THE FAMILY TREE OF WAIGHTSTILL HARTLEY

Hi. My name is Susan and I'm researching my family tree. I'm looking for any definitive information for Waightstill Hartley, who is purported to have been born at Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England in 1700 or 1709. It is said that he sailed to America in 1730 or 1740, having settled at Snow Hill, Worcester County, Maryland, where he supposedly died in 1765. Although he has been confirmed by Hartley DNA sites as one of the patriarchs of the Hartley families in America, there is great confusion within the Ancestry.com community and other geneological sites as to whether he was actually born at Shrewsbury and when, and especially who his children were, and also the identity of his wife. An ongoing contention lies with whether his son was John Richard Hartley, who has been well documented and is strongly associated with Virginia, or was his son Richard Hartley, little of which is known except that he was also associated with Maryland and then North Carolina, having settled there later in life. I'm trying to trace my family through North Carolina. Any help at all would be appreciated, as I have hit a brick wall with this fellow.

Thanks!

Susan
Cincinnati, Ohio

Hi Susan,

I believe I, too, descend from Waightstill Hartley through his descendant, Reuben Hartley (1777 - 1857) who married Joannah Greene (1781 - 1857) daughter of Jeremiah Greene and Mary Wiseman. Interestingly enough, I also descend from her brother, Isaac "Flatty" Greene.

I have Reuben Hartley's father as Richard Hartley and his wife, Abigail. I live in Maryland and am willing to go to Snow Hill and search records if I am on the right track. Reuben and Joannah lived in Watauga County, North Carolina. Watauga came out of Ashe County about 1848. My Great Grandmother Weaver was a Hartley of this line. Her father was John Eli Hartley (married to Eunice Cook - another of my junctures of several ancestors) He was the son of Eli Hartley and Delphia Estes. Eli was Reuben's son.

Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Millie Havrilla

I too am descendent of Reuben and have also stalled at Waightstill. My grandfather was Robert Thomas Hartley -- Joseph Larkin -- Elbert Joshua -- Thomas Jefferson -- Reuben -- John Richard or John -- Waightstill. He just passed in April at age 88 and had been looking for clues to Waightstill for as long as I can remember (he posted on one website in 2001 at the age of 78. Smile.) The story from him is that Waightstill came into Maryland, his son John had Rueben who married Joanna Greene (some histories show him marrying Jane Fullenwider, but I can't find any record of her) and who came to Ashe County, NC. One of my uncles has a list in his Bible showing that Reuben was "John Reuben" who descended from "Macbee Hartley, one of 4 brothers to leave England for America." I can't find a record for Macbee Hartley. So, I'm stuck with ancestry.com and the John Richard connection. Watauga County records show Waightstill's son, John, marrying Elizabeth Beckett. Other records show Elizabeth Beckett marrying "John Richard Hartley." There is some confusion between Frederick, MD and Frederick, VA and all the stories are mixed up. My uncle wrote down that Waightstill came to Richmond, VA in 1750, but other records show that he arrived in Maryland in 1730 or 1740. Maybe we should go to Snow Hill? Maybe between the 3 of us, we'll crack the code, so-to-speak.

I know this sounds scattered, but it's all we have. I'll keep researching and let's share all that we find. Tomorrow is a reunion of sorts for the descendants of Joseph Larkin, so I'll be sure to ask for more info.

-Amy Burton Loggins -- my mother was Linda Faye Hartley, daughter of Robert Thomas.