Thomas Halsey of Hertfordshire, England, and Southampton, Long Island, 1591-1679 : with his American descendants to the eighth and ninth generations

1895·37.7 MB·English

by  Halsey, Jacob Lafayette, b. 1828

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THOMAS HALSEY OF HERTFORDSHIRE, ENG-
LAND, AND SOUTHAMPTON, LONG ISLAND,
1591-1679, WITH HIS AMERICAN DESCEND-
ANTS TO THE EIGHTH AND NINTH GENERA-
TIONS.
BY
JACOB LAFAYETTE HALSEY
AND
EDMUND DRAKE HALSEY,
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
FRANCIS WHITING HALSEY.
A
people which fakes no pride in the noble achieve-
ments of remote ancestors will never achieve anything
ivorthy to be remembered unth pride by remote descend-
—
ants. Macaulay.
With Portraits, Facsimiles, Etc.
MORRISTOWN,
N. J.
PRINTED AT
THEJER8ETMAN" OFFICE,
MOBRI8TOWN, N, J.
PREFACE.
The family whose history is contained in this volume has
been settled in America since 1637 and probably for several
years longer. A member of it born to-day might represent
the tenth or possibly the eleventh generation. Thomas
Halsey, the immigrant ancestor, was an Enghshman, the
main facts of whose life are authentically known. His line
has been traced in England back to 1512 and apparently
to 1458. Indeed English bearers ofthenamehavebeenfound
as early as 1189 but we have as yet no proof connecting any
;
of these with theline of Thomas. Thomas was of Hertford-
shire and they were of Cornwall.
Mr. Jacob L. Halsey of East Orange, N. J., became
interested in the present work early in 1883 and pursued it
systematically for ten years, finding in it a diversionfrom his
businesscares. His base of operations was the directories
of towns and cities throughout the United States, from which
he obtained lists of names that enabled him to enter upon a
laborious and far extended correspondence. Heand those as
sisting him traced about 2,300 descendants of Thomas out of
a possible 5,500, exclusive of the femaleHnes. Itwaspioneer
work that Mr. Halsey did and it was attanded by such toil as
pioneers usually undergo. But Mr. Halsey advanced far
beyond the pioneer stage, since he transformed a desert into
something like a fair and fertile field.
In the autumn of 1893, finding his businessengagements
would interfere with his plans for early pubhcation, Mr. Hal-
sey prevailed upon Mr. Edmund D. Halsey of Rockaway,
iv PREFACE.
J., who had already been interested in the work for many
years and had collected a largemassofmaterial, toundertake
the final revision of theentireworkand toseeitsafely through
the press. To Edmund D. Halsey this involved considerable
unexpected labor, due to the finding of new material, to the
need for further light on certain obscure points, and to diffi-
culties in completing sketches of individuals who had promi-
nence. Setting about the work atonce,he gave toitthe most
of hisleisuretime, notonly throughoutthe ensuing winter, but
duringthespring,summer,autumn and winter ofthenextyear.
Indeed the autumn of 1895 had arrived ere the last proofs
were read by him. Mr. Jacob L. Halseyhad partedwith his
materialinthe faiththathehadpracticallyfinishedthebookin
so far asitwas possible todoso, butthe experienceof his suc-
cessoragaindemonstratedthefamiliargenealogicaltruismthat
a family history never is and never can be wholh' finished.
In the meantime it hadseemed desirable thatanintroduc-
tion shouldbewritten to showwhat wastheancestrallineback
of Thomas, with such other factsaboutthe English family as
were related to the theme of the book, wnth an outline of the
times in which Thomas spent the formativeyearsof his youth
and earlymanhood, with a narrative of all the known facts
concerning Thomas's life in America and finallyan exposition
PREFACE. V
of the American environment in which Thomas hved out
that part of his long life which here remained to him. Of
these several phases of the life of Thomas an important fact
not cited in the introduction, is the existence of autographs of
him of three different dates, as shown in the accompanying
fac similes, beginning with a letter he wrote from Naples
in 1621 (printed on page 27) and closing with the sig-
naturetohiswiWnowpreservedintheSurrogate'soffice inXew
YorkCity. The handwriting in each showsthe samecharac-
teristics and has interest in connection with the identity of
the man. The writing of the introduction was entrusted to
Francis W. Halsey of New York, who has also prepared
the index.
During the ten years given to the work by Jacob L.
Halsey constant assistance was rendered him by his brother,
the late Jonathan O. Halsey of EastOrange, N. J. To Prof.
John J. Halsey of Lake Forest, 111., he became indebt-
ed for much laborious research in several directions, especial-
ly in regard to the North Carolina family. From Miss Cor-
nelia U. Halsey of Newark, useful and willing aid was of-
ten secured and especially with regard to that important
branch of the famih^ which is so closely linked with the for-
tunes of Newark. Edmund T. Halsey of Louis^dlle, Ky.,
also rendered material aid.
It is hardly practicable to name all the printed authori-
ties consulted by the compilers, but it should be mentioned
that they have been indebted to Howell's ' History of
'
Southampton" for indispensible information regarding the
earlier generations, and to Littell's "Early Settlers of the
PassaicValley." The results of much individual research on
the part of members ofthe family at the sametime have been
kindly placed at their disposal. The work, however, is still
incomplete, by reason of the impossibilty of connecting sev-
eral families with the main stem to which they undoubtedly
belong. This is particularly the case ^vith those residing in
the Southern States.
The reticence or indifference of persons of the name who
have not replied to repeated requests for information has
much increased the labor and expense involved in the prepar-
vi PREFACE.
ation of the work. It should be said that everyperson of the
name whose residence could be obtained from local director-
ies, or otherwise, was addressed through a circular letter, ex-
plaining the purpose of the inquiry and requesting informa-
tion as to names, places and dates of birth, occupation,
place and date of death, &c. Care was taken to inspire con-
fidence in theenquiry by indicatingthe business standing and
character of the enquirers. It is probable that those who
have not replied will furnish the larger number of critics of
the work, but the compilers still request information from
them intheway of additions and corrections, so that addi-
tional leaves may be printed and sent to those who purchase
the work should the accumulation of matter be such as to
warrant doing so.
The system of numbering employed is that devised by
the Rev. John E. Todd, which he has kindly permitted to be
used. The number of figures indicates the number of the
generation, counting Thomas the pilgrim as the first, and the
figures themselves indicate the parentage of the individual,
e. g., 11817 Isaac is of the 5th generation, and is the 7th
child of 1181 Jeremiah of the ith who is the oldest child of
118 Jeremiah of the 3rd, and so on. When there are over
nine children in a family the tenth and those younger have
their numbers between two periods which indicate that the
two figures are to be taken to'gether, e. g., 11.12. Xathaniel
is the 12th child of 11 Thomas.
By those of Thomas Halsey's descendants who still
sur^^ve, this book may be expected to be read, possessing to
their minds some permanent charm and worth. Whatever
virtue may have beenshown by the family during their more
than two and a half centuries in America obviously needs
in this place neither citation nor eulogium. But it maybeas-
sumed that within the hearts of those who read these pages
will arise some of that private satisfaction which, to any rea-
sonable and thinking son of man, shouldalways proceed from
—
that greatest of the gifts of fortune being born of parents
who to the world at large were as "^ase and honorable as to
them they were tender and munificent.