Dennison Family Tree:Information about Joseph Hawley
Joseph Hawley (b. 1603, d. 20 May 1690)
Notes for Joseph Hawley:Joseph Hawley came from Parwick, Derbyshire, England,Landed near Boston in 1629.He was in Stratford a proprieter as early as 1650 and probably a few years earlier.His home lot was number 37, which he purchased of Richard Miles in or before the year 1650.The tradition in Stratford has been and is, that he married Catherine Birdseye, a niece of John Birdseye.Her father residing first in New Haven and then in Wethersfield.He was prominent in the town, and a more than usually energetic businessman.He purchased of the Indians, a large tract of land in Derby, of which that town allowed him to retain the old Indian planting field and also another tract which joined it, including Great Hill.He was chosen Deputy in 1665 and many times thereafter until near his decease.He made his will in 1689 and died in the next year.His descendants are numerous and a genealogy of them is largely collected and nearly ready for publication by Mr. Elias S. Hawley of Buffalo, NY (From Orcutt 1886).
Joseph Hawley, first of the name to be found in Stratford, was born in England about 1603, came to America about the year 1629 or 1630. The place of his residence in England is revealed in his will which states, "I give to my son Samuel Hawley all of my lands and buildings in Parwich, in Darbyshire, in Old England to him, his heirs, and assigns".The first record found of Joseph Hawley after his immigration to America was made by himself at Stratford under date of 1650, where he was before this time is a matter of conjecture. His brother Thomas Hawley remained in Roxbury, Massachutesetts, where he had land laid out to him as early as the year 1639, but there is no record of any land owned there by Joseph Hawley.Besides his brother Thomas, he had a sister , Elizabeth who married Richard Boothe, an early settler of Stratford, and a sister, Hannah, who was the wife of John Uffoot, of Milford.Robert Haule, an early settler of Rhode Island, may have been another brother, but there is no proof.Joseph Hawley was probably twice married, for in his will he said, "my now wife Catherine Hawley", as though he had a previous one.And there being no record of any other one in Stratford, it must have been before he came here.This opinion is strengthened by the fact that Joseph's eldest child was born in 1647/8 when the father was apparently over 40 years of age.The tradition in Stratford says that his wife was the daughter of John Birdsey of Wethersfield, and a niece of John Birdsey who later settled in Stratford in 1649.This seems probable from the fact that Rev. Samuel Peters who married into the Birdsey family in 1773 in his general history of Connecticut, published first in 1781, states that John Birdsey came to New Haven with two sons.One settled in Middletown, more probably Wethersfield, since Middletown was not settled until 1650, and the other at Stratford.Mr Peter's Wife's father, William Birdsey, was a Great-Grandson of the first John Birdsey of Stratford.And it would seem that such information would pass through two intermediate generations correctly, if then he married at Wethersfield, which seems probable.Then he was there for a year or more before he removed to Stratford, where he records the lands of Joseph Hawley, purchased of Richard Mills 1650.The fact that the date of Joseph Hawley's oldest son Samuel in 1647/8 is not on Stratford records, while each of his other children are, does not necessarily indicate that he was not of Stratford before that date.Joseph Hawley's first purchase of land was two home lots each 2 1/2 acres in the old field, and 4 acres of meadow on the neck.This constituted land surveyed or laid out before Mr. Hawley purchased it and constituted the first division of land apportioned to Mr. Mills, the same as have been measured out to each of the original proprieters.Joseph Hawley purchased not only the above pieces, but also the whole right of Richard Mills in the Township.For without purchasing more, he continued to recieve land divided to him all throughout his lifetime, and his children, for years after him.What proportion of the 70,000 acres in the township he held is not known, except that it was large, and that in 1671, he stood in the tax list of the town, next to the largest.This tax list was made for the pupose of settling all claims of the Indians to Stratford Territory according to their agreement with Joseph Judson, Joseph Hawley, and John Minor as a committee of the town.He was the first Town Clerk, or Recorder, of which there is any record, and served in that capacity from 1650 to 1666.During all of that time, most of the records were in his handwriting.His cherography was peculiar consisting of French capital letters and an abbreviated combination of small letters.The style used by the first recorders of the town of Fairfield and New London, and the style in which all publick documents were entered in the State books in London England at the time and hence it is supposed that Joseph Hawley may have learned his style of writing in that City and possibly in connection with the State Department before coming to America.Mr Hawley purchased other lands in Stratford and vicinity besides those of Richard Mills as stated before.In 1662 he, with Joseph Judson and John Minor,purchased of the Indians, a tract of about 5000 acres in the northern part of Stratford township in behalf of the town.Six years later, he and Henry Tomlinson of Stratford, purchased a tract of the Indians of several hundred acres of land in the township of Derby, a town adjoining Stratford, and part of this land he disposed of in his will in 1689.Josheph hawley's public services were almost continuous from the time he settled in Stratford, until his decease, May 20, 1690 at an advanced age.He was town clerk, or as then called recorder, for 16 years.During that time in 1663 and probably several other years was trasurer of the town which office of that time required much work of a business character.He was chosen by the town several years to keep an "ordinary", the same as a hotel now.This was then regarded as one of the most important offices of the town.He served in several other offices, but specially on committees to serve a land and adjust the boundaries between the towns of Stratford and Milford, and Stratford and Fairfield.In 1687 he was chosen as one of a committee for considering and drafting a patent for the town, a document that was at that time an authority for all quarantee of the lands of the township.The patent signed by Governer Robert Treat is still preserved in the town clerk's office.He was also a Deputy to the general court, the election then occuring twice a year, once in 1658, 1661, 1665, 1667,twice in 1668, 1669, 1670, 1671, 1673, 1674, once in 1675, 1677, 1678, twice in 1681, 1682, once in 1683, twice in 1684, once in 1685, and twice in 1687.He was appointed for the general assembly of the Colony, commisioner for Stratford, the same office as Justice of the Peace, successively as follows: May 1682, May 1683, May 1684, May 1685, May 1686, May 1687, May 1688, May 1689, his last appointment not having expired before he died, May 20, 1690.His will which was dated September 17, 1689 was entered on the Fairfield probate records, June 12, 1690.(From Wilcoxson 1939)
The will of Joseph Hawley
To all whom thes presents shall come know ye that I Joseph Hawley of Stratford in ye county of Fairfiled in ye Colony of Connecticut in New England for a valuable consideration in hand recieved and satisfied for by Samuel Brinsmead of Derby in the County of New Haven and Colony afor sd and divers other good and well advised considerations me thereunto moving henceforth and do by these presents fully freely and absolutely sell alienate assign set over give grant and Confirm unto Samuel Brinsmead aforesaid and to his heirs executors administrators and assigns a certain parcel of land lying and being situated in ye bounds of Derby aforesaid at ye place commomly called and known by ye name of ye Honeyspot being in quantity three acres be it more or less and is bounded on ye south with ye high and on ye west and north with the common land with for him ye above said Brinsmead and heirs and assigned to have hold use occupy posess and enjoy the aforesaid three acres of land as his and their own proper estate and inheritance and henceforth and forever and yet without any manner of hinderance molestation disturbance denial challenge claim or demand whatsoever of or by me ye aforesaid Hawley my heirs executors administrators or from or by any other person or persons whatsoever claimimg or yet may at any time or times hereafter claim ye same or any part therof for from by or under us or any of us and yet free and clear and freely and clearly acquit exhonnerate discharge ye aforesaid land from all other former gifts grants bargains sales mortgages dowries joyturs wills entails and encumberences whatsoever affirming myself ye true and lawful proprieter of ye above said land and yet I have in myself full power and right to sell ye same hereby giving full power to the said Samuel Brinsmead to record ye above siad land to himself heirs and assigns forever with all priveledges apertunances thereto belonging or any ways apertaining for confimation of all which I have to these present all put to my hand and sell this 28th of March in ye year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred and ninety in ye second year of their majesty's reign William and Mary King and Queen of England.
Witnesses present:
Ephraim Hawley
Katherine Hawley (X-mark)
Samuel Hawley and John Hawley of Stratford as being executors to ye last will and testament of their honored father Mr. Joseph Hawley abovesaid did personnaly appear before me this 24 November 1692 and acknowledge ye sale of ye abovesaid land to which the aforesaid father had signed and sealed to confirm the same.
Joseph Curtiss
Commisioner
(From "The Town Records of Derby, CT 1655-1710")
More About Joseph Hawley and Catherine Birdsey:
Marriage: Abt. 1640, Wethersfield, CT.355
Children of Joseph Hawley and Catherine Birdsey are:
- +Mary Hawley, b. 16 Jul 1663355, d. 19 Sep 1731, Stratford, Conn355.
- Samuel Hawley, b. 1647355, d. date unknown.
- Joseph Hawley, b. 09 Jan 1649355, d. date unknown.
- Elizabeth Hawley, b. 26 Jan 1651355, d. date unknown.
- Ebenezer Hawley, b. 17 Sep 1654355, d. date unknown.
- Hannah Hawley, b. 26 May 1657355, d. date unknown.
- Ephriam Hawley, b. 07 Aug 1659355, d. date unknown.