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Wolcott Historical Society News - October 2026
By Florence Goodman
As I continue to share the history of our patriots who fought for independence, I will remember five men who may not have been born in our town but are listed as soldiers of the Revolution from Wolcott.
Our first patriot this month is Captain Heman Hall who was born in 1750. Records differ on the town in which he was born; some show Wallingford and others show Wolcott. Samuel Orcutt (History of Wolcott) lists his parents Lieutenant Heman and Elizabeth Hall among the earliest settlers in our town purchasing land in 1754 but stating that Captain Heman Hall was born in Wallingford. He also states that Captain Heman built a "gamble-roof house" on the road from Wolcott Center to Marion. He married Rebekah Finch in 1772 and they had eight children. Captain Hall was a man of prominence and responsibility in the Farmingbury Society from its first organization until his death. He served in the revolution in the 13th Company 15th Militia Regiment in Massachusetts in August 1777. He died February 16, 1795, at the age of 45 and is buried in Edgewood Cemetery in Wolcott.
Our next patriot is Lucius CAPTAIN Tuttle who was born in Wallingford on April 29, 1749. He married Hannah Hull from Cheshire in 1773. They had eight children. Although he spent much of his life outside of our town, he was living in Wolcott in 1830 with his son, Lucius Jr. Captain Tuttle was a prominent man in Cheshire for many years. During the Revolution, he served as a lieutenant in Colonel Baldwin's Regiment. Lucius served under General Washington at Boston and Long Island. A quote from Lucius states, "In the first part of August 1776 there then being three militia companies in this place, they were all ordered to the city of New York. I belonged to the third Company 10th Regiment of the State of Connecticut." He commanded his own company in the battle which resulted in the surrender of General Burgoyne and his army at the battle of Saratoga, NY in 1777. Captain Tuttle's wife died in 1800, and records indicate that he was living in Wolcott 1830. He died on June 26, 1846, at the age of 97. He is buried in Hillside Cemetery in Cheshire, Connecticut.
The third patriot I will remember is Elijah Royce. He was born in Wallingford on July 26, 1756. At age nineteen he began his service in the military and served during the years of 1775 through 1783. He served with captain Robert Warner in the Third Regiment under Colonel Samuel Wyllys. He was at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. Elijah was involved in several other battles and was wounded at Monmouth. Records indicate that he served under LaFayette at Yorktown in the 1st Sentinel to guard Cornwallis following the surrender. He was placed on the invalid pension roll of New Haven County in 1794. In 1781 he married Amelia (Emilia) Johnson and they had six children. Records indicate that Elijah and Emilia lived in Wolcott in 1810. He died in April of 1834 and was buried in the old Northeast Cemetery in Wolcott, Connecticut.
The fourth patriot is James Bailey. He was born in Haddam, Connecticut on January 13, 1756. In 1778, he served eight months with captain Robert Warner in the Third Regiment under Colonel Samuel Wyllys. He was also part of the fife and drum corps in Captain Jesse Kimball's company. In 1790 he was living in Southington, Connecticut and depending on what area, it might have been part of Farmingbury. On October 19, 1794, at age 38 he married Theede Miner Pomeroy, in Norfolk, Connecticut. They had eight children. James died May 29, 1834, in Wolcott and is buried in the old Northeast Cemetery.
Our last patriot is Stephen Carter who was born in Farmington on July 11, 1749. He married Tryphena (Norton) Upson on June 2, 1779. They had five children. Census records indicate that Stephen, Tryphena and their family were living in Wolcott by 1800. Stephen fought in the Battle of Long Island on March 17, 1776, and was part of Washington Crossing the Delaware in December of 1776. Stephen died in 1837, in the month of March or September, the month varies in his records. He was 87 and is buried in the old Northeast Cemetery in Wolcott, Connecticut.
These five patriots had different backgrounds and experiences, but each felt the responsibility and need to fight for that dream of freedom. Looking into their lives and the hardships they endured allows us a small view of them during those revolutionary years.
Thank you to Deb DuBois and Deb Wilson for the research on our patriots which allows me to write these articles.
(Information for this article was taken from two brochures: one from the Wolcott Historical Society titled, "WOLCOTT In The French and Indian Wars, The Revolutionary War and The War Of The Rebellion;" The "1986 Historic Resources Inventory," by J.P.Loether Associates;" History of the Town of Wolcott (Connecticut) from 1731 to 1874," by Samuel Orcutt; and hours of research by Deb DuBois on Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com and other online research sites; early Historical Society notes about facts of Wolcott; A talk from Debra Wilson at the Wolcott library, 2026)
This tombstone is in memory of Captain Heman Hall and his wife Rebekah. It is found in Edgewood Cemetery in Wolcott.
This is the tombstone of Lucius Tuttle. It is found in Hillside Cemetery in Cheshire.
This is a rubbing of Elijah Royce's tombstone done in 1994. He is buried in Northeast Cemetery in Wolcott.
This rubbing is from James Bailey's tombstone the Northeast Cemetery. Many of the stones there have been destroyed.
These are what's left of Stephen Carter's tombstone found in the Northeast Cemetery in Wolcott, Connecticut. Taken from Find a Grave.
To view past installments of the Historical Society News, click here.
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