Life of Thomas Willey (copied from pdf at Family Search)

Thomas Willey (LCX6-3DG) 1617-1681 married about 1642 in Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire widow Margaret (____)Crawford (LZQT-VKB) 1615- c.1701. They had five children: 1) Samuel Willey (L6PR-8X8) c. 1645-1679 2) Stephen Willey (LH2Z-Y7F) 1649-1700 (see section 5) 3) John Willey (LC8N-TW6) 1655-1739 4) William Willey Sr (LZNY-CLH) 1656-1706 5) Abigail Willey (LC8S-46V) 1661-1763 A. From WILLEY p.1: 1648 Thomas, Dover, 1648; by wife Margaret had Stephen, b. abt. 1649; Samuel; and John, 1659; was living in 1677. *b. abt. 1617- d.1681; Admin to Wid. Margaret & son John. Mar. before 6 Oct. 1649 Wid. Margaret Crawford (mar. 3rd Barnard Squire). *N.H. State Papers 31: Savage’s “Genealogical Dictionary' 1862 Vol. IV pp. 557-558.A Gen. & Fam. Hist. of N.H. By Ezra S. Stearns 1908 p.1298.Gen. Dict. Of ME. & N.H. 1928-39 by S. Noyes, Libby & Davis. B.From WILLEY Appendix B. – quoting Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, p. 755:

Thomas, Oyster River, b. +/- 1617 had a“breadth of land” at Oyster River Point in 1645, prob. from Darby Field, and m. bef. 6 Oct. 1649 widow Margaret Crawford (5) Gr. j. 1651, 1652, 1655, 1666. Dover gr. 1654. Lists 354abc, 355ab, 356a, 357c, 359a, 361a, 362b, 363abc, 366, 92. In Sept. 1680, he +/- 63 and Margaret +/- 65 depos. ab. Stephensons's Neck or Point +/- 40 yrs bef. Adm. 7 Sept. 1681 to wid. Margaret and s. John. She m. 2d [sic. 3rd see] Barnard Squire (1) (See also Leathers 2). Children Seen: STEPHEN, b/+/- 1649 SAMUEL, with Nicholas Doe bondsm. For Elizabeth and John York execs.; 1674. Lists 359a. Reported dead 21 May 1679. admin. to father 24 June 1679 when he and son William gave bond to pay the debts. WILLIAM, b+/- 1656. JOHN, b. +/- 1659. At one time the son Stephen had a sister in Kittery, poss. his half-sis. (Crawford) or sis-in-law, tho is seems that there must have been unkn. daus. in the early generations.

[Susan Crawford and Sarah Crawford Runnels see below in PIONEERS] C. From PIONEERS p.464 Willey, Thomas b. c. 1617 according to deposition in Sep 1680 and his wife was 2 years older. Willey was taxed in Dover in 1648 and 1650, owned land at Oyster River in 1645, which he may have bought from Darby Filed. Willey’s name was on Oyster River’s tax rolls from 1659-75. Willey m. bef. 6 Oct. 1649 Margaret (__) Crawford, wid. of Stephen Crawford. (The name Crawford was also spelled Graffit) In 1680 ae c. 63 Thomas Willey said he had liv. At Oyster River settlement for 40 yrs. On 7 Sep 1681 admin. Was granted to wife and son John. She m. 3rd Baranard Squire, STKNH, p.382. Sources:SCLS p. 236, 238, 240, 243,246,251,253; DUR p. 382-83; NLD p.170 rgs

Homesite: In Durham on W. side of Little Bay with Willey’s Creek nearby. See map at p.48 DUR, v. 1 (opposite Fox Point which is what is now Newington) Children: 1.Stephen, b.c. 1649 [see section 5] 2.Samuel, d.s.p. 1679 Admin to father 24 June 1679. 3.William, b.c. 1656, m Rebecca Nock, dau. Of Thomas Nock (Knox), liv. At Cochecho Falls settlement in Dover, ch,:2 sons, Samuel and William. William was a servant of Thomas King of Exeter and his estate was admin in 1706. Wid. Rebecca m. 2nd Samuel Tibbetts who may have been son of Lt. Thomas Tibbetts. 4.John, b.c. 1659, weaver, liv. 1735, dead 10 Sep 1739, m Alice Dorcas ____, ch. 4 sons John, Samuel, William, and Stephen. NOTE: Stephen Crawford, 1st husband of Margaret (__) Crawford Willey, was a fishing master at Isles of Shoals, and partner of William Seavey. The Crawfords lived at York, Maine, and later in Oyster River settlement in Dover. They had 2 girls, Susan (NLD p. 170) and Sarah. Dau. Susan Crawford was adopted by William Seavey. [Familysearch.org has a great history of William Seavey that mentions that Susan died in Boston shortly thereafter as a young girl. We have attached it to Susan’s record as well.] D.From DURHAM p. 382

Thomas Willey was in possession of a “breadth of land,” receive probably from Darby Field, at Oyster River Pont, in 1645. He married Margaret, widow of Stephen Crawford, who had land at Oyster River, and left a daughter, Sarah, who was Sarah Runnels of Portsmouth in 1692, when she sold to her brother, John Willie, all right to land at Oyster River owned by her father. Crawford is sometimes written Graffit. Sept. 3, 1680 Thomas Willey, aged 63, and Margaret Willey, his wife, aged 65, deposed that they had lived in Oyster River forty years or thereabouts. Widow Margaret and son, John were appointed administrators of Thomas Willey’s estate, 7 Sept. 1781. She afterward married Barnard Squier. [Children listed below- only the ones with further records in DURHAM were numbered in that book. The reader can find DURHAM online to read more on those individuals with numbers. JL]

Samuel d. intestate in 1679 2. William m. Rebecca Nock 3. Stephen b. 1649; m. Abigail Pitman 4. John b. 1659; m Dorcas _____ Abigail m. 1701, William Leathers; d. at age of 102. DURHAM p. 256 gives further information about Margaret ___Crawford Willey Squire William, son of Edward Leathers, was born about 1675, being aged 78 in 1753. He married, before 24 July 1701, Abigail Willey, when they gave receipt to Margaret Squire of all dues from the beginning of the world. John Willey gave a similar receipt. Their mother, Margaret, widow of Thomas Willey, had probably married Bernard Squire. [This suggests Bernard was deceased before 24 Jul 1701. JL] E.From LANDMARKS Transcribed by Cheryl Willey Willey's Creek This is a small creek that flows through Mr. Jeremiah Langley's land at Durham Point and empties into Little Bay. The name was derived from Thomas Wille or Willey, who had a "breadth" of land on the upper side of this creek before July 17, 1645 (See Bickfords' Garrison). This creek is mentioned by name as early as November 2, 1686, when a road was laid out from Wille's creek to Oyster River Falls.