David married Damaris Sayre who was born in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England, in about 1625, and she died in New Haven on April 1, 1691. She is the daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Aldrich) Sayre. David married Demaris before March 10, 1646/7, the date of the General Court, when the name of "David Atwater's wife" was read among those seated in the meeting-house.
In the first division of lands among the settlers, a farm was assigned him in the "Neck," as the tract between the Mill and Quinnipiac Rivers was called, in an area now part of Hampden, upon which it is believed that he lived until his death. He also had a town lot but never lived on it, preferring the farm. His neighbors included Nat Turner.
David was probably the first settler in this area that became Hampden (Hartley, 1959). He also had a house lot in New Haven town on what is now called State Street and may have lived there for a part of the year. In this first division of land in 1641, he received 24 ¼ acres in the meadow with 141 acres in the second division. His annual tax for this land was 1 pd.,11 shillings and 4 pence. He is listed in attendance in the general court of July 1, 1644, as well as March 10, 1646. In the Feb. 24, 1644 court he was appointed a fence viewer for the farms.
David was appointed town treasurer at the court of Oct. 22, 1645 he and several others were selected to audit the accounts of former treasurers. His role was renewed in 1646. At the court of July 7, 1647 he was fined for being absent from the watch one night. In 1649 he was called for letting his hogs go abroad and for not having them ringed as ordered and was fined 12 pence a hog (see John Cooper). David was involved in several estates. He took the inventory of the estate of: Henry Humiston with Thomas Barnes on Feb. 29, 1663 which was presented in court on May 3, 1664, William Potter with Thomas Yale on Aug. 2, 1662 and the inventory of Gilliam Mansfield on after Dec. 8, 1669 with William Bradley.
At the April 1663 court David Atwater and Mr. Goodenhouse asked for a decision about a land dispute on their adjoining boundary lines. They were both told it was their own fault for not getting their land measured. The court asked them to settle it themselves, which was most desired, or continue it at the next court. Both men requested to continue the issue at the next court. The court also ruled that Mr. Goodenhouse had do wrong to David Atwater in the dispute and ordered him to pay ten shilling for this along with charges of witnesses.
In 1665 a deed of sale from his brother Joshua of all his land and house in New Haven to him was recorded. Joshua is listed as living in Boston at this time. At the January 15, 1665 meeting, David along with others, was appointed to collect the church tax on the farms. He received 90 ½ acres in the third division of land in 1680. At the court of April 26, 1681 he was chosen surveyor of the highways, with William Johnson, for the ensuing year.
David and Damaris had ten children, all born in New Haven:
1. Mercy was born on February 29, 1647. She married John Austin (1643-1690) on Nov. 5, 1667 in New Haven. She died on Apr 14, 1683 in child birth in New Haven. They had nine children: John (1668-1683), David (1670-1713), Joshua (1673-1760), Mary (1675), John (twin) (1677-1773), Hannah (twin) (1677), Mary (1680-1683), son (1683 – Mercy also died in his child birth). All children were born in New Haven.
2. Damaris was born on November 12, 1647/48, baptized on October 21, 1649, and died on December 14, 1711. She married John Punderson (1644-1729) on Nov. 5, 1667 in New Haven. They had eight children: Abigail (1671), John (1673-1739), Thomas (1678-1742), Hannah (1679-1740), Mary (1683-1713), David (1686-1731), Samuel (1691-1731), Ebenezer (1694-1702). All were born in New Haven.
3. David was born on July 13, 1650, and died on January 10, 1735/6. His birth date has also been reported as July 13, 1651. He received 11 acres in the third division of land in 1680 and is listed as a Proprietor of New Haven in 1685. He married Joanna and lived upon and cultivated a portion of the land which was originally assigned to his father. They had three children: Joanna (1682-), Abigail (1684-1742), and Joshua (1686-1773).
4. Joshua was born on January 11, 1652/3. He moved to Wallingford where he married Lydia Rockwell on June 24, 1680. He and Lydia died in 1681, leaving no children.
5. John was born on November 1, 1654, and died in 1748. He married Abigail Glover on September 13, 1682. He is listed as a Proprietor of New Haven, CT, in the Year 1685 (NEGHSR, vol. 1, pp. 157–8). His second wife was Mary Beach, widow of John Beach. He then married Abigail Mansfield and settled in Wallingford on a farm which had belonged to his brother Joshua. He and Abigail Glover had ten children: John (1683-1765), Abigail 1685-, Mercy (1687-), Hannah (1690-), Joshua (1693-1787), Moses (1696-1786), Phineas (1699-1777), Ebenezer (1703-1758), Caleb (1705-1736) , Benjamin (1708-1792).
6. Jonathan was born on July 12, 1656, and died in New Haven on June 3, 1726. He married Ruth Peck on June 1, 1681. He is listed as a Proprietor of New Haven, CT, in the Year 1685 (NEGHSR, vol. 1, pp. 157–8). They had eleven children, all born in New Haven: Joshua (1681), David (1683-1727), Jeremiah (1684-1732), Mary (1686-1753), Ruth (1688-1758), Jonathan (1690-1760), Lydia (1693-1694), Joseph (1694-1766), Stephen (1696-1704), Damaris (1698-1762), Lydia (1701-1708).
7. Abigail was born on March 3, 1659/60 and died after 1692. She married Nathaniel Jones (1659-1684) on Oct. 7, 1684 in New Haven. He was born in Westminster, London, England. They had three children, the first and third born in New Haven and the second in Wallingford: Hannah (1687 – ), Theophilus (1690-), Abigail (1692-).
8. Mary was born on March 31, 1662. She first married Ichabod Stow on Oct. 22, 1688, secondly she married David Robinson.
9. Samuel was born on September 17, 1664, and died on September 17, 1742. He married Sarah Alling (1666-1742) on July 7, 1691, daughter of John and Elena (Bradley) Alling. They had eleven children: Samuel (1692-1713), Daniel (1705-1757), James (1696-1722), Sarah (1698-1699), Damaris (1700-1770), Caleb (1702-1775), Stephen (1705-1757), John (1707-1709), Seth (1711-1712), Mabel (1713). All were born in New Haven,
10. Ebenezer was born on January 13, 1666. He married Abigail Heating (1673-1731) on Dec. 9, 1691 in New Haven. They had four children: Sarah (1693-1761), Mary (1695-1772), James (1697-1766), Abigail (1700-1782). All were born in New Haven. Sarah married James Humiston (son of John) on Jan. 7, 1719.
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