Samuel Ackley (1680-1745) and His Family

While I have made every effort to find reliable sources for the facts presented in this post, you will see that there are a few items for which there are no good sources. In such cases, I have identified the lack of reliable sources.

Samuel Ackley was the tenth of ten children born to Nicholas and Hannah Ackley. He was born about 1680; Find-A-Grave gives his birth place as East Haddam, Connecticut [2]. However, it is unlikely that he was born in East Haddam. It is more likely that he was born in Haddam; Nicholas and Hannah lived in Haddam in 1680, and the settlement at East Haddam was not begun until around 1685 [14]. Samuel's birth date could also be in question as well; probate records for Richard Piper of Haddam show that he gave "To John Ackly a mare; To Samuel Ackly a mare & colt, and all my Rights of Land East side of the Great River" when he died in 1678 [24]. This would suggest that either Samuel was born before 1680 or there was another Samuel Ackley for which no other records exist. 

Although Samuel was probably born in Haddam, it does appear that he lived most of his life in East Haddam; all of his children were born there, and he died there. According to probate records, he died 27 April 1745 in East Haddam [3]:

Samuel Ackley death date from inventory attached to will

At the time of his death in 1745, sons Samuel and Stephen were already dead, as were daughters Deborah and Lydia. Signed statements in the probate records from sons Isaac and Bezaleel and Samuel's widow Bethia acknowledge receipt of their portions of his estate. Son Simeon was administrator of the estate, and son Elijah also signed the will. Additionally, David, son of Samuel, Jr. was given a portion of the estate [3].

Samuel married Bethia Adams on 3 January 1700 in Haddam, Connecticut [15]. Samuel is sometimes referred to as Sergeant in some trees and in his will; so far I have not found evidence of military service for him. Samuel, Bethia, and their son Samuel were all baptized on 6 Oct 1706 at the First Congregational Church in East Haddam [21].

According to probate records, Samuel was chosen by two different young men to be their guardians. His nephew, Edward Purple, Jr. chose Samuel to be his guardian in 1729 [23], and Joseph Spencer, a minor 18 years of age, chose Samuel to be his guardian in 1730 [22].

Evidently Samuel did not know how to write. On every probate or land record I have found for him, he "made his mark" whenever his signature was required.

Land Records

Haddam and East Haddam land records reveal the following land transactions for Samuel:

• On January 23, 1699/1700, Samuel sold a piece of land in Haddam to his brother Thomas for 9 pounds [25].
• On May 27, 1717, Samuel sold a piece of land in Haddam to James Ray for 10 pounds, 10 shillings [26].
• On September 12, 1739, Samuel entered into some type of agreement with John Purple in Haddam. The image of the agreement was difficult to read, but it does appear to be a land transaction [27].
• On October 30, 1739, Samuel sold a piece of land in Haddam to Joseph Arnold [28]. The image was not clear enough to make out the sale price.
• On November 23, 1742, Samuel bought a piece of land in Haddam from Ephraim Griswould. The sale price was illegible on the image. On the same date, he also completed a land transaction in Haddam with Joshua Brainerd, Isaac Spencer, Mathew Smith, Jabez Chapman, and Thomas Gates [29].
• On March 8, 1744, Samuel gave a piece of land in East Haddam to his son Simeon Ackley [30].
• On April 25, 1744, Samuel gave a piece of land in East Haddam to his son Nathaniel [31].
• On December 18, 1744, Samuel sold a piece of land in East Haddam to Christopher Reed for 12 pounds [32].
• On April 25, 1745, Samuel gave a piece of land in Haddam to his son Bezaleel [33].

Given the timing of the last four transactions in relation to his death on April 27, 1745, it appears that Samuel may have been ill about a year before his death and was preparing for his death by disposing of his property.

Children

Fortunately, there are some fairly complete records covering the births of Samuel and Bethia's children and most of their grandchildren [4]. The East Haddam records shown below provide documentation for many of the vital dates that will be discussed. Each of the families to be discussed is enclosed in a different colored box.

Image 5 from Records of births, marriages, and deaths, 1687-1915.

Samuel and Bethia had seven sons and three daughters, all born in East Haddam, Connecticut (their information is enclosed in the red box above). Their ten children were:

1. Samuel Ackley was born 8 Dec 1703 in East Haddam, Connecticut [4] and died 18 January 1730 [5]. He married Hannah Hungerford on 22 November 1727 in East Haddam [4] (data is in the purple box on the top right of the image above). Samuel and Hannah had two children:

    a. Samuel Ackley was born 30 November 1728 in East Haddam [4].

    b. David Ackley was born 23 April 1730 in East Haddam [4].

2. Jerusha Ackley was born 29 March 1707 in East Haddam [4] and died in August 1736 [6]. She married Jedediah Graves in March 1728 in East Haddam [6]. Jerusha died in Aug 1736 in East Haddam [11]. Jerusha and Jedediah had three children:

    a. Jonah Graves was born 20 Jun 1728 in East Haddam [6].

    b. Esther Graves was born 9 Jan 1731 in East Haddam [6].

    c. Rachel Graves was born 2 Jan 1734 in East Haddam [6].

Note: Some online trees list a fourth child, Lydia, born in East Haddam in 1732. No sources are given, and it would seem odd for a child born in between Esther (1731) and Rachel (1734) not to appear in the same records.

3. Deborah Ackley was born 11 July 1709 in East Haddam [4]. Note: Other than birth and baptism records, very few records for Deborah can be found online. The following is reported in [16] with very little supporting documentation. Use with caution! 

Deborah married Edward Scoville, date unknown. She died around 1737 [16]. Deborah and Edward had four children:

    a. Micah Scoville, baptized 16 Nov 1735 [16].

    b. Benjamin Scoville, baptized 16 Nov 1735 [16].

    c. Lydia Scoville, baptized 16 Nov 1735 [16].

    d. Hannah Scoville, born after 1735 [16].

4. Lydia Ackley was born 14 August 1712 in East Haddam [4]. Note: Sources for Lydia Ackley's data are hard to come by as well. The following data is pieced together from several poorly documented sources. Again, use this data with caution! She married Thomas Fenn on 22 Mar 1731, and died in 1741 [17]. They had four children:

    a. Lydia Fenn was born 11 Jul 1733 [18].

    b. Thomas Fenn was born 1 Dec 1735 [18].

    c. Samuel Fenn was born 27 Dec 1737 [18].

    d. Hannah Fenn was born 24 Mar 1741 [18].

Thomas Fenn died in 1769, outliving both Lydia and his second wife Christian Baker. His will mentions all four children he had with Lydia Ackley and at least five children he had with Christian [3].

5. Simeon Ackley was born 10 January 1714 in East Haddam [4] and died 5 May 1791 in East Haddam [3]. Simeon was married twice. First, he married Alice Fuller in East Haddam on 8 Nov 1739 [4]. Her death date is unknown, but she must have died before 1747 because Simeon married again in 1747. Simeon and Alice had four children (data in blue box):

    a. Samuel Ackley was born 3 Oct 1740 in East Haddam [8].

    b. Lydia Ackley was born 18 Dec 1742 in East Haddam [8].

    c. Hannah Ackley was born 17 Jul 1744 in East Haddam [8].

    d. Alice Ackley's birth date is unknown, but she died on 6 Aug 1746 [11].

Simeon's second wife was Elizabeth Crocker. They were married 25 May 1747 in East Haddam [7]. Simeon and Elizabeth had six children:

    a. Elizabeth Ackley was born 25 Dec 1747 in East Haddam [8].

    b. Simeon Ackley was born 15 Apr 1749 in East Haddam [8].

    c. Stephen Ackley was born 25 Mar 1753 in East Haddam [8].

    d. Thomas Ackley was born 25 May 1755 in East Haddam [8].

    e. Isaac Crocker Ackley's birth date is not known for sure. One source reports he was baptized on 4 Nov 1760 [19]. He was probably born in 1760; his death record states he died on 3 Nov 1848 at age 88 [11].

    f. Bethia Ackley was born 22 Apr 1764 in East Haddam [9].

6. Stephen Ackley was born 27 July 1717 in East Haddam [4]. His death date is not known for certain; various trees give anywhere from 1720 to 1739 without references. He is not mentioned in Samuel's will. He probably died at a young age without marrying or having children.

7. Elijah Ackley was born 28 March 1719 in East Haddam [4], and died 3 Mar 1807 in East Haddam [10]. Elijah married Abigail Blakesley in East Haddam on 12 Oct 1741 [7]. Elijah and Abigail had seven children (data in green box):

    a. Stephen Ackley was born 19 Aug 1742 in East Haddam [8] and died 5 Dec 1749 in East Haddam [11].

    b. Elijah Ackley was born 23 Jun 1745 in East Haddam [8].

    c. Amasa Ackley was born 17 Feb 1747 in East Haddam [8].

    d. Abigail Ackley was born 28 Jan 1749/50 in East Haddam [8].

    e. Stephen Ackley was born 6 Sep 1750 in East Haddam [8].

    f. Bethia Ackley was born 31 May 1754 in East Haddam [8].

    g. Elizabeth Ackley was born 12 Feb 1756 in East Haddam [8] and died 20 Mar 1764 in East Haddam [11].

8. Isaac Chalker Ackley was born 6 October 1721 in East Haddam [4]. Isaac died on 17 Dec 1798 in East Haddam [11]. He married Ruth Gates on 25 Apr 1745 in East Haddam. Isaac and Ruth had nine children (data in yellow box):

    a. Demmis Ackley was born 16 Feb 1745/46 in East Haddam [8].

    b. Rhoda Ackley was born 10 Nov 1747 in East Haddam [8].

    c. Temperance Ackley was born 27 Sep 1749 in East Haddam [8].

    d. Ruth Ackley was born 23 Mar 1752 in East Haddam [8].

    e. Prudence Ackley was born 5 Aug 1754 in East Haddam [8].

    f. Lucy Ackley was born 9 Oct 1757 in East Haddam [8].

    g. Isaac Chalker Ackley, Jr. was born 16 Mar 1760 in East Haddam [8].

    h. Israel Dutton Ackley was born 1 Jun 1762 in East Haddam [8] and died 13 Oct 1764 in East Haddam [11].

    i. Olive Ackley was born 28 Aug 1764 in East Haddam [13].

9. Bezaleel Ackley was born 14 February 1723/24 in East Haddam [4]. His death date is uncertain; some online trees give 1776 without sources. Bezaleel married Bridget Champion in Lyme, Connecticut on 23 Nov 1748 [12]. Bezaleel and Bridget had five children:

    a. Deborah Ackley was baptized on 16 Jun 1754 in Hadlyme, Connecticut [20]

    b. Bezaleel Ackley was baptized on 16 Jun 1754 in Hadlyme, Connecticut [20]

    c. Lavina Ackley was baptized on 3 Sep 1758 in Hadlyme, Connecticut [20]

    d. Champion Ackley was baptized 6 Apr 1760 in Hadlyme, Connecticut [20]

Note: Some trees list a fifth child, James Erasmus Ackley, born about 1764, for this couple.

10. Nathaniel Ackley III (see this post about the three Nathaniels for an explanation of the "III" designation) was born 14 June 1726 in East Haddam [4]. He died 14 Mar 1794 in Millington, Connecticut [1]. Nathaniel married Lucretia Willey on 16 Feb 1756 in East Haddam [7]. Nathaniel and Lucretia had seven children (data in orange box):

    a. Ahira Ackley was born 22 Apr 1761 in East Haddam [8].

    b. Ithamar Ackley was born 13 Jul 1763 in East Haddam [8].

    c. Nathaniel Ackley IV was born 8 Aug 1765 in East Haddam [8].

    d. Huldah Ackley was born 6 Apr 1768 in East Haddam [8].

    e. Deborah Ackley was born 19 Feb 1771 in East Haddam [8].

    f. Mary Ackley was born 24 Feb 1775 in East Haddam [8].

    g. Irene Ackley was born 24 Feb 1778 in East Haddam [8].

Sources

1. Ferris, Mary Walton, Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines: A Memorial Volume Containing the American Ancestry of Mary Beman (Gates) Dawes Vol. II (Wisconsin: Cuneo Press, 1931), p. 50.

2. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database online]. Memorial #177437120. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

3. Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 [database online]. Original data from Connecticut State Library (Hartford, Connecticut).Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

4. East Haddam (Connecticut). Registrar of Vital Statistics. 1984. Records of births, marriages, and deaths, 1687-1915. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. Film 1480163, Vital statistics v. 1 1687-1789, Image 5.

5. Manwaring, Charles William, A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records 1729-1750 Vol. III (Hartford, Connecticut: R. S. Peck, & Co., 1906), p. 1.

6. East Haddam (Connecticut). Registrar of Vital Statistics. 1984. Records of births, marriages, and deaths, 1687-1915. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. Film 1480163, Vital statistics v. 1 1687-1789, Image 42.

7. Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Town Marriage Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection) [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006.

8. Ancestry.com. Connecticut, U.S., Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

9. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database online]. Memorial #134646412. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

10. Ancestry.com. Connecticut, U.S., Deaths and Burials Index, 1650-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

11. Ancestry.com. Connecticut, U.S., Town Death Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

12. Ancestry.com. Early Connecticut Marriages [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

13. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database online]. Memorial #90504743. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

14. Bayles, Richard M., "Town of Haddam", History of Middlesex County, Connecticut with Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men. Henry Whittemore. (New York: J.B. Beers, & Co., 1884), p. 370-371.

15. Ancestry.com. U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2012.

16. Ancestry.com. A survey of the Scovils of Scovills in England and America : seven hundred years of history, and genealogy [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data:Brainard, Homer Worthington,. A survey of the Scovils of Scovills in England and America : seven hundred years of history, and genealogy. Hartford: Priv. print., 1915.

17. History of Waterbury. Author, publisher, date unknown. p. 163. [Photocopy listed as source in many online trees, but no publication information included.]

18. Fischer, Carl W. Descendants of Thomas Horton of Springfield, and including some descendants of Phineas Pratt. (Interlaken, NY: I-T Publishing Corp., 1976), p. 93 [Accessed online on familysearch.org].

19. Crocker, James R. Crocker Genealogy. Unknown publisher. p. 22 [Accessed online on familysearch.org].

20. Ancestry.com. The Champion genealogy : a history of the descendants of Henry Champion of Saybrook and Lyme, Connecticut [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: Trowbridge, Francis Bacon,. The Champion genealogy : a history of the descendants of Henry Champion of Saybrook and Lyme, Connecticut, together with some account of other families of the name. New Haven Conn.: F.B. Trowbridge, 1891.

21. First Congregational Church and Ecclesiastical Society (East Haddam). Church Records 1702-1927. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1953, Image 12.

22. Manwaring, Charles William, A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records 1729-1750 Vol. III (Hartford, Connecticut: R. S. Peck, & Co., 1906), p. 115.

23. Manwaring, Charles William, A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records 1700-1730 Vol. II (Hartford, Connecticut: R. S. Peck, & Co., 1904), p. 424.

24. Manwaring, Charles William, A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records 1635-1700 Vol. II (Hartford, Connecticut: R. S. Peck, & Co., 1904), p. 350.

25. Haddam (Connecticut) Town Clerk. Land records, 1668-1906; general index, 1668-1920. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1948, 1984, 1987. Film 4464, Land records, v. 1 (1673-1744), v. 2 (1704-1730), Image 95.

26. Haddam (Connecticut) Town Clerk. Land records, 1668-1906; general index, 1668-1920. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1948, 1984, 1987. Film 4464, Land records, v. 1 (1673-1744), v. 2 (1704-1730), Image 313.

27. Haddam (Connecticut) Town Clerk. Land records, 1668-1906; general index, 1668-1920. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1948, 1984, 1987. Film 4465, Land records, v. 3-4 1728-1759, Image 197.

28. Haddam (Connecticut) Town Clerk. Land records, 1668-1906; general index, 1668-1920. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1948, 1984, 1987. Film 4465, Land records, v. 3-4 1728-1759, Image 201.

29. Haddam (Connecticut) Town Clerk. Land records, 1668-1906; general index, 1668-1920. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1948, 1984, 1987. Film 4465, Land records, v. 3-4 1728-1759, Image 381-382.

30. East Haddam (Connecticut) Town Clerk. Land records, 1704-1912; general index, 1704-1910. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1949, 1984, 1987. Film 4097, Land records v. 2-3 1725-1749, Image 750.

31. East Haddam (Connecticut) Town Clerk. Land records, 1704-1912; general index, 1704-1910. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1949, 1984, 1987. Film 4097, Land records v. 2-3 1725-1749, Image 761.

32. East Haddam (Connecticut) Town Clerk. Land records, 1704-1912; general index, 1704-1910. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1949, 1984, 1987. Film 4097, Land records v. 2-3 1725-1749, Image 756.

33. Haddam (Connecticut) Town Clerk. Land records, 1668-1906; general index, 1668-1920. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1948, 1984, 1987. Film 4465, Land records, v. 3-4 1728-1759, Image 663.

Link of the Day

This is a link to the East Haddam records on Family Search used extensively in this post:

https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/375312?availability=Family%20History%20Library

This reference has three separate sets of images that are useful for East Haddam research.

Quote of the Day

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."

--Benjamin Franklin