SAMUEL MANROSS...THE ROAD TO NEW YORK

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 Generation 3 ​​

Samuel Manross, a son of Nehemiah, was born May 13, 1722 in Lebanon, Connecticut.  Like all of his brothers and sisters, he was baptized in the Lebanon Congregational Church.  In 1728 the family moved to their new home in Farmington, CT. 

​The American Colonies viewed the declaration of war between France and Britain in 1745 as an opportunity.  The Americans were increasingly wary of the threat to their fishing fleets posed by the French fort at Louisbourg, Cape Breton, Canada.  Samuel and his brother, Bishop, were Sergeants of the Connecticut Regiment which joined with other Regiments and the British fleet in the successful siege of Fort Louisbourg in 1745.

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Samuel married Lucy Barnes in 1747 and together they had seven children; Elizabeth, Sally, William, Timothy, Samuel, Asahel, and Jesse.  Samuel's entry into the new area of Norfolk, CT is described in the History of Norfolk.  "Three of four years after the Browns settled (1745), Samuel Manross came from Farmington, now Bristol, and built a log house where the meetinghouse now stands.  He observed when putting up his house that it would be the site for the meeting-house, which afterwards proved to be the case.  The name of this early settler, of whom various anecdotes have been told, was commonly pronounced Mo-raugh." ​

Samuel purchased the land, but likely maintained a primary residence in Farmington, CT for a couple of years.  Norfolk was in the early days of development and Samuel was one of the original purchasers of land in Norfolk.  During that time he was still conducting real estate transactions in Farmington.  In 1752 Samuel sold his initial property in Norfolk to the Church of England and it became the meeting house.  As a pioneer in Norfolk, Samuel attended a meeting of proprietors in 1754 where they were all allowed to draw lots.  He drew two lots that were each 100 acres. ​

The town of Norfolk was incorporated in 1758 with only twenty seven families, including the Manross family.  Samuel is recorded as being present at the first town meeting in December 1758 where he was selected to be the fence viewer and key-keeper.  During that first meeting he voted to: procure preaching in this town, build a meeting-house, build a school and grant a property tax to pay for the meeting house and preacher.  Between 1761-1779 Samuel completed numerous real estate transactions.   He moved his family to New Canaan, Albany County, NY in 1769.  In that same year, 1769, Samuel filed a deed for his land in Norfolk to "my son" Jesse.  Both Jesse and Samuel were living in New Britain, NY at the time.  Samuel died in 1785 and Lucy in 1787. ​