Thursday, April 24, 2014

Harry Scofield (1870-1965) and the Scofield Lineage in the US

Beatrice Scofield (my grandmother) is the daughter of Harry F. Scofield and Maud Justina (Selleck) Scofield, who were married on March 25, 1902. - For more about Harry & Maud's married life,  see the March 11th post, "Family and Life of William F. Syska Jr. and Beatrice P. Scofield Syska". 

Emily Scofield headstone
My 2nd Great Grandmother, Emily (Seely) Scofield


The ancestry of both Harry Scofield and Maud Selleck can be traced to the first English settlers that arrived in New England in the 1600's.  Many Americans can trace their roots to the English colonists so there are many records of their lives available for research.  
 Our Scofield ancestors can be traced even further back to England in the 1500's, see earlier post titled Cuthbert Scofield Family History.  

The Selleck lineage will be discussed in a later post. 

Harry Scofield (1870-1965) was the son of James E. Scofield (1831-1918) and Emily Seely (1843-1938)  both born in Stamford, CT.   James & Emily resided most of their lives in Norwalk CT although they were married in 1861 in Pound Ridge, NY, in Westchester county along the CT border.  James was a farmer and  milk dealer.  He and his wife were the parents of 3 children named Pauline (b.1865), Harry (b. 1870) and Edna (b. 1874).

 James and Emily can be found on Census records as late as 1910 when they were living in New Canaan, CT, at which time James was 78 years old.  James is believed to have passed away in 1918 at 87 years old, while Emily died in September of 1927 at 84 years old.  Emily is buried at the Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, CT, presumably, James is there as well, but I have not confirmed that.

*Emily and James were actually distant cousins as James is a descendant of Richard Scofield and Emily, of his brother, Daniel Scofield.

samuel scofield
High Ridge Cemetery, Stamford, CT
 The parents of James Scofield were Samuel Scofield (1805-1885) and Sally Ann Jones (1804-1884).  Samuel was born in Pound Ridge NY and Sally in Connecticut.  According to Census records, Samuel and Sally resided in New Canaan, CT. where they raised 8 children while Samuel worked as a basket maker.
Stillwater Rd. Cemetery, Stamford, CT

Samuel Scofield was the son of Stephen Scofield (1782-1853) and Ann Peck (1785-1812).  Stephen was born in Pound Ridge, NY and Ann in Bedford, NY.    Ann died in 1812 at only 27 years old after which, Stephen Scofield remarried Betsey Brown (1792-1864).  Based on Samuel's date of birth of 1805, Ann is his biological mother.


Sarles Cemetery, 
Pound Ridge, NY
Stephen Scofield's parents were Enos Scofield(1753-1830) and Amy Scofield (1760-1844), both born in Stamford Ct.   They were married on July 22, 1779 in Stamford CT.   They are both buried in Pound Ridge NY in the Sarles Family Burial ground, which is not an accessible Cemetery today (it's surrounded by private property).

**Amy's 2nd great grandfather is Daniel Scofield, brother of Richard Scofield (1613-1660) who is Enos' great grandfather, thus Amy and Daniel were also distant cousins.  

Enos Scofield was the son of Richard Scofield (1717-1772) and Mercy Buxton (1721-1779), both born in Stamford CT.

Richard Scofield's parents were Jeremiah Scofield (1691-1762)  and Abigail Weed (1695-1758).  Jeremiah and Abigail were married in Stamford on Jan. 20, 1714

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  • *Note:  Abigail Weed's great grandmother, Elizabeth (Cogan) Holly Kendall was tried and convicted of witchcraft and executed  in Massachusetts in approximately 1647. 

  • Elizabeth imigrated to America with her first husband Samuel Holly in approximately 1635.  She married John Kendall after Samuel's death in 1643.

  • More details about this and  our ancestors involved in the witch trials will be posted in a later blog entry.  

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Jeremiah Scofield was the son of Richard Scofield Jr. (1660-1726)   and Ruth Brundish (or Brondage) (1672-1742).  There are no definitive records of Richard or Ruth Scofield's dates of birth or death, however, their marriage is recorded in Stamford CT on Sept. 14, 1689.  

The parents of Richard Scofield Jr. are Richard Scofield (abt. 1613-1660) and Mary  (1617-   ), maiden name unknown.  After Richard died in 1670, she married Robert Pennoyer and she is cited in Richard's will/inventory as Mary Pennoyer.

Richard Scofield, emigrated to America in 1635 aboard the ship called,  "The Susan and Ellen," where he is cited on passenger list as "Richard Skofield, 22." Most sources state that Richard came with his brother Daniel, however Daniel is not included on that passenger list.  Either way, Daniel also emigrated to America around the same time.  Richard died on March 6, 1670 and is buried in the Scofield Cemetery in Stamford CT.

Richard and Daniel are  the sons of Alexander Scofield (1588- ) and Mary Norton (1583-)





Sunday, April 6, 2014

Schofield/Scholefield Hall

Scof -Eng
Site of Scholfield Hall - Hollingsworth Lake, Rochdale

On a picturesque grassy knoll, overlooking Hollingworth Lake in Lancashire England, sits the remains of Schofield Hall and over 400 years of family history. The Hall was the home of the Schofields, whose ancestry can be traced back to the reign of Edward I. 

The most ostentatious member of the family was, ofcourse, Cuthbert Schofield (my 10th Great Grandfather) who died in 1605 of indeterminate age, and who was buried at Rochdale, but not before wreaking havoc! Cuthbert gained favor when he was knighted by Elizabeth in 1588 for his service against the Spanish Armada.  However, this quarrelsome gentleman appeared at the Duchy Court more frequently than any other inhabitant of the parish.

At the Bishop's Court, Chester, in 1561 he sued his wife Ann for divorce -see prior blog for details of this sordid affair.  Then in 1565, in another outlandish episode, Cuthbert Schofield and his followers, besieged the Milnrow Chapel of St. James the Apostle in Bridge Street.  Cuthbert and Sir John Byron were engaged in a dispute over the ownership "Goseholme,” the land upon which the Chapel was built. That fiasco ended up with Cuthbert back in court resulting in access to the Chapel being restored to the people of Milnrow.

Nonetheless, Cuthbert’s care of the Scholfield Hall and it’s estates which included the Round House (farmhouse), Booth Hollins and the Holt, was above reproach.  When Cuthbert died, in 1605, the estate passed to his nephew, Gerard Schofield.  Yet another court battle ensued when Cuthbert’s illegitimate son, Alexander, sued for ownership of the Hall.  Alexander lost his case and Gerard Scofield’s family retained ownership 
Schofield Hall in 1829
Photograph: Iain Spencer Gerrard



According to church records, by 1626, “Mr. Gerrarde Scolfelde” held the family estates of Scholefield Hall, The Round House, The Holt, and Booth Hollins. He died at The Holt on 01 October 1638 passing Scholefield Hall on to his 18 year old son and heir James Schofield. James was the last Schofield to inhabit the Hall.   By 1673, James Scholefield, impoverished, due to his support for the King during the English Civil War, sold Scholefield Hall to his son-in-law Seth Clayton, Esq. The Claytons lived in the Hall until they sold it in 1770 to Robert Entwisle.

In his "History of the Parish of Rochdale" Henry Fishwick states that in 1889 Schofield Hall was still owned by descendants of the wealthy Entwisle family. By this time the Hall was in a ruinous state, but still habitable. At the turn of the century, Schofield Hall was converted into cottages. One former tenant told how she used to go to bed with an umbrella and awoke one morning to discover snow drifting onto her bed! The Hall became uninhabitable, the roof, it was said, leaked like a colander, but the farmer at Rakewood Farm stored farm machinery there, until about 1925, when, a substantial part of the building collapsed.  In 1939 the two-storeyed porch which formed a prominent feature at the front of Schofield Hall was still standing.

In the 1800’s the Rochdale Canal Company published plans to submerge the Schofield Hall Estates under two reservoirs. Initial plans were abandoned in favor of one large lake, as it exists, today. Water is carried by drain to Summit with the aid of a steam-driven pumping engine, which raised water from Hollingworth Lake up to the level of the drain.

Reference:   http://www.littleboroughcivictrust.org.uk/SUMMER%202009.html