Thomas Bliss, Jr., Hartford Founder

Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist

THOMAS² BLISS, JR., HARTFORD FOUNDER (THOMAS¹) was born abt. 1618 in England, and died 15 Apr 1688 in Norwich, CT. He married ELIZABETH BIRCHARD Oct 1644 in Saybrook, CT, daughter of THOMAS BIRCHARD and MARY ROBINSON. She was baptized 01 Nov 1621 in Terling, Essex, England, and died 28 Feb 1699/00 in Norwich, CT.

Like his father, the ancestry, origin, and when and to where Thomas Bliss, Jr. emigrated to the American colonies is unknown. He came to Hartford with his father by 1638, and was allotted a two rood piece of land south of and adjoining his father’s lot located on the east side of the road to John Barnard’s. Unlike his father, however, his land holdings were recorded in the Hartford land inventory of February 1639/40: in addition to his home lot he held two acres of upland lying in the Forty Acres. He had removed to Saybrook about 1644 where his marriage and the birth of six of his children was recorded. He sold his land in Saybrook 23 July 1662, having removed to Norwich two or three years previous.

He died in Norwich 15 April 1688.

Genealogy: “Genealogy of the Bliss Family in America”, Vol. 1 - 3, Aaron T. Bliss, Midland, MI, 1982 (While impressive in its scope, there being three thick volumes, this genealogy suffers from a lack of source citation).