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Go to the J.L. Fisher Book Site. The William Huntley Family of Colonial Pennsylvania by Jackie L. Fisher January 1996
1869 Dolphin Drive Seabrook, Texas 77586 January 1996 The many descendants of William Huntley and Mary Standfield Huntley
include the See also other titles by this author: The Francis Standfield Family of Colonial Pennsylvania
Jackie L. Fisher
CONTENTS
William Huntley 5 William Huntley, a Quaker, was one of the early emigrants to William Penn’s Pennsylvania colony. He was a husbandman (farmer), who arrived in the Philadelphia area about 1691. Pennsylvania land records, court records, and Quaker records for his family all begin at the end of 1691, and no record of any Huntley or Huntly has been found before that date in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware. There is some evidence that he may have been born in St. Philips Parish, Barbados in 1661, the son of a William Huntley and Elizabeth Coe. The Huntleys were in Barbados as early as 1655.11,12,13 It is likely that these Huntleys would have come from the Quaker Huntleys of East Yorkshire.15,16 On December 8, 1691, the following brief entry was made in the Concord, Pennsylvania Monthly Meeting minutes-book of the Society of Friends: “Will. Huntley desires certificate to marry Mary Standfield.”1 This was followed by a more informative entry on January 7, 1692, at Chester Monthly Meeting: “William Huntly of Burningham belonging to Concord monthly meeting and Mary Stanfield Daughter of ffrancis Stanfield of marple belonging to this monthly meeting proposed their Intentions of takeing each other as man and wife; the man belonging to Concord Monthly Meeting, he is ordered to bring a certificate to ye next monthly meeting, and Lydia Wade & Margaret Coppock is to inquier into ye young womans Cleareness & give an account thereof to ye next monthly meeting.”2 When Francis Standfield died in 1692, he left William Huntley 25 acres in Marple, at the present intersection of Sproul Road and Paxon-Hollow. William sold this tract at the end of 1699, to Peter Worrall Jr. 30 William Huntley’s name appears on the 1693 tax list for Marple.27 Marple, on the west side of Philadelphia, is where the Standfield estate was located, between Crum Creek and Darby Creek. The tax entry was probably in reference to the 25 acres inherited from Francis Standfield in 1692, which was on Sproul Road between Paxon Hollow Road and Williamsburg Road, bounded on the west by Jamestown Road.30 The 1693 tax rolls for Bucks County show that William Huntley also had property in Falls Township, north of Philadelphia, although there is little evidence that he ever resided there.3 The Bucks County property may have been another part of Mary Standfield’s inheritance, or it could have been land purchased by William upon his immigration. In any case, William seems to have retained some involvement in Bucks County, since he was sued in the Bucks County quarter sessions in 1699 by Richard Thatcher of Birmingham.29 The Huntley family apparently stayed in Birmingham Township, Chester County, on the East side of Brandywine Creek, until 1705. During this period, William Huntley is mentioned ten times in the court and land records of Chester County. On December 12, 1693, William paid “surety” for Thomas Hope when Mary Martin was accused of being with child by Thomas (Mary denied the charge).4 Thomas Hope, apparently a family friend, later married William’s sister-in-law Elizabeth Standfield (daughter of Francis and Grace), in 1698.4 William Huntley was on a Chester County Grand Jury in 1694. 5 On October 8, 1696, the court ordered the “orphant of Thomas Longshaw shall go to Wm. Huntley.” The estate of Ebeneazor Longshaw (Longford, Langford) was just across the Marple Road from the Huntley and Standfield property. Ebeneazor had come from Barbados, perhaps bringing William Huntley at the same time. The Standfields later bought out all the Longshaw estate of 500 acres. The Huntleys took in the orphan while the court awaited the arrival of an unnamed immigrant, who was to take the orphan in service. The possibility is suggested that the Longshaws could have been relatives of the Huntleys or Standfields. Thomas Longshaw owned land in Wilmington, in the constabulary of Newcastle Town, on the north side of Christina Creek, as early as 1685. James Standfield, brother-in-law of William Huntley, also owned land at the same location, along with his friends and trading associates including John Collet, Thomas Pierson (surveyor), James Read, and the merchant brothers James and Hercules Coutts. At a Concord Monthly Meeting held at Chester in 1698, a record was made of a dispute which ended with William Huntley being directed to pay two pounds to Peter Brinton.2 In October 1699, William served twice on Chester County grand juries. Also in that year, he was a defendant in a suit by Jeremiah Collett and settled by confessing to a judgment for ten pounds plus court costs. In December 1702, he was a defendant in another suit in Chester County. 5 On February 6, 1703, William Huntley filed a Warrant Reserve for 200 acres in Chester County. This was probably the tract surveyed for William in 1703, lying in the part of Kennett Township which is now Parkersville, in Pennsbury Township, near the Brandywine River. The tract is probably the one on which Thomas Fisher and Elizabeth Huntley settled soon after their marriage in 1713. (The intersection of Street Road and Parkersville Road is at the northwest corner.) On February 22, 1703, William “delivered a deed of mortgage” to Jonathan Haye at the Chester Quarter Sessions, for William’s house and plantation in Birmingham Township. These land transactions preceded his official move to Kennett in 1705.5 On December 4, 1703, the Francis Standfield heirs (including William’s wife Mary Standfield) were joint sellers of 300 acres in Chester County, to Thomas Pierson.5 William and Mary Huntley had four daughters, Elizabeth, Deborah, Mary and Sarah7 ; and one son, Francis.8 All but the youngest, Sarah, were born in Birmingham Township. At the Concord Monthly Meeting on April 25, 1705, William Huntley was granted a certificate to “move over Brandywine.” This meant to the west side of the creek, which put them within the boundary of the Kennett Meeting (Newark Monthly Meeting).2 Sarah was probably born soon after, at Kennett. William Huntley died in the spring of 1708, at Kennett, Chester County, Pennsylvania, while his children were still minors. 2,4 After William Huntley’s death in 1708, the family were supposed to split up according to the terms of the will. The minor children Francis, Deborah and Mary were to remain at Kennett with their aunt and uncle Thomas Hope and Elizabeth Standfield Hope. But when Thomas Hope also died the same year, two of the children probably went to other relatives. Daughter Sarah, the youngest, went to Thornbury to live with her aunt and uncle Edward Bennett and Sarah Standfield Bennett. The widow Mary (Standfield) Huntley transferred to Springfield Friends meeting, near Marple, probably accompanied by daughter Elizabeth, the oldest child (ancestor of this author). In the spring of 1709, Mary Standfield Huntley transferred membership from Springfield to the Center meeting in Newcastle County, probably staying with sister Elizabeth Standfield Hope, who had remarried to William Horne. Two months later she joined the Concord meeting, probably staying with sister Sarah, wife of Edward Bennett. Daughter Elizabeth Huntley married Thomas Fisher at Concord in the spring of 1713.2 The widow Mary Standfield Huntley married again, to Richard Fletcher, of Concord, in the fall of 1713.4 Thomas and Elizabeth Fisher moved to Kennett in the summer of 1714.2 The other children of William Huntley also returned to Kennett, where the marriage notices are found for daughters Deborah (1720), Mary (1724), and Sarah (1727).7 Son Francis died at Kennett in 1723.8
The William Huntley Children William Huntley and Mary Standfield had five children.
The first four were probably born in Birmingham Township. The youngest
may have been born after the move to Kennett. 3. Deborah, m. James Bruce, 1720. She married 2nd., Thomas Thornbury (Thornbrough), 1744 at Swede’s Church, Wilmington.2 4. Mary, m. Peter Whitaker, 1724 2 5. Sarah, m. John Stanton, 1727. (Married out of meeting, by a magistrate. John Stanton later became a Quaker.)2 Most of the surviving Quaker records related to the William Huntley family were copied out in 1894 and are preserved in the Gilbert Cope collection.2 These records, reproduced below, provide a fairly complete family history, and contain some notes which presumably were added by Gilbert Cope. At Chester Monthly Meeting, 2 mo. 4, 1692: “William Huntly of Burningham belonging to Concord months meeting and Mary Stanfield Daughter of ffrancis Stanfield of marple belonging to this months meeting proposed their Intentions of marriage being the second time and all things being found Cleare Conserning ym, they are referred to their Liberty to proceed according to ye order of Truth.” William Huntly’s certificate from Concord was dated 1 mo. 14, 1692. At Chester Monthly Meeting, 3 mo. 28, 1705: “Bartholomew Coppock senr makes application to this meeting for a Certificate for William Huntly in order for his Removeall over Brandywine: Ordered that Bartholomew Coppock Junr & Francis Yarnall make Inquiry Concerning his Clearness and make Report, etc.” At the next meeting, 4 mo. 25, 1705, a certificate was granted for William Huntly and wife to remove over Brandywine. At Chester Monthly Meeting, 9 mo. 28, 1698: “this meeting appoynts Charels Whiticars & thomas Pearson for to speak to William huntly to com to the nixt monthly meeting to answer to ye complaint of Peeter britton to which meeting thy are desired to return his answer.” At Chester Monthly Meeting, 10 mo. 26, 1698-99: “William huntly being spoak to in order for to have Com’d to this meeting for to have answer’d to ye complaint of Peeter britton and hee dooes not appears therefor fransas yarnall and Charles Whiticars is apoynted for to come to ye nixt meeting for to answer the complaint a forsaid.” 11 mo. 30, 1698-99: “William Huntly & peeter britton appering at this meeting and referd thayr difrence to this meeting and the meeting orders William Huntly for to pay to peeter britten two pounds forth with.” Thomas Fisher and Elizabeth Huntly declared intentions of marriage before Concord Monthly Meeting 1 mo. 9, and 2 mo. 13, 1713, and were married before ?, 1713. Richard Fletcher and Mary Huntly declared intentions of marriage at Newark Monthly Meeting, 8 mo. 3, and 9 mo. 7, 1713, and were married before 10 mo. 5, 1713. At Newark Mo. Mtg., 4 mo. 4, 1709: “Mary Huntly produced a certificate from Springfield Monthly Meeting and wee had unity with it.” At Newark Mo. Mtg., 6 mo. 6, 1709: “ This meeting gave Mary Huntly a Certificate to Concord.” (Women’s Minutes) She probably brought a certificate back to Newark but no mention of it appears on minute. James Bruce and Deborah Huntly declared their intentions of marriage at Newark Mo. Mtg., 7 mo. 3, and 8 mo. 8, 1720, and were married before 9 mo. 5, 1720. Peter Whitaker of Kennet, and Mary Huntley, daughter of William Huntley deceased, of Kennet, were married 12 mo. 17, 1724-25, at Kennet Meeting. Witnesses, Jane Whitaker, Cathrine Holman, Richd ffletcher, Mary ffletcher, Elizabeth ffisher, Wm Whitaker, & others. John Stanton and Sarah Huntly declare intentions of marriage 9 mo. 5, 1726, but there being some objection in the men’s meeting as to his character they were not permitted to proceed. They married out of meeting before 1 mo. 4, 1726-27, by a magistrate, for which her acknowledgment was accepted 6 mo. 5, 1727, and ordered to be read in Bradford Meeting. John Stanton does not appear to have been a member at that time, but several years after he was received into membership by Bradford Monthly Meeting. Deborah Bruce married a second husband, Thomas Thornbury or Thornbrough, in 1744, at the Swedes’ Church, Wilmington. Elizabeth Fisher married a second husband, John Coope
(Cope) of East Bradford, 12 mo. 23, 1748. (See “Ancestors and
Descendants of Cephas A. Fisher Jr. of Henry County, Iowa,” by
J. L. Fisher.) William Huntley and wife Elizabeth Coe (Sometimes copied as Cou, Cow or Cox) Huntly of the Island of Barbados in the British West Indies could be the parents of the Pennsylvania William Huntley. There was a William Huntley who was on the Island as early as 1655, when he witnessed the will of John Dalton, corporal to the troop of horse on Jamaica. A Cooper (Barrel and keg maker) by trade, his wife was Elizabeth Coe, daughter of John Coe.11 The baptism of “William Heatley” is recorded in the parish register of 1661 in St. Philips parish. This is likely a mis-copy of “Huntley”, and may be a son of William and Elizabeth. Two daughters, Katherine and Frances, appear in the Episcopal birth registers of St. Michaels Parish and Christ Church Parish in 1671 and 1672. (There are numerous copying errors in these records, due to the poor condition of the originals, eg did Frances marry at age 14 as follows?) Frances married Hugh Sugar (Sager) February 27, 1686, in St. Michael’s Parish.12 Frances seems to have married a second time, to Michael Eagle (Engle). Another daughter, Ann, is mentioned in William’s will, but was not in any parish register. William had five acres in St. Philips Parish, next to the John Burke plantation, when he died July 19, 1679.11 His death is not recorded in the parish records. Some time after 1672, the family could have become Quakers, which would explain the lack of any further parish records of the family. No Barbados Quaker meeting records are known to have survived.13 Quaker families in St. Philips would probably have attended the “Thickett and Clifts” Monthly Meeting, since parish maps show “Top of the Cliffe” and “Thicketts” (groves of trees) in St. Philips. 13 “John Cou” is listed in the 1680 census as a landowner with ten acres in St. Philips Parish.24 As early as 1654 (if the copier read it correctly), the “Cox” and Burke families were connected. Gardner Morris’s will of 1654 named parents (in law?) Elizabeth and Josias Cox, brothers (in-law?) Thomas Burk and William Land, and a Burk cousin. 11 Richard Burke’s will, dated 18 September 1668 in St. Philips Parish, was witnessed by John Coe. John Burke’s will, dated 15 January 1715, describes his land bounded by the land of “John Cox” deceased, William Huntley deceased, John Woodcock deceased, and Leonard Archer deceased. Other wills state that the Burkes were from County Galway, Limerick, Ireland. The will of William Howard, a Quaker of St. Thomas Parish, dated September 2, 1718, names “William Cox” as a brother-in-law.11 It is very likely that all these neighbors were Quakers. The abstract of William Huntley’s will reads as follows. Wm Huntley, Cooper, St. Philips Parish, 19 July 1679 The will of John Coe, father-in-law of William Huntley, is dated 6 April 169611. He names a “kinswoman Elizabeth Bleeke,” who probably was one of the family of “John Beeke” who has been listed as a known Quaker. 13 William Huntley’s daughter Ann is referred to as “Amy,” apparently a mis-copy. Husbands of William Huntley’s daughters Ann and Frances are named. Text of John Coe’s will (abstract): Gr. son Coe Pratt at 21; gr. daus Frances Eagle and Amy Costeon; Frances Eagle, wf. of Michael Eagle- land bounding Col. Thomas Lewis dec’d & Robert Bailes in Christ Church known as Woodcocks & to her bro. & sis. Coe Pratt & Amy Costeon, provided Amy quit the right to land that was her fa. Huntley’s; kinswoman Elizabeth Bleeke; gr. dau. Amy Huntly; xtrs - friends Thomas Robinson and Michael Eagle. friend John (x) Coe, wit. Edward (x) Thomas, Tho: Eagle, John Woodcock Proved 5 May 1696. There was once a large population of Quakers in Barbados. Unfortunately, there are few surviving records.13 During the terrible persecutions of Quakers in the British Isles from 1650 to1689, many Quakers were exiled to Jamaica, Barbados, and other British West Indies islands.17 Others came voluntarily. Mary Fisher, the first Quaker to arrive in the colonies,17 came to Barbados in 1666. In 1667, this famous “Quaker Maiden” zealot from England went to Boston with a trunk of 100 Quaker books, which were promptly burned on Boston Commons. Governor Endicott sent Mary back to Barbados.17 Barbados was populated by British plantation owners and their workers (indentured servants and slaves), with tradespeople and artisans to support the island. There was also a British military garrison on the island. The main industry was cane growing for the Boston rum trade. In 1657, Gabriel Huntley, bachelor, died at Jamaica. Also
in that year, a William Huntley, fellow of New College, Oxford, bachelor,
died at Jamaica. 10 William Huntley’s ancestors in England may have come from Yorkshire. An Elizabeth Huntley appears in the parish marriage register at Rotherham, Yorkshire in 1623-24. Also at Rotherham, Katherine Huntley appears in 1659. Anne Huntley appears in the Doncaster register, West Riding of Yorkshire, in 1647.15 One Huntley family has been discovered in a search of the Quaker records of England. A Thomas Huntley family is found in the East Riding of Yorkshire, under the Hull Quarterly Meeting, at Sutton and Welwicke. Thomas, of Sutton, married Naomi Adam of Welwicke in 1680. 16 The separate marriage certificate for “Thomas Huntley and Naomie Adam” says they were both from “Welwicke in Holderness in the County of Yorke.” (Holderness is the peninsula jutting into the North Sea at Kingston-upon-Hull, upon which Welwicke is located). From the certificate it appears that Thomas was the son of James and Cibol Huntley. Present were Daniel, Ann, and Richard (Nayle? or Harle?), Stephen and Robert Adam, John Banks, Joseph and Hannah Smith, --- Nicholson, and -- Drew. 17 Thomas is listed as a Quaker “sufferor” who had tithes “taken in kind” in 1690 to the amount of four pounds, 18 shillings sixpence.18 When Naomi died in 1693, Thomas married a second wife, Mary. Thomas and Mary had a son Joseph.16 A George Huntley received a bequest in the will of George Savage, Parson of Seagrave and Archdeacon of Gloucester, dated 24 May 1600.21 George Huntley married Hannah George July 25, 1672 at Dorchester Holy Trinity church in Dorsetshire.25 Margaret Huntley, age 20, left the Port of London sometime in 1634-35.23 No Huntley families were discovered during considerable
searches of Irish records. In addition to the William Huntley (Huntly) family, only
one other Huntly has been identified who may have lived in Pennsylvania
in the colonial period. A Noah Huntley is indexed in the 1794 wills
and administrations for Philadelphia. This will has not been located.
20 There has been no known previous attempt to trace the
ancestry of William Huntley. Extensive study has been made of the Huntly family of Lyme, Connecticut which originated with the immigration of two brothers from Scotland during the American colonial period.9 The Connecticut Huntlys can trace their ancestry to the Earls of Huntly at Huntly Castle in Aberdeenshire. There was a branch in Wales also. No known studies of the Welsh Huntlys have been done. Descendants of the Connecticut Huntleys seem to be unaware of (and unrelated to) the Pennsylvania Huntleys. The Mormon prophet Joseph Smith has been shown to be a descendant of the Connecticut family. Most, if not all, of the Huntleys with American roots as far back as the mid-eighteenth century seem to be descended from the Connecticut Huntleys, who could only be related to William Huntley in some very ancient way. In 1662, a Thomas Huntley was apprenticed to James Wathen for four years service in Virginia. In 1665, a Thomas Huntly was apprenticed to four years service to Tobias Pindar on St. Christopher, British West Indies. In 1678, a Thomas Huntly came to Virginia from Bristol, England on the “Expectation.”10 It is not known if these immigrants are related. No known investigation has been made of their history in the colonies. Descendants Many descendants of Elizabeth Huntley and Thomas Fisher have been documented in previous studies.22 The studies are all found in the catalog index for the Family History Library of the Church of Christ Latter Day Saints (Mormons) at Salt Lake City, Utah. Also, this author is preparing a new Fisher family history which will document many more descendants. 25 The Fisher history will be placed in the Mormon library and also in the Clayton Genealogical Library in Houston, Texas. The first version is expected to be available in 1996. Probable ancestry of William Huntley, and known descendancy
to this author, is as follows. Elizabeth Huntley (m. Thomas Fisher) b. 1692 Chester Co. Pa. James Fisher (m. Alice Standfield) b. 1714 Kennett, Chester
Co., Pa. Cephas Fisher Sr. (m. Rachel Standfield) b. 1780 York
Co., Pa. Woodford P. Fisher (m. Dorothy Kelly) b. 1911 Helena,
Oklahoma Laura Lynn Fisher (m. Barry Armer) b. 1961 Ventura, California Jonathan Davis Fisher (m. Alisa Mayfield) b. 1969 Texas City, Texas
The William Huntley Will William Huntley’s will was probated in Philadelphia April 10, 1708.2 He assigned custody of the minor children to their Standfield aunts: Francis, Deborah and Mary to Thomas Hope and wife Elizabeth (nee Elizabeth Standfield), and youngest daughter Sarah to Edward Bennett, of Thornbury, and wife Sarah (nee Sarah Standfield). The oldest child, Elizabeth, is not mentioned. She would have been about age 16, and presumably remained to help her mother. The abstract of the will reads: “Will of Wm Huntley of the Township of Kinit County
of Chester in the Province of Pennsylvania Husbandman ~ Debts and funeral
expenses to be paid. All Real & personal Estate to be sold by my
Executrix & overseers of this my last Will, for the best advantage
of my Executrix and of my children. Will Dated 1st day of 1st Month called March 1707-8. W is signed by Mark - witnesses John Hope Proved April 10th 1708. Recorded in Will book C. page 85, in Phila. An Inventory and Appraisement of the L S d Cash and wearing Apparel 60 00 00 One Bed and pair of Sheets & Two bolsters and 07 00
00 Iron work and Binding for one pair of wheels 05 00 00 feather bed bolster and pair of Sheets and 08 00 00 Table Brass pewter frying pan & pot 02 10 00 [Unreadable] table 68 10 00 [Two] hundred acres of Land sown three months and 120
00 00 Two cows, eight heifers & two yearling 020 00 00 Colt 011 00 00 George Harlan The Francis Huntley Estate Inventory8 An Inventory of ye Goods Chattles & Creditts both
real & personalls of ye Estate of Francis Huntly of ye Township
of Kennett in ye County of Chester Late Deceasd ~ Imprimis Jamees Bruce Robert Way, and John Hope (probably brother of Thomas
Hope, uncle of Francis) were appraisers and James Bruce (brother-in-law
of Francis) was the administrator. The estate was settled in the following
year by James Bruce. The Francis Huntley Estate Settlement 8 The estate of Francis Huntley, “late of Birmingham” but deceased at Kennett, was settled September 21, 1724. A list of payments was recorded, amounting to L91 0S 2d, and credit for the L31 in the goods and chattel inventory was noted. There is no explanation of where the additional 60 pounds came from to make the payments. In the payment list is brother-in-law Thomas Fisher, and aunt Grace Chadsey (nee Standfield). The settlement is as follows: The Accompt of James Bruce Admtr of all and Singular ye
Goods Chattels & Creditts of ffrancis Huntley late of Birmingham
in ye Said County of Decd & of ye admin by him made as welle as
such Goods Chatteles & Creditts of ye Said Decd he hath recd &
also of what Debtors of ye Said Deceased as he hath paid & ye money
necessarily paid out & Expended in & about administering ye
Estate of ye Said Decd as followeth ~ The Said Accomplant Chargeth Allowance of the Several
Sums of money hereafter mentioned by him payd & Expended in and
about Administering ye Estate of the Said Decedt as followeth ~ Unless noted otherwise, the book reference numbers are for the Clayton Genealogical Library, Houston, Texas. “LDS Microfilm” is found in the family history catalog of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints (Mormon) Family History Library at Salt Lake City, Utah. 1 LDS Microfilm 441354, Minutes of Concord Monthly Meeting
Adam, Naomi, 14 Bailes, Robert, 12 Chadsey, Grace, 18, 24 Dalton, John, 11 Eagle, Frances, 12 ffisher, Thomas, 24 George, Hannah, 14 Harvey, John, 24 Kelly, Dorothy, 17 Land, William, 11 Mayfield, Alisa, 17 Nayle, Ann, 14 Parker, Joseph, 24 Read, James, 6 Savage, George, 14 Thomas, Edward, 12 Van Tassell, Effie, 17 Wade, Lydia, 5 Yarnall, Francis, 9 |