ENGLISH GENEALOGY.
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orrespondence with Hon. Henry White, who is charge d’affaires at the U. S. Legation in London, resulted in arrange-ments with Mr. A. B. Stevens of Trafaigar Square, London, tosearch English records forthe early history of the Wheatley family. Mr. Stevens seems to have done the work faithfully, andtraces the connection between the English and American branchesof the family. During the last century this once popilous Wheatley fam-ily of yeomen, seafaring and professional men have nearly dis-appeared from England, either having moved to America or diedout. Itis a matter of pride to the name, that the family hasretained its identity so long. In Mr. Stevens’ report of his investigation is much that doesnot directly interest this branch of the Wheatley family, but itmay serve to fix the ancestry of many Wheatleys, who came toAmerica at earlier or Jater dates than Captain John, father ofour branch. Mr. Stevens worked back from John Wheatleigh,a Boston merchant who settled there in 1745 but returned toEngland in the spring of 1774. In volume I of the English “Genealogist”? and “Somerset,Berkshire and other visitations,” is to be found the pedigree ofthe Wheatleys springing from John and Thomas who appear tohave been brothers. Many of the early records here given weretaken from a book in the possession of Sir Harold Wheatley, wholived in County Bedford and died in 1677 about 86 years of age. Later dates have been found in church records and probateregistry of the different counties and in files of wills at Somer-set House and Doctors Commons. The search of admiralty records gives names and some datesof those who served in the navy, but the English admiraltyrecords are very indefinite and incomplete. Therefore theidentity of indivi uals who thus served is only proved by parishrecords and the coincidence of names and periods.
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