vital records sources
go to Ruth Lockwood's page

David was a farmer in the Canoe Hill neighborhood of Canaan Parish, the northern section of Norwalk before it was set off as its own township in 1801. In October 1735, his father deeded him ten acres of land in consideration of his "paternal love, goodwill and affection" on both sides of a road that is likely what is now called Canoe Hill Road.1 On the east side was David's house, undoubtedly built soon before this in anticipation of his marrying the following January.
     David and Ruth joined the Canaan Parish church on 26 June 1736/37.2 In 1772 the local minister, Rev. Drummond, took a door-to-door census of the town.3 Apparently all provided information except "David Haite," who "refuseth to give the names of his family." David lived on Canoe Hill, where his house was built on his father's land, and who deeded it to him in October 1735. The house was undoubtedly built soon before this in anticipation of David marrying the following January. David, his brother Benajah and Thomas Fayerweather bought three-quarters of an acre with a stream running through it in March 1738.4 The stream divided Canoe Hill and Huckleberry Hills, which lets us identify it as what's now called Silvermine Creek. A sawmill was built there, and David bought Fairweather's interest in it in October 1750.5 An 1856 map shows a sawmill on this creek just below what's now Huckleberry Hill Road, and a turning mill just south of that. Silvermine Pond is a mill pond associated with the turning mill, which is still there but converted to a residence. Daniel acquired more land in that area in the 1750's.
     There is no probate record for David, which It is likely that a New Canaan Congregational Church record of a David Hoyt dying in 1789 is for the son of Caleb, but no age at death is given to help confirm this. As with all the other Hoyts in this line, not a single gravestone is visible for them in Norwalk or New Canaan. David Hoyt's book on the Hoyt family6 gives full dates for David's and Ruth's deaths, and they don't appear any other known records. Information for his grandson Joseph, Jr.'s family very likely came from the family itself, so David and Ruth's deaths may have come from a similar source, like a family Bible. Given that his heirs sold his land in May of 17907, it's reasonable to say he he died the previous Fall.

children of David Hoyt and Ruth Lockwood:

Isaac b. 28 September 1736
Timothy b. 27 May 1739
Ruth b. 3 February 1741
David b. 2 April 1744
Joseph bap. 5 October 1746, died young
Mary b. 2 May 1748
Joseph b. 3 November 1750
Noah b. 3 November 1753
Caleb b. 28 November 1755
Ezekial b. 25 December 1758

vital records sources: The New Canaan church records have just the year of David's death. (173)

1. Fairfield County deeds, 8:79 (7 October 1735).
2. "Connecticut Church Record Abstracts 1630-1920," ancestry.com database online, images of original volumes in the CT State Library, 75:172.
3. citation needed.
4. Fairfield County deeds, 8:265 (21 March 1737/38).
5. Ibid, 10:319 (24 October 1750).
6. David W. Hoyt A Genealogical History of the Hoyt, Haight, and Hight Families (Boston, 1871), . 7. needs to be double-checked, citation needed.
8.