Thomas Hungerford, Hartford Founder

Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist

THOMAS¹ HUNGERFORD, HARTFORD FOUNDER was born in England, and died bef. 01 May 1663 in New London, CT (inventory). He married (1) __________ bef. 1647 in Hartford, CT. She was born in England, and died bef. 02 Nov 1657 in New London, CT. He married (2) HANNAH WILLEY abt. 1658 in New London, CT, daughter of ISAAC WILLEY and JOANNA ______. She was born bef. 06 May 1642 in Boston, MA, and died abt. 1681 in Haddam, CT.

The origin of Thomas Hungerford, and when he emigrated to the American colonies is unknown. He was in Hartford by 1 January 1639/40, when in the land inventory, he owned three parcels of land: one acre and two roods on which his dwelling house stood located as a triangular lot between the road from Centinel Hill to the Cow Pasture, the road to Brick Hill, and the road to the West Field; a parcel of swamp at Podunk; and one acre and two roods in the West Field.

He sold his home lot and other property at Hartford in May 1652 to Hartford Founder Nicholas Jennings, removing to New London, where, before 25 February 1650/1, he had applied for a house lot, which was assigned to him “on the Bank next above Thomas Stanton’s”. He was Constable of New London in 1652. He owned land in Stonington, but probably only as an investment as there is no evidence that he or his son Thomas lived there.

The inventory of his estate was taken 1 May 1663, and the estate was settled 10 May 1664.

Genealogy: “Additions and Corrections for Thomas Hungerford of Hartford and New London, Conn., and his Descendants in America”, F. Phelps Leach, East Highgate, VT, 1932 (A much improved version of his 1924 genealogy. In the 1932 version Leach dismisses the purported English ancestry, and debunks several of the claims made in the 1924 version.)