Our colonial-era Long Island ancestors

I'd like to open a discussion for those of us seeking information about our colonial (1600s-1700s) ancestors in Long Island. Many were dissidents who left Massachusetts Bay seeking religious freedom; some of these were Quaker, and others followers of Anne Hutchinson. Some of the names among my ancestors there are Underhill, Weeks, Merritt, Titus, Willlis, Willets, Haviland, Seaman, Kirby, Jackson, Franklin, Coles, Cock, Bowne, with much intermarriage among them. Let's share what information we have about them and their lives.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Marilyn Tallent on June 9, 2011 at 2:12pm

How does one acces the information from the Vedder Library? I was seeking marrige information for Thomas Powell and Clarissa Rebecca Ketcham around 1840. I believe his parents were John Powell and Catherine Smith but I am not sure.Marilyn Powell Tallent

Permalink Reply by Jason Kirk on September 13, 2011 at 11:59am

My ancestors were Quaker also, Cocks,Seaman,Coles,Titius,Downing,Carpenter,Craft,Frost Weeks, and a few others. Family was mostly in Glen Cove (Musketa Cove) and Oyster Bay. Have been doing research for over a year.

Permalink Reply by Jason Kirk on September 13, 2011 at 1:05pm

Abigail Valentine became a Kirk she married William.

Deborah Seaman also became a Kirk she married John

Richard Kirk married Phoebe Robins then Ann Downing.

Richard and Ann had Daniel Daniel married Mary Titus.

Daniel and Mary had Joshua who married Hannah Cocks.

Daniel and Mary had Benjamin Kirk he owned a large estate on forest ave that he sold to Seaman. He passed and his mother Hannah moved to 143 school st where she passed. Joshua owned a mill and a 3 story building where the Cole's had a business.

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Gail McArthur on August 28, 2012 at 11:25pm

Oh, how exciting for this Canadian grandmother to find you folks, many of whom must be distant cousins! My Rehoboth and Long Island names are: Carpenter, Titus, Millard, Dean, Haviland, Powell, Swazey Willots, Van Winkle and Koemans.

I have two lines (so far!) that lead back to Carpenters of both Rehoboth and Rhode Island, and am still attempting to sort them out. My gg grandmother was Phoebe Titus Dean, and her parents were Daniel Dean and Abigail Carpenter. This family were Quakers, going back many generations. Phoebe T. Dean's grandsom, Edward Jay Lowe, was my grandfather; he left Michigan in 1908 for "free" (not quite, but that's another story!) land in southern Alberta, Canada, and never returned to the U.S.

I'm relatively new to genealogy, but have become passionate about discovering my American ancestors - I'm driving to New England in Sept, with an American cousin, to research as many of these ancestors as we can. I'd love to correspond with any of you who are interested - I have a lot to learn, an open mind and overwhelming curiosity!

Gail in Vancouver