Rebecca Taylor Greenhill, Hartford Founder

Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist

REBECCA¹ TAYLOR, HARTFORD FOUNDER was born abt. 1600 in England, and died bef. 04 Aug 1683 in Hartford, CT (not named in 3rd husband’s will). She married (1) WALTER BASEDEN 24 Apr 1627 in Cranbrook, Kent, England. He was baptized 03 May 1590 in Benendon, Kent, England, and died abt. 17 Sep 1627 in Cranbrook, Kent, England (burial). She married (2) SAMUEL GREENHILL, HARTFORD FOUNDER 24 Jun 1628 in Cranbrook, Kent, England. He was born abt. 1603 in England, and died bef. 1637 in Hartford, CT. She married (3) JEREMY ADAMS, HARTFORD FOUNDER bef. 1638 in Hartford, CT. He was born abt. 1611 in England, and died 11 Aug 1683 in Hartford, CT (probate).

Rebecca Taylor Greenhill was a Founder of Hartford by virtue of the death of her husband Samuel Greenhill before 1637, at which time his holdings passed to her. Although she is not listed in “The Original Proprietors”, she is clearly listed in the Secretary’s Record Book, Vol. 1, part 1, viz: “Seueral psells of land in Hartford on the Riuer of Conecticott belonging to the Inhabitants thereof as followseth. ...Thomas & Rebecca Greenhill”. She had a home lot of one acre on which stood her dwelling house, outhouses, yards or gardens, located on the corner of the road to Wethersfield and the road from the Mill to the South Meadow.

She was married three times: first to Walter Baisden on 24 April 1627 in Cranbrook, Kent, England, who died about 17 September 1627, when he was buried; second to Samuel Greenhill on 24 June 1628 in Cranbrook, who died before 1637 in Hartford; and third to Hartford Founder Jeremy Adams about 1638. Her date of death is unknown, but it was prior to 4 August 1683, as she was not mentioned in her third husband’s will.

Genealogy: not applicable, as her only son Thomas died before marriage, thus leaving no Greenhill line.