Source Citation:

Deming, Judson Keith, Genealogy of the Descendants of John Deming of Wethersfield , Connecticut with Historical Notes.  Reproduced from the original edition: Quintin Publications (www.quintinpublications.com) 22 Delta Drive , Pawtucket , RI 02860 -4555.

 

Genealogy of the Descendants of John Deming

 of Wethersfield , Connecticut

with Historical Notes  

Compiled and Edited by

Judson Keith Deming  

Dubuque , Iowa

Press of

Mathis-Mets Co.

Dubuque , Iowa

1904

 

Page VII and VIII:

Origin of the name Deming.

 

During the early part of the seventeenth century, in New England , the names Deming, Demmon, Demon, Deman, Dement, Deminge, Demyng, and other variations, appear to have been applied to persons descended from the same ancestor.  These names were given, however, to families originating from more than one American source.  By far the greater number were descendants of John Deming of Wethersfield; others were from Thomas Deman of Hartford, and in the alter records the names are given to descendants of the Damon family of Scituate, and other towns in Eastern Massachusetts.  There was also a Thomas Demond of Fairfield , and a John Demmon of Killingsworth , Conn.   All of these men appear to have been contemporaries, but no relationship has been established.  In spite of the fact that they were among the earliest settlers, and that they bore names which were spelled similarly, no record has been found showing the arrival of any one of them in America , nor do the shipping lists thus far examined, reveal any name which can be traced to them.  To attempt a search among the English records, without any idea of locality, seemed an endless, and doubtful task, but a careful examination has been made of the published records of many English churches, and in or case has there been found the name Deming, nor any name which appears to be a variation of the name Deming.

 

After careful consideration of all facts, the compiler has reached the conclusion that the name Deming is a corruption of some other generic names.

 

It is noticeable that, during the past three hundred years, the name which has been most often changed to Deming, is the name Damon.  There are today in this country many families who spell their name Deming or Demming or Demmon, whose ancestry can be traced to the Damon families which first settled in Eastern Massachusetts .  If then, the name Damon (or Dammon, as it is frequently spelled) is the generic name of an English family, the theory is not unreasonable that John Deming of Wethersfield , and perhaps others of his name were descendants of the Dammon family, whose names had been changed before they came to this country.

 

The Damon Memorial published in 1882, relates the origin of that name, and gives extracts from the parish records of English towns, including St. Giles’ church, Reading, where among many entries of births and deaths of persons named Damon, and Dammon, there appears the name of Demen, evidently a corruption of Damon, and another evidence in support of the theory advanced, that the Deming’s of America are descendants of the Dammon’s of England.

 

According to authorities given in the Damon Memorial, the name Damon or Dammon is in itself a corruption of the name D’Hammond, so that, if our theory is correct, we many trace the origin of the Deming family in the family D’Hammond, “an ancient and illustrious family which has flourished in Surrey, and Buckinghamshire in England, and at Blois, and Cherbourg in France.”  A further account of this family, and copies of coats-of-arms of different branches, are to be found in the Damon Memorial.

 

“No authentic coat-of-arms of the Deming family has been discovered, although specimens of heraldic designs are preserved in some branches of the family, among these the most notable being an old book-plate in the family of Capt. John Deming (No. 157) of Hartford , which has been used as a frontispiece to this work.  Nothing is known of its origin, or the significance of its design.

Lineage:

Mildred Frances Thalimer

Winifred Pearl Hatch

George Hatch

Walter Munson Hatch, born Glastonbury , CT 1802

Jerusha Deming who married William Chamberlain Hatch

Peter Deming (85)*

Gideon Deming (31)*

Jonathan Deming (9)*

John Deming, Jr. (2)*

John Deming, Sr. (1)*

 

 

Please note:

*according to Judson Keith Deming’s genealogy numbering system, NOT MINE.

Many misspelled words are according to J. K. Deming’s text.

 

JOHN DEMING

OF WETHERSFIELD , CONNECTICUT

AND HIS DESCENDANTS.

 

 

Page 76:

(85)  PETER DEMING, (son of Gideon 31) born 22 Dec 1733 in Wethersfield, Conn.; died 27 Sept 1813 in Wethersfield; married 1^st, 6 Feb 1765 in Wethersfield, JERUSHA WELLES, daughter of Wait and Jerusha (Treat) Welles, born 12 Sep 1738 in Wethersfield; died 13 Jan 1789 in Wethersfield.  He married 2^nd, 10 Nov 1793 [1] MEHITABLE STILLMAN, daughter of Nathaniel and Mehitable (Deming) Stillman, born 29 Mar 1747 ; died 10 Aug 1830 .

 

Peter Deming spent the greater part of his life on the farm which was formerly owned by his father.  At his death his estate was appraised at over $4500.00.  In 1758 from May 30 to Nov 5, he served as corporal in Maj. Joseph Griswold’s Co. in the French War [2] .  He appears also to have served in the Revolution in Col. Morris’ Graham’s Reg [3] .

 

CHILDREN OF HIS FIRST MARRIAGE:

 

ABIGAIL, b. 10 Nov 1765 ; m. 25 Oct 1790 Capt. Ashbel Wright, and d. 2 May 1818 .

ELIZABETH , b. 9 Nov 1767 ; m. 3 Jan [4] 1790 Timothy Stillman, and d. 26 Jul 1854 .

JERUSHA, b. 22 Jul 1772 ; m. 16 Sep 1799 Wm chamberlain Hatch.

MARTHA, b. 14 Jul 1776 ; m. 22 Mar 1797 George Stillman, and d. 8 Feb 1849 .

JONATHAN, b. 2 Oct 1778 ; d. 13 Aug 1783 .

 

 

Page 36:

            (31)  GIDEON DEMING, (son of Jonathan 9) born 29 Feb 1700 in Wethersfield, Conn.; died in May [5] 1779 in Wethersfield; married 5 Nov 1729 in Hartford, (?) Conn. ELIZABETH CASE. 

 

CHILDREN BORN IN WETHERSFIELD , CONN :

 

84    GIDEON, b. 11 Sep 1730 .

(85)  PETER, b. 22 Dec 1733 .

        TEMPERANCE, b. 15 Nov 1735 [6] .

        MARY, b. 23 Aug 1738 ; m. 19 Jan 1764 Christopher Hurlbut, and d. 9 June 1821 .

        JONATHAN, b 23 Jul 1740 [7] .

        SARAH, b. 7 Sep 1742 ; m. 16 Mar 1761 Sherman Boardman.

        MABEL, b. 25 Jan 1745 ; m. 5 Jan 1769 Ebenezer Deming (156).

        ABIGAIL, bap. 27 Sep 1747 [8]

        MARTHA, b. 2 Sep 1748 ; m. 23 Feb 1769 Maj. Timothy Russell, and d. 13 Aug  1808 .

        CHARLES, bap. in 1757 [9] .

 

Page 16:

            (9)  JONATHAN DEMING, (son of John 2) born 12 Feb 1663 in Wethersfield, Conn.; died between the years 1719 and 1726; married 27 Oct 1687 in Wethersfield MARHA BUCK, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Churchill) Buck; born 15 Oct 1667.

 

            Jonathan Deming appears frequently upon the land records of Wethersfield , but aside from transfers of land, little is to be found which throws any light upon his life.  The date of his death has not been found, nor nay record of the distributions of his estate, but on Apr 3 1726 his widow Martha joins with his son Isaac in a deed of land inherited from him [10] .  Nov 11, 1719 he divided by deed to his sons,

 

Page 17, continued from page 16:

some of his property, including his home-lot which went to Isaac and Gideon [11] .  This would indicate that he died soon after, and no later transfer appears to have been made by him.  His wife was admitted to the Church in Wethersfield 28 Aug 1696 [12] but the date of her death has not been discovered.  The names of his children are from the Wethersfield records, with the exception of Grace, whose name is included in the list prepared by Talcott.  There has been found no proof of the marriages of his daughters, but it is probably that his daughter Anna married 20 Mar 1712 Nathaniel Wright of Wethersfield .  His daughter Martha may have been that one who married 13 Mar 1757 [13] Joshua Stoddard, and died 22 Sep 1771 .

            An Abigail Deming married 27 June, 1716 Samuel Beaumont [14] , and may have been Jonathan’s daughter.

 

CHILDREN BORN IN WETHERSFIELD , CONN :

 

29   ISAAC, b. 26 Jul 1688 .

       ANNA, b. 30 Sep 1690 .

30   NOADIAH, b. 20 Feb 1693 .

       ABIGAIL, b. 14 Mar 1695 .

(31) GIDEON, b. 29 Feb 1700 .

        MARTHA, b. 30 Aug 1704 .

        GRACE, b.

 

Page 9:

(2)  JOHN DEMING, (son of John 1) born 9 Sep 1638 in Wethersfield, Conn., died 23 Jan 1712 in Wethersfield; married 12 Dec 1657 [15] in Northampton, Mass., MARY MYGATT, daughter of Joseph, and Ann Mygatt, born about 1637 [16] .

 

According to Savage, John Deming Jr. was born in 1638, but the authority for this statement is not given.  Hinman says that he was born in 1632, and if this earlier date is correct, he must have been born before his father moved to Wethersfield .  To distinguish him from his father upon the early records of the town, he is call “Sergeant John Deming,” this title indicating that he may have taken part in the Indian wars of the period.  In 1662 he became one of the selectmen of the town, and was Representative from Wethersfield to the General court from 1669 to 1672.  In 1694, he and his wife appear among the members of the church at Wethersfield .  His son John probably remained with his father on the home farm, while the other sons scattered, and their records are only partly found.  Joseph probably moved

 

Page 10, continued from page 9:

to Woodstock , Hezekiah went to Farmington , and Jacob to Hartford , while Jonathan lived in the vicinity of Wethersfield .  Of Samuel no trace can be found, and it is supposed that he either died young, or moved to a distance.  The fate of his daughters Mary and Sarah has not been discovered.  Feb 16 1712, shortly after his death, his sons John, Joseph, Jonathan, and Hezekiah deed to each other, lands and other property possessed by each of them at the death of “our natural father Mr. John Deming.”  This indicates that Jacob and Samuel were not living at that time.

According to one authority, Sergt [17] . John Deming was a “packer” in 1692.  As he inherited his father’s tools a few years later it is possible that this was also his father’s trade.  His brother David, to whom his father first bequeathed his tools, (and later withdrew the gift) is described as a “knacker,” which is defined as a maker of small work, or a rope-maker.  Perhaps both John and David followed the trade of their father, and the copyist has mistaken the work “knacker” for “packer.”

 

CHILDREN BORN IN WETHERSFIELD , CONN :

 

7     JOHN, b. 9 Sep 1658 .

8     JOSEPH, b. 1 Jun 1661 .

(9)  JONATHAN, b. 12 Feb 1663 .

       MARY, b. 1 Jul 1666 .

       SAMUEL, b. 25 Aug 1668 .

10   JACOB, b. 26 Aug 1670 .

       SARAH, b. 17 Jan 1672 .

       HEZEKIAH, b.       1680.

 

 

Page 3:

(1)  JOHN DEMING, the immigrant ancestor of most of the persons bearing his family name, was one of the early settlers of Wethersfield, Connecticut, where he recorded his homestead in 1641, as a house, a born, and five acres of land, bounded by High Street, west, the Great Meadow, east, Thomas Standishe’s homestead, north, and Richard Crabbe’s homestead, south.  The dates of his birth, marriage and death, have never been discovered.  His wife was HONOR TREAT, daughter of Richard Treat, whose second wife Alice Gaylord, was (may have been, scratched out and was inserted) her mother.  It has not been proven that Honor was his first wife, nor that she was the mother of all of his children, although it is probable.  In his will of 13 Feb 1668, Richard Treat makes the following bequest:  “Item:  My debts being paid, I give to my loving sons John Demon, and Robert Webster, equally, all the rest of my goods and chattels whatsoever, except Mr. Perkins book, which I give to my son John Demon, and my great bible to my daughter Honor Demon.  And that money in my cousin Samuel Welles, his hand, unto my cousin David Deming, son of John Demon senior [18] .”  This obscure clause seems to indicate that there was a John Demon senior, as well as John Demon the son-in-law, and suggests the possibility that the father of John Deming of Wethersfield was

 

Page 4:

also named John.  This is stated as a fact by Hinman, without giving authority, and the theory is further supported by the statements of the compiler of the Welles Genealogy, and other genealogists.  Treat refers to David Deming as his cousin, and indicates the same relationship with Samuel Welles, who is presumably the son of Gov. Thomas Welles, who married Elizabeth Deming, said to have been a sister of John Deming.  It would thus appear that the Treats, Welles, and Deming’s were connected in some way, perhaps before their removal to America .  This is the only clew [sic] to the parentage of John Deming, and may ultimately lead to its final discovery.

 

            It has been stated by some genealogists that John Deming was among the very first settlers of Wethersfield in 1635, and such is probably the case, but the proof is lacking.  His first appearance upon the public records of the colony, after recording his homestead, was in 1642, March 2^nd, when he was one of the jury of the “particular court.”  In 1645, Dec 1^st, he appears among the deputies as Jo. Demon, and in 1656 as John Dement, when as a deputy, he is appointed one of a committee, “to give the best safe advice they can to the Indians.”  In 1657, May 21^st, he appears as a deputy to the General Court, as John Deming, and the following year as John Dement.  He was a deputy at various courts until 1667, under various names, the name Deming prevailing at the last.  He was also a litigant in several lawsuits.  He is one of those named in the famous charter of Connecticut , in which King Charles granted to them and to those who should afterwards become associated with them, the lands of the Connecticut , “in free and common socage,” and established a colonial government with unusual privileges.

            Across the river from Wethersfield , and within its boundaries, lay the “Naubuc Farms,” afterwards incorporated

 

Page 5:

into the town of Glastonbury .  Here among the first to obtain a lot, was John Deming in the year 1640, his name appearing as John Demion [19] .  It is not at all likely that he ever lived here, for he had a house in Wethersfield the following year, and he sold the land on the east side of the river to Samuel Wyllis before 1668.  He also owned land in Eastbury, for which he was taxed in 1673.  In 1669 he is listed among the freemen of Wethersfield , as John Deming Senior, together with John Deming Junior, and Jonathan Deming.  He bought considerable land in Wethersfield at various times, some of which he gave to his sons before he died.  The actual date of his death has never been discovered.  He signed a codicil to his will Feb 3, 1692 , and this is the last recorded act of his life. When the public lands were allotted to the inhabitants in 1695, he did not draw a portion [20] .  It is probable that he died soon after 1692, although his will was not proved until 21 Nov 1705 , and Savage, and other genealogist have assumed that he lived until that year.

 

            No public record has been found of the births of the children of John Deming, but their names, as far as known, have been taken from his will, which is preserved in the Probate Court of Hartford.

 

Page 7:

            This old will is the one glimpse we have of the character of John Deming.  It reveals a spirit of piety, of love for his family and his friends, and the companionship of some of the best men in the colony.  It shows that he was a man of substance, well supplied with lands, and cattle; that he was equipped to work at some trade, which no doubt proved of service in the little colony when they first settled so far from the older towns on the coast.  We would like to know what that trade was, but the records are silent on that point.  Under the first will, David was to have the tools of the shop, and David, we know, was a rope-maker; but under the codicil to the will, these tools went to John Deming Junior, and whether he continued in his father’s trade or not, we are not informed.  At the time this will was written, John Deming must have been over seventy years old, and we many picture him in his last days among his children and grandchildren, reading from his old Geneva bible, or talking with his old friends and neighbors of the trials and hardships of the early days of the settlement.  As his wife is not mentioned in his will, it is probable that she died first.  The church records of Wethersfield show among the members in 1694 “Jon. Deming Jr’s widow.”  It is hard to tell to whom this refers, unless to the widow of John Deming the first settler, but it is more probable that some other person

 

 

Page 8:

 is meant.  Eunice Standish and her sister Sarah mentioned in the will as cousins, were daughters of Thos. Standish, whose land adjoined Deming’s.  The connection of this family with Capt. Miles Standish of the Plymouth colony, has not been discovered.  It would be interesting to learn how close was the relationship between the Deming and Standish families.

 

            That John Deming was a prominent man in the affairs of the Connecticut Colony, cannot be doubted, and his apparent association by kinship and friendship with those whom we look upon as among the founders of New England, indicates that he was a man of more than ordinary intelligence, and possessed of some education.  It is to be hoped that future investigation may bring to light more information than we now have regarding his life in America , and the history of his birth and ancestry in his mother country.

 

            Trumbull speaks of John Deming as one of the fathers of Connecticut [21] , and Hinman says of him, that in 1654 he held the office of Constable of Wethersfield, an office which proved that he was in the full confidence of the Governor [22] .  His name frequently appears upon the records of the colony with the prefix “Mr.,” a courtesy paid only to men of some prominence.  The same authority states that he was a representative at fifty sessions of the General Court, while in Hollister’s roll of deputies, he is credited with nineteen sessions [23] .  It is certain that he bore his full share in the upbuilding of the colony, serving his country as the opportunity presented itself, and setting an example of good citizenship, which as born fruit in the loyalty and patriotism of many of his descendants during many generations.

 

Page 9:

CHILDREN OF JOHN DEMING:

 

(2) JOHN, b. 9 Sep 1638 .

3   JONATHAN, b. about 1639.

     A daughter [24] , b. about 1643, m. a Beckley of Wethersfield.

     RACHEL, b. about 1644, m. 16 Nov 1665 , John Morgan of Wethersfield .

4   SAMUEL, b. about 1646.

     MARY, b. about 1648, m. (about, crossed out) 1670, John Hurlburt of Wethersfield .

     MERCY [25] , b. about 1651, m. Thos. (or Jos.) Wright of Wethersfield, and d. 17 Dec 1714 ,    s. p. (without issue).

5   DAVID, b. about 1652.

     SARAH, b. about 1654, m. Samuel Moody of Hartford , and d. 29 Sep 1717 , in Hadley ,  Mass.

6   EBENEZER, b. about 1659.