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The Hickcox Family

Sergeant Samuel Hickcox (d. 1694-5) was one of the original proprietors of Waterbury and lived on the village center, where Rev. Mark Leavenworth’s home later stood. His son Samuel (1669-1713) established a fulling mill on Fulling Mill Brook in Naugatuck in 1709, and is credited with being Naugatuck’s first settler.

Serg. Samuel Hickcox’s other son, Capt. William (1673-1737), may have been Waterbury’s first slave owner; his estate inventory of 1737 includes two people, Lewis and Fillis. William Hickcox was active in the Waterbury community and was considered to be one of the town’s best citizens, serving on the building committee for the new meeting house and appointed to provide services for travelers by operating the town tavern. He was also one of the town’s wealthier citizens.

Capt. William Hickcox had only one son who survived the epidemic of 1713, Capt. Samuel Hickcox (c. 1700-1765). Capt. Samuel Hickcox had several slaves or servants: Larance and Ben were both adult “servants” to Samuel. Larance’s wife, Judah, was a Native American and does not appear to have belonged to Hickcox. Larance and Judah had a son, Martin Molotts, who became an indentured servant to Hickcox. The indentureship contract of 1752 states that Martin would be free on his 24th birthday. An unnamed woman enslaved by Samuel Hickcox died in 1762.

There were at least six men named Samuel in the Hickcox family over four or five generations. Deacon Samuel Hickcox is reputed to have "freed the only slave he ever owned." Another Samuel Hickcox, living in Watertown, became legal guardian for an orphaned son of Richard Freeman in 1815. Samuel Nettleton, a cousin of Samuel Hickcox, became legal guardian for Freeman’s other son at the same time. The Hickcox family seems to have a long history of complex relationships with African Americans in their community.

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