The Penfield family of Connecticut were early settlers of ancient Farmington, which then contained the territory now known by many names. The first settlers in the section were emigrants from Boston, Newtown and Roxbury, New York. Settlement was begun in 1640 in Meriden, Wallingford, New Britain and other towns of the section. The history of the Penfields of Catskill, New York, begins with Samuel Penfield, who in 1675 married Mary Lewis. Whether he was the emigrant or the son of the emigrant does not appear. His wife, Mary (Lewis) Penfield, was born in 1652. Children:
- Samuel, of further mention;
- May, born 1678;
- John, 1680;
- Sarah, 1683;
- Isaac, 1685;
- Hannah, 1687;
- Jonathan, 1689;
- Rebecca, 1692;
- Abigail, twin of Rebecca;
- Benjamin, 1696.
(II) Samuel (2), son of Samuel (1) and Mary (Lewis) Penfield, was born 1676, died at Wallingford, Connecticut, 1714. He was a resident of that town for several years and left a widow and four children:
- Samuel, born 1700;
- Peter, of further mention;
- Abigail, 1704;
- Nathaniel, 1706.
(III) Peter, son of Samuel (2) Penfield, was born 1702. He removed to Fairfield, Connecticut. He married, in 1730, Mary Allen, born 1708. They had an only son, Samuel.
(IV) Samuel (3), son of Peter and Mary (Allen) Penfield, was born 1734, died April 2, 1811, at Fairfield, Connecticut. He served in the French and Indian war and in the revolution. He was lieutenant of Captain Thorp's company, Colonel Whiting's regiment, Fourth Militia, at Peekskill, in October, 1777; marched October 5, discharged October 30. He married, September 2, 1757, Elizabeth Lewis.
(V) Samuel (4), son of Samuel (3) and Elizabeth (Lewis) Penfield, was born in 1763, died 1791. He married Hannah Hoyt, born 1766, died 1825.
(VI) Samuel (5), son of Samuel (4) and Hannah (Hoyt) Penfield, was born in 1790, died at Catskill, New York, 1851. He married, April 6, 1812, Ximena Taylor, born 1794, died 1856.
(VII) Samuel (6), son of Samuel (5) and Ximena (Taylor) Penfield, was born in Catskill, New York, 1823, died there in 1894. He married, April 19, 1872, Harriet T., daughter of Danforth K. and Almira (Blanchard) Olney, (see Olney VIII). Two children.
(VIII) George, only son of Samuel (6) and Harriet T. (Olney) Penfield, was born in Catskill, New York, 1872. He was early educated in the public school; entered Yale University, whence he was graduated in the class of 1894. He is by profession a civil engineer.
(VIII) Ellen, only daughter of Samuel (6) and Harriet T. (Olney) Penfield, was born in Catskill, New York. She married Pierre Jennings, of Catskill, and has two children: Frances E., and Penfield S. Jennings.
(The Olney Line)
Mrs. Harriet T. (Olney) Penfield descends from Thomas Olney, born in St. Albans, Hereford county, England, 1600, came to America in 1635 on the ship "Planter"; settled first in Boston, Massachusetts, later in Providence, Rhode Island. He was thirty-five years of age at the time of his coming, and was accompanied by his wife, Mary, aged thirty years. He brought with him a certificate from the minister of St. Albans to show the authorities at London, lest they delay his departure. October 8, 1638, he was one of the twelve persons to whom Roger Williams deeded land that he had bought of the Indian Sachems, Cononicus and Miantonomo. The same year he was elected treasurer of the town. In 1639 one of the twelve original members of "The First Baptist Church." July 27, 1640, signed with thirty-eight others in an agreement for a form of government. During the years 1649-53-54-55-56-64-65-66-67 he was assistant; in 1656-58-59-61-63 he was commissioner; 1665-67-70-71 he was deputy; in 1665-66-69-70-71-74-77-81 he was a member of the town council; in 1669 he was town treasurer. His will was proved October 17, 1682. He married, in England, Mary Small, born 1605, died 1679. Children:
- Thomas, born 1632; town clerk of Providence, 1664-65-66-67, and continuously from 1683 to 1715; he was an ordained minister of the Baptist church; six years assistant; thirty years a member of the town council; fourteen years deputy; he married Elizabeth Marsh, died 1722.
- Epenetus, of further mention.
- Nedediah, born August, 1637, died young.
- Stephen, died 1658, unmarried.
- James, died October, 1676, unmarried; he was one of those "who staid not away" in King Philip's war and so had a share in the disposition of the Indian captives whose services were sold for a number of years.
(II) Epenetus, son of Thomas and Mary (Small) Olney, was born in St. Albans, Hereford county, England, 1634, died June 3, 1698. He was a year old when his parents brought him to America. He kept tavern at Providence. In 1666-76-84-86 he was deputy; 1695-96-97 he was a member of the town council. He married Mary, born 1648, died 1698, daughter of John and Sarah Whipple. Children:
- Mary, born January 13, 1668, died 1725; married, May 9, 1692, Nathaniel Waterman.
- James, November 9, 1670, died October 6, 1744; married, August 31, 1702, Hallelujah Brown.
- Sarah, September 10, 1672.
- Epenetus (2), January 18, 1675, died September 18, 1740; married Mary Williams.
- John, of further mention.
- Thomas, born May 18, 1686, died January 28, 1752; married, June 15, 1710, Patience Burlingham.
- Lydia, January 26, 1688, died 1727, married Henry Harris.
(III) John, son of Epenetus and Mary (Whipple) Olney, was born in Providence, Rhode Island, October 24, 1678, died November 9, 1754. He was a blacksmith by trade. He married, August 11, 1699, Rachel Coggeshall, died June 24, 1760. Children:
- John, born May 27, 1701;
- William, February 22, 1706;
- Jeremiah, November 4, 1708;
- Freelove, November 10, 1711;
- Nebadiah, February 10, 1715;
- Stephen;
- Abigail;
- Tabitha, 1733;
- Jabez.
(IV) Jeremiah, son of John and Rachel (Coggeshall) Olney, was born in Smithfield, Rhode Island, November 4, 1708, died 1765. He married, 1734, Susanna Brown.
(V) Ezekiel, son of Jeremiah and Susanna (Brown) Olney, was born in Eastford, Connecticut, 1740, died 1826. He served in the revolutionary army with the rank of captain. He married Mary Warner.
(VI) Jeremiah (2), son of Ezekiel and Mary (Warner) Olney, was born in Eastford, Connecticut, 1775, died 1826. He married Abigail Cheney.
(VII) Danforth K., son of Jeremiah (2) and Abigail (Cheney) Olney, was born in Eastford, Connecticut, 1807, died in Catskill, New York, 1872. He was a leading lawyer of Catskill. He married, 1837, Almira Blanchard, born 1813, died 1846. Children:
- Ellen, born 1841;
- George, 1842;
- Harriet T., 1844;
- Elisha, 1855.
(VIII) Harriet T., daughter of Danforth K. and Almira (Blanchard) Olney, married, April 19, 1872, Samuel Penfield (see Penfield VII).
(The Blanchard Line)
Almira (Blanchard) Olney, was a descendant of Thomas Blanchard, who came to America in 1639 on the ship "Jonathan"; settled in Braintree, Massachusetts, where he died. The line of descent is through his son, by his first wife, whom he married in England.
(II) Samuel, son of Thomas Blanchard, was born in France in 1629, was brought to America by his parents in 1639, died in Andover, Massachusetts, 1707. He married, 1654, Hannah Daggett, born 1646, died 1725.
(III) John, son of Samuel and Hannah (Daggett) Blanchard, was born 1677, died at Andover, 1750. He married, 1701, Mary Crosby, born 1680, died 1748.
(IV) Simeon, son of John and Mary (Crosby) Blanchard, was born 1726, died 1796. He married, 1746, Rebecca Sheldon, born 1729, died 1814, at Billerica, Massachusetts.
(V) Justus, son of Simeon and Rebecca (Sheldon) Blanchard, was born 1758, died 1831, at Catskill, New York. At the age of seventeen he joined the patriots on the alarm at Lexington, fought with them that memorable day and later at Bunker Hill. He was captured by the British and confined in the old "Sugar House" on Liberty street, New York City. On his release he again joined the patriot army. He was with Washington's army at Valley Forge, and in their subsequent marches and victories. He married Chloe Marshall, born 1767, died 1811.
(VI) Joseph, son of Justus and Chloe (Marshall) Blanchard, was born in 1788, died 1850. He married Mary Woodruff, born 1792, died 1832.
(VII) Almira, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Woodruff) Blanchard, was born 1813, died 1846. She married, 1837, Danforth K. Olney.
(VIII) Harriet T., daughter of Danforth K. and Almira (Blanchard) Olney, married Samuel Penfield.