William FANCY

  General Notes:

The first colonies, that would later become Connecticut, were established on the shores of Long Island Sound and the banks of the Housatonic and Connecticut Rivers.
William Fancy was an early settler in the New Haven Colony. Originally called Quinnipiac, the settlement was founded by a company of five hundred English Puritans in 1638 that hoped to create a Christian utopia; and with its large harbor, establish a commercial empire to control Long Island Sound. It was the first planned community in North America, based on a grid of nine square miles. Conforming to the old English custom, a central square, or Green, was laid out as a public common. By 1641, a complete government had been established and the settlement, renamed New Haven, had grown into a community of eight hundred.

In Colonial America on Long Island New York, at a place called Setauket, in Brookhaven Town in Suffolk County, a settlement of several families was established around 1660 that included the family of William Fancy and his second wife, Katherine. His first wife was called "Goodie" or "Goodwife" in New Haven, Connecticut records 1643 to 1646, and apparently died before he arrived at Setauket. His children were Samuel, Joseph, Hannah, William, Jr., and Rachel.

There have been no hints found regarding William Fancy's origins prior to the New Haven Colony, other than the fact that the majority of the population of this Colony was Puritans who had come from England.
William Fancy took the Oath of Fidelity to New Haven on July 1, 1644. There is evidence that William Fancy and his wife had been living with Lt. Robert Seeley, probably around 1644. Later, they were living with Thomas Clark, and may also have been living with, and/or working for, Thomas Robinson and Stephen Metcalfe.

On April 7, 1646, there was a complaint against William Fancy and four other men for the disorderly drinking of strong liquor. William Fancy "owned it as his sin his oft drinking, being that at the first he felt it hott in his throate, but he was not distempred, howevr submits to ye court."
In April 1646, the Governor being informed of several lewd passages, ordered William Fancy and his wife to appear at court to answer for them. In the testimony, Goodwife Fancy related several incidents when townsmen accosted her and attempted to commit adultery with her. William Fancy said he was aware of the matter, but advised his wife to keep silent because he thought no one would believe her. One of the accused, Thomas Robinson, had offered the Fancys a bribe to keep quiet, and then ran away from New Haven before the hearing. Another of the men Goodwife Fancy accused, Mark Meggs, was sentenced to be whipped. The Court sentenced "Goodie" Fancy to be severely whipped for concealing the "lustfull attempts" and William Fancy to also be severely whipped for neglecting to reveal the attempts in a timely manner, or allowing his wife to do so.
William Fancy left New Haven after 1646 and by 1652 had purchased a house and 2-1/2 acre lot in Southold, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. Robert Smith originally owned the house, and then sold the house to John Budd, who in turn sold it to William Fancy.

William Fancy's children are recorded in his June 17, 1675 Will as Samuel, Joseph, Hannah, Rachel, and William, Jr. Based on the evidence in Brookhaven Town records, Samuel and Joseph are believed to be William Fancy's sons by his first (unknown) wife. Samuel Fanshaw/Fancy died unmarried and childless in 1685. Other than the 20 shillings William Fancy bequeathed to his son in 1675, there is no other record of Joseph Fancy in Brookhaven Town records.

Hannah, Rachel and William, Jr. are named by William Fancy's second wife Katherine, in her October 17, 1684 Will. Hannah Fancy married (1) Robert Goulsbury, who died 1683, and (2) David Jennings/Jenners about 1684. Rachel married Peter Whiteheare (Whitaker/Wittier) before October 25, 1684.

June 17, 1675, Will of William Fancy (Attachment B) \endash "Very aged and a cripple". Body to be buried in Brookhaven. "Sonne Samuel ffancy" to have half of "my accommodation. That is one halfe of my home lott and Seaven ackers in the ould feild, and one halfe of all the ouot land Devided and undevided, and one half of all my meadow at the ould mans, and all my pt of medow and upland in ye ould purchase at the south". Samuel is not to sell any of it, it is for his heirs forever. "Beloved wife Katherine ffancy" is to have the other half of the accommodation and the whole meadow at Conscience except 20 shillings, to my "sonne Joseph ffancy". "My sonne William "ffancy" is to receive his portion after the death of wife Katherine. "Daughter "Hanah ffancy" is to receive two cows, or ten pounds, to be paid when she comes of age or marries. "Daughter Rechell" has already received her portion. William Fancy instructs that his Will be kept by neighbor widow Martha Smith (wife of Arthur Smith) as long as he lives. The Will was witnessed by John Thomas and Martha Smith, widow.

William married Goodwife UNKNOWN. (Goodwife UNKNOWN died in 1646.)

William next married Katherine UNKNOWN between 1652 and 1658. (Katherine UNKNOWN was born about 1626 and died on an unknown date.)