Citation
  • John Insley Coddington, "TAG: Clues to the English Home of William Gaylord of Dorchester, Mass. and Windsor, Conn." (The American Genealogist Vol. 17, pp71-74 (1937)).
Data
  • Category: Research
Detail
  • Author: John Insley Coddington
  • Publisher: The American Genealogist Vol. 17, pp71-74 (1937)
Content
  • Text: In the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, vol. 41 (1910), pp. 183-190, there are abstracts of a number of wills pertaining to the Gaylard (Gaylord, Gayler, Gailerd, Geylard, Gallard) family of Somersetshire, England. These abstracts were made by J. Henry Lea and J. R. Hutchinson, and those eminent genealogists were of the opinion that the ancestry of William Gaylord of Dorchester, Mass., and Windsor, Conn., was to be sought among the Gaylards of Pitminster, co. Somerset. But the most important will in this set showed that William Gaylord had a definite connection with the town of Crewkerne, co. Somerset. This was the will of Joan Patten, of Crewkerne, spinster, dated 19 April 1634, and proved in the Consistory Court of Wells, Book 47, fo. 11 (no date of probate). The testatrix, who was buried at Crewkerne 29 April 1634, made bequests to every one of her brothers, to her sister Sarah and the latter's children, to her sister Elizabeth and her sister Marie, and "to William Gaylard in New England, £5, to be bestowed for him as my executor shall think fit." There are also small bequests to several other people. There is no statement of the relationship of William Gaylard to the testatrix, yet this bequest of £5 is the largest amount of money that Joan Patten bequeathed.

        An examination of the Parish Registers of St. Bartholomew's Church, Crewkerne, by the present writer in August 1937 did not show the relationship between Joan Patten and William Gaylord (or Gaylard, as the name was always spelled at Crewkerne), nor did it reveal the name of William's wife, which is still unknown. But it did show that William Gaylord resided at Crewkerne at least from 1619 through 1624, and that three of his sons were baptized there:

            Samuel, son of William Gaylarde, bapt. 19 Dec. 1019 (m. at Windsor, Conn., 4 Dec. 1646, Elizabeth Hull).

            John, son of William Gaylarde, bapt. 24 Feb. 1621/2 (m. (1) at Windsor, Conn., 17 Nov. 1655, Mary Drake, who d. at Windsor 19 June 1683. He m. (2) at Windsor 13 Dec. 1683 Mary Clark).

            Joseph, son of William Gaylarde, bapt. 27 Dec. 1624 (probably d. young).

        Where William Gaylord lived before 1619, and where he lived between 1624 and the time of his migration to New England in 1630, are still puzzles. In connection with the last point, it might be well to observe that, in the Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants to New England, 1620-1650, edited by Elijah Ellsworth Brownell, and based on the manuscripts of Col. Charles Edward Banks, the assertion is made (p. 140) that "Gaylord, William [from] Chilthorne Domer, co. Somerset [came on the] Mary & John [to] Dorchester [authority:] Banks Mss." The reference is actually, to the Banks Mss. in the Rare Book Room of the Library of Congress, Washington, D. C., folio vol. DG, p. 565, and Mr. Brownell's positive assertion is not entirely warranted by Col. Banks' cautious statement:

        "GAYLORD, John & Wm. Dorchester 1630. Perhaps is the William Gaylard taxed at Chilthorne (nr. Yeovil, co. Somerset) in the subsidy of 1627. Will of Joan Patten of Crewkerne, 19 April 1634, gives £5 to 'William Gaylard in N.E.' (Wells Consist. xlvii fo. 11-see NYGBR, vol. 41)."

        Col. Banks, therefore, was by no means certain that William Gaylard of Chilthorne Domer was the same as William Gaylard or Gaylord of Crewkerne, Dorehester and Windsor. The name of Gaylard (or Gaylord, or other variants) was to be found widely spread throughout Somersetshire, and some of the name dwelt in the adjoining counties of Dorset and Devon. The family were chiefly yeomen farmers, and were always so described in official documents. It is, therefore, desirable to note that the noble French ancestry given to William Gaylord in The History and Pedigree of the House of Gaillard or Gaylord [2] is sheer nonsense. The collection of Gaylard wills in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record referred to above shows that members of the family were to be found at Pitminster, Chaffcombe, Isle Abbots, Drayton and Barrington, co. Somerset, from 1546 on. The will of Henry Geilarde of Chilthorne Domer, co. Somerset, was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury in 1593. [3] Other references are to be found to Gaylards in the parishes of Ilminster, Lovington, Stoke under Hamden, and Preston, all in co. Somerset. The transcripts of Dorset Subsidy Rolls, 1623-1628, among Col. Banks' Mss. already referred to show that members of the Gaylard family lived in Broadwindsor and Whitchurch, co. Dorset. Thomas Gaylar of Church Staunton, co. Devon, and Katherine Hardman of Pitminster, co. Somerset, were married at Pitminster 2 Oct. 1654.[4] But relatively few of the name lived in Dorset and Devon. Somerset was the county most thickly populated by Gaylards and Gaylords, and in the parish of Long Sutton they were par. ticularly numerous. The marriage registers of Long Sutton are full of Gaylard entries. In fact, a William Gailard was married there 11 June 1610 to Jone Ashwood. The date is about right, but it is nevertheless impossible to tell whether this record refers to William the emigrant or not.

        One may presume that William Gaylord's children William, Jr. (who m. (1) at Windsor, Conn., 24 Feb. 1641/2 Anna Porter), and Elizabeth who m. (1) at Windsor, Conn., 5 Oct. 1641, Richard Birge) were both born before 1619, in some parish in co. Somerset other than Crewkerne. William Gaylord's son Walter (who m. (1) at Windsor, Conn., 16 or 22 April 1648, Mary Stebbins) may likewise have been born before 1619, or else he may have been born after his father left Crewkerne, that is, after 1624.

    GAYLARD ENTRIES IN THE PARISH REGISTERS OF CREWKERNE, CO. SOMERSET
    November 1559-April 1638
    Baptisms

    1560 Alee daughter of Robert Gayleard, 7 March (1560/1).
    1588 Marie daughter of Amyllian aylard, 8 June.
    1589 John son of Amillian Gaylard, 1 August
    1619 Samuel son of William Gaylarde, 19 December
    1621 John son of William Gaylarde, 24 February (1621/2).
    1624 Joseph son of William Gaylarde, 27 December.

    Marriages

    1559 John Gaylard and Alee Gaylard, 10 September.
    1563 William Tanner and Joane Gaylarde, 4 November.
    1575 John Hanning and Mary Gaglard, 26 January (1575/6).
    1584 Amilian Gaylard and Agnes Hawkins daughter of John Hawkins of Perrot, 26 October.
    1585 John Parker and Ursula Gaylard, 29 January (1585/6).
    1587 Amylyan Gaylard and Eline Cheesewaye, 16 October
    1587 Anthony Chapple of Seavington and Alice Gaylard, 26 November.

    Burials

    1584 Geffery Gaylard, 21 January (1584/5).
    1584 Female child of Amilian Gaylard, unbaptized, 29 January (1584/5).
    1585 Agnes wife of Amilian Gaylard and her infant, 19 January (1585/6).
    1592 John son of Amillian Gaylard, 1 August.
    1595 Thomas Gaylard, 21 January (1595/6).
    1631 Elyn wife of Amylian Gaylard, 17 March (1631/2).

        [2] By William Gaillard (Cincinnati, Ohio, 1872). pp. 3-14.
        [3] Index to Wills in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, vol. 4, p. 169. Somerset & Dorset Notes & Queries, vol. 2. p. 77.
        [4] Phillimore, Somerset Marriages, vol. 1 (London, 1898), pp. 107-133.
Personal Names
PersonClaimDetailEvidence
Elizabeth HullNameElizabeth Hull [S366] [S662] [S714] [S2939]
secondary
Samuel GaylordNameSamuel Gaylarde [S2939]
research
Samuel GaylordNameSamuel Gaylord [S366] [S662] [S2933] [S2939] [S2944]
secondary
Deacon William GaylordNameWilliam Gaylarde [S2939]
research
Deacon William GaylordNameWilliam Gaylord [S366] [S662] [S706] [S1080:46] [S2939] [S2944]
secondary
Relationships
PersonClaimDetailEvidence
Samuel GaylordFatherDeacon William Gaylord (1585-1673) [S662] [S2939] [S2944]
research
Samuel GaylordMother_____ (Gaylord) (e1588-1657) [S662] [S2939] [S2944]
research
Events & Attributes
PersonClaimDateDetailAgeEvidence
Samuel GaylordBaptismDec 19, 1619Crewkerne, Somerset, England [S662] [S2939]
research
Deacon William GaylordResidenceDec 19, 1619Crewkerne, Somerset, England [S2939]
his son Samuel was baptized at St. Bartholomew's Church
research
Deacon William GaylordResidenceFeb 24, 1621/22Crewkerne, Somerset, England [S2939]
his son John was baptized at St. Bartholomew's Church
research
Deacon William GaylordResidenceDec 27, 1624Crewkerne, Somerset, England [S2939]
his son Joseph was baptized at St. Bartholomew's Church
research
Samuel GaylordMarriage 1stDec 4, 1646Elizabeth Hull, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States [S366] [S662] [S2939]
secondary