Belden Family Ancestry Book

I have sent out over 500 copies of the Belden Family Ancestry Book during the past few years. During that time the book kept getting more and more pages as additional data kept coming in.

Now we have over 7200 names and 2300 families listed in the book and now containing over 500 pages. The costs for the book is getting too high. My wife keeps telling me she would like to see my hobby break even some time in the near future.

At last I have the answer, put it all on a disk. Then you can print your own copy of the book or just view and work with the information directly from your computer. All you need is the Adobe Reader program to open the files and most computers already have this program installed.

Part 1 contains an Introduction, Part 2 has pictures of The Homes of Your Ancestors in England, Part 4 contains The Family Surname and its variations.

Part 3 The Family Coat Of Arms is illustrated at the first of this document. As noted on Page 8, Sir Francis Bayldon was knighted after the coronation of King James 1st, at Whitehall on July 23, 1603. This same Coat Of Arms was used over 200 years before, but I could not find who was knighted before Sir Francis.

In 1630, King Charles 1st made knighthood compulsory because he needed money and knights to fight a war with France. Every subject whose income was more than £50 per year was required to pay the fee for knighthood or pay a heavy fine.

The signature and ring seal on the left is by Sir Francis from a 1652 document. The signature on the right is from a document in 1627 by Richard Bayldon/Belden, our first immigrant.

Part 5 contains the genealogy for the first twenty two generations of our family. Generation 22 contains Richard Bayldon/Belden, our first immigrant from England to the Colonies in 1636. He brought his three sons, William, John and Samuel, with him. Part 6 contains the genealogy for the William Belding Branch, Part 7 contains the genealogy for the John Belden Branch and Part 8 for the Samuel Belding Branch.

You will find Part 5 through Part 8 the most interesting because of the notations included when available. The following will give you an idea of what you will see.

The following notes of Richard were taken from Page 52 (pdf);

The following court records were from the period when Richard lived in England;

"Year 1613, Mar 26.- Richard, son of Francis, took an oath of allegiance to King James 1st, and served in the campaign of Breda, Holland, under Sir George Blundell at age 19 years."

"Year 1616, Feb 16.- At Woolwich, Co. Kent, Richard Bayldon assaulted John Brent on the kings Highway and took thirty shilling in silver. Again on Feb 19, at Woldham, Co. Kent he assaulted Thomas Parker and took forty-nine shilling in silver."

"Year 1616, May 31.- Richard Baldon of London gentleman, was indicted for two highway robberies. Richard was pardoned for being young and having influential family and friends."

The following was taken from Page 55 (pdf);

"The Inventory of ye goods and chattles of and belonging to ye estate of Richard Beldin of Weathersfield deceased taken ye 22 of August, 1655.

	£   s   d
Impri, In ye parlor, 1 feather bed, 1 pair of sheets, 2 blankets, 1 coverlet, and rugs, 2 pillows wth ye bedsted	06-00-00
It, 1 bed case, 1 boulster, 1 pair sheets, 1 blanket, 1 cotton rug, 1 pillow beere	04-00-00
It, 1 pair of flaxen sheets, 2 pillow beeres	01-10-00
It, 1 Diepr table cloth, 13 napkins	01-05-00
It, 10 pieces pewter	01-06-00
It, in 2 quart potts, 1 candle stick, 5 ockemey, 1 silver spoone, other small things	01-10-00
It, 1 cuboard, 1 table forme to chest and other small things	02-15-00
It, in his wearing clothes	06-00-00
It, 1 musket, 1 karbine, 1 rapier	03-00-00
It, in ye kitchen - 4 brass kittles, other small brass	04-00-00
It, 2 iron pots, 4 cob irons, tramles and other iron ware	04-00-00
It, 1 table, 1 forme, 3 chayers, 1 skreme, 3 cushings	01-06-00
It, in wollen ware and earthen vessels, tinn ware with 1 smoothen iron	03-10-00
It, in working tools wth 1 grindstone	07-00-00
It, in ye chamber in bedding and hogsheads wth some other things	03-00-00
It, in timber for wheels and boultes for small things else	03-00-00
It, 2 cowes	11-10-00
It, 2 swine	04-00-00
It, 15 akers of corn and seaven akers of grass being gathered into ye barne	40-00-00
It, 5 skips of beefe 02-10-00In a willowing sheete and forks	00-15-00
It, 2 hows, 4 baggs	01-00-00
Total	112-17-00

The following notes were taken from Page 58 (pdf);

Notes for Daniel Belding:

Daniel settled as early as 1671 in Hatfield, MA, removing to Deerfield about 1689. He was a selectman and leader in town affairs.

On November 10, 1670, Daniel married Elizabeth Foote, daughter of Nathaniel Foote. Elizabeth was born in 1654 in Weathersfield, CT. They had fourteen children. In the massacre of September 16, 1696, Elizabeth and three of their children were slain by Indians, two of the children were wounded and several were taken to Canada. Daniel was sold to the Jesuits, and later redeemed in 1698.

The following was taken from the Hatfield Town Records.

September 16, 1696. The Indians came along from up Green River to the town, and assulted Mr. Daniel Belden's house; took Mr. Belden, his son Nathaniel and daughter Esther captive, killed his wife and three children, and wounded Samuel and Abigail, but they recovered, altho' Samuel had a hatchet stuck in his head, and some of his brains came out at his wound.

"The Indians making an assult upon Deerfield, in this present war, they struck a hatchet some inches into the skull of a boy there, even so deep that the boy felt the force of a wrench used by 'em to get it out. There he lay a long while weltering in his blood, they found him, they dressed him, considerable quantities of his brain came out from time to time when they opened the wound, yet the lad recovered, and is now a Living Monument of the Power and Goodness of God"

Daniel married 2nd, February 17, 1699, to Hepzibah, daughter of William Buell, widow of Thomas Wells. She was born December 11, 1649, in Windsor, CT. On Tuesday, February 29, 1703, shortly before the break of day, the Indians stole into the village, fired the buildings, captured most of the inhabitants, marching them to Quebec, Canada. A number were slain at the taking of the town. Hepzibah was slain shortly after leaving the town, in the meadows, probably March 1, 1703. Sarah, wife of Benjamine Burt, was with child but made the trip to Canada where the child was born.

Volumn II, by Emma Lewis Coleman says about Hepzibah, .... Hepzibah, daughter of William Buel of Windsor, she married first, Lieutenant Thomas Wells and was his widow, when in 1693 the Indians attacked her house. Two daughters were killed and , says Stephen Williams, a third daughter and she , herself, were also knocked on the head and scalped. The next year she asked aid from the congregations of Connecticut. In 1699 she married Daniel Belding, was captured in 1704, and killed on the jurney to Canada.

Daniel rebuilt his home, and later fought off, with other fellow townsmen, in 1709, another attack by the French and Indians.

Daniel married 3rd, Sarah, widow of Philip Mattoon, daughter of John and Elizabeth Hawkes. She was born September 29, 1657 and died September 17, 1751 in her 95th year.

Stephen William's narative says, "When Mr. Belding and company came to the fort called "Oso", the males were obliged to run the Gauntlet near it. Mr. Belding, being a nimble man, received but few blows, save at first setting out, but the other men were much abused by clubs and firebrands. Daniel and his children were first kept by the Indians but later he was sold and lived as a servant with the Jesuites at the Seminary. His business was to wait upon them and cut wood, make fires and tend the garden. He accounted himself favorably death with. After Ryswick, "the Dutch Gentleman" gathered up what captives he could find and returned June 8 with Mr. Belding and his children and arrived in Albany in about 15 days. There, Mr. Belding and his children were clothed at the expense of his brother who lived in Norwick. They returned to Deerfield by way of New York and Connecticut." His son, Nathaniel died in 1714 and his daughter Hester later married Ephraim Clark of Stratford, CT. about 1735.

You can determine the number of generations you are from Adam and Eve by viewing Part 9. I really wouldn’t bet the farm on its accuracy.

The Relative History in Part 12 was included as an interest. I used this data in my research of the genealogies. You will find that many ancestor’s activities were related in the brief history shown.

Part 13 is a list of all the heads of households for the families identified in Parts 5 thru 8 and the page of their location in the book.

If you are interested in obtaining a disc* containing "The Belden Family Ancestry", send a check of $15.00, that includes postage, to the following;

G. C. Belden
2681 Cameron Park Dr., #85
Cameron Park, CA 95681

If you have any questions, e-mail beldengc@att.net

*You must have a pdf reader (most computers already have this program installed) or you may get a free download of Adobe Acrobat Reader to read latest version of "The Belden Family Ancestry" disc.