Immigrant John Coite
English
John Coit was an early New England settler associated with the Puritan Great Migration. Born likely in England—long assumed Wales, though evidence remains uncertain — he arrives in Massachusetts by 1632 and settles first in Salem, later moving to Gloucester in 1644 and to New London, Connecticut, in 1650. A skilled shipwright, Coit establishes New London's first shipyard at Close Cove and acquires land along Cape Ann Lane, becoming a freeman in 1647 and a selectman in 1648. He and his wife Mary Jenners raise a large family, including children born in England and New England, several of whom are referenced in his 1659 will. Coit died in New London and is likely buried in the town's Antientist Burial Ground, where early graves lacked permanent markers. His life reflects the movement of Cape Ann families into the developing Connecticut shoreline settlements and the emergence of maritime industry in the mid-17th-century colony. - AsNotedIn
Lineage
- Daughter: Martha Coit White