AFORETIME 15
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n the absence of written records, to misplace names, andto give that of a son to the father, or brother. Militarytitles are frequently magnified in our day and there tsno reason to believe that it is confined to our era. So far, circumstantial evidence favors the first tradi-tion and would name Richard of Taunton as the brotherof Henry Stephens of Stonington, and would makeThomas the Ancestor. But the fact that Thomas re-turned to England and died there prevents us fromcalling him the Immigrant Ancestor, so we begin ourAmerican Ancestry with a most worthy sire, that sturdyNew England pioneer, Henry Stephens or Stevens ofStonington, Conn. If Henry Stephens came to New England about 1660the Fones record which is here given is a probable clueto his place of abode before he settled in Stonington,Conn. “Naraganset 3. July 1663. “We, whose names are under written, being the in-habitants and proprietors of the lands lying in the Nara-ganset, have and doe desire (according to his Majestiesgrant) to be under the Government of Conecticot Col-lony, and Request there protection according to a lettersent in June last. Mr. Bradstreet and others have de-sired the same in ye Letter formerly mentioned. “Richard Smith Edward Hutchinson and for his sonElisha hisHenry (1 T) Tibit Joshua Hawes Will HudsonmarkhisSam (W) Waite Waite Winthrop George DennisonmarkJno Crabtreehis ye mark ofSam (M) Eldred Alexander Al ffinck Thomas (S)markSewell
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