History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683, Part 53

Author: W.W. Munsell & Co., pub; Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather); Cooper, James B. (James Brown), 1825-; Pelletreau, William S. (William Smith), 1840-1918; Street, Charles R. (Charles Rufus), 1825-1894; Smith, John Lawrence, 1816-1889
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 677

USA > New York > Suffolk County > History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683 > Part 53

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Edward Frenchone was one of the first inhabitants, but nothing more is known of him.

from Stamford to Long Island about 1644. He was in Huntington during some part of the first ten years of the settlement.

John Gosbee came from Southampton to Huntington before 1658. He was sent that year by the town to Shel- ter Island to procure the confirmation by Wyandance of the first purchase- of lands from the Matinecocks in Huntington, but failed in his mission. His home lot was in West Neck.

Edward Harnett and his father were at Salem in 1640, and suffered there for favoring the Quakers. Edward jr. married Elizabeth, a daughter of Jonathan Porter.

Trustrum Hedges may be named as among the pio- neers.

Edward Higbee was in Huntington. as early as 1658, and probably earlier. He resided at the head of Hunt- ington Harbor. He was interested with his cousin, Cap- tain Thomas Mathews, in trade with the Bermuda Isl- ands, and engaged in many lawsuits with Thomas Scud- der and others. He died in 1660, leaving a widow and four children. The court provided for the widow by di- recting that "Sade Higbee shall have out of the estate one dress for every day and one for ye Lord's day."

Jonas Holdsworth (probably identical with Jo. Holds- worth who took passage in the "Alice " in 1635 from Lon- don to Virginia, then aged 20 years) was at Southold early, and in Huntington as early as 1657. He was the first school teacher here of whom we have any knowledge, and in 1661 was town clerk.

John Ingersoll and his wife Jane had children John, Jane, Simon and Daniel; the daughter Jane married Adam Whitehead.

Stephen Jarvis, possibly the son of John Jarvice who was in Virginia in 1623, came from Southold and settled bere as early as 1658, on East Neck. He married Mary, the daughter of Jonathan Porter, and died in 1693, leav- ing sons Stephen, Abraham, William and John, and a daughter Eunice, and possibly other children.

Joseph Jennings came from Southold as early as 1660, and died about 1667. His will is recorded at Hartford. He had a brother John at North Sea, in Southampton.

Thomas Joanes is believed to be identical with the person of this name of Elzing, in Norfolk, England, who left Ipswich for New England with William Andrews in 1637, in the "John and Dorothy," and is said to have

been a brother of Rev. John Jones. His second wife was Catherine Esty. He died in 1669, and in his wint- names a son Thomas and a daughter Martha, and refers to four other children. He was one of the patentees of the town in 1666.

John Ketcham was probably a son of Edward Ketch- am, who was at Ipswich, Mass., in 1635. Savage makes Edward the founder of the family in America. John came to Huntington via Southold. He held many offi-

Richard Gildersleeve came with Denton and others cial postions here; was a delegate with Jonas Wood to the first meeting of deputies at Hempstead after the conquest, in 1665. His children were John, Philip, Sam- uel, Nathaniel, Joseph and Edward.

William Ludlam was here among the first inhabitants, and owned the old mill in 1660.

John Lane is believed to have come from Milford Simeon Lane was another of the early settlers.

Richard Latten (or Latting) came from England to Boston in 1638-9, having his wife and one or more children with him; was at Concord in 1643; moved to Fairfield, Conn., in 1646, and to Hempstead, L. I., tak- ing his son Josiah, in 1653; was in Oyster Bay in 1660, and the same year sold out and came with his son Josiah to Huntington. He continued in Huntington until 1663, when he was expelled for refusing to ac- knowledge the supremacy of the New Haven govern- ment over the town, and returned to Oyster Bay. He died in North Hempstead in 1672. His son Josiah con- tinued in Huntington until about 1667, when he moved to Oyster Bay, and was a prominent citizen there until he died, about 1720, aged 80 years. A daughter of Richard Latten married John Davis, one of the original proprietors of Brookhaven.

Rev. William Leverich was born about 1608, and came in the "James " from London to New England in 1633. He preached at Boston, Piscataqua, Plymouth, Duxbury and Sandwich, and came from the latter place to Oyster Bay in 1653, being among the first purchasers of land from the Indians in that town and also in this. He first came to Huntington to reside about 1657, and was the minister here until 1670, when he removed to Newtown, where he died about 1694. He built the first mill in Huntington. He often appeared as attorney for parties in suits, and had much litigation of his own. He was an able minister and a learned man. He left two sons, Eleazer and Caleb.

John Lum (or Lom) probably came from Fairfield; he was in Huntington as early as 1659.

Captain Thomas Mathews was probably the first mer- chant in Huntington. He located on the east side of Huntington Harbor before 1660.

Captain Jonas Mathews, probably a son of Captain Samuel Mathews of James City, Va., was a ship owner here in 1659, and traded between here and the Bermuda

John Jones, who had a home lot at East Neck, was a brother of Benjamin. These and another brother, Ebe- nezer, all came from Wales, and first settled at Stamford. Ebenezer remained there; John and Benjamin came here. Islands, taking out pork, beef and pipe-staves, and bring- ing back rum, wine and sack.

John Mathews, probably a brother of Jonas Mathews, was here with him and was called a "victualer."

Mark Meggs was a son of Vincent Meggs, who came

THE TOWN OF HUNTINGTON.

from England to Massachusetts and died in 1658 at what -is now Killingsworth. Savage says that his son Mark, being rather wild, removed to Long Island and is not mentioned again. His wife's name was Avis. He owned the old mill here, which he sold to the town. In the papers he states: "Whereas I, Mark Meggs, have grown ancient and desire peace and quiet, and desire to move

Ann Rogers, in the Huntington records called the widow of George Wood, came from Setauket to Hunt- to Stratford." He probably went to Stratford and died ington, and died here about 1669. She names in her there.

James Naibor, a cooper, was at Boston in 1656, and here early; he died in 1672. He had children Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, Rachel and Martha.

Richard Ogden came from Fairfield, Conn., and was a partner with his brother John Ogden in building a stone church for Governor Kieft at New Amsterdam.

Isaac and Epenetus Platt were sons of Richard Platt, who is said to have been the common ancestor of all the Platts in America; he came from Hertfordshire, Eng- land, and settled at New Haven, Conn., in 1638, and died there in 1684. Epenetus and Isaac came to Hunt- ington among the first settlers, and probably via South- old. Both were very prominent in the town, often hold- ing offices of trust and honor. They were among the patentees of the town and large landowners. Epenetus had a home lot about where Arthur T. Hurd now resides, in the village of Huntington, and died there in 1693. Isaac died in 1691. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Jonas Wood, and left children Elizabeth, Jonas, Joseph, John, Mary and Jacob. Epenetus Platt married Phebe, probably a daughter of Jonas Wood, and left children as follows: Phebe, Mary, Epenetus, Hannah, Elizabeth, Jonas, Jeremiah, Ruth and Sarah, born in the order named, between 1668 and 1692.

Jonathan Porter was at Salem, Mass., in 1636, and came to Huntington about 1654, where he died in 1660. His children were: Eunice, who married James Chi- chester; Elizabeth, who married Edward Harnett, and Mary, who married Stephen Jarvis. His widow Eunice afterward married Giles Smith, of Fairfield, Conn. He was quite an old man when he came to Huntington.

Thomas Powell was probably a son of Thomas Powell who, pursuant to a warrant of the Earl of Carlisle, was sent from London to the Barbadoes Islands in 1635. Thomas jr. is believed to have come to Huntington with Jonas Wood of Halifax, as it appears by the court rec- ords that he lived with Jonas Wood nine years. He is believed to have been at New Haven in 1640. His homestead was at the Town Spot, about where Dr. Charles Sturges formerly resided. He was a Quaker. At one time or another he held nearly every office in the town government. About 1690 he moved into Queens county, or near to the line.

William Rogers, named in the Indian deed of the "Eastern purchase " in 1656, is supposed to have been the son of Isaiah Rogers, and a descendant of John of Dedham.

Jonathan Rogers .- Some members of the family here trace his genealogy as follows: Son of Noah, who was a son of Joseph, who was the son of Thomas (a passenger

in the " Mayflower " in 1620), who was the son of John of Dedham, who was the son of Noah of Exeter, who was the son of John the martyr (1555). Jonathan and Rebecca his wife had children Jonathan, John, Joseph, Mary, Obadiah and David. He probably died in 1707.

will children Obadiah, John, Noah, Samuel, Mary and Hannah. Her will was written by Rev. William Leverich. The record of the court of assizes held in New York city October 2nd 1665 states that one Ralph Hall and Mary his wife were brought to the bar on indictment for witch- craft, in having at the town of "Seatalcott " caused the death of George Wood and an infant child of Ann Rogers. The indictment reads as follows as to the charge of murdering the child:

" Moreover the constable and overseers of the said town of Seatalcott, in the East Riding of Yorkshire upon Long Island aforesaid, do further present for our sover- eigne lord the king, that some while after the death of the aforesaid George Wood the said Ralph Hall did (as is suspected) devise terms by ye like wicked and detest- able arts commonly called witchcraft and sorcery, mali- ciously and feloniously practice and exercise on the person of an infant child of Ann Rogers, widow of ye aforesaid George Wood deceased, by which wicked and detestable arts the said infant child (as is suspected) most danger- ously and mortally sickened and languished, and not long after by the said wicked and detestable arts (as is likewise suspected) died. And so ye said constables and overseers do present that the said George Wood and the said infant child by the ways and means aforesaid most wickedly, maliciously and feloniously were (as is sus- pected) murdered by the said Ralph Hall at the times and places aforesaid, against ye peace of our sovereigne lord ye king, and against the laws of this government in such cases provided."

Both pleaded not guilty, and their case was . submitted to a jury. The jury found as to Mary Hall: "There are some suspicions by the evidence of what the woman is charged with, but nothing considered of value to take away her life;" and the court gave sentence that "the man shall be bound body and goods for his wife's ap- pearance at the next sessions, and so on from session to session as long as they stay within this government; in the mean while to be of ye good behavior." On giv- ing the bond they were released. Ann Rogers was probably the widow of Henry Rogers, who was at Setau- ket (then called Cromwell's Bay) as early as 1659.

John Sammis had a homestead at West Neck, where his descendant John Sammis resided as late as 1880. He was the common ancestor of the Sammis family in Huntington. He is believed to have come via Southold, among the first settlers. The name is spelled in old papers Sammons, Samivays and Samis. The first John married a daughter of John C. Corey. His children were John, Isaac, Silas, Jeremiah, David, Deborah and Hannah.

Thomas, Henry and John Scudder were brothers, and sons of Thomas Scudder sen., the founder of the family in America. The last named is believed to have been

THE TOWN OF HUNTINGTON.

the son of Dr. Henry Scudder, who presided at the con- |secutions, being once sentenced to "sit in the stock's." vention of clergymen appointed by order of the king at John Strickland 'called either "Goodman " or " Jus- tice ") was in Massachusetts in 1630, and probably came with Winthrop. He was then called Sergeant, and was appointed a justice of the peace by the Hartford govern- ment about 1662. He was here at an early period; was an old man when he came here, and was highly respected. Westminster Abbey in 1643. Thomas came from Graf- ton, Gratton or Groton in England, in 1636. His wife's name was Elizabeth. He was at Salem, Mass., in 1642; was called "Goodman," and died at Salem in 1657, leaving a will, in which he named his children John, Thomas, Henry and Elizabeth, and his grandson John Teed came from London to New England as a servant in the family of Samuel Gunseld, in 1637, when he was aged 19. His homestead was at West Neck, near what is now Bouton's Point. He married Mary Jen- nings and had a son Samuel. Thomas, a son of his deceased son William. Thomas, Henry and John came to Huntington via Southold, among the first settlers, and probably as early as r653. Thomas was a farmer and a tanner; was a large land- owner, a patentee of the town, and held many important offices. He died in 1690, at his homestead on Hunting- ton Harbor, where George W. Scudder, now resides. His children were Benjamin, Timothy, Elizabeth, Mary, Sarah, Mercy and Clemor. Henry Scudder, son of the first Thomas, settled in East Neck and married Catha- rine, a daughter of Jeffry Esty. He died in 1661, and mentions in his will children Jonathan, Moses, Mary, Rebecca and David. John Scudder is said to have lived at Huntington a short time, and in 1659 moved to on West Neck and at the Town Spot. Henry Titus died Newtown. He left sons John, Samuel and Stephen. ..

Richard Scidmore came to Huntington from Southold very early.

Thomas Scidmore engaged for John Winthrop in prep- arations for a plantation at Saybrook in 1636. He was at Cambridge, Mass., in 1642. His wife's name was El- len. He came from Southold to Huntington among the first, and often appears as attorney for parties in suits in the town court. He was a blacksmith, and lived about where Ezra C. Prime now resides, in Huntington village, but afterward moved to Crab Meadow. He had sons John and Joseph, and a daughter Dorothy, who married Hugh Griffin. He was, so far as known, the first town clerk in Huntington, acting as such as early as 1659.

Mary Setten was a widow, and the mother of Sarah Soper.

Robert Seely was here at a very early period, but spent much of the time at New Haven. He had land at West Neck, and at one time owned Eaton's Neck. His wife Mary was a sister of Captain John Manning. Mr. Seely was killed in the Indian war in New England in 1675, after holding many official positions.

John Smith was at Stamford in 1641. Probably he came with the Woods to Huntington. He was called "Rock John Smith."

Arthur Smith was at Southold in 1659, and was sent over to New Haven for trial as a Quaker; was sentenced to be whipped, and gave large bonds for good behavior. Moore refers to him as a soldier in the Pequot war in 1637. He was in Huntington about 1660.

Abial, John, Samuel, Henry, Content and Edward Titus were brothers, and sons of Robert and Hannah Titus, who came from near Stanstead Abbey, England, to New Eng- land in the "Hopewell" in 1635. John was probably the eldest, and came over with his parents, while the others are believed to have been born afterward. Robert re- sided in Weymouth, Mass., in 1643. These all came here via Stamford, Conn. They were in Huntington be- fore 1660, and were large landowners, having homesteads in 1665. Abial was many years regularly paid for beat- ing the drum to call together the people on Sunday. Content married Elizabeth Moore of Newtown, and he died there in 1739, leaving six children.

Edward and John Tredwell were probably sons of Thomas and Mary Tredwell, who came in the "Hope- well " from London to New England in 1635. John was at Ipswich in 1637, at Branford in 1648, at Southold in 1659, and probably came here that year. Edward came here about the same time. He died here, leaving a widow and six children. Edward married Phebe, a daughter of Epenetus Platt.

Samuel Wheeler was a son of Moses Wheeler of Strat- ford. His sister Elizabeth married Samuel Blackman. Mr. Wheeler came from Stratford to Huntington; he died in r661.

Joseph Whitman was probably a son of Zachariah and Sarah Whitman, who came from England in the "True Love" in 1635. Joseph was born about 1630. He came to Huntington among the first, probably from Milford. with Henry Whitney and others. He married Sarah Cecum, probably a daughter-in-law of Henry Whitney. Henry Whitney sued Joseph Whitman for marrying Sarah "against her mother's mind," but failed in the suit, the town court deciding that the subject was too dark for it to fathom. Walt Whitman, the poet, is a descendant of this Joseph.

Henry Whitney was probably the son of John Whitney, who came to New England in the " Elizabeth Ann " in 1635. He was in Huntington as early as 1659, and prob- ably earlier. He had a contract from Rev. William Lever- ich for building the first mill in Huntington, out of which several lawsuits grew. He was one of the leading men any minister was regularly settled. He was a man of vi- olent temper, and involved in many lawsuits with Mr. Leverich and others.

Henry Soper, a brickmaker, resided near where Ste- phen K. Gould now lives, in Huntington village. His wife was Sarah, a daughter of Mary Setten. They had in the church here, and officiated in some way before children Richard and others. She was a woman of vio- lent temper and speech, kept the neighborhood in an uproar, and was the subject of many civil and criminal pro-

THE TOWN OF HUNTINGTON.

Thomas Whitson is believed to be identical with Thomas Whitson who came from London in the "Eliza- beth" in 1635, then aged 36 and described as a weaver. His homestead was at the Town Spot.

Henry Whitson died in Huntington in 1669, leaving a widow and a son Thomas, a minor.

Thomas Wicks left Wethersfield in 1635, was at Stam- ford in 1641, and came here with Edman Wood and others. His homestead was at the Town Spot. He was one of the patentees, held many important official Brush, Bayle, Budd, Benedict, Corey, Conklin, Esty, positions here, and was a large landowner. He died in Jones, Ketcham, Mapes and Scudder. 1671. He had children Thomas, John, Rebecca, Martha, Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah. The name is spelled in the Huntington records Wicks, Wickes, Weeks, Wykes and Wix.

Richard Williams was at Branford, Conn., in 1646. He was here early, and his home lot was on West Neck. He was one of the purchasers named in the first Indian deed.

Edman Wood, father of Jonas Wood of Halifax, was at Stamford, Conn., in 1641 and earlier; went to Hemp- stead, L. I., in 1644, and came to Huntington about 1658. He was then an old man, and died soon after.

Jonas Wood of Halifax was so named to distinguish him from another Jonas Wood, who came from Oram, England. He came with Rev. Richard Denton from Halifax, England, to Massachusetts in 1634; removed to Wethersfield, Conn., in 1641; thence to Stamford in 1644, to Southampton in 1648 or 1649, and from thence to Huntington about 1654. He was deputy to New Haven in 1658. His bome lot was probably about where his descendant Hon. Silas Wood resided, in the east street of Huntington. His wife's name was Joanna. He was drowned in the Peconic River. He left one son, Samuel. As Jonas Wood son of Edman Wood he deeded land to John Cerry as late as 1663; hence the date of his death given by Silas Wood, 1660, seems to be erroneous.

Jonas Wood of Oram was at Stamford, Conn., about 1648. He was here very early, and was a justice of the peace both under New Haven authority and under that of the Duke of York; was deputy to Hempstead in 1665, and held many official positions. He was probably a son of Jeremiah Wood.

George Wood was at Saybrook in 1660 and married that year. He probably came to Setauket, and from there to Huntington in 1660. He owned land at West Neck and on Lloyd's Neck, but sold the latter to Richbill. He was the husband of the mysterious "Ann Rogers." He died about 1665.

Timothy Wood died at Huntington in 1659, leaving children. He probably came here via Stamford, Conn., with Edman Wood and others.

Jeremiah Wood was admitted as an inhabitant of Huntington in 1660, and died about 1684, leaving chil- dren Jonas, Joseph and Phebe. .

As will be readily seen these people did not come here in a body, as a colony from one place, but came from places widely separated, at different periods, in small companies, and in many cases in single families, so that it is hardly correct to say that Huntington was settled by a colony from any particular place.

There was a group of families that came from South- old, and they were probably among the first. We may perhaps classify the following families as from Southold:

Another group of families came from Stamford, Conn. They were mostly adherents of Rev. Richard Denton; had previously left Wethersfield with him and settled in Stamford about 1640; from Stamford crossed to Hemp- stead, L. I., and thence drifted east into Huntington. The Woods, Richard Gildersleeve, the Titus brothers and some others were included in this group.

There does not seem to be much authority for the statement often made that Huntington was settled by a company from Sandwich. Rev. William Leverich and his sons came from Sandwich, with a few others, to Oyster Bay, and made the first purchase of lands in that town from the Indians, and subsequently he came to Huntington. No evidence is found that any others from Sandwich settled here. Doubtless many came here direct from Salem, Mass., and joined their friends who had previously come here from Southold and other places.

These people were less homogeneous, and their interests were less identical than those of the settlers of South- old and Southampton, on account of their meeting here as strangers from different localities, while in those towns the settlers came more in one body, from one locality.

Here the settlement was made in particular places by groups of families, who were bound together by ties of kindred or acquaintance; and representatives of these families are found to this day in the parts of the town where they first settled. The pioneers in each locality were in the early time clannish, and worked together in acquiring lands near each other and in voting at town meeting upon the measures there proposed for the man- agement of town affairs. These rivalries often took the form of violent controversies and bitter hostilities, which however were kept within certain limits and were not permitted to seriously endanger the town government.

Among the settlers were many persons of considerable note in their day, men of no ordinary ability and expe- rience. Of such we may mention Thomas Wicks, Thomas Fleet, Thomas Scidmore, Jonas Wood, Jonas Holdsworth, Isaac and Epenetus Platt, Rev. William Leverich, Thomas Benedict, John Conklin, Robert Seely, Thomas Scudder, Henry Scudder, Henry Whitney, John Strickland, Samuel Blackman, Thomas Jones and John Corey. These were men probably all in, or a little past, the prime of life, with a large experience. Born in the stormy times attending the conflict between the cavaliers liant, bold, active and enterprising. They were persons

John Wood came from London to New England in the "Hopewell " in 1635. He was here early. He died in 1683; his will mentions children John, Benjamin, Jo- and puritans in England they had learned to be self-re- seph, Eliphalet and Martha,

THE TOWN OF HUNTINGTON.

" with a prefix to their names "-were called either Mr. or "Goodman," titles of respect in that age; and most of them held places of dignity in the church and the and, as was afterward decided, not including Lloyd's government which they helped to found.

PURCHASES FROM THE INDIANS.

The first settlers here very soon took steps to acquire title to the soil from the native Indians, and made suc- cessive purchases of the land in parcels. In order to gain anything like a clear understanding as to how they acquired title a more comprehensive statement is neces- sary as to the tribes of Indians, their location and numbers, their chiefs and the surrounding influences. Raseocon had been chief of the Matinecocks from as early as 1646, and continued so several years, when Asharoken suc- ceeded him as chief. This tribe probably consisted of thirty or forty families, as we find signed to deeds of that date the names of 35 Indians. These men, principally heads of families, together with their wives and children, probably numbered not far from one hundred in all, and composed that part of the Matinecock tribe living within the territory bounded on the west by Cold Spring, on the east by Smithtown, and extending south to "ye great plaine, or as far as Raseocon's land goeth."

The Matinecocks made two deeds of their lands to the whites. The first was in 1653, conveying the western portion of their territory, and the following is a copy:

" Articles of agreement betwixt Rasokan, Sagamore of Matinnicoke, of the one part, and Richard Houlbrock, Robert Williams, Danial Whitehead, of the other party, witnesseth as followeth:

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