The Delahorne/Curtis Family History

Filley · ◉ direct ancestor

♂William Filley

Born 1709, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America (unconfirmed). Died 1756, Torrington, Litchfield, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America.

Also recorded as William Phillays.

William Filley (2 April 1709 – 16 June 1756) was a colonist of Windsor, in the Connecticut Colony, whom his father named sole executor of his will over his brothers, and who in the 1750s moved his large family to the young hill town of Torrington, where he died two years after joining its church. He was the fifth great-grandfather of Frederic Roger Curtis (1928–2007), through his daughter Mary Filley (1752–1815).

Early life

William was born at Windsor on 2 April 1709, one of the nine children, four sons and five daughters, of Josiah Filley (1675–1750) and Esther Eggleston (1682–1761). His great-grandfather William Filley had married at Windsor in 1642, and the family had lived there ever since.

When Josiah Filley made his will in October 1748, he named all four of his sons, Josiah, Samuel, William and Erasmus, but made William alone his executor. The records do not explain the choice. William was not the eldest son, and a published digest of the Hartford probate records, the source of these details, describes his brother Erasmus as “often disturbed in his brain”. Josiah’s estate was inventoried in April 1750 and the will proved in May, leaving the settlement in William’s hands.

Marriage and family

William married Abiah Millington (1711–1766), daughter of Henry Millington, at Windsor on 15 June 1730; both were described as “of Windsor”. The couple had nine children. Seven were entered in the Windsor town records between 1734/35 and 1747/48: William, Isaac, Abraham, Abiah, Mercy, Gad and Asher, whose birth date the register left blank. The first two were written on the same register page as the children of William’s own parents. A daughter, Mary, was born at Windsor on 6 July 1752.

Torrington

Between Mary’s birth and the summer of 1754 the family moved to Torrington, in Litchfield County, a town settled only in the 1730s. An abstract of the Torrington church registers records “William & w. Abiah” admitted to the church on 17 July 1754, an entry repeated in five separate register volumes. Their daughter Remembrance was baptized there on 11 August 1754, three and a half weeks later. In the New England churches of the time a child could be baptized only when a parent was a church member, which explains the order of the two entries. Mary later gave the name Remembrance to one of her own sons.

William Filley died at Torrington on 16 June 1756, aged forty-seven, when Mary was about four. When his father’s estate was finally divided in 1761, his share went to the “heirs of William”. Sixteen months after his death, on 18 October 1757, his widow married Joel Beach at Torrington. She died on 7 August 1766.

Notes

The name is spelled in many ways in the Connecticut records; the Windsor town records alone use a dozen forms, and the Torrington church abstract prints it “Filly”. The printed abstract of the Windsor town records enters the marriage twice, as 15 June and as 16 June 1730, and both entries refer to the same page of the original register, so only that page can settle the day. Torrington’s records also name a William Filley of Torrington who married Dinah Preston of Winchester in January 1759, and an Abraham Filley who had children baptized there in the 1760s. The first cannot be this William, who had died in 1756. William’s sons of those names would have been of the right age, but the records do not state either man’s parentage.

Family time line

◉ William Filley 1709–1756
◉ Abiah Millington 1711–1766 ⚭
Married 15 Jun 1730, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America, Windsor, Connecticut Colony
○ William Filley 1734–
○ Isaac Filley 1736–
○ Abraham Filley 1739–
○ Abiah Filley 1743–1784
○ Mercy Filley 1745–
○ Gad Filley 1747–
◉ Mary Filley 1752–aft 1790 ⧉
○ Remembrance Filley 1754–
○ Asher Filley

Recorded events

EventWhenWhereEvidence ?on record - the record itself, its image, or a transcript or printed copy of it has been read
from a compiled source - an index, a printed genealogy or a memorial page says so
not yet documented - in the family record, no source attached yet
Birth 2 Apr 1709 Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America not yet documented
Living at 17 Jul 1754 Torrington, Litchfield, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America on record
Death 16 Jun 1756 Torrington, Litchfield, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America on record
17091756 1720173017401750

Sources

  • Connecticut, U.S., Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920 — Living at, name
  • Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 — Death, about this person
  • Josiah Filley, Will and Probate Proceedings, "Hartford, Connecticut Probate Records, 1729-1750" — about this person
  • Barbour Collection, Windsor, Connecticut Vital Records, printed p.255 — MILLINGTON entries: Abiah b. 1711 dau. of Henry, her 1730 marriage to William Filley, and siblings William 1713 and Mary 1716 — Marriage (Abiah Millington)

Borders as they stood about 1715 (they follow the event under the mouse), from the historical-basemaps project, the Newberry Library's Atlas of Historical County Boundaries (states and territories, 1783 on) and Natural Earth; the colonies and provinces are drawn along today's lines.

Line of descent

  1. Josiah Filley 1675–bef 1750
    1. Samuel Filley 1643–1712
      1. William Filley
      2. Margaret (surname unknown)
    2. Anna Gillet 1639–1711
      1. Jonathan Gillett abt 1609–1677 ⚓
        1. William Gillett –bef 1641 ✝
          1. Richard Gylette 1551–1600
          2. Joan Enberg 1555–1583
        2. Abiah Pye 1578–1681
          1. William Tyes 1557–1623
          2. Julian (surname unknown) 1558–1623
      2. Mary Dolbiar 1607–1686
        1. Rawkey Dolbiar 1571–1641
          1. Robert Dolbere –1615
            1. Robert Dolbair 1510–1563
            2. Mary Ann Mitchell 1510–1570
          2. Agnes Sampson –1613
            1. Nicholas Sampson 1515–1553
              1. Unknown Samson 1490–
              2. Johan (surname unknown) 1500–1553
            2. Alyse Sampson 1517–
        2. Mary Michell 1576–1648
          1. John Michell –1620
            1. John Mychell
              1. John Mychell
              2. not yet known
            2. Agnes Vye
              1. Harry Vye –1558
              2. Agnes (surname unknown) 1498–1566
          2. Emlyn Weeke –1628
  2. Esther Eggleston 1682–aft 1761
    1. John Eggleston 1659–1731
      1. James Eggleston abt 1620–1679
        1. Begat Eggleston 1587–1674 ⚓
          1. James Egleston –1613
          2. not yet known
        2. not yet known
      2. Hester Kelsey abt 1636–1720 ⚭
        1. William Kelsey abt 1609–1675/1676 ⚓
        2. Hester (surname unknown) 1613–1666
    2. Esther Mills abt 1666–1757
      1. Peter Mills –1710 ⚭
      2. Dorcas Messenger 1650–1688
        1. Edward Messenger 1617–1688
        2. Dorcas Bosworth 1620–1702

Descendants

  1. William Filley 1734–
  2. Isaac Filley 1736–
  3. Abraham Filley 1739–
  4. Abiah Filley 1743–1784
    1. Elizabeth Mott 1760–
    2. Ira Mott 1764–
    3. Diantha Mott 1766–
    4. Lodema Mott 1768–
    5. Sabra Mott 1770–
    6. Orange Mott 1772–
    7. Loammi Mott 1775–
    8. Abiah Mott 1780–
  5. Mercy Filley 1745–
  6. Gad Filley 1747–
  7. Mary Filley 1752–aft 1790 ⧉
    1. Jeremiah Curtis 1770–aft 1810
      1. John Curtis 1792–1792 ✧
      2. Waterman Curtis 1793–1859
        1. Thomas Day Curtis 1824–1896 ☘⚭
        2. Almira Curtis abt 1826–
        3. Jerusha Curtis 1828–1900
        4. Maria Curtis abt 1831–
        5. Jeremiah Curtis 1833–1856
        6. Lauren Curtis 1835–1865
        7. Alfred Curtis 1839–
        8. Junia Curtis abt 1841–1912 ☘
      3. Junia Curtis 1795–1809 ✧
      4. Truman Curtis 1804–1885 ⚭
        1. Sylvia Ann Curtis abt 1826–1893
        2. Lawren T. Curtis 1832–1905
        3. Sophia Curtis 1840–1918
        4. Melissa A. Curtis 1845–1911
        5. George L. Curtis 1852–1935
        6. Charles Curtis abt 1857–
        7. Albert Curtis abt 1859–
        8. Ella M. Curtis 1861–1902
        9. John L. Curtis 1867–1953
      5. Electa Curtis 1811–1888
        1. Leander Berry 1832–1919
        2. Justus Berry 1833–1914
        3. Truman C. Berry 1835–1914
        4. Mary E. Berry abt 1838–
        5. Lester A. Berry 1840–1913
        6. Olive Berry abt 1842–
        7. Edgar Leroy Berry 1843–1929
        8. Arthur Berry 1846–1918
        9. Dalesky Berry 1848–1907
        10. Herbert W. Berry 1856–1883
    2. Huldah T. Curtis 1772–1872
    3. Junia Curtis 1774–1831
      1. Jacob L. Curtis 1794–1889
        1. Minerva Victoria Curtis 1821–1908 ⚭
        2. Matilda Curtis 1825–1870
      2. Harriet Curtis 1799–1890
      3. Alonzo Curtis 1810–1860
      4. Lewis Leroy Curtis 1813–1904
    4. Lorrain Curtis 1775–1850
    5. Thomas Curtis 1778–abt 1848
    6. Mary Mercy Curtis 1779–
    7. Remembrance Curtis Sr. 1781–1840
      1. Susan Curtis 1805–1831
        1. Rachel Susan Milliman 1826–1851
        2. Edward Arnold Milliman 1831–1911 ⚭
      2. Lorena Curtis 1808–1879
        1. Infant Son Milliman 1829–1829 ✧
        2. Lorena Angeline Milliman 1830–1910
        3. Eliza A. Milliman 1832–1836 ✧
        4. William B. Milliman 1833–1917
        5. Norman Madison Milliman 1835–1916 ⚭
        6. Myron C. Milliman 1837–1848 ✧
        7. Catherine E. Milliman 1842–1926
        8. Sarah J. Milliman 1844–1848 ✧
        9. Almina Chrysilda Milliman 1845–1886
        10. Euphemia Milliman 1848–
        11. Eveline A Milliman 1850–1852 ✧
        12. Danford Adelbert Milliman 1851–1928
        13. Henry M. Milliman 1854–1854 ✧
      3. Remembrance Curtis 1818–1890
        1. Melvina L Curtis 1853–1945
        2. Sarah L Curtis 1855–1939
        3. Charles James Curtis 1857–1937
        4. Henry B. Curtis 1861–1946
  8. Remembrance Filley 1754–
  9. Asher Filley