Nathaniel Bliss

Notes:

I have downgraded Nathaniel's birth date to an estimation because it is not clear he or his father were members of the Church of England and the current Bliss descendant sources of baptism data come from Gloucestershire Anglican Parish Registers.

NATHANIEL BLISS of Springfield Massachusetts Bay Colony, (son of Thomas Blisse Sr and Margaret Hulings or Hulins) was born in England, came to America with his father in 1635, and removed to Springfield with his mother in 1643, about seven years after that place was purchased from the Indians by William Pynchon. Three years later, when they were well settled, he married Katharine, daughter of Deacon Samuel Chapin, of Springfield 20 Nov 1646, a few days before his sister Mary was married to Joseph Parsons. In Springfield his home lot was ten rods wide and was the second below the present William Street. He died 18 Nov 1654. Widow Bliss married Thomas Gilbert 31 Jul 1655. Nathaniel d..Springfield. Mass., 18 Nov. 1654, his mother d. there 28 Aug. 1684, thus accounting for Nathaniel not being mentioned in her will.
From: NEXUS, Vol viii, No 6, New England Historic Genealogical Society, pub Dec 1991:
(A-172) BLISS/CHAPIN \endash Nathaniel2 BLISS was the Son of Thomas & Margaret (HULINS) BLISS, poss a 2nd m. for Thomas. Son Nathaniel d .Springfield. Mass 18 Nov. 1654, his mother d. there 28 Aug 1684, thus accounting for Nathaniel not being mentioned in her will. (The American Genealogist 52[1976]:193-97, 60[1984]:202: and A.T. Bliss, Genealogy of the Bliss Family in America, Vol. 1[1982], pp. 27-32, 41-42)
Information supplied to NEHGS by: Eleanor L. Rue, 14201 Idaho-Maryland Rd.. Nevada City. CA 95959 and Elizabeth B. Kennedy, 77 Dockham Shore Rd., Gilford, NH 03246.

Nathaniel married Katherine Chapin on 20 Nov 1646 in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony. Katherine was christened about 1626 in Berry Pomeroy, Devonshire, South West England; died on 4 Feb 1711/12 in Springfield, Hampshire Co, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
The records say the 9th month of 1646. Since the year ended the 24th of March at that time, the ninth month would be November.
From MVR: "Nathainell Bliss & Katheryne Chapin were married 9 mon 20 day 1646.

1. Samuel Bliss was born on 7 Nov 1647 in Springfield, Non-County Area 1, Massachusetts Bay Colony; was christened on 7 Nov 1647 in Springfield, Non-County Area 1, Massachusetts Bay Colony; died on 19 Jun 1749 in Springfield, Hampshire Co, Massachusetts.
2. Margaret Bliss was born on 12 Nov 1649 in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony; died on 3 Apr 1745 in Colchester, New London Co, Connecticut.
3. Mary Bliss was born on 23 Sep 1651 in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony; died est 1722.
4. Nathaniel Bliss was born on 27 Mar 1653 in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony; died on 23 Dec 1736 in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Notes:

There is substantial evidence that Thomas Bliss Sr was born in Gloucestershire, South West England and was married twice: firstly to Margaret Snowe and secondly to Margaret Hulings (Hulins, Hulinge). There are entries for these names in the records of the St Nicholas Church of Gloucestershire a church that was not affiliated with the Church of England. Due to religious persecution Thomas (hereafter Thomas Bliss Sr) and his younger brother George and their families embarked about 1635 at Plymouth England for the New World. Upon their arrival at Boston Thomas Sr resided temporarily at Braintree MBC (Massachusetts Bay Colony) whence he removed to Hartford Plantation[*] before 1639. George settled first in the MBC town of Lynn in 1637, then Sandwich in 1638, and finally Newport. Both Thomas Blisse Sr and Thomas Blisse Jr had house-lots and divisions of land in Hartford as early as 1640. The senior died in Hartford leaving nine children and his widow Margaret. Apparently a woman of resolute independent character, she removed with the younger part of her family to Springfield. - History of Norwich. The Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford lists Thomas Bliss (Sr) as a founder of Hartford settling there before February 1640. Other lists of Hartford founders also list Thomas Jr along with his father. [*]The first English settlers arrived in 1635. Pastor Thomas Hooker and Governor John Haynes led 100 settlers with 130 head of cattle in a trek from Newtown (now Cambridge, Massachusetts) in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and started their settlement just north of a Dutch fort (set up as early as 1623; abandoned 1654). The settlement was originally called Newtown, but was changed to Hartford in 1637 to honor the English town of Hertford. - Wikipedia
From: NEXUS, Vol viii, No 6, New England Historic Genealogical Society, pub Dec 1991: Thomas Blisse Sr d. apparently so suddenly, Hartford, Conn., late 1650 or early 1651, that he had no chance to leave a written will, merely telling Margaret and dau Mary that he left all his estate to her and nothing to his ch. (testimony of dau. Mary (BLISS) PARSONS, Hartford. (Probate Rec., Vol. 11:28, 14 Feb. 1650/1; nuncupative will of Thomas Bliss Hartford - Court Records, 20 Feb. 1650/1).
Thomas Bliss and Margaret Hulings have a Mormon posterity of approximately 270,000 and an American posterity of approximately 18 million placing them in the top seven largest families in America. (Mormon Pioneer Genealogy Library Acquired by NEHGS; Michel L. Call and Gary Boyd Roberts; Published Date: June 1985)

Thomas married Margaret Hulings on 18 Oct 1621 in Gloucestershire, England. Margaret was born about 1590-1600 in South West England; died on 28 Apr 1684 in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Not long after her husband's death, Margaret (Hulings) Bliss removed to Springfield* where she was granted land as "Widdow Bliss" on 22 Jan 1651/52. Her house lot there was purchased from Thomas Tomson. She proved herself to be a woman of capacity...leaving an estate appraised at

Notes:

Married:
Married at St. Nicholas Church, Gloucester