Samuel Hawley, son of Samuel, Sen, married Bethia Boothe, daughter of Ephraim. He and his wife were second cousins, resided in Stratford, CT, and were influential citizens, so were also several of his children. He gave the following quit-claim deed, which is the last record concerning the land held in England by his grandfather Joseph Hawley, and which had been sold by his father, Samuel, Sen.
“Know all men by these presents that whereas Samuel Hawley of Stratford, in County of Fairfield and Colony of Connecticut in New England, late deceased, did in his life-time sell, alienate and convey a certain Housing and Tenements of land situate on the Island of Great Britain in Old England: Now know ye, that I, Samuel Hawley of Stratford in the County of Fairfield in the Colony of Connecticut aforesaid, eldest son to the said Samuel Hawley deceased, for a consideration of fifteen acres of meadow land, quit claimed to me by my brother Nathaniel Hawley of said Stratford in said county and colony aforesaid, said quit-claim bearing equal date with these presents, which is to my full satisfaction and content. On which considerations I, the said Samuel Hawley, do, for myself, my heirs, &c, . . . quit all claims, chalenge and further demands unto the said Nathaniel Hawley, his heirs, &c . . . all the above alienated lands or tenements, sold by my deceased father Samuel Hawley above said, situated in England on the Island of Great Britain, be the same of what denomination soever, quiting all claim from me, said Samuel, my heirs, &c, unto the said Nathaniel, his heirs, &c. . . . all my rights, title, profit or demands to any estate whatever, alienated formerly by my said father Hawley, in his lifetime in Great Britain, and that I, the said Samuel Hawley, my heirs, executors and all other persons whomsoever, by or under me or them, shall, by force or virtue of these presents, be utterly debarred from laying any lawful claim or demands unto the above quitted premises formerly sold by my said father Hawley, and that the grantee, his heirs, etc, of the said Samuel Hawley, deceased, shall possess and enjoy the quitted premises free from all encumbrance, &c. . . .from em the said Samuel Hawley, my heirs, &c.In witness and confirmation of all the premises I hereunto set my hand and seal in Stratford, this 3d day of June, A D 1735.
Samuel Hawley
The quit-claim deed of Nathaniel Hawley to his brother Samuel, of fifteen acres of meadow to pay for the above claims on money due for the property sold din England, is recorded in the same book as the above, page 195.
It is a matter of history that payments were received from England after Nathaniel Hawley had purchased these claims, and that the last received, as far as known, was in brass kettles.
About one hundred years after the last brass kettleswere received, the story of the property in England belonging to the Hawley family became exciting, and as repeated from one to snother, the amount increasing until it was supposed that a very large sum was awaiting American claimants. A gathering of the family was held, money raised and an agent with full authority was sent to England, but no property was found and the matter died quietly.
Samuel Hawley Jr ws tempered in mind much after the manner of his father and grandfather as to the love of land, and although his father had given him several hundred acres, he was not content and hence we find the following statement in the Connecticut Colony Records, for October 1705:
“Whereas there are some persons, namely, William Janes and Samuel Hawley Jr, of Stratford, and Justus Bush of New York, who have contrary to the laws of this Colonie, lately purchased of the Indians some thousands of acres of land lying on the west side of Stratford River, as appearsby a deed of said purchase now in the hands of the Court.” In consequence of the illegality, which was that the land had been purchased without a permit from the Court, the Court directed the Fairfield County Court to proceed against these persons, which undoubtedly they did, but the matter was so arranged that, in 1708, his father, Samuel, Sen, his uncle John and thirty-four others purchased the whole township where it was located under a grant from the General Assembly.
Probably one reason why the Hawleys purchased so many acres of land and held it for higher price was – they had the money with which to do it – a tolerably good reason. “As rich as the Hawleys,” is a saying still in the town of Trumbull, CT.
The Hawley Record, compiled and published by Elias Sill Hawley, 1890
Genealogical Note 15, page 445
