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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLI. No. 1053 



death, and except that one son was a lieu- 

 tenant in the Revolutionary war and died 

 in battle. The eldest of these 9 sons had 2 

 daughters and 2 sons. All died in early- 

 life, except one son who cultivated the 

 farm, built houses with his own hand, mar- 

 ried into a good family and had two sons, 

 born 1789 and 1787, who survived early 

 youth and both of whom became quiet, 

 steady farmers, noted for their common 

 sense and contentment. 



The Rev. WoUey, born 1668, of Con- 

 necticut, married a second time; this time 

 to a daughter of John Morris, of one of the 

 leading families of New York and New 

 Jersey of colonial times — great landholders 

 from which Morrisania, now in the Bronx 

 Borough, New York City, and Morris 

 Ckiunty, New Jersey, are named, and from 

 iithis union there were two sons. The elder 

 lof them was Benjamin Wolley, graduated 

 "Yale College, 1732, and married a daughter 

 of Jonathan Edwards's sister. He held the 

 highest position the town had to offer, rep- 

 resented the town in the state legislature 

 through 25 sessions and was for a time 

 clerk of the house; was state senator for 

 8 years, and was judge of probate and 

 county judge to his death. During the 

 Revolution he helped organize the army; 

 was one of the committee of safety for the 

 state and was always consulted by Gov- 

 ernor Trumbull and General Washington 

 as one of the wisest counselors in one of 

 our most trying days. During a session of 

 the legislature occurred the "Dark Day" 

 of 1780 ; when it was proposed to adjourn 

 the legislature on account of the impending 

 judgment day, he opposed the motion on 

 the ground that its duty lay in proceeding 

 and asked to have candles brought in. 

 This Benjamin had a brother Thomas who 

 graduated from Yale College, entered the 

 ministry, took part in the ' ' Great Awaken- 

 ing" of Whitfield, showed signs of extraor- 



dinary elation, set out on a tour of evan- 

 gelization, once addressed an audience for 

 24 hours and then fell into a depressed 

 state. Again elated, he ran into great 

 extravagances, threw suspicion on ministers 

 who did not sympathize with his work, 

 called on the people to commit to the 

 flames jewelry, rings, their best clothing 

 and various books which were listed on his 

 index expurgatorious. He then returned to 

 a more normal state again, renounced his 

 former methods, and lived a quiet life dur- 

 ing the 12 years that he survived. 



Benjamin Wolley and the niece of 

 Jonathan Edwards had a son, John, grad- 

 uated from Yale College, 1770, took an 

 influential position in the Revolution; was 

 in congress for 18 years, and held posi- 

 tions on the most important committees. 

 His only brother (Henry), graduated from 

 Yale, 1779, was in the commissary depart- 

 ment of the Revolution ; was in legislature, 

 court of common pleas, representative in 

 congress, was on the corporation of Yale 

 College and died in his 39th year. Later 

 descendants include leading merchants, 

 manufacturers and inventors. 



Note the tremendous contrast between 

 these two sets of half brothers — ^the quiet 

 farmer and the unknown brother of the 

 first mating; the statesman and unstable 

 but magnetic revivalist of the second. The 

 contrast of the product of these two half 

 fraternities is also striking and serves to 

 show the far-reaching consequences of 

 marriage selection. 



Since the nature of the mating is of 

 such profound importance for progeny, a 

 knowledge of genealogical history is of the 

 greatest moment in connection with marri- 

 age selection. The presence of highly un- 

 desirable positive (dominant) racial traits 

 in the family of either one of a pair of 

 young people who are becoming interested 

 in one another should be known to both. 



