JOSHUA CHAFFEE, son of Joel and Elizabeth (Bicknell) Chaffee was born in Rehoboth, MA, May 26, 1731, and died in Ellsworth, CT, October 2, 1789; married in Mansfield (Sharon) CT, July 2, 1755, Mary, daughter of Matthew and Mary Elmer St. John, of Sharon. she was born in Wilton, CT, Sept. 25, 1739; died August 28, 1829.

Joshua Chaffee was a farmer, and moved to Sharon in 1755 shortly after marriage. April 20, 1757, Matthew St. John of Sharon sold "for love, good will and affection" to his daughter, Mary, and son-in-law Joshua, twelve acres of land in that town, and April 18, 1758, he sold them thirteen acres more. He also bought and sold other pieces of land there. Sept. 1, 1760, he bought of Peter Livingston land in Ellsworth, north of the Sharon-South Ellsworth Road, and moved his family from town to farm there.

His name appears as one of the company of householders from Sharon, on a roll of Captain Eliphalet Holmes' company of Minute Men of East Hadam, raised in May, 1776, by order of the "Capt. General" (Connecticut Men in the Revolution). He was made Freeman in Sharon, October 16, 1777. He made his will Feb 14, 1787, and in it names as his heirs, his wife Mary; sons Joel, Matthew and Joshua Bignall; his daughters Betty, Mary, Lucy, Vinie, Olive, Lettice and Julia; his son Joel being made executor. He and his wife are buried in Ellsworth, where their tombstones bear the following epitaph: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain".

Children, all born in Sharon (Ellsworth), CT:

i. Elizabeth (Betty) Chaffee, born May 11, 1757; died October 27, 1844; married (1) in Sharon, Jan. 2, 1777, Asa Chapman of New Concord, Chatham, NY; he died soon after and she married (2) in Ellsworth, Nov. 11, 1779, Isaiah, son of Ebenezer and Lucy (Moulton) Everitt; he was born in Sharon, April 12, 1753, and died in Ellsworth, August 4, 1834; a farmer; both were buried in Ellsworth.

ii. Joel Israel, born July 2, 1759; died in Ellsworth Feb. 17, 1844; married (1) Jan 1, 1784, Rachel Booth (with whom he had two children), who died in Sharon, Apr.21, 1786, and is buried there; he married (2) Feb 4, 1787, Dolly Hyde (with whom he had seven children, the youngest being Joel St. John Chaffee), who died in Ellsworth, Sept 18, 1810, and is buried there; he married (3) Sept. 20, 1813, Mrs. Eleanor (Stuart) Brown, who died Jan. 21, 1859, aged eighty-nine and is buried in Ellsworth.

iii. Mary, born June 10, 1762; died Aug 12, 1833; married William W. Hyde.

iv. Lucy, born Feb 12, 1765; died Oct. 29, 1827; married Stephen Eaton, a farmer in Perinton, NY, where both are buried.

v. Matthew, born Dec. 12, 1767; died in Ellsworth, Nov. 13, 1789; unmarried

vi. Lovina (Vinie), born Dec. 26, 1770; died July 4, 1839; married, Dec.10, 1789, Elijah Abel of Sharon.

vii. Olive, born Oct. 17, 1774; died ; married (1) Joshua Studley, Jr.; (2) Amos Seymour

viii. Lettice, born Sept. 3, 1777; died in Perinton, NY; married Nathan Norton.

ix. JOSHUA BIGNALL, born March 8, 1781; died March 11, 1832 and buried in Ellsworth; married (1) June 4, 1809, Anna Seymour, (2) Dec. 25, 1820, Hannah Birdsey.

x. Julia, born March 10, 1786; died in Kent, CT, Jan 20, 1838; married George Bull, a widower of Kent; they had no children.

From 1909 CHAFFEE GENEALOGY, p.116; compiled by H. L. Chaffee, Jan 8, 1928