Sammis familyVery little is known about the Sammis family. Richard Sammis emigrated from England to Connecticut in the early 17th century. His father lived in Dorchester, England, and the family name was spelled as Samwayes. Richard's son John Sammis is believed to have come to Huntington, Long Island among the earlier settlers, by way of Southold. He married Abigail Cory in 1672. He and Nathaniel Williams were part owners of a farm and some other property in Huntington. After Abigail's death in 1685 John married Mary Cornish, the widow of John Cory, Abigail's brother. The Will of John Sammis, dated 28 Nov 1693, proved 3 Jan 1694, names his wife Mary, his daughter in law, Martha Corey (also step daughter), his children: John, Silas, Deborah, David, Isaac, Jerimiah, and Hannah. (Jerimiah and Hannah were probably the children of Mary.) He also mentions his brothers in laws Abraham and Isaac Corey, Richard Brush and Nathaniel Williams. |
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Brush familyThomas Brush, born about 1630 in England, died 1670, Huntington, Long Island, New York. Around 1650 he married Rebecca Concklyne, daughter John Concklyne and Elizabeth Alseabrook. Thomas was in Southold, Long Island, New York by 1653. Rebecca's parents came to Salem, Massachusetts, in 1640 and remained there at least until 1649. It is said that John Concklyne and his brother Ananias were the first glassblowers in the New World. In 1640 the New Haven Colony in Connecticut purchased land from the natives and founded Southold, Long Island. Most of the original purchasers came in that year from England. By 1642 their homes and meeting houses were built. Is is stated in the Southold Town Record (1653) that "Thomas Brush was the first owner of his home lot." The lot was on the west side of the village off of Town Street between Horton's Lane and Beckwith Avenue. Thomas is mentioned as being "prominent and upright in character." In Huntington, Thomas became one of the community leaders. He was especially involved in land settlements, as in 1663 when he was chosen with Thomas Weeks and Isaac Platt "to take a vew of all lands layd out in feldes and to record the ownar and the quantity he has taken up in the town booke." In 1665 Thomas and two others were sent with a native called Chickinoe to the South Meadow to find and to fix the boundaries of land bought from the Massapaqua people. Towards the end of his life, Thomas was chosen as Constable which was considered a position of great authority and honor. A constable was elected every year from among the previous year's overseers. The constable had power to establish the tax rate, nominate candidiates for military offices, and they also chose the mininster of the town church. The constable had general oversight of all the civil, military and religious matters of the community. |
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