William Whiting, colonial settler, b.1605, d.1647

It is unknown when William and Susannah arrived in the colonies. They settled in Hartford, CT by 1636; their home lot was on the east side of what is now Governor Street. William had several trading houses on the Delaware River, Long Island and one at Westfield, MA. In 1638 he was allowed to trade with the Indians and began exporting corn and other grains to England and Virginia with his partner Governor Hopkins. On March 20, 1639, the town granted William and others "liberty to sett upe a Mill upon the litle River."William was admitted freeman in February 1640 and in 1641 he was elected as the treasurer of the colony of Connecticut, an office he held the rest of his life. William provided some of the provisions for the troops against the Pequot Indians in the Narragansett and Niantics War in Sept 1645. Afterward "in 1646 a plot was laid by Sequasson, Sachem of the Naticks, to kill Governor Haynes, Hopkins and Mr. Whiting on account of the just and faithful protection which these gentlemen had afforded Uncas. The plot was disclosed by a friendly Indian and the danger averted."His first will, dated 20 March 1643, described how he was about to travel across the sea. He left his "loving wife" half of his household "stuffe of all kinds" and one fourth part of his entire estate. He left his dwelling house and lands at Hartford to Susannah until their eldest son reached the age of 21. If she was still his widow, she could have one half of the house and land for life. Another will, dated in 1646, mentioned he was again intending to take a voyage. He showed his generosity by leaving twenty pounds to the church, five pounds towards the mending of the highways between his home and the Meeting House, and five more to "some godly poore in the Town." When William died his estate was one of the largest in the colonies.

ref: Hartford Town VotesRegister of Connecticut Society Colonial AmericaPublic Records of the Colony of ConnecticutAutobiography of William Seymour Tyler, DD, LL.D
Footnotes
Websites, http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~wadhams/pafn52.htm#903 quotes Peter Whiting in his gen of.

James Savage, Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, Before 1692, vol 4: wm whitin.

New England Historic Genealogical Society.

William b. 1605, Boxford, Sussex, England
m. 1635, Hartford, CT
d. 24 Jul 1647, Hartford, CT