William Kelsey

Born Abt in England. 1633: England to USA. He died Abt in Killingsworth, Connecticut.

From Cambridge to Killingworth

William Kelsey emigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1633, settling first in Cambridge before moving to Hartford, Connecticut, by 1635, where he assembled more than twenty parcels of land over the following decades — though as of 1636 he was still unable to sign his own name. He served Hartford as a selectman in 1659 and 1661, and around 1664 moved on again to help found Killingworth (now Clinton), Connecticut, becoming one of its original proprietors and, in 1671, the town's deputy to the Connecticut General Court. He gave his Hartford home to his son Stephen when he left for Killingworth, and in 1674 divided further land there between his sons John and Daniel. William was among the founding members of Killingworth's church and, in 1674, became its first donor, pledging twenty shillings a year for the rest of his life. He died around 1676 in Killingworth; his will was presented to the New London County Court that September.