In the "Mayflower" came Edward Fuller and Dr. Samuel Fuller, December 20, 1620. Edward died in the "first sickness," 1621, leaving a son Samuel, who settled on Cape Cod. Dr. Samuel Fuller was the first physician in the colony. He married (according to Leyden records) (first) Elsie Glasscock; (second) Agnes Carpenter, but his children are by his third wife, Bridget Lee, of Plymouth. She came to Massachusetts on the ship "Ann" in 1623. She was married to Dr. Samuel Fuller in Leyden, in 1617. Their first child was born in Leyden, but died soon after their arrival at Plymouth. Dr. Samuel died in 1633, leaving an only son Samuel, and an only daughter Mercy, who married Ralph James.
(II) Samuel (2), only son of Dr. Samuel (1) and Bridget (Lee) Fuller, was born in 1624, died August 17, 1695. He was a minister of the gospel. His tombstone reads: "Here Lyes ye body of ye Rev. Mr. Samuel Fuller who departed this life Aug. ye 17, 1695, in ye 71st year of his age. He was ye 1st minister of ye 1st church of Christ in Middleboro." He was a deacon of the Plymouth church, and ordained a minister, December 25, 1694, but he had preached to the Middleboro congregation sixteen years before his ordination. He was a sincere, godly man, and was sincerely lamented by his people. In the settlement of his estate, found in probate records of Middleboro, book I, page 246, dated October 1, 1695, Elizabeth is mentioned as the widow of Rev. Samuel Fuller; Samuel, as the oldest son; John, as the second son; Isaac, as the youngest, and under age. The daughters mentioned are Mercy, wife of Daniel Cole; Experience, wife of James Wood; Elizabeth, wife of Samuel Eaton, and an unmarried daughter Hannah. Elizabeth Fuller, his widow, died at Plympton, Massachusetts, November 11, 1713.
(III) Samuel (3), son of Rev. Samuel (2) and Elizabeth Fuller, was one of the first settlers of Plympton, Massachusetts. He married Mercy, daughter of Benjamin Eaton (1). He died in Plympton, September 6, 1728, in his seventieth year. Children:
- Nathaniel, born November 14, 1687;
- Samuel, August 30, 1689;
- William, died in infancy;
- Seth, August 30, 1692;
- Benjamin, March 7, 1694;
- Ebenezer, March 24, 1695;
- Elizabeth, March 30, 1697;
- John, December 19, 1698;
- Jabez, June, 1701;
- Mercy, October 3, 1702;
- James, February 27, 1704.
(IV) It is from one of the sons of Samuel (3) Fuller, of Plympton, that Samuel Fuller, of Schenectady, descends. The records do not follow out the children with sufficient clearness, but the best indications are that he was a son of James, the youngest son, born February 27, 1704.
(V) Samuel (4), grandson of Samuel (3) Fuller, of Plympton, and perhaps son of James Fuller, located in Schenectady as early as December 7, 1763, when he was married to Anna, daughter of William Hall, who was taken prisoner by the French and Indians and carried to France, where he died. Anna Hall was a lineal descendant of the first Ryer Schermerhorn, an original proprietor of Schenectady. Samuel Fuller first came to Schenectady, March 28, 1758, and was then wholly employed in the King's service at Schenectady, Albany, Stillwater, Fort Edward, Lake George and Niskayuna. He was engaged in the construction of boats, wagons, log houses and shelters for the army commanded by General Abercrombie. On July 31, 1758, he returned to Boston, going from there to Halifax, where he arrived February 7, 1759, and continued in the royal service at the navy yard until after the taking of Quebec by General Wolfe in September, 1759, returning again to Schenectady, where he arrived July, 1761. He was an accomplished architect, and did more than any one man to improve the style of building, and to his skill is to be attributed the stately buildings seen throughout the length and breadth of the Mohawk. He built "The Hermitage" in Niskayuna for the retired merchant, John Duncan; the Guy Park mansion, afterward the home of Sir Guy Johnson; the Claas mansion, the abode later of Colonel Daniel Claas, son-in-law of Sir William Johnson. [Jack McAvoy reports he also designed and built Johnson Hall in Johnstown.] He built the old court house at Johnstown; the dwelling of General Nicholas Herkimer; the Episcopal church in Schenectady (1762), the oldest Episcopal church structure in the state; the John Glen mansion; the Ten Eyck mansion, later the home of Governor Joseph C. Yates; the Daniel Campbell mansion, the latter mentioned all in Schenectady, which city owes much to his early architectural skill. During the years from 1761, when he took up his permanent residence in Schenectady, until his death just prior to the revolution, he was constantly employed in construction and architectural work. Children: Jeremiah, see forward; Annatjie, born April 8, 1771.
(VI) Jeremiah, only son of Samuel (4) and Anna (Hall) Fuller, was born in Schenectady, October 26, 1766. He was a man of high character, strict integrity and great business energy. He married, January 23, 1790, Mary, daughter of George Kendall. She died November 9, 1860, in her eighty-sixth year. Her husband died June 18, 1839, in his seventy-third year. They were the parents of fourteen children, ten sons and four daughters, all of whom reached majority, except Samuel, the first born, and one daughter Ann. Four of the sons became lawyers; four physicians, and one only did not have a professional career:
- Samuel, died in infancy.
- William Kendall, born November 29, 1792; graduated at Union College, 1810; studied law, becoming law partner of John B. Yates. He removed to Chittenango, Madison county, New York, where he was justice of the peace, town clerk, postmaster, school trustee, commissioner of highways and supervisor. In 1823 he was appointed by Governor Yates adjutant-general of the state of New York. He was, prior to 1823, district attorney of Madison county and judge of the court of common pleas. He was a member of the state assembly, 1829-30, twice elected to represent the twenty-third New York district in congress. After his term expired, he retired to private life and the care of his own estate. He never married.
- Samuel, born April 16, 1795; graduated from Union College; completed his medical studies in the city of New York. He was in the practice of his profession at Chittenango, New York, from 1818 to 1866, when he retired and settled in New York with his family. He died in 1867 in his seventy-third year.
- Ann, died in infancy.
- George Kendall, born January 29, 1799; graduated Union College; was general agent and superintendent of the extensive farming, mercantile and manufacturing interests of John B. Yates. He died May 9, 1858, unmarried, the only one of the eight brothers who was not a professional man.
- Amelia Ann, born March 31, 1801, died October 27, 1871.
- Ann, born April 21, 1803, died June, 1862.
- Richard, born October 28, 1804; graduated Union College; studied medicine and practiced at Schenectady. He died May 15, 1837.
- Edward, born February 15, 1807; graduate Union College; studied medicine and settled at Chittenango, New York, where he was the partner of his brother, Dr. Samuel. He died January 22, 1877.
- Charles, born April 1, 1809. He was a graduate of Union College, studied law and practiced in Schenectady.
- Henry, born February 2, 1811, died January 6, 1875, He was a graduate of Union College; studied law and practiced in Schenectady. He removed to New York, where he died.
- James, see forward.
- Elizabeth, born June 11, 1816.
- Robert, born February 14, 1822; graduate of Union College; studied medicine and practiced all his life in Schenectady. He was a skillful and most charitable physician.
(VII) James, son of Jeremiah and Mary (Kendall) Fuller, was born in the Fuller home, corner of Church and Front streets, July 24, 1814. He prepared for the practice of law, was admitted to the bar and became an attorney of note. He was a Democrat and a member of the Reformed church. He married Maria H. Yates, born in Schenectady at the Yates home, Washington avenue and Union street, and died in that city, April 16, 1896. She was a member of the distinguished Yates family of Schenectady, who are fully recorded in this work. Children:
- Isaac, died at age of sixty-five years.
- Mary Kendall, married Joseph Clements, a prominent contractor of Schenectady.
- Rachel, married Charles Lynn, of Schenectady.
- Richard, died at the age of fifty-eight years. He married Maggie Carley and had a daughter, Hellena.
- James, see forward.
(VIII) James (2), youngest son of James (1) and Maria H. (Yates) Fuller, was born September 17, 1848, at the old home in Schenectady, where he died January 17, 1908. He was educated in the common and high schools of that city, and read law with his father. He practiced his profession in Schenectady all his life, continuing alone after the death of his father. He was an able and skillful man, was a notary public, and cared for several estates. He stood high in his community, both as an advocate and a citizen. He was a well-known and active Democrat, contributing, in a large degree, to the local successes of his party. He married, January, 1881, Annie M., born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, only child of Hugh and Hannah (Lynch) Boyd. Her mother died when she was seven days old, and her father, Hugh Boyd, married (second) Catherine Megill, of the prominent Canadian family, founders and benefactors of Megill University. [McGill University?] She was a daughter of Edward, and niece of Charles Megill, both of whom served as mayors of Hamilton. Hugh Boyd was born in Belfast, Ireland, of the aristocratic Boyd family of that city. He was of Scotch ancestry, and came to the United States in 1866, after a residence in Canada of several years. He settled in Schenectady in 1866. He and his second wife both died in 1899. By both marriages he had six children. Children of James and Annie M. (Boyd) Fuller:
- Hellena E., died at the age of five years.
- Jane H., born 1896, a student at Holy Name Academy, Albany.
Mrs. Fuller survives her husband, and resides in Schenectady.