HALLOCK FAMILY

Reference: A HALLOCK GENEALOGY, Lucius H. Hallock, Orient, Long Island, N.Y., 1866, 1906,1926, reprinted by Rex Hallock, Fort Collins, Co, 1975 Special Edition.

  BRIEF SKETCH OF THE HALLOCK ANCESTRY in the United States by Rev. William A. Hallock, D.D. 1866:

Peter Hallock, the ancestor of those of the name in this country, was one of thirteen pilgrim fathers, including Rev. John Youngs, who in 1640 fled from civil and religious oppression in England, and landed at New Haven. In 1634, at Yarmouth, England, Rev. John Youngs and his wife Joan, of St. Margarets, Suffolk, were forbidden passage to New England, (History Puritans, Mass. Hist. Coll. Vol. 4, p. 101). Mr. Youngs soon after settled at Hingham, in Norfolk Co. adjoining Suffolk, 100 miles northeast of London, and six years later on Oct. 21, 1640, he gathered his church anew under the auspices of Rev. John Davenport minister, and Theophilus Eaton governor of the New Haven Colony, which had just been planted April 18, 1638, under a branching oak -- a virtual theocracy, the bible their code of laws, ecclesiastical and civil.

In the same autumn, Rev. Mr. Youngs and his church took up their abode in Southold then comprising the whole North-eastern branch of Long Island, landing at the harbor of what is now Southold Village, on the Peconic bay, where, as a church or town, they retained their connection with the New Haven colony till 1662, and with Connecticut till 1674.

Rev. Mr. Youngs continued his ministry thirty-two years, and died Feb. 14, 1672 aged 74 as by his tombstone. The twelve men who with members of their families constituted his church were William Wells, Esq., Barnabas Horton, and John Conklin, (whose graves are near that of their pastor), Peter Hallock, John Tuthill, Richard Terry, Thomas Mapes, Matthias Corwin, Robert Ackerly, Jacob Corey, Isaac Arnold, and John Budd, the first white settlers in that part of the island.

  Peter Hallock's great-great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Hallock-Corwin, born 1732, who died at Old Aquebogue Feb. 12, 1831 aged 98, wife of Silas Corwin gave the following account, which is confirmed by multiple records and memorials:

jPeter Hallock was the first of the thirteen who ventured to step on shore among the Indians at Southold, that part of the village being still called "Hallocks Neck," and the beach extending from it "Hallocks Beach," of which beach Mr. Horton (who lives in the first frame house erected at Southold by his ancestor Barnabas Horton), is one of the joint owners; that Peter Hallock purchased from the Indians the tract since called Oyster Ponds, now Orient, the eastern end of this branch of the Island, that he then returned to England for his wife, who when he married her was a widow and had a son by her former husband, Mr. Howell; that he promised her that, if she now accompanied him, her son should share with him in his property; that on coming back he found the Indians had resold what is now Orient; that he then purchased about ten miles from Southold village, a from extending from Long Island Sound on the North, to Peconic Bay on the south, (three miles) on which he settled in Aquebogue, about two miles west of Mattituck village and creek, all these places being then in Southold Town.

William Hallock who died Sept. 29, 1684, son of Peter Hallock, made a will which is preserved in the ancient records both of Suffolk Co. at Riverhead and of New York City. It is dated "Southold (township) Feb. 10, 1682," and was proved Oct. 21, 1684. "I commit my soul into the hands of Jesus Christ my gracious Redeemer, and my body to the earth by decent burial, in assured hope of the resurrection at the last day."

He gives his property to his wife Margaret, his four sons, Thomas, Peter, William, and John, and his five daughters, Margaret, Martha, Sarah, Elizabeth and Abigail. "The land where I now dwell at Aquebogue" (near Mattituck) and the land dividing it, he wills to Thomas and Peter, giving Thomas the western half "except the swamp lot" near his house; and giving Peter the eastern half with "the swamp lot" and his dwelling. To his son William he gives lands in or near Southold village, and to his son John, land in Wading River.

The will implies deep sorrow that his son John had married into and joined the then proscribed Society of Friends, and has the proviso that if any one of his sons "shall apostatize from the Protestant doctrine and faith" or willfully and of set purpose condemn and neglect the public worship of God suitable thereto," what is here willed to him shall pass over to "the next lawful heir that shall steadfastly profess and own the said doctrine and faith."

  Tax lists for the township Southold in 1675 and 1698:

In 1698 the total inhabitants of Southold township numbered 881, of those 254 bear the name of twelve of the thirteen original settlers. Among these are twenty-three with the name of Hallock in three distinct groups ... the sons and families of William Thomas Hallock and his family; Peter Hallock and his family; and William 2nd and his family. John Hallock (the ancestor of record here) had removed to Brookhaven.

  Tracing the Name

        Reference: Genealogical and Family Hisotry of the State of Connecticut by Lews Historical Publishng Co. of New York

The spelling of the name is given as: Holyeake, Holliok, Hallock, Halleck, Hollioak, Hallick, Hallack, Hollyake, and Hallock, all diatonics of Holyoke.

Evidently the name was spelled by the sound. Few persons wrote or could write. The best scholars and authors spelled awkwardly. Orthography was in process of evolution. Chirography in business transactions was left to the clergy, scriveners, and clerks by principals, who took down phonetically the names as dictated. Pronouncing of proper names was not always clear of intelligible. It varied with individuals. Dialects were different according to districts and geographical location. Some individuals hopped their words, and some drawled. The name Holyoke seems to have been almost obsolete in American city directories and cyclopedias of biography. Quite recently, in 1888, one of the family living in England came over to America in quest of kinsfolk, and found few of the name, if any.

For two generations after the emigration, in 1630-40, the name of Holyoke persisted as spelled; thence onward continued variations took place. Just now, it is quite difficult for inquirers to find Hallocks in England or Holyokes in America.

The name Holyoke has been known in England for centuries, and there is a family coat of arms. Edward Holyoke migrated from Stafford County in 1639, and was afterward President of Harvard College. His son Elizur Holyoke became well known in Northwestern Massachusetts in 1654 from having received a grant of land near Northampton; and Mr. Holyoke is named for him because he camped at its base while land looking. His name is spelled Halliock in the body of the land grant instrument. Halliock, Hallick, Hallyoake and Holyoak appear on gravestones of known family members. Children of Thomas Hallock are know as Mary Harlock and Thomas Horlock respectively.

There is little doubt that the name of Peter Hallock in England was Holyoke. He may have changed his name to facilitate his departure at a time when many were prevented from leaving by order of the King, and that upon arrival he continued this change of name which was variously spelled as found in documents and records of these early days.

If there is any doubt as to the authenticity of Peter, the father of us all, the continual recurrence of this name in the early generations is an abiding evidence of the existence of an ancestor of that name who walked about in the flesh, and was known to them. It occurs 22 times in the records of these early generations.

  Reference: Rev. William A. Hallock in his "Ancestry"

To illustrate the dimensions of some of the families of the early days: "William Hallock, who died in 1784 had four sons and five daughters. His son John, and his grandson John (Jonathan), had ten daughters each, who married into the families of Powell, Underhill, Willets, Willis, and Hunt. Peter, born 1694 had nine daughters. Edward, born 1717, had nine daughters who all had families."

All these daughters are difficult to trace as the predecessors have not burdened their records to any great extent with the female members of the family. The ten daughters of the first John have been most difficult to place. Five married four brothers, all being good Quakers of the name of "Willets."

  Reference: Charles Hallock's "Ancestry," 1906

"The Hallock family is noted for its longevity. Subjoined is a list of 64 persons of record for two centures whose ages average 87 and one-half years. They are chiefly males, and probably comprise about two-fifths of the entire aggregate. A great many others are still living whose ages approximate 80 years, and quite a few between that figure and 100. Seventeen of those enumerated were 90 years old and upward, and three over 100."

  Reference: Heraldic Journal, ii, 180; iv., 90. S.V. Talcott: "New York and New England Families", p. 568

COAT OF ARMS

The Holyoke Arms can be honorably appropriated by descendants of the original Peter Hallock who are interested in the subject of Heraldry and desire to adopt a crest for family use.

ARMS: Azure, a chevron, argent, coticed, or, between three crescents of the second.

CREST: a crescent, argent. (Another crest is a cubic arm erect, habited gules cuffed argent, hold in the hand proper an oak branch fruited or)