Hatfields in America

THE HATFIELD FAMILY IN AMERICA.



Compiled by Theresa Hall Bristol
Assisted by Abraham Hatfield, Jr.



Several authorities have stated that Thomas Hatfield of
Mamaroneck, N. Y., and Matthias Hatfield of Elizabethtown,
N. J., were probably brothers, and perhaps sons of Thomas Hat-
field of Leyden, Holland, who, according to the Leyden Records,
was "from England," and married Anna (Hamden), widow of
Valentine Cox, April i6, 1621.* That both Thomas and Matthias
Hatfield had children baptized by the clergymen of the Dutch
Reformed Church in New Amsterdam, would seem to furnish
almost enough evidence to substantiate these statements.!

Matthias Hatfield took the Oath of Fidelity at New Haven,
May I, 1660, according to Savage. He also "subscribed to the
Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity taken by the inhabitants of
Elizabethtown and the Jurisdiction thereof, beginning the 19th
of February, 1665",! now in the possession of the New York His-
torical Society.

Matthias Hatfield settled in Elizabethtown where he pur-
chased land in 1665. Rev. Edward F. Hatfield states in his MSS.
that Matthias and Mary Hatfield had the following children:

i. Isaac, born probably before his parents came to

Elizabethtown.
ii. Cornelius, born at Elizabethtown, 1666 or 7.
iii. Abraham, born at Elizabethtown probably about
1670.
The Reformed Dutch Church Records, N. Y. Gen. and Biog.
Society's Collections, give the baptism of Abraham, June 8, 1670,
and the name of his mother as " Maria Molyn." The same
authority gives also —

Rachel, bap. Oct. 3, 1674; mother " Marritje Molyn."

Thomas Hatfield was called "a soldier" in New Amsterdam,
1665, when he appeared at court as witness, and in 167 1 he was
mentioned as having gone security for Ralph Hutchinson. § He
married Alice, dau. of Peter Ebel|| of New Amsterdam. She was
bapt. Oct. 23, 1650, in the Reformed Dutch Church. Her father^
Peter Ebel, was Provost Marshall in 1647; Indian Interpreter^

* See The New England and Holland of the Pilgrims, by the late Martyn
Dexter, D.D., LL.D., and his son Morton Dexter.

t Hatfield MSS. and History of Elizabethtown, N.J.

X Hatfield MSS., by the late Rev. Edward F. Hatfield of Elizabethtown,
N.J.

§ Court Minutes of New Amsterdam.

II Spelled Evel in N. Y. Gen. and Biog. Soc.'s Collections; Ebel, in New
Netherland Register and Court Minutes of New Amsterdam.



'9'7] The Hatfield Family in America. 389

1663, in New Amsterdam. In 1657 he petitioned to be inscribed
as a Burgher, and stated that he had been "long in the country,
and performed many services for it." This was refused as he
did not reside in the city, but in 1665 his name was on the
assessment list.*

Thomas Hatfield purchased a home lot in Mamaroneck, 1671,
from John Westcott, and became one of the Proprietors, receiving
his share in the common allottment of land, but he witnessed a
deed there in 1670. With others, he was appointed to make in-
ventories of the estates of John Richbell and Henry Fowler, and
he had at first a fourth and later a half interest in the saw mill,
which he built with John Richbell, Henry Fowler and Richard
Ward.f Thomas Hatfield was Juror in 1695. In 1696 he sold
his half interest in the saw mill to John Disbrow. This deed was
recorded March 21, 1697/8, when Thomas Hatfield was reported
"deceased " by Samuel Palmer, one of the witnesses.

There was no Hatfield on the list of those who took the King's
Oath at Mamaroneck in i6g8, and in 1701 Alice Hatfield's name
appears in place of her husband's when Caleb Heathcote and the
other proprietors applied for a confirmatory deed from the Indians
for their Mamaroneck lands. That same year "Aales Hatveld "
testified that her husband Thomas had made a nuncupative or
verbal will in the presence of witnesses, which same had been
proved in the Prerogative Court of that County, and had be-
queathed the homestead to her. This homestead was mortgaged,
and because of her "great wants and necessity " under her state
of widowhood and in consideration of the said mortgage and the
sum £^\<), the home was conveyed to Caleb Heathcote and became
a part of Scarsdale Manor. "The children of Thomas and Elsje
(Ebel) Hatfield (spelled Hertford, Hadvelt, Hertvelt) as entered
on the baptismal records of the Dutch Reformed Church at New
Amsterdam were:

i. Catherina, bapt. April 22, 1674; wit.: Claertje Ebel.
ii. Thomas, bapt. Aug. 30, 1681; wit.: Clara Ebel.

f Jan Hendrick
iii. Pieter, bapt. March 31, 1683; wit.: -I William

( Barentje Hendricks.

It may be that Alice Ebel had a first husband, as the following
entry would indicate, viz: June 17, 1668, William Traeter and
Elsje Ebels had Jacob bapt. Wit.: Peter Evel and Claertje Ebels.

Although baptized two years later than his brother Thomas,
Peter stated that he was the oldest son of his father, Thomas
Hatfield, when he sold land inherited from him in 1726, and as
his father's heir had other lands laid out to him by the pro-
prietors of Mamaroneck. These he sold at various times and
invested in the White Plains Purchase, Parish of Rye, as it was
called, and his name is on the list of those who applied for a



* New Netherland Register.

t Richard Ward was son-in-law to Henry Fowler.



390



A Missing Drownt Ancestor Brought to Light.



[Oct.



charter in 172 1. He held various town offices in White Plains,
and died about 1752, leaving all his land to his oldest son Peter
and his heirs; but if Peter had no heirs, then to his son Isaac and
his heirs. His son Joshua, who owned a large tract of land (260
acres) near his father, received 5 s. His wife's name was Eliza-
beth. Children, bapt. at Tarry town, First Dutch Reform Church:
i. Peter, March 21, 171 1.
ii. Joshua, June 18, 1717.
iii. Thomas, Oct. 28, 17 18; not mentioned in father's

will,
iv. Jacob, April 15, 1727; not mentioned in father's will.
V. Isaac, probably second son. Not on church records.
Thomas' Hatfield (Thomas') does not appear to have inherited
any of his father's land at Mamaroneck, and his name appears
but once on the Westchester Co. land records when the deed to
a piece of land purchased from his brother was recorded just be-
fore his death. This was a piece of plow land which Peter Hat-
field had purchased from, or which had been laid out to Peter
Disbrow, in the second draft, so-called, of the White Plains Pur-
chase, and which Peter Hatfield described as lying at the north-
west corner of his own land in 17 18 when he sold it to his brother
Thomas.* Thomas Hatfield died in 1724, and his wife Eunice,
together with Thomas Smith of White Plains, yeoman, applied
for letters of administration, Nov. 19. An inventory of his estate
was ordered to be filed the following April, but no record can be
found. t The piece of land owned by Thomas Hatfield at the
time of his death was in the possession of his son, Capt. Abraham,
in 1773, when he deeded it for love and affection {and five
shillings) to his oldest son " Gilbert Hatfield, Jr.| Children:

i. Abraham, b. Dec. 28, 1720, at White Plains; d. Nov.

26, 1775. §
ii. Gilbert, b. ; d. "just before the Revolution."



A MISSING DROWNE ANCESTOR BROUGHT TO LIGHT.



Contributed by Henry Russell Drowne.



When the old Bosworth house in Barrington, Rhode Island,
was torn down not long ago, an old trunk was found in the
garret containing various interesting papers. Among them was
a will dated Feb. 24, 1686, of Jonathan Bosworth, Sr., who died
probably in Jan., 1695 (inventory filed 30 Jan., 1694-5), and what

* Westchester Co. Land Records, Liber E, p. 20.

t Westchester Co. Probate Records, New York.

X See copies of maps and deeds on file in the N. Y. Gen. and Biog. Soc.
Library.

9 Capt. Abraham Hatfield's Bible Records.



igi;.] A Missing Drowne Ancestor Brought to Light. 301

more particularly interests the writer was the discovery of the
following receipt:

Receipt*

[Solomon and Esther Drown to Joseph Bosworth]

" These may Certifie Any whom it doth Concern that wee,
Solomon Drown and Esther Drown, his wife Have Received of
our Brother, Joseph Bozworth, the sum of Seven Pounds Current
Money of New England, Being in Full to our sattisfaction of our
Part of the Estate Left us By our Hon'rd Father, Mr. Joseph
Bozworth, late of Rehoboth, Deceased; And This dischargeth
him and his heirs and Assigns Forever From us the sd Solomon
Drown and Esther Drown, our hers and Assigns Forever; Wit-
ness our hands & Seals this twenty third of March, In the year
of our Lord 17 14-15