Fowler, Ambrose Sr
Ambrose FOWLER Sr (bef 1623 - 1704) and Joan ALFORD (bef 1623 - 1684)
my 8g-grandparents
Ambrose FOWLER Sr was probably the son of William FOWLER, Magistrate of the New Haven Colony. William arrived in Boston in Jun 1637, was in New Haven Colony by Apr 1638, and became one of the first settlers in Windsor, New Haven in the spring of 1639. Ambrose himself was in Windsor by 1640. [NEHGR]
The Colonies of New England
Ambrose was a follower of Rev. John WARHAM, who came from Dorchester, Mass., and located in New Haven Colony in 1636. He served on a committee in 1641, Hartford Colony, to settle the bounds of Uncoway and Poquonnuck. In 1671 he sold his land in Windsor, and removed to Westfield, MA, along with John and Samuel FOWLER, probably his brothers, where they were among the first settlers of that community.
In the winter of 1675, Westfield, at the outbreak of King Philip's War, Ambrose FOWLER's house and barn were burnt by marauding Indians. One week later, Walter LEE's barn was burned. Both men were my 8g-grandfathers, albeit in different parts of my tree! (They were both 5g-grandfathers of my g-grandfather, George EATON.)
1755 map showing Windsor, north of Hartford on the Connecticut River, and Westfield.
Ambrose married Joan ALFORD (or Jane ALVORD) on 6 May, 1646 in Windsor, about 2 months after the birth of their 1st child. Joan was baptized on 8 Dec 1622 in Whitestaunton, Somerset, England, the daughter of Thomas ALVORD and Joan HAWKINS. She emigrated with her brother, Benedict, by 1637. [NEF, Vol. I p. 1667]
Since Joan was baptized on 8 Dec 1622, she was born before that date. Ambrose was probably an adult when his name appeared in records in 1640, so he was probably born before Joan. For simplicity, let's say they were both born before 1623.
Joan died on 22 May, 1684, and Ambrose died 18 Oct. 1704. They had 7 children, all born in Windsor.
1 Ambrose FOWLER d: 18 Oct 1704
+ Joan Jane ALFORD m: 06 May 1646 in Windsor, CT, d: 22 May 1684 in Westfield, Hampden, MA
......2 Abigail FOWLER b: 01 Mar 1646 in Windsor, CT
...... + Increase SIKES m: 22 Mar 1670/71 in Springfield, Hampden, MA
......2 John FOWLER b: 06 Nov 1648 in Windsor, CT
...... + Mercy MILLER
......2 Mary FOWLER b: 15 May 1650 in Windsor, CT
...... + Fearnot KING m: 14 May 1677, d: 01 Feb 1702
......2 Samuel FOWLER b: 18 Nov 1652 in Windsor, CT
...... + Abigail BROWN b: 1662
......2 Hannah FOWLER b: 20 Dec 1654 in Windsor, CT
...... + James SEXTON
......2 Elizabeth FOWLER b: 02 Dec 1656 in Windsor, CT, d: Aft. 1692 ; unmarried
......2 Ambrose FOWLER b: 08 May 1658 in Windsor, CT, d: 01 Jul 1712 in Westfield, Hampden, MA
...... + Mary BAKER m: 11 Sep 1693
Abigail BROWN, wife of Samuel FOWLER, was among 13 children of Peter BROWN, of Windsor. Peter was an ancestor of John BROWN, the abolitionist. His father, Peter BROWN Sr, came to America on the Mayflower in 1620. [NEF, Vol. I, p. 6]
1 Peter BROWN d: 1633 ; imm. on Mayflower, 1620
......2 Peter BROWN b: 1632, d: 09 Mar 1692 in Windsor, CT
.........3 Abigail BROWN b: 1662
......... + Samuel FOWLER b: 18 Nov 1652
............4 Isabel FOWLER b: 1 Feb 1700, d: 27 Dec 1723
............ + Ezra STRONG b: 14 Oct 1697, m: 14 Dec 1720
.........3 John BROWN
............4 John BROWN
...............5 John BROWN
..................6 Owen BROWN
.....................7 John "The Abolitionist" BROWN
Sources
[ED] A historical sketch of Westfield (1826) by Emerson Davis
[NEF] New England families, genealogical and memorial; a record of the achievements of her people in the making of commonwealths and the founding of a nation (1914-6) by William Richard Cutter Vol I Vol II Vol III Vol IV Vol V
[NEHGR] A Genealogical Memoir of the Descendants of Ambrose Fowler of Windsor, CT, in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. XI, 1857, July, pp. 247-54
Updated 25 Aug 2020 by William Haloupek. Contact haloupek at gmail dot com.