Stephen Hawley (HR24), son of Samuel Sr, married Mary, daughter of David DeForest, of Stratford, a Hugeunot family of the very best character and public influence. When Stephen Hawley was twenty three years of age, he engaged in business, as indicated by the following record:
4 Aug 1718, agreement between William Lamson and Stephen Hawley, being equally interested in a fulling dam and utensils belonging thereto, standing by Paquonock River, leased to them by Edmund Lewis for the term of twenty years from the date above, agreeing to carry on the trades of fulling, tentering and pressing, in the best way and manner they are capable of and sharing equally in the profits. (Stratford Records, b.11, p.338)
This fulling mill was located about three miles north of the present city of Bridgeport, CT, and it is probable that Stephen Hawley resided there until 1725, for in 1726 his son Nehemiah was born in Newtown, CT. In 1727, he had seventy acres of land laid out to him in New Milford, on the west side of the Great River, on the Still River Neck, on a hill called Rock Hill. This was near or partly on what is now called Falls Mountain, in New Milford, just below the Great Falls. This land remained in the Hawley family many years and it was through this land that the highway was laid out 28 Dec 1749 from New Milford to the Newtown line.   In 1733, Stephen Hawley had deeded to him for the town of New Milford, in one body or tract, 742 acres of land. This land to all appearances was a part of the tract secured for the town of New Milford by the following deed:
To all people to whom these presents shall come, greeting: Know ye that I Cockshure, Indian of an Indian plantation within the township of Woodbury in the county of Fairfield and Colony of Connecticut in New England; for and in consideration of a valuable sum of money in hand received, do by these presents for myself and heirs, unto Stephen Hawley of Newtown in ye country aforesaid, and to the sole use and behoof of ye proprietors of New Milford in the county of New Haven, and Colony aforesaid, and to their successors forever, demise, release and forever quit claim my claim, right, title and interest in and unto a certain tract or parcel of land within the township of New Milford, aforesaid, being the whole of that interval or River land, be it more or less, lying and adjoining upon the east side of the Great River, so called, and bounding northward upon ye brook called Wawwecoes, southwardly upon Woodbury line, and eastward upon the top of the mountain: To them and their successors ye above demised premises with all manner of its appurtenances as their own proper estate of inheritance in fee simple: to have, hold, occupy and enjoy forever.
In witness thereof, I ye said Cockshure, Indian, do hereunto set my hand and afix my seal this 31st day of July, AD 1733.
Stephen Hawley removed from Newtown to New Milford, CT about 1747, where he was when a petition was made and the enactment secured:
Upon the memorial of Stephen Hawley of New Milford, showing this Assembly that he and his family are situate ten miles distant from the parade of the military company to which they belong in New Milford, and praying to be annexed to the company or trainband under the command of Capt John Glover of Newtown and praying liberty for one male person to tarry at home on training days, etc:
Resolved by this Assembly, that the said Stephen Hawley with the male persons belonging to the family, be hereby dismissed from the company to which he now belongs in said New Milford and are annexed unto the company under the command of Capt John Glover, and have liberty of one of his male persons tarrying at home each training day, but not exempt from the view of arms and ammunition. (May 1748, Connecticut Colonial Record, vol ix, 372)
In 1755, an effort was made to raise a fund for the Newbury Society, now the town of Brookfield, by the donation of undivided lands. Stephen Hawley gave thirty acres, Joseph Murray, five, and John Noble two and a half, and in 1771, another effort was made, when Stephen Hawley gave seven acres more. (History of New Milford, CT, 254)
The Hawley Record, Elias Sill Hawley, published by E. H. Hutchinson, Buffalo, NY, 1890, Page 454, note 24.
