To Woolsey Researchers: Marcella Massey sent the following: > Wilford, > I list the names of the children of Thomas Woolsey & > Ruth Bayless or Bailey as: > Richard Woolsey b. 1697 m. Sarah Fowler > Thomas Jr. b.ca 1729 m. Sarah Pierce (2nd wife) > Abigail > William b. 30 Jan 1687 m. Darcas Williamson > John > Johathon > > Does this coincide with your info? If so WHERE did you > get the facts? LDS files are not acceptable. I need info > for Colonial Dames XVII Century. > Please!!!!! > Marcella Massey in So. IN > To which I answered: Hi, Marcella: I really want to work with you on these families. I just don't have them "proven" at this time. Here is what I have on the family of Thomas Woolsey & Ruth (Baylis?): 1. Thomas Woolsey (s/o the Immigrant George Woolsey & Rebecca Cornell). He is not listed in the Dutch Reformed Church records of Nieuw Amsterdam but is on a list that was sent to me by Harry Macy, Editor NYGYB Record, 1 Jul 1998. (From the NY Public Library) "Thomas Woolsey b at Hempstead 10 Apr 1655, bapt Sunday 11 Apr 1655 at ye Englandlish Church by Mr. Denton" (This would be the church at Newtown (Middleburg) Long Island.) Thomas Woolsey followed some of his sons into Bedford, Westchester Co, NY. (bef 1720) Thomas Woolsey was buried in the Old Bedford Village Cemetery, Bedford, Westchester, NY. "Town of Bedford, CEMETERIES FHL #974.7277/B1 N2b. Vol. 8. p iv. "One such stone, preserved underground for perhaps a century, has recently been unearthed in the village graveyard. Its inscription reads: "1742 [next line illegible] Deceased Thomas Woolsey Born in the yeare 1656" This stone was evidently left behind when bodies of the Woolsey family were removed to the Bedford Union Cemetery in the Nineteenth Century." IBID: p. 393. "A gravestone for Thomas Woolsey, dug up in the Old Bedford Cemetery in 1976 bears the dates 1656-1742." >From at least two deed records in Jamaica, Long Island, we know that Thomas Woolsey's wife was named RUTH and that they both could write their names. I have the following, again from Harry Macy: [Op.Cit.: "You asked if I had any further information on Ruth bailey or baylis, who md Thomas Woolsey. My colleague Henry Hoff is descended from this couple (I think through a dau) and has done research on them. He says there is no question Thomas' wife was named Ruth, but he never found any proof that she was Ruth Bailey, although he thinks that is a good possibility. John(1) Baylis of Jamaica did have a dau Ruth who was unmarried when he made his will in 1682 [Legacies to daus Ruth & Rebecca Baylis]. As most of her sisters were married by that time, she probably was also close to marriageable age. Henry says there is a marriage date of 11 Jan 1684 that has been quoted for Thomas and Ruth, but he has no idea where it came from. [That reminds www of the 27 Oct 1610 date for the birth of our Immigrant ancestor George Woolsey, no one knows from whence it came.] There are no Jamaica church records for this period." Note by www: This would also apply to the dates given for the births of the children of Thomas Woolsey and Ruth (Baylis?). Jamaica church records for this period have not been found, although some of the dates are from headstones. Thomas Woolsey is also named in the will of his father, written in 1791 and proved 1798 in Jamaica. "2nd item: I give and bequeath unto my well beloved son Thomas Wolsey all ye fifteen acre lott of land lying to ye westward of Anthony Walters home lott in Jamaica afor said to have and to hold ye said lott of land all ye appurtenances there unto being to him ye said Thomas Wolsey, his heirs and assigns to ye only proper use, benefitt and behoof of him ye said Thomas Wolsey, his heirs and assigns for ever." (This was part of the land in Jamaica that Thomas and his wife Ruth sold.) Children of Thomas Woolsey and Ruth (Baylis?): 1. Thomas Woolsey, Jr. He is given a birth date of Dec 1684 at Jamaica, Long Island. It is not known where that date comes from. He is listed in most of the early family histories, but no documentation has been found. He is probably the Thomas Woolsey buried before 1721 in Bedford. Unmarried as far as known. 2. Abigail Woolsey, b 1685 (again no documentation for this date) at Jamaica; buried 4 Apr 1716, in the old Jamaica Cemetery (Probably where George, the Immigrant and his wife Rebecca are also buried.) This burial record comes from the Register Book of Jamaica kept by Rev. Thomas Poyer, (who also preached the funeral sermon for Rebecca, above), p. 287: "Abigail ye Daughter of Thos & Ruth Woolsey 4 Apr 1716". The next four children are named in a remarkable deed (Original p. 52-3) given 16 Jul 1740 by Thomas Woolsey. Ruth is not mentioned and probably died 1739. 3. William Woolsey b 30 Jan 1687 (again not known where date comes from) at Jamaica, Long Island. He died 7 Mar 1771 at Bedford and was buried in the Old Bedford Cemetery, removed to Bedford Union Cemetery, 1976. He married in Jamaica and is recorded in the old Register, p. 278. "Wm Woolsey & Derica Williamson of Jamaica at Jamaica 4 Jan 1711/12 - Published. (This may not be the date of marriage, but the date of one of the three bans published.) (Derica in the Dutch for Dorcas, or Dorothy) He is named in the above deed as " . . . to my son William Woollseys land . . . .". Willliam Woolsey was earlier named in a Deed (G:58-8) given 12 Jan 1729/30 by Thomas Woolsey of Bedford, Westchester, with the "consent of wife Ruth, and sons William, Jonathan, Richard, and John Woolsey) sold to Henry Dusenbury of Rye, yeoman, for 105 pounds, NY money." 4. John Woolsey b 1691 Jamaica, d Nov 1751 at Bedford, bur Old Cemetery, Bedford. John Woolsey is named in his father's 1730 Deed and in the 1740 Deed. John Woolsey also names his brothers William, Jonathan and Richard in his will. He also names his wife Sarah (Woolsey?) and, evidently, his only child, his son Gilbert Woolsey. 5. Jonathan Woolsey, b 1695, Jamaica, d 1754, in Marlboro, Ulster Co, NY and is buried in the Riverview Cemetery there. He is also in the Deeds above. His wife was named Abigail. They had only one child identified: a son John Woolsey. 6. Richard Woolsey "a farmer", b 1697, Jamaica, d 21 Apr 1779 (C.Meech Woolsey gives the death date as 1777, but must be in error here as we find him later than 1777 and his headstone gives the date as 1779. He is buried in the Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Marlborough, Ulster Co, NY. He married in Jamaica (just before leaving for Bedford) on 24 Jan 1718 to Sarah Fowler. They had 12 children. He is also in the above Deeds. These are the children of record which have been "proved". More work needs to be done, and I am "hurrying as fast as I can." There is a girl Deborah Woolsey b bet 1700-1710 at Newtown, Long Island, md 5 Jan 1730 at Newtown, to Thomas Lawrence, who belongs in here somewhere, possibly not a daughter of Thomas and Ruth, but possibly. ?? Now, just a word about Thomas Woolsey who md Sarah Pierce - He is not a son of Thomas and Ruth, but rather a son of Richard Woolsey and Sarah Fowler. In Richard Woolsey's will he is named as "eldest son Thomas". This is the Reverend (Baptist) Thomas Woolsey of Westchester, Ulster Counties, New York, to Washington County, Virginia, before 1771. Some researchers have him marrying twice : 1) Sarah _______, who is the mother of his children and 2) Sarah Pierce. The research I have done indicates, but not conclusively, that he may have only md once, and Sarah Pierce is the mother of his children. Rev. Thomas Woolsey and Sarah (Pierce?) settled at "St. Clair's Bottoms (Sinclair's Bottoms), on the South Fork of the Holstein River in that part of Washington County, Virginia, that became Smythe County, Virginia. He had many land transactions on the South and Middle Forks of the Holstein and married about 80 couples (I forget the #) in Washington County, Virginia. He left a will in Smythe County, Virginia, but only names a son Zephaniah. His son Richard Woolsey and Richard's wife "Ann" (Nancy Plumstead) were witnesses to the will. Well, Marcella, does that help? Sincerely, Wilford W. Whitaker