© Alison C. Wallner  1 July 2002 All Rights Reserved.  This article represents original research. Feel free to use this material for your own research purposes, but please respect the copyright and do not reproduce, rewrite, publish or redistribute any portion of it without my permission. Thank you!

                    JOHN FANCHER      
Of Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut
& Pound Ridge, Westchester County, New York
                By Alison C. Wallner

The first mention of John Fancher in Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut Town Records is the    appearance of his name on a list of freeman, dated 30 March 1734¹.  In 1735 John Fancher then begins to appear on the Stamford Grand Lists. The Stamford tax records for this period have not survived, but the extant Grand Lists are a summary of these taxes which were sent each year to the General Court.  In addition to 1735, John Fancher is also recorded in the Stamford Grand Lists in the years 1736, 1738, 1744, and 1754². The only other extant Grand List during period is for the year 1739. As it is believed that there are several pages missing from this record, the absence of John Fancher's name in the 1739 Grand List does not necessarily mean he was not present in Stamford that year.

These earliest Stamford records establish that John Fancher had become a member of that community sometime between the years 1734 and 1735. John Fancher's sister Hannah was married to Joseph Garnsey in Stamford on 6 June 1728³ and his brother Richard "Fanshaw" first appears in the Stamford Grand Lists in that same year. Because of the presence of two of his siblings six years earlier than he can be first documented, it is possible that John Fancher also may have been in Stamford as early as 1728.

John Fancher appears to have been the younger brother of both Richard (born ca. 1705) and Hannah Fancher (born ca. 1708). There is no record of his birth, but estimates based on the available evidence place his birth sometime between 1712 and 1716. If John Fancher was in Stamford in 1728, his estimated age of 12 to 16 years old would probably have made him too young at the time for his name to appear in any of the town records. While he may have been in Stamford with his siblings in 1728, the possibility remains that he did not actually arrive in Stamford until some time around 1734-1735.        

John Fancher married Eunice Bouton (Boughton), the daughter of John Bouton and Mercy Hickock. The Stamford Town Records record two different dates for their marriage:

                                                  John Fansher m. Eunice Button      Nov. 15, 1736 ³     
                                                  John Fansher m. Eunice Bouton     Nov. 19, 1736 ⁴     

The marriage was performed by Jonathan Hait (Hoit), a Justice of the Peace. Their marriage does not appear in the registers of either the Canaan Parish or Stamford Congregational Churches. 

The Canaan Parish Church was called the "Church of Christ in Canaan" during John Fancher's time, and this is the name which appears in the earliest church records. Although "New Canaan Church" is the name more commonly used in references to this church, and is the name given to the compilation of its records for the years 1733-1899 published by the Connecticut State Libary, the town name of "New Canaan" did not actually exist until 1801. The official name of the geographical territory set aside for the petitioners in 1731 with "parish privileges and liberty of forming themselves into a society" designated by the Connecticut General Assembly was "Canaan Parish." The Canaan Parish Church has always been Congregational and today is called the United Church of Christ.

The Canaan Parish Church records indicate that John "Fanshaw"and his wife Eunice Owned the Baptismal Covenant soon after their marriage.

                                  An account of those that owned their baptismal Covenant in Canaan
                                                                                                                    by me John Eells

                                           Jan. 22 A.D. 1737/8  John Fanshaw & Eunice his wife 5

Eunice (Bouton) Fancher's father, Deacon John Bouton, was one of the leading founding members of the Canaan Parish Church.   In the records relating to the establishment of the Canaan Parish Church, John Bouton figures prominently. There is no mention of John Fancher, or any Fancher, in these same records. It is of interest that Deacon John Bouton's daughter Eunice and John Fancher were married by a Justice of the Peace rather than being married by the minister of this church. Their firstborn child, John², was not baptized in the Canaan Parish Church, and John and Eunice "Fanshaw" did not become members of this church until 4 September 1748, twelve years after their marriage⁶. This delay between the time John Fancher arrived in the area, and actually became a member of the Congregational Church, echoes the pattern of William Fancher⁷ in Branford, New Haven County, Connecticut. William Fancher became of member of the Branford Congregational Church in July 1739, sixteen years after he had married and settled in Branford. (The births of William's children were all recorded in the Branford Town Records, none were baptized in the Branford Congregational Church.) And although Richard "Fanshaw"⁸ had his five youngest children baptized in the Canaan Parish Church beginning in 1734 (the two oldest children were baptized there three years or more after their births), there is no record of him, or his wife Martha, Owning the Baptismal Covenant or becoming members of this church.

In later years, John Fancher became known as "Deacon John Fancher"and apparently had become an active member of the Church. For a variety of reasons, some adults chose not to become members of the Canaan Parish church once it was formed. Ownership of Canaan Parish land, not church membership, determined who could vote in Society meetings, and so all landowners did not become members of the church.  (Mary Louise King, Portrait of New Canaan, (New Canaan, CT: New Canaan Historical Society, 1981) pg 25) Some families living within Canaan Parish chose to continue attending their original churches. It is possible that previously the Fanchers were members of another church in the area, possibly the Norwalk Congregational Church whose records have not survived, or the Stamford Congregational Church whose records prior to 1747 have been lost.

John and Eunice Fancher's first child, John², was born in 1737, and his birth was recorded in the Stamford Town Records:

                                             John   -   son of John and Eunice    Born July 15, 1737 ⁹     
                                                                                (No record of a baptism has been located.)

On 12 December 1739 Eunice and John "Fanshaw", with Eunice's siblings, conveyed their interest in land, which had belonged to their "honored mother Mercy Bouton now deceased, " to Benjamin Judd of Waterbury. (Jones and Jacobus, "Bouton Family of Norwalk", TAG 11:117. Waterbury, Conn., Deeds 5:158) The grantors were Daniel Bowton, John Bowton, Ebenezer Bowton, Jn^o Fanshaw, Eunice Fanshaw (her X mark), Eliphalet Slason, Mary Slason (her X mark), David Waterbury, and Mary Waterbury (her X mark).

The first to document the Fanchers was William Hoyt Fancher, in his book The Fancher Family, published in 1947¹⁰.   William Hoyt Fancher's statement that several of John and Eunice Fancher's children's baptisms are recorded in the "Stamford Congregational Church" is in error. The surviving records of this church begin in 1747, and there is only one record of this family that appears there - the marriage of John and Eunice's son David "Fanshaw" of Pound Ridge to Martha Bellamy of Stamford on 1 Jan 1769 (Stamford Cong. Church Records, 3:180, CSL Index used.)

The records of eight of their ten children's baptisms appear chronologically in the Canaan Parish Church records:

                             1739. Nov. 23             William, the son of John Fanshaw¹¹                                         
                                                                   (Born 13 November 1739¹²)

                             1742. June 6               Nathaneal, the son of John Fanshaw¹³                                     
                                                                   (Born 30 May 1742¹²)

                             1744. May 20              Abigail, daughter of John Fanshaw¹⁴                                       
                                                                   (Born 15 April 1744¹² )

                             1747. March 15              David, son of Joshua Fanshaw^{15, 16}                                              
                                                                  (Born 11 February 1747¹⁷⁾

                             1749. July 23              Joseph, twin with Eunice, son of John Fanshaw¹⁸                  
                                                                  (Birth not recorded in Stamford Vital Records)

                             1749. July 23              Eunice, twin of Joseph, daughter of John Fanshaw¹⁸            
                                                                            (Birth not recorded in Stamford Vital Records)

                             1752. Oct. 15              Mercy, daughter of John Fanshaw¹⁹                                         
                                                                    (Birth not recorded in Stamford Vital Records.)

                             1755. Aug. 10             Daniel, son of John Fanshaw²⁰                                                
                                                                 (Birth not recorded in Stamford Vital Records.)

A birth or baptismal record for their youngest son Elijah², who is thought to be born circa 1757, has never been located in any of the area church or town records. Elijah is named as one of John Fancher's seven sons in his Will. It is possible Elijah was born in Pound Ridge, Westchester County, New York, as his birth occurred around the same time the family moved to that location.

There have been seven Fanchers found in early records. There is evidence to support the theory that John Fancher was the sibling of Hannah Fancher (Stamford Connecticut 1728) and Richard Fancher (Stamford Connecticut 1728), as all three appear in Stamford around the same time. David Fancher (Stratford Connecticut 1746) and Joseph Fancher (Cape May New Jersey 1747) may also be siblings of John, Richard and Hannah. William (Branford Connecticut 1723) and Catherine (Branford Connecticut 1717) are believed to be brother and sister. A common surname connects these seven Fanchers, but to date no evidence has surfaced which would identify their relationships or link them all together as siblings.

The only indication that these Fanchers may have been siblings comes from their children's naming patterns. Based on the names of his children, and the naming patterns of the other Fancher's children, it is believed that John Fancher's father was probably named William. The name William appears with the most frequency, five of the six Colonial Fanchers named a son William. (The exception is Catherine Fancher. The names of any of Joseph Fancher's sons are unknown.) No other male given name appears in these families with this degree of frequency. Richard Fancher re-named a son William after the first had died, which usually indicated the importance of this given name in the family.

John is the only one of the Fancher siblings who can be established as able to sign his own name. He invariably used the spelling "FANSHER".  It is significant that John Fancher could sign his name, and that many of his land purchases in Stamford were substantial, probably indicating he had some significant financial resources at his disposal.

The surname spelling in the Canaan Parish records are all FANSHAW. The spelling in the Stamford Grand Lists are FANSHAW, and in the Stamford Land Records are FANSHAW, FANSHER and FANCHER. The spellings in Norwalk were FANSHER and FANCHER.  For the sake of consistency, the "Fancher" spelling commonly used today is also used here when referencing John. However, during John's lifetime, "Fancher" was the least common of these surname spellings. The vast majority of the records relating to John are primarily FANSHAW, or FANSHER.

John Fancher and Eunice (Bouton) Fancher had ten known children, as named in John Fancher's Will of 1 February 1779. The baptisms of their oldest son John and their youngest son Elijah do not appear in the Canaan Parish Congregational Church Records with their other eight children's baptisms. The births of their first five children (1737 to 1747) are recorded in the Stamford Town Records. The births of their last five children (1749 to 1756) are not recorded in these same records, although they were still living in Stamford at that time. No records relating to any of their children appear in the Stamford Congregational Church records. 

The Barbour Collection of Greenwich Town Records contain records of the family of Joseph "(Fancher) Fincher".  These Greenwich records are actually those of the family of Joseph Finch, and have no relationship to the Fanchers.

There has been no evidence found that would indicate John Fancher's presumed brother David was also in  Stamford. This is contrary to William Hoyt Fancher's statement that David was "living in Stamford, Conn. as early as 1730." David Fancher was probably in Stratford Connecticut by 1746, when he witnessed a Will. Before this date, no record of David Fancher has been located in town, tax, or church records in the Stamford area. Based on the available evidence, it appears that John, Hannah, and Richard may have been the only Fanchers living in Stamford during this period.

Land records for John Fancher do not begin until 1741. (See Appendix 1: Land Transactions).  John Fancher's first recorded deed in Stamford Connecticut was on 9 April 1741 when he purchased land at Brushy Ridge from Joshua Hait (Hoit) Jr²¹. In this deed John Fancher was called"Of Canaan Parish in ye Town of Norwalk", but in all subsequent deeds he was called "Of Stamford." There is no mention of John Fancher in the Norwalk Town Records, and no mention of land ownership in Norwalk prior to 1750. As he is recorded as a resident of Norwalk in 1741, it is possible his earliest deeds there may have been lost or never recorded.

On 16 and 18 February 1741/42 , Ebenezer Seeley made three land transfers and agreements regarding his property at the extreme northeast corner of Stamford, where the colony line or "Eight Mile Line" between Connecticut and New York and the "Perambulation Line" between Stamford and Norwalk came together to make that corner. One of those deeds was a transfer of rights to land in this corner of the town to Eliphalet Slason, John "Fanshawe", and Reuben Lockwood, jointly, for an unspecified amount²². This location within Stamford Connecticut - near the New York border - appears to have been John Fancher's residence for a period. (See Appendix 3: Canaan Parish Map)

                Ebenezer Seeley of Stamford sells to Elphalet Slason and John Fanshawe,
                both of Stamford, and Reuben Lockwood of North Castle, land on the boundary
               of Norwalk and Stamford in the Canaan Parish²².

(Elphalet Slason was John Fancher's brother-in-law. Slason was married to Eunice (Bouton) Fancher's older sister Mercy.)

This particular area is confusing and William Hoyt Fancher was mistaken when he originally wrote that John Fancher was in the Pound Ridge New York location in 1730. John Fancher's location in Stamford Connecticut and the year that he actually moved to Pound Ridge New York can be established by the evidence of numerous land records, tax records, and his militia record. Up to, and including, a 19 May 1757 warrant (Stamford LR's E:17) he is consistently recorded as "of Stamford" for more than fifteen years. On 10 January 1758, for the first time, John Fancher is called "of Old Pound Ridge". These two records narrow down the date that he moved to Pound Ridge New York as sometime between 19 May 1757 and 10 January 1758.

When Canaan Parish was created in 1731, it overlapped parts of both Stamford and Norwalk. The dividing line, or "Perambulation Line", between these towns indicated that Canaan Parish included more Norwalk territory than Stamford territory. Depending on where they lived, the Canaan Parish families (which would have included John Fancher) continued to be citizens of either Norwalk or Stamford Connecticut. All their land records and civil records would have continued to be recorded in these original towns until the end of the 18th century. Their religious records would be have been kept by the Canaan Parish church. John Fancher lived in the area of Canaan Parish that was in the Stamford territory, and so he was considered a citizen of Stamford.

Over the years Stamford lost at least half of it's original land area, as portions of the territory were cut off and assigned to new towns as they were organized. Most of what became Pound Ridge, in Westchester County, New York, was originally in Stamford, and as late as 1731, deeds for land that is in Pound Ridge New York today might have been recorded in Stamford (or possibly Norwalk since Pound Ridge also shared a border with Norwalk). This historical fact is contrary to that reported by William Hoyt Fancher, when he said "John Fancher was one of the first settlers of Pound Ridge New York, about 1730, in that part of the town later known as Stamford, Conn." No part of Pound Ridge New York was "later known" as Stamford - it was instead a part of Stamford that was later known as Poundridge New York.

Although he made one earlier Stamford land purchase in April 1741, John Fancher's residence in Stamford, probably by February 1741/2, was then at the extreme northeast corner of Stamford, inside what had become the Canaan Parish, at the junction of the old Perambulation Line between Norwalk and Stamford, and the newly-confirmed Eight Mile Line between Connecticut and New York. This pivotal position may explain why there has been such difficulty in determining the jurisdictions that were involved. (Canaan Parish, A Brief Orientation, Frederick C. Hart Jr., CG)

In 1741 a settlement was made, where the village of Pound Ridge New York now stands, by Joseph Lockwood, James Brown, David Potts, Ebenezer Scofield, Joseph Lockwood,and others from Stamford Connecticut. It has been written that eleven years before this, in 1730, Deacon John Fancher had settled in Pound Ridge, being, as far as can be ascertained, the first settler. This information may have mistakenly originated with the 1730 date and information taken from William Hoyt Fancher's book. As John Fancher can be documented as not moving to Pound Ridge until 1757/8, he can not be considered a "first settler", although he was among the earlier settlers of that place.

The Stamford and Norwalk land records indicate that John Fancher was listed as the Grantor on 17 deeds, 2 recorded in Norwalk, the balance in Stamford. He is listed as the Grantee on 27 deeds, 3 in Norwalk, and the balance in Stamford. These 44 land transactions span a sixteen year period, 1741-1757.

In addition to the 44 land records in Stamford and Norwalk, there are 2 additional land transactions recorded in Greenwich Connecticut. On 19 December 1753, John Fancher "of Stamford" and Reuben Lockwood, of Old Pound Ridge, purchased a parcel of land consisting of approximately 7 acres at Cos Cob Field, near the shoreline, for £ 44:4:3 from Benjamin Ferris, one third for Reuben Lockwood and one third for John Fancher. This same piece of land was then sold by Lockwood and Fancher to Justus Bush of Greenwich about two weeks later on 2 January 1754 for £ 37:3:11.

On 14 and 16 January 1747/8, John Fancher and Timothy Delivan⁶ jointly purchased 44-1/4 acres of land in Stamford from two brothers who were free Negroes, James Jacklin(g) and Samuel Jacklin(g).  This property was almost immediately sold by Fancher and Delivan to David and Nathan Bishop, approximately a month later. This unusual transaction is similar to John Fancher's isolated land transaction in Greenwich.

The Greenwich records bring the total number of John Fancher's land transactions to 46, a large number which would appear to be very unusual for that time and place. It may be that John Fancher was acting as an agent in some of these land transactions. The properties he purchased jointly with other men do not appear to be extensions of either his own, or his associates', property. There also may have been rental or leased properties involved in some of these transactions. These land records also suggest that John Fancher helped his wife's two younger Bouton brothers get started with their own properties.

On 26 June 1754, Eunice and John Fancher's son, John², married Hannah Weed in Canaan Parish. Hannah Weed was the daughter of Abraham and Naomi (Pond) Weed, born 18 July 1737.

A Stamford town records indicates John Fancher's early occupation was cordwainer, or shoemaker. Like so many others in the area, he was probably also a farmer.

The Lloyd Family Papers contain a letter dated 1759. On 17 November of that year John Lloyd wrote from Stamford to his father Henry Lloyd in Long Island. The letter reported on business dealings, with a brief reference to a current outbreak of smallpox. In this letter John Lloyd writes "I have Brother Joseph's Mare from Fanchair". Apparently the mare had been boarded, and possibly put to stud, at "Hecock's" (Hickok's), and then shod by John Fancher.

John Fancher is referred to as "Sargt Fansher" in 1751. (Stanford LR's E:45) Militia Papers (Vol. 5, p. 367a) also record:

              John Fancher is established Lieut. of the Company of Trainband in the Parrish of Canaan;
              Samll  Hanford, Capt. May 20, 1756.

Militia units were kept in a state of readiness in each community and periodically the men would be called together to train. The Canaan Parish Train Band was a trained military unit, organized and trained locally, and independent of official control when not actually called up for service. This militia record provides additional evidence that in 1756 John Fancher was still a resident of the Canaan Parish, and had not yet moved to Pound Ridge New York.

A deed to Samuel Belden/Belding on 19 May 1757 (Stamford LR's F:239, same as New Canaan LR's E:217) records that John Fancher sold approximately 100 acres to Belden for £ 550. This property may have been John Fancher's later homestead, which he sold just prior to his family's move to Pound Ridge.The property had two dwelling houses, a barn, and fruit trees, and was situated between the Perambulation Line and the Noroton River. As the Noroton River does not extend to the Colony Line, this property must have been a few miles south from the border of New York. According to the recorded copy of the deed, there is only one place in Stamford where that location could have been. The deed refers to an easterly boundary being the Perambulation Line, and a southeasterly boundary being the Noroton River. That can only occur at the place where the Noroton River crossed the Perambulation Line at what is now West Road in New Canaan. That point is approximately 2.3 miles from the New York border, measured along the route of the old Perambulation Line southeast from the border. The location of this Stamford property could not have been confused with Pound Ridge New York.

On the same date that he sold these 100 acres in Stamford, John Fancher purchased 1-1/2 acres in Norwalk, with a dwelling house and barn, for £ 350 from the same Samuel Beldin "of Norwalk" (Norwalk LR's 1l:300). This property was located along the Country Road in Norwalk in "Old Society" and quite a way south of the Colony line and closer to Norwalk center. The witnesses in these two deeds (one in Stamford and one in Norwalk) were identical - Theopophilis Fitch and Daniel Smith. The two deeds with Samuel Belden were therefore probably made at the same sitting. This Norwalk property was clearly a residence and there is a slight possibility that John Fancher may have moved temporarily to that location. However, eight months later, on 19 January 1758, John Fancher "of Old Pound Ridge in Westchester County" sold this acreage and house in Norwalk to Thaddeus Betts of Norwalk for £ 300, taking a £ 50 loss in the exchange.

There are no deeds recorded in Westchester County New York for John Fancher, either as Grantee or Grantor.

There is some confusion regarding the identity of William²'s wife. The records indicate he married Sarah Smith on 2 January 1766 in Canaan Parish.  Sarah was born in Pound Ridge New York 15 October 1744. In William Hoyt Fancher's book, it is mentioned that William²'s wife may have been Sally (Hanford) Smith, a widow at the time of her marriage.

Nathaniel² Fancher married Amy Van Fleet around 1763 in Pound Ridge New York. Amy was the daughter of Abraham and Sarah (Brown) Van Fleet, born 1 August 1744. His second wife was Dorithy (Unknown), who was baptised (as an adult) in the South Salem Presbyterian Church on 11 May 1766, and recorded there as the wife of Nathaniel Fancher.

David² Fancher married Martha Bellamy on 1 January 1769 in Stamford. Martha was probably the daughter of John and Martha Bellamy.

Joseph married Mary Ferris in Pound Ridge New York, the date of their marriage is unknown,

Daniel married Esther Seymour, the daughter of Thaddeus and Molly (Smith) Seymour born in Pound Ridge New York 12 October 1759.

Elijah married Charlotte (Unknown) in Pound Ridge New York. Elijah married his second wife, Judith Fluerie of Coxsackie, Greene County, New York, on 6 November 1800.

 

Daughter Abigal married Enos Brown. Daughter Mercy married Jesse Seymour before 1788, who was the son of Ebenezer Seymour, baptised in Norwalk 20 June 1754.

 

 

 

 

 

During the American Revolution, New York mustered its militia to help the war effort. All seven of John and Eunice (Bouton) Fancher's sons enlisted in the Westchester County militia and served with the Fourth Regiment at one time or another.

John - Enlisted as a Private in Capt. Lewis' Company, Col. Thaddeus Crane's Fourth Regiment of Westchester County.  Later it is recorded that he was a Lieutenant in the First Regiment, and also served in the Second Regiment.

Nathaniel - Served in Capt. Lewis' Company, Col. Thaddeus Crane's Fourth Regiment of Westchester County.

William - Served as Second Lieutenant of the Minute Men in 1775, and was made Captain in March 1777. (He was unable to enter active service due to a weak constitution and served with the Associated Exempts.) It is recorded he also served in the Fourth Regiment. After the Revolutionary War he served as Lieutenant in Thomas' Regiment of the New York Militia.

David - Lieutenant in Capt. Ebenezer Scofields Company, Thaddeus Crane's Fourth Regiment of Westchester County. It is recorded he also served in the Third Regiment.

Joseph - Sargeant in Capt. Lewis' Company, Col. Thaddeus Crane's 4th Regiment of Westchester County.

Daniel - Enlisted in the Col. Thaddeus Crane's 4th Regiment of Westchester County.

Elijah - Served as Private in Captain Bouton's Company, and also in Capt. Lewis' Company, Col. Thaddeus Crane's 4th Regiment of Westchester County,

A family tradition, as recorded by William Hoyt Fancher, indicates that when John Fancher was young, he was a seafaring man. On a voyage to the West Indies the crew of the ship were stricken with smallpox and he nursed them, and later was frequently called upon to attend others with the disease. It is said that eventually he contracted the disease and died of it. To date there has been no evidence found that could either prove, or disprove, this family tradition. (John's son David was also supposed to have died of small pox later, in 1784.) When John Fancher's Will was written on 1 February 1779, he stated he was "in good health". It may be a coincidence that he died three days later, but the close proximity of these dates would suggest that he was ill at the time he made his Will.

                                                     
                                                                 Pound Ridge Cemetery

John Fancher and his wife Eunice (Bouton) Fancher are buried in the Pound Ridge Cemetery. In 1939 William Hoyt Fancher and William L. Smith discovered their graves, marked with inscribed fieldstones:

                                                        Feb. 4 1779                                      Nov. 12
                                                     John Fansher                                   1788    E.F.
                                                            dide

John Fancher made his Will on 1 February 1779, and, according to his gravestone, died three days later, on 4 February 1779. As Eunice (Bouton) Fancher had died previously on 12 November 1788, his Will does not mention his wife. John Fancher's Will specifically names the number of his sons as seven, and identifies them as John, William, Nathaniel, David, Joseph, Daniel and Elijah. John Fancher also names three daughters, Abigail, Unice (Eunice) and Marcy (Mercy).

All of John Fancher's lands, buildings, and moveable estate were bequeathed equally to his seven sons (with the exception of two cows and one heifer.) His seven sons were also equally bequeathed his undivided lands in Pound Ridge, Westchester County, New York. John's three daughters were to share equally two cows, one heifer, all of his beds, bedsteads and furniture belonging to the beds. John Fancher also instructed that an "equal part of the debts which I owe shall be deducted out of the portion which I have given unto my afforesaid three daughters.... my debts be first paid and then that an equal dividend be made and each of my seven sons and three daughters afforesaid pay an equal part of my such debts in proportion to what I have given unto each of them." The executors of the estate were John Fancher's two oldest sons, John and William. Although whoever wrote this Will used the spelling "Fanshier", John himself signed it as "John Fansher"⁷.(See Appendix 2: Will of John Fancher)

 

 

 

 

ENDNOTES:

1. Stamford Town Records 2:171

2. Stamford Connecticut Grand Lists, Ronald Marcus transcriptions at the Ferguson Library, Stamford. Stamford Connecticut Grand Lists, original lists at the Stamford Historical Society, Record Group 13.

3. Stamford Town Records 1: 76

4 . Stamford Town Records 1: 31

5. Connecticut Church Records, New Canaan Church 1722-1899, 1:3. The "Fanshaw" spelling is used consistently in all the Church records for both the families of John Fancher and Richard Fancher. The original Canaan Congregational Church records were transcribed by Mr. Bonney in 1830 and are presently located at the Connecticut State Library. The original Church records were lost in a fire at the home of a New Canaan local historian, and Mr. Bonney's transcriptions are the only surviving records of this congregation.

5. Stamford Town Records Vol. 1, pg 10

6. Connecticut Church Records, New Canaan Church 1722-1899, 1: 9 (Connecticut State Library 1931)

7. William Fancher of Branford Connecticut is believed to be a  brother of John Fancher. In Branford William Fancher married 20 November 1723 to Thankful Thompson, the daughter of John Thomson and Hannah Wheadon. Also in Branford, Catherine Fancher, who is believed to be William's sister, married on 14 August 1717 to Ebenezer Elwell, the son of Samuel Elwell and Sarah Wheadon. Catherine Fancher's marriage in 1717 and William Fancher's marriage in 1723 are the two earliest known Fancher records in Connecticut.

8. Richard Fancher of Morris County New Jersey is believed to be the brother of John Fancher. Five of his children were baptised in the Canaan Parish Congregational Church, but no other records for him have been located in Canaan, Stamford, Norwalk or Greenwich Connecticut.

9. Stamford Town Records Vol. 1, Page 76

10. The Fancher Family, William Hoyt Fancher, Danbury CT, Cabinet Press, Milford NH, 1947. Edited & Compiled by William Carroll Hill, New England Historic Genealogical Society. Distributed by New England HistoricGenealogical Society , Boston MA.

11. Connecticut Church Records, New Canaan Church 1722-1899, Vol. 1, Page 7.

12. Stamford Town Records, Vol. 1, Page 76

13. Connecticut Church Records, New Canaan Church 1722-1899, Vol. 1, Page 16.

14. Connecticut Church Records, New Canaan Church 1722-1899, Vol. 1, Page 17.

15. There has been no record located which would indicate the existance of a Joshua Fancher. Based on the available evidence, it is believed that David, recorded as the son of "Joshua Fanshaw" in the Canaan Parish Congregational Church records, was the son of John Fancher and Eunice Bouton.

16. Connecticut Church Records, New Canaan Church 1722-1899, Vol. 1, Page 19.

17. Stamford Vital Records, Vol 1, Page 76. Recorded as David, son of John and Eunice.

18. Connecticut Church Records, New Canaan Church 1722-1899, Vol. 1, Page 21.

19. Connecticut Church Records, New Canaan Church 1722-1899, Vol. 1, Page 23.

20.Connecticut Church Records, New Canaan Church 1722-1899, Vol. 1, Page 25.

21. Stamford Land Records D:249
22. Stamford Land Records E:10

6. Timothy Delivan was the son of Cornelius Delivan and Deborah Green. He was married to Hannah Bouton, the daughter of Nathaniel and Hannah Bouton, in Norwalk on February 23 1737/8 by the Rev. John Eells of Canaan.

7. William Hoyt Fancher states that in his Will, John "he signs himself as Fanshier." Who ever wrote the will spelled the name Fanshier, John signed it as Fansher.