The Heaths

of Groton, Connecticut

The earliest proven ancestor in my Heath line is William Heath of Groton, New London County, Connecticut, who was born ca.1750, married Mary Culver (or Collver) of Groton on 2 August 1772, enlisted for service in the Revolutionary War in 1776/77, and died in Groton in March 1794.  My proven line of descent from William Heath of Groton, down to my maternal grandmother, is as follows:

1 William Heath & Mary Culver
2 Amos Heath & Mary Chapman
3 Sarah M. Heath & Francis Brigham Clark
4 Levi Nelson Clark & Carrie E. Larkham
5 Sarah Hannah Clark & Frank R. Burdick
6 Bertha Melissa Burdick

Discovering the Ancestry of William Heath of Groton

The parentage and birthdate of my ancestor, William Heath of Groton, has been a mystery since I first began researching him.  His wife, Mary Culver, was the documented daughter of Joseph and Mary (Eddy) Culver of Groton, Connecticut,  was born 23 October 1751.  Estimates for William's date of birth have been fairly consistently ca. 1750, probably based on Mary Culver's birthdate, 1751, and the date of their marriage, 1772.

There are two distinct lines of Heath ancestry in New England that have been documented in published genealogies. Valerie Dyer Giorgi authored both of these:  Bartholomew Heath of Haverhill, Massachusetts and William Heath of Roxbury, Massachusetts. The Heaths of Groton, Connecticut have not been connected to other of these Heath families.  It is interesting that another genealogy Mrs. Giorgi authored, Colver-Culver Family Genealogy, does contain the ancestry of Mary Culver, who married William Heath of Groton in 1772. Early in my genealogy research, I corresponded by email with Mrs. Giorgi, and she sent me the results of some of her research on yet another line of Heaths who came to Groton, Connecticut from Swansea, Massachusetts. The earliest known member of this line was Richard Heath, a tailor, who was in Swansea by at least 1686 when his second child was born, and died there after 1689. Mrs. Giorgi's research focused on the immediate family of Richard Heath, his son Joseph Heath and Joseph's wife Dorothy who moved to Groton in the early 18th century, their son John Heath who married Temperance Avery in Groton, and the line of descent from their son, Samuel Heath.  My independent research expanded this information to Joseph Heath, the eldest son of Joseph and Dorothy Heath, based on information from Groton land records and vital records from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. A summary of this research follows.

Richard Heath of Swansea, Massachusetts

Richard Heath's probate records identify him as a tailor by occupation as well as a free landholder (he was referred to as "yeo."-- yeoman -- in the same document).  Richard Heath owned land in Swansea, as evidenced by the inventory of his estate of "the house and land", valued at 26 pounds, 1 shilling and 1 penny, although I have found no deed in Bristol County land records to clarify when he first came into possession of his land.  Judging from the fact that he died without a will and that his two younger children were born in 1686 and 1689, I assume that he was a relatively young man at the time of his death. Richard Heath's widow, Mercy, married Cornelius Salisbury in 1692 (Torrey), and she was referred to as "Mercy Salisbury sometime the widow & Relict of Richard Heath of Swanzey in the County of Bristol Deceased now the wife of Cornelius Salsbury of Sd Swanzey," in the administration of  Richard Heath's estate in 6 August 1707.

Richard Heath married Mercy _______ , probably in the early 1680s.  The couple settled in Swansea where at least two of their three children were born.  The children were: 

Richard Heath's estate was inventoried on 16 September 1699, although it seems likely that Richard Heath's actual time of death took place some years earlier, probably around 1690.  In the record of the inventory of Richard Heath's estate is the statement that Mercy (Heath) Salisbury "made Oath that the Inventory ...  is all that was left of her former husband's estate the time when she Intermarried with her present husband".  This statement indicates that Mercy (Heath) Salisbury had for some time been married to her second husband, Cornelius Salisbury, at the time that the inventory was taken in September 1699. In addition, Swansea, Bristol County vital records list the births of the children of Cornelius Salisbury and his wife Mercy, from  1692 to 1703.  In New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Torrey gives the date of the marriage of Cornelius and Mercy Salisbury as 1692 based on the birth of their first child.  If Richard Heath died before this time, perhaps around 1690, Joseph and Hannah Heath would have been about four and one years of age, respectively, thus giving more credence to the statement that they were "very young when their father Richard Heath Deceased".

Joseph Heath, the son of Richard and Mercy Heath who moved to Groton, Connecticut.

Joseph Heath, the second son of Richard and Mercy Heath of Swansea, married Dorothy _______ about 1710, probably in Bristol County, Massachusetts.  The birth of their first child, also named Dorothy, took place on 25 June 1711 and was recorded in Attleboro, Bristol County, Massachusetts vital records.  Some time after Dorothy's birth, Joseph and Dorothy moved with their baby daughter to Groton, Connecticut, where a second child, Joseph Heath, Jr., was born on 28 July 1713 (Barbour).  Two more children were born after Joseph and Dorothy's arrival in Groton.  Altogether, Joseph and Dorothy Heath had the following children:

By all accounts, Joseph and Dorothy Heath remained in Groton for the remainder of their lives. Dorothy Heath died there on  24 October 1734  (Barbour). No record has been found of Joseph Heath, Sr.'s death.  At least two of their children, John and Abigail, married into some of the established, founding families of Groton and left a progeny of descendants. No additional information has been found on their daughter, Dorothy, so she may have died young. Information discovered by independent research on Joseph and Dorothy Heath's second child and firstborn son, Joseph Heath, Jr., follows.

Joseph Heath, Jr., Son of Joseph and Dorothy Heath

An investigation of land records can provide crucial information about the lives of ancestors because land was such a key commodity to colonial New Englanders.  Land ownership provided information on social status, livelihoods, kinship connections, and more.  Thus, a review of Groton, Connecticut land records has revealed much about the life of Joseph Heath, Jr. , the second child and firstborn son of Joseph and Dorothy Heath. A chronological listing of all 18th century Groton land records involving the surname Heath can be found here.

On 2 June 1739, Joseph Heath, Jr. bought a tract of land in Groton from John Seabury, Jr. This most certainly was the son of Joseph and Dorothy Heath who was born 28 July 1713 in Groton.  He would have been 25 years old at the time. His father, Joseph Heath, Sr., witnessed the deed along with Samuel Seabury. John Seabury, Jr. was probably the son of John and Elizabeth (Alden) Seabury of Groton, and Samuel Seabury who witnessed the deed was probably John Seabury, Jr.'s brother who was the father of Samuel Seabury, the first American Episcopalian bishop.

June 2, 1739:  Joseph Heath, Jr. of Groton bought for £ 105 from John Seabury, Jr. a tract of land bounded by the property of John Seabury, Jr. and a road.  Signed by John Seabury, Jr.  Witnessed by Joseph Heath and Samuel Seabury. [FHL Microfilm # 0004294; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 4, page 66.]

Eight years later, Joseph and Mary Heath of Newport, Rhode Island sold this same tract of land to John Brown of Newport at a £ 95 profit.

August 18, 1747:  Joseph Heath and Mary, his wife of "Newport in the Colony of Rhode Island" sold for £ 200 to John Brown of Newport, a tract of land in Groton, bounded by the property of John Seabury, Jr.  Signed by Joseph Heath and Mary Heath, Newport, August 19, 1747. Witnessed by Ebenezer Richardson and Hannah Hayward. [FHL Microfilm # 0004296; Groton Connecticut Land Records, Volume 5, page 91.]

This transaction provides clear evidence that Joseph Heath, Jr., son of Joseph and Dorothy Heath, had moved to Newport, Rhode Island and married a woman named Mary some time between June 1739 and August 1747. A review of Newport, Rhode Island marriage records in Vital Record of Rhode Island provides the following records from Trinity Church in Newport:

In the second listing under surname Bell, the misspelling of Heath was corrected, clarifying that Joseph Heath married Mary Bell at Trinity Church, Newport, on 14 September 1740.  This date makes perfect sense in the chronology of Joseph Heath, Jr. purchasing the Groton land tract in 1739, marrying Mary Bell a year later in 1740, and selling the Groton land with his wife Mary in 1747.

Further investigation into Trinity Church records in Vital Record of Rhode Island revealed even more interesting information. Very few records for surname Heath are found in Newport, however the following baptism records are listed among the records of Trinity Church:

A logical assumption is that William and Mary Heath, baptized at Trinity Church in 1748 were probably the children of Joseph, Jr. and Mary (Bell) Heath who were married in 1740. There are no other Heath parents in Newport records that would match these children.  This also brings up another question regarding my ancestor, William Heath of Groton, whose birth date has always been given as ca. 1750 without any indication of location or parentage. Could he be William Heath, son of  Joseph, Jr. and Mary (Bell) Heath of Newport? The name is right, the baptism date is right, and these parents connect him to the Heaths of Groton, Connecticut where he was living when he married Mary Culver.  No other records have made sense for the parentage of William Heath of Groton.

Who was Mary Bell of Newport, Rhode Island?

The 18th century baptism records of Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island provide the following list of children with surname Bell:

Little information has been found on William and Martha (French) Bell.  Martha (French) Bell died 1 December 1737.  She is buried at Trinity Church Yard on Church Street in Newport, Rhode Island.  Her date of birth, 1701, is known through the inscription on her headstone, which reads:

In memory of Martha
the wife of M^r. William Bell
died December ye 1 1737 In
36 Year of her age

Ironically, no record of Martha (French) Bell's death exists in the records of Trinity Church, although the church records are the primary source of information on the family of William and Martha (French) Bell during the 19 years of their marriage. Their marriage record is the only record of anyone of surname French in Trinity Church records.  The only record for surname Bell is their marriage record and the records of the baptisms of their children.

Source: Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries

There are a good many graves with surname Bell in the Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries database, but only two aside from Martha (French) Bell for the 18th century.  Elizabeth Bell, born ca. 1724 and died 4 October 1768 in "ye 45 year of her age" is buried at Common Burial Ground in Newport, Rhode Island. Elizabeth Bell's identity has not been determined.  She may have been a wife of one of the sons of William and Martha (French) Bell.

Also buried at Common Burial Ground in Newport is Mr. John Bell of Stonington, Connecticut, born ca. 1743 and died 17 July 1769 in "ye 27 year of his age".  This was John Bell, son of William and Anna (Quimby) Bell of Stonington, Connecticut. The ancestry of William Bell, father of John, has not been determined, however Frost* suspects he was a son of Thomas and Anna Bell of Boston, Massachusetts who also settled in Stonington, Connecticut in the mid-17th century.  Their descendants married into the York and Button families of Stonington.  It's possible that William Bell, father of Mary (Bell) Heath, was also related to this family, however no proof has been found yet.

Discovering the origins of Martha French, mother of Mary (Bell) Heath, also requires more research.  There are quite a few 17th and 18th century records for surname French in the records of Bristol, Essex, and Middlesex Counties in Massachusetts, so perhaps she came from one of these families.

Yet Another Heath Line?

The very earliest Groton land transactions involving a party of surname Heath occurred in 1707 and 1713, overlapping the time Richard and Dorothy Heath married and moved to Groton where their second child, Joseph Heath, Jr. was born in July 1713. In 1707, Elizabeth Heath, widow of the merchant Elias Heath of Boston, under the representation of her attorneys, bought for 456 pounds, 1 shilling and 8 pence from Samuel Avery of Groton a tract of land bounded by Governor Winthrop's land, Alewife Brook, Nehemiah Smith's land, and Captain John Avery's land. Then, in  May 1713, the widow Elizabeth Heath, who was now married to Francis Burroughs of Boston, signed a quit-claim for 300 pounds to Samuel Avery of Groton. This appears to have been the same tract of land Elizabeth Heath purchased from Samuel Avery in 1707.

Research into the lives of Elias and Elizabeth Heath reveal that their marriage was a third marriage for her.  She was 46 years old when she married Elias Heath in 1699, the mother of 11 children from two previous marriages.  Elias Heath was 48 years old when he married Elizabeth (who at the time was the widow of Joseph Elderidge of Boston). A List of Emigrants from England to America, 1682-1692 documents Elias Heath's embarkation at Portsmouth, England for Boston on 18 October 1690.  Elias Heath was baptized at St. Mary the Virgin Church in Buckland, Surrey, England on 23 February 1651, so his date of birth was probably 1650 or early 1651. He was the son of Elias and  Mary Heath of Buckland.  Confirmation of this record comes from an early account of Elias Heath of Boston in John Dunton's Letters from New-England by Dunton and Perry. Within this account is a footnote stating, "He had a sister, Ann Turner, of Buckland, co. Surrey." This would be Anne Heath, daughter of Elias and Mary Heath, who was baptized at St. Mary the Virgin church in Buckland, Surrey, England on 16 September 1649.

Why Elias Heath's widow bought land in Groton shortly after his death is a mystery. Her previous marriages had her firmly established in Boston. Possibly significant is the fact that she sold the Groton land back to Samuel Avery two months before Joseph and Dorothy Heath's second child, Joseph, was born in July 1713. Was there possibly a family connection between Elias Heath and the family of Joseph and Dorothy Heath? Elias Heath, born 1651, was probably an age cohort of Richard Heath of Swansea, Massachusetts. However, Elias Heath's will, written 18 October 1706 and proved 8 November 1706, provides no indication of a relationship.  In his will, Elias Heath named his wife, Elizabeth Heath, as the sole executrix, to whom he left all the residue and remainder of his estate, both real and personal.  He also named his "loveing sister Anne Turner Widow liveing in Buckland in the county of Surrey in England" and her children, Thomas and Elias Turner. It's possible there was no family connection between Elias and Elizabeth Heath and Joseph and Dorothy Heath, and their transactions in Groton were purely coincidental.

Sources

Attleboro, Bristol County, Massachusetts Vital Records, filmed on LDS Family History Microfilm # 0580654

Bristol County, Massachusetts Vital Records, filmed on LDS Family History Microfilm # 0022366

The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records, Town of Groton, compiled under the supervision of Lucius B. Barber and Lucius B. Barber, 1911-1934.

Bartholomew Heath of Haverhill, Massachusetts and Some of His Descendants, by Valerie Dyer Giorgi. Santa Maria, California, 1994.

The Diary of Joshua Hempstead, A Daily Record of Life in Colonial New London, Connecticut 1711-1758, New London County Historical Society, Inc. New London, Connecticut. 1999, pages 103 and 105.

Groton, Connecticut Land Records, Volumes 4-6.

Records of Trinity Church of Newport, Rhode Island,  filmed on  LDS Family History Library Microfilm # 0022422

Swansea, Massachusetts Vital Records, filmed on LDS Family History Library Microfilm # 0903395

William Heath of Roxbury, Massachusetts and Some of His Descendants, by Valerie Dyer Giorgi. Santa Maria, California

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Last updated: Monday, September 01, 2025 05:11:24 PM