this in practice? Was John born shortly after Michael's 1599 record of tenancy in which John doesn't appear? Michael's daughter Thomasine was baptized in 1581/82. She had at least one older sibling (Anne is listed before her in court records, assuming that lists of children are by age as they are in probate records). If Anne was the first born, say in 1580, and John was the last in say 1600, that would span the average 20 year period of a married woman's fertility. Perhaps Richard was ordered to bring John to court because he had not previously. However John would have been 20 and Richard probably would not have been involved. If John's was a late and last birth of Michael's wife he could have still been a minor in 1620 if he was born say 1603 or 4. In any case no marriage records have been found for Michael and his wife is not named in the one baptism record. It is notable that daughters named Agnes were born to Simon and Richard Hoyt in West Hatch.

Mr. Bush further cites account rolls for West Hatch that mention Simon Hoyt's payments to the manor for new grants of tenements through 1631, and by 1632/33 his name was crossed out and replaced by another. He acquired two tenements in 1627/28, not long before Simon the immigrant most likely left England. If the latter is the same as West Hatch Simon he would have signed away the properties when he was in either Charlestown or Dorchester, MA. He had become a freeman in 1631, so he may have felt sufficiently established in the Massachusetts Colony to undo his real estate ties in England. Bush notes that the above court entries are all under the subheading of the manor tything of West Hatch. This makes a fairly certain connecton between the Simons - the son of Michael of West Hatch, the father of Walter and Nicholas of West Hatch and the immigrant to Massachusetts Bay.

Bush found a marriage record at Marshwood, Dorset, of Simon Hoyt and Jane "Stoodlie" in 1617. Marshwood is not so far from West Hatch (about 10 miles) to negate the possibility that this couple had Walter and Nicholas, but Simon was otherwise in West Hatch. Marshwood records reveal only that there were Stoodley (variously spelled) baptisms in the early 17th century, indicating that Jane's family probably was established in the area when she was married.(14) John Stoodley was among the free tenants of Marshwood manor in 1626-41 and Walter "Stoodleigh" was a member of the homage jury for Whitchurch Hundred, near Marshwood, in 1626. Given the appearance of Walter among Simon's children, perhaps Walter Stoodleigh was Jane's father or brother.

The name Michael is found among the children named in the will of Thomas Hoyt of Seavington St. Mary, Somersetshire (1576) and his wife Isabel (1587). That town is about 9 miles from West Hatch and about 2 1/2 miles from South Petherton, where Michael's daughter was baptized. Thomas' will mentions several of his grandchildren, but none by Michael. Isabel's will does mention that Michael had children. This accords with the idea that Michael's oldest daughter (and first child?) may have been Anne, born say 1580. There is no further evidence cited to make a strong connection between Thomas of Seavington St. Mary and Michael of South Petherton/West Hatch.

Also, the y-DNA evidence shows that the descendants of Simon of CT, John of Amesbury and Stephen of Somersetshire are NOT related. See the DNA data at: http://www.simonhoyt.com/hoytdna.html

So, at this point the origins of John Hoyt of Amesbury remains a mystery and from the above information he is NOT related to Simon and the data concerning the baptisms of his children in Upwey are suspect if not outright bogus.

(1) North Curry Hundred, Hallimote and Manor Court Tolls of the Dean and Chapter of Wells Cathedral- DD/CC 131924/6, translated from Latin.
(2) Hallimote and Manor Courts- DD/CC131907/14.
(3) Hallimote Court- DD/CC 131925/8.
(4) Hundred Court- DD/CC 131925/4.
(5) Ibid
(6) Ibid- 131925/6.
(7) Manor Court- 131925/5.
(8) Hundred Court- 131910a/9; with his father, in Hallimote Court, same source.
(9) Hallimote Court- DD/CC 131925/5.
(10) Manor Court- DD/CC 131925/2.
(11) Hallimote Court- 131910a/5.
(12) Ibid- 131907/2.
(13) Ibid- 131910a/9.
(14) Somerset & Dorset Notes & Queries- vol. 10, pp. 242-4.

?bpt. 12 Mar. 1614 Upwey, Dorchester, Dorset

m.1. c.1635 FRANCES ?TUXBURY (d. 23 Feb. 1642/3 Salisbury)
2. c.1643 Frances ?Brundish (living in 1697)
d. 2 Feb. 1687/8 Amesbury, MA
adm. 8 May 1697

John is not found on any of the early passenger lists and is not found on any of the lists of freemen contained in the Massachusetts records so he may have arrived in this country as a minor.

Serg. John Hoyt was a planter of Salisbury and Amesbury and received five lots of land in the first division of land. He sold his house lot to William Holdred in 1647 and probably moved to the west side of the Powow River. He was taxed in 1650 and received land and was one of the original commoners of Amesbury in 1654/5. He took the Oath of Fidelity and Allegiance in 1650 at Hampton. He received a seat in the Amesbury Meeting House in 1667, but was a member of the Salisbury church in 1687.

John was chosen selectman in Mar. 1691/2 and moderator of the town meeting in April 1687.

From the town records of Amesbury: "Sargent Jno Hoyt sen. died on the ye 2 day & was buried on ye 29 day of Feb. An. Dom. 1687/8". His oldest son John, had the homestead, paying his step-mother a certain sum annually, however, grandson Joseph received the deed to it on the same condition in 1689.

The surnames of John's wives are given in numerous locations, however, I have been unable to locate any primary source for this information.

Issue- First five children by Frances ?Tuxbury, last eight by Frances ?Brundish.