USA > Pennsylvania > Genealogical and personal history of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 58
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5. Willard Henry Sink, born in Rome, New York, September 26, 1891 ; married, in Utica, New York, April II, 1912, Miss Grace E. Snyder.
6. Harold Hook Sink, born in Rome, New York, February 24, 1896.
5. Harriet Camilla Sink, born in Chicago, Illinois, March 15, 1856; married (first) in Rome, New York, November 11, 1875, Theron La Fora Holley, born 1841, died in Rome, New York, February 16, 1899. One daughter, Blanche Emily Holley, born in Rome, New York, September 10, 1876, resides in New York City, with her mother. Mrs. Holley married (second) in New York City, Octo- ber 24, 1904, Carl William Klapproth, born in Germany. They reside in New York City.
The name Sibley is believed to SIBLEY be composed of the two Anglo- Saxon words sib and lea. The primary signification of sib is peace; a later signification is relationship. The word lea is field, or in a more general sense, land. The name Sibley may, therefore, be translated either as "Peacefield," "Land of Peace" or "Kinsmen's Land."
In the so-called "Rotuli Hundredorum" of the reign of Edward I. ( 1272-1307), Sibleys are listed as owners of land in the counties of Kent, Oxford and Suffolk. The family is, therefore, an ancient one, as surnames in Eng- land did not come into common use before the twelfth century. Enthusiastic and painstaking antiquarians and genealogists have claimed to be able to trace the line back to the time of
William the Conqueror. Two coats-of-arms according to heraldic authorities are now, or have been in former times, borne by certain Sibley families in England. These coats are to be found recorded, the one in Sir William Dugdale's "Origines Juridicales," published in 1671, and the other coat in several editions of Burke's "General Armory."
The one figured by Dugdale and dated 1559, belonged to John Sibley, of Gray's Inn, one of the most renowned seats of English legal learn- ing. The coat is thus described: "A shield quarterly ; in first and fourth a tiger, gules, viewing himself backward in a mirror, azure; in second and third a chevron, gules, between three cows' heads caboshed, sable." The coat found in Burke's "General Armory" is de- scribed as follows : "Per pale, azure and gules, a griffin passant between three crescents, argent." This coat was, during the reign of George I., confirmed to Henry Sibley, Esquire, and to Thomas Sibley, Esquire, high sheriffs of Hertfordshire. It is possible that these arms had been borne by other Sibleys several centuries earlier. A Sibley crest is given in Fairbairn's "Crests of Great Britain and Ireland" as: "Out of a ducal coronet, or, a swan's head between wings, p. p. r."
However strong the probability, there is no documentary evidence yet submitted to the writer of this sketch to prove that any Sibleys of this country are, according to English rules, authorized to use either of these coats. Arms are not granted to families but to particular individuals and to their descendants. The use of armorial bearings by Americans is being discouraged.
Several facts indicate that the New England Sibleys come from St. Albans, or, at least, from the county of Hertford in which St. Albans is situated. Representatives of the Hertfordshire Sibleys have within the past few years aided in making researches tending to strengthen the probability. They have taken pains to set forth from sundry records certain reasons why it is likely that John Sibley, of Salem, Massachusetts, who took the freeman's oath, September 3, 1634, was a descendant of John Sibley, who was mayor of St. Albans in 1557, 1569 and 1578, and who is believed by them to be the John Sibley who was the emi- nent barrister of Gray's Inn.
"The names with which John Sibley's is associated in the records of Gray's Inn are among the most eminent in English history,
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being those of Spelman, Sackville, Lovelace, Walsingham, Lord Bacon, Yelverton and others, all fellows of the same renowned hospice." Another sentence from West's "Life of General Henry Hastings Sibley," first gov- ernor of Minnesota, may prove of interest in this connection: "That the Sibleys of Hert- fordshire were of the same family as the Sibleys of Somerset, Kent, Middlesex, Sussex, Essex, Leicester and Huntingdon is attested by various genealogists." Other counties in Eng- land in which Sibleys were, in 1875, owners of land were Lincoln, Warwick and Devon .*
Several of the Sibley surname in England have achieved distinction and there has been a number of alliances with the nobility. Those who desire to pursue these and kindred sub- jects further may find additional facts in the "Life of General Henry Hastings Sibley" by Nathaniel West, D. D., published in 1889 at St. Paul, Minnesota, and in the "History of the Town of Union, Maine," by John Langdon Sibley, A. M. The latter work was published in Boston in 1851. The author was a member of the Massachusetts Historical Society, was a diligent gleaner of New England records, published several other works, and was for many years prior to his death librarian of Harvard University. A member of the Sibley family in England, who at the present time has an international reputation, is Walter Knowsley Sibley, M. A., M. D., M. R. C. P., M. R. C. S., etc., of Grosvenor Square, Lon- don. He is a member of the senate of Cam- bridge University, physician to the Northwest London Hospital, and holds several other posi- tions of responsibility and honor. He has made many noteworthy scientific investigations and is the author of a considerable number of highly esteemed writings. Brief particulars concerning him are given in the current volume of "Who's Who."
According to Felt's "Annals of Salem," it seems that the first Sibleys in this country
*Since the above was in type, I am in receipt of a copy of a document showing that under date of September 13, 1642, John Sibley, of Salem, for the sum of three score pounds, paid to him and Nicholas Hallet, sold and conveyed certain life leases held by him and Hallet in Bradpole Manor, county Dorset, England. The document sets forth also that John Sibley and W. Sibley were "sonnes of Wm. Sibley," and that the latter had died prior to the granting of these leases in 1617. (See Aspinwall Notarlal Rec- ords, page 162). A professional genealogist informs me that he has traced the line in England to 1483, and that for the sum of $500 he sells the Informa- tlon to members of the Sibley family under restric- tlons not to publish It. I have not seen fit to accept his terms.
E. H. SIBLEY.
came to Salem, Massachusetts, in the fleet of 1629. Their given names were John and Rich- ard and they are supposed to have been brothers.
(I) John Sibley, who took the freeman's oatlı, September 3, 1634, is sixteenth on the list of members of the First Church of Salem. The Salem Church in those days had two ministers or spiritual leaders. One of them, designated as pastor, was the Rev. Samuel Skelton, M. A., of whom a few particulars will be given later on ; the other one, designated as teacher, was, after the death in 1630 of the Rev. Francis Higginson, M. A., the illustrious Roger Williams, subsequently to be the founder of Rhode Island. The members of the Salem Church zealously championed the cause of Williams in his controversy with the govern- ment of the colony concerning religious tolera- tion. They continued to support their leader until they were at last forced into silence by threats of political disfranchisement. John Sibley was selectman of Salem in 1636. He owned land at Winter Island Harbor, at Man- chester and also near the present village of Danvers. He was selectman of Manchester in 1645 and 1658. Possibly he served the com- munity in other years and in other capacities, but the town records for a considerable portion of his lifetime are, unfortunately, lost. He died in 1661, an extensive landholder. He had nine children, four boys and five girls. His wife Rachel brought the inventory into court and,-"Ye court doe order that ye estate be left in ye widoe's hands to bring up ye children till ye court take further notice." The names of the children were in order of birth: Sarah, Mary, Rachael, John, Hannah, William, Joseph, Samuel and Abigail. The eldest was baptized in Salem Church in 1642, and the youngest in 1659.
(II) Joseph was born in 1655. Though he was a landowner and husbandman, yet he was, like his father, for a part of his life engaged in the fishing trade, which contributed so materi- ally to the welfare and prosperity of the colony. It is recorded in Felt's "Annals of Salem" that on his return from a fishing voyage to Cape Sable, he was impressed on board a British frigate. His wife petitioned the governor and after a time his release was secured. Little is known of him, though it would appear that he was a man of vigor and of social disposition and that he had influential friends. He was of Lynn in 1715, when he bought land in
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Sutton, Massachusetts. His brother, Captain Jolin Sibley, was a selectman of Manchester for many years ; was a representative to the general court and leading man generally in town affairs. Joseph Sibley married, February. 4. 1683, Susanna Follett. She was the daugh- ter of Robert and Persis ( Black) Follett.
Joseph Sibley was the common ancestor of many who have been honored for their char- acter, talents and important public services. Only a few of these can here be mentioned, viz: Henry Hastings Sibley, "The Father of Minnesota," carried through, while a member of congress from Wisconsin, the bill creating the territory of Minnesota ; was its first gov- ernor when it became a state; put down with raw troops the Sioux Rebellion, was brevetted a brigadier-general by President Lincoln. Sub- sequently he was brevetted a major-general. He was president of the Minnesota State Historical Society ; president of the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota; he commanded the whole military district of Minnesota during the civil war; was com- mander of the Loyal Legion ; was president of the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce ; president of the State Normal School Board, and the recipient of many other state and national honors.
Henry Hopkins Sibley, of Louisiana, was brevetted a major for gallantry during the Mexican war. He was a general in the Con- federate army ; was the inventor of the Sibley tent. After the close of the civil war he was for some years engaged in engineering work for the Khedive of Egypt.
Hiram Sibley learned several trades. He put through the first line of telegraph from the Mississippi river to the Pacific coast. He was the first president of the Western Union Telegraph Company. He owned forty thou- sand acres of land and had the most widely known seed raising establishment of any man of his day. He conducted successfully many other great business enterprises. He founded the Sibley College of Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University, and made other note- worthy benefactions.
Solomon Sibley was a member of congress and a member of the first territorial legislature of the northwest. He drafted and carried through the latter body the bill incorporating the city of Detroit, one of the streets of which is named in his honor. He was United States
commissioner with General Lewis Cass to treat with the Indians for the cession of territory equal in area to more than three states the size of the state of Rhode Island. He was chief justice of Michigan for twelve years.
Dr. John Sibley, a surgeon in the revolu- tionary war, was for several years a member of the legislature of Louisiana. Under the administration of Jefferson he was, according to the "History of Sutton, Massachusetts," a commissioner to make treaties with Indian tribes in the lands ceded by Spain. Gallatin stated that Dr. Sibley's account of the tribes between the Mississippi and the Red river was the most complete that had been written.
Jonas Sibley was for seventeen years in suc- cession a representative to the general court of Massachusetts ; was also a member of the state senate and a representative in congress.
Jonas L. Sibley, his son, was the recipient of several political honors in the state of Massachusetts. He was an eminent lawyer, and it is recorded that he had eighty-one cases at one term of court.
Mark H. Sibley was a judge, state senator, and a member of congress from New York.
Josiah Sibley, of Augusta, Georgia, was one of the pioneer cotton manufacturers of the south; was widely known and esteemed not only for his business ability, but also for his nobility of character and public spirit
Major George Champlain Sibley, with a band of one hundred Osage warriors explored the Grand Saline and Salt Mountain, and published an account of the expedition. He was a United States commissioner and made many treaties with Indian tribes. He put through a highway from Missouri to New Mexico. In or about 1838 he with others founded a woman's college at St. Charles, Missouri.
Frederick W. Sibley, lieutenant-colonel of the United States army, was twice brevetted for gallantry, and was recommended for a gold medal. He was in 1910 the commandant at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Rufus A. Sibley, eminent as a breeder of Jersey cattle, is the head of a firm having stores in Rochester, New York, in New York City, in Chemnitz, Germany, and in Paris, France.
Frank J. Sibley, orator, editor and author, now, or recently, a resident of Los Angeles,
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California, has been for over thirty years prominent as a leader in temperance and pro- hibition work throughout the United States.
Hiram Luther Sibley was judge of the circuit court of Ohio; was appointed in 1906 a mem- ber of the commission of three to revise and consolidate the laws of the state of Ohio. He has had several other honors. He is the author and editor of legal works.
From 1755 down through the period of the war of the revolution we find of the descend- ants of Joseph Sibley conspicuous for their military services: Captain John Sibley, Cap- tain James Sibley, Captain William Sibley, Captain Nathaniel Sibley, Captain Jonathan Sibley, Captain Solomon Sibley and Colonel Timothy Sibley. Ten of Joseph Sibley's de- scendants were among the minute-men at Con- cord.
The Sibleys of New England, according to West, "are intermarried with the Putnams and Whipples, the Bigelows and Sumners, the Pier- ponts and Morses, the Lelands and Wheelocks, the Tarrants and Bancrofts, the Dudleys and Spragues, and, later down in the flow of their generations, with the Wellses and Conklings, the Livingstons and Chases and other influ- ential families."
The Sibley family in this country is a com- paratively small one. In 1853 a genealogist estimated that the Sibleys of the male sex, of New England origin, from 1629 to that date, did not exceed five hundred. Their activity, usefulness and prominence as leaders in pro- portion to their numbers have received many favorable comments.
The Sibleys in the central, southern and western states are, in general, descended from Joseph Sibley. There are, however, certain Sibleys in Florida and in Maryland who are not related to the New England family. Joseph Sibley and wife, Susanna Follett, had six sons and one daughter. Their names were Joseph, John, Jonathan, Hannah, Samuel, William and Benjamin. Five of the sons settled in Sutton, Massachusetts.
(III) The youngest, Benjamin, baptized September 19, 1703, married Priscilla Rich, who was born in Wrentham, September 28, 1706. She was the daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Marsh) Rich. He died in Sutton about 1729. After living a short time in Sutton, Benjamin Sibley and family moved to Ashford. Connecticut. He was a farmer; he (lied at Willington, Connecticut, November 2,
1789, in his eighty-eighth year, according to his tombstone record. The town records for forty years or more, from 1739 are lost, so there is but little known of his activities. A glimpse at one of the customs of the times is afforded by his cattle mark, which is recorded as "a crop of ye right ear and two slits." His brothers, particularly Captain Joseph Sibley, were shown many evidences of esteem by their fellow townsmen of Sutton, Massachusetts. The children of Benjamin and Priscilla ( Rich) Sibley were: Priscilla, Benjamin, Ezekiel, Zurviah, Susannah, Hannah, Ezra, Aaron, Moses, Joseph, Samuel and Jonathan.
( IV) Jonathan Sibley, born March 4, 1750, at Willington, Connecticut, died there, July 31, 1826. Jonathan Sibley was a farmer. He was a member and deacon of the Baptist church. He was selectman for nine years or more; moderator of the town meeting for six years; was representative to the legislative assembly six times and received numerous other evidences of the esteem of his fellow townsmen. His brother, Ezra Sibley, was a sergeant in the revolutionary war. Jonathan Sibley married, November 15, 1774, Patty Brooks, daughter of Deacon Abijah and Lucy (Knowlton) Brooks. Patty Brooks was born January 5, 1755, at Ashford, Connecticut. The children of Jonathan and Patty Sibley were: Patty, Susannah, Jonathan, Polly, Nathaniel, Roxanna, Esther, Benjamin, Abijah, Lucy, Joseph, Orrin and Hannah.
(V) Abijah, son of Jonathan and Patty ( Brooks) Sibley, was born November 1, 1788, at Willington, Connecticut, died June 3, 1856. He moved to Concord, New York, where he purchased a farm. He was a contracting car- penter, locally famed for his skill and quick- ness. His integrity, kindness and marked self- control caused him to be highly regarded by all who knew him. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. He had a twin brother, Ben- jamin, who died in Wisconsin prior to 1860. Two other brothers, Jonathan Sibley Jr. and Nathaniel Sibley, were representatives to the general assembly of Connecticut. Dr. Joseph Sibley, another brother, moved to Michigan, where he embarked in business. On his death he left an estate that was considered large for the times. Abijah Sibley married, January I, 1816. at Skaneateles, New York, Lucy Marcy, of Willington, Connecticut, daughter of Zeba- diah and Phoebe ( Pearl) Marcy. Lucy Marcy was born April 21, 1794. She died March 19.
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1859. Their seven children, all born at Con- cord, New York, were: Adaline, Edwin Ham- ilton, Joseph Crocker, Anson DeWitt, William Augustine, Clark Carlton and Lucien George.
(VI) Dr. Joseph Crocker Sibley, son of Abijah and Lucy (Marcy) Sibley, was born December 19, 1817. His general education was acquired at the common schools and at the Springville Academy. As a young man he taught school for three or more winters. He read medicine with his cousin, Dr. Lyman Crocker. After taking his degree of M. D. at a medical college, he made a specialty of sur- gery under Dr. Munn, an eminent surgeon of Rochester, New York. Dr. Sibley practiced medicine in Friendship, Bath, Boston, Spring- ville and Colden, all in New York state. He performed with marked success all the finer operations in surgery known to his day, includ- ing the removal of cataract and several other operations now rarely attempted except by specialists. He owned a farm near Colden, New York, and raised choice fruit and im- proved strains of live stock. He was a Whig and a Republican in politics and made many public addresses. He was an active worker in the cause of temperance. He was a member of the Baptist church and was at one time superintendent of the Sunday school.
Dr. Sibley was a man of kindly impulse, of good humor, of impressive appearance and of excellent physique, and was in the active prac- tice of his profession until about one week prior to his death, which was due to pneu- monia, and which occurred March 17, 1866, at Colden, New York. Seldom have there been in that section of the country so great evi- dences of respect shown any individual as marked the funeral services of Dr. Sibley. His brother, Edwin Hamilton Sibley, M. D., was also a man of commanding presence, noble character and signal ability. He represented Medina county, Ohio, in the legislature in 1854 and 1855. Their youngest brother, Lucien George Sibley, was a volunteer in the civil war and was wounded in the battle of Shiloh.
Dr. Joseph C. Sibley married, October 8, 1845, at Wirt, New York, Lucy Elvira, young- est child of Captain Luke and Betsy (Main) Babcock. Her brother, Raymond P. Babcock, was a member of the New York legislature. Lucy Elvira Babcock was born November 7, 1822, at Colerain, Massachusetts. She was educated at the academies at Homer, New York, and Alfred, New York. Several of her
ancestors contributed largely to the public welfare of the New England colonies, particu- larly to the colonies of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Some of these ancestors will be briefly mentioned : John Babcock, Colonel Oliver Bab- cock, Colonel Joseph Pendleton, Captain James Pendleton, Captain Edmund Goodenow, Cap- tain James Avery and Major Brian Pendleton, were often members of legislative assemblies and rendered effective military service. Cap- tain James Avery commanded the Pequots of the Indian allies in King Philip's war. Major Brian Pendleton was deputy governor of Maine in 1680, and was also active in public affairs in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Joseph Clarke spent fifteen years in public life, six of which were as a member of the governor's council of Rhode Island. He was a brother of Dr. John Clarke whose services to Rhode Island were second in importance only to those of Roger Williams. Dr. John Clarke was four years deputy gov- ernor and twelve years the agent of the colony at the English court. He secured from King Charles II. the charter of 1663, which remained the fundamental law of the state until 1843. Dr. John Clarke left no descendants. Lucy Elvira (Babcock) Sibley's maternal grand- father was Captain Amos Main, of Stoning- ton, Connecticut, who during the war of the revolution commanded a company of the militia of the Eighth Regiment. His name and services in connection with revolutionary mat- ters are often mentioned in the public records of Stonington.
The four children of Dr. Joseph C. and Lucy Elvira Sibley were: Ann Adelaide, mar- ried Charles Miller ; Joseph Crocker, Edwin Henry and Mary Eleanora. The last named died in Franklin, Pennsylvania, April 5, 1881, in her seventeenth year, while a pupil in the high school. Over five years after the death of her first husband, Mrs. Sibley was married to Rev. E. F. Crane, M. D., a Baptist minister of Elmira, New York. He raised two com- panies for the civil war and was commissioned a captain but resigned to become chaplain of the Twenty-third Regiment of New York Volunteers. His death occurred at Franklin, Pennsylvania, February 11, 1896. She died in Franklin from pneumonia, May 5, 1908, in her eighty-sixth year, with her mental faculties still bright and keen. In particular, her memory was as accurate in regard to recent occurrences as it was in the days of her girlhood. This
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was the more remarkable inasmuch as since the age of eighty-one she had suffered from three paralytic strokes, any one of which was severe enough to have proved fatal to one not possessed of her unusual vitality. Out of an estate of $30,000, she left a bequest of $2,000 for the foreign missions of the Baptist denomi- nation. Fanny Lormore Crane, the only child of Rev. E. F. and Lucy Elvira Crane, was mar- ried to Albert F. Logan, of Franklin, Penn- sylvania. Her death took place April 22, 1895, in her twenty-second year.
Dr. Sibley was a direct descendant of several who were distinguished for the value of their services to the New England colonies. A few of these will be named : Rev. Samuel Skelton, M. A., was the first pastor of the First Church in Salem, Massachusetts. He was a graduate of the University of Cambridge, England. He was a friend of Governor Endicott, and as a member of his council, was associated with him in authority. Skelton was one of those who officially welcomed Governor Winthrop on the latter's arrival in America. Skelton was described by Edward Johnson of Win- throp's company as "a man of a gracious speech, full of faith, and furnished by the Lord with gifts from above to begin this great work." He died in 1634. Ezekiel Richard- son was an early believer in religious tolera- tion. He was one of the leaders among the colonists of Massachusetts, was one of the founders of Woburn and was a member of the general court from Charlestown, Massachu- setts, in 1635. Captain Bozoun Allen, "mercer," came from England in 1638 and was prominent in civil and military matters in Sudbury, Hing- ham and Boston. Lieutenant Edward Morris was a representative to the general court from Roxbury, Massachusetts, in 1678, and for many years thereafter. He was the first mili- tary leader of the settlers of Woodstock, Con- necticut. Captain John Johnson and his son, Captain Isaac Johnson, were both members of the general court and both members of the famous Artillery Company. Captain John Johnson was surveyor-general of arms and ammunition of the Massachusetts colony in 1630. Captain Isaac Johnson was killed dur- ing King Philip's war while leading his troops at the great swamp fight at Narragansett, De- cember 19, 1675. Captain Timothy Pearl, of Willington, Connecticut, Dr. Sibley's maternal great-grandfather, was fifteen times a repre- sentative to the legislative assembly. He was
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