12840. Jeffrey FERRIS
He married three times. He married Mary. Mary died May 31, 1658 in Stamford, Fairfield Co, CT.(4) <../sources.htm> "The name of Jeffrey's first wife and mother of his known children remains unknown. Much research has been done and speculation abounds, but the actual documentation, such as a page of the Stamford Town Records which contains her death record is worn away. What is legible id her death date of May 31, 1658. On the tombstone her name has weathered away leaving only 'Mary -----ne". There are some who think her maiden name was Browne, Thorne, or Bowne; a case can be made for each because of connections with those families and Jeffrey, but no proof exists. Several sources list Judy Burns and/or Ann Milton or Anne Howard - there is no documentation for these names." (See Jim Ferris's account at p. 1 of his Ferris History).
He married Susannah Norman in Stamford, Fairfield Co, CT, abt May 1661.(5) <../sources.htm> Susannah was born in England 1612.(6) <../sources.htm> She was the daughter of Richard Norman and Unknown. She married Robert Lockwood. Susannah died December 23, 1661 in Greenwich, Fairfield Co, CT.(7) <../sources.htm> A. A. Knapp and Spencer Mead indicate Susannah's death was on Dec. 23, 1660.
He married Judith Feake in Greenwich, Fairfield Co, CT, abt 1662.(8) <../sources.htm> Judith was born in London, Middlesex, England 1621.(9) <../sources.htm> She was the daughter of James Feake and Audrey Crompton. She married John Bowers in Greenwich, Fairfield Co, CT, abt 1666.(10) <../sources.htm> She married *William Palmer in Watertown, Middlesex Co, MA, bef December 5, 1639.(11) <../sources.htm> Judith died May 31, 1666 in Greenwich, Fairfield Co, CT.(12) <../sources.htm> "Jeffry Ferris was b. in Leicestershire, England about 1610 and came to America about 1634. His widow, Susannah, had a dau. Mary by first marriage perhaps - perhaps by second." (See NKG at p. 4). "He was made a freeman at Boston, May 6, 1635; removed to Wethersfield Connecticut (owned 45 acres which he sold to John Deming); and from there to Stamford, Connecticut, in 1640/1 where he was among the first settlers of that town. He is on the list of those who paid for the survey, and received ten acres at the first assignment of land. Jeffrey was included on a list of pioneers living at Stamford at the end of 1642 as Jeffry Ferris. He later settled with the bounds of the present Town of Greenwich and in 1656 was one of the eleven Greenwich men who petitioned to be accepted under the New Haven Jurisdiction, where he died May 31, 1666." (See "Descendants of Jeffrey Ferris" by Jim G. Ferris at p. 1, AFN:K7FQ-B5).
Jeffrey Ferris was "over six feet tall, with blue eyes and red hair, he was a typical middle class Englishman, God-fearing, respectable, industrious and as later events proved, a good business man.
July 18, 1640, is the commonly accepted date for the founding of Greenwich because the Indian deed was signed on that day. Although historians are literally quite accurate when they assert that the settlement was established after the purchase, there are, nevertheless, a number of reasons for assuming that a few pioneers came here before July 1640.
As an addition to the purchase of Daniel Patrick and Robert Feaks, it is noted that 'Keofram hath soulde all his Right in ye above sd necks unto Jeffre Ferris.' This notation suggests that Goodman Ferris was here transacting a deal with the Indian Chief Keofferam before the coming of Daniel Patrick and Robert Feaks. When signing his mark, Sachem Keofferam made the picture of a block house with a projection or look-out box. In front and behind the house he drew lines which may have been an indication of plowed ground.
Indian signatures were really picture writing, and the marks usually depicted something significant in relation to the document which was signed. Such being the case, it is quite likely that there actually was a block house on this land bought by Jeffrey, and of course this house was his home. If so, it must have been built before July 1640." (See "Greenwich Old & New" as noted by Jim G. Ferris in his History of the descendants of Jeffrey Ferris).