Articles on Hawley Family Members

       Captain Joseph Hawley, 1603 – 1690, born in Parwich, Derbyshire, England, was the first of the Hawley name to come to America in 1629, just 9 years after the Mayflower. Records start 21 years later when he settled at Stratford, Connecticut in 1650, when there were just over 4,000 colonists in Connecticut and a total of 50,000 in all America. Among the founding fathers, he was the town's first town clerk or record keeper, tavern keeper and a shipbuilder. During eighty consecutive years, four members of the Hawley family--Joseph, Sr., his sons Samuel and John, and his grandson Capt. Joseph--were elected seventy times to the Connecticut Legislature.

      Some genealogical information has surfaced with a Judge SAMUEL HAWLEY c 1577-1668 of Parwich as the father of Joseph. MORE »

      Joseph owned 2 lots in Stratford when the map below was created, and by matching the streets and waterways with the Google map, the location of Main St. and W. Broad St. appear to be the location where he lived for the later period of his residence there. The house on the left is believed to be his house.
Biography

       The Hawley Record of 1890 states that Joseph arrived in Boston, Massachusetts around 1629 or 1630 along with Thomas and Robert, who spelled their last name Haule. Thomas and Robert may have been brothers to Joseph or his sons from a first marriage. The Curtiss Genealogy of 1903 states that Joseph Hawley sailed to America in the ship Planter in 1635(?) along with Stratford proprietors Adam Blakeman, William Wilcoxson and William Beardsley. Hawley married his second wife, Katherine Birdseye, in 1646 and raised eight children in Stratford:
Samuel, Born: 14 May 1647      Joseph, Born: 9 Jan 1649           Elizabeth, Born: 26 Jan 1651        Ebenezar, Born: 17 Sep 1654
Hannah, Born: 26 May 1657      Ephraim, Born: 7 Aug 1659       Joh , Born: 14 Jun 1661                 Mary, Born: 16 Jul 1663

Public Service

Joseph Hawley was one of the original fifteen proprietors of Stratford being listed second after Captain William Curtiss in the town patent of 1683. The map to the right can be seen complete HERE. He became the town's first clerk in 1650, and served in that capacity until 1666. He used a peculiar handwriting style that used French capital letters and an abbreviated combination of small letters. This style was exactly like used in all public documents found in the state books of London, England at the time. He was well educated and may have worked for the state department in England prior to coming to America. He was first elected as Deputy on May 20, 1658, by the General Court of the Colony of Connecticut at Hartford under then Governor Thomas Welles. He also served as treasurer, justice of the peace and was elected ordinary, or tavern keeper, on December 29, 1675. He represented Stratford as a deputy, or representative, in the legislature at the Connecticut Colony every year from 1658 to 1687. His name appears in the deed that purchased a vast amount of land from the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation on April 22, 1662 which comprised most of the nearby towns of Trumbull, Monroe and Shelton.

Derby

Joseph Hawley's purchase of land from the Indians that comprises the present-day town of Derby, CT, caused much controversy at the Areal Picture

time. Hawley was later court ordered to transfer the land to the town of Derby. His entire family had to sign off on the transfer of land on March 28, 1690.

The Captain

According to the records of Stratford, Joseph Hawley became one of the first shipbuilders in Derby and Stratford. The records indicate that Hawley sold a one-eighth interest in his ship, the John and Esther, to John Rogers of New London, CT on October 27, 1678 for 58 pounds, one shilling and two pence In 1680, he sold another one-eight interest in the ship to John Prentice. The ship was used in nearby Fairfield, CT harbor at the time. The sale of the John and Esther in 1678, may be one of the earliest documented sales of a commercial ship built in Connecticut. Hawley became a large landowner or yeoman. It is believed by some that Hawley owned nearly 5,000 acres (20 km2) of land in his lifetime. Joseph Hawley died on May 20, 1690 and is buried in Stratford. His will was probated in Fairfield County Probate Court in 1690.

Religious Rift

Joseph Hawley and Lt. Joseph Judson had a lengthy argument over the introduction of the half way covenant that eventually had to be settled by Governor John Winthrop the Younger and the Connecticut Colony court in Hartford. They argued over the selection of a new minister and the direction of the church in Stratford which led to a major rift in the town. After the court's decision, many families left Stratford and followed Lt. Joseph Judson to Woodbury, Connecticut to create their own settlement and church.

In January 1661, the Stratford selectmen voted to allow inhabitants to take up a whole division of land in the woods for planting as long as it was NOT within two miles from the meeting house & they did not dwell there without consent. As a result, by 1670 there were numerous clearings & residences beyond two miles. Each proprietor received a division of land according to his proportional right or prominence in the town & each grant was large & was comprised of a run of water, woods, plains, meadow, swamp & ledge. Captain Joseph Hawley recorded his 172 acre land grant he called "Ye Sprains and White Plains", from the three mile woods division on January 7, 1673. The land was bounded "north to common or a little brook running to Paquanok river south to common & land of Edward Hinman west with common & south east to a leg of roks & common & ye land of Blakman." (sic) This large 1,300' by 5,200' tract of land was situated between present day Nichols Avenue & White Plains Road & was north of the Stratford town line & Hawley Lane.

        I, Joseph Hawley of Stratford, Yeoman, sometime Justice of the Peace, or commissioner in Stratford, in the Colony of Connecticut and County of Fairfield, retaining the understanding and reason the Lord hath given me, do leave this my last will. My spirit I commit into the hands of Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, my body to a comely burial, and after my debts and funeral expenses are discharged, I do, as hereinafter followeth, dispose of what worldly estate I shall be possessed of at my death, viz:
        I do hereby confirm to my children all the lands given them as they are recorded to them, further I give to my son Samuel Hawley, all my lands and buildings in Parwidge in Darbyshire in Old England, to him, his heirs and assigns, after the death of my now wife Katharine Hawley. Moreover I give to him my meadow called the common meadow on the Great Neck, and my meadow at Galep's Gapp, between Porter's children and me.
        I give to my son Ephraim Hawley, one acre and a quarter of meadow in ye Great Neck on the east side of the creek, the south side of which is a part of that meadow purchased of Mr. Zacher Walker. All the right of that peace of meadow on the Great Neck, both of the west side of the creek and east, which I purchased of Mr. Walker, I give to my son, John Hawley.
         I give to my grandchildren, John Chapman and Joseph Chapman at Seabrook, fifteen pounds to each of them when they come to the age of one and twenty years, in such goods and chattels as my executors are able best to pay them.
         I give to Joseph Hawley, my son Samuel's son, besides what is upon record given him, my lot at the field gate called the Stubing lot, the whole of it.
         I give to my sons, Ephraim and John Hawley, the two little lots on Claboard Hill and what was laid out to me at the Gallos Creek, also a little lot by Joseph Curtus' lot, purchases of Mr. Ripon, that was laid out to John Wheeler, being above one acre.
         I give to my daughter Hannah Nichols, twenty shillings, and to my daughter Mary Coe, twenty shillings. Moreover, I give all my grandchildren five shillings apiece.
         Moreover, I appoint my three sons, Samuel Hawley, Ephraim Hawley, and John Hawley, my executors, and do given unto them all my lands in Stratford, Darby and Woodbury equally amongst them, their heirs or assigns forever, also I give unto them all and whatsoever is my estate in debts or otherwise not given, they paying all legacies and debts, and taking care of their mother, my now wife, that she hath whatsoever she needeth during her widowhood; also, I will that my wife Katherine Hawley, shall have the disposing of what household stuff she pleases, and what cows she desires to keep and what corn she shall desire from my said executors or any other needful thing whatsoever wherey her life may be comfortable; and all this I command whilest she remains unmarried.
         It is to be understood that what of the above said estate my wife disposes of, it is to be to her children or grandchildren, and if she die and leave households undisposed of, then they are to be divided amongst all my children equally that are living, and such children of mine that are called away by death those children shall have their parts.
         I give to Mr. Israel Chancie five pounds, and in case their fail to be an difference amongst my above-named executors, my will is that Mr. Israel Chancie and Capt John Geard shall have the power to put a final issue to any difference.
         That this is my will I declare by setting my hand and seal this 17 of September, 1689. Joseph Hawley.
        Memorandum, John Hawley shall have Uriah Mills the remainder of his time and fulfil his indentures.
        Signed and Sealed in the presence of Joseph Curtis, Recorder. (Will Source)

Excerpts of Early History from "Pierce Hawley - A History of his family and their Conversion to the LDS Church " By Laurel Hawley Stubblefield

       Joseph Hawley, of Parwich, Derbyshire, England reached the shores of America in 1632. He and his wife, Katharine Birdsey, settled in Stratford, Connecticut in 1639. They were one of the first few families to settle the town. The Hawleys were well known and respected citizens of the community. The House of Hawley by Elsie Hawley Piatt, contains a good account of Joseph Hawley and his settlement in America. The Hawley Record by Elias S. Hawley includes a picture of the Hawley Homestead of 1650 in Stratford, Connecticut. Joseph accumulated large land holdings in the area and was the first to hold the office of Town Clerk.

       The Hawleys continued to be known as prominent citizens of Connecticut. Joseph's son, Samuel Hawley, was elected to the Colonial Assembly or Legislature and was re-elected seven times. Samuel's son, Deacon Thomas Hawley, was appointed deacon of the church in Bridgeport, Connecticut and had large land holdings. Many of the descendants of Joseph Hawley remained in Connecticut for generations. Property in Bridgeport, Connecticut was known to have been held by Hawleys for at least two hundred years. Shortly after his Revolutionary War service, Major Aaron Hawley, a fifth generation de- scendant of Joseph Hawley, traveled up the Hudson River and purchased land in Ferrisburgh Township, Vermont. One of the lots he purchased included a building called the "Stone House." Elsie Piatt says, "The Stone House being on the Vermont side of Hiern's Ferry and on Long Bay, a fine harbor was long kept as a place for entertainments" [Piatt, 1909, 26].

       She says there was a dancing hall with eight windows that overlooked the lake. It was a massive building and over the north door was a three storied porch with stone columns from which one could view the lake and the Adirondack mountains to the west. While Aaron remained in Connecticut, he deeded the property in Vermont to his son, Gideon. Piatt claims that Gideon Hawley was part of the first settlement in this part of Vermont in the years 1784-1789. Gideon, along with his wife, Lavinia Darrough settled along the shores of Lake Champlain in Ferrisburgh Township, Addison County, Vermont and there raised a family of five sons and three daughters.

       In order of birth they were: George, Isaac, Pierce, Aaron, Gideon, Sarah, and twins, Eliza and Harriet. There were two other daughters, Hannah and Lavinia who died young. Gideon was the first town constable. Their settlement must have seemed ideal, with the town of Vergennes nearby, the lake and the Adirondacks within view on the west and the Green Mountains of Vermont as a backdrop, just to the east.

       The Green Mountains were home to the famous Green Mountain Boys, a volunteer militia led by Ethan Allen, which turned the tides of the Revolutionary War with their remarkable victory against the British at the Battle of Ticonderoga in New York. Gideon Hawley descended from a long line of men who served in the colonial military. A quote from The House of Hawley states, "Patriots the Hawleys have always been, willing when necessary to pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors" [Piatt, 1909, 23], Interestingly, both Gideon's maternal and paternal grandfathers were Hawleys and were known by their military rank. His father. Major Aaron Hawley, born in 1732 to Sergeant James Hawley and Eunice Jackson, married a

         PIERCE HAWLEY a distant cousin, Elizabeth Hawley, who was the daughter of Captain Ezra Hawley. It is not surprising that Gideon became a Captain in a regiment of the Green Mountain Boys, during the War of 1812, and his sons served along with him. Piatt states that the local militia gathered at the Stone House before going out to the battle of Plattsburgh in the War of 1812 [Piatt, 1909,26}. The Battle of Plattsburgh took place in September of 1814, on the northern waters of Lake Champlain, and on land at the western shores of nearby Plattsburgh, New York. The town of Vergennes, on the eastern shores, became the home of the US Navy shipyard with the falls at Otter Creek supplying the power to run the sawmill, gristmill, forge and tanneries. The USS Saratoga was built in just 40 days. Not only did Vermont supply their quota of 3000 regu- lar troops, but another 2500 Vermonters volunteered for service and participated in defending Plattsburgh against the 15,000 British troops.

       It was a remarkable battle victory for the United States on both land and sea, and the turning point towards victory in the war against the British. As part of the volunteer militia, the Hawleys worked to dig trenches, build fortifications, and clear land to improve the line of fire against the enemy. Piatt records that Isaac Hawley held the rank of Lieutenant and Pierce Hawley, Sergeant [Piatt, 1909, 37, 40]. Father Gideon was wounded in the Battle of Plattsburgh, and died a short time later from his wounds, leaving Lavinia a widow. His sons who served with him, were at a time in their fives when they were marrying and beginning families of their own. The Sattley family was closely associated with the Hawleys and served in battle with them. Many of the Hawleys intermarried with the Sattleys over the next few generations. Ferrisburgh town records show that Isaac married Nancy Sattley at Ferrisburgh on Oct. 16, 1814 and a two week old son died in February 1817.

       Aaron married Phoebe Sattley at Ferrisburgh on July 20, 1817. Town records also show that a few years earlier, in March of 1811, Pierce and Isaac took the FVeeman^s Oath, becoming Free Masons. It is not clear if the oldest Hawley son, George, was in Ferrisburgh, Vermont during the war period. Many years later when Elsie Hawley Piatt was researching for her book, an elderly granddaughter of Gideon and Lavinia recalled that she had heard of a George, but that he had gone to Kentucky and she knew nothing further of him [Piatt, 1909, 67].

       Gideon had settled his family just two hundred and fifty miles north of his ancestral homeland of Stratford and Bridgeport, Connecticut. The Hawleys had lived in New England for at least one hundred and eighty five years, since arriving in America, With the death of Father Gideon, his family was about to embark on a journey that would take them to the farthest reaches of the western frontier. None of the remaining records indicate precisely why they chose to leave New England.

Joseph's grandson Gideon Hawley married Anna Bennett in 1710 in Stratfield, CT & had seven children. Their son Gideon Hawley graduated from Yale in 1749 & worked under Jonathan Edwards & became a missionary to the Iroquois Indians. [4] Another son James had two sons who fought in the American Revolutionary War; Major Aaron Hawley & Captain David Hawley. »See Gravestone Below Captain Hawley served under Benedict Arnold at the Battle at Valcour Island in the Great Lakes & is credited with capturing twenty British ships during the war. He is most famous for leading a daring raid across Long Island Sound on November 4, 1779 to capture Tory Judge Thomas Jones to exchange for American General Gold Selleck Silliman who had been taken prisoner out of his Fairfield, CT home by the British in May of 1779. These heroic events were accurately depicted in the 1994 TV movie "Mary Silliman's War" by Heritage Films based on the 1984 biography by Richard & Joy Buel.

The first 5 generations lived in Stratford & were buried at this cemetery. Many of their graves are online Here »
Tombstones for Aaron, James, Elisabeth & Abagail are at the bottom of this page. Gravestones»

Detailed Genealogical Charts:

                               Part A:  Generations 1 thru 8: 1668 - 1800 
                  [Note:  Elizabeth Hawley married a cousin, making the chart complicated]
                               
                             1: /Judge Samuel HAWLEY b: 1577 d: 1668 + Ann Elizabeth Palmer b: 1582 d: 1628  \
                                                                       Hannah HAWLEY b: c1605             < <| 2
                                                                       Thomas HAWLEY b: c1609             < <| 4
                                                                       Robert HAWLEY b: c1611             < <| 5
                                                                   2: /Joseph HAWLEY b: c1603 d: 20 May 1690 | 1
                                              3: /Ephraim HAWLEY b: 7 Aug 1659 d: 18 Apr 1690                |
                                                 |                    \Katharine BIRDSEY d: 25 Jun 1692      |
                                      4: /Gideon HAWLEY b: 30 Jan 1687 d: 16 Feb 1730/1731                   |
                                         |       |       /Samuel WELLES d: 15 Jul 1675                       |
                                         |       \Sarah WELLES b: 29 Sep 1664 d: 29 Jun 1694                 |
                                         |               \Elizabeth HOLLISTER                                |
                              5: /James HAWLEY b: 29 Jan 1713 d: 7 Oct 1746                                  |
                                 |       |       /James BENNETT b: 1645 d: Oct 1736                          |
                                 |       \Anna BENNETT b: 1691 d: 14 Nov 1727                                |
                                 |               \Mary OSBORN b: 29 Mar 1653 d: 28 Nov 1726                  |
                      6: /Aaron HAWLEY b: 1739 d: 21 Jul 1803                                                |
                         |       |       /Henry JACKSON b: 1679 d: 15 Sep 1717                               |
                         |       \Eunice JACKSON b: 7 Aug 1715 d: 6 Sep 1796                                 |
                         |               \Mary WHEELER b: 1683 d: 18 Sep 1743                                |
              7: /Gideon HAWLEY b: 20 Jul 1763 d: 1813                                                       |
                 |       |                                                                                   |
                 |       |                            2: /Joseph HAWLEY b: ABT 1603 d: 20 May 1690           |
                 |       |                    3: /Samuel HAWLEY Sr b: 1647 d: 24 Aug 1734                    |
                 |       |                       |       \Katharine BIRDSEY d: 25 Jun 1692                   |
                 |       |            4: /Thomas HAWLEY b: 30 Jul 1678 d: 6 May 1722                         |
                 |       |               |       |       /Thomas THOMPSON d: 20 Apr 1655                     |
                 |       |               |       \Mary THOMPSON c: 7 Jun 1653 d: 1691                        |
                 |       |               |               \Ann WELLES                                         |
                 |       |    5: /Ezra HAWLEY b: 15 May 1711 d: 27 Apr 1773                                  |
                 |       |       |       |                       /Richard BOOTH b: 1606                      |
                 |       |       |       |       /Ephraim BOOTH b: 1 Aug 1648 d: ABT 1683                    |
                 |       |       |       |       |               \Elizabeth HAWLEY b: c1607 d: 1688    <  <  / 3
                 |       |       |       \Joanna BOOTH b: 10 Sep 1678 d: 28 Jan 1761
                 |       |       |               \Mary CLARK
                 |    6: \Elizabeth HAWLEY b: 2 Apr 1737 d: 8 Jul 1776
                 |               \Abigail HALL b: 1715 d: 18 Apr 1786
         8: Pierce HAWLEY b: 14 Nov 1788 d: 16 Aug 1858
                 \Lavinia DARRAH b: 1765 d: 1845
                                    
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               Part B:  Generations 7 thru 14:  1763 - Current        
                                         
                                       7:  /Gideon HAWLEY b: 20 Jul 1763 d: 1813
                               8:  /Pierce HAWLEY b: 14 Nov 1788 d: 16 Aug 1858           
                                   |       \Lavinia DARRAH b: 1765 d: 1845
                        9: /Aaron HAWLEY b: 18 May 1828 d: 2 Oct 1870
                           |       |       /Jacob SCHRADER
                           |       \Sarah SCHROEDER b: 3 Jun 1800 d: 24 Dec 1894
                           |               \Mary WOLFE
              10:  /Albert Rheumarion HAWLEY b: 25 Dec 1856 d: 4 Sep 1902
                   |        \Ann Elizabeth ANDREWS b: 9 Aug 1837 d: 24 Dec 1858
           11:--< Children
            |      \Mary BEEBE b: May 1861
            |      
            |
           11: Cecil HAWLEY b: Jan 1883
           11: Flossy HAWLEY b: Mar 1884
           11: Leanah Maud HAWLEY b: 29 Apr 1886 d: 28 Mar 1941
               + (unknown) BROOKHART
           11: Virgil HAWLEY b: Sep 1888 
                + (unknown)
                12: Russell HAWLEY
                12: Wanda HAWLEY
                    + George COPE
           11a: Clarence Raymond HAWLEY b: 13 Jan 1893  d: 11 Feb 1969
                + (Marriage 1) Portia B Lemmon
                12: Elinor HAWLEY
                    + Roswell RHODES
                    13:   Richard RHODES
                    13:   Norman RHODES
                12: Marguarite HAWLEY [Kasandra FOX]
                    + Donald IRVING
                    13:   Gary Van LANDINGHAM [father unknown]
                    13:   Robert IRVING
                    13:   Melissa IRVING
                    13:   David IRVING [David FOX]
                12: Dorothy HAWLEY
                    + Harry HUBBARD
                    13:   Ann HUBBARD
                    13:   Robert HUBBARD
                    13:   Linda HUBBARD
                12: Portia HAWLEY
                    + Lyman GRISWOLD
                    13:   David GRISWOLD
                    13:   Lyman GRISWOLD
                    13:   Susan GRISWOLD
           11b: Clarence Raymond HAWLEY b: 13 Jan 1893  d: 11 Feb 1969
                + (Marriage 2) Yvonne Vespa Pauline Penez b: 26 Apr 1907  d: 20 Nov 1993
                12: Pamela Ann HAWLEY
                    + Thomas NELSON
                    13:  Geoffrey Thomas NELSON
                         + Suteera NAGAVAJARA  
                         14: Season Kayyo Thomas NELSON
                    13:  William Charles NELSON
                         + Alexi EVELETH
                12: Charles Ray HAWLEY
                   + Jacquelin Kay FLOVIN
           11: Gerald HAWLEY b: Sep 1895
               + Viola KEEFER b: 1899
                12: Darith B HAWLEY b: 31 May 1923 (Cindy's Mother, who we met & lived in Redwood City)
                12: Gerald Bryan HAWLEY b: 15 May 1927
                12: Harland Maynard HAWLEY b: 20 Feb 1929   (Who we met & lives in Independence Missouri)

14 NEW ANCESTORS DISCOVERED AT ANCESTRY.COM:

Wikipedia's list of "Notable people associated with Stratford Conn." (Joseph Hawley is included)

Andrew Adams, (1736–97) jurist, Connecticut delegate to the Continental Congress, state chief justice and signer of the Articles of Confederation, born in Stratford
Dick Cavett, television talk show host, apprenticed at a Shakespeare festival in town when he was a student at Yale University
Efrain Chacurian, member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, New York.
Joseph Platt Cooke, (1730-1816) Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, state politician, and twice a delegate to the Congress of the Confederation, born in Stratford
Tony Dovolani, ballroom dancer, cast member on dancing with the stars, resides in Stratford[16]
Joseph Hawley (Captain), (1603-1690), town recorder, representative, shipbuilder and yeoman
Katharine Hepburn, actress, lived in Stratford

NEWTOWN - Cyrenius H. Booth Library - Main St. - Public library said to be haunted by Mary Hawley, the daughter of Booth, whom the library was named for. Sightings of shadowy forms, mainly out of one's peripheral vision, accompanied by psychic impressions could be part of the reason Mary's former room on the upper floor, has been locked off to the public since an addition was constructed to the building. (?)

Maps & Pictures from Google & Zillow & Hawley Society & FindAGrave.com
Text from various sources, incl Wikipedia