THE PROGENITORS AND DESCENDANTS OF
THE REV. JOSEPH TOY
EDUCATOR, SILVERSMITH AND CLERGYMAN*
Joseph Toy or Tay was born to his family in America of the 4th generation preceding the founding by him of a new generation in Harford County, Maryland. To meet this objective successfully, took a man of vision and understanding, with ability and stamina to solve the many problems inherent in raising a family that would be a credit to his wife and to him. This genealogy will bear out how their descendants became a monument to their memory and a credit to the State of Maryland. His background indicates his forbears were in comfortable financial circumstances. He was of early colonial ancestry, which sank its roots deep into the soil of early New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as he was descended from the early Swedes on the Delaware and the hardy Irish and English Quakers. He was one of the founders of the Methodist Church in America.
So much has been written about the Rev. Joseph Toy in the early history of Methodism in Maryland, that it has not been difficult to present many details of his life. The historical background of the Methodist Church had its origin in England in the eighteenth century. John Wesley founder of the Methodist Church began his preaching about 1739. He developed doctrines not very different from those of the Anglican Church, of which he was a clergyman at first. At this time absence of religious interest and zeal, were responsible for many secessions from the established Church of England, which resulted in the founding of Methodism. The members of the new sect led very strict lives but were deeply sincere and because of this sincerity were thus able to reach all classes, making their success so prodigious that the Church of England was weakened by a secession larger than that of the Puritans threatened years before.
Captain Webb, who became a convert under John Wesley at Bristol, England, was sent to New Jersey to enlist converts to the cause of Methodism. He formed a small class at the Barracks in Burlington, New Jersey, December 14, 1770. It was here he enlisted a prominent young recruit, Joseph Toy. Toy was born in 1748, a descendant of early settlers of New Jersey. He had received unusual advantages at the school of Thomas Powell in Burlington. Toy was strongly impressed with Webb’s fervor and became a convert. Webb made him his class leader, thus becoming the first Methodist leader in New Jersey, an honor he splendidly enhanced.
Joseph Toy married Frances Dallam, daughter of Richard Dallam of Harford County, Maryland on May 29,1770. Richard Dallam of Deer Creek was an early convert to Methodism. He was one of the most prominent men in Harford County and during the Revolution of 1776 served as an officer in the Continental Army.
In 1771 Joseph Toy moved to Trenton, New Jersey. Here he gathered a class together with two or three Methodist s recently arrived from Ireland. In 1776 Joseph Toy settled in Maryland in the immediate neighborhood of Bush Chapel, a few miles from Abington, where he formed a class and built the first Chapel. He was already a skilled silversmith and besides taught Mathematics and English at Cokesbury College, the first Methodist College in America, which burned in 1795. The ground for the College was purchased from Richard Dallam and it was Bishop Asbury who persuaded Joseph Toy to move from Trenton to Abington, Maryland.
Joseph Toy’s home was said to be quite spacious and when the Conference of 1787 met at Abington he entertained twelve members of the clergy. Soon after the town of Abington was laid out in 1780 by Richard Dallam, Joseph Toy bought two lots and held other property as late as 1816. He entered the itinerary of the Baltimore Conference and was ordained to the Methodist ministry, January 28, 1800, and served actively for eighteen years, dying January 28, 1826, honored not only as the first class leader in New Jersey but as a builder in Maryland. Rev. Joseph Toy was one of the best educated ministers in the early church of America. He was deeply read in the bible and was one of the soundest preachers of this time.
Mr. Toy, it was said was possessed of a naturally strong intellect and a very retentive memory. In addition to the liberal advantages which he enjoyed in his youth he was a diligent reader and student. He was a first cousin of Bishop William White of the Protestant Episcopal Church, Chaplain of Congress and Rector of Christ Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
How Methodism Came, by Ruthella Mary Bibbens
An Authentic History of Cokesbury College, Its Founders and Teachers
A Cyclopedix of Methodism.
The Diary of Thomas Haskins
The Rise of Methodism in Maryland, (The Western Shore, Harford County).
Maryland Silversmiths by Dr. J. Hall Pleasants
Silversmiths of New Jersey, 1700-1825 by Carl W. Williams
Several of the sources quoted speak of the relationship existing between Joseph Toy and Bishop White, feeling their respective mothers were sisters and daughters of Abraham Heulings of Burlington, New Jersey. Every effort was make to establish their relationship through a search of the early records of both the Heulings and Toy families without success. However, feeling there must have been a basis for the statements, the conclusion that has been reached is that Joseph Toy’s mother Elizabeth Wood Toy wife of Elias Toy (3) had a sister Hannah Wood who in 1741 married Joseph Heulings. That Joseph Toy was raised by Joseph and Hannah Heulings and was named for Joseph Heulings, the name Joseph not being used in the Toy family. Further that this Joseph Heulings was a brother of Father Heulings White wife of Col. Thomas White.
Joseph Toy’s Harford County contacts must have been made through the family of Colonel Thomas White who held large estates at Bush River and lived there, when not in Philadelphia. Joseph toy had a son named Isaac Nicholas and the name Isaac is common in the Heulings but is not used in the Toy family and John Toy son of Joseph Toy had the middle name of Hulings (according to Martha Justina Toy his daughter). In order to substantiate the conclusions reached three generations of the Heulings Genealogy is being presented.
THE HEULINGS LINE
The Heulings family of New Jersey was founded by two brothers; William and Abraham Heulings who emigrated from London, England in 1678. (History of New Jersey by Smith, 1915, p. 108, Peabody Library). These brothers are not to be confused with Lars Huling. A Swede. (Parochial Records of Gloria Dei Church, Pennsylvania Magazine, V.2, pp. 224-229).
William Heulings (1) settled at Evesham, Burlington County, New Jersey. He died in 1713 and his will was probated 6/5/1713 (New Jersey Archives, Calendar of Wills, V.2). He left a family but only one son Jacob Heulings, who died in 1757, leaving four sons: Jacob, Joseph who died 1782 wife Elizabeth, William and Abraham. (New Jersey Archives, V.23, p.156).
Abraham Heulings (1) the other brother settled in Williamsborough Township, Burlington County, New Jersey. His first wife was Hester English whom he married 5/5/1683. A son Abraham Heulings was born 9/5/1689 and a daughter Mary born 4/23/1691. On 6/5/1698 Abraham Heulings (1) was disowned by the Friends’ Meeting because he had joined St. Mary’s Protestant Episcopal Church, Burlington. (All of the above from the Encyclopedia of Quaker Genealogy, V.2, p.231). Abraham Heulings (1) died in 1722 and his will was proved 6/18/1722. (New Jersey Archives, Calendar of Wills, V.1). He left a wife Diana and the following children:
ELIZABETH HEULINGS (2) who married 6/10/1712 Nathan Curtis (Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, V.1, p.245) and who married 2nd Samuel Bryan (New Jersey Archives, Calendar of Wills, V.2).
MARY HEULINGS (2) born 4/23/1691 married a Mr. Reefs
ABRAHAM JEULINGS (2) born 9/5/1689 died 1731, his wife Mary died 1732. Both died intestate and their estates were settled by Joseph Heulings and CHARLES TONKIN. (New Jersey Archives, Calendar of Wills V.2)
ESTER OR HESTER HEULINGS (3) baptized 3/29/1717 at St. Mary’s P. E. Church, Burlington married John Newman of Philadelphia, son of Walter and Mary Newman (New Jersey Archives, Marriages, V.22, p.224). John Newman died in 1742 and Ester married Colonel Thomas White of Harford County, Maryland 5/7/1747 at Christ Church, Philadelphia.
WILLIAM WHITE (4) born 4/4/1748. First Protestant Episcopal bishop of Pennsylvania, Chaplain of Congress, Pastor of George Washington and Rector of Christ Church, Philadelphia.
MARY WHITE (4) born 4/3/1749 married March 1769 Robert Morris Jr. of Philadelphia, the celebrated financier of the Revolution. (Descendants of Colonel Thomas White of Maryland, Maryland Historical Society).
JOSEPH HEULINGS (3) who married Hannah Wood 5/12/1741 and who was a vestryman of St. Mary’s P. E. Church, Burlington 1741, 1742 and 1743. (N.J.A., Marriages V.22 and Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, V.2, p.224).
ISAAC HEULINGS (3) married Ruth Snowden 12/15/1752 daughter of William and Hannah Snowden. (Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania Magazine V.1, p.251)
MATTHEW HEULINGS (3) died 1731. Left his estate to his cousin Solomon Curtis. The executor of the estate his uncle Joseph Heulings. (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, V.2)
SUSANNAH HEULINGS (3)
BETHSHEBA HEULINGS (3) married 10/22/1741 Edward Chapman of Burlington. (N.J.A., V.22)
MARTHA HEULINGS (3)
MARY HEULINGS (3)
JOSEPH HEULINGS (2) died 1741 will probated 8/6/1741. He left a widow Ann, daughter of Joseph and Mary Heulings White, (daughter of William Heulings (1)), and an only son Abraham, a minor and he mentions in his will Isaac, Susannah, Bethsheba, Martha and Mary Heulings, children of his deceased brother Abraham Heulings. (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, V.2)
WILLIAM HEULINGS (2) died 1784, left a son William and two daughters. (M.J.A., Calendar of Wills, V.6)
JACOB HEULINGS (2) of Chester died 1731 and left 3 minor children (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, V.2)
ABRAHAM HEULINGS (3) who died 1797
JOSEPH HEULINGS (3) who never married died 1803 (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, V.11)
HANNAH HEUJLINGS (3)
HANNAH HEULINGS (2) who married William Snowden (Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania Magazine (v.2, p.346). Their daughter Ruth maried her cousin Isaac Heulings (3)
REBECCA HEULINGS (2) Will of Abraham (1)
SARAH HEULINGS (2) Will of Abraham (1)
ISAAC HEULINGS (2) died 8/8/1711 and was buried in Christ Church Graveyard, Philadelphia. (Pennsylvania Magazine v.4, p.116)
Who was Charles Tonkin administrator with Joseph Heulings of the estates of Abraham Heulings (2) 1731 and Mary his wife 1732? According to the New Jersey Archives, Calendar of Wills, Volumes 1 and 2, Charles Tonkin was a son of John and Susannah Tonkin and a grandson of Edward Tonkin. The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, Volume 2, records the baptisms of Charles, John, and Susannah Tonkin 2/1/1703 or 1704 at St. Mary’s P. E. Church, Burlington. A footnote in Volume 2, of the New Jersey Historical Society Magazine dated 5/17/1883 page 266 entitled “The Memoirs of the Gardner Family” states “Bethsheba Tonkin married Anthony Elton and this Bethsheba was a cousin of widowed Esther Newman who married Thomas White. Anthony and Bethsheba Elton’s daughter Susannah vorn 1728 married 1748, Thomas Gardner, 3rd.”
This Heulings data should demonstrate that Joseph Toy and Bishop William White were not related by blood, also that there were no marriageable heirs named Joseph in the Heulings family at that time except the Joseph, who married Hannah Wood 1741 and served as administrator with Charles Tonkin a brother of Mary Tonkin Heulings, and a brother of Esther Heulings White.