Below are some book excerpts I typed up to share with another Headlee researcher; I thought others on the list might be interested in this, too. Gail Headlee glheadlee@aol.com ================= >From "A History of the Headley and Headlee Families" by Ray L. Headlee, copyright 1959. (Note: This book focuses on the descendants of Ephraim Headlee b 1758 & Mary Fordyce b 1763, so the author's use of "our family" and similar statements generally refers to these descendants.) p. 17-18 "The available traditions and histories seem to indicate that Richard Headlee was born about 1690, and was of the third generation in America. The writer, after study of the existing histories and family records, believes that a reconcilement of this, our history, with the older histories mentioned herein, is easily arrived at, and now gives us, without doubt, an unbroken line of descent from Richard Headlee down to our time. On the other hand, to dispose of the matter of the ancestry of Richard Headlee, by inferring he was a grandson of Leonard Headley, one of our first two immigrants to the Boston Bay Colony, would be largely conjectural. Your writer prefers, however, to leave the matter of the ancestry of Richard, open for later, and possibly more accurate inquiry and determination. In justification of the statements hereafter made in this connection, please read the following combination of facts about dates and relationship possibliities, which one day, may help some more insistent family member to determine the exact relationships. Leonard Headley, whom the Fretz history names as the possible progenitor of the Headleys in that history, was as stated therein, one of our first two immigrants from England. That history also states it is believed Leonard Headley's brother, John Hedley came with him. Leonard took up land near Elizabethtown, New Jersey, as one of a colony of 65 persons, in February of 1665, and there took the oath of allegiance to the Lord Proprietors and the English king. Leonard Headley died in New Jersey in February, 1683. Reading between the lines, it may be assumed that he lived a life of average length, or about sixy years. Most immigrants arriving from Europe in those days, we are told, were comparatively young people, many of them newly married, or of marriageable age. Figuring Leonard to have been in his early twenties, at this time, he would by this reasoning, have been born about 1623, and probably arrived in America just before 1650, or somewhat less than 30 years after the arrival of the Mayflower. About 15 years elapsed after his arrival to the time he finally settled in New Jersey, prior to, or with the Cartaret colony. During this 15 year period, he may have lived, most of the time, in Connecticut. Many of the 65 persons in the migration party (5 of whom joined the party enroute, or arrived ahead of the 60 persons who originally made up the party) came from the same section of Connecticut, and their first New Jersey settlement was named 'Connecticut Farms.' With all these matters in mind it would be natural for the reader to speculate on what may have happened to the brother John Hedley. Since the general trend of the migrations was toward the west, the brother John may have later followed Leonard into the New Jersey county, and may have himself become progenitor of many of the Headleys, who lived and worked, and helped clear that country for occupancy during the one hundred and ten years, or so, before the start of the Revolutionary War. Following the settlement at Elizabethtown, the family members, throughout that period of more than one hundred years, spread out throught the New Jersey county, from Essex County (a part of which later became Union County) to Morris County and Sussex County, New Jersey, and Orange (and other counties) in southern New York, as well as into eastern Pennsylvania. It is true our family records and traditions prove that the ancestors of the families in this history, lived in the midst of this New Jersey area, which was and still is, the home of many family members, and that there can be but little doubt their immediate relationship to, and descent from the same sources mentioned in these older New Jersey histories." p. 19-20 "The Fretz history of the family gives us this brief comment: 'The Headley family undoubtedly is of English origin, though one tradition says the family came from Scotland. The name in the twelfth century was 'De Haddeleigh' and in the Latin form 'de Hadliens', the significance of the name being 'of the woods.'" "Sometime after the twelfth century, the family name became variously: Hedly, Hedley, Hadley, Headley, and finally in one family branch, Headlee." "Another indication of our English origin can be found in the fact that some of the early members of the family belonged to the English Peerage, so created about the year 1230 A.D., and it is probable that a seat in the House of Lords goes with that title. Your writer has a clipping from a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania newspaper, in the year 1920, which is self explanatory: 'London, January 6th - Baron Cunliffe, of Headley, governor of the bank of England, died suddenly last night. Baron Cunliffe became governor of the bank of England in 1913. He was a director of the Northwestern Railway and became the Baron of Headley in 1913.' Research by the author reveals that early family members held positions of influence under the crowned heads in England, Ireland, and Wales during the Feudal era. Study of Burke's Peerage and the "Amorial Families" by Fox-Davies shows that titles 'Baron of Headley' and 'Baron of Hedley' were bestowed at various times in these 3 countries. It seems that none of this information antedates the 16th century. So the name of the first Baron of Headley, so honored about 1230 A.D. (as appears on his coat of arms) and his succeeding holders of the title, are unknown to the authors mentioned. No doubt those holding such titles between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries could be discovered by name only by diligent search (at considerable cost) through the archives of those countries. Besides the names Cunliffe, heretofore mentioned, successors to the titles, that now appear off record, are the family names of Allanson and Wynn (in County Kerry in Ireland) and one Oswald William Edward Hedley (in England). That the family roots were at one time firmly established in the country directly south of London, is evidenced by replies from two of those districts to your writer's inquiries in search of present family members in the area. Unfortunately, no living members of the family are to be found in either district. One reply in part says: 'Your letter of 30 June (1958) has been passed to me by the Clerk of the Headley Parish Council of Headley, Bordon, Hampshire. You may be unaware that there are two Headleys at least in England, one in Hampshire and one in Surrey.' This letter bears signature of H.R. Fortesque, Solicitor, Leatherhead, Surrey, England." p. 20 "The Fretz history says there is a tradition that two brothers, tanners and curriers by occupation, came from Manchester, England some time before 1665. John Hedley, one of the brothers, located shortly at New Port, Rhode Island. The other brother, it is now pretty certainly believed was Leonard Headley, who became head of most of the New Jersey families by that name." p. 23 "The Fretz history prints notes from a Miss Mary Headley of Newark, New Jersey, naming other immigrants to America, as follows: Michael Headley, shipped from Graves End, England, August 21, 1635, on the ship 'George,' bound for Virginia. Edward Headley and Thomas Headley shipped on the 'True Love,' Robert Dennis, Master, on June 10, 1635." p. 33 "This tradition has been put in writing in Bates' History of Greene County, Pennsylvania, by two branches of our family; one by Jeremiah Headlee, son of Silas Headlee, and the other by G.F. Headley, grandson of Jesse Headlee. The G.F. Headley version is given below: He (Richard Headlee) was a sailor in the British Navy, from which he deserted and made his way into the then wilds of New Jersey, where he married, but was afterwards discovered, and according to 'once an Englishman, always an Englishman' he was sent for by a company of 20 British sailors. He resisted and gave a good account of himself, but was overpowered, and again impressed into the service, and kept there against his will for seven years. Later as a seaman cruising along the New Jersey shore, he jumped overboard, swam ashore, and finally made his way back to his family near Trenton, N.J. He had a son John Headley, who died in the patriot army. John had a son in the same war. (In another chapter herein is given a tradition from the Francis Headley descendants, which says there were two Headley brothers involved in this incident.) Comment by the writer: The British long before the Revolution, during that war, and up to and including the war of 1812, were constantly impressing into their naval service, colonists picked up on shore and taken from ships at sea."