R40. John Rockwell (1734-1799) of Wilton. He and wife Sarah Whelpley had several children, many of whom died in childhood or early adulthood. Of their sons, only John Jr lived a relatively full life, and of his seven daughters only one married, and had no children. So John and Sarah's lineage lives on through daughters Abigail (m. Silas Olmsted Jr, had 4 children); Sarah (m. Isaac Smith and lived at Coram, in Brookhaven, Suffolk Co., on Long Island, NY); Ruhamah (m. Joseph Hawkins, lived at Norwalk and Redding, CT, and Southeast (Putnam Co.), NY; Elizabeth (m. Isaac Selleck); Matilda (m. Frederick Harrington, lived in Suffolk Co., NY); and Electa (m. Elijah Woolsey, lived at Newburgh, Orange Co., NY, in 1800). As my book went to print, I had not found much on these families, so if someone has details on the children and 19th century descendants, I would be interested in learning of them.

Joseph and Ruhamah (Rockwell) Hawkins had seven children recorded at Norwalk. It is possible there were others, born after their move out of town. By 1820, Ruhamah Hawkins was enumerated in the census as the head of a household back in Wilton. Last record of her husband Joseph was a sale of Wilton land on 30 April 1817, in which he gave his residence as Redding. Among the children was John Wesley Hawkins, born 29 March 1798. He is probably the John W. Hawkins who, with wife Polly, appears in the Ridgefield land records in the 1820s. Neil Hawkins informs me that he has a copy of the death certificate of his ancestor John Rockwell Hawkins of Orange Co., NY. It identifies JRH's birthplace as Ridgefield and his father as John Wesley Hawkins--no doubt the son of Joseph and Ruhamah (Rockwell) Hawkins.

Brian Logan, a Rockwell descendant from a different branch of the John line, generously took the time to photograph some Rockwell sites in Wilton. Here is a digital photo of John Rockwell Sr's grave at Comstock Hill, including the Revolutionary War marker that should have gone to his son's grave in Otsego, New York.