George HADLEY Sr. (c. 1615 – 1686) was Alex’s  10th Great Grandfather; one of 2,048  in this generation of the Shaw line.

Most genealogies state George Hadley was born 9 Mar 1628 in Reydon, Suffolk, England and his parents were George HADLEY and Elizabeth SPOONER.   However, the only firm documentary evidence we have about his origins is that he sold land in Ipswich in Jan 1639.  Since it is not likely that George was 11 years old when he sold land, 1628 is probably not the correct date for his birth.  Since George and Elizabeth did marry until 24 Jun 1624 in Frostenden, Suffolk, England, it is not likely that they are his parents and their George born in 1628 must be a different person.

One genealogist states the reference to Reydon is possibly from the books by Charles Banks. A review of his manuscription connection at the Library of Congress shows no basis for this claim.   He found that Mr. Banks mistook a marriage record of a George Hadley to Ann Jesopp “of” Reydon for a link of George to Reydon.

Barb Hadley Edge writes:  I’ve always agreed this was not our George Hadley. I also found this info last year: from the book ‘The Parish Registers of Frostenden, Suffolk, England, Baptisms, Marriages,and Burials” – privately published for Frederick Arthur Crisp in London, 1887. Boston Library.

pg. 20: elizabethe sponer the daughter of richard sponer & margerye his wife was baptyzed the 21 daye of marche 1588.
pg.6:george hadlye and elizabeth spooner were married june 24, 1624.

pg.28:george,the sonne of george hadley & elizabeth his wife was baptized the last day of april,1626. pg.29:william[george erased]hadley the sonne of george hadley & elizabeth his wife was baptied the neenthe of marche 1627.

pg.66:george[erased]hadley sonne of george hadley & elizabeth his wife was buried april 21,1627.his name was george[in another hand].

Our George married Mary PROCTOR in 1650 in Ipswich, Essex, Mass. They resided in Ipswich, Mass., until Dec 1655, when he moved to Rowley on the Merrimack River near Haverhill, Mass.   In Nov of 1666, he exchanged his Rowley farm with Thomas Kimball (the son of our ancestor Richard KIMBALL) of Ipswich and immediately removed there.   After Mary died, he married Deborah Prince Skillings 29 Jun 1668  in  Ipswich, Mass.  George died 29 Sep 1686 in Ipswich, Essex, Mass.

Ipswich, Mass, you can see that Rowley is very near by.

Mary Proctor was born 1633 in London, England. Her parents were John PROCTOR and Martha HARPER. Mary died prior to 1668 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts.

Deborah Prince was born in 1622. Her parents were Thomas PRINCE and  Mary PATCH.  Deborah’s brother Thomas PRINCE  was also our ancestor. She first married in 1642 in Salem, Mass to Thomas Skillings (1624 – 1667)  Deborah’s brother Thomas married Thomas Skilling’s sister, Margaret.    In 1692 Deborah was a witness in support of her neighbor Elizabeth Howe accused in the Salem Witch trials. Elizabeth was found guilty and executed on July 19, 1692.

The deposition of Deborah Hadley, aged about seventy years: This deponent testifieth that and sh. that I have lived near to Elizabeth Howe (ye wife of James Howe Jr of Ipswich) 24 year and have found her a neighborly woman, conscientious in her dealings, faithful in her promise, and Christianlike in her conversation so far as I have observed and further saith not.”

Children of  George and Mary:

George’s supposed father George Hadley was born in 1588 in Frostenden, Suffolk, England. He died on 9 Nov 1653 in  Frostenden, Suffolk, England He married Elizabeth Spooner on 24 Jun 1624 in Frostenden, Suffolk, England.

George’s supposed mother Elizabeth Spooner was born on 20 Mar 1587/88 in Sheffield, York, England. She died on 19 Dec 1647 in in Frostenden, Suffolk, England.

As taken from “History of the town of offstown 1733-1920, by George Plummer Hadley, Vol II, Geanealogy

The name Hadley is of ancient origin and is found in several English counties, including Middlesex, Suffolk, and Somerset.  As a family name Hadley appears in England from very early times in various forms.  We find it in the 12th century as de Haddeleigh and de Haddesley.  The name has undergone  several changes having been variously written as Headley, Hedley, Hedly,and Hadley. Some authorities state the name is composed of two Saxon words, head (high or elevated) and leagh (place) , which perhaps accounts for the spelling and pronunaciation of the word Headley.

George Hadley of Ipswich, Mass., the original emigrant, was a native of England and came to this country previous to 1639; he was born about 1600; res. in Ipswich, Mass., until Dec 1655, when he moved to Rowley on the Merrimack River near Haverhill, Mass. In this remote frontier home he spent eleven years and without doubt had the hard experiences of New England settlers.  In Nov of 1666, he exchanged his Rowley farm with Thomas Kimball (the son of our ancestor Richard KIMBALL) of Ipswich and immediately removed there.  The Kimball farm was in the westerly part of Ipswich known as the Line Brook Parish near Topsfield.

It may be of interest to state that on May 3, 1676, the house Thomas Kimball received of George Hadley was burned by the Indians, Kimball was killed and his wife and 5 children carried into captivity.

On Dec 11, 1687, he is recorded as having taken the oath of allegiance to Charles II. Dec 2, 1679, he was one of those that by law was allowed to have his vote in town affairs.  He seems to have been well situated after his return to Ipswich as his real estate is described, houses,barns, orchards, wood and underwood and also a right in the common land.

His will was executed Sep 18, 1684 and admitted to probate Nov 4, 1686, and is on file in the Probate Office in Boston, Mass.  Children all born in Ipswich, Mass.

George Hadley is listed as” belonging” to Ipswich, (MA) in the year 1639. As found on page 10 in the book “History of Ipswich, Essex and Hamilton Massachusetts” by Joseph B. Felt, A Heritage Classic Book, Inc Cambridge, MA 1834.

NEHGR 1853, pg 77-78 – The Ancient Records of the Town of Ipswich.

Memorand, that whereas Geo. Hadley of this towne, Planter, being lately possessed of one house lott about one rood of ground lying on the South syde of the Towne River bounded by an house lott, fomerly granted to Robert Hayes on the Southwest, this house lott being formerly granted to John Wedgwood as  apeareth in this book folio 10, and by him sould to the said Geo. Hadlye; Also the said George being possessed of a planting lott bouth of Katherine Gilven wido, lying upon Rabbitt Hill and bounded as apeareth in this book folio 20, now the sayd George Hadley, hath sould and exchanged all the sayd houselott and planting lott to Samuell Boreman of this TOWN, Cooper, together with one small Dwelling house, buildt and standing upon the sayd houselott, together wih all the priviledges and apurtencances to the sayd house and Lands belonging as by a deed under his hand bearing date the same day and yeare with this present date as doeth more largeley appear, and the sayd George Hadley doeth by this entrance confirm the sale, and the sayd Samuell Boreman is quietly to enjoy the sayd house and Lands, together wih all other the premises to him his heirs and assigns forever: Entered by theyr joynt consent this 12th day of the 11th month called January 1639

The following story was found in a letter written by Kingston Hadley of Media, PA in 1935. This information needs to be validated. Currently, it is generally accepted that George came from England to Ipswich. However, Kingston Hadley has an interesting story to tell.

When George Hadley’s father died, the man’s estate went to George’s older brother. Not wishing to be in his brothers care, George got aboard a ship to Boston. Having no money, he told the captain that would be willing to become an indentured servant with whomever the captain chose. George arrived in Boston in 1628 and worked as an indentured servant for about three years before moving on to Ipswich.

It was noted by Kingston Hadley that George Hadley was married at least four times though he was not sure who all they might be.

Stewart Clan Magazine A Genealogical Record December 1923 Vol. 11 No 6.

Stewart Duncan first appears first in Ipswich, Mass., where he married early in 1654 Anne Winehurst. Both were in the service of George Hadley [Essex .court files, 2:130]. They moved to Newbury in 1659, and for 30 years occupied a farm on that part of the Dummer estate now a portion of the C aid well farm in the Byfield parish and near the Rowley line.

George Hadley who signed his will 18 Sept 1684 named three sons, John, Samuel, and Joseph; also two daughters, Mary Page and Martha Hadley.

George Hadley was married to Mary Proctor the daughter of John Proctor whose Will was proved 9 Oct. 1672. Kingston claimed that Mary produced only two children for George, John and Martha.

In a book by Savage, it is related that George was in Cambridge in 1632 and was admitted as a freeman in 1634. Felt’s history reports that George Hadley was in Ipswich in 1639.

In the work done by Samuel Page Hadley, published in 1887, he states that in John Proctor’s Will of 1672 leaves a bequest to his grand children, John and Martha Hadley.

If Savage is to believed, George of Ipswich stopped in Cambridge.”

Benjamin Hadley Grave (See comment below from Carol Ann Shiels)- From: Some Branches of the Hadley Family Tree

Irving Hadley was able to trace the Hadley lineage back to Benjamin Hadley. In his excellent report he has written, “About two miles west and about one-half mile north of the Main Street of Brattleboro, Vermont, on the top of a beautiful hill commanding a marvelous view of valleys and the Green Mountains in the distance, lies the Meeting House Hill Cemetery. The first meeting house in this part of the country was built on this hill and this cemetery was just north of the Meeting House. This was probably one of the first cemeteries to be dedicated to the burial of white settlers in this territory, which later became the State of Vermont.

“Just north of the site of the first meeting house under a magnificent old pine tree that looks as if it had been there since before the first grave was made, lies the body of Benjamin Hadley. The original slate stone slab was still standing in 1930, (and in 1970 as reported by Dr. Lee Hadley) and with the inscription plainly legible. This inscription was ‘Memento Mori’ (Remember that you must die). ‘In Memory of Mr. Benjamin Hadley who died Mch. 24th, 1776 in the 92nd year of his age.’

“At the foot of this grave is a large grey granite block, rough cut, and about as high as the original monu- ment. There is set into the face of this block a bronze plate about nine by twelve inches in size upon which are raised letters which read ‘Benjamin Hadley Descendent of George Hadley, born in Chelmsford, Mass. 1685 Died 1776.’ This monument was erected by a group of Hadleys from Cattaragus County, New York about 1910.

Children

1. John Hadley

John’s wife Susannah [__?__] was born 1654 in Salisbury, Essex, Mass After John died, she married 1720 in Gloucester, Mass to Peter Pettis

2. Samuel HADLEY Sr. (See his page)

3. Joseph Hadley

Joseph’s first wife Mehitable Tippett was born 1662 in Phillipsburg, Westchester, New York. Her parents were George Tippett and Mehitable Betts. Mehitable died 1703 in Phillipsburgh, Westchester, New York

Joseph’s second wife Mary Richardson was born 1654 in Yonkers, Westchester, New York. Her parents were John Richardson and Martha Mead. Mary died 1681 in Westchester, New York

5. Mary Hadley

Mary’s husband [__?__] Paige

Sources:

George Hadley 1 == Source: Genealogical record of the descendants of Moses Hadley and Rebecca Page of Hudson, N.H.

George Hadley 2

George Hadley 3

George Hadley 4

George Hadley 5

George Hadley 6

George Hadley 7

George Hadley 8

George Hadley 9

George Hadley 10

x

http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.hadley/978/mb.ashx

http://www.hadleyfamily.us/Who%20was%20George%20Hadley.pdf

http://genforum.genealogy.com/hadley/messages/946.html

http://www.hadleyfamily.us/Who%20was%20George%20Hadley.pdf

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cbbagby/pafg281.htm#7514

http://www.hadleygenealogy.net/ghtout/gp3815.html

http://www.people.ku.edu/~art/HadleyBranches.pdf