Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

474 GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BAENSTABLE FAMILIES.
ceiving the sacrament of the Lord's Supper from his hands. Disgusted
at this treatment, Mr. Hallett, on the revolt of Long Island
fro'ai the Dutch, warmly advocated the claims of Connecticut;
and being sent a delegate to the general court of that colony,
he was appointed a commissioner or justice of the peace for
Flushing. Afterwards he removed to Hellgate, where he lived to
the age of about ninety years. He had two sons, William and
Samuel, between whom in 1688 he divided his property at Hellgate
Neck. William second, diedin 1729, aged81. Hewasajustice
of the peace and captain of a company of militia. He had ten children,
eight of whom married and had families. Samuel, son of
William, died Dec. 27, 1724. He was a man of consideration in
his time. He had an only son Samuel and several daughters.*
Richard Hallett, of Boston, had a daughter Alice, who married
1st, Mordecai Nichols in 1652, and 2d, Thomas Clark, of
Plymouth. Richard does not appear to have left any male descendants.
A person named Angell Hallett is mentioned in the
settlement of Capt. Bozoan Allen's estate, of Boston, 1652.
There was a George Hallett, Sen'r, of Boston, a freeman in 1690,
consequently there was at the same time a George Hallett, Jr.
A Widow Lydia Hallett married at Boston 27th Nov. 1661, John
Drummond. There was a James Hallett at Windsor, Conn., in
1643, represented as a poor thievish servant. (See Savage.)
Mr. Andrew Hallett, gentleman, was the ancestor of the Yarmouth
and Barnstable families. He came over as early as the
year 1637, and was of Plymouth March 1638-9. Respecting his
family there is very little on record. His son Andrew was one of
the first settlers of Sandwich. Another of his sons (probably
Samuel) is named as being of Yarmouth in 1639.
*For an interesting account of the Long Island family, see Hiker's Annals of Newtown.
fin making this investigation I was assisted by the late Judge Nahum Mitchell, author
of the history of Bridgewater; and by the late William S. Kussell, Esq., author of Guide
to Plymouth, and other historical works ; both good authorities. Since the above was written
Mr. Freeman has published his histoiy of Cape Cod. He eays "we have no authentic
information in regard to Mr. Andrew Hallett, Sen*r., and must rely on the conclusions of
others." [Vol. 2, page 199.
Mr. Hallett is often named in the Plymouth Colony Records, considered "authentic" by
Hutchinson, Bancroft, BaylieSj Drake, Palfrey, and many others known to fame. Mr.
Freeman "relies on the conclusions of others." He says that by his wife "Mary, in England
he had Bathsheba, Andrew, Samuel, John, Hannah probably bom in Barnstable, Josias
and Joseph." Where does he find this account? Not in Deane, Savage, or Winsor.
To the latter he refers only to misquote.
Mr. Freeman positively asserts, that Mr. Hallett had the children named. I find no
record of his maiTiage; no record of the births or baptisms of any of his children—no record
of his death or of the settlement of his estate ; yet there is no good reason for doubting
that the families of the name in Yarmouth and Barnstable are his descendants. The evidence,
however, is circumstantial, and does not justify positive statements. In no family
has its traditional history been better preserved, or the family papers more carefully kept,
some dated in 1654; but it unfortunately happens that the tradition extends only to the second
Andrew, and none of the papers of the first have been saved. I shall endeavor carefully
to discriminate between that which is certain, and that which is only probable.
Mr. Andrew Hallett, Sen., was a householder in Plymouth and in Yarmouth, and probably
in Barnstable. In those times men did not build houses to let, they built tliem to occupy,
and in fact the legal meaning of the term householder, was a man who had a family
it was not applied to a man who owned a house, occupied by a tenant, 'ihis view of the