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Note: stream for several miles in behalf of the town of Woodbury, Ct. About this time was King Phillips War, and many of the early colonists left that area for fear of their lives, but returned later and secured more land, which was witnessed by nine , among them were five Hurds. The lots were laid out along an Indian trail. Once settled in their fortified homes, they turned their attention toward improvement. They were 25 miles from Stratford, and found themselves upon their own resources for the necessaries of life and improvement of conditions. They grew corn, but had to use a pestle and mortar to grind it; this required much time, for their were other things to think of, flax to spin,looms to build, cloth to weave, skins to dress and clothing to make, for winter winds blew cold in Conn. John Hurd went to Stratford and secured two millstones, 24 inches in diameter and 6 inches thick, and carried them through the forests on horseback. With
the assistance of the townsmen he built the first mill to grind corn. When completed it could grind a bushel and a half a day. The townsmen took turns bringing their corn to the mill, set the mill in motion and returned that night for their great sack full of coarsely ground corn. The large particles were browned for "coffee" and the meal used for bread and cakes. As the town grew, a larger mill was needed and again John proposed a plan and was granted a tract of land on the West side of the river for such. His home was built in 1680, and still stands today on the original foundation. We visited it when we were on our trip to the east coast last year. The Woodbury Historical Society bought it in 1968, and has spent much time restoring it to its original condition.
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Town Map of Stratford
Of firm mind. That`s what the Anglo-Saxon word, ‘Hughihard` means. And the name Hurd derives from that word. It is one of the old names of county Somerset in England and is found in England before the time of the Crusades. The pronunciation had gone from Hugh-ard to Huard, and finally without the "a" becoming Hurd as it is known today.
The early story of the Hurd`s in America is a little hard to pin down. Partly because half of them happened to be named John, and also because early records in Windsor, Connecticut were burned by Indians. John Hurd, who married Isabel (or maybe her name was Susannah, there is no definitive proof), was born in England, probably Somerset. He had two sons (at least), John and Adam. These sons came to America in the very early days of the country. But when? Were they married first? Eventually they both had sons named John. Some have Adam`s son John being born in England in 1632, and then immigrating as an infant with his father. Other sources say he was born in Connecticut in 1639. Did John the father come too?
A John Hurd is listed among the founders of Windsor, Connecticut. Was this the John who was married to Isabel, or was it his son? I tend to think it was the father; otherwise it would seem likely that both brothers would be listed.
We do know that the brothers Adam and John Hurd were early settlers. We do know that they were among the first inhabitants of Windsor, Connecticut in 1635. We also know that in 1639 the two brothers followed their pastor (a common practice in those days) the Rev. Adam Blackman (or Blakeman) to a new settlement named Cupheage. Traditionally it is understood that there were 17 original proprietors of the town that would become Stratford, Connecticut. The original territory of Stratford reached back from the sea 12 miles, and included the present townships of Stratford, Huntington, Monroe, Trumbull, and Bridgeport. Adam Hurd is listed as the owner of lots 31 and 35 on the original map of Stratford. His brother John has lot 11. Adam`s wife`s name does not appear in any of these early documents. It is possible that her name was Hannah Bartraum -and perhaps, as some speculate, she died before the immigration. There is only one recorded child for Adam Hurd, and that is John. (Known in some records as John, Jr. in order to distinguish him from his Uncle John, Sr. of course there is his grandfather John, and presumably cousin John as well this is why it gets confusing)
Adam`s son John married Hannah (or Joanna), the widow of Joshua Judson. Hannah had married Joshua Judson in 1655 when she was about 23 and they had three children together: Anna, Joshua and Samuel. They lived on lot 27 in Stratford. Then Joshua, her husband, died in 1661, leaving her as a widow. The following year, on December 10, 1662, she married John Hurd in Stratford, and they continued to live in the Hannah`s house lot. They had eight children between 1663 and 1677: Judson, Sarah, Joseph, Benjamin, Ebenezer, Ruth, John and Abraham. (There are some who think that Hannah was Hannah Tuttle, but it does not appear likely, and here is the explanation why.)
In 1678 he moved, with his family to another new settlement. This time to Woodbury, Connecticut where the first settlers had built houses only three years before. He made an agreement to be the town miller. He built a house there in 1681, which has since become the home of the Woodbury Historical Society. The house in the picture had an additional half built on at a later date.
John Hurd died in 1683, Hannah lived until 1695. Many of their descendants moved to Sandgate, Vermont.
The Hurd House in Woodbury, CT
The barn at the Hurd House, possibly the original structure
John Hurd m. Isabel (?)
Adam Hurd m. Hannah Bartraum John Hurd m. Hannah (widow of Joshua Judson) Ebenezer Hurd m. Sarah Pickett Lane Daniel Hurd m. Rachael Smith Mary Hurd m. David Buell Levi Buell m. Orinda Sharp Lucy Marie Buell m. Alfred Burr Howard Alfred Burr Howard m. Anna Wheeler Fogg Max Clinton Howard m. Rose Anne Forderkunz Ruth Howard
Note: He secured a grant from the Indians of a tract of land along the Shepaug
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