The first authentic record of Walter Palmer, born 1585, (the American ancestor of the Palmers of Troy, herein considered) is found in Charlestown, Middlesex county, Massachusetts. January 26, 1638, Abraham Palmer was chosen by the town "for keeing [keeping?] the Towne Booke." In his "Book of Possessions," page 31, was recorded "The possessions of Walter Palmer within Charlestowne." His acres were described as "Two acres in the East Field," and thus through his many parcels of land, January 6, 1637, Walter and son John shared in a division of lands on "Mystic Side." He and his close friend, William Cheseborough, were among the original proprietors and settlers of "Seacuncke" (Rehoboth), until in 1645 Walter Palmer represented the new town at the general court of Plymouth Colony. In 1643 he gave in the value of his estate as 419 pounds. In 1645 young John Winthrop induces William Cheseborough to New London to begin a settlement there. He viewed the land and selecting a large tract in the Pequot county called "Wequeteguoc" quickly induced Walter Palmer to join him. With his entire family excepting son Jonas, he started south in 1652-53, buying land on the east bank of Wequeteguoc Cove. He secured twelve hundred acres in the neighborhood. Troubles arose between Massachusetts and Connecticut, which were unsettled for years, but finally in 1665 the name was changed to Stonington and the territory awarded to Connecticut. In 1668 an act for the census was passed and on this were the names of Gershom, Moses and Benjamin Palmer, Gershom signing for Mrs. Rebecca Palmer. Walter Palmer's will was made May 19, 1658. At the general court heard May 11, 1762 [1662?], the will was filed and approved.
Walter Palmer married (first) in England, Ann ———— (called Elizabeth to distinguish her from her mother). He married (second) (it is thought in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where she had been admitted a member of the Rev. John Elliot's First Church) Rebecca Short. They both joined the First Church of Charlestown in 1632, and his daughter Grace was admitted the same date. He died in Stonington, November 10, 1661. Children by first wife:
- Grace, married Thomas Minor; ten children.
- John, died unmarried.
- William, died unmarried; removed to Killingworth, Connecticut.
- Jonas, married (first) Elizabeth Griswold; (second) Mrs. Abigail Titus.
- Elizabeth, married (first) Thomas Sloan; (second) Thomas Chapman.
Children by second wife:
- Hannah, married (first) Thomas Hewitt; (second) Roger Sterry; (third) John Fish.
- Elihu, died aged twenty-nine years.
- Nehemiah, deputy fifteen sessions; married Hannah Stanton.
- Moses, a founder of the first church of Stonington; married Dorothy Gilbert.
- Captain Benjamin, married, August 10, 1691, but wife's name not known.
- Gershom, see forward.
- Rebecca, married Elisha Cheseborough, [son of?] her father's most intimate friend; (second) John Baldwin.
(II) Deacon Gershom, eleventh child of Walter Palmer and sixth by his second wife, Rebecca (Short) Palmer, was baptized in Charlestown, Massachusetts. He acquired a large amount of land, most of which he deeded to his sons before his death. He married (first) in Stonington, November 28, 1667, Ann, daughter of Captain and Ann (Borodel) Denison. Her mother was of a good English family and from her Mrs. Palmer inherited such stately and gracious manners that she was commonly styled "Lady Ann." She was born May 20, 1649, died in Stonington, 1694. He married (second) Mrs. Elizabeth Mason (maiden name Peck), of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. Children by first wife:
- Mercy, married John Breed; he died at ninety years of age, and she at eighty-three; they were the parents of twelve children.
- Gershom, married Sarah Palmer.
- Captain Ichabod, married Hannah Palmer.
- William, married Grace Minor.
- George, see forward.
- Rebecca, died young.
- Ann, married Benjamin Hewitt.
- Walter, married Grace Vose.
- Elihu, died young.
- Mary married her cousin, Joseph Palmer.
- Rebecca, baptized July 1, 1694.
(III) George, son of Deacon Gershom and Ann (Denison) Palmer, was baptized in Stonington, May 29, 1680, died May 28, 1728. He married, March 11, 1711, in Stonington, Hannah, born May 31, 1694, daughter of Joseph and Frances (Prentice) Palmer. She survived him and married (second) William York. Children:
- Ensign Christopher, married Esther Prentice.
- Zebulon, married (first) Comfort Fairbanks; (second) Deborah York.
- Joseph, married (first) Zipporah Billings; (second) Mrs. Elizabeth (Stevens) Stewart.
- George, removed to Stillwater, Saratoga county, New York, where he bought five hundred acres of land on which there were mills, his farm was about three miles from the scene of Burgoyne's surrender; he married (first) Hannah Marsh; (second) Amy Blodgett.
- Gershom, see forward.
By her second husband, Mrs. Hannah Palmer had Amos, Molly and Jonathan York.
(IV) Rev. Gershom (2) Palmer, son of George and Hannah (Palmer) Palmer, was born in Stonington, October 12, 1725, died November 6, 1810. He was a minister of the Gospel. He was located at what is now Griswold, New London county, Connecticut. He married, November 5, 1747, Dorothy Brown, born in Preston, Connecticut, where she died March 1, 1808. Children:
- Prudence, married (first) William Breed; (second) James Thompson.
- Dolly (Dorothy), married Nathan Randall; they removed to Paris, New York.
- Zeruiah, born in Preston, 1756.
- Naomi.
- Esther.
- Reuben, see forward.
- Lois, born April 23, 1761.
- Lucretia.
- Keturah.
- Amy.
(V) Rev. Reuben Palmer, son of Rev. Gershom (2) and Dorothy (Brown) Palmer, was born in Stonington, June 12, 1759. He was ordained first an elder of the Baptist church of Preston and while there called to the old Baptist church in Montville, New London county, Connecticut. He served until he was publicly installed, December 25, 1798, and from then until his death, April 22, 1822. He married, November 16, 1780, Lucretia, born in Preston, November 12, 1764, died in Montville, August 15, 1855, daughter of Caleb and Hannah (Barnes) Tyler. Children:
- Hannah, born December 25, 1781.
- Sally, October 16, 1783.
- Rev. Reuben, December 26, 1784.
- Lucretia, April 25, 1786.
- Mary, December 17, 1787.
- Caleb, June 29, 1790.
- Tyler, March 4, 1792.
- Gideon, October 23, 1793.
- Joshua, October 15, 1795.
- Gershom, August 6, 1796.
- Samuel, February 11, 1798.
- Rhoda, October 18, 1799.
- Peter Avery, see forward.
- Achsah, May 12, 1803.
- Lois, December 30, 1804.
- Emma, December 30, 1807.
- Thankful, January 29, 1809.
(VI) Peter Avery, son of Rev. Reuben and Lucretia (Tyler) Palmer, was born in (Montville), New London county, Connecticut, May 11, 1801, died at Lansingburg, New York, January 28, 1892. He removed from his Connecticut home when twenty-two years of age, and located at Le Roy, New York, as one of the first settlers and took a prominent part in the building up of the town. While here he became interested in the stove business and invented various types of stoves and appliances, among which were the elevated oven stove, and the rotary grate. In 1858 he removed to Troy on account of the manufacture of his stoves and established the firm of Peter A. Palmer. He was a Republican in political sympathy and a citizen held in high esteem. In 1875 he removed to Lansingburg, where he resided the remainder of his life. He married, September 2, 1821, at New London, Connecticut, Naomi Caulkins, born December 5, 1803, died in Lansingburg, New York, May 27, 1892. Children:
- Elizabeth A., born August 1, 1823, at New London, Connecticut, died May 11, 1844, at Le Roy, New York.
- Frances White, born September 20, 1825, died July, 1828.
- James Thomas, born December 3, 1827, died June 12, 1871; married Julia Starbuck, April 26, 1860, and had one daughter,
- May Evelyn, born April 27, 1868.
- Frances Wright, born January 31, 1830; married (first) Walter Simpson, October 13, 1852; (second) David Link, February 22, 1895.
- Etzler, born September 20, 1832, died May 25, 1842.
- Caleb Winslow, born November 10, 1834; married, Grace Boynton, June 10, 1869; children:
- Florence S., born April 3, 1873, and
- Robert Clinton, born May 18, 1875.
- Clinton E., born December 6, 1838, died May 4, 1845.
- William B., born November 28, 1840, died January 26, 1892.
- Grace Greenwood, born August 25, 1849; married Herbert Bellows Millard, May 18, 1870; children:
- Maud Lovell, born September 2, 1871;
- Bertha Grace, born August 2, 1884;
- Herbert Palmer, born February 2, 1886.