Samuel Bissell

Samuel was a son of John Bissell of the Windsor ferry, who gave him 106 acres, "all of the B. property except that E. of the Great River and that which was sold to Job Drake." He married Abigail, daughter of Thomas Holcombe, on 11 June 1658, and "avowed the Half-Way Covenant in W. Ch. 27 Nov., 1659" (source). Through their children John, Abigail, Mary and Deborah he is an ancestor of the Bissell, Eno and Pettibone kin on the Notable connections page.

King Philip's War. In February 1675/6 the council ordered a garrison of six men at least at his brother Nathaniel's house on the east side of the river, where their old father lived (PRCC 2:410), and his brothers John and Nathaniel rode with the Windsor troopers paid "on war account" (History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, 1:221). Samuel's part was smaller and less willing. In March 1676, with Connecticut raising horse for an expedition to Norwich, the constable of Windsor pressed his horse for the army, and on 27 March the council at Hartford heard "complaynt made that Saml Bissell, after his horss was prest by the Constable of Windsor, did deceiue him of him, and let him be turned out of his yarde before his face, and did not take care to haue him returned againe, which was owned by the said Bissell, for his offence therein is adjudged to pay a fine of forty shillings to the pub: Treasurie of the County of Hartford" (Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, 2:423). That same day the council called the Norwich party back, on news that Indians had burned "great part of Simsbury."

He died in 1697/8, probably on 17 May.

Research: McMillan, Humphrey-Enos and Bell-Gerow: Notable Connections Research; the war: King Philip's War: the Connecticut valley, the Colony of Connecticut, Long Island and New Paltz.