This Joseph Gale was not the son of John and Mary Gale. "The Autobiography of George Washington Gale (1789-1861); Founder of Galesburg, Illinois and Knox College; Now first printed from the text of a typewritten copy of a handwritten copy made of the original manuscript by the Founder's daughter, Margaret Gale Hitchcock (1831-1914)" (published New York City, 1964) states on page 5:
"My father was the fourth son of Mr. Joseph Gale of Stanford, Conn., a native of Yorkshire, England. He came to this country, when a young man." (http://www.christianebooks.com/pdf_files/georgegwashingtongalebiogr...)
The fiction that Joseph Gale was a son of John Gale of Jamaica, Queens originated with "The Gale Family Record; George Gale, Galesville, Wisconsin, 1866): "Joseph Gale, of Stamford, Ct., m. Rebeckah ----.He was in the possession of a Fulling Mill and was very fond of mathematics and is even said to have calculated eclipses and made almanacs.The family traditions are that Joseph came from Yorkshire, England and that he had two uncles who came over and settled in Massachusetts some years previous.The traditions are so common , in the different families, that, the writer thinks, that they are not entitled to much credit and has therefore placed Joseph as a grand son, of Abel of Long Island, and as Joseph, the son of John, who otherwise could not have been accounted for.In April, 1760, Joseph sold, for 160 pounds, his mansion house, shop, and mill to his son William.His sons Roger, Josiah, Samuel and Noah removed from Stamford, Connecticut, to a place called Stanford, Duchess Co., New York.(Stanford may have been later renamed to Amenia.)"(Gale Family Records; George Gale, Galesville, Wisconsin; 1866)
NOTE:George Gale's speculation above that Joseph was the grandson of Abel Gale (son John) of Long Island is apparently based upon the fact that he could find no record of John's son Joseph.The records of the Beekman patent in Dutchess County, New York, record a Joseph Gale as owning land and paying taxes there in the 1740's at the same time as our Joseph Gale is known to have been raising a family in Stamford, Connecticut.This would seem to fill the void that concerned George Gale and leaves us free to believe the traditions that have been passed down through the family. (http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/g/a/l/Carolyn-S-Gale/GENE9-0001.html)