OBJECTIVES

• Determine if Sarah Seelie was christened at St. Martin’s Birmingham parish or at Sheldon parish in Warwickshire.
• Determine when and where Obadiah Bruen (husband of Sarah Seelie) died.
• Pursue the Augustus Seeley line in New York.

RESULTS

• Concluded that Sarah Seelie was christened at Sheldon parish, although her father actually lived in the city of Birmingham when Sarah was born.
• Learned that Obadiah Bruen probably died in the early 1680s in Newark, New Jersey. However, an Obadiah Bruen was listed as a neighbor in deed records into the 1690s. In addition, an Obadiah Bruen was named in the Newark Town Records as a pounder in 1698. This position required some physical strength and sounds too rigorous for a man in his 90s. These 1690s references could mean (1) Obadiah lived well into his 90s, (2) either Obadiah or his son John had a son named Obadiah Bruen who has never been documented, or (3) the deeds referred to land that was actually occupied by the “heirs of” Obadiah. The most reasonable option seems to be Obadiah either had a son or grandson named after him. If so, then the deed and town records may be the only records that document his existence. An in-depth search of Essex County land, court, tax, or probate records might resolve the issue.
• Did not find Seeleys in Albany County, New York, probate or deed records in the 1700s. This was surprising since Augustus Seeley probably married Mary Brisbin in Albany County where her parents lived during the late 1760s and early 1770s. Augustus may have moved into this area of New York without any close family members.
• Learned that the 1771 Massachusetts tax records do not show Seeleys living in the Boston area where Augustus was supposedly born. Two Sellee men, John and Nathan, paid the tax in Easton Town, Bristol County.
• Used a published pedigree of the descendants of Obadiah Seeley to identify males in his lineage who are the best candidates to be the father of Augustus Seeley. These men need to be traced.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• 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 2 County, New York (where the Brisbins lived). (Note that Rensselaer County was organized from Albany County in 1791.)

The objectives of this project were to (1) determine if Sarah Seelie was christened at St. Martin’s Birmingham parish or at Sheldon parish in Warwickshire, (2) determine when and where Obadiah Bruen (husband of Sarah Seelie) died, and (3) pursue the Augustus Seeley line in New York.

Sarah Seelie

The parish registers of Sheldon, Warwickshire, England, were examined for Sarah Seelie’s christening. The event was located in the christening registers for 1609.

• Chr 22 Oct 1609 Sheldon – Sara, daughter of William Seelie of Birmingham¹

The registers of St. Martin’s in Birmingham were also searched to learn if Sarah’s christening may have been recorded there as well (this would be highly unusual). The 1609 baptism registers do not include Sarah Seelie.²

The conclusion reached was that Sarah Seelie was christened at Sheldon parish, although her father actually lived in Birmingham when Sarah was born.

Obadiah Bruen

Obadiah Bruen, husband of Sarah Seelie, was born in Tarvin, Cheshire, England; married at St. Martin’s Birmingham, Warwickshire; moved to Shrewsbury, Shropshire; immigrated to Massachusetts where he lived in several locations before migrating to Connecticut; and died in Newark, New Jersey, in 1681 according to information gathered by the Seeley Genealogical Society. But information was found that indicated Obadiah may have lived past 1681. Therefore, the objective was to learn when and where Obadiah actually died.

A probate record for Obadiah Bruen was sought in New Jersey probate databases without success, indicating that Obadiah probably died intestate.³ An excellent source for early Essex County, New Jersey, families is a collection of family data compiled by Charles Carroll Gardner. This filmed collection consists of family records taken from civil, court, land, and probate records. Obadiah Bruen’s life is quite well represented in this collection.⁴ Yet the exact year of Obadiah’s death is unknown. He is listed in this collection with varying death years—1680, 1681, and 1683. Obadiah was definitely alive in 1679 and living in New Jersey when he wrote a letter to a relative in Connecticut. One of the cards for Obadiah in this collection shows Obadiah named in New Jersey deed and patent records with the following dates:⁵

• 1696 Samuel Rose’s patent named widow Bruen
• 1696 Francis Lindley’s patent named Obadiah Bruin
• 1696 Samuel Dode’s patent named Obadiah Brewen
• 1696 Theophilus Pierson’s patent named widow Brewer
• 1697 Jabez Roger’s patent named widow Bruen
• 1697 Conveyance to Jasper and Daniel Crave named widow Bowen [sic]
• 1703/4 Ebenezer Lindsley’s patent named Obadiah Bruen

Gardner wrote a statement on this card that the “widow Bruen” named in some of these records could have been the widow of John Bruen, not Obadiah Bruen. According to FamilySearch Family Tree, Obadiah’s son John died in 1696 so Gardner’s statement could be correct. But this would not explain Obadiah Bruen being named as late as 1703/4 when he would have been 98 years old.

Another card in Gardner’s collection quoted from a page in the Newark Town Records (page 111):

• Jan 1, 1697/8 Obadiah Bruen chosen a Pounder⁶

A pounder was a person who impounded stray animals and then notified the owner who had to pay a small fine to retrieve the animal. Impounding stray animals⁷ sounds a little too rigorous for a 90-year old. Gardner added the following statement to this card: “This is an odd one. Was he chosen a pounder at the age of 91, after a period of 20 years in which I have no records of his being alive. If this is an Obadiah2 [a son of Obadiah] it is the only record I believe of any such man and I doubt that that is the answer.” Despite Gardner’s statement, the patent and deed records dated in the 1690s through 1704 may be other records that document the presence of a second Obadiah Bruen in Essex County. FamilySearch Family Tree does not show that either Obadiah or his son John had a son named Obadiah.

If the Obadiah Bruen named in these deed and patent records was the man who married Sarah Seelie, both Obadiah and Sarah lived well into their 90s—possible, but not highly probable. Many of the 1690s entries referenced in Gardner’s collection were located in New Jersey’s patent and deed collection.⁸ Examples are listed below:

• 27 Apr 1696 – patent to Samuel Rose of Newark for the following tracts there… 18 a[cres], [bordered on the] S.E. [by] a road, S.W. [by] widow Bruen, N.W. unsurveyed…
• 20 Jan 1697/8 – patent to Francis Lindsley of Newark for the following tracts there…4 a[cres] in the Neck, [bounded on the] N. [by] Obadiah Bruin, E. and S. [by] roads…
• 10 Dec 1696 – patent to Theophelus Peirson of Newark for…20 a[cres] of meadow at Wheelers Point, [bounded] N. [by] upland, N.E. [by] Richard Harrison, E. [by] Samuel Kitchell and the pond, S. [by] Widow Brewer, W. [by] the creek and Abraham Peirson…
• 8 Dec 1696 – patent to Samuel Dode of Newark…a lot in the plain beyond the Millriver…[bounded] N. [by] Obadiah Brewen…
• 1 May 1697 – patent to Joseph and Hannah Bond, in right of their father Stephen Bond of Newark…3 a[cres] Beefe Point…[bounded] W. [by] Widow Bruin…

These references to Obadiah could mean (1) Obadiah lived well into his 90s, (2) either Obadiah or his son John had a son named Obadiah Bruen who has never been documented, or (3) the land of Obadiah was actually occupied by the “heirs of” Obadiah.

A tombstone was sought for Obadiah on the FindaGrave website. An entry was found, but the entry did not include a photo of his tombstone.⁹ Information about Obadiah was provided by a submitter who may or may not have had access to accurate information. The information stated Obadiah Bruen was born in 1606 in England and died in 1681 in Newark, Essex, New Jersey. He was originally buried in the Old Burying Ground in Newark, but was removed in 1889 and moved to Fairmount Cemetery in Newark. His wife was defined as Sarah Seeley, born 1609 and died 1684. His children were Rebecca, Hannah, and John.

The FindaGrave website was also searched for the burial of another Obadiah Bruen who would have been an adult in 1697 in New Jersey. Other than the Obadiah of interest, there was only one other man of that name found—an Obadiah Bruen born in 1710 who died in Essex County, New Jersey, in either 1765 or 1774 (the two FindaGrave entries for him conflicted). This man was born too late to be the man being sought.

The question of whether Obadiah Bruen died in the 1680s or possibly after 1703 might be resolved by an in-depth study of Essex County, New Jersey, land, court, tax, and probate records, by seeking evidence for a second Obadiah Bruen.

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 Canada¹⁰. 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.

Birth dates for three of Augustus’ children were recorded in the Dutch Reformed Church in Schaghticoke, Rensselaer, New York¹¹. Daughter Anny was born 14 11 April 1779, son Joseph was born 21 May 1783, and daughter Sarah was born 14 June 1784. These birth records place Augustus in the Rensselaer County area of New York between 1779 and 1784—the last years of the Revolutionary War.

The FamilySearch Family Tree account for Augustus’ wife Mary Brisbin states she was born in 1752 in Schaghticoke, Rensselaer, New York, and died on 3 October 1790 at Elizabethtown, Leeds, Upper Canada. She was the daughter of James Brisbin and Margaret Carruth who married in Scotland and died in Northumberland, Saratoga, New York, in 1791 and 1792 respectively.

The objective was to identify the missing generations between Augustus Seeley and his distant ancestor Obadiah Seeley (connection based on DNA results). This could be accomplished by tracing the ancestors of Augustus Seely or the descendants of Obadiah Seeley. Likely both strategies would become necessary.

Ancestral Searches

Augustus Seeley is believed to have been born in Boston, Massachusetts. Birth records for Augustus and his wife Mary Brisbin were sought in the FamilySearch “New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962” and “Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915” databases without success. Neither was a marriage record for Augustus and Mary found in the FamilySearch “New York Marriages, 1686-1980” and “Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910” databases, or in a collection of marriages performed in Albany reformed churches¹².

Indexes to Albany County probate records and deeds were searched to learn what Seeley families were living in Albany County about the time Augustus married as those families may have been closely related to him. No Seeleys were located in the probate index through 1810¹³ and the first Seeley deed in Albany County was dated 1815¹⁴. The absence of Seeley individuals from these two major record sources in the 1700s was intriguing. Was Augustus Seeley’s family actually living in the early 1770s in Massachusetts where he was supposedly born? Massachusetts tax records dated 1771 suggest that Augustus was not in Massachusetts that year. The only “Seeleys” located in the 1771 tax record were John Sellee and Nathan Sellee who lived in Easton Township in Bristol County¹⁵.

Information was sought about the Brisbin family’s location in the early 1770s as their residence would probably be close to where Augustus Seeley was living. George Baker Anderson’s Our county and its people: a descriptive and biographical record of Saratoga County, New York states, “Northumberland’s earliest pioneers are believed to have been James Brisbin and Hugh Monroe, both of whom came in 1765. The former, a native of Scotland, settled about a mile and a half west of Fort Miller, not far from Bacon Hill.”¹⁶ Saratoga County was organized in 1791 from Albany County. Therefore, the Brisbin’s presence in the area of Albany County that would become Saratoga County means that Augustus and Mary probably married in Albany County, New York. The record of their marriage has not yet been found.

Neither the Seeleys nor the Brisbins were mentioned in Jonathan Pearson’s Contributions for the genealogies of the first settlers of the ancient county of Albany, from 1630 to 1800,¹⁷ possibly due to their arrival in the mid-1700s. Since Albany 17 County probate and deed indexes had not produced any Seeley individuals prior to 1815, the decision was made to pursue the descendancy strategy in order to determine which of Obadiah Seeley’s descendants may have moved into or near Albany County in the mid-18th century.

Descendancy Searches

Obadiah Seeley’s sons who survived to adulthood were Obadiah (b. 1648-d. 1680), Cornelius (b. 1650- d. aft 1714), and Jonas (b. 1652- d. 1703). A partial pedigree concerning Obadiah’s descendants was located in Ronald B. Reynolds’s Bedford genealogy: descendants of the twenty-two original settlers¹⁸. Although Augustus was not mentioned in this pedigree, this publication identified many of Obadiah’s male descendants and provided valuable information about them. Since Augustus was not included in the documented lines, he might be found in one of the incomplete and undocumented or less documented lines. Therefore, it was important to identify which lines required the most attention. The males listed below whose lines do not continue, or whose families may not be complete, would be the top priority to trace.

Obadiah’s male descendants from his son, Obadiah Jr.:

Obadiah Jr. was born about 1648 and died before 2 November 1680 when his estate was inventoried. His male descendants were:

Of the known descendants of Obadiah Jr. (b. abt 1648), three of his grandsons, Nathaniel (b. 1695), Obadiah (b. 1701), and Elijah (b. 1707) might possibly have had another son in 1739. Obadiah Jr.’s grandson John had a daughter in 1739 and so would not be the father of Augustus. Of the three grandsons who might have had another son in 1739, only one is a viable candidate—if Augustus was truly born in Boston, Massachusetts. Grandsons Obadiah (b. 1701) and Elijah (b. 1707) lived their lives in Stamford, Connecticut. Therefore, the best candidate of Obadiah Jr.’s male posterity to be Augustus’ father is his grandson Nathaniel who died in 1757 and whose death location was not stated on the published pedigree. Nathaniel married twice; the children listed in this pedigree are by his first wife, Elizabeth Holly, who died in 1742. Research could be conducted on Nathaniel to learn where he died and if he may have had another son after 1736.

Another man to be researched is Obadiah Jr.’s son Benjamin whose descendants were not traced at all in this publication.

Obadiah’s male descendants from his son, Cornelius:

Cornelius was born in 1650, married Priscilla Osborn in Connecticut about 1670, and had the following male descendants:

Cornelius’ descendants are quite fascinating due to their migration to New York. Cornelius’ grandson David (b. 1700) is shown with just one son, Timothy, who would have been born after his father’s marriage in 1720. It is possible that David Seeley and his wife Abigail Beecher had additional sons. Also, little seems to be known about the children of Cornelius’ grandsons Joseph (b. 1705) and Joseph (b. 1706) who may have lived their lives in Bedford, Westchester. They may have had additional children and should be traced.

No further information was provided in this pedigree about Cornelius’ possible grandsons who were found on FamilySearch Family Tree: Timothy, Eli, Jonathan, Jeremiah and Ebenezer. All of these men should be validated and traced.

Obadiah’s male descendants from his son, Jonas:

Jonas was born about 1652 at Stamford, Connecticut, and died there in 1703. He had a son (Samuel) by his first wife, Mary Slason, and three sons by his second wife, Mary, the widow of John Waterbury.

Jonas’ grandsons Samuel (b. 1710) and Jonas (b. 1719) should be traced to learn if either man was the father of Augustus. No information was provided about their descendants in this pedigree. Also, Jonas’ son Ebenezer (b. 1697) might possibly have had another son in 1739. Jonas’ son Eliphalet (b. 1701) would not be a strong candidate as he lived his entire life in Connecticut.

Conclusion

Inspection of the St. Martin Birmingham parish registers and the Sheldon parish registers proved that Sarah Seelie was christened at Sheldon, even though her father actually lived in the city of Birmingham when Sarah was born.

Conflicting evidence concerning Obadiah Bruen’s death year was found in a collection of compiled land, court, and probate records concerning Essex County, New Jersey, early residents. Although Obadiah was thought to have died in the early 1680s, his name was listed in deed records as a neighbor well into the 1690s. In addition, an Obadiah Bruen was named in the Newark Town Records as a pounder (a position requiring some physical strength) in 1698 when Obadiah would have been well into his 90s. These 1690s references could mean (1) Obadiah lived well into his 90s, (2) either Obadiah or his son John had a son named Obadiah Bruen who has never been documented, or (3) the deeds referred to land that was actually occupied by the “heirs of” Obadiah. The most reasonable option seems to be Obadiah either had a son or grandson named after him. If so, then the deed and town records may be the only records that document his existence.

Seeley individuals were sought in Albany County, New York, probate and deed records dated in the 1700s. Surprisingly, no Seeleys were found. Yet Augustus Seeley probably married Mary Brisbin in Albany County where her parents lived during the late 1760s and early 1770s. The hypothesis is that Augustus may have moved into this area of New York without any close family members.

The descendancy research strategy began by identifying the male descendants of Obadiah Seeley who were the best candidates to be the father of Augustus Seeley. A published pedigree was used to identify these men who now need to be traced. These men 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)

Recommendations

• 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.)

Footnotes

1. Church of England. Parish Church of Sheldon, Warwickshire, The parish registers of St. Giles, 1 Sheldon, Warwickshire (Birmingham [England]: Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, [1977]-) FHL book 942.48/S2 K29ch v. 1, Document 1; Church of England. Parish Church of Sheldon, Warwickshire, Parish registers and poor law records for Sheldon, 1558-1900, seen digitally (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1960) FHL film 4290633, Document 2
2. Church of England. Parish Church of St. Martin’s Birmingham, Warwickshire, Parish registers, 2 St. Martin’s Church, Birmingham, 1555-1915 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1975) FHL film 919764.
3. “New Jersey, Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817,” Ancestry (www.ancestry.com); “Calendar of New 3 Jersey Wills, 1670-1760,” Ancestry (www.ancestry.com); “New Jersey, Index of wills, inventories, Etc.,” Ancestry (www.ancestry.com).
4. Charles Carroll Gardner, Collection of Essex County, New Jersey families, 1600-1900, (Salt 4 Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1970) FHL film 848878. Select cards copied. Documents 3a-3L
5. Charles Carroll Gardner, Collection of Essex County, New Jersey families, 1600-1900, (Salt 5 Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1970) FHL film 848878. Select cards copied. Document 3k
6. Charles Carroll Gardner, Collection of Essex County, New Jersey families, 1600-1900, (Salt 6 Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1970) FHL film 848878. Select cards copied. Document 3j.
7. Barbara Jean Evans, A to Zax, a Comprehensive Dictionary for Genealogists & Historians (Alexandria, Virginia: Hearthside Press, 1995).
8. William Nelson, Patents and deeds and other early records of New Jersey, 1664-1703 (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1997) FHL book 974.9 R28n. Document 4
9. Obadiah Bruen entry, Newark, New Jersey, FindaGrave (www.findagrave.com). Document 5
10. The pedigree chart provided to this researcher by the Seeley Genealogical Society shows the 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.
11. The New York genealogical and biographical record – v. 64 (1933) (1933) FHL book 974.7 B2N 11 v. 64.
12. Albany reformed church marriages, 1683-1804, seen digitally on FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org).
13. Martin D. Conway, Index to wills and to letters of administration: index to wills from 1780 to Dec. 1, 1895, seen online (www.familysearch.org).
14. Rensselaer County, New York. County Clerk, Deed records, 1791-1901; index, 1791-1960 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1968) FHL film 469678.
15. Bettye Hobbs Pruitt, The Massachusetts tax valuation list of 1771 (Camden, Maine: Picton Press, c1998) FHL book 974.4 R4p.
16. George Baker Anderson, Our county and its people: a descriptive and biographical record of Saratoga County, New York ([Boston, Massachusetts]: Boston History, 1899) FHL book 974.748 D3a.
17. Jonathan Pearson, Contributions for the genealogies of the first settlers of the ancient county of Albany, from 1630 to 1800 (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1984) FHL book 974.742 D2p.
18. Ronald B. Reynolds, Bedford genealogy: descendants of the twenty-two original settlers (Bedford Hills, New York: Town of Bedford, 1978) FHL book 974.7277/B1 N2b v. 9. Document 7