298 Hersey. 



HERSEY. 



Variously written Hersee, Harsie, and Hearsey, on early records. 



1. William, was the progenitor of all who have borne this surname 

 in Hing. and vie. He came to New Eng. in 1635, and early in the 

 autumn of that yr. located in Hing. with others who were passengers 

 on the ship he came in. July 3, 1636, he had a house-lot of five acres 

 granted him, on what is now South, nearly opp. West St. The lot 

 was bounded east by John Winchester, west by William Buckland, 

 and included within its limits the est. now owned by heirs of the late 

 Ebenezer Gay, Esq. The surname Hersey, or Hersy, is a very ancient 

 one, and prob. of French origin, as it appears among the list of noble- 

 men and gentlemen who went over to Eng. with William the Con- 

 queror. In Hing. it is still one of the more numerous of the surnames 

 of the early settlers ; and it has well represented the industrious as 

 well as the enterprising and influential portion of the inhabitants of 

 the town. At the time of the trouble about the election of officers 

 for the train band, 1644-1645, William Hersey was assessed a heavy fine 

 for supporting the views of Rev. Peter Hobart and his friends ; and 

 the family rate towards the erection of the new meeting-house was 

 the largest but one upon the list. He was undoubtedly a native of 

 Eng., and perh. of Old Hing. ; but the place and date of his birth have 

 not as yet been definitely ascertained. The chris. name of his w. was 

 Elizabeth. She d. in Hing. 8 Oct. 1671. He d. 22 March, 1657-58. In 

 his will, dated March 9, 1657-58, proved 29 Apr. foil., gives to s. Wil- 

 liam " ye house and home Lott that he now Lives in and ye penn 

 plott before his gate, and ye Lott I bought of Matthew Chafey at ye 

 Capts Tent," etc. ; also valuables to sons John and James ; to dau's 

 "Francis" (Frances), Elizabeth, and Judith, £5 each ; "to my grand 

 children John Croade and William Hersie, 40s. each. All ye rest of 

 my Land, housing, goods, etc., to my wife Elizabeth during her life as 

 a widow." Wife Elizabeth, executrix. Overseers, "cousine John 

 Farrington, Thomas Marsh, and my sonne in Law Richard Croade." 

 Inv. appraised 28 Apr. 1658, by Moses Collier and Thomas Marsh 

 at £419 13s. 6d. " Husbandman." Freeman March, 1638 ; selectman 

 1642, 1647, and 1650 ; artillery company 1652. Resided on South St. 



Ch.,— 



2. i. William, prob. b. in Eng. 



ii. Frances, . m. Apr. 29, 1656, Richard Croade of Hing. afts. of Salem. 



iii. Elizabeth, . m. Moses Gilman of Exeter, N. H. 



iv. Judith, bt. in Hing. July 15, 1638. m. Dec. 21, 1663, Humphrey Wilson 

 of Exeter, N. H. 



3. v. John, Aug. 9, 1640. 



4. vi. James, 1642, or 1643. 



2. William 2 (William x ), prob. came to New Eng. with his parents 

 in 1635. He appears to have been m. twice. His first w., whom he 

 m. ab. 1656 or 1657, was Rebecca, dau. of Thomas and Alice Chub- 

 buck. She was bt. in Hing. Apr. 1641, and d. 1 June, 1686, aet. 45 

 yrs. The chris. name of his sec. w., as appears by his will, was Ru- 

 hamah. There is no entry of this ni'ge., however, nor of her death, 

 on Hing. rec's. William d. 28 Sept. 1691. In his will, made in 1689, 

 proved 27 Jan. 1691-92, mentions " my now wife Ruhamah," and the 



