John Beecher, of Kent, England, died 1637 New Haven, Ct., married widow Hannah ( ) Potter. Hannah died 1658/9 at New Haven, Ct., her will dated 13 June 1657, names sons William Potter and Isaac Beecher. Hannah acted as a mid-wife, nurse, and community doctor. John Beecher joined the Davenport company and he and his family immigrated from London, England and arrived at Boston, Ma. 26 Apr 1637. The neighboring settlements in Massachusetts tried to persuade the new colonists to settle among them, but preferring to found an independent settlement by themselves, in the fall of that year sent a number of men under Samuel Eaton to explore the coast of New England and fix upon a site for their abode, they came to a place bearing the Indian name of Quinnipiac and were so well pleased with the beauty of the situation, the fertility of the land, with a harbor setting up some four miles from L. I. Sound, that they fixed their choice on that spot and so reported for the approval of the company, seven young men of their number were left in the place selected to prepare for the coming of the rest in the opening of the spring, one of these seven was John Beecher, and it is believed that he died during the winter, as the death of one of their number was reported and his name never afterward appeared on any of the early records of the colony, and his bones were found in 1750 while a cellar was being dug on the south corner of Church and Meadow streets, where was the hut that sheltered them for that winter. The widow Hannah Beecher's allotment of land was near where the State hospital now stands, she is named in the assignment of sittings in the church in 1656, but she requested to have a seat nearer the preacher on account of a difficulty in hearing. Hannah had 1st married a Potter and had by her first husband a son William Potter. The widow Beecher was called "Midwife". In Hannah's will, probated 2 March 1659, she bequeathed to her son William Potter and his children two thirds of her estate and the other one third to her son Isaac Beecher, making the said William Potter her executor and advising him to be a father to his younger brother and his children. Inventory of the estate ammounted to L55 5s. 6d. Children: Beecher ISAAC b. 1623, d. 12 Nov 1690, md Mary Sperry John
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