OBJECTIVES

• Locate the military record that stated Augustus Seeley was born in Boston.
• Seek records in Massachusetts that might prove Seeleys lived in Boston about the time Augustus Seeley was purportedly born there.
• Trace the men identified in this report who are candidates to be Augustus Seeley’s father. Strive to identify all of the children of these candidates in order to determine if Augustus might fit into one of the families.
• Search for records in Elizabethtown, Leeds, Canada, that may provide information about Augustus Seeley’s living relations or his ancestry.
• Consider the possibility that Seeley families may have lived in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, in the mid-1700s as Berkshire borders Rensselaer County, New York (where the Brisbins lived). (Note that Rensselaer County was organized from Albany County in 1791.)

RESULTS

• Viewed Muster Rolls of New York Provincial Troops, 1755-1764, that listed Augustus Sealey as being born in both Boston and New England about 1739.
• Searched for Seeleys in Massachusetts about 1739. Identified multiple Seeleys, but have not yet found any evidence to connect them to Augustus.
• Studied Justus Seeley, a Loyalist, who lived in the same area of Canada as did Augustus Seeley.
• Studied men named Peter Ziele of Schoharie County. None of their wills named an Augustus Seeley. The conclusion reached was that the Zieles of Schoharie were probably a different line.
• Used Descendants of Robert Seeley (1602-1667) & Obadiah Seeley (1614-1657) Generations One Through Five to add more information about the male candidates to be Augustus Seeley’s father who were identified during the previous project. The information was also used to further eliminate some of these candidates from further consideration.
• Determined from the analysis of published genealogies that the best candidates to be the father of Augustus Seeley (if he was born about 1739 in Boston) would be descendants of Cornelius Seeley. However, most of these men lived in Bedford, Westchester, New York, and not in Massachusetts.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Trace the seven identified descendants of Obadiah Seeley who are candidates to be Augustus Seeley’s father to learn if any of them lived in Massachusetts about 1739.
• Strive to learn the identity of the John “Ziele” listed in the same Dutch Reformed Church records as Augustus Seeley/Ziele. John married Annatie Westvaal/Westfall and was the only other Seeley/Ziel named in these records besides Augustus. The two men might be related.
• Clarify the identity of Loyalist Justus Seeley who lived in Elizabethtown when Augustus Seeley resided there.
• Continue to seek records in Elizabethtown, Leeds, Canada, that may provide information about Augustus Seeley’s living relations or his ancestry.
• Consider other possibilities for Augustus Seeley’s ancestry such as (1) Augustus Seeley could be related to the Cilleys of Maine, and (2) Augustus might be a descendant of one of Obadiah’s siblings or ancestors who immigrated to Massachusetts. Also consider the possibility that Seeley families may have lived in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, in the mid-1700s as Berkshire borders Rensselaer County, New York (where the Brisbins lived).

The objectives of this project were to (1) locate the military record that stated Augustus Seeley was born in Boston, (2) seek records in Massachusetts that might prove Seeleys lived in Boston about the time Augustus Seeley was purportedly born there, (3) trace the men identified in the previous report who are candidates to be Augustus Seeley’s father, (4) search for records in Elizabethtown, Leeds, Canada, that may provide information about Augustus Seeley’s living relations or his ancestry, and (5) consider the possibility that Seeley families may have lived in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, in the mid-1700s as Berkshire borders Rensselaer County, New York (where the Brisbins lived). The first four objectives were addressed during this project, but only the first objective was fully met. The other objectives require additional research time.

Augustus Seeley Timeline

A timeline for Augustus Seeley’s life was located on FamilySearch (see https://www.familysearch.org/photos/stories/2362090 dated 1 September 2013).¹ Extracted portions of this timeline are seen in the Research Calendar. Important items gleaned from this website follow. Please note that there is no guarantee of the accuracy of this information as sources were generally not provided on the website.

• Augustus was born in New England, probably Boston, about 1739.
• Augustus joined the New York Provincial Troops in Queen’s County, New York, on 9 April 1760.
• Augustus met and married Mary Brisbin while serving in the militia with her brothers.
• In 1761, Augustus’ first child Margaret was born in Albany County.
• In 1772, Augustus was living in Saratoga according to Loyalists of the American Revolution.
• In 1777, General Burgoyne advised the Loyalists to escape to Upper Canada. Many did, but Augustus and his son James decided to stay as Mary and her daughters were “too young or weak for the hazardous trip north.”
• Daughter Sarah was born in Albany County. “There is no evidence that Augustus lived in Schaghticoke so it may be assumed the children baptized in Schaghticoke church were born in Saratoga.”
• In 1796, “Augustin Selee” was listed in the census for Elizabethtown, Leeds, Upper Canada. Other Selees listed that year were Justus and Peet.
• “I haven’t found a connection between Augustus Seeley of Saratoga and the Van Ziele’s of Schenectady or Schoharie. Nor a connection to the French Uzieles. The only connection to the Dutch Reformed Church is the baptisms of the younger children in the Schaghticoke Protestant Dutch Reformed Church.”

Beth Davies, AG, wrote History of some of the ancestors of Martha Anna Wilcox Westwood who lived in Canada. She states in her history that the first known record concerning Augustus Seeley is the christening of his daughter Mary in the Dutch Reformed Church. Davies writes “Loyalist Lineages of Canada claims that Augustus was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but I found no record there of any Seeley or Zieley family.” Davies also states that living in Elizabethtown near Augustus were Justus Seeley, son of Joseph Seeley, and a Peet Seeley.

Muster Rolls

Muster rolls of New York provincial troops, 1755-1764 include Augustus Seeley.² One muster entry indicates that Augustus was born in New England; another entry is more specific and states Augustus was born in Boston. A Samuel Seeley is listed on one of the same rolls with Augustus; no birth place was listed for Samuel but he was born about 1720 based on his stated age.³

• Page 242 – Capt. George Dunbar’s Company, muster of men raised in Queens in 1760.
  • Augustin Seley, enlisted 9 April 1760, age 21, born New England, occupation hatter, out of Capt. Birdsal’s militia.
• Page 418 – Capt. Lent’s Company, muster of men taken in 1761.
  • Augustus Sealey, enlisted 2 June 1761, age 22, born Boston, occupation hatter, enlisted by Lt. Bardrick, stature 5’ 9”.
• Page 458 – Capt. Peter Lent’s Company, muster of men in 1762.
  • Austin Sealy, enlisted 27 March 1762, age 22, born Orange County, occupation hatter, enlisted by Lt. Gale, stature 5’ 6”.

The 1762 muster lists an Austin Sealy who was a hatter and was born about 1740. This information correlates well with the Augustus Seeley entries of 1760 and 1761. But the birthplace of the 1762 Austin Sealy is Orange County [New York] and this man was three inches shorter than the Augustus/Augustin Seley who enlisted in 1760 and 1761. Was this another Augustus Seeley or the same man? The closest match to this Austin Sealy found in Descendants of Robert Seeley (1602-1667) & Obadiah Seeley (1614-1657) Generations One Through Five was Austin, the son of Nehemiah Seeley, who was born about 1744 in Newtown, Connecticut. He was a descendant of Robert Seeley, not Obadiah Seeley, and was born in Connecticut, not Orange County, New York. It is possible that all three entries refer to the same man. Perhaps Augustus was born in Boston but his family moved shortly thereafter to Orange County. The height difference may have been a clerical error.

The 1760 muster rolls for Albany County, New York, include a Joseph Sealy, age 18, born in Connecticut, who was enlisted in Stephen Schuyler’s Company. A man fitting this description was not found in Descendants of Robert Seeley (1602-1667) & Obadiah Seeley (1614-1657) Generations One Through Five.

Clifford S. Dwyer’s Index to Series I of American Loyalist Claims lists Benjamin Sealey, Seth Sealy, and Justus Seelyte, all of Connecticut, and William Brisbin, Robert Brisbin, and John Brisband, all of New York, among American Loyalists.⁴ Augustus may have been heavily influenced by the political leanings of his wife’s family, the Brisbins, with whom he served in the military. But perhaps he was also influenced by the three Seeleys. As will be seen in the next section, Justus Seeley, a Loyalist, lived in the same area of Canada as Augustus after the war.

Ontario Records

A history of Leeds County was searched for mention of the Seeleys. Glenn J. Lockwood’s The Rear of Leeds & Lansdowne: the making of community on the Gananoque River frontier, 1796-1996 did list Seeleys, but Augustus was not one of them.⁵ The Seeley family of focus in this publication was Justus Seeley, a Loyalist, and 5 his second wife Ann. The following three brief abstracts provide a synopsis of their entries.

• Pg 144 – Justus, Ann and John Seeley were members of a Loyalist family.
• Pg 157 – Seeley’s Bay was named in honor of Ann Seeley, widow of Loyalist Justus Seeley, who operated a trading post after his death in 1831.
• Pg 318 – Ann was the second wife of Loyalist Justus Seeley who was an innkeeper on Lot 23 in the fifth commission of Elizabethtown. [Justus’ first wife was Matilda Read]

Ontario census records were searched for Augustus Seeley to determine if other Seeleys lived near him. If so, they might be close relations. The 1796, 1801 and 1807 censuses for Elizabethtown, Leeds County, Ontario, were examined. The following table lists the findings.

Table 1 | Censuses for Elizabethtown, Leeds County, Ontario

Who were the Justus Selee and Peet Selee found in the 1796 and 1807 censuses? Since Justus Seeley was a Loyalist, perhaps he was a near relation of Augustus who shared the same political views. Justus was sought on FamilySearch Family Tree but his parents were not located through this source. Justus and his first wife Matilda Read were also not located in Descendants of Robert Seeley (1602-1667) & Obadiah Seeley (1614-1657) Generations One Through Five. The Loyalist Directory found online at www.uelac.org/Loyalist-info states Justus married first Matilda Read and second Annie.⁶ His children were Peter, Guy, John and Joseph. Justus died in 1829 at Seeley’s Bay and was buried in his son John’s back yard.⁷

According to the Loyalist Directory, Justus had a cousin also named Justus Seeley, who married Sarah Stewart in Milford, Connecticut, and had children named Peter and Guy. He died in 1813.⁸ Information about both men named Justus Seeley is not well documented on this website.

Augustus Seeley was included on this online Loyalist Directory; it added no new information about his past. The database states Augustus was born about 1739 in Suffolk, Massachusetts.⁹

More information was sought concerning Justus Seeley. The website www.familyhistory.willowrise.com shows Justus William Seeley born 1745 at New Milford, Litchfield, Connecticut, and died on 18 May 1812 at Markham, York, Ontario. His parents are listed as Joseph Seelye and Thankful Bartlett. His property in Connecticut was confiscated in 1786. Due to his Loyalist views, his family moved first to New Brunswick in 1783, then to Susquehanna River Valley, and finally to Pickering, Ontario, Canada, in 1807.¹⁰ The information on this website does not match exactly with what is published in Descendants of Robert Seeley (1602-1667) & Obadiah Seeley (1614-1657) Generations One Through Five. Descendants states this Justus married Sarah Stewart on 17 July 1766 and died in 1812 in Toronto, Canada. His children were Orange, Stuart, Philo, Guy and Justus Azel (the Loyalist Directory credits Justus with just two children—Guy and Peter). Based on information found in the Loyalist Directory, Justus William Seeley would be the “cousin” of the Justus Seeley of Seeley’s Bay who married Matilda and who was listed in Elizabethtown near Augustus Seeley. If correct, then Justus of Seeley’s Bay would be the son of one of Joseph Seeley’s (born 1714 New Milford, Connecticut) brothers. According to Descendants, Joseph Seeley had many brothers—John, Benjamin, Ephraim, Nathaniel, Justus, Nehemiah, Ebenezer, and David. Little is known about brothers John and Nehemiah and their descendants are not listed in Descendants. Brothers Benjamin, Ephraim, Nathaniel, Ebenezer and David are not credited with having a son named Justus. Brother Justus who was born in 1724 and died in 1795 at New Milford, Connecticut, is credited with a son named Justus. His son (#297 in Descendants) was born in 1749 and died in 1795 (the same year as his father) in Litchfield, Connecticut. He married a woman named Sarah. There is a note for him that concerns Justus William Seeley (#282) who married Sarah Stewart. The note indicates it might be possible that the two cousins named Justus Seeley have been confused. The 1795 death date for Justus (#297) might apply only to his father, and his marriage to Sarah could be the marriage of his cousin to Sarah Stewart. If true, then this would leave Justus (b. 1749), the son of Justus Seeley (b. 1724), to be the Justus Seeley who married Matilda and died at Seeley’s Bay in Canada. However, a note in Descendants concerns five sons of Justus Seeley (b. 1724) who served in the Revolutionary War, one of whom was Justus Seeley (b. 1749). The note states Justus “assisted in forwarding to Army and Militia of CT in their marches as far as Albany and other places, sundry times for which he never carried any account or expected any other reward than satisfaction of serving his country. He applied for assistance because ‘one of the sons was crippled for life, another was ill for months and he, himself, contracted a disorder in caring for his son.’” If Justus Seeley (b. 1749) was a Patriot, he would not be the Loyalist of Canada.

Loyalist Justus Seeley of Ontario deserves additional research time to see if his ancestry can be accurately defined.

New York Records

Records of the Dutch Reformed Church in Schagticoke, New York, were searched again but Augustus’ marriage was not found. Previously, christenings for three children of Augustus were reported. Searches during this session produced birth records for five of his children. In two of the records, Augustus’ surname was recorded
as Ziele.

• Born 20 Oct 1774 – Mary, daughter of Augustin Ziele and Mary Bresben¹¹
• Born 5 Feb 1776 – Elizabeth, daughter of Augustin Ziele and Mary Bresben¹²
• Born 14 Apr 1779 – Anny, daughter of Augustus Seely and Mary Brisben¹³
• Born 21 May 1783 – Joseph, son of Augustan Seely and Mary Brisben¹⁴
• Born 14 Jun 1784 – Sarah, daughter of Augustan Seely and Mary Brisben¹⁵

A Johannes Ziel/Zeel/Siel was also found in these records. As he was the only other man of this surname recorded in this record set, it was wondered if he might be related to Augustus.

• Born 1774 – Frans, child of Johan. Zeel and Annatie Westfall¹⁶
• Born 3 Jul 1777 – Jannitie, daughter of Johnnes Siel and Jannitie Westvaal¹⁷
• Born 24 Apr 1780 – Petrus, son of Johannes Ziel and Annatie Westfaal¹⁸

Albany County death records were checked but no Seeleys or Zieles were recorded in them.¹⁹ A search of Albany wills led to knowledge of Peter U. Siele, a yeoman of Schoharie.²⁰ Since Augustus’ surname was recorded as Ziele in the Dutch Reformed Church records, Peter Siele of Schoharie was pursued to learn if he was related.

The 1766 tax records for Schoharie, New York, include parts of today’s Schenectady and Otsego Counties. Taxed that year were Jean Siele, Anna Siele, Adam Siele and Peter Siele.²¹ Schoharie militia rolls include Pieter Uziellie. Schoharie County will abstracts produced five Seelie/Zielie wills, three of which were for men named Peter Zielie. None of the wills mentioned Augustus.²²

John Seelie Jr. of Middleburgh

• WD 5 Apr 1816
• WP 28 May 1816
• Sons Adam, John, Jacob, Becker
• Daughters Peggy Seelie, Anny, Caty, Maranda
• Wife Nancy
• Executors: William C Bouck, Adam Seelie, Nancy Seelie

Elizabeth Zielie of Middleburgh

• WD 4 Aug 1827
• WP 31 Jan 1831
• Grandsons John, Jacob, Richard Becker Zielie, all sons of John Zielie, deceased

Peter U. Ziellie Jr. of Schoharie

• WD 27 Jun 1795
• WP 23 Apr 1798
• Wife Elizabeth
• Sons John, Martinus, David, Peter
• Daughters Catherine, Christina, Cornelia, Elizabeth

Peter Zielie Jr. of Middleburgh

• WD 5 Dec 1812
• WP 9 Nov 1813
• Wife Nancy
• Sons Peter, John, David
• Daughter Nancy

Peter Zielie of Middleburgh

• WD 26 Jan 1808
• WP [no date]
• Daughters Cornelia, wife of John Becker; Engeltie, wife of John S. Becker;
• Catherine, wife of Barant Vrooman
• Brother Martin
• John Zielie
• Nephew David, son of brother Martin
• Grandchildren Josiah B. Vrooman; Barant B. Vrooman; Cornelia, wife of
• Cornelius Eakeson; Engeltie, wife of Cornelius Zielie; Nancy, wife of Nicholas
• Mattice; all children of my daughter Cathrine Vrooman

It was concluded that Augustus was unlikely to be related to the Siele/Ziele families of Schoharie County.

More time needs to be spent striving to identify the John Ziele who married Annatie Westvaal/Westfall and whose children’s births were recorded in the same Dutch Reformed Church records in Schagticoke, New York, as the births of five children of Augustus Seeley (two of whom were recorded with the Ziele surname).

Massachusetts Records

The publication, Inhabitants and estates of the town of Boston, 1630-1800, and The crooked and narrow streets of Boston, 1630-1822, was searched for Seeleys in the hopes that potential parents of Augustus might be identified.²³ The following Seeley entries were noted:

• John Silly listed in 1695 as an inhabitant of Ward 1
• George Seale married Margaret Wilson on 24 December 1747 [married too late to be Augustus’ parents]
• Agnes Sealey died in 1697
• John and Margaret Seally had: Richard 17 Mar 1667, John 22 Sep 1670, Margaret 25 Mar 1673. [This John Seally is listed on the 1674 tax list.]
• John and Lydia Selly/Seally had: Hannah 5 Mar 1693/4, John 8 Feb 1695/6
• Dorcas Sealy married James Sharp on 15 Oct 1696
• Dorcas Selly married George Courtney on 2 Jun 1698
• Fearnot Seele married Bethia and had a son Ebenezer on 19 May 1695
• Sarah Seely married John Auger on 7 Mar 1721/2
• Abigail Seley married Zechariah Thayer of Braintree on 28 May 1735
• Edward Selly married Elizabeth Souter on 15 Mar 1749/50
• John Selly married Sarah Gory on 23 Sep 1700 and had Abigail on 23 Aug 1703

The male Seeley marriages were dated too late or too early to have produced a son Augustus about 1739. This source did not produce viable candidates to be Augustus’ father.

Seeley wills dated in the 1700s were sought in Index to the probate records of the county of Suffolk, Massachusetts, from the year 1636 to and including the year 1893.²⁴ The hope was that potential parents or grandparents of Augustus might have left wills that would name him. But the only Seeley wills noted in this source were for Sellees whose wills were probated in the 1900s.

A collection of early vital records of Suffolk County, Massachusetts, to 1850 was searched but no Seeleys (or derivative spellings) were found.²⁵ It is possible that Augustus may have been born near Boston, but not in it. Therefore, Massachusetts counties that adjoin Suffolk could also be searched in the future.

The New England Historic and Genealogical Society’s website, AmericanAncestors, offers good coverage of New England sources. This website was searched for Augustus Seeley using a variety of spellings for both his given name and surname, but with no positive results.

The FamilySearch “Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910” and “Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915” databases were searched to locate potential parents for Augustus. No Seley/Seeley male marriages within a 20-year period before 1740 were found in Boston or in Suffolk County. But in Essex County, the county just north of Suffolk, two male Selly marriages were identified.

• Thomas Selley married Elizabeth Fowler at Salisbury, Essex, 27 Nov 1731
• Benony Selly married Rachel Toppan at Salisbury, Essex, 28 Sep or 9 Oct 1739

Thomas and Elizabeth Selley had just one known child, a son Thomas in 1732. Elizabeth may have died within a few years of her son’s birth as a Thomas and Lydia Selley then had the following children at Salisbury, Essex: 1737 Jemima, 1738/9 John, 1740 Elizabeth, 1742 Jane, 1744 Lydia, 1746 Jacob, and 1748 Judith. This couple did not have a son Augustus; nor was their room between their children to have had another child about 1739.

Benony and Rachel Selley had one known child at Salisbury, Essex—a daughter Abigail in 1743. This Benony could be the same Benony who with a wife named Eleanor had two children at Salisbury before 1739: 1730 Samuel, and 1737 Thomas.

Due to the presence of the Selley surname in Essex County, it might be prudent to conduct a more in-depth review of Essex County land and probate records in the future.

Potential Fathers for Augustus Seeley

Augustus Seeley’s entry in FamilySearch Family Tree (LX7MVSW) states he was born in 1739 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts; married Mary Brisbin in 1773 in Albany, New York; and died in 1811 in Elizabethtown, Leeds, Upper Canada.²⁶ His parents were unknown; his children were James, Cary, Ruth, Jane, Elizabeth, Sarah, Joseph, Annie, Margaret, and Mary. He joined the New York Provincial Troops in Queens County, New York, on 9 April, serving under Jeffery Amherst in the French and Indian War.

The descendancy research strategy that began during the previous project was continued. The purpose is to identify male descendants of Obadiah Seeley who are the best candidates to be the father of Augustus Seeley. A published pedigree was used during the previous project to identify these men who are as follows:

From Obadiah Seeley Jr.’s descendants:

• Grandson Nathaniel (b. 1695 Stamford, Connecticut- d. 1757)
• Son Benjamin (married Esther)

From Cornelius Seeley’s descendants:

• Grandson David (b. 1700)
• Grandson Joseph (b. 1705)
• Grandson Joseph (b. 1706)
• Possible grandsons Timothy, Eli, Jonathan, Jeremiah and Ebenezer

From Jonas Seeley’s descendants:

• Grandson Samuel (b. 1710)
• Grandson Jonas (b. 1719)
• Son Ebenezer (b. 1697)

During this project, the above males were sought in Descendants of Robert Seeley (1602-1667) & Obadiah Seeley (1614-1657) Generations One Through Five to learn if more information was already known about them. This publication added the following information seen in italics:

From Obadiah Seeley Jr.’s descendants:

• Grandson Nathaniel (b. 1695 Stamford, Connecticut- d. 1757)
  • Nathaniel died in 1757 in Stamford, Connecticut and left a will. If he had a son Augustus, he apparently did not name him in his will. In addition, it Augustus was truly born about 1739 in Boston, he was not Nathaniel’s son since Nathaniel lived his life in Connecticut. He is not a viable candidate if Augustus was born in Massachusetts about 1739.
• Son Benjamin (married Esther)
  • Benjamin died on 5 September 1696 at Stamford, Connecticut. An inventory of his estate was taken a month later. Benjamin’s brother Obadiah was appointed administrator of his estate. Benjamin’s death at about age 25 did not leave much room to have had male children. He is an unlikely candidate to be Augustus’ grandfather.

From Cornelius Seeley’s descendants:

• Grandson David (b. 1700)
  • David was born in 1700 in Bedford, Westchester, New York, yet married in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1720 to Abigail Beecher. He died before 1747—place not specified. Only one child is known—Timothy who was born in 1722 in Bedford, Westchester, New York. No further information about him; he remains a possible candidate.
• Grandson Joseph (b. 1705) (son of Cornelius who was born about 1675)
  • Joseph was born in 1705 in Bedford, Westchester, New York. No further information about him; he remains a possible candidate.
• Grandson Joseph (b. 1706) (son of Joseph who was born about 1685)
  • Joseph was born 1706/7 in Bedford, Westchester, New York; married in 1736 in Bedford to Joanna Westcott; and died in 1751 in Bedford. Since he lived his life in Bedford, he is an unlikely candidate to be Augustus’ father.
• Grandson Timothy (supposed son of Joseph born 1685) – no verification of his existence
• Grandson Eli (b. 1712) (son of Joseph born 1685)
  • Eli was born in 1712 in Bedford, Westchester, New York. No further information about him; he remains a possible candidate.
• Grandson Jonathan (b. 1714) (son of Joseph born 1685)
  • Jonathan was born about 1714 in Bedford, Westchester, New York; married Electa. He had sons Eli born about 1733/4 in Bedford (buried in Tarrytown); Thaddeus born about 1738 in Bedford; and James born in 1735 in Bedford (died in 1828 in Stillwater, Saratoga County, New York. No information about his death location. With his son James dying in Saratoga County, this might indicate that at least some family members migrated further north. Jonathan remains a possible candidate—but only if Augustus was not born in Massachusetts.
• Grandson Jeremiah (b. 1716) (son of Joseph born 1685)
  • Jeremiah was born about 1716 in Bedford, Westchester, New York. No further information about him; he remains a possible candidate.
• Grandson Ebenezer (b. 1717) (son of Joseph born 1685)
  • Ebenezer was born about 1717 in Bedford, Westchester, New York. No further information about him; he remains a possible candidate.

From Jonas Seeley’s descendants:

• Grandson Samuel (b. 1710)
  • Samuel was born in 1710 in Stamford, Connecticut; married in 1729 in Pennsylvania to Mary DeHaven; died 1779 in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Samuel is not a candidate as he lived his adult life in Pennsylvania.
• Grandson Jonas (b. 1719)
  • Jonas was born in 1719; married Sarah Bartlett in 1740; and died in Goshen, New York. His known children were all born in either New Canaan, Connecticut, or in Goshen, Orange County, New York. He is not a candidate to be the father of Augustus.
• Son Ebenezer (b. 1697)
  • Ebenezer was born in 1696/7 in Stamford, Connecticut; married in Connecticut; and died in 1767 in Goshen, Orange County, New York. His will did not name an Augustus Seeley. He is not a candidate to be the father of Augustus.

From this analysis, the best candidates to be the father of Augustus Seeley (if he was born about 1739 in Boston) would be descendants of Cornelius Seeley. Specifically, they are:

• David Seeley, born in 1700 in Bedford, Westchester, New York; married in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1720 to Abigail Beecher; died before 1747—place not specified. Only one child is known—Timothy who was born in 1722 in Bedford, Westchester, New York.
  • Task: Seek David’s place of burial and any additional children.
• Joseph Seeley, son of the Cornelius Seeley who was born about 1675. Joseph was born in 1705 in Bedford, Westchester, New York. No further information is known about him.
  • Task: Determine if this Joseph Seeley died young, married, left a will in Westchester County, or moved away.
• Timothy Seeley, supposed son of Joseph Seeley who was born in 1685. There is no verification of his existence.
  • Task: Verify if Timothy existed. If he did, trace him.
• Eli Seeley, born in 1712 in Bedford, Westchester, New York. No further information about him.
  • Task: Verify his existence. Then determine if he died young, married, left a will in Westchester County, or moved away.
• Jonathan Seeley was born about 1714 in Bedford, Westchester, New York; married Electa. There is no information about his death location. He had a son James (born 1735 in Bedford) who died in 1828 in Stillwater, Saratoga County, New York. Jonathan is a possible candidate—but only if Augustus was not born in Massachusetts.
  • Task: Determine where Jonathan Seeley died, then find a will that might name all of his sons.
• Jeremiah Seeley was born about 1716 in Bedford, Westchester, New York. No further information about him.
  • Task: Verify his existence. Then determine if he died young, married, left a will in Westchester County, or moved away.
• Ebenezer Seeley was born about 1717 in Bedford, Westchester, New York. No further information about him.
  • Task: Verify his existence. Then determine if he died young, married, left a will in Westchester County, or moved away.

The above seven men are the primary focus of further study on Obadiah Seeley’s male descendants.

Conclusion

Muster rolls of the New York Provincial Troops indicated that Augustus Seeley was born about 1739 in New England, specifically, in Boston. Limited research was conducted in Massachusetts sources and no potential parents for Augustus were identified. It is possible that Augustus was born in a neighboring county or that his family moved from the Boston area very soon after his birth.

The identity of Justus Seeley, a Loyalist who lived in the same area of Canada as did Augustus Seeley, was sought, but his parents have not yet been positively defined. Another man that requires further study is John Ziele whose children were listed in the same Dutch Reformed Church records as were Augustus’ children.

Peter Ziele of Schoharie County was researched and wills for multiple men of that name were found and examined. The conclusion reached was that the Zieles of Schoharie were probably a different line.

The publication, Descendants of Robert Seeley (1602-1667) & Obadiah Seeley (1614-1657) Generations One Through Five, was referenced to add more information to the male candidates to be Augustus Seeley’s father who were identified during the previous project. The information was also used to further eliminate some of these candidates. The resulting pool of seven men, all descendants of Cornelius Seeley, requires further research to learn if one of them lived in Boston about 1739. Most of Cornelius’ descendants are known to have lived in Bedford, Westchester, New York.

Recommendations

• Trace the seven identified descendants of Obadiah Seeley who are candidates to be Augustus Seeley’s father to learn if any of them lived in Massachusetts about 1739.
• Strive to learn the identity of the John “Ziele” listed in the same Dutch Reformed Church records as Augustus Seeley/Ziele. John married Annatie Westvaal/Westfall and was the only other Seeley/Ziel named in these records besides Augustus. The two men might be related.
• Clarify the identity of Loyalist Justus Seeley who lived in Elizabethtown when Augustus Seeley resided there.
• Continue to seek records in Elizabethtown, Leeds, Canada, that may provide information about Augustus Seeley’s living relations or his ancestry.
• Consider other possibilities for Augustus Seeley’s ancestry such as (1) Augustus Seeley could be related to the Cilleys of Maine, and (2) Augustus might be a descendant of one of Obadiah’s siblings or ancestors who immigrated to Massachusetts. Also consider the possibility that Seeley families may have lived in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, in the mid-1700s as Berkshire borders Rensselaer County, New York (where the Brisbins lived).

Footnotes

1. Augustus Seeley Timeline, original document from jhow.org/genealogy/histories/ 1 AugustusSeeleyTimeline.doc, dated 1 September 2013, (https://www.familysearch.org/photos/stories/2362090 ).
2. Muster rolls of New York provincial troops, 1755-1764, (New York, printed for the New York Historical Society: 1892) (archive.org/stream/musterrollsnewy00socigoog#page/n434/mode/ 2up) Document 1
3. A Samuel Seely born about 1720 was sought in Descendants of Robert Seeley (1602-1667) & Obadiah Seeley (1614-1657) Generations One Through Five. The Samuel Seeley born closest to 1720 was the Samuel Seely born 4 April 1710 at Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, the son of Samuel Seeley. He married about 1729 in Pennsylvania and died in Pennsylvania before October 1778. Since he was living in Pennsylvania in 1760, he would not be the Samuel Seeley found on the New York muster roll. Therefore, his identity is unknown.
4. Clifford S. Dwyer, Index to Series I of American Loyalist Claims (DeFuniak Springs, Florida: 4 Ram Publishing, 1985) FHL book 973 R2d.
5. Glenn J. Lockwood, The Rear of Leeds & Lansdowne: the making of community on the 5 Gananoque River frontier, 1796-1996 (Lyndhurst, Ontario: Corp. of the Township of Rear of Leeds and Lansdowne, c1996) FHL book 971.373 H2L. Document 5
6. Loyalist Directory, search for Justus Seeley (www.uelac.org/Loyalist-info).
7. Loyalist Directory, search for Justus Seeley (www.uelac.org/Loyalist-info). Document 8
8. Loyalist Directory, search for Justus Seeley (www.uelac.org/Loyalist-info). Document 7
9. Loyalist Directory, search for Justus Seeley (www.uelac.org/Loyalist-info). Document 9
10. Justus William Seeley, b. 1745, (www.familyhistory.willowrise.com/Justus-william-seeley-1745). Document 10
11. Dutch Reformed Church (Schagticoke, New York), Schaghticoke Dutch Reformed Church records (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1941), 71 FHL film 17919 it 1. Document 11a
12. Ibid.
13. Dutch Reformed Church (Schagticoke, New York), Schaghticoke Dutch Reformed Church records (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1941), 90 FHL film 17919 it 1. Document 11b
14. Dutch Reformed Church (Schagticoke, New York), Schaghticoke Dutch Reformed Church records (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1941), 119 FHL film 17919 it 1. Document 11d
15. Ibid.
16. Dutch Reformed Church (Schagticoke, New York), Schaghticoke Dutch Reformed Church records (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1941), 96 FHL film 17919 it 1.
17. Dutch Reformed Church (Schagticoke, New York), Schaghticoke Dutch Reformed Church records (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1941), 96 FHL film 17919 it 1.
18. Dutch Reformed Church (Schagticoke, New York), Schaghticoke Dutch Reformed Church records (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1941), 96 FHL film 17919 it 1. Document 11c.
19. William Vanderpoel Hannay, Early Albany County NY death records, 1654-1883 (Rhinebeck, New York: Kinship Books, c2000) FHL book 974.742 V2h. Document 12
20. Laura Penny Hulslander, Abstracts of deeds and wills of Albany County, New York, 1768-1771 (Mililani, Hawaii: Sleeper, c1992), 62-63, FHL book 974.742 R2h.
21. Florence A. Christoph, Upstate New York in the 1760’s, tax lists and selected militia rolls of old Albany County, 1760-1768 (Camden, Maine: Picton Press, c1992) FHL book 974.7 R4u.
22. Gertrude A. Barber, Abstracts of wills, letters of administration, letters of guardianship, of Schoharie County, New York, from 1795-1863 (1938) FHL book 974.745 P28b.
23. Annie Haven Thwing, Inhabitants and estates of the town of Boston, 1630-1800, and The 23 crooked and narrow streets of Boston, 1630-1822 (Boston, Massachusetts: Massachusetts Historical Society, c2001) FHL Desktop CD-ROM no. 1693.
24. Elijah George, Index to the probate records of the county of Suffolk, Massachusetts, from 24 the year 1636 to and including the year 1893 (Boston, Massachusetts: Rockwell and Churchill, 1895) FHL book 974.46 S2g v. 3.
25. Early Vital Records of Suffolk County, Massachusetts, to 1850 (Wheat Ridge, Colorado: 25 Search & ReSearch, c2002) FHL Desktop CD-ROM no. 1208.
26. The pedigree chart provided to this researcher by the Seeley Genealogical Society shows the 26 same Augustus Seeley (LX7MVSW) born in 1748 in Rensselaer County, New York, and marrying about 1764. The variation in birth data and marriage year can be kept in mind as research progresses.