George Lillie (abt. 1638 - abt. 1690)

Born about 1638 in Berkshire, England or Scotland [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Hannah (Smith) Lillie — married 15 Nov 1659 (to 6 May 1666) in Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Husband of Jane (Unknown) Lilly — married 6 May 1667 in Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died about 14 Feb 1690 at about age 52 in Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts, Colonial America

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Biography

George was born about 1638. George Lillie ... He passed away about 1690.^[1]

Research note - George and his father are said to have been born in Berkshire according to the data fields above - is there a source for this as the biography below suggests he and his father could have been born anywhere in Western Europe?

Spelling of the Name

Charles Lilly, who has written extensively on the Lilly family, found much of his material in a type-written manuscript of 138 pages, bound by the Los Angeles Public Library in 1930, entitled Lilly-Lilley-Lillie Family History, by Julius Whiting Lilly. The three forms of the name, Lilly, Lilley, and Lillie are the most common, but there were others. The form, Lillie, was used by first three generations in the New World.^[2]

Origin

George was born around 1636 to 1638^[2] somewhere in Western Europe, possibly France. He may have immigrated through Scotland. Another family tradition is that his father was born in France and George was born in Scotland. Traditions also says that his father died in France during the Huguenot persecution, and that he left three sons who inherited a handsome property. Two of the sons were said to have gone to Ireland, while the third, George, went to England and later came to America. According to family tradition, George served in Civil War in England and came to America after Cromwell defeated the Royal forces. He may have been a prisoner of war that Cromwell (Oliver) sent to New England.^[2][3]

One frequently repeated story is that George had an ancestor, (father?), who died in France, during the Huguenot persecution. This ancestor left three sons who inherited a handsome property. One son moved to Ireland, another to England; another son moved to Scotland. The two latter sons continued on to New England. One was George Lilly who settled in the West Parish of Reading, Massachusetts, near the Sweetzer place.^[4]

Compiled notes of Charles Lilly, 17 Feb 2002: "All Lillies Read This:"

'One Lilly tradition is that our remote Ancestor died in France, during the Huguenot persecution leaving three sons who inherited a handsome property. One son removed to Ireland, another to England, and the other to Scotland; that two sons of the latter, came to America, one of which was our Ancestor, George Lillie. -Narrated to the compiler (J.W. Lilly) by Mr. Jno. Booth Lillie, of Lodi, Calif., 1899, son of Turner Lillie who resided in Vermont previous to 1800. -His lineage was George (1), George (2), Elisha (3), Jonathan (4), Turner (5), Turner (6), and John Booth Lillie (7).

The tradition was quoted in Lilly Genealogy, 1658-1901, by J.W. Lilly, 1901, a 5 page typescript. Julius W. Lilly (7) was the first Lilly family genealogist and included invaluable family traditions from personal knowledge in several typescripts for Lilly families: 'To Members of the Lilly Family,' by Julius W. Lilly, Binghamton, N.Y., 1881, 4 pages, was privately printed and distributed unbound to descendants.

Quote from the book, Landmarks of Oswego County, (New York), Family Sketches, pages 73 and 74: "Lilley, Dexter M., was born in the town of Richland, September 28, 1865. The great-grandfather of Abner Lilley was one of three brothers that came from Scotland to this country." His lineage was George (1), George (2), Elisha (3), George (4), Abner (5), Phineas (6), Alfred (7), and Dexter M. Lilley (8).

Another account stated, "George Lillie came from Scotland about 1650, and settled in Connecticut, and his descendants are traced through the eastern and middle states."

Another account stated, "George Lillie came from England, and settled in Reading, Massachusetts, in 1654, and their descendants are traced westward."

Scotland could have referred to England, in general like Great Britain Island, even though it was not the United Kingdom until 1707.England was generally referred to as Great Britain from 1604, when James the Sixth of Scotland became James the First of England. There was a Lillie family which lived near Peebles, Scotland, for many centuries.[1]

Immigration to Massachusetts

George immigrated to New England sometime before 1658. Our first record of George was in 1658 at Reading, Massachusetts when he had 40 acres of land.^[2] By 1667, there were fifty-nine persons who owned houses at Reading, and George was among them.^[2][3]

Occupation

In 1683, he was a schoolmaster at Woodend, a village of Reading.^[3]

Marriages and Children

George married twice.

He married on November 15, 1659 at Reading, Massachusetts, as his 1st, to Hannah Smith, a daughter of Francis and Alice Smith of Watertown and Reading, Massachusetts.^[3][2] She died 6 Mar, 1666.^[2][5]

Children:

1. Hannah b October 25, 1660 at Reading, Mass.^[2]
2. John b December 5, 1662 at Reading, Mass.^[6]
3. Samuel b May 14, 1665 at Reading, Mass.^[6]

His second marriage was to Jane (____), whom he married on May 6, 1667 at Reading, Mass.^[2][7]

Children:

1. George b February 24, 1667/8 at Reading, Mass.^[6][8]
2. Reuben b October 9, 1669 at Reading, Mass.^[2][9]
3. Abigail b August 15, 1672 at Reading, Mass.^[2][10]

George Lillie (1), both his marriages, and six children, with descendants, were listed in The History of Woodstock, Connecticut, Genealogies of Woodstock Families, by Clarence Bowen, published by Tuttle, Morehouse, and Taylor Company, New Haven, Connecticut, in 1943, in Volume 7, on pages 222-227.The surname was spelled Lilly in the book.

Original records proved the first three generations spelled and signed the name Lillie.The four sons of Samuel Lillie (2), Samuel Lillie, John Lillie, Jonathan Lillie, and David Lillie signed the heirs agreement of the estate of their father, with the name spelled Lillie, January 24, 1753, in Sutton, Worcester County, Massachusetts.

Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New England Families, 1620- 1700, compiled by Frank R. Holmes, published by The American Historical Society, Inc., 1923, page cxlix: "LILLIE, LILLY, Llille in Welsh, the place by a river or stream; from lli a stream; lle a place; llu an army, a troop; llellu, the place of the army.In The Cornish-British, lhy is a troop, a company of horsemen, and le or li a place." "Edward, a cooper at Boston, Mass., 1670. George, b. Eng., 1638, settled at Reading, Mass., before 1659. John, at Concord, Mass., about 1660. John, a resident of Woburn, Mass., 1690. Luke, at Marshfield, Mass., 1643. Samuel, merchant, at Boston, Mass., 1686."

Death and Legacy

George died February 14, 1690 or 1691^[11] at Reading, Massachusetts.^[2][12]

Note: The Reading, MA Vital Records do not say "George died February 14, 1690 or 1691" as stated above. They say George died February 14, 1690-1. This is not based on a confusion about which year he died, but on a change in the calendar system. Wikitree policy is to pick the latter date, 1691 in this case, when the event occurs in January, February, or March. This corrects for the calendar change. See: http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hg/colonialresearch/calendar or see: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/688228/when-date-something-like-calendar-calendar-which-supposed

Sources

1. ↑ A source for this information is needed.
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11} Lilly, Charles Some Descendants of George Lillie (Vol 18, Pg 618) The Connecticut Nutmegger. Glastonbury, CT: Connecticut Society of Genealogists, 1970-. (Online database accessed July 20, 2015. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Cutter, New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: a Record ... (Vol IV, Pages 1955-57) New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1914, Archive.org accessed July 20, 2015
4. ↑ Lilly Gen, by J. W. Lilly, 1907
5. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC9N-Z4J : 13 July 2016), Hannah Lilly, 06 Mar 1666; citing Death, Redding, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 892,249.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Anderson, Charles R., Great Migration 1634-1635, R-S. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009, accessed online 2/28/14
7. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCSH-682 : 13 July 2016), George Lilly and Jane, 06 May 1667; citing Marriage, Redding, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 892,249.
8. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZD9-H5V : 4 December 2014), George Lillie, 24 Feb 1667; citing READING,MIDDLESEX,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 0873745 IT 2.
9. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHJN-XQD : 4 December 2014), Ruben Lillie, 09 Oct 1669; citing Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts, ; FHL microfilm 890,236.
10. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHJN-66P : 4 December 2014), Abigall Lillie, 15 Aug 1672; citing Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts, ; FHL microfilm 890,236.
11. ↑ Vital Records of Reading, Massachusetts to end the year 1850. Complied by Thomas W Baldwin, A B, S B, Member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. 1912. Accessed Jun 2017 via http://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Middlesex/Reading/Images/Reading_D536.gif
12. ↑ "Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCMW-D4D : 10 December 2014), George Lilly, 14 Feb 1690; citing Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts, reference ; FHL microfilm 890,236.

See also:

• Lilly, Charles Lilly Families in America 1976, cited on DeSanno, Karen Descendants of George Lillie (with Sources) accessed July 20, 2015