Our FARLEY Ancestry

• Thomas FARLEY....b. 1565 in Towthorpe, North Yorkshire, England, the son of Reginald FARLEY(b.ca. 1530) and Barbara HASTINGS (b. ca. 1532). Reginald's parents were Richard FARLEY (b. 1485, son of John FARLEY of Bosbury, Herfordshire, England) and Joan EVESHAM (b. 1499 in Evesham, Worcestershire, England). Thomas m. Jane HUNGERFORD (ca. 1578-1627, b. in Somersetshire, England, daughter of Sir Anthony HUNGERFORD and Bridget SHELLEY). There were actually TWO Towthorpe's in North Yorkshire –one still exists and is immediately northeast of the city of York, and the other (abandoned in the mid-1600s) was off to the East, near the English Channel. The name itself is an English corruption of a Scandinavian name referring to farmland, dating from the Viking occupation of northeast England. (To confuse matters further, there was another Jane HUNGERFORD who married Thomas' brother Fabyan FARLEY. The two Janes were cousins.) [11]
  • Thomas FARLEY.....born in 1602, and emigrated to Virginia with his wife, Lady Jane SEFTON, and a servant, Nicholas SHOTTER. They landed at Archer's Hoop, a point of land opposite Jamestown, VA on February 4, 1624.
  • George FARLEY....ca. 1615-27 Dec 1693, b. in England, d. at Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA. In 1639 he departed England for religious reasons, boarding the ship Lyon and landing in either Charleston or Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony. [New Hampshire Genealogies 1908 Vol 2] He initially settled at Roxbury, MA [Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England, by John Farmer. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1969, pp. 100-101]. He was one of the early Baptists, and a member of the first Baptist Church of Boston.
      George m. Christian BIRTHS on 9 Apr 1641 in Woburn, MA. She was a Swede, whocame to this country on the same ship as he did, and whose father had died on the voyage and was buried at sea. They lived in Woburn for about 12 years, where he was listed on a 1645 tax roll as a 'clothier.' (His great-uncle Roger FARLEY was a well-known clothier in Yorkshire, as well as having other businesses in Worcestershire.) George moved eight miles to the northwest before 1656, and became one of the founders of the town of Shawshin, which later became Billerica. The George Farley home in Billerica, built in 1676, still stands at 161 Concord Road. The west end is the original George Farley house [per Farley Family of Hollis website]. He sold his house in Woburn to a Richard SNOW on 19 Nov 1656.
      George and his family were good citizens. In Mar 1660, he served on the Grand Jury; also in 1660 he was a corporal in the train band, a group formed to train and protect the town. On 14 August 1675, in a period of frequent Indian attack, his house was selected as a garrison in time of extremity. He was a participant in the August 1675 military expedition in which Nipmuck Indians killed his son Timothy and seven others at Brookfield, Massachusetts. [NEHGR, Vol. 136]. George and his family, as Baptists, were also at odds with the Puritan religion. His son Samuel was fined for eating and drinking in church, probably more an indication of his defiance than a reflection of his boorishness. [Superior Court records of 1689, pp. 131-133; research by Melinde Lutz Sanborn]. The fact that at least two persons from Billerica were seized during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 may not have sat well with him. He died a year later. His wife died on 27 Mar 1702. [10]
    • Caleb FARLEY....1 Apr 1645-16 Mar 1712, b. in Woburn, MA, d. in Roxbury, MA. He m. Rebecca HILL (b. ca. 1646 in Woburn,Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, dau. of Ralph HILL) on 5 Jul 1666 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA. Rebecca died on 29 Mar 1669. He m. (2nd) Lydia MOORE, dau. of Golden MOORE and Joanna CHAMPNEY (both formerly of Cambridge, MA), on 3 Nov 1669 at Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA. [9]
      • Caleb FARLEY....28 Jun 1667-5 Apr 1733, b. in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA. Married (1st) Sarah GODFREY of Haverhill, Essex Co., MA (26 Jul 1664-13 Nov 1704, b. in Hampton, Hillsborough Co., New Hampshire) on 8 Apr 1686 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA [Early Massachusetts Marriages, Vol. III, Cambridge, Page 12]. She was the daughter of John GODFREY [1632-19 Mar 1697] and Mary COX [26 Jun 1644-14 Aug 1707]. John GODFREY was accused of witchcraft in Hampton in 1659, more than 30 years before the famous Salem witchcraft trials, by James DAVIS Sr. and his son Ephraim DAVIS. He was accused again in 1662, and a third time in 1665. Each time he was acquitted. Yet another accusation arose in 1680, this time involving John but focusing on their next-door neighbor, Mrs. Rachel FULLER. Both his wife and daughter accused her of witchcraft. Click HERE to view this accusation and the testimonies of Mary and Sarah GODFREY. Caleb m. (2nd) reportedly to a Deborah CHAMBERLAIN (need to confirm through further sources). [8]
        • George FARLEY....26 Jan 1687-ca. May 1720. George and younger brother Caleb emigrated from MA to NJ by 1709, when they appeared on the list of trustees at the Ewing Presbyterian church in Trenton, NJ.) Married Feminitie TUNISON (b. ca. 1684, daughter of Cornelius TUNISON and Neeltje BOGART). In his will, made on 8 May 1720, he named his father-in-law as Cornelis TUNISON and made his brother Caleb FARLEY and brother-in-law Tunis VAN MIDDLESWART [TUNISON] his executors. Another brother-in-law, not named in the will, was Cornelis TEUNISE, husband of Rebecca VOLKERTSON. Rebecca was the aunt of Philip FULKERSON, who is believed to have married George's brother Caleb's granddaughter, Margrita FARLEY. Feminitie, Cornelis and Tunis were first cousins of Jacob Jeronimus RAPALJE, father of Aeltje RAPALJE who married Rebecca's younger brother Joseph VOLKERSON: their aunt Annetje (DENYSE) RAPALJE was Jacob's mother. (Cornelius TUNISON left a will, written 24 Aug 1727, probated 3 Oct and 3 Nov 1731, executed by sons Cornelis and Tunis, which mentioned "daughter Fenmeye, widow of George Fairly" - NJ Archives, 30:475, Liber B:238.)
          • Caleb FARLEY....bapt. 4 Apr 1719 at the Raritan DRC, moved to Hunterdon Co., NJ, Married Catherine GRAY. He's the child Caleb named in George FARLEY's will. Caleb died in 1802 at Shamokin Twp., Northumberland Co., PA
            • Magdalene FARLEY....born ca. 1741 in Hunterdon, NJ.
            • Sarah FARLEY....born ca. 1743.
            • Phoebe FARLEY....born ca. 1744.
            • George FARLEY....born ca. 1745.
            • Susannah FARLEY....born 1746 in Amwell, Hunterdon Co., NJ and died 30 Nov 1821, at Shamokin Twp., Northumberland Co., PA. She m. Col. George ELY (Apr 1745-21 Jul 1820) on 27 Apr 1768 at Amwell, Hunterdon Co., NJ. He was probably born at Solebury, Bucks Co., PA. By 1788 they had moved to Northumberland Co., PA. They appeared there on the 1800 Census. Both believed to have died at Shamokin Twp., Northumberland Co., PA. They had 11 children.
            • John FARLEY....10 Apr 1750-19 May 1832.
            • Caleb FARLEY....28 Jun 1757-6 Oct 1808. Served in the Revolution, fought at the Battle of Monmouth in 1778 on his 21st birthday.
            • Elida FARLEY....30 May 1761-28 Jul 1823, b. in Axwell, Hunterdon Co., NJ, died at Sunbury, Northumberland Co., PA.
            • Oliver FARLEY....born ca. 1762.
          • Sara FARLEY....bapt. 19 Jun 1720 at the Raritan DRC: "Ferle, Celph and Femmetie- Sare"
        • Caleb FARLEY....b. 6 Jan 1689 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA, emigrated to New Jersey by 1709, married Margarietje WILTSEE by 1717. Why would he leave the wonderful state of Massachusetts to seek his fortune in New Jersey? Perhaps for reasons of religious freedom (he was raised a Baptist in an oppressive, predominantly Puritan colony) or pehaps because it was safer from Indian attacks: "Events soon justified the dread of Indian hostilities felt by the people of this neighborhood....In August, 1696, they killed or took prisoners fifteen persons at Billerica, burning many houses. [SALEM WITCHCRAFT, by Charles W. Upham, FREDERICK UNGAR PUBLISHING CO., New York, 1867] [7]
          • Caleb FARLEY....bapt. 15 Oct 1717 at the Raritan DRC: "Tarl, Kellep and wife - Kellep." He married a Phoebe, per later DRC records. [6]
            • Margrita FARLEY....bapt 12 Nov 1738 at the Raritan DRC (Ferli, Kilp and wife Febi - Margrita). The evidence uncovered in 2008 (see below) confirms she married Philip FULKERSON, son of Joseph VOLKERTSON and Aeltje RAPALJE. Dutch families generally observed a unique custom during that era: the first two sons and first two daughters were named for their grandparents. In keeping with this tradition, Philip FULKERSON named his two known sons Joseph and Caleb – honoring grandfathers Joseph FULKERSON and Caleb FARLEY. [5]
              • Caleb FULKERSON.... Caleb named his first son and first two daughters after their grandparents: Philip, Margaret, Deborah (both grandfathers were named Philip). Further confirming this evidence, Caleb had a grandson named Caleb Farley FULKERSON and a great-grandson named Caleb Farleigh FULKERSON. As a sidenote, Caleb's grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather and great-great-great-grandfather were all named Caleb. The name Caleb was otherwise very rare in colonial New Jersey. [4]
            • William FARLEY....bapt. 9 Feb 1743 at the Raritan DRC: "Ferle, Celp and Febe- Willem"
            • Sara FARLEY....bapt. 9 Jun 1745 at the Raritan DRC: "Ferle, Celph and Femmetie- Sare"
            • Phoebe FARLEY....bapt. 28 Apr 1754 at the Raritan DRC: "Faerle, Cilp and Vebe--Vebe."
          • Meindert FARLEY....bapt. 17 Sep 1721 at the Raritan DRC: "Feerly, Callep and Margarietje- Meindert; wit: Maria Bort." He lived at Tewksbury, Hunterdon Co., NJ, where he served on the local Committee of Safety during the Revolution
        • John FARLEY.... b. 22 May 1690 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA
        • Sarah FARLEY.... b. 27 Jul 1692 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA
        • Mary FARLEY.... b. 26 Sep 1694 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA
        • James FARLEY.... b. 8 Sep 1697 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA
        • Deborah FARLEY.... b. 20 Feb 1699 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA
        • Jonathan FARLEY.... b. 2 Oct 1701 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA
        • Samuel FARLEY.... b. 10 Apr 1703 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA (another source states he was born 14 Apr 1708 and was the son of Deborah CHAMBERLAIN)
      • Rebecca FARLEY....b. 10 Mar 1668/1669.
      • George FARLEY....30 Jul 1677-before 14 Aug 1733, b. at Woburn, MA, d. at Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA, m. Rebecca STEARNS (dau. of William CHAMBERLAIN and widow of Thomas STEARNS) on 14 Jul 1699
    • James FARLEY....b. 23 Nov 1643
    • Mary FARLEY....b. 27 Feb 1646/1647
    • Timothy FARLEY....ca. 1649-1675, b. in Woburn, MA, d. at Brookfield, Massachusetts during Indian hostilities
    • Elizabeth FARLEY....b. ca. 1651 in Woburn, MA
    • Samuel FARLEY....b. 1654 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA
    • Mehitabel FARLEY....b. May 1656 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA

The FARLEYs in England...and Normandy

The FARLEY family in England claims descent from William De Falaise, nephew and ally of William the Conqueror, both of whom were born in the French town of Falaise.

  William De Falaise was listed in the Domesday Book (August 1086) with "holdings in Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wilts." The family also traces its lineage back at least another four centuries, to Viking Ivar Vidfadine, king of Skaania, who ruled "all Sweden, all Denmark, great part of Saxony....and the fifth part of England" in the first half of the seventh century. [Genealogical and Personal Memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey, Francis Bazley Lee, Lewis Publishing Company, 1907; They Followed the Plume: The Story of J.E.B. Stuart and His Staff, Robert J. Trout, Stackpole Books, 2003]

  Another resource, The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions [H. S. King, London, 1874] states the FARLEY name derives from Robert De Verlie of Normandy. Another book of that era, The Battle Abbey Roll: With Some Account of the Norman Lineages, [Duchess of Cleveland, London, 1889] tells us that Robert De Verlie lived in Essex, England and founded the Swine Priory.

Take your pick.

The FULKERSON-FARLEY Connection

The trail begins with Rebecca FULKERSON, aunt of Philip, older sister of his father Joseph. She married Cornelis MIDDLESWART, son of Cornelis TUNISON. (MIDDLESWART was used as a surname for a brief time in the 1700s, to indicate the family was from Midwout - or Flatbush - in Brooklyn, NY. This roughly followed the geographical naming convention used by some early immigrants, e.g., Van Horn, De Noorman. The direct descendants of Cornelis and Rebecca all adopted the TUNISON surname.)

  Cornelis's sister, Femmitie TUNISON, married George FARLEY. George made a will on 8 May 1720, at the age of 32, naming Cornelis TEUNISON as his father-in-law, and Cornelis's brother Tunis VAN MIDDLESWART and George's brother Caleb FARLEY as his executors. George already died or was near death on 19 Jun 1720 when Rebecca and husband Cornelis were listed as witnesses for a baptism: "Ferlie, Joris and wife, Femmetie - Sara."

  These close relationships between Rebecca and the FARLEY family are interesting for two reasons: First, Rebecca's nephew Philip FULKERSON married an unknown "Maergrite" by 1754 and then named his first two known sons Joseph and Caleb, which would be in accordance with the Dutch tradition of naming the first two sons after their grandfathers. Second, Caleb FARLEY baptized a son named Caleb at the Raritan DRC on 15 Oct 1717, and the younger Caleb FARLEY baptized a daughter there on 12 Nov 1738: "Ferli, Kilp and wife, Febi - Margrita." These were very likely the "Caleb" namesake for Philip FULKERSON's son Caleb FULKERSON and the "Maergrite" who Philip FULKERSON married.

  It would be helpful to have additional proof such as a marriage record, if such existed. Because Philip's descendants have searched for "Maergrite" for a century or more, it is possible that no positive record exists. One other proof of sorts is the process of elimination: there was only one other Caleb found in exhaustive searching of Somerset County records for that time period: he was a cousin of Caleb FARLEY, moved southwest to Hunterdon County, and had no children named Margrita or Maergrite.

"While reading that letter you sent to me about naming children after their grandparents I thought about Monroe and Harlans' brother Caleb Farley. Having been born Oct 16,1849, he was the last child born to Jane and Samuel....I actually have no correspondance listing his name as Caleb Farley, He aparrently never used it. I do have a piece of paper listing the names of Janes' children and Farley is written. I am right now looking at his business card when he ran for sheriff in Prescot Ariz: Caleb F Fulkerson."