Jonathan HIGLEY and Katherine BREWSTER

---

---

Husband Jonathan HIGLEY ⁷⁷

---

           Born: Abt 1624
       Baptized: 
           Died: Abt 1664 150
         Buried: 

       Marriage: 3 Jan 1646/47 - Frimley, Surrey, England 77

---

---

Wife Katherine BREWSTER ⁷⁷

---

           Born: 
       Baptized: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

         Father: Reverend John BREWSTER (      -1656) 77
         Mother: Mrs. UNKNOWN (      -1657) 77

---

---

Children

---

1 M Captain John HIGLEY ⁷⁷

---

           Born: 22 Jul 1649 - Frimley, Surrey, England 77
       Baptized: 
           Died: 25 Aug 1714 - Simsbury, Hartford, Connectcut, USA 151
         Buried:  - Simsbury, Hartford, Connectcut, USA 151

         Spouse: Hannah (Hanna) DRAKE (1653-1694) 78
           Marr: 9 Nov 1671 - Windsor, Connecticut 152

         Spouse: Sarah STRONG (1666-1739) 139

---

---

General Notes (Husband)

---

Higley book, "Tradition says that John Higley had two sisters, whom heleft behind with his mother when he emigrated to America."

---

General Notes for Child Captain John HIGLEY

---

Witnessed Great Plague (1665) the summer previous to leaving London.

Moved to Simsbury 1684, purchasing the Wolcott farm from George Griswoldof Windsor Connecticut.

Tradition says had 2 sisters whom he left behind in England with hismother.

The love story is well documented by living descendants. That is, in the19th century Higley book (see citations, p 32), the author spoke withpeople who got the story directly from Higleys' children. Briefly, afterCapt John's father Jonathan died at an early age, Capt John's motherapprenticed him out. He fled to the Colonies ca. 1666, indenturedpassage, became part of Drake household.

He could not marry the Drake daughter because apprentices cannot marrywithout permission. The Colony remained subject to British law. Hereturned to England and his mother; they bought off the apprenticeship;he returned and married the Drake daughter.

Granted land adjacent to George Griswold and Benjamin Newberry.

1698 promoted from Lieutenant to Captain, the highest rank then known inthe colony save one.

Higley book, p 57: Higley family documents state Capt John Higley escapedwith the Charter, hid it for six weeks, before it was hidden in theCharter Oak. An emissary from England had been sent to confiscate andrevoke the Charter, which would have dissolved the Colonial government.The Charter was produced and placed on the table. The lights (candles)suddenly went out; the Charter disappeared. Since the sealed Charter wasnever actually surrendered, they legally continued as a Colony.

Details remain hazy because of the need at the time to keep allparticipants' names a secret.

John Higley is laid to rest beside John Drake at Simsbury Connecticut.