Huddleston
Home of Henry & Elizabeth Huddleston, Sr., 303 West Maple Avenue, Langhorne, PA today (Built in 1704)
Henry Huddleston, Sr. (1660-1706)
Son of Richard & Mary (Bostock) Huddleston
Husband of Elizabeth Cooper
Father to William, Elizabeth and Henry
I am digging into our Huddleston family history. I believe I have discovered our first confirmed ancestor to become a settler in the American Colonies, specifically Henry Huddleston, Sr. (1660-1706) in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Henry Huddleston, Sr. was born about 1660 probably in Yorkshire, England. Henry's parentage is not completely clear. (I am following information provided via Wikitree and Ancestry, among other online information). Genealogy records suggest that Henry's Father was Richard Huddleston (1625-1713) and his Mother was Mary (Bostock) Huddleston (1630-1729). There is conflicting information through Find a Grave as to whether Richard and Mary died in the American Colonies (Connecticut) or in England.
According to Find a Grave, Henry I. Huddleston, Sr. immigrated to the American Colonies from Yorkshire, England in 1682. Henry would have been about 22 years old. (It is thought that Henry left England during the reign of Catholic King Charles II or James II, who persecuted protestants until the Glorious Revolution of 1688, when James II was overthrown by the people and replaced as king by his daughter Mary II and her husband William III.)
Henry Huddleston, Sr. settled in what is now Bucks County, Pennsylvania. (King Charles II signed the Charter of Pennsylvania on March 4, 1681. In 1682, William Penn sailed in the Welcome leading a group of Quakers from England and built Philadelphia. Bucks County was one of the three original counties established in 1682. Many of the Quakers who had come over with William Penn on the Welcome had migrated from Buckinghamshire, thus their new home was named Bucks County.)
Six years later, the first trace of Henry is on December 23, 1688 when he received a deed to 100 acres of land at Four Lanes End (now Langhorne, about 8 miles west of Trenton, NJ and about 25 miles northeast of Philadelphia) in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Langhorne began in the 17th century as a crossroads called Four Lanes End. (The road from Bristol to Durham intersected with an old road between Philadelphia and Trenton at the center of the village. It was later called Attleboro and now Langhorne. This is now Hwy 213 or E. Maple Ave. and Pine St. https://goo.gl/maps/MbVsdAgATar8kbS6A)
Although Henry Huddleston, Sr. was not a Quaker, he married one. In 1701, Henry married Elizabeth Cooper (daughter of William Cooper who came from Snapt, Low Ellington, Yorkshire, England in 1699, just two years before his daughter married Henry Huddleston). The Coopers were a Quaker family.
Henry and Elizabeth lived in Bucks County., Pa. where in 1704 Henry built a house in Langhorne, which is still occupied today (303 N. Maple Ave.). Henry may (or may not) have died before actually living in the house, but his widow and three children lived there, and some of his descendants lived there until 1862, when it was sold outside the family. (The town was named Langhorne in 1877). There are actually seven homes/buildings in Langhorne built and/or lived in by the Huddleston family. The original Huddleston home is located at 154 West Marshall Ave. and is believed to have been built circa 1690 by William Huddleston.
Henry passed away between 16 Apr 1706 and 17 May 1706 in Langhorn, Bucks, Pennsylvania, USA. He left his wife, Elizabeth, with three small children (William 4, Elizabeth 2, & Henry Jr., unborn). His father-in-law, William Cooper, was the executor of his estate.
Will of Henry Huddleston dated 16 Apr 1706 and probated 17 May 1706. Henry left his wife Elizabeth, who is "with child," all of his estate in consideration of her maintaining and educating his children until his son, William attained the age of 21 years. At that time William was to get 2/3rds of the 112 acres of land Henry owned at his death. Daughter, Elizabeth, was willed 10 acres when she reaches 21. When his wife's unborn child attained the age of 21, William Cooper was to pay the child 20 pounds whether the child was a son or daughter. He appointed his father-in-law as Executor and gave him full power to sell the 80 acres of land he bought from John Scarborough.
Elizabeth remarried to Thomas Davis. The date of the marriage is unknown.
All of Henry and Elizabeth’s children lived in Bucks County, Pa. William and his married children in Middletown Twp., and Henry and his married children in Plumstead Twp. There is conflicting information pertaining to their daughter, Elizabeth, and she needs to be further investigated.
Our family lineage draws from Henry Huddleston, Sr.’s unborn child…named Henry Huddleston, Jr. His story will be for another day.
New Information Added: 8/22/23
Although I have been silent, I have still been searching, digging, gleaning for information. I discovered additional historical information last night for which I am pretty excited about. As I previously stated, Henry Huddleston, Sr. was not a Quaker, but he married a Quaker, namely Elizabeth Cooper in 1701. I discovered this information about their marriage from a book entitled Some Families of Bedford & Washington Counties, Virginia and Orange Country, North Carolina written by Gayle King Blankenship, copyright 2000. The book provides:
Papers in Huddleston File, Colonial Dames Library, Washington DC stated Henry came to Bucks Co. in 1685.
Married: Soon after 11-6-1701 Bucks Co. PA. The Minutes of Middletown Monthly Meeting on this date stated "Friends have spoken to William Cowper concerning his giving consent for his daughter to marry one that is not of our Society, and received no satisfaction from him; therefore the Meeting doth appoint John Chapman to tell him the Meeting desires him to come to the next Monthly Meeting to be further discoursed with concerning his daughter, and make return of the answer to the same." On Dec 4, 1701, "William Cowper being here according to the desire of the Monthly Meeting hath been discoused with about his daughter and he is willing to condemn what he has done amiss which the Meeting was satisfied with and is as followeth:
Whereas I have given my consent to my daughter to be married to a man that does not profess truth, which (through Friends information) I now understand to go contrary to truth (though then I did not comprehend it). Therefore I do acknowledge my fault, that I did not advise with Friends about it and consider the matter better; and I hope for ye time to come I shall be more careful. Will. Cowper"
No disciplinary actions were found by the researcher in the Men's or Women's Monthly Meeting Minutes.
(NPS = Speers, Mrs. Nancy P. of Swarthmore, PA (a professional) report to Margaret Freudenberg of Maineville, OH,
June 27, 1982.)
This book by Gayle King Blankenship also includes the content of Henry Huddleston, Sr.'s Will made on 16 Apr 1706:
Bucks Co. PA (Note that the dash signifies missing words on the edges of the will.)
In the name of god, Amen, I Henry Huddlestone of Middletown _____ Bucks in the Province of PensiIvania being sick and
weak of body but of perfect minde and memory (praised be god for the same) do make this my present last Will and
Testament in manner and forme following principally I committ and recommend my soul into the hand of almighty ___ng
through the merits, death and passion of my Saviour Jesus Christ whose pardon and forgiveness of all my sins, and to
inherit eternal _____ body I committ to the grave to be decently buryed at the discretion of (my Exors) hereafter
named; And as to what worldly estate it hath pleased the Lord _____ on me I do dispose thereof as followeth
(It) is my will and minde that all my just debts and funeral expenses be discharged
I give and bequeath unto my well beloved wife Elizabeth Huddleston all my _____ as personal (after my just debts
and other necessary charges are paid _____ consideration of maintaining and educating my Children until my son _____
Huddlestone shall attaine to the age of twenty one years, And then to my ___n to enter is two third parts of the one
hundred and twelve acres of Land ____ _____ with two third parts of all the buildings, orchards and Improvements th___
___id wife to enjoy one third part thereof dureing her natural life, and after her _____ William to hold and enjoy _____
all the said one hundred and twelve acres ____ two premises and appurtenances to him and his heires forever, paying to
____ Elizabeth Huddlestone twenty pounds when she shall attaine to the age of twenty _____ shall so long live, And
whereas it may be supposed that my said wife may ___ ____nt, therefore it is my will and minde that if my said Daughter
Elizabeth ____ ____ she attaine to the said age of twenty one years then my said son William _____ twenty pounds to the
child which is now unborne whether son or Daughter (if my ____ within the supposed time) when it shall attaine to the
age of twenty one years ____ constitute and appoint my trust friend and father in law William Cooper ____ and do give
him full power to sell and dispose of eighty acres of Land bought ____ _____ough and to make a lawfull taitle to the same
and also to dispose of ____ ____ or what else he may see needfull to discharge the just Debts and necessary ____ declare
this to be my last will and Testament revokieing all former or other wills by me heretofore made. In Witness
whereof I the said Henry Huddleston _____ last Will and Testament have sett my hand and seale this sixteenth day _____
month called Apnll in the fifth yeare of the reign of Queen Anne over Eng____ yeare of our Lord one thousand seven
hundred and six 1706. Henry M (The mark of) Huddleston. Witn: van dike & 2 others (cut off)
The book by Blankenship notes that Henry, Sr.'s Will was made 16 Apr 1706, and he died in 1706. Find A Grave cites Henry, Sr.'s death as 17 May 1706 and Ancestry cites Henry, Jr's birth as 6 Mar 1706. If this is accurate, Henry, Jr. was born prior to his father's death.
I previously indicated that Henry Huddleston, Sr. had three children (William, Elizabeth, and Henry, Jr.). The information on Elizabeth was contradictory as to her death. The book by Blankenship indicates that Elizabeth died young, but no year is provided.
Sheri (LeTempt) Huddleston
(618) 806-5107
E-mail me: sherihuddleston@gmail.com
Kanawha County, West Virginia Genealogy Links
A Brief History of the Huddleston Family by Ira W. Huddleston
The Huddlestons, by a Huddleston, for The Huddlestons (1928)
Huddleston Family Tables by George Huddleston
Anthony Huddleston Probate File, Lawrence County, Ark. (pages 444-501)