The Hawley Society was organized in 1923 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, by descendants of Joseph Hawley (1603-1690), believed to be one of the first Hawleys to settle in the new world. We exist to preserve the memory, records and history of the Hawley Family, and to promote friendly acquaintance and sociability among our members.

 

We were incorporated in Connecticut in 1927 and are a corporation managed by an Executive Committee who serve as volunteers. There are no employees on payroll. Membership dues help fund the ongoing operations. Two of our primary missions are continuing the search to find our English antecedents and to update and republish THE HAWLEY RECORD, 1890.

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Nero Hawley

NERO HAWLEY

Born: 1742, Trumbull, Connecticut
Died: January 30, 1817, Trumbull, Connecticut

While in Trumbull, Connecticut, the Hawley Society members visited the places where an enslaved Nero Hawley lived and is buried. We saw the today houses of his “owner,” Daniel Hawley and of Nero Hawley. No idea what they looked like in the 18th and 19th centuries. Here is the story of Nero Hawley, though not a blood relative, a Hawley hero and an American hero in many ways.

Nero Hawley presentation

Nero Hawley, born into slavery in Connecticut in the 18th century, fought in the Revolutionary War. After his emancipation at the age of 41, he went on to become a successful businessman who diligently worked to emancipate his four children. His story is one that provides valuable insight into the legacy of slavery in Connecticut.

Riverside Cemetery
Riverside Cemetery, Trumbull, Connecticut

As an enslaved person, Nero was considered the property of Peter Mallet, his first owner, who gave Nero to Daniel Hawley when Hawley married Mallet’s daughter, Phebe. Daniel Hawley owned a gristmill, cider mill, and brick-making operation in Trumbull (then known as North Stratford). Nero spent much of his younger life working and learning various trades from Daniel Hawley.

Nero Hawley gravesite in Riverside Cemetery

In 1777, in place of Daniel Hawley, Nero went to Danbury and enlisted in the Continental army. He joined the 2nd Regiment under Colonel Charles Webb and promptly marched to Pennsylvania to serve with the troops under George Washington. Nero spent the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge and fought in numerous battles (primarily along the Hudson River) before receiving an honorable discharge from the army in 1781.

Nero Hawley Pension

Nero returned to Connecticut, and on November 4, 1782, Daniel Hawley emancipated him. Now a free man, Nero chose to stay on and work alongside Hawley at his saw and brick mills. In addition to the salary he drew from millwork, Nero received $8 per month from the US government as a pension for his military service. The money he saved eventually allowed him to purchase some land in the Daniels Farm area and start his own brick-making business.

Display at the Trumbull, Connecticut Historical Society

One day, while attending church with the Hawleys, Nero met and fell in love with a servant of the Reverend James Beebee. They married in 1761 and Nero, though still the property of the Hawleys, went to live with his wife at the Beebee residence.

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