52 ANCESTORS in 52 WEEKS, No. 47: Richard TREAT, 1584-1668/9

Following the challenge from Amy Johnson Crow to write a post weekly, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, here is my 47th installment, Richard TREAT, 1584-1668/9, my 8th great-grandfather on my mother's side.

My direct line from Richard Treat(1): Robert (Gov.) Robert Treat (2), Joseph (Capt) Treat (3), Samuel Treat (4), Samuel Peet Treat (5), Anna Treat (6), Charles Giles Graves (7), Clara Augusta Graves (8), Marguerite Josephine Terwilliger (9), Mary Marguerite Kuhn (10), Celia Gillespie (me).

Richard TREAT is another of the early New England settlers in my mother's ancestral line, having arrived approximately 1635.  Note that in England, this TREAT ancestral name is directly related to the TROTT surname, this group of ancestors having changed spelling in America shortly after settling in the New England Colonies. Another group of TROTT immigrants in New England did not change the spelling and are likely relatives - not as yet proven with DNA and genealogy research.

Richard TREAT's parents were Robert & Honora TROTT; he was one of 5 children attributed to this couple who lived in Pitminster, Somerset, England. Richard was baptised 28 Aug 1584 in Pitminster, and his wife, Alice GAYLORD (Gaylaud, var.) was baptised there 10 May 1595.  They married 27 Apr 1615 in Pitminster, and they emigrated from Somerset after the death of both Richard's parents: Robert in 1598/99, and Honora on 17 Sep 1627, and very shortly after the birth of their youngest child, Katharine. 

Richard & Alice TREAT had 11 children baptized in Pitminster, but 2 died before the family emigrated. The Treat family settled first in Dorchester, Massachusetts before moving to Wethersfield, Connecticut, where they remained:
        A first son, Robert, apparently died as an infant
   1.  Honor, bap 19 Mar 1615/16; m. John Deming in CT, 10 children
   2.  Joanna, bap 24 May 1618, d. Oct 1694; m. Lieut. John Hollster; 8 children
   3.  Sarah, bap 3 Dec 1620, d. after Jun 1673; m. Matthew Canfield, 9 children
   4.  Richard, bap 9 Sep 1623, d. 1693 Newark NJ; m. Sarah Coleman, 4 children; apparently an alternate date of 9 Jan 1621/22.
   5.  Robert [ancestor], bap 23 Feb 1623/4 or 1624/25, d. 12 Jul 1710; m. 25 Dec 1646 to Jane TAPP, 8 children [Governor of Connecticut]
   6.  Elizabeth, bap 25 Jul 1627; m. George Wolcott, 4 children
   7.  Susanna, bap 8 Oct 1629, d. bef 7 Nov 1705; m. 1652 to Lieut. Robert Webster, 5 children
   8.  Alice, bap 16 Feb  1630/31, d. 2 Aug 1633 Pitminster Eng.
   9.  James (Lieut), bap 20 Jul 1634, d. 12 Feb 1708/09; m. 26 Jan 1664/65 to Rebecca Lattimer, 9 known children
 10.  Catharine, bap 29 Jun 1637;  m. 19 Nov 1655 to Rev. William Thompson

Richard was one of the Patentees of the Charter of Connecticut  to King Charles II. Written in May 1661, it was taken to England by their current Governor, John Winthrop, and finally approved 1 May 1662.  Richard was Deputy to the Connecticut General Court 1644-1658, Magistrate or Assistant Magistrate between 1657-1665; he was on Governor Winthrop's Council in 1663-1664. He left a sizeable estate when he died, detailed in his will.

Richard wrote his will 13 Feb 1668/9 in Milford, New Haven, CT, and is said to have died a year later, on 3 Mar 1669/70 in Wethersfield.  His wife, Alice died shortly afterwards. Although he is 'known' to have been buried in the Wethersfield Village Cemetery, there is no headstone left standing. 

If you have information or corrections, please do not hesitate to contact me through calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below.  Thanks for stopping by to read this very brief history. 

SURNAME SATURDAY - Charles Giles GRAVES 1824-1902

Charles Giles GRAVES, born 7 March 1824 in Jordan, Onondaga, NY.  This photograph has been tentatively identified as dated in the 1870s.  My great-Uncle Hal Terwilliger [his grandson] looks quite like him, which gives mild support for this identification.

My 2nd great-grandfather was a "Capitalist" according to the 1900 Census in Jordan, NY, and I find this occupation description rather amusing for some reason.  He owned retail businesses and buildings in New York, starting as a merchant.  The 1860 Census shows his real estate value as $3,000, and his personal value as $13,000.

He was the youngest of 8 children, 2 of whom (the 6th and 7th) died young.  The eldest and only living girl was Emeline (b. 21 Jun 1805) who married Henry Allen, b. 1801 in Massachusetts (3 children).  Parents were Cornelius GRAVES & Anna TREAT.

I have a letter from my great-Uncle Hal Terwilliger to my mother, including this excerpt:
"Your Grandfather: Charles Giles Graves born Mar.7, 1824,  son of Cornelius Graves and Anna Treat,  descendent of Robert Treat, Colonial Governor of Connecticut and Founder of Newark New Jersey,  had four brothers:  William Thompson, Stephen Rensselaar,  Edward Seabury  and  Sheldon.

Sheldon went to what later became Chicago, built the first hotel there, the Lake House.   I had heard, though I know nor have any evidence, he built two factories on what was the Chicago River, for pails, chairs, etc. needed by settlers.   Your Mother remembers when she was a little girl her Uncle coming to Jordan with his wife and children in a buckboard, driving all the way from Chicago.   He came to be reequipped with clothes etc. and money and returned to Chicago, as per above."

The first Graves immigrant was John GRAVES, who emigrated in approximately 1635 (See Vol.3, Great Migration Study).  The TREAT line goes back through Robert TREAT, Governor of Connecticut from 1683-1696.  In England, the surname is known as TROTT, by the way, and the ancestor group appears to have originally lived in Taunton area of Somerset, migrating to the colonies between 1635-1640.  The first Treat immigrant, Richard TREAT, is seen settled in Watertown, and is recorded in Wethersfield in 1637.

On 26th of September 1850, Charles Giles GRAVES married Harriet "Hattie" Philena ORMSBEE, whose parents I've discussed in previous posts.  The family settled in Jordan, Onondaga, and had 3 daughters:
 - Lillian Adele, b. 25 Nov 1853, m. Gabriel W. Wisner (lawyer), 4 children
 - *Clara Augusta "Gussie", b. 5 Nov 1857, m. James "Grove" TERWILLIGER, 3 children
 - Florence Estelle "Toto", b. 3 Feb 1860, m. Ernest F. Tyler (jeweller), 1 daughter

My line goes through the middle girl, Gussie; her husband, James Grover "Grove" Terwilliger, is the ancestor who completed the TERWILLIGER SOUVENIR ALBUM (a separate blog of mine).

Charles' obituary follows (found online at Old Fulton Postcards NY free newspaper site):

Marcellus Observer  

Friday, February 7, 1902

Jordan Department 

    (2^nd column lower half)

         Charles G. Graves died at the family residence last Sunday.  Two weeks ago Mr. Graves suffered an attack of pneumonia from which he failed to rally.  He was born in Onondaga County and was 77 years old.  When a young man he went to Syracuse, and during the fifties and sixties was identified with the dry goods trade, being in partnership part of the time with Samuel A. Seager, under the firm name of Seager & Graves.  In this village of late years he had lived in retirement.  For many years the family Homestead was at the corner of West Onondaga and Southwest streets, in Syracuse.   The deceased was a genial, hospitable gentleman, who will be well remembered by the older generation.   Mr. Graves married Miss Harriet Ormsbee, who survives.  He is also survived by three daughters, Mrs. Gabriel W. Wisner of Jordan, Mrs. J. Grove Terwiliger of New Rochelle and Mrs Ernest Tyler  of New York.   The funeral was held at the family home on Thursday morning at 10 o'clock and services were held later in the day at Oak wood chapel.  Mr. Graves was the last of a prominent family who were identified with large enterprises here thirty years ago.

------- ------- ------- 

Charles & his wife, Gussie, were buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Syracuse, Onondaga, New York.

If any of these names are familiar or you wish more information, please do not hesitate to contact me or leave a comment below.