Notes for: Excercise CONANT
baptized about Dec 24, 1637
The following is from the web page of Jana Ulrich
http://members.aol.com/janau/conant.htm
Exercise was granted Freeman status in 1663 in Beverly MA. He purchased his house in
Windham CT in 1694 and was admitted as an inhabitant of that town in Nov 1694. He was one
of the pioneers of the Lebanon CT settlement. In 1701, he sold his holdings in Windham and
returned to the Boston area where he remained until 1718. He returned to Windham where he
died.
I love these tidbits about Exercise sent to me by my "cyber cousin" Betty I. Ralph:
Here are a few misc. items from "History and Genealogy of Conant Family in
England and America" published 1857, written by Frederick Odell Conant that I
found interesting ..from Boston Record Commissioner's Reports "June 30, 1701,
Exercise Conant his Petition for a License to Sell all Sorts of Strong drink out of
door by Retaile is approved by the Select men" Sep 15, 1702 "Ordered that
Exercise Conant shall be joyned with the watch he to take his turn with the eight
watch men to watch one night in eight in each of their Sted and to be allowed out of
their pay twelve pense p' night for each night sch he Shall watch in their Sted" June
24, 1706 "At a meeting of the Select men, Mr. Exercise Connunt is nominated and
appointed to Inform against and prosecute all persons who shall thereafter
Transgress the Town order relating to Regulateing of buryalls, and the Select men
will take care that he shall be allowed a competent recompence for his Service
therein. Ordered that the Several bell ringers within this Town at their Tolling of
Bells for funeralls, Shall Turn up an Hour glass at the beginning of the Second bell
for funeralls on week dayes, and at the beginning of the first bell for funeralls on
Lords dayes and by their Information to assist Mr. Exercise Connunt or whom else
the Select men Shall appoint of what they shall know relating to the breach of the
Town order regulating buryalls"
"Massachusetts Officers and Soldiers in the 17th Century Conflicts" edited by
Carole Doreski lists Lt. Exercise Conant serving from Beverly in 1690 (at the time
of King Williams' War) so that must be why he was known as Lt. Conant."
Sources: Tolland and Windham Counties, Conn, Biographies - 1903; LDS Ancestral File;
Research of Betty I. RalphRoger Conant was the first Conant to come to America on the ship Anne, six years after the Mayflower. Almost all of the Conant descendents can trace their genealogy back to this forefather. He also was the first governor of Massachusetts before it became a state.
Roger Conant was born 1592 and died 1679 and was the first settler of Salem, Massachuttes in 1626. The quote below is inscribed on the statue of Roger Conant that was erected in Salem in honor of his settling that area.
"It was a means, thu grace assisting me, to stop the flight of those few
that then were here with me, and by my utter denial to go away with them
who would have gone either for England, or mostly Virginia"