While researching Thomas Shaylor, I did locate another Shailer family in Killingworth that is connected to our family. The Wilcoxson/Wilcox family are another of our original immigrates to America, our 9th great grandfather is William Wilcoxcon of Derbyshire England. The Wilcoxson family left England with their minister on the Planter and settled first in Stratford in 1639 and later Killingworth,CT. It's William's son Joseph Wilcoxson, (our 8th grandfather), where the other Shailer family member appears. From the book, Descendants of William Wilcoxson of Derbyshire,England, and Stratford,CT by Thomas Wilcox published 1963, "It is pretty well established that the wife of Joseph Wilcoxson, Anna was a Shailer. In one place it is noted that a descendant of William Wilcoxson is the inheritor of 12 acres that were originally Goodman Shailers". Goodman Shailer is Anna Shailer's father. The book mentions that this branch of the Shaylor/Shailor also lived in Warwickshire,England. The Goodman Shailer's family first home in the Americas was the Island of Jamaica. The family didn't remain long in Jamaica because they are mentioned as one of the first planters in Killingworth. The book also mentions that one of the early planters of Killingworth was Thomas Shailer. From: THE TWO HUNDEEDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF HADDAM, CONNECTICUT, Our Thomas Shaylor, first lived in Killingworth and then removed to Haddam. Given that Thomas Shaylor and Anna Shailor have different fathers, the closest relation would be cousins.
But back to our Thomas Shaylor, his residence in Haddam is established in 1669. In either 1669 or 1670, Thomas marries our 8th great grandmother, Marah Allice Spencer, daughter of our 9th great grandparents Gerrard Spencer Jr and Hannah Hills Spencer. An interesting side note on Marah Allice Spenser is that in some records her name is reversed to Allice Marah. One record makes it clear that she wants to be know as Marah were it states "Marah not Alice". This seems to be a family trait that has been passed down to subsequent generations. Thomas Shaylor is actually Marah Allice Spencer's second husband. Her first husband is Thomas Brooks. The children of Marah and Thomas Brooks are:
Sarah Brooks - born 1662 m. William Lord 1677, 2nd Samuel Ingram 1702
Thomas Brooks - born 1664 m. Susannah Arnold 1695 d. 1734
Mary (Marah) Brooks - born 1666 m. Henry Smith 1689 d. 1701
Alice - born 1668 d. 1668
The Brooks family provides us with more aunts and uncles and cousins. Captain Samuel Brooks, our 2nd cousins marries our 6th great aunt Dorothy Smith, daughter of Lt. David Smith and Dorothy Brainerd.
The children of Marah and Thomas Shaylor are:
Capt. Thomas Shaylor (our 7th great grandfather) - born 1670 m. Katherine Clarke
Abel Shaylor - born 1673 m. Elizabeth Ackley, 2nd Mary Parents, 3rd Hannah
Timothy Shaylor - born 1675 m. Elizabeth Parents, 2nd Martha
Nathaniel Shaylor - born 1677
Hannah Shaylor - born 1683 m. John Clarke (Katherine Clarke's brother)
The original town of Haddam is divided into the Upper and Lower Plantation. The Connecticut River separates the two sections. I've included a map of the town and you'll see some of our familiar ancestors, Smith, Arnold, Spencer, Brainerd/Brainard,Cone, Clarke, Gates,Wells & Brooks in the Upper Plantation and the Parents, Shaylor, Ventres,Ackley in the Lower Plantation.
In either 1692 or 1705 depending on the source, Thomas Shaylor departs Haddam for a sea voyage and is never heard from again. Some believe that he was on a trip to the West Indies and other sources believe that he was on a voyage to England to depose of some property still held by the family. Thomas is not declared dead until after our grandmother Marah dies in 1714. At that time the estate is divided among the living sons Thomas, Abel and Timothy. Nathaniel Shaylor reportedly dies earlier in 1714.
The Haddam Historical Society website has some interesting information about the Shaylor and Tyler families. The area of the Lower Plantation is renamed Shailerville. From the Haddam Historical pages:
Shailerville is the small village located just south of Haddam Center in what was originally called the Lower Plantation. The Shailer (also spelled Shaylor) Family created a tight-knit community that avoided outsiders. They were very wealthy ferrymen, merchants and sea captains who owned most of the land in the area. They deliberately isolated themselves from the rest of the town and were ardent Baptists. Many intermarried with first and second cousins rather than seek partners outside their community. Shailerville at one time boasted a post office, schoolhouse, factories and commercial stores.
The Shaylor family had close connections with the Tyler family who had their own community called Tylerville. The Tyler family is the same branch that Amanda Smith Stewart mentions in her letter when she states that Alice Smith (Capt. James Smith's daughter) marries Joseph Tyler. Within the Shailerville-Tylerville communities is a cemetery called Shailerville Tylerville where many of our relatives are buried.
The Haddam Historical Society website also has a section on the Revolutionary War and privateering. It is recorded in 1779 two British ships, the York and the Tyron were captured on the Connecticut River by Haddam made ships captained by Simon Tyler and Samuel Shaylor. They are our 2nd cousin and 1st cousin respectively. Seems like a good opportunity to contact the Haddam Historical Society to include our Capt. James Smith
