Hyde, Squire (abt 1762-1847) Plainsfield, CT

What we know about Squire Hyde comes primarily from the Barbour Collection, which states that he was born in Killingly, CT around 1767 and died in Plainfield, CT in 1847.

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Was his name actually Squire, or was this a nickname? “Squire” was not a common first name, but there were dozens of men named Squire in the Colonies, as well as a few instances of those who adopted it as a nickname. It may occasionally have indicated a connection to the Squier or Squire/s families.
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Squire Hide and Hannah Montgomery were married April 22, 1789. Hanna’s parents were Robert Montgomery (b 1740, Voluntown) and Hannah “Uln”. Uln is meant to represent “unknown last name”. The thing is, despite all the shortcomings and contradicting data in the Barbour Collection, the information is easy to manipulate to find answers. Hannah Montgomery is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Sterling, Windham County, CT and her birthdate, June 25th, 1744 is on the stone. There was only one Hannah born in the vicinity on exactly that date, and she was Hannah Perkins, born June 25th, 1744 at Coventry, Kent, Rhode Island (RI vital records, Kent Co), approximately 20 miles away. Her parents were Ebenezer Perkins and Abigail Pratt. As Squire Hyde and his wife Hannah owned land in Coventry, RI, it is likely that Hannah Perkins was her mother. Land, tax and wills should confirm.
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Vital Record of Rhode Island: 1636-1850 : First Series : Births …, Volume 20
By James Newell Arnold shows “HYDE Betsey, daughter of Squire, of Coventry, and Ira Colvin, at Coventry, Dec. 20, 1810. Hyde, John, Jr., and Julia Delmore Whiting, both of Lancaster, Mass, in this (same) town, July 1, 1816. Hyde, Phylura, of Brooklyn, Ct., and Giles Woodworth, of Killingly, at Brooklyn, American of Dec. 12, 1823. Hyde, Louisa Ann, (daughter of Squire Hyde) of Killingly, Ct., and Eliphal D. Tarbox, of Brooklyn, Ct., at Killingly, American of July 12, 1825.”
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Was Squire Hyde married twice? We return to the Barbour Collection:
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“HYDE, HIDE:
Elisha (Squire’s son), m. Harriet We(a)ver, b. of Sterling, Nov. 7, (1825), by George W. Appleton; 1; 185
Hannah, of Sterling, (poss Squire’s daughter) m. Henry Sweet, of Scituate, R.I., Feb. 10, 1828, by Elder George Appleton; 1; 197
Ira, (Squire’s son) of Sterling, m. Lucretia Nowel, of Plainfield, Dec. 27, 1827, by Elder George W. Appleton; 1; 199
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Genealogist Roland Baker III, in a note published on Ancestry.com, shows that Mary “Polly ” Weaver married Luther Butts 1798 Brooklyn, CT. On 21 Feb 1821, the Norwich Courier (Norwich, CT Vol XXV Issue 16 page 4) prints notice of her petition to divorce for abandonment, filed 6 Jan 1821 in what is presumably Canterbury CT. Further, when one reviews the Plainfield records, one sees a marriage on the second page between “_________ Hyde, of Sterling, and Polly Butts of Plainfield, 11 June 1831 by Peleg Peckham, Elder of Rhode Island.”  Hannah Montgomery Hyde passed away in 1828. In the 1840 census, Squire appears with his wife and son.

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Hannah Hyde is buried in the Oneco Cemetery in Hartford Co, CT, along with several other family members.
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Mary “Polly” Hyde, second wife of Squire Hyde, died Nov. 7, 1861, age 80 yrs and is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Moosup, Plainfield, CT, with many of her relatives. Prior to her death she lived with her grandson, John Bennett and his wife Martha.
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Who were Squire Hyde’s parents? Was he really born in Killingly? It’s not clear. Connecticut is a Hyde-heavy crossroads, with the descendants of early 17th century arrivals, brothers Samuel and Jonathan of MA, Humphrey of Fairfield and William of Norwich all mixing with later immigrants. There are a lot of records, and it’s easy to get things confused. Two Hyde families might be living quite close to one another and not be related. A brief glance at Canturbury, Windham County birth records shows a Percis born at Killingly 13 Oct 1752, parents Jabez Hyde and Hannah Bacon, but I would discourage anyone from assuming this is Squire’s family, as Jabez died in 1758. Massachusetts town and vital records for Newton appear to suggest that Persis, same parents, was born 1752 in Newton, MA. This can seem misleading, but the lack of day and month suggests it was copied from another source, and both still backtrack to the immigrant ancestor Jonathan Hyde of MA. Squire most likely was born at Killingly, and a close look at land, tax and church records should eventually turn up the details of his parents and extended family.
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Marilyn of the Killingly Historical Society was kind enough to provide the following: 15 June 1780 Abiel and Mary Hyde of Norwich, CT, along with David Hosmer of Killingly sell 2/3rd of 3 acres of land in Killingly to Pain Converse, Jr. of Killingly. This land bounds Capt. Stephen Keith, & Lt. Jacob Converse… witnesses Ebenezer Hyde & Elijah Backus. (Ann’s note: Abiel Hyde married Mary Hosmer, Abiel’s brother was Ebenezer. Parents James Hyde and Sarah Marshall. They are of the William of Norwich line. There were three Isaacs associated with this line.)
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Joseph Hides of Killingly sold land to Jonathan Woodward 17 Sept 1720. Note that James Hide b 1732 Canturbury CT married Miriam/Myriam Woodward. Joseph, James and Persis (daughter of Jabez, above) all descend from Jonathan Hyde of MA, more specifically through James Hyde b 1683 who married Mary Utter bc 1689.
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Voluntown, William Hide Jr and Daniel Squier witness a deed 30 Mar 1726: http://www.ctgenweb.org/county/conewlondon/deeds/voluntown.html

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Squire Hyde in Censuses:

1790 – Voluntown, Windham, CT males 16 and over, 1. females, 3. total 4.
1800 – Sterling, Plainfield, Windham, CT males: under 10, 2. 10-15, 1. 26-44, 1. females: under 10, 1. 10-15, 1. 26-44, 1. Total 7. (2 household members over 25).
1810 – Coventry, Kent, RI males under 10, 2. 10-15, 1, 16-25, 1. 26-44, 1. Females under 10, 1. 10-16,1. 16-25, 1. 26-44, 1. total 9. (2 household members over 25)
1820 – Sterling, Windham CT males: under 10, 1. 10-15, 1. 16-18, 1. 16-25, 2. 45+, 1. females, 10-15, 1. 16-25, 1. 45+, 1. total 8.
1830 – not found.
1840 – Sterling, Windham, CT males 30-39, 1. 70-79, 1. females 60-69, 1. total 3

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Other Squire Hydes:

1. Note that a few online trees show Squire Swift Hyde as the son of Squire Hyde and Hannah Montgomery. He was not. I believe Squire S Hyde’s line *might* track back to Humphrey of Fairfield. He may be the son of Samuel Daniel Hyde Barbour records suggest Squire Swift Hyde was son of Roswell Hyde, son of Ebenezer b 1758 married Eliza Ann Davis – both Roswell and Samuel track back to same Ebenezer.  Also Squire S Hyde and Mary E of New Haven had a son Squire S Hyde of Milford who d Sep 1852.
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2. Squire/Squier Ide b 1751, Born MA, died VT.
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3. Squire Hyde and Eliza Ann Malloy/Milloy both of Union County, AR. Not yet placed. We believe, based on other Union County AR records involving the Hyde family, that Eliza’s surname is likely to have been Milligan or Millican and that Milloy may be a transcription error.
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4. Squire Hyde of Wells Township, Bradford County, PA (search in volume).

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5. Joshua Squire Hyde – son of Benjamin and Milly Hyde. Ed Hyde’s line.

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Additional links that may be useful:

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Biographical Record of Tolland and Windham Counties, CT (Hyde families, 148, 258, 301, 303, 824, 1051, 1280) https://archive.org/details/commemorativebio1903chic
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CT State Library Collections, New London (and other counties) search in page for “Hide” or “Hyde” http://ctstatelibrary.org/RG003_NLCC_Files.html
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Church records Voluntown https://books.google.com/books/about/First_Presbyterian_Church_Records_1723_1.html?id=tGVjNQEACAAJ
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Snapshot of CT towns/families – Hide/Hydes in Revolutionary War: https://books.google.com/books?id=2c4wvMNji00C&pg=PA722&lpg=PA722&dq=squire+hyde+connecticut&source=bl&ots=u3SoMNujlG&sig=r1jYKxAFUo7aTpLiLQti6ARoOU8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiitMX1ycbMAhVMPRoKHSzbCyMQ6AEIMDAI#v=onepage&q=Hide&f=false
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Organization and history of Killingly (and other CT towns) http://www.connecticutgenealogy.com/windham/organization_of_killingly.htm
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Possible related families, BMD:
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Windham births: http://genealogytrails.com/conn/windham/birthsHIJ.html
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Cemeteries with Hydes in Windham: http://www.ctgenweb.org/county/cowindham/records/cemetery/brooklyn/brksouthcem.htm
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http://www.ctgenweb.org/county/cowindham/records/cemetery/plainfield/plfevergreencem.htm

5 comments

  • Ann, oohh wow. Dad will be thrilled at the new leads to follow. Thank you for all your work. Marilyn at the KHS has been a real help to me lately. Ellen

  • Found Squire’s 1810 census record. He was in Coventry, RI. The record has been transcribed as “Squire Kade” but it is clearly “Hide” and the numbers are right.

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