♂James Curtis

James Curtis (a compiled transcription gives his birth as 15 September 1641) was born at Wethersfield in the Connecticut Colony^W and one of the seven children who divided their father’s estate in 1681/82. He was the seventh great-grand-uncle of Frederic Roger Curtis (1928–2007), the brother of Joseph Curtis (1644–1683), Roger’s seventh great-grandfather.

Early life and marriage

James was a son of Thomas Curtis (1598–1681) and Elizabeth Salmon (1612–1681). A compiled transcription of the Wethersfield town records, the Barbour Collection, gives his birth there on 15 September 1641. The Barbour transcription gives his marriage to Abigail as 8 July 1686 at Wethersfield, with Captain Samuel Talcott performing the ceremony. The transcription gives her no surname, and no children of the marriage are recorded.

His father’s estate

Thomas Curtis died at Wethersfield without a will; a printed digest of the Hartford probate records gives his death as 13 November 1681, though a 1938 Curtis family history gives 15 November. James was one of the seven children named in the Hartford probate records, and in an agreement dated 6 March 1681/82 the children settled the estate among themselves. James signed it with his brothers John, Joseph and Samuel and with the husbands of his two sisters, Eleazer Kimberly and John Stodder. Under its terms John received an extra £57 on top of what he had already been given, Samuel took nothing further because he had already had his portion by deed of gift, and the remainder was divided equally among James, Joseph, Isaac, Ruth and Elizabeth, counting what each had already received. The children then raised Joseph’s portion to £140, in recognition of the care he and his wife had given their father, and took the difference from the other shares, James’s included.

On 2 March 1681/82 the county court granted administration of the estate to four of the sons: John, James, Joseph and Isaac. The tree gives no date or place for his death.