User:Ccillay/Thomas Sealey, father of Thomas and Benoni

In The Cilley Family Roots in New England by Annie Morse Cilley, the brothers Thomas and Benoni are listed in the chapter 'Third Generation CILLEY FAMILY' (Vol I, pp 7-8 and Vol II, p 3).

Their father may have been Robert or Richard or Thomas.

Some guidance about who is the father of the brothers Thomas and Benoni may be found in the article "The Sealy Brothers Of The Isles Of Shoals" published in New England Historical Register (Jan 1931, pp 74-79) by Walter Goodwin Davis, B.A., LL.B., of Portland, ME. This article is reproduced in The Cilley Family Roots in New England (Vol I), pp 3-6.

Annie Morse Cilley begins her preface to Vol I (1996) with:

The CILLEY origin back to the 'old country' is not clearly defined. Jonathan P. Cilley researched and compiled the book The Cilley Family published ca 1878 in Rockland, Maine, a book that most of the Cilley researchers have used as their primary reference since its publication. Jonathan [known as Prinny to his close chums] did extensive research which has helped all of us trace our roots. The question is whether Captain Robert Sealy is the immigrant ancestor [i.e., is the father of Thomas and Benoni] as he suggests or is it Thomas whose father is Andrew, son of Richard of Stoke-in-Teignhead, Devon, England.

Based on the article by Walter Goodwin Davis, Annie Morse Cilley concludes:

Thomas, 10th child of Andrew, is thought to be the Thomas who married Martha BLAISDELL and had Thomas and Benoni. There is no positive proof of this at this time although Andrew's line back to England is well documented.

Closely following an entry for Thomas SEALEY at Mark Cilley's "The Cilley Pages" Web site:

Thomas SEALEY, baptized on 28 July 1638 at Stoke-in-Teignhead, Devon, England, died in 1686 at Hampton, Rockingham, NH, son of Andrew and __?__ SEALY. He married in 1662 in NH Martha (BLAISDELL) BOWDEN, daughter of Ralph and Elizabeth (PARKER) BLAISDELL. Martha (BLAISDELL) BOWDEN SEALEY married 15 Jan 1686 in Hampton, Rockingham, NH her 3rd husband John CLOUGH.

Children of Thomas and Martha (3rd Generation Cilley's):

1. Dorcas CILLEY, born about 1648 probably in Isles of Shoals, NH. She married Dec 1668 in Saco, York, ME her 1st husband James GIBBINS, born 19 Mar 1648 in Saco, York, ME, died there before 1683, son of James and Judith (LEWIS) GIBBINS. She married after 1683 her 2nd husband Francis BACKHOUSE.

2. Thomas CILLEY, born between 1670 and 1675 probably in Isles of Shoals, NH, died after 1718 in Hampton Falls, Rockingham, NH. He was married 2 Jul 1697 in Dover, Strafford, NH by the Rev. John PITTS to Ann STANYAN, born 17 Feb 1678 in Hampton, Rockingham, NH, died there before 1718, daughter of John and Mary (BRADBURY) STANYAN.

3. Benoni CILLEY, born about 1680 in Salisbury, Essex, MA, died 30 Apr 1746 in Amesbury, Essex, MA (South Hampton, NH). He married 1st int. wife 28 Aug 1703 in Salisbury, Essex, MA, Elenor GETCHELL, born 2 Nov 1684, died 28 Jun 1735, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (JONES) GETCHELL. He married 9 Oct 1739 at Salisbury, Merrimack, NH, his 2nd wife widow Rachel TAPPAN of Kensington, Rockingham, NH. He was a joiner in Amesbury, MA and South Hampton, NH. Benoni was a farmer in Salisbury, Essex, MA, 1741, and in Seabrook, Rockingham, NH.

From dates of birth and baptism, it seems doubtful that Dorcas is a daughter of Thomas SEALEY.

Sources of information about Thomas SEALEY:

[1] Mark Cilley in his Web site "The Cilley Pages" http://www.cilley.net/thecilleypages/cilley-en-p/p740.htm

[2] "Web Family Cards" by Bud Crutchley at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~crutchley/WC03/WC03_086.HTM

[3] Lloyd and Norma (Clark) Cunningham, "CHAPMAN Ancestors, Generation No. 13" at http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/u/n/Lloyd-M-Cunningham/GENE3-0020.html

[4] Ellery Bicknell Crane, editor, "Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County Massachusetts with a History of Worcester Society of Antiquity." Vol. I-II., p 444

[5] James Otis Lyford, "History of the Town of Canterbury, New Hampshire, 1727-1912" (1912). Vol II, p 67