Allen line: Samuel Street 1635-1717, Pastor

It's wonderful to find an ancestor with stories.  It's even better to find one with records.  Best of all is an ancestor who has both.

Samuel Street was probably born in England, perhaps in Bristol, the son of Reverend Nicholas and Anna Poole Street.  Because we don't have a definite birth date nor a date of immigration for his parents, it's also possible that Samuel was born either on the ocean trip or soon after his parents' arrival in New England.  He was one of at least five children but seems to be the only son of his parents.

Being an only son of a pastor, Samuel was likely steered toward, or at least encouraged, to attend Harvard College, the first college in New England and one intended to educate pastors.  Samuel took advantage of the opportunity and learned Hebrew, Greek, and Latin as part of his education, along with classes in Scripture and probably in some kind of elocution.  A pastor surely must know how to speak!  He graduated from Harvard in 1664 and in November of that same year married Anna Miles, daughter of Richard and Mary Katherine Elithorpe Miles. Samuel and Katherine had at least five children together. 

Samuel was ready to start his new life in New Haven, Connecticut, where he taught in the Hopkins Grammar School for several years.  He started out with just eight pupils but the school grew during his time there. He was made a freeman in 1669, so at last he was eligible to vote in town elections.  In 1672, Samuel was invited to go to Wallingford as the pastor, to replace John Harriman.  Samuel agreed to go, but wanted a new house built for him and his family.  His salary was 50 pounds a year.

 The small congregation met at the home of Lieutenant Nathaniel Merriman and Ensign Munson for several years, until a meeting house was built.  The first meeting house was twenty eight feet long and twenty four feet wide, but it did give the congregation room for everyone to sit, one hopes.  As the settlement of Wallingford grew, the church was expanded several times and a "fort" was built around it.  Street's salary was doubled and he was given several grants of land by the town.  The website for the First Congregational Church of Christ advises that they have been at the same location, at Center Street and South Main Street, since 1675.

Even more remarkable, the home that was built for Samuel and his family still stands, also on South Main Street.  It is a typical New England saltbox style, but maybe a little larger than some I've seen.  Wouldn't it be fun to visit there?

Samuel Street served his congregation for 45 years.  Samuel Whittelsey of Yale College was  ordained at Wallingford in 1710 after Samuel Street became old and infirm.  Samuel died January 16, 1717, about thirty years after his wife Anna had died. I didn't find a will but I did find an inventory.  It appears that his estate was valued at about 619 pounds, plus or minus 31 pounds because I can't tell if that second number was to be added to or subtracted from the original number.  Among the items in his inventory was a gun, an old musket, and swords, He also owned enough animals for a large farm, a considerable number of household goods, and other items that tell us he was fairly well to do.

This tells us a lot about Samuel but I have more questions.  What was his experience in the military, if any?  Did he serve in King Philip's War, or in other incursions against the native Americans?  I know some pastors were also officers or soldiers in the training bands that responded during these wars.  What did Samuel think of the battles, whether or not he was part of them?  Did he hold any positions of leadership in the town, or did he steer clear of anything that might be considered political?

This is, however, a pretty good collection of information about a man who may have been an immigrant, but who surely was an early settler of Connecticut.  I'm glad I've been able to find and share this information, and to add another pastor to the Allen line. 

Fun fact:  Samuel Street is also the ancestor of Lyman Hall, signer of the Declaration of Independence; General William Tecumseh Sherman, Civil War General; and Norman Rockwell, beloved artist.  We're all cousins! 

The line of descent is:

Samual Street-Anna Miles
Nicholas Street-Jerusha Morgan
Jerusha Street-Thomas Starr

John Starr-Betsy Havens
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edsward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants