See also
1 Hannah LAWRENCE1 (1785-1863) [9059]. Born 12 Oct 1785, Middletown, CT.1,2 Marr Stephen WALKLEY 10 Sep 1806, Middletown, CT.1 Died 13 Jun 1863.1 Buried East Main Road (Buell) Cemetery, LeRoy, NY.3
From The Roseman Lawrence Family by Mrs. A. Lawrence Jinks, 1965.
4. Hannah Lawrence, daughter of Rosman and Hannah Dunham Lawrence, was born. October 12, 1785 and baptized at Christ Church, Middletown, Conn., December 25. 1785. Sponsors were her parents and the wife of G. Spooner. Hannah Lawrence married at Middletown, September 10, 1806, Stephen Walkley of Haddam, Conn. These records are found in a bible owned by Frank Walkley of LeRoy, N. Y. and described by him as follows; "The Family Bible was published in 1817 at Brattleborough, Vermont for J. Holbrook (9th edition stereotype copy) but no other publisher's name is given. The first page is inscribed "The property of Stephen Walkley, October 25, 1818'." From More Century Farms of New York State, Stephen Walkley, Conn., having married Hannah Lawrence in 1806, came in the year of 1807, to western New York looking for land. Tradition says he walked or hitched rides on that long trip from Connecticut. He purchased 200 acres of land from the Phelps and Gorham Purchase for $600 from Asher Bates, the first postmaster at LeRoy. (Mr. Frank Walkley has the original deed to this farm.) That summer (1807) Walkley cleared a couple acres and sowed wheat and erected a log house. Then he returned to Connecticut. In the spring of 1808, he came again, bringing his wife and her brother, Silas Lawrence. From the family record, their first son, Asahel, was born July 12th, so he was born after their arrival at their new home in LeRoy. The farmhouse on the Walkley farm is believed to have been built in 1812. At present, It contains many beautiful possessions collected by four generations of Walkleys that have lived in it. All four generations have celebrated their golden weddings.There are many fascinating stories to be told about the early days on Yankee Road. Limitations of space permit only one story about a brave resourceful woman, Hannah Lawrence Walkley. In the spring of 1814, Stephen Walkley was serving in the American forces at Fort Niagara. The burning of Buffalo on the last days of 1813 by the British and Indians had thrown all of western New York into a panic. Most of her neighbors had fled to the east side of the Genesee River but Hannah Walkley stayed on the farm with her three young children, caring for the family and the farm. There were oxen and hogs in addition to crops. While she was alone in this eerie wilderness, there Indians came to her door. They asked for a meal. She made a quick decision. “If you will pitch hay for the stock. I'll make a dinner for you", she told them. Her guests were willing. While they worked, she went to the cellar where she had chickens stored for some special occasions, brought up a couple and made a fine chicken dinner. The Indians were perfectly friendly and left after the meal deeply grateful. One happy day, as she was working with the oxen, one raised his head, listened and mooed. He had heard and seen his master returning from Army duty.
In the house is a yarn winding swift, still in use since the settlement days. Andirons, that came from Haddam, are still in the fireplace. Heavy drapes woven 1838, hang at the wide living room door. (Virginia Teetley and Henry S. Manley.) Hannah Lawrence lived in this house until her death, June 13, 1863, age 88 years. She is burled in the Walkley plot, cemetery east of LeRoy. N. Y.
2 Rosman LAWRENCE1 ( - ) [9065].
3 Hannah DUNCAN1 ( - ) [9066].
| 1 | "From The Rosman Lawrence Family by Mrs. A. Lawrence Jinks, 1965". |
| 2 | "From the Gazetteer & Biographical Record of Genesee County, New York 1788-1890, edited by F.W. Beers, 1890". |
| 3 | "East Main Road (Buell) Cemetery, LeRoy, NY". |