Early American Settler: Captain John Gallup

Captain John Gallup (1620-1675)

11x Great Grandfather

On January 25, 1620, John Gallup was born at Bridport, Dorset, England to John Gallup I and Christobel Brushett. The infant was baptized at St. Mary’s Church (the Church of England) in Mosterne.

John Gallup arrived in this country on the ship, the Griffin. He sailed with his mother, brothers and sister, Joan. They landed in Boston on September 4, 1633. His father sailed to this country three years earlier, and he became a ship’s captain.

In 1637, he took part in the Pequot Indian Wars and later received land for his service. His father and his brothers also fought in this war in the Connecticut colony. At one point during the war at Block Island, the Gallup family used their ship to strike another boat that had been captured by Pequot warriors. Later, John was appointed captain for his bravery in the war.

In the year 1643, John married Hannah Lake; she was the daughter of John Lake and Margaret Read.

When the Pequot War ended, the General Court of Connecticut awarded John 100 acres of land. This land was located near the future settlement of Stonington, Connecticut. In 1654, John moves his family to his homestead, Whitehall, near the Mystic River. John and his family were early settlers of Stonington. John was a ship owner and a coastal trader. He also served as a Selectman of Stonington during the years of 1664-1668, 1671, and 1673. In 1665 and 1667, he was the Town Representative of General Court. In addition, John also served as an interpreter to the Native American tribes that inhabited the area.

During King Philip’s War in 1675, He was a Captain of the First Company of the Connecticut Militia under Major Robert Treat at the Great Swamp War at Narragansett, Rhode Island. With his men, along with Mohican allies, they joined forces with men from nearby colonies to attack the Narragansett tribe on December 19, 1675. He along with six other captain died while successfully storming the fort. Although the colonists prevailed, the significant loss of life was revealed for the colonists and the Native Americans. Captain John Gallup was buried at Smith’s Castle in North Kingston, Rhode Island. At his homestead, Whitehall, a memorial was erected to honor his memory. His wife, Hannah is buried at Whitehall.

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