Re: Peninah Todd born November 16, 1830
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In reply to:
Peninah Todd born November 16, 1830
Larry Jones 5/17/02
If you go to Accessgenealogy.com and click on The Todd Family of America, you will find Peninah's family. Search for Milton Pratt or for Peninah. What you won't find there is some information I have picked up from England and from family researchers. Christopher Todd's father died just a few months after his birth. He was killed either in his dining room or at York, not sure which as of yet. Don't know what his occupation is. Some have jumped to the conclusion that he was a miller and baker because Christopher was. But Christopher's mother's family were the millers and I am sure he was under their guardianship after his father's death. William Todd I, Christopher's grandfather was Lord Mayor of York in 1625 and died shortly before Christopher left for Boston. William's great uncle William was a merchant of York, a member of the guild and a large property holder at his death. He was alderman, Lord Mayor, High Sheriff and exchequer to King Henry VII. He attempted a couple of banquets with the king when he visited York. There were a couple of monuments erected in Williams honor there. He used his own money to repair the city wall after the War of the Roses. The Todds have been found in York since they began using surnames in England. They probably came from Normandy about the time of William the Conqueror as they name is first found there. The Todds of Scotland were from the Yorkshire area and a part of the Gordon clan, founded by a group of Normans. A John Todd was either Lord Mayor of High Sheriff in the 1300s. Christopher was a founder of New Haven Colony and one of the more well to do of its residents. He didn't mix much in town politics but did serve in his appointed duties as fence viewer and grand juror. He was constantly vexed in his later years by the petty complaints of fellow colonists over the grinding of their corn, the kind of petty concerns that made John Davenport eventually give up on his dreams for New Haven and to return to Massachusetts. It appears that one of the biggest disadvantages to having such an elite colony is that everyone appeared to believe that they should be first and should not have to wait behind anyone else. No matter what the general court did to try to resolve the bickering, they couldn't seem to satisfy anyone. The Todds had the only mill in the colony for almost 60 years and had to serve everyone. It must have been a real headache. He was called to the court once again just days before he died. One has to wonder if aggravation didn't hasten him along a bit.