Direct Babcock Ancestors

Direct Ancestors of the Babcock Line

The Founding of Westerly

Family lore has it that John Babcock (KLD’s 8th great-grandfather) came from Plymouth, Mass to Aquidneck and engaged to labor for Thomas Lawton in Newport. John eloped with Mr. Lawton’s daughter Mary to Misquamicut, where they became the first white settlers.

Note that the county of Westerly changed over the years: Kings County was created in 1729 within the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations; it was renamed Washington County on October 29, 1781 in honor of George Washington.

The Murder of Robert Babcock

Robert Babcock was KLD’s 7th great-grandfather

Robert Babcock (b. Westerly, RI, 1678; d. Westerly, RI, 27 Aug 1719) was murdered by John Ross (b. 1690) of Westerly, son of William Ross (b. 1660) and Hannah Hungerford, who then fled the town for Newport.

Robert lived a day or two, and wrote his will while lying wounded on his deathbed.

The day following his death, Justice Joseph Stanton wrote Governor Cransten to secure John Ross at Newport.

Summarized from stantonsociety.org:

Joseph Stanton, Jr. was born in 1673 or 1674 at Rhode Island, son of Joseph
Stanton and Hannah Mead.  Joseph married Esther Gallup, daughter of Benjamin
Gallup and Esther Prentice, in 1673.  He died 2 Aug 1752 (or 1751).  He served
as Assistant Magistrate in New London, and was a Justice in Westerly.

In 1891 the following letter was in the possession of Dr. George D. Stanton of Stonington, CT. It was addressed to Governor Samuel Cranston of Newport:

Westerly
August the 28 day 1719

Honnored Sur thse with grief com to inform your Honner that yester day
Robert Babcock of this town departed this life and it is to be feared that
the caus of his deth came by abuse or hurt that he reseved: Sur the Jury
of Inqueest have sat on him and viewed the outward and inward part of his
body and the find his body brused and his blader broked.

Sur it is susspected that John Ross of Westerly is the man that hath dun
the hurt and commited the fact and I am informed that he is gon out of
this town in a bote of Mr. Christopher Champlins bound for newpoert the
bote hath two masts the man hath offen bit att newport and is known there

Sur I nede not in struct your Honour butt hope that if he be at newpoer
you in your wisdom will take care that the said Ross be securred

Sur I humbly pray your advice consarning the premese and whather the
evidencers ought to be bound over to cort before the Ross be taken

no more att present but Remain your most humble sarvant
Joseph Stanton Justice

Full text of letter may be found in Stephen Babcock’s Genealogy

The Christopher Champlins on whose boat John Ross fled is probably Capt. Christopher Champlin, Jr. (b. Westerly 26 Sep 1684), though could possibly be his father, Christopher Champlin (b. Newport 26 Sep 1656; d Westerly 12 Apr 1732)

Westerly and its Witnesses 1626-1876 by Rev. Frederic Denison, Providence 1878

The full text is available at archive.org

Babcock Genealogy by Stephen Babcock, Eaton & Mains, NY 1903

Numbers preceding names in square brackets identify individuals within Babcock’s Genealogy, and occasionally referenced by other works citing Babcock.

The full text is available at archive.org

Abbreviations & Cited References

  • A. V. R. Arnold’s Vital Records
  • C. R. of Conn Colonial Records of Connecticut
  • C. R. of R.I. Colonial Records of Rhode Island
  • Ch. R. Church Records
  • N.H.R. Newport Historical Records
  • P.R. Portsmouth Records
  • R. of F.C. of S. Records of First Church of Stonington
  • S. D. B. Seventh Day Baptist
  • S. K. T. R. South Kingston Town Records
  • S. T. R. Stonington Town Records
  • Smith Smith’s Civil and Military List of Rhode Island
  • W. and W. Westerly and its Witnesses
  • W. T. R. Westerly Town Records
  • Wheeler Wheeler’s History of Stonington

1. James Badcock

b. Essex, England, 1612; d. Stonington, CT, 12 Jun 1679

Settled in Portsmouth, Rhode Island Colony in 1642, and in Westerly in 1662

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