David Atwater and his brother Joshua, sons of John Atwater of Roynton, Kent, England, were enrolled among the early settlers of New Haven, Joshua being one of the seven pioneers who first visited that place and spent a winter of great privation there. David is credited with being the first signer of the "planter agreement." His residence and farm were between East Rock and the Quinnipiack river, known as Cedar Hill. This land is yet owned by his descendants. The land owned by Joshua Atwater is now covered with buildings, part of the vast Yale University system. David Atwater died October 5, 1692. He married Damaris, daughter of Thomas Sayre, of Southampton, Long Island. Children:
- Mercy, married John Austin.
- Damaris, married John Punderson.
- David, married Joanna ————.
- Joshua, born January 11, 1652; married Lydia Rockwell, died November 27, 1681, leaving no children.
- John, of further mention.
- Jonathan, married Ruth, daughter of Rev. Jeremiah Peck.
- Abigail, married Nathaniel Jones.
- Mary, married (first) Ichabod Stow; (second) David Robinson.
- Samuel, married Sarah Alling.
- Ebenezer, married Abigail Heaton.
(II) John, son of David and Damaris (Sayre) Atwater, was born in New Haven, Connecticut, November 1, 1654, died 1748. He settled in Wallingford, upon a farm which belonged to his brother Joshua. He was called "Weaver." He married (first) Abigail Mansfield, born February 7, 1664, died September 24, 1717; married (second) November 27, 1718, Mary Beach. Children:
- John, married Elizabeth Mix.
- Abigail, married Thomas Hull.
- Mercy.
- Hannah, married Thomas Beach.
- Joshua, of further mention.
- Moses, married (first) Sarah Merriman; (second) Mary Hotchkiss.
- Phineas, married (first) Mary Ward; (second) Widow Hannah Ives.
- Caleb, married Mehitable Mix.
- Benjamin, married (first) Elizabeth Porter; (second) Elizabeth Merriman.
- Ebenezer, married Jane Andrews.
(III) Joshua, son of John and Abigail (Mansfield) Atwater, was born September 18, 1693, died in Wallingford, Connecticut, November 29, 1757. He married (first) Mary, daughter of John Peck, January 17, 1723; married (second) Sarah, daughter of Theophilus Yale, died July 13, 1784. Children by first wife:
- Joshua, born 1724, died 1747.
- Mary, born February 12, 1727.
Children by second wife:
- Caleb, of further mention.
- Sarah, married Charles Hall.
(IV) Caleb, son of Joshua and Sarah (Yale) Atwater, was born in Wallingford, Connecticut, September 7, 1741, died January 11, 1775. He was a shoemaker, tanner, harnessmaker, merchant and extensive land owner. He was one of the Connecticut Land Company, which purchased of the state of Connecticut the Western Reserve or New Connecticut, in Ohio, and though one of the largest purchasers paid in full for what he had contracted when he received his deeds. The land included all of the townships of Atwater in Portage county, all of the township of Denmark and five thousand seven hundred and ninety acres in Geneva, Ashtabula county, besides that in other counties. The township of Atwater, with the exception of two hundred acres set apart for religious purposes, he gave to his son Joshua. A tract in Auburn, Granger county, he surveyed into sixty-five lots of one hundred acres each, giving one lot to each of his grandchildren, numbering fifty-five. The balance of his western land he divided among his children. He was credited at the time with being the wealthiest man in the state of Connecticut. He was released and freed from marching in the Tenth Regiment of which he was ensign, as he had been at great expense and had long carried on the manufacture of saltpetre for powder. He died December 19, 1831, at the age of ninety-one years, and was in full possession of his mental faculties until the end. He married (first) March 12, 1766, Abigail Jones, died January 11, 1775; married (second) January 22, 1776, Ruth Wadsworth. Children, four by first wife:
- Sarah, born July 19, 1767; married Captain Merrick.
- Mary, born April 23, 1769; married Rev. David L., son of Rev. James Beebe, "the soldier and preacher."
- Lucy, born December 8, 1770; married Ira Day.
- Joshua, of further mention.
- James Wadsworth, died in infancy.
- Abigail, born December 13, 1778; married Dr. John Andrews.
- Catherine, born March 24, 1781; married Thomas Cook and removed to Catskill, New York.
- Ruth, born April 11, 1788; married Apollos Cook and removed to Catskill, New York.
(V) Joshua (2), son of Caleb and Abigail (Jones) Atwater, was born in Wallingford, Connecticut, February 8, 1773, died April 19, 1862. He was given the township of Atwater, Portage county, Ohio, by his father, and the history of Portage records that "in 1805 the proprietor of the township, Deacon Joshua Atwater with Josiah Mix, junior, came to the township from Connecticut, having ridden all the way on horseback. This was the first visit of Deacon Atwater to the township." Deacon Joshua married, October 22, 1793, Elizabeth, daughter of Aaron Cook, died October 2, 1799. Children:
- Elizabeth, born August 4, 1794; married John Barker.
- Caroline, born June 17, 1796; married Dr. Jared P. Kirtland.
- Emily, born February 7, 1798; married Friend Cook.
- Abigail, died unmarried at the age of twenty-three years.
- Mary, died at the age of two years.
- Captain Caleb, settled in Atwater township, Portage county, Ohio, but returned to Wallingford; he married (first) Julia A. Rice; (second) Elizabeth L. Clark.
- Joshua, of further mention.
- Thomas C., born August 20, 1808; married Harriet E. Cook.
- Lucretia, died aged twelve years.
- Edgar, married Sarah Yale.
- John, born January 19, 1813, was the last surviving of these thirteen children, died November 30, 1881, one of the oldest and most highly-respected townsmen in Wallingford, Connecticut, active in business and deacon of the church; he married (first) Caroline Diana Hall; (second) Eliza A. Hall, both daughters of Russell and Mary (Kirtland) Hall.
- William, born August 5, 1817; married Elizabeth Helfenstein.
- Mary Ann, born May 29, 1819; married Lieutenant Garret Barry, who, removed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin; he and his son William were drowned when the steamer "Lady Elgin" was lost on Lake Michigan.
(VI) Joshua (3), son of Joshua (2) and Elizabeth (Cook) Atwater, was born August 26, 1806, in Wallingford, Connecticut, died in Catskill, New York, May 30, 1879. He removed to Catskill, where he engaged in the insurance business. "He was a prominent resident of Catskill for nearly fifty years and was always interested and most helpful in whatever promised to promote the prosperity of the town and county. He was everywhere known as an upright, kind-hearted, charitable and generous Christian gentleman. For many years he was a prominent and faithful member of the Presbyterian church, and his death made the world poorer by the loss of a sincere and good man." This is an extract from his obituary notice. He married Mary Hull, born May 15, 1811, died May 10, 1877, daughter of Orrin and Mary Burr (Hull) Day. Children:
- Henry Day, born May 23, 1835; is comptroller of savings banks in New York state; married, October 10, 1866, Mary Louise, daughter of Thomas and Mary (Ritter) Steele; resided in Brooklyn, New York; children: Henry Day (2) and Louise Sedgwick.
- Mary Elizabeth, born June 5, 1837, died June 10, 1898; married James Reed Spalding (see Spalding VIII).
- Emily A., born October 30, 1845; resides in Catskill, New York, unmarried.