The Lloyd Family of New England and New York, and Related Families of Woolsey, Sylvester and Brinley, and Nelson and Temple 17th to 19th Centuries
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James Lloyd probably was born in Bristol, England, or at the family estate at Ridgeway, near Bristol, where the family resided while his father was Lord Mayor of Bristol. In 1670 at about age 17, James immigrated from Somersetshire, England, to Rhode Island in America. He went to Boston in 1673, where he became a prominent merchant. James married Grizzell Sylvester in 1676. Grizzell had inherited one-half of the land called Horse Neck on Long Island, New York, from the death of her first fiancé Latimer Sampson. Two years after his marriage James obtained the remaining part of the Neck from Sampson's partner, Thomas Hart. This was accomplished by dividing the land specifically between the two owners, instead of both having one-half of each parcel; and by James Lloyd paying Thomas Hart some money to equalize the value. By agreement dated September 18, 1678, between James Lloyd and the attorneys for Thomas Hart, James Lloyd was allotted Horse Neck and two-thirds of the meadow at Fort Neck and Thomas Hart was allotted all of the purchased property and present concerns at Oyster Bay and one-third of the meadow at Fort Neck. In addition James Lloyd would pay to Thomas Hart or his attorneys £18 Boston money and other charges that may arise connected with Oyster Bay, and £70 British sterling minus the value of the one-third of the Fort Neck meadow. In 1678, James Lloyd assigned his Horse Neck property to Grizzell's father, Nathaniel Sylvester, with the proviso that it be returned to James Lloyd upon demand. After Nathaniel's death, his heirs conveyed Horse Neck back to James Lloyd in a conveyance document dated February 6, 1683/84. A patent for Horse Neck and a meadow called Fort Neck at the south part of Long Island was granted and ratified as the Manor of Queens Village to James Lloyd by Lieutenant Governor Thomas Dongan on March 18, 1685/86. This manorial grant placed all of the Neck and meadow into "one Lordship and Mannor…to be called Queens Village" with full power and authority to James Lloyd and his heirs and assigns forever. Full power and authority was also granted to hold Court Leet for the trial of “all causes not exceeding the sume of five pounds;” and to administer other matters pertaining to managing the manor. In payment there was to be given "yearly & Every yeare from henceforth unto our Soverigne Lord King JAMES the second his heires Successors and Assignes or to such officer or officers as shall be Appointed to receive the same," on the 25th of March, the quit rent of "fouer bushells of good winter wheate" or the value thereof in current money. The land amounted to over 3,000 acres. The quit rent was paid regularly by the Lloyds, though they never lived at the Neck, but instead leased out the land to different farmers for seven- and eight-year lease terms.12 In October of 1686, James and Grizzell executed deeds to change the ownership of Horse Neck and the south meadow from husband and wife to James Lloyd only. However, the sequence and timing of all of these deeds and conveyances caused some problems between the heirs, particularly for Henry Lloyd and his sister Grizzell and her husband, John Eastwick. After his wife’s mother Grizzell (Brinley) Sylvester died in September of 1687 and her estate and the estate of her deceased husband, Nathaniel Sylvester, were settled, James Lloyd purchased four slaves, who had been at Shelter Island, from his wife’s brothers who had inherited them. James Lloyd was one of the executors of Nathaniel Sylvester’s estate, but since James was making the purchase, the sale of these slaves was done with one of the other executors, as shown below.13 Boston, New England Sept. 26, 1687. I acknowledge to have received of Capt. Isaac Arnold, one of the Executors of ye last will and testament of Capt. Nathaniel Sylvester deceased a Bill of Sale for four negros, Tony, Tomero, Oyou & Opium appraised at Eighty three pounds Cur[ren]t Money of ye Province of New York, Seventy four Pounds thereof is for a debt due to me from ye estate of Capt. Sylvester and 9 pounds is due to ye estate of Constant Sylvester upon division of negros in company with Capt. Nathaniel Sylvester: said nine pounds I promise to pay to whom required Either by the Executory of Constant Sylvester of ye Executory of Capt. Nathaniel Sylvester. Witness my hand ye day and year aforesaid. Hear Unto James Lloyd Wm Brinley John Broeckhoven (Value was assigned to individual slaves - Tomeo for £16 and his wife, Oyon, for £22, and two of their adult sons Obium for £25 and Tony for £20. Obium could read and write.) James Lloyd signed his will on April 10, 1684, and provided only for his wife, Grizzell, and their children. James gave his wife Grizzell, for the term of her life, one-half of the land, produce and income of his property at Horse Neck and one-half of his part of the meadow called Fort Neck (James owned two-thirds of this meadow). After Grizzell’s death, all would be divided equally among their children; the other one-half of the entire estate he gave directly to "our children" when they come of age or marry. He gave "my dear wife all my household goods to be at her Disposal and also I give unto her the benefit of my whole Estate till it Shall please God the Child or Children shall come of age to receive their portion or portions for which Consideration my will is that my wife shall Decently provide all things Necessary for our Children & Train them up in the fear of the Lord." His wife, Grizzell, her uncle Francis Brinley, and John Nelson were named executors of James' will. (However his wife, Grizzell, died before James did. James did not write a later will after the death of his first wife and his subsequent marriage to Rebecca Leverett.)
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About the Book
This history starts with the grandparents or parents who remained in Europe, and then goes to the five individuals who independently immigrated to America in the mid to late 1600s. They all were English-speaking and came from England, Holland, and later Ireland. They were relatively well-to-do, but for various reasons - such as safety, trade expansion, business opportunity, and land - they decided to improve their lives in a new country. they settled in the New England and New York Colonies, near the Atlantic Ocean or other large bodies of water. Their homes were in Boston, Massachusetts; Newport, Rhode island; Stamford, Connecticut; Long Island, New York; and Shelter Island, New York, and later other places in these same colonies. This book talls what each of them did and how the lives of their descendants were affected, and what more than 400 of their descendants did . In many cases their lives and friendships were intertwined. Some joined together in marriage. Later, some descendants fought in the Revolution on the Patriot side; others remained loyal to the British. Learn the impact of these decisions on these people's lives. if you were in America at this time, what would you have done? This book continues tracking some of these families until the late 1890s. There are 63 portraits of 67 people, and the museum locations of most of these portraits. Picture of some homes are also included; some of these houses are still in existence.
About the Author
Letitia Broome Schwarz grew up in New Jersey and worked in New York City. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, in history. Her interest in history, particularly in the 18th century, has continued to the present time. Extensive traveling in the eastern coastal states from Maine to Virginia has enabled her to visit many historic sites multiple times. Her interest in family history started as a young adult and developed into years of research. Barbara Broome Semans enjoys problem-solving – she has a B.S. degree in math. So it was only natural that her interest was aroused by her sister’s research. Barbara’s interest developed into many years of extensive family-history research and travel to most of the places discussed in this book.