In 1635, Lord Saye & Sele, Lord Brook, and other gentlemen purchased a patent on land between the New London and New Haven colonies as a potential refuge for themselves. John Winthrop, Jr., son of the royal governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, was hired as agent by the owners. Winthrop never lived in Saybrook. Instead, he hired Lion Gardiner as on-site overseer. In 1644, the Saybrook Patent was sold to the Connecticut Colony.
Over time, seven present-day towns split off from the original Saybrook Colony. As each of the new towns separated from the colony, the name Saybrook and the official records remained with those which remained.
Until 1818, there had to be a church in the community to be considered a town. Congregational Churches were supported by local taxes. As new congregations formed at various times when population centers shifted, new towns were established, frequently requiring legislative approval.
These towns separated themselves from the Saybrook Colony: Lyme in 1667; Old Lyme in 1678; Westbrook, 1724; Chester, 1739; Old Saybrook, 1852; and Essex, 1854.
Thus, Deep River as the last town remaining in the colony retained the name Saybrook until it was changed in 1947 by the state legislature.
