Packer Family

SOME DESCENDANTS OF JOHN PACKER OF GROTON, CT

© Copyright 2004 by Virginia Deagan. However material on these pages may be freely used for personal research. Please contact me before using the material on other web pages.

This is the line from John Packer that I descend from. I have a little information on the other families in this file and will be glad to share anything I have with others who are interested in this family. Feel free to let me know of any corrections or additions to this family. I have placed some of my sources at the end of this page. E-mail to Ginny Deagan (NEW E-MAIL:[email protected])

1. John Packer was born in Alston, Gloucestershire, England in 1622. He was the son of Robert and Anne (Moscall) Packer. John emigrated when he was a young man and was first found in 1651 living in the town of New London, CT in the part that was later set off as Groton. He was a carpenter. He died in 1689 at Groton, CT.

John Packer's first wife was named Elizabeth. It is very probable that she was Elizabeth Friend. Samuel Friend of Salem, MA left a will dated 4 April 1655 naming his daughter "Elizabeth Packer". Although her maiden name has not been proven, it is even more probable since her daughter, Elizabeth had a son named Friend by her second husband. Elizabeth died on 4 May 1674. After her death, John Packer married Rebecca (Wells) Latham on 24 June 1678 at New London, CT. Rebecca was born at Wethersfield, CT on 10 January 1652 and was the daughter of Hught and Mary (Rusco) Wells. She was the widow of Thomas Latham. She was married a third time after John Packer's death to a man named Watson of Kingstown, RI.

In 1652, John purchased a large tract of land that stretched more than a mile north and south and half a mile east on the slopes of Pequot and Prosepct Hill and the valley between Old Field and Palmer's Cove. Supposedly, he was the largest landowner in the area. Some Pequot Indians squatted on his land causing him to complain to the General Court of the Colony. JOhn served as a Selectman for 16 years and as Deputy to the General Court several times.

Children of John and Elizabeth [Friend?] Packer: (children's births are only estimated)

  1. John Packer , b. abt. 1656. Marr. Lydia Latham. Died 1710.
  2. Samuel Packer , b. abt. 1661. Marr. Mary Williams .
  3. Elizabeth Packer , b. abt. 1663. Marr. #1, John Stark ; #2, John Weeks .
  4. Richard Packer , b. abt. 1664. Died bef. 8 May 1733.
  5. Sarah Packer , Marr. 1697, James Dean
  6. Thomazine (Tamzen), b. abt. 1672. Marr. #1, Luke Bromley ,; #2, Robert Parks

    Children of John and Rebecca (Wells) Packer:

  7. Joseph Packer , b. 1677. Probably died young.
  8. Rebecca Packer . Chr. 13 Jul 1679 at Groton, CT. Died 5 Sep 1753, unmarried.
  9. James Packer . Chr. 11 Sep 1681 at Groton, CT. Marr. #1, 1706, Abigail Avery ; #2, Elizabeth Springer ;, #3, Thankful Fanning . Died 24 Apr 1765 at Groton, CT.
  10. Benjamin Packer , b. 1683. Served in French War of 1709. Died 1711, unmarried.
  11. Joseph Packer , b. 1685. Was in Kingston, RI in 1713.

2. James Packer was born in Groton, CT and baptized on 11 September 1681. He was married in 1706 to Abigail Avery, who was born 18 January 1679, daughter of JOhn and Abigail (Cheesebrough) Avery. Abigail died 16 November 1722. James was married again to Elizabeth Springer and after her death was married a third time to Thankful Fanning . Thankful was probably the daughter of John and Margaret (Colver) Fanning.

James Packer inherited most of his father's extensive lands at Nowank. He represented his district in the Legislature in 1717, 1732, 1733 and 1734 and was commissioned a Captain in 1735. He died 24 April 1765 at Groton, CT in a fire that destroyed his barn. His will was probated May 10, 1765, at New London. He mentioned his wife, Thankful; sons, Ichabod, John, and Joseph; family of son, James, deceased; daughter, Abigail Eldridge ; daughter, Desire, wife of John Burrows; daughter, Freelove, wife of Lemuel Burrows ; children of deceased daughter, Lucretia Fish; dau., Anna, wife of William Havens of Long Island; and also the will mentions Thankful, Mary, Elizabeth & Rebecca, probably children of his later marriage to Thankful Fanning. James Packer is buried in Packer #18 (Burrows Cemetery). His third wife, Thankful, survived him. There was possibly a son, Samuel by his second wife who married Freelove Satterlee.

Children of James and Abigail (Avery) Packer: All born at Groton, CT.

  1. Ichabod Packer , b. 15 Jan 1707. Abigail Eldredge . Died 10 May 1768 and is buried in Packer Cemetery #18.
  2. Abigail Packer , b. 23 Oct 1708. Marr. Thomas Eldredge .
  3. James Packer , b. 2 Nov 1710. Marr. Zerviah Eldridge. Died bef. 1765.
  4. Desire Packer , b. 11 Sep 1712. Marr. 1 Jul 1731, John Burrows . Died 1808 at Mystic, CT.
  5. Freelove Packer , b. 20 Jan 1715. Marr. Lemuel Burrows .
  6. Lucretia Packer , b. 2 Aug 1717. Marr. John Fish . Died 6 Sep 1747 at Groton, CT.
  7. Anna (Nancy?) Packer , b. 9 Feb 1719. Marr. William Havens of Long Island.
  8. John Packer, b. 16 Sep 1720. Marr. 16 Sep 1746, Hannah Avery . Died 6 Mar 1797 at Groton.
  9. Joseph Packer , b. 2 Nov 1722. Marr. Eleanor Ashby . Died 28 Nov 1804.
  10. Thankful, Mary, Elizabeth & Rebecca - may be children of one of his later marriages - or children of his third wife, Thankful Fanning.

3. Desire Packer, b. 11 Sep 1712. Desire was the fourth of fourteen children born to James Packer. She was said to have been a high spirited woman who was an expert markswoman who could bring down more than a score of pigeons with a single shot. Another tale is that while her husband, John was in New London on Jury duty, there was a great snowstorm and the snow accumulated so much that it banked up to the second story windows. She took her small son, John, and left from a second story window in a huge bowl, sliding down and out across the frozen Mystic River to her uncle's home on the east shore, a distance of more than half a mile. Desire married John Burrows . She died in 1808 at Mystic, Connecticut.

For children of Desire Packer and John Burrows, see Descendants of Robert Burrows


SOME SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON THE PACKER FAMILY: