In 1888, the family of William Russell donated his sea chest
to the New Haven Historical Society, now the New Haven Museum. The below
article appeared in the paper. They later donated a picture of William
Huntington Russell as well.
[William Huntington Russell]
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New Haven Daily Morning Journal and Courier
21 Apr 1888
AN INTERESTING RELIC
An Old Chest of Colonial and Family Interest Loaned the
Historical Society
A very ancient chest was loaned to the Historical society
yesterday by Major George H. Larned which has a very interesting history, as
shown by the following letter which accompanied the chest:
New Haven, Conn., April 19, 1888
Simson E. Baldwin, Esq., President New Haven Historical
Society:
Dear Sir:
Will your society kindly accept, for safe keeping, an old
chest which has a colonial as well as a family interest! It has been sacredly
preserved in its original shape and color, and has the look, peculiar in its
construction, which was on it when it came to this country, and such an one as
is described in the story of Ginevra. The chest has been handed down from one
generation to another and now leaves the family for the first time. It
contained the effects of William Russell, who arrived in New Haven in the
spring of 1638-39. The family tradition is that he was a passenger in “the
first ship which ever cast anchor in New Haven harbor,” the St. John, 320 tons,
Richard Russell master. He came with Rev. Henry Whitfield, George Fenwick and
William Leet, a part of Mr. Davenport’s and Mr. Eaton’s company. William
Russell signed “the covenant agreement” with the first settlers and “free
planters of Quinnipiack,” June 4, 1641, and lived, for a time, on the southwest
side of George street, above College, and next to what was then known as West
creek; but was allowed to have “his land on the plain amongst the rest of his
neighbors.” He died January 2, 1864-5, aged fifty-two years. Enclosed please
find a statement showing how the chest came into my possession.
Very respectfully,
Geo. H. Larned
This chest was brought from England in 1638-9, by
William
Russell, who married Sarah Davis.
Their
son,
Noadiah
Russell, married Mary Hamlin.
Their
son,
William
Russell, married Mary Pierpont.
Their
son,
Noadiah
Russell, married Esther Talcott.
Their
son,
Matthew
Talcott Russell, married Mary Huntington.
Their
son,
William
Huntington Russell, married Mary E. Hubbard.
Their
son,
Talcott
Huntington Russell, now lives in New Haven.
Esther
Russell, daughter of the second Noadiah,
Took
the chest when she married Thaddeus Larned.
Their
son,
George
Larned, married Harriet Russell.
The son, George Huntington Larned, loans it on the 250th
anniversary of its arrival in New Haven to the New Haven Colony Historical
society. Ship chests, for the long voyages of that day, were made broad on the
bottom and narrow at the top. They could then be stowed securely on deck, and
yet passengers could use their keys to lock and unlock them at pleasure. The
matter of storage and access made it necessary to have the owner’s name on the
top instead of the end, as the custom of today.
Notes:
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