NORTHERN NEW YORK
Genealogical and family history of northern New York: a record of the achievements of her people
in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation.
New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. 1910.



MARVIN



Transcribed by Coralynn Brown



The family of Marvin is an old one in England and in the United States, and has contributed many useful citizens to this country, where it is now scattered, with many able representatives from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

(I) The first from whom the line cana be continuously traced was Edward Marvin, who with his wife, Margaret, resided at Great Bentley, Essex, England.

(II) Reinold, son of Edward and Margaret Marvin, was baptized Oct. 25, 1594, in St. Mary's Church, Great Bentley, Essex, England, and died in Lyme, Connecticut in the summer of 1662. His will was made May 23 of that year, and the inventory presented Oct. 28 following.
He married, about 1617, Marie ____, who died in Lyme, about 1661, not long before her husband, as is evident from his will. He inherited from his father lands, including meadows, woods and pasture called "Moyses," near Moyse Hall. His home was in Great Bentley. No record of his departure or of the ship on which he sailed for New England is found, but many emigrants sailed from Ipswich, England, about this period, and he was probably among them. The last mention of his name in Great Bentley appears in 1637, and he was made a freeman of Saybrook, Conn. May 20, 1658, at a general court of election, being then in his sixty-fourth year. It is not known where he and his wife were buried.
Children, entered on St. Mary's Register:
William, Elizabeth (died young), Marye, John, Elizabeth, Sarah, Reinold (mentioned below), Abigail and Marye.

(II) Lieutenant Reinold (2), third son of Reinold (1) and Marie Marvin, was baptized Dec. 20, 1631, in St. Mary's Church, Great Bentley, and died in Lyme, Conn., Aug. 4, 1676. He was made a freeman of Saybrook the same day as his father, and owned much land in Lyme, possibly his inheritnce there and in Saybrook. In 1687 the estate was valued at eighty pounds.
He represented Lyme in the general court in the October session in 1670, and from 1672 until his death; was elected townsman in Feb., 1672, and again in 1674-75; was chosen, Feb. 4, 1673, to review the town's accounts. He was chosen Dec. 17, 1674, constable "for ye ensuing year." He was appointed "Seargent to ye Band at Deer Brook," while in the general court at Hartford, Oct. 3, 1661. He was among the champions of Lyme in the famous contest with New London concerning the boundary lines between the two towns.
At the country court in Hartford, March 12, 1671, John Prentice complained of Reinold Marvin and others for riotous practice and assaults on New London people. The Lyme men indicted their adversaries in similar tems "for violence to drive them off their lands." The disputed territory, a strip about two miles wide between Bridge Brook and Niantie river, contained about twenty-five acres and was finally included in the township of Lyme.
Reinold Marvin married, about 1662, Sarah Clark, baptized Feb. 14, 1844, in Milford, Conn. According to her gravestone she was born in 1642. She married (second) Feb. 12, 1678, Captain Joseph Sill, the famous Indian fighter, and died Feb. 1, 1716, in Lyme. Her grave in the Duck river burying ground is at the left of those of her two husbands.
Children, born in East Saybrook, now Lyme:
John, Mary, Reinold (mentioned below), Samuel and Sarah.

(III) Captain Reinold (3), second son of Lieut. Reinold (2) and Sarah (Clark) Marvin, was born in 1669, in Lyme, where he resided and died Oct. 18, 1737. He was chosen one of the two deacons in the First Congregational Church of Lyme, when it was confirmed March 27, 1693, but he is most frequently referred to on the town records by his military title. He was sergeant of the Lyme train band as early as 1702, and probably held this position until 1712, when he was appointed ensign. On May 8, 1718, the legislature "established and confirmed Mr. Reinold Marvin to be captain of the First Train Band Company in Lyme." He was chosen townsman in 1797, 1702-03, 1705-06, and first townsman in 1707-22-25-28 and 1731-2. He was constable in 1694, collector of rates in 1713-14, grand juror in 1714-35, sealer of weights and measures 1715, lister in 1729, moderator in 1723-4, and served also on numeous important committees. When there was a vacancy at the head of teh church, April 28, 1718, Reinold and Samuel Marvin were appointed by the town as a committee to call on Rev. Samuel Ruswell "to settle in this town in the work of the ministry." He represented Lyme in the general court most of the time from 1711-1728, inclusive, and in the colonial records of the state from 1706 on war there are frequent references to him. There are many alluring traditions of his quaint sayings and doings. When he published his intention of marriage he wrote in rhyme and nailed it to the meeting house door. Following is the most authentic version of his poetic declaraion:

"Reinold Marvin and Phoebe Lee Do intend to marry, And though her dad opposed be, We can no longer tarry."



He married (first) about 1696, Phoebe, daughter of Lieut, Thomas and Mary (De Wolf) Lee, born Aug. 14, 1677, in Lyme, died there Oct. 27, 1707; (second) June 30, 1709, Martha, daughter of Sergeant Thomas and Miriam (Tracy) Waterman, born Dec. 6, 1680, in Norwich, Conn., died Nov. 18, 1753, in Lyme.
Children of first wife:
Phoebe, Reinold (mentioned below), Daniel, Lydia and Hester.
Children of second wife:
Martha, Elisha (died young), James, Sarah, Elisha and Miriam.

(IV) Deacon Reinold (4), eldest son of Captain Reinold (3) and Phoebe (Lee) Marvin, was born June, 1699, in Lyme, and died there Feb. 24, 1761. He owned fifty acres of land in Colchester, probably inherited from his father. He was chosen deacon of the Lyme church in January, 1741, having been admitted a member in June, 1731, and holding a military as well as an ecclesiastical title. He was confirmed as head of the train band of Lyme in October, 1730, and was admitted frfeeman Sept. 14, 1731. In 1729 he was chosen sealer of weights and measures, and town treasurer in December, 1734, being allowed twenty pounds for making the town and county rate. He was grand juror in 1736, surveyor of highways in 1738, and lister in 1739, in which year the town granted him liberty to build a fort on the east side of "Lieutenants' river." In 1750 he had liberty to build a pond on his land adjoining the highway, and was appointed supervisor. He inherited his father's eccentricities, but they became more prominent in his charcter, and the church records show that he sometimes laid himself open to the strict discipline of the time. He, however, kept the office of deacon in good and regular standing to the close of his life.
With all his oddities, which greatly injured the savor of his good name, he is said to have been an honest and benevolent man.
He married (first), Dec. 23, 1725, his cousin Sarah, daughter of John Marvin, and widow of John Lay. The date of her death is not recorded, but she was living in 1735, when she joined her husband in a conveyance of land. He married (second) July 7, 1746, Mary, widow of Jonathan Kellogg, and daughter of John Niles, born June 20, 1716, in Colchester, Conn., died March 9, 1812.
Children of first wife:
Reinold (mentioned below), Phoebe, Daniel and Lydia.
Children of second wife:
Ann and Eve (twins), Sarah, Esther and Judith.

(V) Reinold (5), eldest child of Deacon Reinold (4) and Sarah (Marvin) Marvin, was born Oct. 23, 1726, in Lyme, and died July 30, 1802, in Litchfield, Conn. He graduated at Yale in 1748, a classman of Bishop Seabury and of President Daggett. He settled in Litchfield, and was the first to practice law in that town, where he was King's consellor, or prosecuting office for that state, which office he resigned at the beginning of the revolution. He was then a leader among emminent lawyers who gave billiancy to the Litchfield bar, and was a member of the faculty of the famous Litchfield Law School founded in 1784 by Judge Topping Reede.
He had a large landed property in Litchfield, but lost much of it through signing surety bonds. The land records show that he made several purchases from 1764 onward in Berkshire county, Mass., and the names of several negro slaves whom he owned before the abolition of slavery in Connecticut are also found.
He married, Feb. 23, 1763, Ruth, daughter of Paul and Jerusha (Bronson) Welch, of New Milford, Conn., born Dec. 19, 1739, died in Litchfield, May 12, 1783. They had one child, Ruth, born Dec. 20, 1763, in Litchfield; married March 17, 1784, Ephraim Kirby, of Litchfield (see Kirby, V).
The history of Litchfield says of Ruth (Welch) Kirby; "She is worthy of honorable mention among those who have done most to reflect upon Litchfield. She possessed a rare combination of talents, combined with Christian virtures. Born to the prospect of a fortune, highly educated and refined, she met the reverses of after life in a manner that commanded the admiration of all."

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