In response to your request for info on John Caswell, I decided to post what I have on what I would believe to be two Caswell brothers, merchants in London and Boston (MA) 1690's-1750. I don't know much about their genealogy, but these Caswells were involved with persons I have heard of elsewhere in the Massachusetts colony's development before the Revolution. I assume the family died out or went back to England before the Revolution. (If anyone can help connect these brothers to another to any of the concurrent New England Caswell families, please let me know.) I wouldn't have bothered with the detail, except that I can find no discussion of these Caswells in the Caswell databases and articles. FIRST FROM THE CD ROM COMPLETE BOOK OF EMIGRANTS 1602-1776 ======================================================== 2-16 May 1696. Shippers by the New Hampshire, Mr. Mark Hunking and Mr. John Sherburn, bound from London for New England: Joseph Paice, Richard Pittman, David Garrie, Reginald Heber, John Lambert, William Ellingham, Samuell Theyer, John Brogees, Humphrey Strode, Henry Caswell, Nicholas Oursell, Nune Fernandes, Samson Parrie, Jaziell Crowch, Richard Soames, Sutton Sharpe, Elizabeth Chadwell, Edward Hooker. (PRO: E190/155/5). 23 May 1707-31 July 1707. Shippers by the New Hampshire of Deal, Mr. Robert Eason, bound from Portsmouth for Piscataqua: Cornelius Collis for Peter Meyer, John Caswall, John Arnold for Josiah Clark and John Heron & Co. and Paul Boucher, James & John Arnold for John Waldwin, Thomas Miller, William Chambers, Lewis Martin for Samuel Bagnall & Co., John Wakefield & Co., David Aldridge, Thomas Brounker, Roger Lawson, Thomas Barton for James Rolleton, Roger Lawson, Gabriel Auboineau for Christopher Topham. (PRO: E190/849/9). 18 April 1716. Jonathan Sherrer apprenticed from Christ's Hospital to his mother Elizabeth S. and Mr. John Caswall to serve George Clark Esq. of New York, merchant. (CH). 12-19 May 1716. Shippers by the Prince Frederick of London, Mr. William Blair, bound from Plymouth for Boston: Philip Pentyre for Abraham Inglegraf, Jacob Wendel & Co. and James Elwick & Co.; John Caswell & Co. (PRO: E190/1075/7). 7 May 1724. Thomas Lane apprenticed from Christ's Hospital to his grandmother Susanna L. to serve John Caswell of London, merchant, or his brother Henry Caswell of Boston, New England, merchant. (CH). 19 January 1728. John Withers apprenticed from Christ's Hospital by the consent of his uncle William Clarke to Mr. John Caswell, merchant, to serve John Yeamans of Antigua, merchant. (CH). 25 February 1729. William Taylor apprenticed from Christ's Hospital to his mother Ann Bennett and Thomas Lane on behalf of Mr. John Caswell, merchant, to serve Henry Lane of New York, merchant. (CH). 21 March 1730. John Cox apprenticed from Christ's Hospital to his father John C. and John Caswell, merchant, to serve Col. Samuel Brown of New England, merchant. (CH). January 1731. Richard Luffe apprenticed from Christ's Hospital to his friend Mr. Thomas Bridges to serve Mr. John Caswell of London, merchant, in London or Boston, New England. (CH). 15 August 1735. Daniel Swinorton apprenticed from Christ's Hospital to his uncle John Langworthy and Mr. John Caswell of New England, merchant, to serve Henry Caswell of Boston, New England. (CH). 30 November 1738-27 December 1738. Appeal by Thomas Brown of London, merchant, and his attorney Henry Lane of New York, against the grant by a New York probate court to Frederick Philips Esq. of administration of the estate in New York of John Caswell of London, merchant. (APC). ========================================================= >From the New England Historic Genealogical Register, evidences of John and Henry Caswell's activity: NEHGR 62:92 January 1908, Notes from English Records ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------- Abstract of the will of Kezia Caswall, late of Queen Street, London, but now of Camberwell, co. Surrey, Widow. Dated 17 July 1735. Sister Lydia Houlton, widow of John Houlton, late of Clapham, Surrey, gent. Son John Casswall of Boston in New England, Merchant, William Cave of Essex Street, Strand, Tallow Chandler, and Tho. Lane of Clements Town in Cannon St., to be trustees. Daughter Susannah Warner wife of Mr. John Warner of Camberwell. Wittnesses: Anne Downes, Benj Sparrow. Proved in P.C.C. 5 Dec 1740 by John Caswall, one of the exors., power reserved, etc (316 Brown) NEHGR 57:274 Vol 57, July 1903 Boston Banks 1684-1740 - Those Who Were Interested in Them by Andrew MacFarland Davis. Henry Caswell listed as a merchant signatory to the agreement not to take (receive) Land Bank bills, 1740. NEHGR 58:63 Vol 58:January 1904 Christ Church Bells, Boston Mass. By Arthur H. Nichols MD Bells of great quality were procured for Christ Church, Boston from Rudhall, Gloucester, England by the Rector in 1740 with the support of the Anglican church parishoners. In the list of subscribers: Henry Caswell, 30 pounds. A further collection was taken in London by Capt. Jeremiah Fones who was perhaps a sea captain sailing to London and having business acquaintances there. In the list was 5 pounds from Jno [John] Caswell. Other contributors: Peter Fanueil, Thomas Hancock. One of the bell ringers: Paul Revere. NEHGR 17:148 Memorial to the Town of Boston, 1746 To the Freeholders and Other Inhabitants of the Town of Boston in Town meeting Regularly assembled the ____ March A.D. 1746. The Memorial of Sundry of the Proprietors of Houses and Lands and others the said Inhabitants of said Town of Boston, living in and some of 'em frequenting the Street commonly known as Atkinson Street, bounded Northerly on Milk Street and Southerly on Cow Lane….these people say the the road is scarcely passable in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. They put up some money and ask the town to do the work. Henry Caswell signed, as did Peter Fanueil and John Hancock., as well as one Andrew Belcher NEHGR 19:145 The Pepperell Manuscripts Feb 20, 1733/4 Mr Henry Caswell mentioned in the bills relating to death of Col. Pepperell, father of Sir Wm. Pepperell of Kittery (Piscataqua). The Pepperell expeditios settled early the coast of Maine, particularly Kittery ME NEHGR 20:29---before 1729 The New England Merchants Memorial to the London Board of Trade - a pleading for the help of the London merchants in getting relief from the present Judge and Court of Admiralty in New England. Signed by Henry Caswell, Peter Fanueil, Samuel Sewall (died 1729), others. NEHGR 50:193 Partners in the Land Bank of 1740 Two of those identified as major supporters were John Caswell of Norton and his brother Jedediah Caswell of Norton. This was John Caswell of Norton (John2, Thomas1 of Taunton) who married Hannah Hoar per George Sanborn in the Mayflower Decendent (v39:1, p5 Caswell 73) This doesn't seem to be related to John Caswell, Merchant. ======================================================= Historical Sketches of the Congregational Church in Belchertown, Hon. Mark Doolittle, 1850" [The text below was copied from this book. Note that one of the owners of the 27,000 acres northeast of Springfield is John Caswell, and I assume from the wealth required that this is John Caswell, Merchant of Boston and London. Note that this John Caswell was in good company, in particular Jonathan Belcher, governor of Massachusetts colony, Harvard graduate and scion of an important family of pre-Revolutionary War Boston, plus a couple of other prominent Boston citizens [Dudley and Devonport in particular.] "In 1662 Charles II issued his letters patent [for Connecticut] and fixed the boundaries as follows: "All that part of his Majesty's Dominions in New England, in America, bounded east by Narragansett river, commonly called Narragansett Bay, where the river falleth into the sea (Pawcatuck River) ; and on the north by the line of Massachusetts plantation , and on the south by the sea, and in longitude as the line of the Massachusetts Colony running from east to west, that is to say, from said Narragansett Bay on the east to the south sea on the west part, with the islands thereunto belonging." The north line of this grant (as well as others) was still undefined; settlements were beginning in Enfield (Conn.), Somers (Conn.), Woodstock (Conn.), and Suffield (Conn), on the line between the two governments; these towns were supposed to lie within the limits of Massachusetts; the government of Massachusetts extended its jurisdiction over them and protected them in Indian wars. This state of things continued for years, til Indian hostilities had subsided, English settlements multiplied, and lands attained to some value, when it became necessary to ascertain the true line between the two governments, with more accuracy than had been done in the original grants. A survey was had and it was found that the true line between the two governments was north of these towns; they were within the Connecticut line. In 1648, Enfield [Conn] was granted by the general Court of Massachusetts to Springfield; in 1670 a grant was made by the same authority of the town of Suffield [Conn] to Maj. John Pyncheon. Lines corresponding with these grants included Somers [Conn] and Woodstock [Conn] within Massachusetts , and Massachusetts claimed the jurisdiction over them; Connecticut consented to that jurisdiction upon conditon that Massachusetts should grant a jurisdiction within its limits to Connecticut of equal extent; such a treaty between the governments was carried into effect. Ware, Belchertown, and Pelham [three towns NE of Springfield MA] comprised the equivalent territory. At the time no grants had been made to any individuals or proprietary within these terrritories; they were a part of the public domain. Connecticut continued to hold such jurisdiction till 1727, when they sold their right to the territory now Belchertown to seven individuals residing in and near Boston, in six equal divisions; the first division to Paul Dudley two thirds, and Col. John Wainwright one third; second division one sixth to John Caswell; third division one sixth to Col. Thomas Fitch; third division one sixth to Adington Devenport; fifth division one sixth to Jonathan Belcher, esq.; sixth division one sixth to William Clark's heirs. During the months of October and November of that year, the territroy was surveyed, delineated, and plotted on a chart by Col. Timothy Dwight of Northampton. This chart is now in my [author's] posession. It is evidently drawn with great accuracy by the hand of a master. Col. Dwight was employed in his day in surveying and plotting towns in this section of the country. He was the grandfather of Rev. Timothy Dwight, D.D., late President of Yale College. Upon sale of this territory to these proprietors, the jurisdiction was transferred to Massachusetts, and the aforesaid towns with in the Connecticut line were taken under Connecticut jursidiction. The territory now called Belchertown was called Cold Spring. The lines in Col. Dwight's survey to the above mentioned purchases, contains 27,390 acres. At the time the town was incorporated, in June 1761, by the name of Belchertown, it included an additional territory on the north not embraced in Col. Dwight's survey of about 12,000 acres, a part since incorporated within Enfield. " This Belchertown, Mass. is the same place that the Solomon Caswell and wife Abagail Clark of Norton who I have been working on settled after the Revolutionary War.