BIOGRAPHY: David Robbins; b. July 21, 1717, Attleborough, Massachusetts; www.familysearch.com; AFN: 2TVH-W6; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, NY 12018; kathy@haleasdollclothes.com; 03/07/2002.
BIOGRAPHY: David Robbins; d. September 9, 1799, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts; www.familysearch.com; AFN: 2TVH-W6; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, NY 12018; kathy@haleasdollclothes.com; 03/07/2002.
BIOGRAPHY: David Robbins; m. to Catherine (Tyler) Robbins, May 20, 1742, Attleboro, Bristol, Massachusetts; www.familysearch.com; AFN: 2NCD-Z7; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, NY 12018; kathy@haleasdollclothes.com; 03/07/2002.
BIOGRAPHY: John Robbins; b. 1687/1688, Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts; www.familysearch.com; AFN: 2TVH-8W; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, NY 12018; kathy@haleasdollclothes.com; 03/07/2002.
BIOGRAPHY: John Robbins; d. August 11, 1774, Attleboro, Bristol, Massachusetts; www.familysearch.com; AFN: 2TVH-8W; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, NY 12018; kathy@haleasdollclothes.com; 03/07/2002.
BIOGRAPHY: John Robbins; m. to Hannah (Clark) Robbins; m. her April 4, 1709, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts; www.familysearch.com; AFN: 2TVH-93; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, NY 12018; kathy@haleasdollclothes.com; 03/07/2002.
BIOGRAPHY: See John Robbins.
Heath, Eleazer. b. September 25, 1756, Willington, Connecticut; d. January 1, 1850, (?); ae 96; mo. Dorcas (Slaughter) Heath; f. Ebenezer Heath. m. to Abigail (Robbins) Heath; b. c. 1759, poss. Connecticut; m. her December 16, 1779, poss. Ashford, Connecticut.
Children of Eleazer Heath and Abigail (?) Heath.
David Heath. b. August 31, 1780.
Ebenezer Heath. b. September 24, 1782.
Dorcas Heath. b. June 19, 1784.
Eleazer Heath. b. March 19, 1786.
Joshua Heath. b. April 6, 1788.
Abigail Heath. b. February 11, 1791.
Anna Heath. b. January 24, 1793.
Job Heath. b. April 24, 1795.
Sarah Heath. b. March 18, 1797.
Samuel Heath. b. January 13, 1799; d. October 8, 1801.
Timothy Heath. b. March 3, 1801.
Rachel Heath. b. December 17, 1802; d. October 13, 1804.1756
Eleazar Heath; b. September 25, 1756, Willington, Connecticut; mo. Dorcas (Slaughter) Heath; f. Ebenezer Heath; Patricia Sears (Smith) Wasilik, Prodigy ID #FXBJ46B, 2510 Rochester Court, Midlothia, Virginia 23113; 12/04/1995.
1779
Eleazar Heath; m. to Abigail (Robbins) Heath; m. her December 16, 1779, poss. Ashford, Connecticut; Ashford/Westford Congregational Church Records; Patricia Sears (Smith) Wasilik, Prodigy ID #FXBJ46B, 2510 Rochester Court, Midlothia, Virginia 23113; 12/04/1995.
1780David Heath; b. August 31, 1780, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Abigail (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
1782Ebenezer Heath; b. September 24, 1782, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Abigail (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
1784Dorcas Heath; b. June 19, 1784, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Abigail (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
1786Eleazer Heath; b. March 19, 1786, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Abigail (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
1788Joshua Heath; b. April 6, 1788, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Abigail (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
1791Abigail Heath; b. February 11, 1791, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Abigail (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
1793Anna Heath; b. January 24, 1793, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Abigail (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
1795Job Heath; b. April 24, 1795, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Abigail (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
1797Sarah Heath; b. March 18, 1797, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Abigail (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
1799Samuel Heath; b. January 13, 1799, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Abigail (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
1801Timothy Heath; b. March 3, 1801, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Abigail (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
1802Rachel Heath; b. December 17, 1802, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Abigail (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
1850Eleazar Heath; d. January 1, 1850; ae 96; mo. Dorcas (Slaughter) Heath; f. Ebenezer Heath; Patricia Sears (Smith) Wasilik, Prodigy ID #FXBJ46B, 2510 Rochester Court, Midlothia, Virginia 23113; 12/04/1995.
Heath, Eleazer, Jr. m. to Betsey (?) Heath.
Children of Eleazer Heath, Jr. and Betsey (?) Heath.
Myrinda Heath. b. December 1[blotted], 1806.
Albert Heath. b. November 22, 1808.
Phydilla Heath. b. November 3, 1810.Myrinda Heath; b. December 1[blotted], 1806, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Betsey (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath, Jr.; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
Albert Heath; b. November 22, 1808, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Betsey (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath, Jr.; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
Phydilla Heath; b. November 3, 1810, Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts; mo. Betsey (?) Heath; f. Eleazer Heath, Jr.; Vital Records of Tyringham, Massachusetts to the year 1850; pub. by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at the charge of the Eddy Town-Record Fund; Boston, Massachusetts; 1903; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 09/26/1996.
Allis, Ichabod. b. July 10, 1675; Hatfield, Massachusetts. d. July 9, 1747, Hatfield, Massachusetts. mo. Mary (Meekins) (Clark) Allis. f. John Allis. m. to Mary (Belden) Allis; b. August 27, 1679, Hatfield, Massachusetts; d. September 9, 1724, Hatfield, Massachusetts; dau. Samuel Belden and Sarah (Fellowes) (Billings) Belden; m. her c. 1698, poss. Hatfield, Massachusetts. m. to Sarah (Waite) (Belden) Allis; b. c. 1675; dau. Benjamin Waite and Martha (Leonard) Waite; wid. John Belden; m. her November 25, 1726, prob. in Hatfield, Massachusetts.
Children of Ichabod Allis and Mary (Belden) Allis.
Abigail Allis. b. February 28, 1700.
Lydia Allis. b. January 7, 1702; d. October 16, 1737.
Martha Allis. b. November 19, 1703; d. September 13, 1764.
Samuel Allis. b. December 12, 1705.
Sarah Allis. b. January 11, 1708.
Bathsheba Allis. b. January 12, 1710.
Abel Allis. b. July 21, 1714.
Elisha Allis. b. December 3, 1716.
1677When Sarah (Waite) (Belden) Allis was but two years old she was captured by the Indians and taken to Canada, but was returned eight months later.
MISCELLANEOUSThe Memorial Hall Museum in Deerfield, Massachusetts has a chest [0033] Ichabod Allis made for his dau., Abigail (Allis) Smith and her husband Deacon Nathaniel Smith of Sunderland, Massachusetts, prob. for their wedding. I purchased a slide of this chest and will draw (pen and ink) a replica of this chest for future publications of this book.
SOURCES
History of Hadley; Sylvester Judd; New Hampshire Publishing Company; 1976.
Genealogy of William Allis of Hatfield, Massachusetts and Descendants; 1630-1919, by Horatio Dana Allis, Hartford, Connecticut; Printed by Art Press, Hartford, Connecticut. 237 Pages of information on Allis family. Available on microfilm from FHC. Connecticut Historical Society, 1 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, Connecticut; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, R.D. #3, Box 361, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 06/1992.
TO DO
Will; Hall of Records; Northampton, Massachusetts; 12/30/1992.
Deed; Hall of Records; Northampton, Massachusetts; 12/30/1992.
Deerfield, Massachusetts; Memorial Hall Museum; letter; 12/30/1992.
History of Hatfield, Massachusetts; 01/04/1993.
History of Sunderland, Massachusetts; 01/04/1993.
Allis, John. b. March 5, 1642; Braintree, Massachusetts. d. January, 1691; Hatfield, Massachusetts. mo. Mary (?) Allis. f. William Allis. m. to Mary (Meekins) (Clark) Allis; b. c. 1642, Roxbury, Massachusetts; d. Hatfield, Massachusetts; dau. Deacon Thomas Meekins and Sarah Catherine (?) Meekins of Hatfield, Massachusetts; wid. Nathaniel Clark of Northampton, Massachusetts; m. her December 14, 1669; prob. either in Hatfield, Massachusetts or Northampton, Massachusetts. Approx. one year after the death of John Allis, she m. Samuel Belden.
Children of Nathaniel Clark and Mary (Meekins) Clark.
Mary (Meekins) (Clark) Allis was also the mother of two children as a result of her m. to Nathaniel Clark.Children of John Allis and Mary (Meekins) (Clark) Allis.
Joseph Allis. b. November 11, 1670; d. June 19, 1724.
Abigail Allis. b. February 25, 1672.
Hannah Allis. b. October 9, 1673.
Ichabod Allis. b. July 10, 1675; d. July 9, 1747.
Eleazar Allis. b. July 23, 1677.
Elizabeth Allis. b. April 4, 1679.
Lydia Allis. b. August 15, 1680; d. August 31, 1691.
John Allis. b. May 10, 1682.
Rebecca Allis. b. April 16, 1683.
William Allis. b. May 16, 1684.
Nathaniel Allis. b. 1685.
Mary Allis. b. August 25, 1687; d. April 20, 1688.John Allis resided in Hatfield, Massachusetts, near his f., William Allis, owning a lot on the same side of Hatfield Street, and was one of the prominent citizens of that town. He was a millwright and carpenter of note, and built many churches. He was the first town clerk of Hatfield, Massachusetts, and was one of a committee of six appointed to make a survey of and lay out highways between Hadley, Massachusetts and Windsor, Connecticut.
John Allis served in King Philip's War.
John Allis was in the fight at Great Falls, Massachusetts on May 19, 1676. Afterward he was a captain in the militia.
At the time of the Hatfield Massacre on September 19, 1677, John Allis' mother, Mary (?) Allis, was killed, his barn burned, and his six-year old dau., Abigail Allis, carried away to Canada by the Indians, being one of the seventeen prisoners taken.
The Indians went north to Deerfield, Massachusetts, on the same day, where they killed one and captured four men, and then
went across the country and north to Lake Champlain and Canada. During the march to Canada one of the men was burned at
the stake, two other captives were killed, and all endured much suffering. The trip through the wilderness was a most difficult
one.On October 24, 1677, with a commission from the Massachusetts government, Benjamin Waite and Stephen Jennings left Hatfield, Massachusetts for Albany, New York by way of Westfield, Massachusetts, that being the only travelled route to Canada. They reached Albany, New York, but the authorities were unfriendly and sent them to New York on a false pretense. After a time they were sent back to Albany, New York with a pass, but it was December 10, 1677 before they were able to resume the journey to Canada. They first hired a Frenchman as a guide, who deserted them, and then hired a Mohawk Indian, who remained with them. In the face of many trials and discouragements, and at times without food, they finally reached the captives at Sorell, Canada, but they were unable to secure all of them without the help of the French authorities, and therefore went on to Quebec, Canada.
The prisoners were held in Canada by the French until ransomed eight months later through the efforts of two of the Hatfield,
Massachusetts settlers, Benjamin Waite and Stephen Jennings, whose families were among the captives. They were young men, experienced in woodcraft and familiar with Indian customs, and they determined to ascertain the fate of their relatives and friends and redeem them if found alive.They were successful in their mission and were also assigned a guard of eleven soldiers to Albany, New York. They left Quebec, Canada on April 19, 1678 and Sorell on May 2, 1678, having redeemed all of the captives. The ransom cost about 200 pounds, which was made up of contributions from the English. The party reached Albany, New York on May 22, 1678 and
eventually arrived at Hatfield, Massachusetts safely.John Allis was in the process of planning the building of the first corn mill at Mill River, Hadley, Massachusetts when he d.
MISCELLANEOUS
The Memorial Hall Museum in Deerfield, Massachusetts has a chest of drawers on exhibit that John Allis made for his dau. for her wedding.
Capt. John Allice. 05/30/1680, Hatfield. List of Freemen, Massachusetts Bay Colony From 1630-1691 with the freeman's oath, the first paper printed in New England, arranged by Hon. H. F. Andrews, Exira, Iowa; Exira Printing Co., 1906; New York State Library, Albany, New York; 12/28/1992.
SOURCESHistory of Hadley; Sylvester Judd; New Hampshire Publishing Company; 1976.
Genealogy of William Allis of Hatfield, Massachusetts and Descendants; 1630-1919, by Horatio Dana Allis, Hartford, Connecticut; Printed by Art Press, Hartford, Connecticut. 237 Pages of information on Allis family. Available on microfilm from FHC. Connecticut Historical Society, 1 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, Connecticut; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, R.D. #3, Box 361, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 06/1992.
TO DO
Will; Hall of Records, Northampton, Massachusetts; 01/03/1993.
Deed; Hall of Records, Northampton, Massachusetts; 01/03/1993.
Deerfield, Massachusetts; Memorial Hall Museum; letter; 01/03/1993.
Berkshire Athenaeum; find wife in Roxbury, Massachusetts published birth records; 12/28/1993.
Allis, John, Captain. 05/30/1680, Hatfield. "List of Freemen, Massachusetts Bay Colony From 1630-1691 with the freeman's oath, the first paper printed in New England", arranged by Hon. H. F. Andrews, Exira, Iowa; Exira Printing Co., 1906. New York State Library, Albany, New York; 12/28/1992.
Allis, William. b. c. 1613; prob. Essex or London, England. d. September 6, 1678; Hatfield, Massachusetts. m. to Mary (?) Allis; b. c. 1613; d. September 19, 1677, Hatfield, Massachusetts; m. her c. 1641, poss. Braintree, Massachusetts. m. to Mary (Bronson) (Wyatt) (Graves) Allis; b. c. 1627, poss. Earl's Colone, Essexshire, England; bp. December 12, 1627, Earl's Colone, Essexshire, England; d. after September 4, 1690, poss. Hatfield, Massachusetts or Connecticut; dau. John Bronson and Frances (Hills) Bronson; wid. John Wyatt of Haddam, Connecticut; wid. John Graves of Hatfield, Massachusetts; m. her June 25, 1678, prob. Hatfield, Massachusetts. She m., aft. death of William Allis, Samuel Gaylord, Sen.; m. him March 16, 1681.
Children of John Wyatt and Mary (Bronson) Wyatt.
To be filled in later.Children of William Allis and Mary (?) Allis.
John Allis. b. March 5, 1642; d. January, 1691.
Samuel Allis. b. February 24, 1647.
Josiah Allis. b. 1649; d. October 25, 1651.
Josiah Allis. b. October 20, 1651.
William Allis. b. January 10, 1653; d. July, 1653.
Hannah Allis. b. 1654; d. 1718.
William Allis. b. October 11, 1655; d. May 19, 1676.
Mary Allis. b. 1657; d. January 25, 1690.Nearly all the Allises in this country are descendants of William Allis of Hatfield, Massachusetts. It is to be regretted that he left no record of his parents or clue that would help to clear up the obscure period of his history before 1630, the year in which he sailed from England.
It is recorded that a Richard Allis took the oath of allegiance in England on June 22, 1632, before embarking on the "Lion", which arrived at Boston, Massachusetts on September 16, 1632, but where he lived here is unknown as no later trace of him can be found. It is possible that they were brothers, but as Richard Allis has left no clue as to his ancestry we can only surmise this to be so.
In 1630 William Allis came to this country with Winthrop's fleet. The fleet consisted of eleven vessels: Arabella, Talbot, Ambrose, Jewel, Charles, Mayflower (third voyage), William and Francis, Hopewell, Whale, Success and Trial.
In the Winthrop colonists, consisting of 700 immigrants, there were three distinct communities represented:
1. those from Dorset and Devon, known as the Dorchester men, who first settled in Boston, Massachusetts a number of years before it received that name;
2. those from Lincolnshire, who were properly called Boston men and had determined upon the name of Boston for the new settlement before they left England;
3. those from London and Essex, England.
William Allis came with the last named company and was no doubt one of the thirty-nine men on the Mayflower's third voyage. They first touched at Salem, but landed at Charlton Harbor, Boston (then called Trimountain), July 1, 1630.
The Mayflower's third voyage was called the Braintree Company, which included William Allis, Thomas Graves and Thomas Meekins, all of whom played an important part in the first generation of our family. Our ancestor was associated with Thomas Graves from the start, always lived at the same place, and the families eventually intermarried. They were both surveyors and laid out the town or fort of Charlestown, the first regular settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The first trace of William Allis after landing was in Mount Wollaston (Braintree), Massachusetts in 1632. That town, comprising fifty square miles, was surveyed and laid out by him before 1634, and during that year, by order of the General Court, it was annexed to Boston, Massachusetts.
Large tracts of land were granted to certain inhabitants to settle in Mount Wollaston (Braintree), Massachusetts and William Allis received twelve acres on February 24, 1640. On May 13, 1640, the inhabitants of Mount Wollaston (Braintree), Massachusetts were incorporated as the town of Braintree and with Dorchester, Dunham, Hingham, Natasket and Roxbury, were incorporated to form the city of Boston, Massachusetts.
On May 13, 1640 William Allis was made a freeman. Only those who were members of the church were allowed to take the Freeman's Oath, which gave them the right to vote and hold office. Several historians have apparently been misled by the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony into stating that the first knowledge of William Allis was on May 13, 1640. The reason for the error was that the official records of Braintree, Massachusetts were first instituted on that day. He was made a freeman then because Braintree, Massachusetts was incorporated in the city of Boston, Massachusetts.
William Allis lived in Braintree, Massachusetts until 1658 and then emigrated to Wethersfield, Connecticut in the fertile Connecticut Valley. At that time the Massachusetts Bay Settlement was becoming somewhat crowded, and as a result the colonists left there from time to time for Connecticut, settling the towns of Windsor, Wethersfield and Hartford in the order named. Most of the settlers made the trip afoot through the wilderness and brought with them only such things as they needed most, leaving the remainder of their possessions to be brought around from Boston, Massachusetts and up the Connecticut River by boat.
All went well until there arose a difference of opinion among the settlers of these three towns in regard to church government and ordinances. A crisis was reached in 1659 and a meeting was called at which a committee was appointed to go up the Connecticut River and view the lands east and north of Northampton, Massachusetts which had been purchased from the River Indians through Major John Pynchon of Springfield, Massachusetts. A favorable report was made by the committee and about 60 men, 20 of whom lived in Wethersfield, Connecticut agreed to move with their families to that very attractive place, and the land was shared between them and a lot assigned to each one. In that way Hadley, Massachusetts was settled by the English from Wethersfield, Hartford and Windsor, William Allis being one of the number.
It is claimed that William Allis and Thomas Meekins, with several others, made the journey by way of the cart path through Westfield, Massachusetts in 1661, in which year the first of the English settled in Hadley, Massachusetts. The journey was a difficult one on account of the wilderness, the many streams to be bridged or forded and the impassible swamps, and with their heavily loaded carts, women and children, personal effects and live stock of various kinds, it took them ten days to make the trip of about fifty miles.
The Hadley, Massachusetts lands were on both sides of the Connecticut River and had been partly cleared by the Indians. The homelots of eight acres were laid out on each side of the main street, which was ten rods wide and extended a mile north and south. Hadley was laid out somewhat after the fashion of English towns and was named after Hadleigh, Suffolk County, England.
Our ancestor's homelot was on the west side of the main street in the center of the settlement. The present meeting house, town hall and Congregational parsonage are all on the lot which was assigned to William Allis. The main street was surrounded by a continuous line of palisades during King Philip's War, enclosing the houses of the original proprietors, and those who settled later were outside the palisades.
On May 31, 1670, that part of Hadley, Massachusetts became the town of Hatfield, Massachusetts.
In 1671 the northern part of Hatfield, Massachusetts was incorporated as the town of Whately, Massachusetts.
In 1672 William Allis was one of those commissioned to lay out Squakeage (Northfield, Massachusetts).
He was a member of the committee which was appointed by the town on March 7, 1673, and authorized to say who should be the inhabitants of Deerfield, Massachusetts by right of purchase or otherwise, to regulate the herding of cattle, to advise about the institution of a church and secure a good orthodox minister, etc. At a later date, namely May 7, 1673, the Great and General Court appointed him one of a committee of six to act in all respects, to lay out the farms and to admit inhabitants to Deerfield, Massachusetts.
In 1674 William Allis was one of those commissioned to lay out Swampfield (Sunderland), Massachusetts.
During these years, as the Indians had been fairly dealt with by the settlers, peace existed between them until war was incited by King Philip. On October 19, 1675, the Indians, numbering about 800 attacked Hatfield, Massachusetts with the intention of destroying the town and slaying the inhabitants, as they had at the neighboring towns of Northfield, Massachusetts and Deerfield, Massachusetts, but they were expected by the settlers and beaten off with but small loss to Hatfield.
The Indians then assumed a defiant attitude. They stole cattle and horses from the English and appropriated a number of the outlying farms. As a result the settlers decided to take the offensive and the battle at Great Falls (Turner's Falls), Massachusetts resulted.
1676Men from the different towns to the number of 150 started from their homes on May 18, 1676, and assailed the Indians at the Falls early in the morning of the 19th, when they were asleep, killing about 175 of them with practically no loss to themselves, but when they began their homeward march this success was turned into a defeat. The Indians attacked them in the rear, and a panic was created among the English by the report that a thousand warriors under King Philip were at hand. The men were scattered, and although the retreat was conducted with bravery and skill thirty-eight of the settlers were killed, and some became lost and wandered around in the woods for two or three days before reaching their homes.
William Allis was a captain in the fight at Great Falls and had with him in the engagement three sons, one of whom William Allis, Jr. was killed.
The settlers now saw the need of a larger force to cope with the Indians. A cavalry regiment called the Hampshire Troop, under command of Major John Pynchon, was recruited from the different towns.
William Allis was first Coronet and later Lieutenant of the mounted troops. Garrisons were established in the various towns, that of Hatfield, Massachusetts being made up of thirty-six men under Lieutenant William Allis, and he was in charge of fortifying Hatfield, Massachusetts in the winter of 1677-78.
For a while after the Falls fight there was an occasional plundering expedition by the Indians, but they became scattered by famine, disease and by the English troops, and the death of King Philip on August 12, 1676 appeared to put an end to the war. Nothing more was seen of the Indians until September 19, 1677 when fifty of them from Canada, led by their chief, Ashpelon, and encouraged by the French, attacked Hatfield, Massachusetts without any warning. They entered the town when most of the men were harvesting corn in a distant field, set fire to many buildings, killed twelve and captured seventeen of the English, and immediately started for Canada with their captives. Mary (?) Allis, the wife of William Allis, was one of those killed in the massacre, and Abigail Allis, his granddaughter, was one of those taken captive. The suddenness of the attack seemed to paralyze the settlers and apparently no effort was made to rescue their relatives and friends. Perhaps they feared that the captives might be tomahawked, if pursued, and hoped they might be spared if unmolested. The prisoners, upon their arrival in Canada, were turned over to the French, and those who survived did not again see their homes until eight months later.
On June 25, 1678, William Allis m. to Mary (Bronson) (Wyatt) (Graves) Allis, dau. John Bronson and wid. John Graves of Hatfield, Massachusetts. John Graves lost his life in the Hatfield, Massachusetts massacre. She was also the wid. John Wyatt of Haddam, Connecticut bef. she m. John Graves of Hatfield, Massachusetts. William Allis d. September 6, 1678.
William Allis was evidently a prosperous man in his day and at the close of his life he had accumulated quite an estate. The inventory of his property, which was taken September 18, 1678, was as follows: In purse and apparel, £9, 13, 0; arms and ammunition, £6, 1, 0; beds and other furniture, £9, 5, 0; napkins and other linen, £2, 1, 0; brass and pewter pieces, £5, 10, 0; iron utensils, £2, 11, 6; cart, plow irons, chains, stilliards, £7, 15, 0; tables, pitchforks, cushions, scythe, £1, 19, 0; barrels, tubs, trays, £3, 9, 6; woolen and linen yarn, £0 18, 6; several sorts of grain, flax, £11, 12, 0; 2 horses, £7, 0, 0; 3 cows, 2 steers, 2 calves, 1 heifer, £20, 0, 0; swine and sheep, £10, 8, 0; houses and home lot, £100, 0, 0; land in South Meadow, £114, 0, 0; land in Great and Little Meadow, £136, 0, 0; land in Plain and Swamp, £20, 0, 0; land in Quinepiake, £28, 13, 0; a total of £496, 6, 6.
On March 16, 1681, after the death of William Allis, Mary (Bronson) (Wyatt) (Graves) Allis m. Samuel Gaylord.
MISCELLANEOUS
William Allis' children were all b. Braintree, Massachusetts.
Our ancestor was a well-educated, capable man, and well fitted to take his place among the Puritan settlers. He was not only an experienced surveyor, but also a successful farmer in Braintree, Massachusetts. He was a prominent citizen of the town, being one of its selectmen, and had the supervision of building a road from Boston, Massachusetts to Providence, Rhode Island (prob. Route 1 in 1993).
William Allis was a leading citizen of Hatfield, Massachusetts and a trusted Lieutenant of John Pynchon's Hampshire County Troop of Hatfield, Massachusetts. He held the office of deacon, justice of the peace and selectman, was often on advisory committees with prominent men of that section.
SOURCESGenealogy of William Allis of Hatfield, Massachusetts and Descendants; 1630-1919, by Horatio Dana Allis, Hartford, Connecticut; Printed by Art Press, Hartford, Connecticut. 237 Pages of information on Allis family. Available on microfilm from FHC. Connecticut Historical Society, 1 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, Connecticut; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, R.D. #3, Box 361, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 06/1992.
History of U.S., Bancroft ed. 1890, 228-237.
History of Massachusetts, Barry.
Winthrop's Journal, Hosmer's edition, 24.
Mem. History of Boston, Winsor, 82, 85, 90.
History of Ancient Wethersfield, Stiles, 162-4.
History of Hadley, Judd, 11, 23.
Ancestral File Mary Bronson AFN:8R46-HN; Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints Family History Center; Loudonville, New York; 08/20/1992.
TO DONorthampton, Hall of Records; will; deed; 12/29/1992.
History of Ancient Wethersfield; 12/29/1992.
History of Hadley; 12/29/1992.
History of Hatfield; 12/29/1992.
Write to Braintree, town records; 12/29/1992.
Allis, William. William Allis of Hatfield, MA, and His Descendants, 1632-1919, by Horatio Dana Allis. 237 Pages of information on Allis family. Available on microfilm from FHC. Connecticut Historical Society, 1 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, CT; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, R.D. #3, Box 361, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 06/1992.
Allis, William. Allis, Willi. May 13, 1640, Hatfield. List of Freemen, Massachusetts Bay Colony From 1630-1691 with the freeman's oath, the first paper printed in New England, arranged by Hon. H. F. Andrews, Exira, Iowa; Exira Printing Co., 1906. New York State Library, Albany, New York; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, R.D. #3, Box 361, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 12/28/1992.
Allis, William. Allise, Willi.; May 13, 1640; Hatfield. List of Freemen, Massachusetts Bay Colony From 1630-1691 with the freeman's oath, the first paper printed in New England, arranged by Hon. H. F. Andrews, Exira, Iowa; Exira Printing Co., 1906. New York State Library, Albany, New York; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, R.D. #3, Box 361, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 12/28/1992.
Arnold, Alexander. b. January 20, 1808, Steuben County, New York; d. 1877, Steuben County, New York. m. to Rachel (Henderson) Arnold; m. her 1827, Hartford, Washington County, New York.
Alexander Arnold; Wash. Co.; NY; Hartford; 137; 1820; 1820-1829 US Census; Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints Family History Center, Library, Loudonville, Albany County, New York; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, R.D. #3, Box 361, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York; 04/1992.
Alexander Arnold; Hartford; 1825 New York State Census, Washington County; Microfilm, New York State Library, Albany, Albany County, New York; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, R.D. #3, Box 361, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 05/271994.
Alexander Arnold; m. to Rachel (Henderson) Arnold; m. her 1827; Hartford, Washington County, New York; M-IGI New York; Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints Family History Center, Loudonville, Albany County, New York; Kathryn Colleen (Hillis) Dickinson, R.D. #3, Box 361, 1790 NY 43, Averill Park, New York 12018; 05/12/1994.
REFN: 768
[family.FTW]
Source: WFT volume 9, tree 3616, 1997.
NOTE: The ancestry of the Lee family from volume 8 tree 2065 states the
official registerof persons who passed through the Port of London on
their way to America, for the years 1634-1635, is an entry dated 5 May
1635, stating that Richard andRobert Lee, aged "22 Yeres" and "33"
Yeres, respectively, sailed in the Alexander, Captain Burche, bound for
the Barbados. Since Barbados was usually thefirst port of call for most
Virginia colonist, and family tradition holds that the founding Richard
Lee came with a brother, this record doubtlessly refers to Robert who
founded the "Ditchley Line" of Lees of whom our line is descended.
Robert Lee settled on Long Island, in New York State.
*It is from Robert that the original Lees of New York and New Jersey were
descended. True, there are now many in New York who are descendants of
John Lee, a cousin of Richard and Robert who came to America at an
earlier date and settled at Farmington, Connecticut. There are also
other descendants of John Lee scattered throughout the New England states
and in other northern commonwealths but the New York and New Jersey Lees
and their descendants are the offspring of RobertLee, brother of
Richard. He was only 21 years old when he first set foot inAmerica
coming here principally to engage in trade with relatives at home, while
his brother participated in the government of the Colony. In 1657 Robert
became dissatisfied with Virginia and returned to England to be followed
two years later by his brother. This is partly confirmed by a court
record which states that a patent was granted to Robert Lee, for 540
acres in Gloucester County, "beginning at a red oak by Mr. Thornton's
path and to a white oakby Colonel Lee's horse path and to a branch of
the said Robert Lee's plantation; 200 acres thereof formerly granted to
Col. Richard Lee on the 17th day of May, 1665 and by him assigned to the
said Robert Lee on the 15th day of February, 1657, and the remaining 340
acres for the transportation of seven persons, etc."*THE LEES OF AMERICA
AND SOME OF THEIR DESCENDANTS (A history of the Family compiled by
Clifford S. Lee from the Records of the New York PublicLibrary, and
those of York County, Virginia)
REFN: 3118
[family.FTW]
William Lee, second son of Robert,came to America in 1675. He settled
on a farm near Westmoreland in Oneida County, New York andlater moved to
a farm which he purchased in Westchester county, New York. He was taxed
on 40 acres of land at Hempstead, Long Island, New York in 1863.
Source: DAR Lineage Book page 321, submitted by Mrs. Bessie Ann Lee Van
Osdol. Lee Family Records by J. Montgomery, a pamphlet located in Ross
County Genealogy Society, Chillicothe, Ohio.
NOTES: from the book, "The Rockaway Cemetery Records, page 141, the
following was written: "Tradition relates that John Lee, of Lee Hall,
Nottingham, England, the third Earl of Litchfield, had one son Robert.
Robert Lee had son William, who on account of religious persecution fled
to the colonies and settled ah Hempstead, L.I., 1675. He married Mary
Marvin, whose mother's maiden name was Mary Brown, and died at Hempstead
1724."....In 1683 the Governor of New York required the town of Hempstead
to take a new patent, and 2 1/2 pence per acre was levied on all lands
held by individuals in the town which numbered 160, number of acres
16,563. William Leewas assessed with 40 acres.
NOTES ABOUT HIS CHILDREN: Page 142 of the Rockaway Cemetery Records, had
that "William had also six daughters, of whom no records are found."
NOTE: LEE GENEALOGY at Minisink Museum had the following: Emigrated from
Nottinghamshire, Eng. in 1675 to escape religious persecution. Settled at
Hempstead, Long Island. Had 3 sons and 7 daughters.
Confirmation source: Larry E. Hibbert, December 20, 2000