Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of John Halsey alias Chambers

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Descendants of John Halsey alias Chambers

Generation No. 1

1. JOHN HALSEY ALIAS¹ CHAMBERS was born Abt. 1498 in Dunstable, Bedfordshire , England, and died Abt. 1559 in Dunstable, Bedfordshire , England. He married (1) UNKNOWN. He married (2) AGNES.

Notes for JOHN HALSEY ALIAS CHAMBERS:
This is my direct line of the Halsey family back to Thomas Halsey,who came to America about 1638.There was a Halsey Geneology which was published in 1895, which had the English ancestors of Thomas Halsey.These ancestors were proven wrong by Herbert F. Seversmith in the early 1950's.The correct ancestry for Thomas Halsey has not yet been proven.

THE HALSEY FAMILY

The first Halsey immigrant,Thomas,by name, came to Southampton,Long Island,New York in 1636 from England.He was born in 1591 and died in 1679.It is said that the Halsey homestead is still in existence in England.
Oliver Halsey,six generations removed from Thomas,was born in Southampton, New York,25 March 1769 and died in Lodi, New York,16 December 1850. His wife was Susannah Cooper. Oliver was one of fourteen children born to Silas Halsey Junior. Silas was an eminent physician who moved to the Lodi,New York area in 1793.
Peter Halsey,a son of Oliver,was born in Lodi,Seneca County,New York, 10 November 1805.He was born to Mary Van Vleet,daughter of Peter and Mary VanVleet.The VanVleets had also came to Lodi , New York in 1793.
In the early 1930's many families from western New York came to the territory of Michigan.Peter and Mary were among those who came by the Erie Canal and sail boat to buy land cheap and found homes in the wilderness of this,then, western territory.Their new home was near Dexter,Washtenaw County,Michigan. Six of their children were born there.Their children later moved to Clinton and Eaton counties in Michigan. All that remains today in Washtenaw county are the burial places of Peter, Mary and their small son Herman.History repeats itself. Members of later generations are making their homes in all parts of our country ever looking for opportunities to improve their way of life.
A Halsey Geneology was printed in 1895 at the Jerseyman Office in Morristown , New Jersey.It was compiled by Jacob Lafayette Halsey and Edmund Drake Halsey.In it is a picture in color of the Halsey Coat of Arms.This grant of arms was given to two brothers of Thomas Halsey in 1633. The motto reads,"Nescit Vox Missa Reverte". In the geneology appears this quotation;
"A people who take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything to be remembered with pride by remote descendants". ---- Macaulay

This book attempts to bring the Halsey geneology up to date through the Peter Halsey Line.Without the help of Emojean Glassner,Hazel Halsey, Laura Johnson, Mary Krebal and many,many others this could have not been written.WE THANK YOU. The Halsey family holds a reunion each year near St.Johns,Michigan.They are keeping alive a pride in the Halsey Family.

Wilma Miller 1973
Rt. 1 Burlington , Michigan 49029
An Old Colonial Family
The Halseys can trace their ancestry for 708 years (Brooklyn Daily Eagle 1898)

An estate of five thousand acres bestowed upon William Halsey by Henry VIII. Distinguished representatives who have helped to make American History.

The Halsey family is one of the oldesr of Brooklyn's Colonial Families,and it is descended from a long and honorable line of ancestors,records of whom are extent for a period covering 708 years,in this country and in England.
The first authentic record mentions the Halseys as Lords of the Manor of Tanesley in Cornwall.England as early as the year 1189. In 1458 ,according to Cussant,the historian of Hertfordshire,a branch of the Halsey family settled at Great Gaddesden and later became lessees of the
Rectory of Gaddesden until March 12,1545, when came the dissolution of religious houses,Henry VIII bestowed the estate upon William Halsey. At that time the donation consisted of 4000 acres and it was on this estate in 1591,in the old mansion designated the Golden parsonage that Thomas Halsey ,who was the pilgrim,and was one of the original patentees and founders of Southampton L.I. was born.
The Golden parsonage was situated a short distance from the river Gadde,Hertfordshire about 28 miles north of London. The present heir and occupant of the property is Thomas Frederick Halsey M.P.,adescendant of the elder brother of Thomas Halsey ,who came to America.The great grandfather of the present owner tore down the ancestral structure in 1773 and erected the present residence,now known as Gaddesden Place,the architect of which was the celebrated James Wyatt. A picture of the fine old mansion accompanies this sketch. Around this beautiful home spreads out a domain of about 3000 acres,from the home noble views may be had,one of them reaching to Harrow -on-the-hill and where Peel and Byron swam happily in the pool and played on the grounds.
Here for 400 years the Halseys resided and in a private Cemetery erected near the ancient church the members of the Halsey family are buried. A few years ago the present owner of Gaddesden Place paid a visit to America hopung to meet some of hie American cousins.
The Halseys of Hertfordshire,as may be atated,are descended from that branch which includes William of Wyckham,who was Bishop of Winchester,became lord Chancellor in the reign of Edward III , and was eminent as a founder and builder of historic edifices. At his instigation Edward III razed and re-erected Windsor Castle,giving him sole supervision of the work. He was the founder of New College,Oxford and of Winchester College and the buikder of the noblest part of the Winchester Cathedral.Lord Brougham in his "English Worthies " describes him as " One of the few men who,having raised themselves by their ability and integrety to riches and honor,worked not sordidly for themselves to heap up treasure,but nobly employed their wealth in works of the highest public utility."
Another illustrious member of the Halsey Family was Bishop Halsey of Litchfield and
Coventry,who took part in the Wars of the Roses as a friend of Margaret of Anjou,whom he escorted from the field of Bloreheath after the defeat of her army He occupied his Episcopal office for thirty one years,lived to the age of ninety and lies buried in the Cathedral of Litchfield.
About the time Thomas Halsey attained his majority and when the rumblings of approaching revolutions were in the air,he left England for Naples( see The English Ancestry Of Thomas Halsey Of Southampton,Long Island by Raymond David Wheeler 1944-questionable). He later returned to England and according to tradition,sailed for America in the ship in which Oliver Cromwell,the protector,and John Hampden had taked passage. The two distinguished men,however,were prevented from leaving England "by order of the king."
Deeds on record at Lynn,Massachusetts furnish the first record of Thomas Halsey in America. He was,as early as 1637,the possessor of a hundred acres of land in that town. But ,as in other colonies,there were dissensions in this particular community and a number of the settlers of Lynn decided to emigrate,with this idea in view,,a compact was signed on March 10, 1639,at Lynn,defining the conditions and terms upon which the new settlement was to be established.Thomas Halsey was one of the signers. The agreement specified that the nes settlers should occupy eight square miles at any point on Long Island. The rate of compensation for the lands taken was to be fixed by Governor Winthrop ,who said," inasmuch as the country was a barren wilderness ,four bushels of corn would be fair." After many adventures the company from Lynn selected the site and founded the present town of Southampton. It is said that this was the first setlement made by Englishmen within the present limits of the State of New York. The emigrants gave more that four bushels of corn for the land. they gave the red men,to whom the soil belonged,sixteen coats and sixty bushels of corn and agreed to defend the indians against any hostile tribes.
One of the names affixed to this agreement was that of Thomas Halsey Esq.. All the America Halseys are descended from this Thomas Halsey,He who was the nephew of a bishop and brother of James Halsey,a graduate of Clare College,Cambridge,and rector of St Alphage in London ( James was probably the son of Robert Halsey and Dorothy not the brother of Thomas ( The English Ancestry Of Thomas Halsey Of Southampton,Long Island by Raymond David Wheeler 1994). This proved in the impress he made on the colony that he was no ordinary man. He possessed marked traits of character ,not the least of which was a strong individuality which stamped him as a worthy leader and a safe advisor.
In 1649 a band of Pequot Indians crossed from the Massachusetts coast and made an attack on the Long Island settlement. Their first victim was the wife of Thomas Halsey,she being the first woman on Long Island to die by the hand of the red man.The savages were pursued by an armed company and the murderers were captured.Subsequently seven of them were tried,convicted and executed at Hartford.
Thomas Halsey lived to a ripe old age nearly attaining his 90th year. He held many responsible offices both in the community of southampton and in the colony of Connecticut,keeping to the last the affection and esteem of his fellow townsmen.
The Halseys of Long Island had many representatives in the battles of the French and Indian Wars and in the struugle between the colonies and the mother country.
When the news of the skirmish at Lexington reached Long Island,Jesse Halsey crossed over to New London and joined the patriot army immediately after the battle of Bunker Hill. He served throughout the war and retired with the rank of colonel. At the Battle of Monmouth he was with Lee's division,and when that general ordered a retreat,was standing beside him at the time Washington fode up,his face distorted with anger,and demanded in tones of thunder, " In heaven's name , Lee , what are you doing?" The great -grandfather of Harlan P. Halsey of McDonough Street,this city,was also present at the battle and one of the wounded.
Captain Luther Halsey was the friend of and Aide De Camp to General Wahington,and one of the founders of the Society ot the Cincinnatus,and was largely instrumental in establishing Union College at Schenectady.
Captain Jeremiah Halsey distinguished himself by bravery,in the capture of Ticonderoga,and is said to have contributed more monet and time to the Revolutionary cause that any other man.
Captain Elias Henry Halsey was the first commander-in cheif of the Revolutionary Navy.He was Captain of the priviteer Brig,"Enterprise" lying in New London Harbor. In Miss Caulkins' " History of New London"speaking of the expedition of Arnold and his attack on that place,she says;
" An eighteen pounder,loaded with two bags of grape shot and directed by Captain Elias H. Halsey, an experienced naval officer ,was opened upon them,and it was supposed that twenty men fell to the ground,killed or wounded by that first discharge."
Captain Elias H. Halsey was killed at Groton Heights,Fort Griswold,September 6.1781. Brooklyn had the plan of naming uptown streets after generals and naval commanders and that Halsey Street was named in honor of this hero.
Matthew Halsey fought in the battle of Long Island,and as a reward took out letters of marque and took an expedition to New London against some Hessian troops,captured thirteen soldiers and was subsequently rewarded by congress,the reward being paid in continental money. He lived to be ninety years old and the pillow in his coffin was the continental money received from congress.
In the War of 1812 representatives of the Halsey family took a prominent part. Captain Silas P.Halsey was killed in the attempt to blow up the British blockading frigate Ramillies,this being,it is said,the first time that a torpedo was used in warfare.
In the was with Mexico the Halseys again came to the front. Dr Seymour Halsey was the surgeon of the first Mississipps Rifles,commanded by Colonel Jefferson Davis.At the battle of Buena Vista Colonel Davis was wounded and was attended by Surgeon Halsey,who at a later date served on the staff of General Zachary Taylor.
In the War of the Rebellion there were many Halseys of Long Island and also members of the family from other States on the muster roles of the Union Army. Captain Norwood Alling Halsey of Brooklyn served in the Tenth Zouaves and on the commanding generals staff.
The homestead of the Brooklyn Halseye was located in what is known as the Twenty Third Ward in the vicinity of Macon and Halsey Streets. The late William Halsey ,who lived for many years on Clinton Avenue,caused to be erected the Halsey Building,now known as the Arbuckle Building. Abraham Halsey was one of the founders and first cashier of the old Brooklyn Bank,where his son,Thomas occupies the same position today. Harlan P. Halsey was the projector of the successful Kings County Trust company.
The family has spread widely over the country. In Newark,New Jersey they are prominent as manufacturers and officers of financial institutions. There is a Halsey Street in Chicago,Illinois and Providence,Rhode Island. the family has lived in various localities known as Halseyville,Halsey town and plain Halsey. The Halseys by intermarriage are allied to many of the old colonial families in this and other states.
The Halsey coat of arms was granted to William and his brothers in 1633.in a letter dated "Great Gaddesden,Hertfordshire,March 23 1885", adressed to Jacob L. Halsey,Vice President of the Manhattan Life Insurance Company,New York, Thomas Frederick Halsey acknowledges the clear and undoubted right of the desendants of Thomas Halsey,born at Great Gaddesden ,to bear the Halsey Arms.
Among the notable men of more modern times who have descended from Thomas Halsey may be mentioned. The Hon Jeremiah Halsey L.L.D.,of Norwich,Connecticut,who was a member of the Legislature of his native state for many years. Rev. John Taylor Halsey,Who attained great eminence as a teacher in New Jersey; Captain Edwin Lindsey,of Charleston ,South Carolina,who enjoys the distinction of having loaded the first gun that was fired by the Confederacy,and of having commanded the battery that fired the last shot; Judge Samuel Beach Halsey,who served several terms in the Assembly of this state,and also in that of the State of New Jersey,in which body he served one term as speaker; Jacob L. Halsey,Vice President of the Manhattan Life Insurance Company,who has the distinction of being the oldest life underwriter in the United States in point of service;.Edmund Drake Halsey of Morristown,New Jersey,an eminent lawyer and banker,and one of the editors of a history of the Halsey family; Hon. George A. Halsey of Newark,New Jersey, politician ,legislator,banker and insurance man,unsuccessful candidate for governor,he was one of the best known men in that state; Professor John J. Halsey,a distinguished educator of Illinois,and many others of more or less note.
The "home lot" of Thomas Halsey has long since passed out of the possession of his descendants and is now owned by Mr. A.J. Peabody. the house probably stood near the present site of the Hollyhocks.
Many of his descendants still live in Southampton and if fact the blood of Thomas Halsey mingles with that of nearly every one of the descendants of the older families.

Recorded by Douglas C. Huggett 12 May 2001

More About JOHN HALSEY ALIAS CHAMBERS:
Christening: also known as Chambers
Fact 1: lived in the parsonage
Fact 2: living 1512
Probate: 02 April 1559, proved 23 October 1559

Children of JOHN CHAMBERS and UNKNOWN are:

2.	i.	THOMAS HALSEY ALIAS² CHAMBERS, b. Abt. 1522; d. 05 February 1591/92, Hemel Hempstead,Hertfordshire,England.
3.	ii.	JOHN HALSEY ALIAS CHAMBERS, b. Abt. 1525.
	iii.	DAUGHTER HALSEY ALIAS CHAMBERS, b. Abt. 1530; d. Abt. 1555; m. ALBRIGHT, Abt. 1552.

Child of JOHN CHAMBERS and AGNES is:

iv.

THOMAS HALSEY ALIAS² CHAMBERS, b. Abt. 1537; d. 12 September 1573, Flamstead, England.

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