Three hundred colonial ancestors and war service, their part in making American history from 495 to 1934 online

has been the birthplace of many well known persons, but not one



142 Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors and War Service

made so large a contribution to this town as Mary Elizabeth Hawley.

Among the descendants of Ephraim Hawley through his son
Nathan Hawley, is the late Rev. William Hawley, Rector of His-
tories St. John's Episcopal Church, Washington, D. C, many years
President John Quincy Adams and President William Henry
Harrison sat under his ministry. In the War of 1812, he, being
twenty-eight years of age, and residing in New York City, commanded
a Company of the Venity Students at New York, enlisted for the
protection of the city. Dr. Hawley's grandson is Mr. Allen Ramsey
Hawley of New York City, Broker, Club-man, pioneer in the field
of aviation, traveler; member of the Hawley Family Society.
His descent is: Joseph^ pioneer; SamueP, Sr.; Ephraim^; Nathan*;
Jabez^; Rev. W.^ Hawley; Peter H.^; Allen R.^ Hawley. Among
the descendants of Ephraim Hawley through his son Gideon, I
will mention two eminent men; Prof. Julius Hawley Seeley, late
President of Amherst College, Mass., and his brother. Prof. L.
Clark Seeley, first President of Smith College, Northampton, Mass.,
1875-1910.

The Protestant Episcopal Church in Roxbury, Conn., and ad-
joining town, was organized in 1740 and Capt. Jehiel Hawley was
elected "lay reader" and annually elected to that office for twelve
years or more. Roxbury was the birthplace of Col. Seth Warner
in 1743 (son of Dr. Benjamin Warner of Woodbury, Conn.). Also
the birthplace of Col. Ethan Allen (according to Allen's own nar-
rative of his experiences when captured by the British and carried
to England, published after his death).

Capt. Jehiel Hawley was to become better acquainted with these
Revolutionary heroes before he died. It seems well-nigh incredible
that Capt. Jehiel Hawley could retain his loyalty to the Crown
amid such defenders of Republican principles.

The exodus into the State of Vermont must have been attended
with some difficulty for they traveled in a most primitive way
through a wilderness. Capt. Jehiel and family were first settlers
at Arlington, Vt. He was known as the ''Father of the Town in
both State and Church." He built the first frame house in ArHng-
ton in 1764, in which he estabhshed "Divine Worship" on the
Sabbath Day, conducted by himself, later by his son Andrew
Hawley and his brother Abel Hawley. The erection of a church
edifice was delayed by the Revolutionary War until 1784; it was
dedicated as St. James Episcopal Church, Arlington, Vt. The
present edifice, erected in 1831 and extensively remodeled in 1900,
contains ten memorial windows; the triple-chancel-window is a
memorial to the patron Saint James and to Capt. Jehiel Hawley
and Hon. Nathan Canfield. See "The Hawley Family Society,
Inc., 1930-1931, Bridgeport, Conn."




rt o
5 <2



2 S



^^.



Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors and War Service



143




HAYNES ANCESTRY

Arms — Or. on a fesse giiles three bezants, in chief a

greyhound courant azure, collared argent. Grold

shielf; on a red center three Byzantium coins. At the

top a blue greyhound, with a silver collar, running.

Crest — ^An eagle displayed azure semee of estoiles argent.

A blue eagle sprinkled with silver stars with waving _

points. <fv '

Heraldry probably dates from the use of armor
which covered the person of knights ia battle, and
rendered necessary some sign by which the person might
be known. Armorial bearings were used in the time of ^y. ,

Henry I, (876-936) and were common during the ?^?^> ■'•'■'^'''^•"

Crusades. In 1300, coats-of-arms were well systemized,
and were in common use. Sometime in the twelfth
centiu-y, they were made hereditary, and were highly
valued, as no person in England below the dignity of haines

a Knight of the Bath had a right to them.

In the Herald's College in London, where the record of the arms legally born
was made, we learn that on the first visitation of the Kings-at-arms to Shropshire,
A. D. 1569, the Haines blazonry is described as "Or. on a fesse gules three bezants;
and in chief a grey-hound courant azure coUared argent" (a golden shield with a
horizontal red band across the middle, on which are three gold coins, and in the
upper part, a blue greyhound running, who wears a silver collar). It is probable
that Sir Hynns took part in the wars of the Crusades in which Edward engaged
before he became King, as ,the three bezants signified that the bearer was a
Crusader. Bezants were old Byzantian coins of gold.

In the second visitation of the King's officer to examine the arms in Shrop-
shire, A. D. 1584, a crest appears of an eagle displayed azure, sprinkled with silver
stars.

In a blank space on a leaf of the Bible brought to New England by Samuel
Haines, in 1635, is a well drawn greyhound courant and coUared, which doubtless
is an index to the arms which his family had borne. The greyhound is an emblem
of loyalty, dating from 1194, there being a traditionary account of the greyhound,
Gelert, a favorite of Llewelyn, having saved the infant son of Llewelyn by killing
a wolf which had entered the room where the child slept.

Origin of the Family Name

The history of the Haines (Haynes) family runs back in Mont-
gomeryshire through Sinion to Owyn, Lord of Guilsfield, son of
Griffity, son of Beh, descendant from Brockwel Yschitrog, who
reigned over Powyaland (Wales) A. D. 607. Einon, Prince of
Powys (Wales), was distinguished in the wars against Henry I of
England, A. D. 1100-1135. He had a son whom he named after
himself, but by distinction and according to the Welsh custom of
the times, he was familiarly called Einws, which was pronounced
Eins. This son of Einon had a son John, who was called John
Winws, afterwards written John Eines of Bausley, in the parish of
Alderbury, which parish was both in Shropshire and Montgomery-
shire. Shrewsbury was the market town for this Alderbury parish.
Among the ancient records of that town the name frequently occurs,
and in the fifteenth and early part of the sixteenth centuries it was
variously written as Eines, Eynes, Heynes, Heanes, Haines, Haynes.
The pronunciation probably was the same. Few people were able
to write their names in those days, and when names were written



144 Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors and War Service

it was easy to write the "a" in place of the "e" and the "y" in place
of the "i." Thus the same name would be written in various ways,
but probably all pronounced the same.

It seems to have been a legend among two or three generations
immediately after Samuel Haines that he was of Welsh extraction,
and his family undoubtedly starts with the Prince of Powys (Wales) .

The family of Haines became numerous in England, and its mem-
bers have held and are now holding important positions in church
and state. They have been men of character and have taken part
in the great events of the times in which they lived.

Quite early in the great movement westward across the waters,
were individual members of the Haines (Haynes) family. Notable
among these was Samuel Haines, who reached the shores of the
new world August 15, 1635. From him descended John Russell
Haynes, whose ancestry and descendants are described in the
genealogy "Ancestry and Descendants of John Russell Haynes."
The genealogy of John Russell Haynes is given as starting from
Deacon Samuel Haines.

Charles Haynes, Inventory was presented in 1685. This is all
the information obtained respecting the period of his decease. His
marriage is not recorded.

Children, by wife Mary:

1. James, b. March 1, 1664/5. 4. Jonathan, b. June 29, 1674.

2. Peter, b. Nov. 21, 1666. 5. Mary, b. Oct. 29, 1678.

3. Charles, b. Sept. 25, 1669. 6. Hercules, b. April 29, 1681.

James and Jonathan Haynes settled in New London, and left
descendants.

Mary (Haynes) Graves, was possibly a daughter of James and
Margaret (StalKon) (Foote) Haynes, of New London. See Note
at bottom of p. 12, with Graves Family, in The Nebraska and Mid-
west Genealogical Record.

Reference: New London, Conn., Caulkins, 1860.

Summary of Ancestry:

1. Charles Haynes, inventory presented in 1685; m. Mary .

2. James Haynes, b. March 1, 1664/5; settled New London, Conn.; m.

Margaret (Stallion) Foote.

3. Mary Haynes, m. as 2nd. wife, Benjamin Graves, b. March 2, 1676/7, d.

Dec. 30, 1752.

4. Mary Graves, b. Jan. 20, 1728; m. June 23, 1746, Samuel Hungerford, b.

abt. 1713, d. 1790.

5. Isaiah Hungerford, b. Dec. 26, 1756; bapt. Jan. 23, 1757; d. June 16, 1833;

m. abt. 1777, Esther Mead, b. Aug. 11, 1760; d. Dec. 22, 1836.

6. Elizabeth Hungerford, b. Feb. 7, 1798, d. Jan. 7, 1878; m. April 29, 1821,

Nash David Phelps, b. Oct. 4, 1796, d. AprU 15, 1884.

From here same as summary of Ancestry of Joanna Arms of Yarmouth, 8th
to 10th Generations, Daughters of the American Colonists, 1934, ancestry traced
by the author of this book.



Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors and War Service 145



HEATON OR EATON ANCESTRY

("History of New Haven Colony," p. 37) About 12 months
before Davenport fled from London, Samuel Eaton and John
Lathrop, two Conforming Clergymen, were "emprisoned at Newgate,
for holding Conventicles." Eaton and Lothrop were probably
released on bail, Feb. 19, 1635, Lothrop went to New England and
Eaton followed with Davenport with 32 of his congregation,
Sept. 18, 1634. Theopolius Eaton was a brother of Samuel Eaton's
father of Davenport. He was a Religious (Deputy Governor)
teacher and guide. ("New Haven Gen. Magazine," Vol. II, by
Jacobs, p. 725) Heaton or Eaton, James, b. 1642; d. Oct. 16,
1730, age 79 yrs., a son of widow Ehzabeth Heaton, who m. 2nd.
Benjamin Wilmot, d. 1685. ("History of Watertown," by Bond,
2nd Edition, p. 1008) John Eaton prob. 1630/36, a grantee of
the great Dividends in the Beaver Brook plowlands, both of which
he sold to D. Fisk; was an early settler at Devon. He d. 1653.
Wilham Eaton, 1637, proprietor 1644. ("Hist, of Ancient Wind-
sor," p. 79) James S. Eaton an esteemed Teacher, and an Officer
of Am. Arithemic, Oct. 3, Andover, Mass., age 48 yrs. ("History
of New Haven") James Eaton or James Eaton, prob. son of The-
opoHs Eaton and Anne Eaton. Theopohs Eaton, Jr., bapt. Mar.
11, 1631, in New Haven. Much Honored Sir James Eaton took
the Oath of FideHty, April 4, 1656. Honored Hannah, youngest
dau. of TheopoUs Eaton, July 4, 1664. (p. 142) Hannah married
Wilham Jones, who came to America 23 May 1662. (p. 382) Theop-
olis Eaton, Jr., son of Theopolis, Sr., here. (p. 551) Men's seats in
Meeting House below the door. No. 2 James Eaton, (p. 382) James
Eaton said he was a son of Theopolis Eaton, Jr., the youngest
son of Gov. Eaton. William Jones married July 4, 1659. (p. 626)
Arrived at New Haven, July 10 and 15, 1639, brought to Guildford,
Thomas Nash, John Stone, John Stevens, etc. (From "London to
Virginia in the Bonaventure," p. 21) Wilham Eaton, Martha, his
wife and 3 children, (p. 31) John Eaton, 20.
(See Wilmot Ancestry, this book.)

HENCHMAN OR HINCKESMAN ANCESTRY

("Deane's History of Scituate, Mass., Family Sketches," p. 282).
Joseph Henchman (or Hinckesman) appears in Scituate, 1680.
He owned a considerable tract of land at Henchman's corner, half
mile west of the South Meetinghouse, adjoining Dea. Joseph Cush-
ing's and Phihp Turner's land. His house stood twenty rods east
from the parting of the roads, on the north side of the street. He
sold it to Rev. Mr. Eels, 1714. It was a spacious house. Thirty
years since it was taken down, and a shght habitation built with
its ruins, and the whole removed, 1826.

The family of Henchman on record are: Ehzabeth, born 1685
(married Amos Sylvester, 1706); Mary, 1689; Thomas, 1691;
Deborah, 1692; Joseph, 1694; William, 1696; Hannah, 1698;



146 Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors and War Service

Edmund, 1700; Sarah, 1702. He had also a sister Elnathan, who
married EHab Turner, 1694. This family came from Massachusetts
and returned thither; probably to Chelmsford. We take him to
have been the son of Thomas Hinchman, Esq., of Chelmsford.
There was, however, a Mr. Hinckesman in Marshfield, 1653, who
may have been his father.

(D. A. C, Vol. II, p. 26). Hinchman or Henchman, Joanna, d.
1661; m. Charles Hoar; Margaret married Edward Griswold,
England, 1630.

(See Griswold ABcestry.)



HEWITT ANCESTRY

Huet Ancestry:— 11 arms: Hewet TT; 1: Huet; 9: Hewitt, TT. Hewett.
(Headley, Hall, Co. York, Eng.) Gu. chev. engr. betw. 3 owls ar. Crest — Stump
of tree, thereon a falcon close ar. Motto — Ne te quoesiveris extra . . .

John Huet, of Taunton, Somerset Co., Eng., 1522, gr. gr. son on
female side of Symon Elyot, father of Sir Thomas Elyot (kinsm. of
Andrew Eliot of Salem, Mass.), who ment. John Huet in will proven
May 26, 1522, may prove to be ancestor of Rev. Ephraim and of:

Thomas^ Stoniagton, 1651, Mariner, on voyage May, 1662, not heard of
after; m. Hannah Palmer, bapt. June 15, 1634, dau. of Walter and
Rebecca (Short) Pahner of Charlestown, Mass.

Thomas^ Hewitt, b. 1659; m. Lydia Utley^. (See Utley Ancestry.) Samuel^,
Scituate, Pljonouth Co., Mass.; m. Dec. 6, 1648, Hannah Hatch^;
Lydia^ Utley m. Thomas Hewitt^.

Thomas' Hewitt, son of Thomas'^, was b. Feb. 3, 1685. He m. Dec. 24,
1706, at Stonington, Conn., Persis Cleveland, who was b. at Chelmsford,
Mass., April 21, 1682.

Lydia^ Hewitt, b. Nov. 4, 1606, Stonington, Conn.; m. Dec. 19, 1727,
Isaac Lawrence, on the doorstep of the Lawrence House, built 1751,
and mentioned in Nathaniel Hawthorne's American Note Book, are
the names of their children: Jonas'^ Lawrence, rec, Dec. 1, 1728, in
Canterbury, Conn.; Stephen^ Lawrence, Solomon^ Lawrence, Azubah^
Lawrence, Anna^ Lawrence, Lydia^ Lawrence, Hannah^ Lawrence.

Elizabeth* Hewitt, sister of Lydia, was b. AprU 12, 1709, Stonington
and m. July 24, 1734, John Warren.

References: "Cleveland Family," E. J. and H. G. Cleveland, Vol. I, pp. 67-68.
"Public Records of Colony of Connecticut," by J. Hammon

TrumbuU, A.M., 11:129.
Elliot Genealogy, Apx.; Hewitt Family, compilation by Mrs.

Frederick Law Olmsted, Brookhne, Mass.

Summary of Ancestry:

1. Thomab^ Hewett of Stonington, Conn., b. 1651, lost at sea, 1662; m.

April 26, 1659, Hannah Pahner, bapt. June 15, 1634.

2. Thomas^ Hewett, b. 1660, d. June 3, 1686; m. June 1683, Lydia Utley.

3. Thomas' Hewett, b. Feb. 3, 1685, d. ; m. Dec. 24, 1706, Persis Cleve-

land, b. April 21, 1682.

4. Ltdia Hewitt, b. Nov. 4, 1707, d. Nov. 14, 1765; m. Dec. 19, 1727, Isaac

Lawrence, Sr., b. Feb. 25, 1704/5, d. Dec. 2, 1793.

5. Isaac La whence, Jr., of Canaan, Conn.; m. May 8, 1760, Mary Brown,

7th child of Dea. Samuel Brown.

6. Lydia Lawrence, b. 1761/2, d. Sept. 20, 1813; m. at New Haven, Vt.,

Phineas Phelps, b. April 10, 1767, d. April 20, 1813.



Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors and War Service 147



7. Nash David Phelps, b. Oct. 4, 1796, d. April 15, 1884; m. April 29, 1821,
Elizabeth Hungerford, b. Feb. 7, 1798, d. Jan. 7, 1878.

(Utley Ancestry), Samuel^ Scituate, Pl3Tnouth Co., Mass.; m. Dec. 6,
1648, Hannah Hatch^. Lydia^ Utley m. Thomas Hewitt^.

From here same as Summary of Arms Ancestry, 8th to 10th Generations;
Colonial Daughters of the 17th Century, p. 136, No. 772; and Daughters of the
American Colonists, 1931, pp. 29-36, No. 2089; ancestry traced by the author of
this book.



HILDRETH ANCESTRY
HiLDEETH Family in England

FIRST GENERATION

The Hildreths were among the earliest settlers who migrated
from England to North America. Allen's "History of Chelmsford,"
pubhshed in 1820, quotes in full a petition dated May 10, 1653, by
Richard Hildreth and 28 others to Hon. John Endicott and other
honorable magistrates at Boston for certain grants of land for
Chelmsford "on the river Merrimack at a necke of land next to
Concord River, near to Pawtucket," it being "a very comfortable
place to accommodate a company of God's people upon; that may
with God's blessing and assistance live comfortably upon and do
good in that place for church and commonwealth."

In the old colonial records is noted the admission. May 10, 1643,
of Richard Hildreth as a freeman of the colony of Massachusetts
Bay. He settled first at Woburn, then called Charlestown Village,
and his name appears as one of the petitioners of that place and of
Concord for a township.

Chelmsford town records show that the sergeant received, prior
to March 3, 1663, from the Great and General Court of Massachu-
setts grants of eight separate lots of land amounting, in the aggregate
to one hundred and five acres, quite a fair allotment according to
the frugal usages of those times. In the records of the year 1664,
the favor of the court granted him one hundred and fifty acres
additional, he being "greatly disadvantaged, partly by ye hand of
God of the use of his right hand whereby wholly disabled to labor."
This grant is recorded in the pubHc records of the "General Court
(Legislature) of the Colony of Mass. Bay in New England." Vol.
IV, part 2nd., p. 100, confirmed 12 October, 1669. This additional
grant seems to justify the belief that some extraordinary reason
existed for the favor, such, perhaps, as land grants or pensions to
soldiers disabled in our military service.

If Sergeant Richard Hildreth, the contemporary of King Charles
I, of OHver Cromwell (died 1658), of Charles II, ever was a fighting
military man, he ceased to be such after the loss of the use of his
right hand and bore no active part in the expedition against the
Narragansett Indians, 1675/6, nor is his name chronicled as having
borne arms against the Pequod Indians, "King Philip's War,"
which terminated at Mount Hope, Aug. 12, 1676.



148 Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors and War Service

Richard Hildreth, the ancestor of the New England Hildreths,
was born in the north of England in 1605, the year of the Gunpowder
Plot, a date fixed by the inscription on his gravestone in Chelms-
ford, Mass. He was therefore fifteen years old at the sailing of the
Mayflower.

When Winslow returned from Plymouth to England to procure
supplies, Richard was nineteen years old. It is evident that he
entered with enthusiasm into the reforms of his day, and we may
assume that he read Winslow's tract about New England.

In 1625, the year that Charles I came to the throne, was born
Elizabeth, who afterwards became the second wife of Richard.
Richard was then twenty years of age. He married Sarah, his first
wife, probably the very year in which his second wife was born,
certainly not later than 1627. The colonists at Plymouth then
numbered three hundred souls.

The first child of Richard and Sarah was Jane, born, probably
not later than 1628, for even at this date she would be only seven-
teen at the time of her marriage, in 1645. Their second child, James,
was born in 1631, a date fixed by a noted lawsuit hereafter mentioned.

Between the births of these two children, the colony of Massachu-
setts Bay had been founded. Without expressly renouncing the
authority of the Church of England, the settlers, after the manner
of Plymouth, constituted themselves into a church of their own,
dropping the English ceremonials and liturgy. Fifteen ships pres-
ently arrived with a thousand emigrants and four ministers. Boston
was founded (1630), and Charlestown, Dorchester, Watertown,
Roxbury, Medford, Lynn and Cambridge were soon settled. Each
town became a little republic. Each constituted itself a distinct
church, which admitted its own members and chose its own officers.
Boston soon had a shop and a tavern.

Migration to New England

By 1634, the colony, under Winthrop's four years' administration
had made much progress. Boston had three ferries and a fort.
The towns had water-wells and windmills. Ship-building had
been begun at Medford on the Mystic. The colonists used for
money grain, beaver-skins, bullets, and wampum. In Virginia,
they traded in corn and cattle. At Manhattan they gave the Dutch
fur in exchange for West Indian goods. Eight churches had been
established, formed, as was supposed, on a pure Bible model;
theatrical display, not to be reconciled to a good conscience, had
been laid aside. The English Puritans admired and longed for
the land where the soul might be at peace. Emigrants came in
thick and fast. The towns of Newbury, Ipswich, Weymouth,
Hingham, Marblehead, Dedham and Concord were soon settled.

The family antiquarians have been unable to find the exact date
on which Richard Hildreth came to this country. We know, how-
ever, that the town of Southampton, on Long Island, was founded
in 1640, by some forty families from Lynn, who went filibustering
against the Dutch.



Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors and War Service 149

Richard Hildreth brought with him his wife, Sarah, and his two
children, Jane and James. He settled first at Cambridge. What
became of Thomas Hildreth and how he fared with the Dutchmen,
let those tell who know. Thomas is supposed to have been a brother
of Richard and to have emigrated with him.

When Richard Hildreth arrived in New England the state of
affairs was as follows: A governor and board of assistants — called
the magistrates— carried out the laws, and held courts to settle
disputes. They were elected yearly by the freemen. The laws were
made by the General Court, consisting of the magistrates with
deputies from each town, elected yearly by the freemen. No one
could be a freeman unless he was a church member, and not a
fourth part of the adult population ever were church members.

The Sabbath began Saturday afternoon. Sunday morning the
blowing of a horn announced the hour of worship. Service began
at nine, and continued eight hours, with one hour for dinner. The
sexton escorted the minister to church. The congregation sat on
rude benches arranged according to their age, importance and social
standing. These places were assigned at the annual town meeting,
and it was a hard business to seat the meeting-house, owing to the
pride, envy and jealousy in the hearts of the saints. The service
consisted of a preliminary prayer, a chapter of the Bible read and
expounded, a psalm in metre dictated line by line to the congrega-
tion by a deacon, the long prayer of an hour and a half, the sermon
of a hundred or a hundred and fifty pages. At the close of services
baptisms took place, and sinners were put on trial and obliged to
confess before the congregation. After the benediction, the minister
passed out of the church, bowing to the people on each side of the
aisle, nor did a person stir till the minister and his family had gone
out.

In 1643, Richard Hildreth was admitted as a freeman of the
Colony of Massachusetts Bay. This is the first direct notice that
we have of him. His friend, Robert Proctor, who had an eye on
Jane, his eldest daughter, was admitted a freeman at the same time.
The next year, Sarah, the first wife of Richard, died, having been
married sixteen to twenty years. The following year Richard
married his second wife, EHzabeth, who was twenty years old.
Richard was forty, just old enough to be her father. This very year,
Robert Proctor married Jane (Dec. 31). This year also, Richard
was chosen one of the five selectmen, or townsmen, as they were
called, of Cambridge.

A saint, a member of the ruling aristocracy, raised to the highest
office in the town of his residence, married to a young wife, what
else could be lacking to fill his cup of happiness in the memorable
year, 1645!

During the next sixteen years, he became the father of nine chil-
dren: Ehzabeth (named after her mother), Sarah (evidently named
in memory of her father's first wife), Mary, Ephraim, Abigail,
Joseph, Persis, Thomas and Isaac.



150 Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors and War Service

Jane Proctor, the eldest daughter of Richard and Sarah, was
about the same age as her step-mother, EKzabeth. These two young
women vied with each other in the size of their famihes. In 1661,
at the birth of Isaac, the ninth child of Elizabeth, poor Jane had
only seven children, but, though seemingly defeated, she made up
for it by the end of the next five years, when her children were
equal in number to the tribes of Israel.

In 1647, the first schoolhouse in Cambridge was built. Henry
Dunster, first president of Harvard College, owned a lot on the
west side of Holyoke Street, about midway between Harvard and
Mount Auburn Streets. The schoolhouse was to be built on this
lot, and an agreement was drawn up between President Dunster
and certain masons to build it. To this agreement, Richard Hildreth
was the witness. It is thought by many that there is some myster-