Part One: Andrews Family in Colonial Connecticut

My father is Joseph Earl Andrews.  His father was Harrison Earl Andrews.  Our line of the Andrews family is deeply entrenched in the earliest American history, having served in the Revolutionary, Civil and Indian Wars.  I've traced my father's line back to William Andrews and that's where I'll begin.

Original Founders' Monument, Hartford CT

William Andrews, born 1595 in Kent, England, died 1659 in Hartford, Connecticut.  Married Mary Savage, born 1603 in Great Bedwin, Wiltshire, England, died 1640 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.  William's name is engraved on the Original Founders of  Hartford monument. 

"William first appeared in Hartford, according to the records, as one of the proprietors in the division of land Jan. 13, 1640 (new style), when he was awarded 30 acres. Jan. 24, 1640, his name appears among those specified by order of the townsmen as "the names of such inhabitants as have rights in undivided lands," and a year later, March 13, 1641, he received 33 acres in the distribution of the east side of the river in Hocazi.m (now East Hartford). This land was all bought finally from the Indian tribe of Suchlago.  William was the schoolmaster of Hartford, also sometimes called the letter writer." (Source: http://www.surnameguide.com/andrews/william_andrews_genealogy.htm )

John Andrews, born about 1616 in St. Giles Cripple Gate, London, Middlesex, England, died 1681 in Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut.  Married Mary Barnes, born 1622 in Essex, England, died May 1694 in Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut.   I came upon the following story about John Andrews on Ancestry.com, I don't know the original source or author:

"John Andrews (so spelled on the earliest land records) was a plain farmer, with common intelligence, had his farm on the east side of the river, near to where a canal aqueduct was made (1825), and about 2 miles north of the village of Farmington - the locality called Waterville in 1871. His wife's name was Mary, and she united with the church there April 2, 1654 with her sons, then under the age of 13 (Abraham 6 yrs 3 mos, Daniel 3 yrs 10 mos, Joseph 2 yrs 3 mos). John Andrews, Senior, the father of the family joined the Congregational Church of Farminton May 9, 1658. John Andrews was made free in Hartford by General Court May 20, 1658 [this probably means that he was an indentured servant - interesting info on the history of indentured servants on Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indentured_servitude] . John Andrews died in 1681 and Mary died in May 1694.

John Andrews was a landholder in Hartford as appears by a deed of Asahel (49, gr. grandson), dated 1758 at Simsbury, of lands in Hartford once owned by John (10) his father, and also by his grandfather John. Asahel was a blacksmith and located near Rocky Hill about 1725.

"Andrews Memorial" lists the will of John Andrews dated Jan 14, 1681 and that of Mary Andrews dated Nov 18, 1683. Inventory of the settlers' estate gave its value at L321 19s.

The Old Farmstead and house were willed to John's youngest son Benjamin on the condition "that he maintayne his dear mother comfortably, so long as her natural life continueth". Benjamin was also made executor."
This is a picture of the Andrews farm in the 1960s.  It was known as Pine Hill Farm and owned by C.J. Thompson:

This is a map of colonial Farmington, with the Andrews farm shown just below and to the left of the large group of trees under the word Farmington and above the church.  The name was spelled Andrus on the map and in some historical records, but it is believed to be the same family.