The history of the Noyes family in America begins with Rev. William Noyes (1), American ancestor of the Noyes family, of Troy, New York. This family has been a prominent one, and in six generations there were three ordained ministers of the gospel and three commissioned army officers who had active military service. A curious fact may here be noted. In nearly every generation, two brothers marry two sisters or a brother and sister marry a sister and brother. An epitaph on the tombstone of Timothy Noyes, of Newbury, a grandson of Rev. William Noyes, of Chalderton, England, reads
"GOOD TIMOTHY
"HIS YOUTHFULL DAYS
"HE LIVED MUCH
"UNTO GODS PRAYS
"WHEN AGE CAME ONE
"HE & HIS WIFE
"THEY LIVED A HOLY
"& PIOUS LIFE
"THEREFOR YOU CHILDREN
"WHOSE NAMS ARE NOYES
"MAKE JESUS CHRIST
"YOUR ONDLY CHOYES.
While there is much Noyes genealogy to be traced far beyond 1568, this record begins there.
(I) Rev. William Noyes was born in England about 1568; at age of twenty matriculated at University College, Oxford, as the following record attests: "NOYES, William of Wilts, Pleb. University College, Matric. 15, November 1588, aged 20, B. A. 31 May 1592 — Rector, Chalderton Wilts, 1602." He became rector of Chalderton in 1601, and continued until his death in 1621. He married, about 1595, Anne Parker, born 1575, died at the age of eighty-two, and was buried at Chalderton, March 7, 1657. She was a sister of Rev. Robert Parker, a non-conformist minister, father of Rev. Thomas Parker. Children:
- Ephrahem, died in England;
- Rev. Nathan, succeeded his father as rector of Chalderton;
- Rev. James, see forward;
- Nicholas, emigrated to New England; married Mary, daughter of Captain John Cutting; was deacon of Newbury church, and deputy to the general court, four terms;
- John, died in England.
(II) Rev. James, third son of Rev. William and Anne (Parker) Noyes, was born October 22, 1608, at Chalderton, England. He lost his father at age of fourteen, and a few years later, August 22, 1627, he matriculated at Brazenose College. He did not graduate, as he was called away by his cousin, Thomas Parker, to teach the Free School at Newbury, England. (From Mather's "Magnolia"):
"He was converted in his youth by the ministry of Dr. Twiss and Mrs. Thomas Parker, and was admired for his piety and vertue in his younger days. The reason for his coming to America was he could not comply with the ceremonies of the Church of England. He was married in England to Miss Sarah Brown, eldest daughter of Mr. Joseph Brown of Southampton, not long before he came to New England, which was in 1634. In the same ship came Mr. Thomas Parker, Mr. James Noyes and a younger brother of his," * * * * "on the sea Mr. Parker and Mr. Noyes preached or expounded, one in the forenoon, one in the afternoon, every day during the voyage," * * * * "when they arrived, Mr. Parker was first called to preach at Ipswich and Mr. Noyes at Mistick, but Mr. Parker and others of his brethren and acquaintances settling at Newbury" * * * * "and calling Mr. Noyes to be the teacher of it, and being loath to be separated from Mr. Parker and brethren that had so often fasted and prayed together both in England and on the Atlantic sea, so he became teacher of that church, and continued painful and successful in that station something above 20 years without any considerable trouble in the church," * * * * "He was very much loved and honored in Newbury, his memory is precious there to this day, and his catechism (which is a publick and standing testimony of his understanding), and orthodoxy in the principles of religion is publickly and privately used in that church and town hitherto. He was very learned in the tongue and in Greek excelled most. He was much read in the fathers and the schoolmen and he was much esteemed by his brethren of the ministry." * * * * "He was as religious at home as abroad, in his family and in secret as he was publicly, and they that knew him best, most loved and esteemed him. Mr. Parker and he kept a private fast once a month as long as they lived together, and Mr. Parker after his death until his own departure. There was the greatest amity, intimacy, unanimity, yea unity, imaginable between Mr. Parker and Mr. Noyes; so unshaken was their friendship, that nothing but death was able to part them. They taught in one school, came over in one ship ("Mary and John") were pastor and teacher in one church, and Mr. Parker continuing in celibacy, they lived in one house, till death separated them for a time," * * * * "Mr. Parker and Mr. Noyes were excellent singers, both of them, and they were extraordinary delighted in singing the psalms. They sang four times a day in the public worship and always just after evening prayers, in the family, where reading the Scriptures, expounding and praying were the other constant exercises."
Thomas Parker thus quaintly describes him: "Mr. James Noyes my colleague in the ministry of the gospel, was a man of singular qualifications, in piety excelling, an implacable enemy to all heresy and schism, and a most able warrior against the same. He was of a reaching and ready apprehension, a large invention, a most profound judgment, a rare and tenacious and comprehensive memory, fixed and immovable in his grounded conception without all passion or provoking language." * * * "He was courageous in dangers, and still was apt to believe the best and made fair weather in a storm. He was most honored and esteemed in his country and his death was much bewailed. I think he may be reckoned among the greatest worthees of this age." Rev. James Noyes died at Newbury, October 22, 1658, aged forty-eight. Among his published works are: "A Catechism for Children," printed 1644 and written at the request of the general court of Massachusetts; "The Temple Measured," printed in 1647; "Moses and Aaron," printed in 1661. The Mss. of the last two are in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society. His widow, Sarah (Brown) Noyes, died at Newbury, September 13, 1691. Children:
- Joseph, of Sudbury, Massachusetts, where he was selectman twenty-eight years, constable and justice of the peace; was a slave owner.
- James, see forward.
- Sarah, died in childhood.
- Moses, was the first pastor of the Lyme Connecticut church, and one of the founders of the town; was a "Narragansett Volunteer" during the Indian war.
- John, second sergeant of the "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company" of Boston in 1678, and constable in Boston, same year.
- Thomas, inherited the Newbury home; was selectman, served in the French and Indian war as captain, major, lieutenant and colonel; owned slaves.
- Rebecca, married John, son of John Knight.
- William, deacon of the Newbury church for many years; served in his brother's company of "Snow Shoe men."
- Sarah, married Rev. John Hale (his second wife) of Beverly, Massachusetts.
(III) Rev. James (2), second son of Rev. James (1) and Sarah (Brown) Noyes, was born at Newbury, Massachusetts, March 11, 1640. He was but sixteen and his brother Moses but thirteen, when together they entered Harvard College in 1656. "His most kind kinsman, the Rev. Mr. Thomas Parker, gave him his Grammar Learning, and, fitted him for college, his father dying not long after his admission." The records of the college show that payment for their tuition was made by several parties in money, "Whealte Malte and barly" "butter" "an old cowe" "a barrell of beefn not very good" "two cattell" and allowances for "waitage in the hall one whole year" and as monitor; James graduated at Harvard, 1659; went to Stonington, Connecticut, 1664; was invited by the town to become their minister and took freeman's oath, October 5, 1669. He was ordained September 10, 1674, as pastor of the First Congregational Church, organized in June of that year. The next day, September 11, he was married. Land was granted him at Musqueta, later known as Noyes Point, now Westerly, Rhode Island. He was chaplain of Captain George Denison's expedition against the Massachusetts, which resulted in the capture of Canonchet, chief sachem of the tribe. In one account of the event, it is said that Mr. Noyes "Advised to despatch him there, as he was a very politic warlike fellow and had done a great deal of mischief in the country." He was taken, however, to Stonington and shot by three Indians, two sachems of the Pequots and Oneco, son of Uncas, his lifelong enemy. Rev. Noyes was "an eye witness of the manner of his execution." For his services to this expedition, as physician as well as chaplain, the general court granted him "200 acres of land for a farme" and he also received an equal share with the volunteers in Voluntown, Connecticut. He bore an active part in the founding of Yale College and his name was the first of "Ten of the principal monisters in the colony, nominated and agreed upon by general consent both of the ministers and people to stand as Trustees or Undertakers, to found, erect and govern a college." He was selected to be one of the first trustees and founders of Yale, for though he was an old man and in a remote corner of the colony, his influence was deemed essential to the success of the undertaking. Rev. Noyes' long pastorate at Stonington extended over a period exceeding fifty-five years. His salary at first was $166.66. His health failed at last, and he moved to New Haven. He baptized during his pastorate one thousand one hundred and seventy-six persons. He preached his last sermon November 22, 1719, and died December 30, following, aged eighty years.
He married, September 11, 1674, Dorothy Stanton, born 1651, daughter of Thomas and Ann (Lord) Stanton. She died January 19, 1743, in her ninety-first year. Rev. James and his wife Dorothy are both buried in the old graveyard two and one-half miles from Stonington, Connecticut. Children:
- Dorothy, married Rev. Samuel Treat, who was pastor of the church at Preston, Connecticut, 1698-1744.
- Dr. James, married Ann, daughter of Governor Peleg and Mary Sanford.
- Colonel Thomas, married Elizabeth Sanford, sister of Dr. James Noyes' wife. Colonel Thomas Noyes was a distinguished soldier of the revolutionary war. He was colonel of a Connecticut regiment; two of his sons, Joseph and Sanford, were in his regiment, while his eldest son, Thomas, only twenty-one years of age, was lieutenant in Colonel Leppell's regiment. At the battle of Rhode Island, August, 1778, Colonel Noyes commanded a regiment and received honorable mention at that time.
- Anna, died in childhood.
- John, see forward.
- Rev. Joseph, was a tutor at Yale 1710-15. In 1716 was ordained pastor of the First Church of New Haven, succeeding his father-in-law, Rev. James Pierpont. He served that church forty-five years. He married Abigail, daughter of Rev. James and Sarah (Haynes) Pierpont, the latter a descendant of Thomas Lord.
- Moses, died in infancy.
(IV) Deacon John, fifth son of Rev. James (2) and Dorothy (Stanton) Noyes, was born in Stonington, Connecticut, January 13, 1685, died September 17, 1751. He was a farmer, and built the house near Westerly now known as the "Moss House" in 1714, described in Miss Wheeler's "Old Homes of Stonington." He was a deacon of his father's church. He married (first) Mary Gallup, 1715; (second) 1739; Elizabeth Whiting. She was a great-granddaughter of Governor Bradford, of Plymouth Colony. Children of first wife:
- William, see forward.
- John, married Mercy Breed, 1744.
- Joseph, born 1720.
- James, married Margaret Woodburn, 1756.
- Mary, married Joseph Champlin, 1753.
- Sarah, married Andrew Staunton, 1747.
- Anne, married John Palmer, 1752.
- Joseph, married Prudence Denison, 1763.
Child of second wife:
- Dorothy, born September 17, 1740.
(V) William, eldest son of Deacon John and Mary (Gallup) Noyes, was born in Stonington, March 2, 1715. He married, 1739, Sybil Whiting, died 1809. Children, born in Groton and Old Canaan, Connecticut:
- William, married, 1764, Elizabeth Gillet.
- Sybil, married, 1745, Samuel Avery.
- Samuel, married, 1747, Abigail Harding.
- John B., married, 1750, Mehitable Wright.
- Mary, married, 1754, Elihu Phenney.
- Temperance, married, 1781, William Allen.
- Nathan, see forward.
- Lucy, married Joseph Hemcox.
- Elizabeth, married William Lewis.
- Charles W., married Mrs. Samuel Noyes.
- Nathaniel, married Temperance Champlin.
(VI) Nathan, seventh child of William and Sybil (Whiting) Noyes, was born about 1758. He was known as "Judge Nathan." He removed to Columbia county, New York, where his children were born at Kinderhook. He was town clerk of Canaan, 1796. He married Azuba Baldwin. Children:
- Henry, see forward.
- Sally, married, 1795, Ebenezer Calkins.
- Amelia, married Aaron Kellogg.
- Bernice, married, 1807, James S. Seamen.
- Betsey, married Daniel F. Woodworth.
(VII) Henry, eldest son of Judge Nathan and Azuba (Baldwin) Noyes, was born in Kinderhook, Columbia county, New York, 1780. When a young man, he was in charge of the United States barracks at Greenbush, New York. He settled at Troy, and was one of the early navigators of the river, owning and running sloops on the Hudson river carrying freight. He amassed a considerable fortune, part of which was lost later through kindness to friends. He married, 1809, Mary Paddock, who died 1855. She was only sixteen at the time of her marriage. Children:
- Nathan H., see forward.
- Stephen Van Rensselaer, a coal dealer of Lansingburg; died unmarried.
(VIII) Nathan Henry, eldest son of Henry and Mary (Paddock) Noyes, was born in Greenbush, Rensselaer county, New York, June 17, 1815, died in Troy, New York, September, 1891. He was educated in the schools of that town, and after the removal to Troy at age of twelve, continued on with his studies in the schools there. He learned the carpenter's trade, but soon began running on his father's sloops. He became an expert river pilot and riverman. He became captain of sailing sloops; he owned the "G. C. Davidson," a steamboat; sloops "Highlander" and "Orum," piloted large rafts of timber down the river, and led the adventurous life of the river. When steam drove the sailing vessels out of business as freight and passenger carriers, he entered that service and was captain of the express boat from Troy to New York, that was later purchased by the government. Captain Noyes later engaged as a partner with his brother, who had established a coal and wood yard at Lansingburg, New York, where he continued in business until his death. He was a good business man and was successful in his undertakings. He was a genial and whole-souled man, with hosts of friends. He was a Republican politically, and a member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church. He married, May, 1835, at Troy, New York, Margaret Loucke, born in Rome, New York, April 26, 1818, died in Lansingburg, New York, July 26, 1896. Children:
- Mary Elizabeth, married James H. Weaver.
- Frances Amelia, died unmarried.
- Charles, deceased.
- Margaret, married (first) Zina P. Green, by whom she had two sons: Zina P. and Harry N.; married (second) Elias Ford Carr, of Trenton, New Jersey.
- Lucinda V. S., resident of Troy, New York.
- Harriet Jane, married T. Blatchford Wager.
- Katherine M., married John A. Corliss.
- Grace, deceased.
- Carrie, deceased.