Family-histories and genealogies : containing a series of ...

It will be proper to begin with bringing together a few items from
New Haven records, respecting William Diodate himself. For these we
are indebted to the researches of the late Henry White, who was, of all New
Haveners of recent times, the most familiar with the history of his native
town. The first notice of WiUiam Diodate, in the town-records, was in
1717, whena deed of land to him, dated April 23, 171 7, was recorded.
On the 4*'' of March 1719-20 he purchased half an acre on the corner of
Elm and Church streets, where "the Blue Meeting-house" afterwards
stood ; which he sold January 7, 1720-21. He was married, February 16,
1720-21, to Sarah daughter of John Dunbar^ of New Haven by his first
wife, whose name is unknown ;
and in the month of May following he
purchased his home-lot, on State street, on the south-west corner of what
is now Court street, containing i Y^ acre, with a house and a small barn
on it, for ^100. In the Registrar's Records of New Haven are given
the following; items
*to
:
" Elizabeth dau. of William Diodate, b. July 11"", 1722."
"Sarah
"
" " b. Jan. 27, 1725-6."
In 1728-29, February 24, he purchased a vacant piece of ground next
south of his home-lot, containing \z/^ acre, for ^75.; and about the year
1735 several tracts of outlands were added to his real estate. His Will,
dated May 26, 1747, with a codicil dated March 9, 1748-49, was proved
on the 13*'' of May 1751, in which year, therefore, he probably died.
Though the gravestone of his "relict" Sarah, who survived him several
years, still exists, his own has not been found, so that the exact date of
his death is not known. The inscription on his widow's gravestone reads
as follows :
" In memory of Mrs. Sarah Diodate, relict of Mr. William Diodate, who
departed this life the 25th April 1764, in the 75th year of her age."
* Supposed to have been a descendant of Robert Dunbar (b. circ. 1605) and Rose his wife, who
emigrated from Scotland, and settled in Hingham, Mass.
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