THE MATERNAL ANCESTRY OF
JOSEPH TOY
The Society of Friends was founded by George Fox (1624 –91), the son of a Puritan, about the middle of the seventeenth century. In addition to doctrines held by many protestant sects, the Friends condemned all taking of oaths and participation in war. By their odd behavior and simplicity of manner they often aroused derision; but through sobriety, industry and intelligence they obtainedd considerable standing and power. They were among the earliest advocates of the equality of women with men and were long the principal and most ardent opponents of slavery and the slave trade. One of their most noted adherents was William Penn.
To William Penn was granted a rich district to the north of Maryland, west of the Delaware River in 1681, which he gave the name of Pennsylvania. In 1681 William Penn also bought land along the Delaware which was firs settled by the Swedes and taken by force of arms in 1654 by the Dutch. The settlers in the lands of William Penn were mostly Quakers of the English middle classes, most of them possessed of property in England, who brought good supplies with them to America. Many were tradesmen and artisans and would never have thought of leaving England if it had not been for religious persecution, their loss of civil liberties and the insecurity of their property and possessions under the English kings.
John Clement in his history “First Emigrant Settlers in Gloucester County, New Jersey” gives many interesting facts about these Quaker Emigrants. As many of their names will appear in this genealogy, these facts are worth quoting.
“In 1685 a religious meeting was established at the home of John Kay, Sr. with the consent of the Burlington Meeting of Friends.”
“Let it be remembered upon ye 19th day of September in ye year of Our Lord 1681, Mark Newbie, William Bates, Thomas Thackara, George Goldsmith and Thomas Sharpe set sail from ye harbor belonging to ye City of Dublin, in ye Kingdom of Ireland, in a pink called “Ye Owners Adventure.”
“ Mark Newbie died 7/4/1682 intestate, a former resident of the City of London and tallow chandler by trade, became the first American Banker. He had removed to Ireland because of the persecutions of the Quakers. His family all born in England consisted of:
Rachel Newbie who married Isaac de Cou 1695,
Stephen Newbie who married Elizabeth Wood 1703 and had two children.
Mark Newbie who died in 1735 and Hannah Newbie who married Joseph Thakara.
Edward Newbie who married Hannah Chew in 1706.
Elizabeth Newbie who married John Hugg in 1714.”
“Hannah Newbie widow of Mark married 2nd James Atkinson 12/16/1684, father of Samuel, Isaac and William Atkinson.”
“Thomas Thakara was a staff weaver from Dublin and had a deed from William Penn dated 4/12/1677. He was a member of the first Legislature of Burlington. His first wife Hannah died in 1689 and he married 2nd Hepzibah Eastlack daughter of Francis. Thomas Thackara was a native of Yorkshire, England and was imprisoned In York Castle, Yorkshire for his religious beliefs and his wife Hannah was confined in Leeds Castle for the same reason. Their children were:
Benjamin Thakara, who married Mary Cooper 1707
Thomas Thackara, who married 1st Ann Parker, 2nd Abigail Bates
Hannah Thackara, who married John Whitall 1696
Sarah Thackara, who married John Eastlack.”
“William Bates, carpenter of the County of Wicklow, Ireland, in 1683 was one of the Irish representatives from the Irish Tenth in the Legislature of the Provence.” “ The children of William Bates all born in Ireland were:
Jeremiah Bates who married Mary daughter of John Spicer,
Joseph Bates who married Mary Clement 1701
Abigail Bates who married 1st Joshua Frame of Pennsylvania, 9/9/1687 and 2nd Thomas Thakara,
William Bates who married an Indian girl,
Sarah Bates who married Simeon son of Thomas Ellis 1682. Their daughter married John Kay, Sr. of Waterford in 1730.”
The Pennsylvania Magazine, v.45, p.391 tells about the “Irish Tenth”; “In 1681 a considerable company was founded in Dublin composed of substantial men, to whom was sold one tenth into which New Jersey had been divided for purpose of settlement. This Irish Tenth lay in Gloucester and Salem Counties.”
From the History of the Colony of New Jersey (Peabody Library) we learn “in 1677 we find Thomas Ellis on the boat Martha of Burlington, Yorkshire, England”.
Simeon Ellis son of Thomas of Wooddale presented a certificate dated 4/1/1683 at Newton, New Jersey Friends Meeting. He died in 1715. In 1681 he had bought 200 acres of land from Francis Collins, on the North side of Cooper’s Creek, in old Gloucester, New Jersey. The place was called Springwell. He married 6/6/1682 Sarah daughter of William Bates of Newton. Thomas Ellis was a member of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania in 1681 and was William Penn’s Register General. (Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania, p.58)
THE KAY LINE
John Kaye or Kay, first of his line in America made his will at Waterford, which was probated 12/1/1740. He came from Yorkshire, England to America in 1683 and was one of the leading early settlers at Haddonfield, Gloucester County, New Jersey. The land of this town was embraced in two surveys, one of 500 acres made to Francis Collins and another for 500 acres made to Richard Matthews in 1683. John Kay first purchased from Collins 100 acres in 1684 on the north side of Cooper’s Creek. (Clements)
The Kay family was of great antiquity in the County of York, England. John Kay, a Quaker was persecuted for his convictions, so he emigrated to New Jersey in 1680. In 1685 religious meetings were established at his house in Waterford with the consent of the Burlington Meeting of Friends. According to the Clement Genealogy in Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania John Kay married Elizabeth Frame 5/15/1684. John Kay was a Judge of the Court of Gloucester, a member of the Assembly and a member of the Council of Proprietors. At the time of his death he was a wealthy man and owned all the land east of Main St., Haddonfield, New Jersey. (John Clement)
The will of John Kay, Sr. (1) yeoman of Waterford, Gloucester County, New Jersey, was probated 12/1/1740. (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, v.2.p.275). According to his will he left a wife Sarah, a son John “who was to have his house in Evesham, or it was to go to the children he had by Mary, his wife, daughter of John Appleton”. He spoke of a daughter Sarah Norris and grand-daughter Elizabeth, daughter of Sarah Norris; a grandson Josiah Kay son of his son Josiah Kay; a son Isaac and four grand-daughters, the daughters of his daughter Elizabeth, deceased wife of Benjamin Wood, viz: Abigail wife of Robert Hunt, Mary wife of Josiah Cole, ELIZABETH WIFE OF ELIAS TOY and HANNAH WOOD. He left twenty (20) pounds to their brother Benjamin Wood.
The children of John Kay, Sr. from John Clement with verifications from other sources:
JOHN KAY, Jr. (2) of Waterford Township, Chester County, died 1785. (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, v.6).
SARAH KAY (2) died 1757 married James Norris who died in 1742.
MARY KAY (2) married 3/28/1728 Abraham Carlisle, son of Abraham Carlisle of Philadelphia. (Encyclopedia of Quaker Genealogy, Philadelphia Meeting).
ISAAC KAY (2) married 4/23/1738 Mary Ann Gregory (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, v.4, p.183). His widow married Abraham Heulings 1758 (Haddon Field Meeting, Friends at Meeting, p.295).
JOSIAH KAY (2) married Rebecca daughter of Francis Davenport of Whittington, Derbyshire, England. He died 1771 (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, v.6, p.229).
BENJAMIN KAY (2) died 1731, Miller of Gloucester County, New Jersey, never married. His will probated 10/4/1731 1771 (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, v.2). He remembers in his will his brothers Isaac, Josiah and John Kay, his sister Sarah Norris, her children James and Sarah Norris, the sons and daughters of his brother John, and the DAUGHTERS OF HIS SISTER ELIAZABETH WOOD, DECEASED.
JOSEPH KAY (2) died 1721.
ELIZABETH KAY (2) married Benjamin Wood 1707 at her father’s house (Recorded Newton Meeting, Friends at Meeting). She died before 1727.
THE WOOD LINE
Henry Wood was not of the family first settling in New Jersey. He came from Rhode Island as appears in the records of the Friends’ Meeting at Newton but not until a year or so after his purchase of Hopewell as his certificate of renewal is dated 12th month, 1687. He was the son of William Wood of Altercliffe, in the Parish of Sheffield, Yorkshire, England and his wife Sarah. William Wood returned to England in the ship Hopewell, for which Henry named his homestead property. He died in 1691 having been a constant attendant at Newton Meeting. He was a member of the Assembly 1683-1684. In 1684 he was appointed one of the Commissioners for laying out land and purchasing from the Indians; and in 1685 he acted as a Commissioner for opening highways and keeping the same in repair. He was a member of the Council of Proprietors in 1688. Henry Wood married Hannah daughter of John and Hannah Thackara, from Yorkshire, England. (John Clement)
The will of Henry Wood (1) of Hopewell, Gloucester County, New Jersey, was probated 4/4/1691. (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, v.1, p.517) In his will he speaks of his wife Hannah, sons: Henry, James, and Richard, daughters: Judith, Abigail, Hannah and Elizabeth. He speaks of his land in the Narriganset Country called Poecetti, in West New Jersey, the Great Tree Land and the Fast Fading Land, a bank cot and houses in Philadelphia, one at the waterside next to John King’s lot and the house and land in Newport, Rhode Island. The executrix, Hannah Wood, his wife. Thomas Thackara and William Bates of Newton, Gloucester County, fellow bondsmen.
Hannah Wood his wife married 2nd John Haines 3/2/1722 son of Richard and Margaret Haines. There were no children of this marriage. (Haines Genealogy, Colonial Families of America, p.339).
The children of Henry Wood (1) from John Clement with verifications from other sources:
HENRY WOOD, Jr. (2) died 1694 and his will was probated 11/14/1694 (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, v.1, p.518). In his will he mentions his mother Hannah, his brothers: James Richard and Benjamin Wood, his sisters: Judith Willard and her sons Henry and Thomas, Abigail cooper and her son William Cooper, Hannah Wood and Elizabeth Wood and brother-in-law Daniel Cooper, brother-in-law Thomas Willard.
JAMES WOOD (2) shipwright, married Mary daughter of James Pellor of Philadelphia 8/27/1715. (Encyclopedia of Quaker Genealogy, Philadelphia Meeting).
JUDITH WOOD (2) married 10/10/1689 Thomas Willard late of the Barbadoes. (Genealogical Society of New Jersey, July 1928, v.3).
HANNAH WOOD (2) married 6/3/1695 Joseph Nicholson son of Samuel of Alloways Creek, Salem County. (Genealogical Society of New Jersey, etc.).
ELIZABETH WOOD (2) married 1703 Stephen son of Mark and Hannah Newbie.
BENJAMIN WOOD (2) married 1707 Elizabeth daughter of John Kay (1) and Elizabeth Frame at John Kay’s house. (Recorded Newton Meeting, Friends at Meeting). She died and he married 2nd Mary Ashton of Philadelphia 1727. (Licenses to Marry, Granted by the Governor of the State of New Jersey at Trenton, for Burlington and Gloucester Counties. Peabody Library, Baltimore).
ABIGAIL WOOD (2) married 8/4/1693 Daniel Cooper son of William. (Genealogical Society of New Jersey).
The children of Benjamin Wood of Hopewell (2) and his wife Elizabeth Kay daughter of John Kay of Waterford from John Clement with verifications from other sources:
MARY WOOD (3) married Joseph Cole 6th month 1735, 2nd Richard Matlack.
ELIZABETH WOOD (3) married Elias Toy circa 1737. (Will of John Kay, (1) of Waterford), 2nd Isaac Atkinson 12/2/1775 (Pennsylvania Marriages, 2nd Series, Pennsylvania Archives)
HANNAH WOOD (3) married Joseph Heulings 2/12/1741 (New Jersey Archives, v.22)
ABIGAIL WOOD (3) married Robert Hunt, Jr. son of Robert. She died 2/2/1747 leaving two sons, John and Robert Hunt, 3rd. (History of Burlington and Salem Counties, New Jersey, pp.250 & 270. Peabody Library, Baltimore).
BENJAMIN WOOD (3) died 1750 (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, v.2, p.540).
The will of Benjamin Wood (2) of Hopewell, son of Henry Wood (1) probated 12/20/1737 (N.J.A., Calendar of Wills, v.2, p.540). In it he mentions his 2nd wife Mary, he makes his son Henry his sole executor. He mentions sons: Benjamin and John, daughters: Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah (not 21), Judith, Jane and Abigail.