Bertha Vail KELSEY ^62,2347

  General Notes:

Mary Gates R. Alfonte wrote (undated) to Herbert G. Coddington, saying, "My friend, Mrs. Swainson who engaged Mrs. Satt. to do research work for her, wrote me that she (Mrs. Satt.) insists the N. J. Coddingtons are descended from Gov. Wm. of R. I. instead, as Savage states, of from John of Boston. Since we know Gov. Wm. owned land in N. J. it seems likely that John was his son -- but I wrote Mrs. Swainson she must insist on proof from Mrs. Satt. (excuse abbreviation but Satterthwaite is such a long name). Mrs. Swainson did insist and I quote from her letter: --
"from the Bible of Thomas Coddington in the possession of his descendant, Mrs. Bertha Hicks, Great Neck, N. Y.
'John Coddington, son of William and Ann Coddington, born Nov. 24 1656
Annah Coddington, wife of John Coddington, died Sept. 10, 1690.
John Coddington, son of John and Annah Coddington, born Nov. 8, 1677
Benjamin Coddington, son of John and Annah Coddington, born Oct. 8, 1680
Hannah Coddington, dau. of John and Annah Coddington, born May 27, 1683
Sarah Coddington, dau. of John and Annah Coddington, born Mar 20, 1687
Joseph Coddington, son of John and Annah Coddington, born Mar. 22, 1689
--- ---- ---- ----
Benjamin Coddington, son of John and Annah Coddington, born Oct. 8, 1680; died April 18, 1753.
Children: --
Anna, born May 16, 1705
Margaret " " 1706
Sarah
Benjamin
Thomas " Nov. 27, 1712."
Thomas, born 1712, married Phoebe - - - had 6 children all named. He was the ancestor of Mrs. Bertha Hicks.
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End of Quote.
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It is hard to believe anyone would fabricate such a record, and perhaps by visiting Mrs. Hicks, a photostat could be obtained. That would be positive proof, I'd say. Mrs. Satt. also wrote Mrs. Swainson - of a deed - "dated Jan 21, 1683/4 - granted Jan 13, 1695 from Wm Brinley to John Coddington. Witnesses Rich'd Powell, Jonathan Dennis, & Samuel Moore." Mrs. Satt infers [sic] that this aroused her curiosity as Gov. Wm. C. mrd. Ann Brinley and this Wm B. was son of her brother Thomas B. Mrs Satt. then found this old bible record to substantiate her claim to this relationship. I enclose the chart of the family as given by her in a book by Ernest Spofford in the Rare Book Room, Lib. of Congress., also on reverse side her references."
The DAR Library in Washington DC has a "patriot" file on Benjamin Coddington (1761, Ulster Co., New York), which contains a handwritten letter (ca. 1926) from Mrs. HIcks, evidently part of a DAR application for a third person but giving her own lineage, reading in toto:
"Coddington Record
>Wm. Coddington, b. 1601 Eng. d. Nov. 1, 1678, was 1st Gov. of R. I., (came to America 1630) m. 1. Mary Mosely, 2. Mary __, 3. Ann Brinely, dau. of Thomas Brinely & Ann Ware.
Chidren by 3rd wife:
Wm. 1651, --Nathaniel 1653, --Mary 1654, --Thomas 1655, --John 1656, Noah 1608, --Ann 1663.
>John b. Nov. 24, 1656 d. ___ m. 1. Hannah Gardner (died Sept 20, 1690), 2) Mary White m. May 1691.
Children
John b. Nov. 6, 1677, --Benjamin b. Oct. 8, 1680, --Anna b. May 27, 1683, --Sarah b. Mar. 28, 1687, --Joseph b. Mar. 22, 1689.
>Benjamin b. Oct. 8, 1680. d. Apr. 18, 1753. m. [1] Mary, [2] Mary.
Children, 1st wife.
Anna b. May 16, 1700, --Margaret May 5, 1706, --Sarah, Benjamin, Thomas b. Nov. 27, 1712, Mary, Martha, Elizabeth, Liddy, Zillah, John, --Ashur, Uzziah 1735, --Rebecca, Mary, Sabra, --Eliz., --Jotham 1743.
>Thomas, b. Nov. 27, 1712 d. __. m. Phebe __.
Children
William, Aug 18, 1744, Mary Oct. 20, 1746, --Enoch May 3, 1750. Joseph Feb. 26, 1756, --Phebe Mar. 28, 1759, --Benjamin b. Oct. 8, 1761
>Benjamin b. Oct. 8, 1761, Betsey July 10, 1790, --Ira Feb 9, 1792, --Phebe and Rebecca Oct. 15, 1793, --Wm Jan. 20, 1796, --Jesse Oct. 3, 1797, --Martha Maria Feb. 15, 1801, --Betsey Apr. 9, 1803.
>Jesse b. Oct. 3, 1797, d. Apr. 9, 1851, m. Clarissa Crossfield Smith Dec. 3, 1819.
Children
Silas Smith, Mar. 13, 1822, Rebecca b. Apr. 12, 1824, --Andrew J. Mar. 15, 1833, Selina Heath Jan. 28, 1838
>Rebecca married Jesse Brush Kelsey, and had eight children, of whom I am the youngest. You have the records.
(signed) Bertha Kelsey Hicks."
^238,240

Bertha married Harry HICKS, son of Henry HICKS and Martha WILLETS, on 31 Oct 1899. (Harry HICKS was born in 1868 and died in 1957.)