Witnessed Great Plague (1665) the summer previous to leaving London.
Moved to Simsbury 1684, purchasing the Wolcott farm from George Griswold of Windsor Connecticut.
Tradition says had 2 sisters whom he left behind in England with his mother.
The love story is well documented by living descendants. That is, in the 19th century Higley book (see citations, p 32), the author spoke with people who got the story directly from Higleys' children. Briefly, after Capt John's father Jonathan died at an early age, Capt John's mother apprenticed him out. He fled to the Colonies ca. 1666, indentured passage, became part of Drake household.
He could not marry the Drake daughter because apprentices cannot marry without permission. The Colony remained subject to British law. He returned 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 escaped with the Charter, hid it for six weeks, before it was hidden in the Charter Oak. An emissary from England had been sent to confiscate and revoke 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 was never actually surrendered, they legally continued as a Colony.
Details remain hazy because of the need at the time to keep all participants' names a secret.
John Higley is laid to rest beside John Drake at Simsbury Connecticut.
Citations
1. [S506] Leroy E. Higley, John Higley, Page 1.
2. [S578] Frank B. Gay, John Drake, Page 16.
3. [S506] Leroy E. Higley, John Higley, CD Supplement #1.
4. [S344] Joyce A. Cahill Simsbury Cemetery.
29
Higley p 62: No gravestone has been found.
Citations
1. [S578] Frank B. Gay, John Drake, Page 16.
2. [S506] Leroy E. Higley, John Higley, Page 1.
3. [S45] Albert C. Bates, Simsbury, Page 24.
4. [S578] Frank B. Gay, John Drake, Page 1 29
Eldest child of 7 (Higley p 9). Mother of 7 children.
Higley, p. 64: Sarah Strong Bissell, granddaughter of Elder John Strong, was eldest child of Return Strong and Sarah Wareham (daughter Return Strong was the sixth child of Elder John Strong (Higley p 64).
Dwight only mentions the husband, Bissell, the Diana book mentions the other husband, Higley; it is likely that as early as Bissell died, that Sarah would have remarried.
Citations
1. [S82] Gary Boyd Roberts and William Addams Reitwiesner, Princess Di, Page 51..
2. [S84] Benjamin Woodbridge Dwight Elder John Strong, Vol. II:Pg. 1077..
3. [S121] Judge Pelham St. George Bissell, The Descendants of Captain John Bissell, Page 7/Item m3-13..
4. [S506] Leroy E. Higley, John Higley, CD Supplement #1.
29
1907. Captain John HIGLEY 63 (Katherine BREWSTER2, John (Reverend)1) was born on 22 Jul 1649 in Frimley, Surrey, England,63 died on 25 Aug 1714 in Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut, USA 64 at age 65, and was buried in Simsbury Cemetery, Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.64
Noted events in his life were:
• He was baptized on 12 Aug 1649 in Frimley, Surrey, England. 63
John married Hannah (Hanna) DRAKE, daughter of John DRAKE 2d and Hannah MOORE, on 9 Nov 1671 in Windsor, Connecticut.74 Hannah was born on 8 Aug 1653 in Windsor, Connecticut 29 75 and died on 4 Aug 1694 in Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut, USA 47 at age 40.
Noted events in her life were:
• She was baptized on 15 Apr 1655 in Windsor, Connecticut. 75
Children from this marriage were:
1908 M i. John HIGLEY 2d 62 was born on 16 Aug 1673.62
1909 M ii. Jonathan HIGLEY 62 was born on 16 Feb 1674/75.47
Jonathan married Ann BARBER in 1701.47
1910 F iii. Elizabeth HIGLEY 62 was born on 13 Mar 1676/77.62
Elizabeth married Nathaniel BANCROFT in 1701.76
1911 F iv. Katherine HIGLEY 62 was born on 7 Aug 1679 in Windsor, Connecticut.62
Katherine married James NOBLE in 1704.47
1912 M v. Ensign Brewster HIGLEY Sr 62 was born on 10 Jan 1678/79 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA,62 died on 5 Nov 1760 in Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut, USA 77 at age 81, and was buried on 7 Nov 1760 in Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.77
Brewster married Hester (Esther) HOLCOMBE (b. Feb 1683/84, d. 17 Dec 1775) on 17 Feb 1708/09 in Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.77
1913 F vi. Hannah HIGLEY 62 was born on 22 Aug 1683 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.62
Hannah married Joseph TRUMBULL in 1704.78
1914 M vii. Joseph HIGLEY 62 was born about 1685 62 and died on 3 May 1715 in Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut, USA 47 about age 30.
1915 M viii. Samuel HIGLEY 62 was born about 1687.62
1916 F ix. Mindwell HIGLEY 62 was born about 1689.62
Mindwell married Jonathan HUTCHINSON (d. 10 Sep 1717) on 2 Sep 1714.60
Mindwell next married James TISDALE (d. 2 May 1727) on 2 Feb 1726/27.60
Mindwell next married Captain Nathaniel FITCH (b. 1680, d. 4 May 1759).
John next married Sarah STRONG, daughter of Return STRONG and Sarah WAREHAM, in 1696 in Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.29 61 Sarah was born on 14 Mar 1665/66 in Windsor, Connecticut 47 and died on 27 May 1739 in Windsor, Connecticut 62 at age 73.
(Duplicate Line. See Person 1824, Sarah STRONG)
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