Allen line: The second Daniel Scofield 1648-1714

Sometimes it's difficult to find anything new about the second generation of colonists.  Sometimes it's hard to find anything at all about them.  With Daniel Scofield, son of one Daniel Scofield and father of another, we are somewhat more fortunate.  I've been able to pull some bits and pieces together that will help us get an idea of his life.  I say, "idea" because there is still much I don't know. 

Daniel was the second son of Daniel and first wife Sarah Scofield.  The elder Daniel was one of the early founders of the townof Stamford, Connecticut, and was first named as a resident in 1641 (settlement had begun in 1640.)  Our subject, Daniel II, was born about 1647 or 1648, but I've not found documentation for an actual date.  He was one of at least five children, and he outlived his siblings.

One mystery about Daniel at this point is his occupation.  He was financially stable, perhaps even well off, judging by tax records of 1700, but it's not clear how he made his living.  He married Abigail Merwin, daughter of Miles and Elizabeth Powell Merwin, in Stamford in about 1671, when he was about 24 years old.  He and Abigail had at least eight children together. 

Daniel's house lot was number three in the town according to a map from 1685.  I don't know whether he inherited this lot or whether he purchased it from someone, but it was certainly an early number and may indicate either that the lots were assigned by drawing, or that the original owner had his choice of lots. 

Daniel wasn't in the top tier of town government.  Most of his duties had to do with the church, such as helping to settle disputes, tything man, and he also was made a townsman in 1700.  (I'm not sure whether this was a "freeman" or whether this was what Massachusetts referred to as a selectman, a member of the council.  That same year he was appointed a sheepmaster, to take care of the flock. 

In the town tax records of 1700, his estate was valued at 115 pounds, 5 shillings.  There were men in town with higher valuations, but not many.  So he made money somehow, and was more than the term sheepmaster might indicate to us.

Daniel lived his life, and died October 10, 1714.  I don't know whether he ever left the village he was born in, although Long Island Sound borders the town, and it wouldn't have been far to travel to New York, or to Hartford, for that matter.

His inventory is not detailed but it indicates that he had several parcels of land and homes, valued at about 300 pounds, and 149 pounds in personal property.  An additional amount had been set aside for Abigail.  There were debts to be paid.  It's interesting that it appears that more was spent for rum and sugar, apparently for the funeral or visitation, than for the coffin.  The boards for the coffin were two shillings, the coffin making (marking? not sure I read this correctly) was three shillings and four pence, and the rum and sugar was 10 shillings and 10 pence.   

I've not found record of Abigail's death but several sites list it as 1714 also.  She is mentioned extensively in the settlement papers so she was still alive as of November 29, 1714.  I guess her death date is one of the questions still unanswered, as well as how Daniel made his living. This, however, is more information than we have for many ancestors, and it is enough to recognize that Daniel was a hard working, pious man. 

The line of descent is:

Daniel Scofield-Abigail Merwin
Daniel Scofield-Hannah Hoyt
Hannah Scofield-Nathaniel Finch
Jesse Finch-Hannah
Hannah Finch-John Bell
Hannah Bell-Thomas Knott
John Wilson Knott-Harriet Starr
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants