JOHN HAWLEY 1661-1729

CAPT JOHN HAWLEY, ESQ

Born: 14 June 1661, Stratford, CT
Died: 27 July 1729, Stratford, CT

Capt John Hawley, son of Joseph the first, was probably married twice. Of Hannah, his first wife, nothing is known except that her name is recorded as a member of the church and the wife of John Hawley. He married 2d, Deborah Pierson, but whose daughter she was is not known. He left a good estate in lands, in Durham, Haddam and Stratford, CT, amounting to over L 3000, a very nice sum in those days.

Public Service

He was appointed a Lieutenant to a company of soldiers organized to defend the county of Fairfield, CT, against the Indians in 1704.  He was made Lieutenant of a militia company of Stratford, in May, 1709, and Captain of the same in October, 1709.

He was elected Representative to the General Assembly for May 1702; October 1705; October 1707; October 1709; October 1710; May 1712, May 1713, May 1714; May 1716; October 1716; October 1719; May 1720; October 1720; May 1721; October 1721; October 1722; October 1723; May 1724 – 19 times.

He was appointed by the General Assembly, Justice of the Peace for the county of Fairfield, CT, May 1720; May 1721; May 1722; May 1723; May 1724; May 1725; May 1726; May 1727; and May 1728.

The Will of Capt John Hawley

In the name of God, Amen. I, John Hawley of Stratford, in the Colony of Connecticut and County of Fairfield, being in a low and weak condition, but of a sound mind and memory, blessed be God, and calling to mind ye mortality of my body, and knowing it is appointed for all men to die, do make this my last Will and Testament in manner following:Firstly, I commend my soul to God that gave it, hoping through ye merits, death and passion of Jesus Christ, my Saviour and Redeemer, to obtain ye free pardon of all my sins and inherit everlasting blessedness, and my body after this life to be decently buried at ye discretion of my relations.As for what worldly goods God has blessed me with in this world I freely give and dispose of as followeth, just debts and funeral expenses being first paid. I have disposed of all my children and given great part of my estate to them..I give to my daughter Hannah twenty shillings.I give to my daughter Mary twenty shillings.I freely give to my well-beloved wife, besides her dowry in lands, all my movable estate to have and dispose of as she shall see cause.Item. I give to my well-beloved son, Henry Hawley, his dwelling house and barn, and two acres of land in and above his brethren, because my eldest son, and freely give all my lands both in Durham and Haddam and Stratford, unto my four sons, namely, Henry, John, Nathan and Joseph, in equal portions, as they shall see cause to divide.Item. I give to ye children of my daughter Deborah, deceased, all my lands in Newtown, to be equally divided unto them.Item. I freely give my granchild, John Porter, ye son of my daughter Sarah, deceased, ten pounds if he lives to the age of twenty-one years, which ten pounds I have delivered into ye hands of his grandfather John Porter as may be seen by a bond under his hand and seal, dated March fifteenth, one thousand seven hundred and twenty-seven-eight, and his grandfather to pay ten pounds to my grandchild if he lives to twenty-one years old, – and I do hereby constitute my well-beloved wife and two sons, Henry and John Hawley, executors of this my last Will, and any two of them to act; hereby revoking all former wills; and I do declare this and only this above written to be my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof, I set my hand and seal this sixteenth day of March, one thousand seven hundred and twenty-seven-eight.

John Hawley

The amount of the inventory of Capt John Hawley’s estate was L 1912, 18s, 11d.

The Hawley Record, compiled and published by Elias Sill Hawley, 1890
Genealogical Note #13, page 444