FIRST GENERTION
"WILLIAM FOWLER, the magistrate", came to America, landing in Boston, [MA, USA] June 26, 1637 from England, [UK]. [History Milford in N.H. Co., Rockey, p. 218.] He left Boston March 30, 1638, removing with Mr. Davenport and others to Quinnipiac (New Haven) [i.e., New Haven, New Haven County, CT], arriving there in about a fortnight. He lived there a year or more, [History of New England, Palfrey, p. 639], his name being on first tax list, "number 43, 3 in family; estate £boo; 47 acres in first Division, 9/ in neck, 41% in Meadow; and 166 acres in second Division". [History City of New Haven, Atwater, p. 639.]
"William Fowler was at the famous meeting in Mr. Newman's barn, June 4, 1639, when the constitution of the New Haven Colony was adopted, and he subscribed to that agreement. [Palfrey, N.E. Hist., p. 639.] He afterward removed to Milford, [New Haven County, CT], where the first purchase by the whites was made February 12, 1639. The deed in trust for the planters was given to William Fowler, Edmund Tapp [the father of Sarah (Tapp) Neeld, William's wife] and three others".
"At town meeting, November 20, 1639, it was voted that William Fowler, Edmund Tapp, Zachariah Whitman, John Astwood and Richard Miles be the first Judges". In 1643 William Fowler was still Judge. [Milford, N.H. Co., p. 218.] "In 1644 William Fowler and Edmund Tapp were those chosen for the first magistrates for the General Court at New Haven". [Palfrey, N.E., Vol. II, p. 391.] "The Church of Christ at Milford was first gathered at New Haven uppon August 22, 1639. The persons first joyning in the formation were those whose names are next under mentioned: Peter Prudden, Zacariah Whitman, William Fowler, John Astwood, Edmund Tapp, Thomas Buckingham, Thomas Welsh." To these "seven pillars" other members were added. William Fowler was one of those deputed to "lay hands on" Rev. Peter Prudden at his installation. [Rockey, N.H. Co., Vol. II, pp. 218, 248.]
In 1640 the "Train Band" or local militia was formed: John Astwood, Captain; and William Fowler, Lieutenant. [Ibid, Vol. II, p. 263.]
"On March 8, 1640, the planters arranged with William Fowler, one of the five judges and one of the chief men among them, to have a mill, mill was 'set going' September, 1640, it was worth at least £18o, and was the first in the country, the second one was started in New Haven, by William Fowler, Jr., in 1645". [Rockey, N.H. Co., Vol. II, p 264.]
William Fowler's home lot in 1645 was number 41 and John Fowler's number 51. [Ibid, p. 66.]
"William Fowler died January 25, 1661. His will, presented in 1661 by his son William, was not recorded and cannot be found. He was enrolled at New Haven as having property to the amount of £800. His house lot in Milford was 7 acres, 2 quarters. He is reported to have enjoyed the advantages of a liberal education, had a high reputation for wisdom and piety, and had the confidence of the Colony as a magistrate. He acted as magistrate from 1643 to 1654". [Palfrey, N.E., p. 638.]
William's estate in Milford must have been the one spoken of in the following document, if the New Haven property was worth £800.
"The last will & tcstamt of Mr Willm Fowler of Milford deceased, was prsented as prooued in court at Milford, by Mr Robt Treate, John Fletcher and Wiltm Fowler junior witnesses, dated the eighteenth of January 166o An inventory alsoe of the estate Mr Willm Fowler deceased prsented taken the 8th of February 1660 prized by Mr Alexander Bryan and Michaelle Tompkins amounting to ye sume of 4o8a 13° 09d prooued in court & before the magistrat at Milford March the first & seventh 1660/62. Rich Baldwin
Secret." [Records of the Colony of New Haven, 1653-1664, p. 449.]
CHILDREN
SARAH, d. y.
WILLIAM, Jr.
SARAH.
AMBROSE.
JOHN, m. Mary Hubbard; d. Sept. 14, 1676.
SECOND GENERATION
John Fowler came with his father and Mr. Prudden to Milford, [New Haven County, CT, USA], in 1639, is mentioned on the first list of planters made on settlement of the town, and is supposed to have come from Wethersfield, CT, USA. He moved to Guilford [New Haven County, CT] before 1648, as he is mentioned there by that time. He was freeman on June 30, 1650.
John Fowler married Mary Hubbard (daughter of George Hubbard), and in his new home became a man of note. He lived in New Haven on the corner of Broad and Fair Streets.
John Fowler was one of the earliest Assistant Magistrates chosen 1661, and he continued in office until the union with Connecticut Colony, in 1664. He was re-elected for the next two years, until 1666, when the County Court was organized. [Rockey, Vol. II, p. 116.]
John Fowler was Deputy to New Haven Colony Court, first and second sessions of 1661, extra session of January, 1664, and summer session of 1664. After the colonies of New Haven and Connecticut united, John was Deputy to General Court of Connecticut, first session in 1665, first and second sessions in 1666, first and second session in 1667, first and second sessions in 1668, first session in 1669, second session in 1670, second session in 1671, first and second sessions in 1672, first and second sessions in 1673, second session in 1674, first and second sessions in 1675, and special session in 1675.
John was chosen sole deacon in First Church from August 3, 1664, to 1673; and deacon until his death, September 14, 1676. [Smith's Hist. Guilford, pp. 13, 18, 24, 64, 105, 154, 156, 157, 158, 181.]
In I658 John Fowler was appointed "to receive the customs and excises of wines and liquors for that and several succeeding years". [New Haven Col. Rec. II, pp. 230, 300.]
"February 22, 1668-9, Will Island was granted to John Fowler". [Ibid.]
March 20, 1671, "The towne appointed Deacon John Fowler and John Scranton, Sr., to join with the townsmen and lay out 30 acres of upland and 20 acres of marsh to be kept improved for the benefit of a school".
"March 9, 1676, the towne voted there should be two garrisons, one at Rev. Mr. Elliott's, the other at Deacon John Fowler's, during King Philip's War".
For John Fowler's services to the town "the Legislature granted him one hundred (100) acres of land in Coginchang (Durham). [William Fowler Magistrate, by W. C. Fowler, p. 4].
John Fowler's will, drawn April 19, 1670, codicil of September 1676, proved June 12, 1677, is in Vol. I. New Haven Probate Records. His inventory showed real estate £4o5 3s. 11 d. ; personal estate, £20618s. 11d.; total, £612 2S.; Iod. John Fowler died September 14, 1676. Mary Hubbard Fowler, died April 13, 1713.
"In 1672 John Fowler's list was L160 7s., the largest in the town, Governor Leete's [the grandfather of Deacon Pelatiah Leete who was the husband of Abigail Fowler, below, the fourth generation daughter of third generation Abraham Fowler] being £ 160 only. He had between 400 and 500 acres of valuable land in Guilford, and was one of the most wealthy of the inhabitants. He was at his death magistrate and the most eminent man in the town."
CHILDREN
ABIGAIL, b. Dec. 1648 ; d. 1651.
MARY, b. Dec. 15, 1650; d. Oct. 15, 1670; d. s.
ABRAHAM, b. Aug. 29, 1652; m. Elizabeth Bartlett d. Dec. 5, 1720.
JOHN, b. 1654.
MEHITABLE, b. 1656 d. s., March 18, 1751.
ELIZABETH, b. April 30, 1638; d. s.
THIRD GENERATION
Abraham Fowler, born August 29, 1652 ; married August 29, 1677, Elizabeth Bartlett (daughter of George), b. March, 16S3 ; died October 4, 1742.
"The elder Abraham Fowler was one of the most important men of the town in his day, representing it in the General Courts and serving it until his death. The last eight years of his life he was a member of the Governor's Council". [Rockey, Vol. II, p. 70.]
Abraham Fowler was selectman in Guilford 1681. Mr. Abraham Fowler was a Representative in the second session of 1697. Ensign Abraham Fowler was a Representative for the first and second sessions of 1698. Lieut. Abraham Fowler was a Representative for the second session of 1699, the first and second sessions of 1701, and the first and second session of 1702. Captain Abraham Fowler was a Representative for the first and second sessions in 1703, the first and second session of 1704, the second session of 1705, the first and second sessions in 1706, the first and second sessions of 1707, the first session in 1708, the second session of 1709, the first and second sessions of 1710, the second session of 1711, and the first session in 1712. In 1712 Captain Abraham Fowler was chosen Assistant, and he continued in that office till his death, in 1720. [Steiner's Guilford, pp. 113, 199, 347, 473, 513.]
"On April 24, 1705, Capt. Abraham Fowler was appointed with others to lay out Cohabitation Land." On April 28, 1701-2, Lieut. Abraham Fowler and Ensign Nathaniel Stone carried the petition for a church in East Guilford to the General Assembly.
In 1717 Capt. Abraham Fowler was chairman of the first school committee appointed in Guilford. In 1705 he was made magistrate and justice in Guilford. Abraham was re-elected in 1707, 1708, 1709, 1710, 1711, 1712, 1719, and 1720. [Rockey, Smith, Hist. of Guilford, pp. 145, 151, 162, 163.]
Abraham Fowler also was one of the Judges of the higher courts, having jurisdiction in matters of chancery. He was "Assistant from 1712 to 1720, and was also one of the justices of the County Courts of New Haven, in which position he was distinguished for his firmness and good judgment". [Ibid, pp. 123, 124.]
Besides his being Captain of the Military Band at home, Abraham was a Sergeant in King Philip's War, and was wounded. The Colonial Records say: "Upon the motion of Sergeant Abram Fowler that the court should consider his disablement by reason of his wounds he received by the enemy in the country's service, they having considered the same, granted him the sum of four pounds in full satisfaction for his service, and damage received by said wound." [Smith Hist..]
Abraham Fowler died December 5, 1720. Elizabeth Bartlett Fowler, born March 1653, died October 4, 1742.
. . . . . [Note: a reference in the original text to "John Fowler's list", was moved to the section above dealing with John Fowler.]
CHILDREN
ABIGAIL; [m. Deacon Pelatiah Leete, the grandson of Gov. William Leete].
MARY.
ABRAHAM, Jr., b. 1683 ; m. Elizabeth Hubbard, March 4, 172O; d. Oct. 11, 1754.
EBENEZER.
DANIEL.
JOSIAH.
CALEB.
ELIZABETH, b. 1694; m. Andrew Ward; d. Feb. 26, 1794.
SOURCE: Fifty Puritan Ancestors, 1628 - 1660, Genealogical Notes, 1650 - 1900, by Elizabeth Todd Nash, Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, New Haven, CT (1902). [Empasis in part supplied and in part in the original; edited.]