Walter Hoyt

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ChartsAncestors of Wilford Ervie Billings
Walter Hoyt, son of Simon Hoyt and Jane Stoodlie, was born probably shortly before his baptism at West Hatch, Somerset, England, 29 November 1618.1,2 He died at Norwalk, Connecticut, January 1699.3,4

Walter married, as her 3rd husband, Rhoda Tinker, daughter of Robert Tinker and Mary Merwin, about 1651.5,6

Walter Hoyt first appears at Windsor, owning a considerable amount of land there. Three of his children were born there, and a Hoyt child died there in 1647. This last could have been his, or that of his father Simon, but the record does not state which; both lived in the town at the time.

He was one of the first settlers at Norwalk, being listed as the 5th of the ten proprietors of the town. He appears in the records in Dec 1653, and probably owned land there several years earlier. He was a sergeant of a company in May 1659. He was a very active member in town meetings, serving as Deputy in fourteen sessions in 1658-59, 1661, 1667-68, 1670-71, 1678, and 1681. He was also Selectman in 1672.

He owned a considerable amount of land in and around Norwalk. Part of his land included "Hoyte's Hill", on which the town's meeting hall was built. When he died, he owned 72 acres of land and 3 small parcels. There were only 8 others in the town having more than that.7,4

Walter Hoyt left a will dated 11 February 1695/96 and proved 11 Apr 1699:
Norwalke the 11 of Febry 1695 or 6 the last will and testament of Walter Hayt Aged aboute 78 yearse

I the said Walter hayt Being ill and weacke Apprending I shall not long continue in the land of the living -- I will and bequeth my body unto the dust & a descent bueriall and my soull to god that gave it to me

-- and for that lettell Estat that god hath given me be disposed of as folloeth unto my tow sons namly John hayt of Danbury and my son Zaraball hayt that what land and medo and comonage I have within the towne bounds of Norwalke be devided equaly to ech of them a like and also whatt other moubable estat that I shall leve or may be left after my decesce -- and that it be to them and there heirs and asines administrators to have and to hold for ever

-- and this to be my last will: and to couttermand any former : and to stand good unto them -- after my Joust debts be discharged -- my desiar that my tow sones be executors unto this my will

-- and this for to be my last will as witness my hand the day and yeare above dated it myust be understood what lands I have not disposed of before by Gift or deed.
syiued In the presence of us          Walter hoyte
     Wittness:
     John Platt Sr.,
     Joseph Sension


The inventory consisted of nine items totaling about £167 which included £150 in land, meadow, and commonage.4,8

Family 1

Children
  • Elizabeth Hoyt5,3,4 b. say 1642
  • Thomas Hoyt5 b. say 1644
  • John Hoyt+5 b. 13 Jul 1644, d. abt. 1711
  • Hannah Hoyt5,3,4 b. say 1646
  • (…) Hoyt5,3,4 b. say 1647, d. 1647

Family 2

Rhoda Tinker b. 16 Jun 1611, d. bef. 6 Sep 1694
Child
  • Zerubbabel Hoyt5 b. abt. 1652
This person was last edited on29 Dec 2017

Citations

  1. [S2281] Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I–III, 3 vols. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 2:1028-32 (Simon Hoyt), further cited as Anderson, GMB.
  2. [S776] Burton W. Spear, "Hoyt, Simon," Search for the Passengers of the Mary & John, 1630, 25 (1996):38-43, further cited as Spear, Mary & John.
  3. [S52] David W. Hoyt, A Genealogical History of the Hoyt, Haight, and Hight Families with Some Account of the Earliest Hyatt Families, A list of the First Settlers of Salisbury and Amesbury, Mass., etc(Boston, Massachusetts: Providence Press, 1871), 311, further cited as Hoyt, Hoyt Family.
  4. [S5] Donald Lines Jacobus, History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, two volumes (New Haven, Connecticut: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, 1930-1932), 295, further cited as Jacobus, Families of Old Fairfield.
  5. [S387] Paul W. Prindle, "Thomas3, Son of Walter2 Hoyt of Windsor and Norwalk, Conn.," The American Genealogist 66 (Oct 1991): 217-218, further cited as Prindle, "Thomas Hoyt."
  6. [S1872] Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, 3 vols. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011), 807, further cited as Torrey, New England Marriages (2011). Torrey also suggests Walter's may (with multiple question marks) have been Elizabeth St. John.
  7. [S52] Hoyt, Hoyt Family, 292-296.
  8. [S52] Hoyt, Hoyt Family, 295-296.