Jeremiah Vail

Jeremiah Vail

Origins
Immigrant
Notable Kin
Subsquent Generations
Sources and Resources
Questions, Notes and Errata
Kansas Pioneers Line
Links

Origins

The origins of Jeremiah Vail are unknown to me. There is reputed to be a Gilbertus Viel in the mists of time associated with William the Conqueror, but those stories are unproven and folklore.

The Vail name can also be a derivative of the word used today as "vale", meaning valley, ie low ground between hills, usually used more in poetry nowadays.

William Penn Vail, in his 1947 book on Moses Vail, shows parish register entries for Vails in Southwold, Suffolk, England. Some entries were found showing Thomas as a first name, none for Jeremiah, but some records before 1640 have been destroyed or are missing. No specific entry was found to match the American immigrants. The Rev Youngs, leader of a flock of a Puritan congregation, was from Southwold, Suffolk. The suggestion remains that the home of our Vail ancestors is in Southwold, Suffolk, England; but no definitive proof exists, at least through 1947, the date of the book.

See the Suffolk County, England Heritage Page.

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The Immigrant

Born: About 1618, possibly Southwold, Suffolk, England

Immigration: Probably in the late 1630's, to Salem. Not known if married or not, but all children appear to have been born in the New World starting in 1644, so it is likely he didn't marry until after reaching our shores. It is likely his first wife was an immigrant on her own, or the daughter of an immigrant. He would have been quite young, in his twenties when he migrated.

Residences:

1639-1649: Salem, Mass, by 1639, through at least 1649 (date of last child's birth recorded there.)

1649/53-55, By 1653: Removed to Gardiner's Island to become superintendent for Lt Lion Gardiner

1655-59, In 1655, Town of Easthampton offered Jeremiah Vaile a lot

Aft 1655: Removed to Southold, Long Island: Described as neighbor in 1655 list of Matthias Corwin property:) "A third lot of meadow at Accoboack; Jer. Vail's meadow, lying north, and Abr. Whitehares, south-west."

First record: He was a resident of Salem as early as 1639 and on July 24 of that year was a witness in court held there.

Spouses:

1) Catherine (___), probably in the New World in the early 1640's. She was likely born about the same time as Jeremiah, about 1618, to possibly as late as 1624 (20 years before date of birth of oldest known child.) First recorded child born May 18, 1644, Salem. She died between 1649-1660, probably aged 25-42. (1649 was the date of birth of the last child ascribed to her, 1660 is the date when Jeremiah remarried.)

2) Mary Folger, widow of Peter Paine, on May 24, 1660 in Southold, Long Island, New York. Mary Folger was probably the daughter of John Folger and Meribiah Gibbs of Nantucket and is likely the great-aunt of Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin is a grandchild of a Peter Folger, a brother of Mary Folger. This identity is not given in the Vail Genealogy. Torrey gives her maiden name as Folger. Mary was likely born by 1618-1630. She had five children with Jeremiah after 1660. I'm not aware of any children she had from her first marriage; but it's quite possible that descendants of her Vail kids are half cousins to any that she may have had from her Paine/Payne marriage. She must have died before 1685, the estimated date of Jeremiah's third marriage given by the Vail genealogy and also by Torrey. If born in 1630, she would have been about 50 and her five children would have all been under 25 at the time she died. See TAG 38:183.

3) Joyce/Rejoice (___), before 1685. They were only married a short time, as he died in 1687.

Occupation: Blacksmith.

Death: In 1687, while living in Southold, Long Island, New York.

Will / Estate: His will, made December 4, 1685, was probated October 19, 1687. I have not located a copy yet.

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Notable Kin

See: Notable Vail Kin of Jeremiah Vail

Benjamin Franklin, statesman and inventor (our step-cousin), grand-nephew of Mary Folger, second wife of Jeremiah Vail. He is my step-cousin, as I am from the first wife of Jeremiah, but he is a full cousin to Vails who have Mary Folger as their mom.)
Alfred Vail, who worked with Samuel Morse in inventing the telegraph
Stephen Vail, instrumental in developing early steamships
Theodore Newton Vail, the first president of American Bell Telephone Co, (1878) the precursor to ATT. It was the visionary Theodore Vail who created the monopoly of AT&T in his second round in the presidency of ATT, beginning in 1907.

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Subsequent Generations

Children and grandchildren of Jeremiah Vail

1 Jeremiah Vail 1618 - 1687
.. +Catherine 1618 - 1660

........... 2 Abigail Vail 1644 -
...............
That this Abigail Vail married a Joseph Horton, as reported by the Vail Genealogy, is in error.

Nothing further is known of this Abigail

........... 2   Sarah Vail 1647 -
............... +Nathaniel Moore 1642 - 1698
........................ 3   Elizabeth Moore 1679 - 1747
............................ +Christopher Youngs 1677 - 1727
                                  Our ancestors - see Moore
........................ 3   Abigail Moore 1680 -

........... 2   Jeremiah Vail 1649 - 1726
............... +Unknown First Wife > [Mary?] 1649 - 1690
........................ 3   Jeremiah Vail 1670 - 1724
............................ +Mary Lillington 1680 -
........................ 3   Thomas Vail 1672 - 1741
............................ +Elizabeth Constable 1680 - 1741
........................ 3   Mary Vail 1680 - 1725
............................ +John Goldsmith 1681 - 1725
........................ 3   Martha Vail 1686 -
............................ +Ephraim Horton 1686 - 1733
........... *2nd Wife of Jeremiah Vail:
............... +Anne Hampton 1647 - 1726 (Widow of Benjamin Moore)

*2nd Wife of Jeremiah Vail:
.. +Mary Folger 1630 - 1670
Mary is a great-aunt of Benjamin Franklin

........... 2   Tabitha Vail 1662 - 1735
............... +Henry Case 1659 - 1740
........................ 3   Henry Case 1684 - 1720
............................ +Martha Payne 1684 -
........................ 3   Samuel Case 1687 - 1755
........................ 3   Tabitha Case 1690 -
............................ +William Mapes 1688 -
........................ 3   Benjamin Case 1692 - 1774
........................ 3   Mary Case 1697 - 1777

........... 2 John Vail 1663 - 1737
............... +Grace [Brocket?] 1666 - 1751

Last name of wife given by some authors as Hallock, Braddick, Burgess, and Brockett. "Brockett appears to be the most likely." See discussion in Southold Connections.

........................ 3 Abigail Vail 1684 -

........................ 3 Irene Vail 1686 -

........................ 3 Tabitha Vail 1688 -

........................ 3 John Vail 1690 - 1768

............................ +Hannah Landon 1690 - 1773

........................ 3 Mary Vail 1691 - 1722

............................ +James Landon 1685 - 1738

........................ 3 Obadiah Vail 1692 -

........................ 3 Josiah Vail 1693 -

............................ +Patience Corwin 1700 -

........................ 3 Daniel Vail 1694 - 1746

............................ +Hannah Griffing 1694 - 1746

........................ 3 Samuel Vail 1696 -

............................ +Hannah Petty 1700 -

........................ 3 James Vail 1700 - 1745

........................ 3 Benjamin Vail 1706 - 1784

............................ +Mary Paine 1706 - 1788

........... 2 Daniel Vail 1665 -

Reportedly named in the will of Jeremiah-1. Nothing further known.

........... 2 Mary Vail 1667 - 1689

The 1667-1689 dates are from the Vail Genealogy, no sources cited. The Ancient Burial Grounds of Long Island has a Mary Vail, died Sep 22, 1689, age 39. If this was the daughter of Jeremiah-1, she would be from his first wife. However, these dates would also fit the unknown first wife of Jeremiah-2 Vail.

*3rd Wife of Jeremiah Vail:

.. +Joyce 1630 - 1687

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Sources and Resources

Genealogy of the Vail Family Descended from Jeremiah Vail - Henry H. Vail, 1902

Thomas Vail of Salem, Mass 1640 - Wm Penn Vail, 1937

Moses Vail of Huntington, Long Island - Wm Penn Vail, 1947

These genealogies may be found at larger libraries, possibly on LDS microfilm, or can be purchased. See the booksellers at Cyndi's List (try Higginsons and Alton booksellers)

TAG 38:183. - Gives identity of Mary (Folger) Paine Vail.

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Notes and Questions

Other Vail Immigrants

Thomas Vail of Southampton > Westchester - Probable brother to Jeremiah. In 1640 when Thomas Vail with his wife Sarah came to Salem, Massachusetts, Jeremiah Vail was living there, having come in 1639. Jeremiah and Thomas emigrated to the eastern part of Long Island, Jeremiah to Southold, and Thomas to Southampton. Both were blacksmiths by trade.

George Vail did not exist! - there was no George Vail of Huntington, Long Island, as reported by an early Vail genealogy. Moses Vail, of that old genealogy, is son of Joseph, son of immigrant Thomas (who was probably brother to immigrant Jeremiah.) George Vail never existed and is a complete fabrication. See "Genealogy of Moses Vail of Huntington, L.I.: Showing his Descent from Joseph Vail, son of Thomas Vail of Salem, Massachusetts", 1640, by William Penn Vail, 1947. (Contributed by Oronoco98@aol.com)

James Vail - reported by Savage in New England Dictionary: "James Vail: Dedham, by w. Ann had James, bapt. 6 July 1656; John, 17 Oct. 1658". His relationship to Jeremiah of Long Island, if any, is unknown to me.

Will of Jeremiah Vail. I have seen reports of a will for Jeremiah Vail (Made: 12/04/1685, Probated: 10/19/1687, Southold, NY). I have not found this will in Pelletrau's transcriptions.

Who is Mary Vail, md Jonathan Tuthill?

Who is this Mary Vail:

1 John Tuthill 1658 - b: February 14, 1658 in Southold, Long Island, New York

.. +Mehitable Wells 1660 - b: Abt. 1660

........... 2 John Tuthill 1690 - b: Abt. 1690

............... +Elizabeth Browne 1690 - b: Abt. 1690

........................ 3 Jonathan Tuthill 1720 - b: Abt. 1720

............................ +Mary Vail 1720 - Marriage in Salmon Records << Who is this?

Errata and corrections

Samuel Vail was the son of Thomas not Jeremiah Genealogical and Personal Memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey Vol 1, reports that Samuel Vail, b 1654, married Elizabeth, was the "fourth son" of Jeremiah. The Vail Genealogy shows that Samuel was the son of Thomas Vail. I'm not sure of the evidence behind this conclusion, but my observation of the level of scholarship in the Vail Genealogy leads me to believe it more accurate than the Mercer County Genealogy.

There was no George Vail, as reported in earlier Vail genealogies. The son attributed to an immigrant George, Moses Vail, is now known to be son of Joseph, son of Thomas Vail. George apparently never existed. See "Genealogy of Moses Vail of Huntington, L.I.: Showing his Descent from Joseph Vail, son of Thomas Vail of Salem, Massachusetts", 1640, by William Penn Vail, 1947. (Contributed by Oronoco98@aol.com).

North Carolina Vail Families

In the book on Moses Vail, 1947, by Wm Penn Vail, the author includes in Appendix I, some transcribed notes about North Carolina Vail families. He says, p 8: "The two North Carolina classes of Vails are certainly from the Jeremiah (1) line; but after considerable correspondence there appears to be one generation missing to connect it up with H. H. Vail's Jeremiah (1) Vail line." How the author could reach the first conclusion, after missing a generation, is a mystery to me.

A correspondent suggests that Jeremiah-3, Jeremiah-2, Jeremiah-1 Vail is the progenitor of the North Carolina Vails. The North Carolina progenitor was named Jeremiah, this Jeremiah was of the right age, there is no record of him after the 1698 census, except for a reference to him in his father's 1722 will.

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Kansas Pioneers Line

We descendants of the Kansas Pioneer couple of Morris Wells and Harriet Loetta (Pollock) Hallock are descended by two lines of descent from the Puritan immigrant Jeremiah Vail.

These lines involve the cousin marriage of and John Kasar and Mary Jane (Aldrich) Hallock.

Direct Descendants of Jeremiah Vail

First line of descent:

1   Jeremiah Vail 1618 - 1687 b: Abt. 1618 in Gloucester or Suffolk, England
.... +Catherine (____) 1618 - 1660 b: Abt. 1618 in England
. 2   Sarah Vail 1647 - 1733 b: Mar 21, 1647 in Salem, Essex Co, Mass
....... +Nathaniel Moore 1642 - 1698 b: Jul 03, 1642 in Salem, Essex Co, Mass
.... 3   Elizabeth Moore 1679 - 1747 b: Jun 10, 1679 in Southold, Long Island, New York
.......... +Christopher Youngs 1677 - 1727 b: 1677 in Southold, Long Island, New York
........ 4   Daniel Youngs 1712 - 1755 b: 1712 in Aquebogue, Long Island, New York
.............. +Mary Penny 1718 - 1798 b: Apr 13, 1718 in Long Island, New York
........... 5   Rufus Youngs 1748 - 1828 b: 1748 in Aquebogue, Long Island, New York
................. +Mehitable Tuthill 1760 - 1830 b: 1760 in Prob Northville, Long Island, New York
.............. 6   Mary 'Polly' [Youngs?] 1791 - 1864 b: Abt. 1791 in Riverhead, Long Island, New York
.................... +Jacob Aldrich 1787 - 1829 b: May 27, 1787 in Mattituck, Long Island, New York
.................. 7   John Youngs Aldrich 1810 - 1874 b: Jul 11, 1810 in Mattituck, Long Island, New York
........................ +Eleanor [Wells?] 1810 - 1862 b: 1810 in Long Island, New York
..................... 8   [2] Mary Jane Aldrich 1836 - 1862 b: Nov 17, 1836 in Mattituck, Long Island, New York
........................... +[1] John Kasar Hallock 1831 - 1875 b: Oct 08, 1831 in West Mattituck, Long Island, New York
........................ 9   [3] Morris Wells Hallock 1858 - 1941 b: Feb 09, 1858 in West Mattituck, Long Island, New York
.............................. +[4] Harriet Loetta Pollock 1865 - 1936 b: May 04, 1865 in Richland Co, Ohio
............................ 10   [5] Inez Evangeline Hallock 1886 - 1976 b: Oct 14, 1886 in Near Milo, Lincoln Co, Kans
.................................. +[6] Arthur Willis Baldwin 1876 - 1961 b: Jul 06, 1876 in Near Ada, Fountain Twp, Ottawa Co, Kans

Second Line of Descent

........... 5   Hannah Youngs 1754 - 1823 b: Dec 17, 1754 in Aquebogue, Long Island, New York
................. +Zachariah Hallock I 1751 - 1820 b: 1751 in Southold, Long Island, New York
.............. 6   Bethuel Hallock 1790 - 1866 b: 1790 in Aquebogue, Long Island, New York
.............. *2nd Wife of Bethuel Hallock:
.................... +Harmony Howell 1795 - 1864 b: 1795 in Riverhead, Long Island, New York
.................. 7   [1] John Kasar Hallock 1831 - 1875 b: Oct 08, 1831 in West Mattituck, Long Island, New York
........................ +[2] Mary Jane Aldrich 1836 - 1862 b: Nov 17, 1836 in Mattituck, Long Island, New York
..................... 8   [3] Morris Wells Hallock 1858 - 1941 b: Feb 09, 1858 in West Mattituck, Long Island, New York
........................... +[4] Harriet Loetta Pollock 1865 - 1936 b: May 04, 1865 in Richland Co, Ohio
........................ 9   [5] Inez Evangeline Hallock 1886 - 1976 b: Oct 14, 1886 in Near Milo, Lincoln Co, Kans
.............................. +[6] Arthur Willis Baldwin 1876 - 1961 b: Jul 06, 1876 in Near Ada, Fountain Twp, Ottawa Co, Kans

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