Editor's Note 1: Although there had been small settlements in America before 1630 (Jamestown 1607 and the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock 1620), the British colonization of America, in terms of "large-scale" numbers, started in 1630 with the arrival of the Puritans in Winthrop's Fleet to start the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1640, the population of the land area we know as the United States controlled by Britain was not over 30,000; by 1650, probably about 50,000, many of which were of the second generation. "The Great Migration" was pretty much over by 1650 - and these 30,000 or so immigrants form the base from which the population stock of New England arose.

Editor's Note 2:  The below material is from the Hallock Genealogy. There is no record of any kind in America that has the name of Peter Hallock in it. Whether William Hallock's father migrated with William, or his name, may only be found in English research as time goes on.

"Peter Hallock, the ancestor of those of the name in this country, was one of thirteen pilgrim fathers, including Rev. John Youngs, who in 1640 fled from civil and religious oppression in England, and landed at New Haven (Connecticut).

In 1634, at Yarmouth, England, Rev. John Youngs and his wife, Joan, of St. Margarets, Suffolk, were forbidden passage to New England. (History Puritans, Mass Hist. Coll. Vol 4, p. 101). Mr. Youngs soon after settled at Hingham, in Norfolk Co adjoining Suffolk, 100 miles northeast of London, and six years later on Oct. 21, 1640, he gathered his church anew under the auspices of Rev. John Davenport, minister, and Theophilus Eaton, governor of the New Haven Colony, which had just been planted April 18, 1638, under a branching oak - a virtual theocracy, the Bible their code of laws, ecclesiastical and civil.

In the same autumn Rev. Mr. Youngs and his church took up their abode in Southold then comprising the whole North-eastern branch of Long Island, landing at the harbor of what is now Southold Village, on the Peconic Bay, where as a church or town, they retained their connection with the New Haven Colony till 1662, and with Connecticut till 1674.

(Editor's Note: Connecticut and and Long Island are directly across Long Island Sound from each other. Southold is south and east of New Haven about 30 miles - by water.)

Reverend Mr. Youngs continued his ministry thirty-two years, and died Feb 14, 1672, age 74, as by his tombstone. The twelve men who, with members of their families constituted his church were: William Wells, Esq, Barnaboas Horton, and John Conklin, (whose graves are near that of their pastor), PETER HALLOCK (emphasis added), John Tuthill, Richard Terry, Thomas Mapes, Matthias Corwin, Robert Ackerley, Jacob Corey, Isaac Arnold, and John Budd, the first white settlers in that part of the island.

Peter Hallock's great-great granddaughter, Elizabeth Hallock-Corwin, born 1732, who died at Old Aquebogue Feb 12, 1831, age 98, wife of Silas Corwin, gave to her granddaughters, Mrs. James Hallock, now of Quogue, and Mrs. Rev. James T. Hamlin of Mattituck, Mr. Jonathon G. Horton, and others now living, the following facts, which are confirmed by multiplied records and memorials [this is not a true statement; these facts are not confirmed by any records. The only records in early Southold are of William Hallock. nmt] : that Peter Hallock was the first of the thirteen who ventured to step on shore among the Indians at Southold, that part of the village being still called "Hallock's Neck", and the beach extending from it " Hallocks Beach", of which beach Mr. Horton (who lives in the first frame house erected at Southold by his ancestor Barnabas Horton), is one of the joint owners; that Peter Hallock purchased from the Indians the tract since called Oyster Ponds, now Orient, the eastern end of this branch of the Island, that he then returned to England for his wife, who when he married her was a widow and had a son by her former husband Mr. Howell; that he promised her that, if she now accompanied him, her son should share with him in his property; that on coming back he found the Indians had resold what is now Orient; that he then purchased about ten miles from Southold village, a farm extending from Long Island Sound on the north, to Peconic Bay on the south, (three miles) on which he settled in Aquebogue, about two miles west of Mattituck village and creek, all these places being then in Southold Town.

(Editor's note: Southold, Mattituck, Aquebogue, and Orient (town of Orient, Orient Point, Orient Beach, are all clearly evident on current day maps of Long Island. You can usually find a map of Long Island when looking at a map of Connecticut, or a map of New York.)

His original homestead on Long Island and that of his wife's son Howell were on adjacent lots, and are still occupied (1866) by their respective descendants, Benjamin Laurens Hallock and Sylvester Howell. On the south part of the purchase are the farms of Col. Micah W. and Dea. Ezra Hallock, great grandsons of Zerubabel Hallock, who was great grandson of the (original) Peter.

Numerous other families of Hallocks, most of them prosperous farmers, reside on, or near, this purchase by Peter Hallock, but of the burial place of either himself or his son William, or his grandsons Thomas and Peter, who inherited the same premises, they have no knowledge."

SOURCE: A Hallock Genealogy, William, Charles, and Lucius Hallock, revised in 1860, 1906, and 1928, respectively, Pg 9.

Return to the Hallock Index

The copyright on the book from which the above was transcribed has expired and is in the publc domain. Please acknowledge the source if it is used. Thank you: A Hallock Genealogy, by William, Charles, and Lucius Hallock, revised in 1860, 1906, and 1928, respectively, Pg 9.