Middlesex County CT Archives History - Books .....Hadlyme - Hungerford , Willey Families 1887

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Book Title: The Old Chimney Stacks Of East Haddam

CHAPTER X.
HADLYME.—HUNGERFORD AND WILLEY FAMILIES.

  The Society of Hadlyme was formed from East Haddam Society, and Lyme Third
Society, in October, 1742. About two-thirds of the Society is in East Haddam.
The meeting house was erected soon after. The church was organized with ten male
members on the 20th of June 1745, at the house of Lieut. John Comstock, and on
the 18th of September following the Rev. Grindal Rawson was installed its
pastor. Here is a copy of the original record:

  " Att a General Assembly holden att New Haven, on the 14th Day of October Ano:
dom—1742— Upon the memorial of Isaac Willey, Stephen Scovil, John Comstock and
other members of the first Society in East Haddam and the third Society in Lyme
prefered to this Assembly in May Last and the Report of the Comitte thereon—to
this Assembly in their present Sessions proposing that ye memorials: st be
formed into a Distinct Society for Carrying on ye worship of God a-mongst
themselves according to ye Bounds &c—Limits therein Specified. This Assembly Do
Enact Decree and Order That ye said Isaac Willey, Stephen Scovil, John Comstock
and the Rest of the Inhabitants of the Parrish hereafter Described be and they
are here by Imbodyed and made one Distinct Ecclesiastical Society by the name of
Hadlyme, and that ye Bounds thereof to be as follows viz Beginning at a Whiteoak
Tree Standing by the Great River being accounted ye bounds between Lyme and East
Haddam thence Running Southerly to William Clemans In cluding Mr. Selden's farm
by the River thence Eastward from said Clemans house unto ye house where
Consider Tiffany now lives including that house thence running northwesterly to
the South East corner of James Masses farm thence Running northeasterly by s'd
Masses his Land to the Repouted bounds of East Haddam. Then beginning at s'd
Whiteoak Tree by the River from thence Extending one mile and three quarters
north To the River and from the Extreem of that Extent Easterly to James Booge's
house including s'd house thence Easterly to Elijah Ackley's house including s'd
House thence East unto the Line of Millington Parrish and from thence Southerly
By s'd Millington Line unto the Line between s'd East Haddam and Lyme and by
Last mentioned Line unto Mose his Land aforesaid.

                                Teste GEORGE WYLLYS, Secretary."

  At a meeting held "May ye 28, 1745 it was then and their voted that wee Will
Give ye Rev. Mr. Rawson towards building his house in s'd society if he Settles
in the work of the ministre a-mongst us the sum of one hundred pound old tenor
in Labour to be payd in the time that we way his settlement."

  Mr. Rawson was born at Mendon, Mass.; received the degree of A. B., at Harvard
in 1728, and was settled several years at South Hadley. He was a plain preacher,
gifted in prayer, remarkably social, and had an uncommon talent in reconciling
parties at variance. He died March 29,. 1777, in the 7oth year of his age and
the 22d of his ministry in Hadlyme. His wife was Dorothy Chauncey, daughter of
the Rev. Isaac Chauncey, of Hadley. She died November 15th, 1870, aged 70 years.
They had seven children, all of whom, with one exception, died before their
parents. The Hadlyme parsonage—the large brown house on the hill now occupied by
E. W. Mather—was built about 1746. Mr. Rawson lived here during his ministry.
Afterwards his son, Rev. E. G. Rawson, brought up a large family—in fact, for
over one hundred years it was the home of the ministers.

  The Rev. Joseph Vail succeeded Mr. Rawson, and was installed February 9th,
1780. He retained his pastoral charge more than fifty years. He was succeeded by
Rev. R. S. Crompton about 1835. Mr. Crompton was secceeded by Rev. George.
Carrington, S. A. Loper, E. B. Hilliard, D. W. Zeller. The following notice was
cut from the Conn. Val. Advertiser in 1885:

  "Rev. Stephen A. Loper, of Hadlyme, died in Hartford, on Friday of last week,
at the ripe age of 84 years and six months. Nearly a half century ago Mr. Loper
was the pastor of the Congregational church at Middle Haddam, after which he was
for many years pastor of the Congregational Church in Hadlyme. For several years
past he has lived with his daughter, Mrs. Lynde Selden, at the last-named place."

  The deacons in the church since its organization were:

Samuel Dutton,
Christopher Holmes,
Samuel Cooby,
Col. Samuel Selden,
Israel Spencer, Esq.,
Jabez Comstock,
Israel S. Spencer,
Israel Dewey,
Ithamer Harvey,
Selden Warren,
Elijah Comstock,
Samuel C. Selden,
F. A, Tiffany,
Isaac Chester,
Joseph Selden,
William C. Spencer.
Almond Day,

  Notwithstanding the formation of this society, was nine, years after the
formation of Millington, settlements were made here much earlier, or about the
time of the settlement of the Creek Row.

  Thomas Hungerford moved to this parish from •New London, with his three sons,
as early as 1692. He was soon followed by Isaac Willey and his three sons, also
from New London. John Holmes moved here from the same place in 1710, and Thomas
Harvey from England, and John Marsh from Massachusetts were also early
inhabitants. The Hungerfords, Willeys and Holmes seem to have taken firm root in
the soil, as their descendants are now quite numerous here, and "own and
possess" a large portion of the land. Thomas Hungerford was a blacksmith, and in
consideration of his trade the society of East Haddam gave him a section of
land. His house stood at the corner of the road east of Asa Hungerford's, near
the Oid Bone Mill. He was the first selectman of the town of East Haddam. He
died about 1714, and was buried in the Cove Burying Ground. The three sons who
accompanied him hither were named Thomas, John and Green. At that time Thomas 2d
was married, and had one child. Later he was a sea-faring man, and when at home,
lived with and took care of his father. On his return from his last voyage at
sea, he was taken sick at New London, where he died in 1750. His descendants
left town. John, the second son of the elder Thomas, married Deborah Spencer
about 1701. He died in 1748, and was buried in Hadlyme burying-ground. He had
two sons, Robert and Thomas. Robert built a house which stood where Drury Holmes
now lives, in which he resided till his death. He married Grace Holmes about
1730. His children were Robert, John, Zackariah, Elijah, Deborah, Anna and Silence.

  Robert 2d married in 1776. His children by his second wife were as follows:

  Robert 3d, born in 1777.
  Joseph E., born in 1784,
  William, born in 1786.
  Lovica, born in 1789.
  Ansel 1st, born in 1792.
  Asa, born in 1795.
  Richard, born in 1798,
  Ansel 2d, born in _____.
  Rebecca, born in 1804.

  Ansel 1st died about the year 1800. Richard was killed by a falling tree in
1815. Ansel 2d and Rebecca Ely are now living in Hadlyme.

  John, the brother of Robert 2d, served in the French and Indian wars. Captain
Zackariah married Lydia Bigelow, and built the house where William E. now lives;
he was grandfather of William E., Zachariah 3d, John B. Hungerford and Roswell
S. Cone, our present townsmen.

  Green Hungerford, the son of the elder Thomas, moved to Millington about 1730,
where he became one of the leading men of the society.

  He married Jemima Richardson, and built a house at 'Tator Hill, where Norris
Rathburn's house now stands. He had a son Green, who occupied the old homestead,
which subsequently became used as a public house, and the headquarters of the
militia for a number of years. The widow of Green married Matthias Fuller, the
father of Richardson Fuller. The grandchildren of Green 2d are Reed Anderson,
Lord W. Cone's mother, Richard Hungerford's mother, and Mrs. Olcot Harris.

  Isaac Willey came from New London with Thomas Hungerford, and also settled in
Hadlyme with his three sons, Isaac, John and Abel. They owned land from the
Connecticut river, extending back several miles along the line of the town of Lyme.

  All the Willeys in East Haddam are descendants from this family, though they
are not now as numerous as formerly, many of them having moved from the town.

  Abel settled in the southern part of Hadlyme, upon the old homestead.

  John's children were named Joseph, Jonathan and Allen. Joseph 2d. married
Irene Banning in 1764. Their child, Temperance, born 1768. Jonathan married Mary
Bates in 1758. Their children were:

  Susanna, born in 1758.
  Mary, born in 1761.
  Jonathan 2d., born in 1763.
  Clement, born in 1765.
  Azubah, born in 1767.
  Elles, born in 1769.
  Hannah, born in 1771.
  Keziah, born in 1773.

  The children of Allen were Abraham, John and Judah.

  Captain Abraham married Susanna Beckwith in 1773. Their children were:

  Anna, born in 1773.
  Ethan Allen, born in 1776.
  Mehitable R., born in. 1780.
  Barak, born in 1782.
  Susanna, born in 1785.
  Abraham Wolcott, born in 1788.

  Ethan Allen Willey was the father of Judge Willey, William Willey and Mrs.
Orren Warner, of East Haddam. Mehitable R., the sister of Ethan Allen, married a
Chapman, and was the mother of Robert W. Chapman, Esq.


Additional Comments:
Transcribed from:

THE OLD CHIMNEY STACKS OF EAST HADDAM, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, CONNECTICUT,
BY
HOSFORD B. NILES,
Author of Genealogy of THE NILES FAMILY.
NEW YORK: LOWE & CO., Book and Job Printers No. 210 Fulton Street.
1887


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