The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1878-07-17

the Seldons and the Waites had very Meas
ant reunion of the widely dispersed mem
bers of their families, in the ancient town NJ
Lyme Connecticut these families having in
termarried with the Elys, doubtless inspired
members OF that family living at Lyme with
the desire to bring about a similar reunion Of
the descendants of the Elys who came to tbi.
country in 1885, 1860, and about 1885, one Of
whom was among the first settlers of Lyme.
Agreeably to call, some 600 of the de.
scendants of these first Elys, who were nam.
ed respectively Nathaniel, Richard and
Joshua, met at Lyme on the 10th inst. and
we Judge from the testimony Of those who
were there from this vicinity-Richard e.
Ely and his son, Gervas, Reuben P. Hugh B.
and Holmes D. Ely-and from the character
OF the exercises engaged in, as indicated in
the programme, the least important of
which was grand dinner, very pleas
ant and enjoyable time must have been had.
The Elys of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
Maryland, we learn, are principally descend
ants OF Joshua Ety. who emigrated to this
country from Durham, Nottihgharnshire,
England, and bought 400 acres of land in
what is now the heart of Trenton, then said
to be in the Province of Nova Cesarea, in
Hopewell, Burlington Co., West New Jersey.
This purchase was made April Goth, 1856,
from his cousin, MahlOn Stacey, who was one
of the original West Jersey proprietors.-
This land had for its southern boundary the
st. Pink, now called the Assanpink Creek,
and for its western, the Delaware River. 1t
is believed that the State House stands on a
part of this land, as what is known as the
Higbee property, parts of which now belong
to Mrs. Mcintosh, who was Higbee, and
Col. John G. Stevens, whose wife was also
Higbee, adjoining it on the north, was sold to
Joseph Higbee, by his brother-in-la law, Hugh
Ely, in 1720. There is nothing on record in
the Secretary of States office to show how
Hugh Ely derived his title, but doubtless eth
er by inheritance from his father, Joshua Ely,
or by purchase from the executor of his faith
er's estate, Thomas Revell, who was also
cousin.
Hugh Ely, on selling this land, emigrated
to Buckingham, Bucks Co., Pa, and bought
in 1920, 800 acres of land and 100 acres more in
1924. In this deed Nathaniel Bye and Joseph
Large are mentioned as owning land adjacent.
These purchases were made respectively of
James Linnox and Richard Lundy, who de-
rived their title from VIM. Penn. From Hugh
Ely are descended the Maryland family and a
few families in Bucks County, Penna., as that
of John, Elias and Hugh B. Ely, and that of
VIM. G. Ely, some members of which are liv-
ing in this city.
George Ely, another son of Joshua, lived
and died in Trenton, and son of his, named
Joshua, emgrated to Solebury tsp, Bucks
County, Pa, in 1887. He bought 400 acres of
land of VIM. Blakey, in 1850. His descend
ants are quite numerous. The most of the
Bucks Co. Elys, as we'll as those living in this
city, have sprung from him. 1t is only neces-
sary to add that the families of Robert Smith,
George and Reuben P. Ely, of this city, are
among his descendants.
1t is believed that there are fully 500 of the
descendants of Joshua Ely now living.
We close this article by brief extract
from the speech of the Hon. Alfred Ely, made
at the gathering, as reported in the Hartford
Courant
The patronymic names of Roman and of
Grecian stony all point with unmistakable
directness to the legend Of some hero and his
deeds. The Athenian traced his ancestors
till the long line was lost in nebul@, so he
linked it to Olympus, claiming that his pro-
genitors were children of the blessed GODS
The modern genealogist, much less ambitious
q mi hQ of ha cttal traa
is satisfied to find they take deep hold in gen.
erations long since passed away, and that the
sons are worthy of their siTes. The pride of
ancestry is NATURAL and as it tends to unity
the family, the Cod ordained grand bulwark
of society and the foundation of loyalty to the
state and nation, it is pre-emnently useful
and furthermore is right.
The scripture witness to it cannot be over
looked. Observe the self compacency with
which the memory of ancestors was fondly
cherished by the chosen people. With them
"the glory of the children was their fathers"
The patriarchs were ever remembered through
out the nations history. Even the Hebrews
God was specially described as the God of
Abraham, of Isaac and Jacob. Their patro-
nymic name of Israelites was that by which
they most delighted to be known and called.
And we may truly say in brief, that rever-
ence and respect for ones progenitors is both
by precept and by precedent abundantly in
culcated and illustrated on the inspired pages
of the holy book. On the top of Sinai's
smoking mountain, God summoned into his
fearful presence the law-giver Of the Jews
concealed in the darkness of the thick cloud,
and amid the terror of the vivid lightnings
and appalling thunder, he delivered to him
upon tables of stone, the great chart of his
commands for the guidance of his chosen peo-
pie in the midst of that decalogne, more i'm
pressive, perhaps, than any other, because the
first, with promise, he commanded that he
should tell his people -
Honor thy father and thy mother, that
thy days may be long in the land which the
Lord thy God giveth thee"
The seal of Gods sanction, them is stamp
ed upon your presence here, and invoke the
fulfillment of his promise to you, my kindred,
by length of days and eternal life as well.
HILLS DINING RooMs.-The most conve-
nient and attractive place in Trenton for din