536–537.  Thomas Fairchild was born in England in 1610, and died in Stratford, Connecticut, on December 14, 1670. His will was dated December 7, 1670. _____ Seabrook was born in England before 1620, and died between 1653 and 1662. She is the daughter of Robert and Alice (Goodspeed) Seabrook. They had seven children:

i. Samuel Fairchild [#644]: He was born in Stratford on August 31, 1640, and died in Connecticut about 1704.
ii. Sarah Fairchild was born on February 19, 1641/2. She married Jehiel Preston who was baptized June 14, 1640 and died in 1684.
iii. John Fairchild was born in Stratford on May 1, 1644. He probably died before 1666 since a second child was named John. He did not appear in his father's will.
iv. Thomas Fairchild was born in Stratford on February 26, 1645/6.
v. Dinah Fairchild was born in Stratford on July 14, 1648.
vi. Zechariah Fairchild [#268]: He was born in Stratford on December 14, 1651, and died in Stratford on June 23, 1703.
vii. Emm Fairchild was born in Stratford on October 23, 1653. She married Hachaliah Preston on April 20, 1676.

His second marriage was to Catherine Craigg. She died in Connecticut in May, 1706. They had three children:

i. Joseph Fairchild was born in Stratford on April 18, 1664.
ii. John Fairchild was born in Stratford on June 8, 1666.
iii. Priscilla Fairchild was born in Stratford on April 20, 1669. She married Benjamin Peat circa 1688.

From Families of Old Fairfield:
    Thomas "ffayrechilde" was a merchant who came from England to Stratford, [in what is now] Connecticut, about 1638–39. He was one of the original settlers of Stratford and a prominent citizen. He held many official positions: Deputy (Stratford) to Conn. Legislature 14 times: Apr. 1646, Sept. 1654, May 1655, Oct. 1655, Oct. 1658, May 1659, Oct. 1659, May 1660, May 1664, Oct. 1664, Oct. 1665, May 1666, Oct. 1666, May 1667; Judge (Stratford town), May 1664; Commissioner for Stratford, 1664 and 1666–1670; war committee for Stratford, Oct. 1654.

Land records of 1670 show that his sons, Thomas and Samuel, received gifts of land from their grandfather, Robert Seabrook. Later land records show that Zechariah received gifts of land from his brothers Samuel and Thomas, from Jehiel Preston, and his mother, Katharine Judson.

His will was read January 10, 1670/1 and mentioned his wife, Katharine; son Samuel (who received the "ferry land"); son Zechariah; daugher Dinah; son Thomas; daughter Emm. It did not mention the children by Katharine.

In an entry for Henry Fairchild in the Encyclopedia of Conn. Biog.,..., is written:

... the family founded in Stratford, Connecticut, in 1639 by Thomas Fairchild, a merchant, who come to New England from London, England. He died December 14, 1670. There is on file in the State Library at Hartford a copy of the marriage contract executed prior to his marriage to his second wife, Katherine Craig, of London, in which he binds himself to convey to said Katherine a life estate in his lands at Stratford or in the event of his death before his arrival in New England to cause to be paid to her £250 sterling. This contract made in London, December 22, 1662, would indicate that he returned to England for his second bride. Eight children were born to his first wife, a daughter of Robert Seabrook, three by his second wife... [Note that Jacobus lists only seven children with his first wife.]

Personal note: This family is in the ancestral lines of both of my paternal grandparents. Samuel's descendants include the Judson family, leading to Primrose Judson; and Zechariah's descendants include the Gilbert family, leading to Walter Joshua Gilbert. Therefore, my father's parents were sixth cousins; unfortunately, they both died before this interesting fact was discovered.

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