William Gurley

Includes NotesNotes for William Gurley: Research and source notes: Deborah Sweet - 1) Webber - 'William Gurley married Hester Ingersoll of Northampton. He came from Scotland; 1665. There is no record of his parents. He was brought up in the family of Rev. Solomon Stoddard of Northampton.' 2) From: "That Sacred Plant of Paradise", by Jack Hall Lamb, pub. by the Mansfield [CT] Historical Society, Parousia Press, Storrs, CT, c. 1975, p. 24- The Gurley family originally came from Inverness, Scotland. William, the immigrant, arrived in America in 1679 and was one of the first settlers of Northampton, Mass. His son and only child Samuel, moved to Coventry and married Experience Rust. Five of their ten children were born in Coventry, including Jonathan on April 2, 1715. About 1724 Jonathan and Samuel, Jr. came as young boys with their father and mother to settle in the Ravine area of Mansfield, CT. Before he died, Samuel Sr. gave one hundred acres of his land holdings to each of his two sons. In his will he left five pounds to the poor of the Town of Mansfield, an unusual humanitarian bequest for this period, which gives an added insight into the character of this man. [Continued under Jonathan Gurley]. 3) From: "The History and Genealogy of the Gurley Family" Albert Gurley of Willimantic, CT; 1897; Hartford, CT., Press of the Casc, Lockwood & Brainard Co.; Repr. Higgenson Books, 2001, Salem, MA; pp. 38 & 39; Part Second, Extract from the Porter Genealogy compiled by Henry Porter Andrews, Saratoga Springs, NY, 1893, Vol. I, pp.371-2: p.38: "William Gurley came from Inverness, Scotland, with the family of Rev. Soloman Stoddard, to Northampton, Mass. He married Hester Ingersoll, born August 3, 1663, daughter of John Ingersoll, of Northampton, who married, September 12, 1637, Abigail Bascom, daughter of Thomas Bascom, from England. William Gurley was drowned, May 1, 1687. She married (second husband) Benoni Jones, who was killed by Indians, May 13, 1704, she being taken to Canada, where she died in captivity." p.39: "William Gurley, of Northampton, Mass, afterwards of Coventry and Mansfield, Conn., was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1665, and came with the family of Rev. Solomon Stoddard from England to Northampton, Mass., in 1679, at the age of 14 years; in whose family he was brought up and educated...He is reputed to have been truly pious and a sincere follower of Jesus Christ. [William and Hester had only one child, a son Samuel]. After his death, his widow married Benoni Jones of Northampton, Mass. January 23, 1689, by whom she had four children, viz.: Jonathan b.1/4/1695, d.y.; Benjamin b.1696, settled in Coventry, CT; Ebenezer b.11.12.1698; Jonathan b.3/3/1703. The two last, together with their father, were slain by the enemy at Poscummuck, north end of Mount Tom, Northampton, Mass, May 13, 1704. The following is taken from the History of Rev. John Williams, who was also a captive in Canada at the time of Mrs. Gurley's (alias Jones) death, etc., and conversed with her daily: "At the time of the massacre at Poscummock, north end of Mount Tom, Mass., there were three families dwelling there, the enemy (Indians) beat down and killed the men and children like brutes, and after ransacking the houses they set them on fire, and took the three women and what plunder they desired to Canada, where one of the women soon died; on the arrival of the women in Canada the Catholic priests soon went to work trying to convert them to their religion. One of the women, says Rev. Mr. Williams, they got to confess their religion without much difficulty, but the Jones woman was very reluctant and obstinate, but, finally, was taken sick, and the priests constantly annoying and tormenting her night and day, got her to say she confessed their religion, and tried to make her promise that if she ever got well and returned to Connecticut, that she would try to convert her friends and relatives to become Catholics, and when her tongue had become so dry that she could not speak, the priest anointed her with his holy oil, and she departed this life Nov. 27, 1705. Rev. Mr. Williams." Taken from the History of Deerfield, Mass: "Those carried to Canada were Esther, wife of Benoni Jones; her niece, Margaret Huggins, eighteen years old; and Elisha, son of John Searls, eight years old. (Margaret Huggins afterwards returned to Conn.) The slain were Samuel Janes, forty years old, with his wife Sarah, and children, Obadiah, ae5y; Ebenezer, ae3y; and Sarah, ae1y. Also four children of Benjamin Janes: Hannah, ae8y; Marion, ae4y; Nathan, ae1y; and one of unkown name and age. Benoni Jones, about thirty years old, with his children: Ebenezer, ae6y; and Jonathan, ae1y. Also John Searls, about 58y, and three children." Another account, as follows, viz.: "May 12th. Pascommock Fort taken by ye French & Indians, being about seventy-two. They took and captivated ye whole Garison, being about thirty-seven persons. The English pursuing of them caused to knock all the Captives on the head, save for five or six. Three were carred to Canada with them; the others escaped, and about seven of those knocked on the head recovered. Ye rest died. Capt. John Taylor was killed in the fight, and Samuel Bartlette wounded."

William Gurley, of Northampton, Mass., afterwards of Coventry and Mansfield, Conn., was born in Inverness or possibly Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1665.  There is no definite record by which his parentage can be traced.  On his arrival here, in 1679 when little more than a boy, he found a home in the family of Reverend Solomon Stoddard, of Northhampton, Mass.  William was a good man, and enjoyed the reputation for sincere piety.  He married, in 1684, Hester, daughter of John Ingersoll, of Westfield, Mass.  They had only one child, Samuel, born May 17, 1687.  William Gurley died at the age of twenty-two, being accidentally drowned in the Connecticut River.  His widow Hester married Benoni Jones, who was slain in the French and Indian war, together with his two infant sons.  Hester, the mother, was captured at the same time, and carried to Canada, where she died.
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