1. William TALLEY. Born ? in England.[1] William died abt 1702/3 in Brandywine Hundred, New Castle Co, DE.[1],[2] Letters of Administration on the estate of William Taly of the county of New Castle, having "lately dyed intestate," were granted on February 25, 1702/3, to Helena Taly, of the county of New Castle, his widow. Earliest ancestor.

On the list of Swedish families residing in New Sweden in 1693, William Talley is included with seven persons in his family.[3]

"We have but one tradition as to the place of landing in America. Mr. J. Henderson Talley, son of John Talley, the Methodist minister, informs us that he has often heard his father, and a very old man who lived in their family named James Zebley, speak of the Talley landing place, and that it was at Upland, now Chester. Later revelations have tended to confirm this tradition. William Talley, our common ancestor, was here in 1686, and was on February 17th, 1686, at Philadelphia, appointed joint administrator with Elinor Jansen, of the estate of Jan Jansen, her deceased husband. Jan Jansen at the time of his death resided on the east side of Chichester Creek. William Talley is also named on the Swedish Church list of 1693. The same year he is placed on the tax list of Chichester Township, then of Chester County, Pennsylvania. He married widow Jansen sometime between 1686 and 1693. Jan Jansen was an extensive land-owner along the river, east of the location of the Trainor Cotton Mills. William Talley about this time purchased a tract of land down in Rockland Manor. There he made his abode, among rocks, swamps, large trees, wolves and Indians, and was the first settler at Foulk's Corner. Thus was founded the first Talley settlement in Brandywine Hundred. From this wilderness home, whether it was the open woods, a cave, or a log hut, sprang the great Talley family, which afterwards swept over the whole north and northwestern portions of Rockland Manor, from Naaman's Creek to the Brandywine. We find that Isaac Warner, of Philadelphia, procured a warrant on the 2d mo., 12th day, 1682, from William Penn, for a tract of land called the "Partner's Adventure," situate on the west branch of Naaman's Creek and extending for nearly a mile on each side of the creek. The tract contained four hundred acres, and was thus bounded: "Beginning at a corner marked poplar standing by the south side of said branch and running by a line of marked trees northeast 267 perches to a corner marked white oak standing by the head of a small run; thence by a line of marked trees northwest 120 per. to a black oak; thence by a line of marked trees southwest 534 per. to a corner white oak standing by a swamp; thence along a line of marked trees southeast 170 per. to a corner poplar; thence by a line of marked trees northeast 267 per., crossing to the first named poplar." It may be that William Talley was the silent partner in this adventure. It will be noticed that although this land extended from near the Siloam Church to the Thomas Vance place on the Foulk Road, not a road, house, or other artificial structure, is mentioned, nor does it appear that any neighbor's land bounded this tract. Neighbors were scarce, no doubt, in that day and territory. All of the boundary lines ran along by marked trees, thus proving that the whole tract was carved out of a dense woods. On the 16th day of March, 1695, William Talley procured from Isaac Warner a deed for all of said tract of land lying on the westerly side of the creek, which deed was on March 17th thereafter acknowledged in open court at New Castle. This deed conveyed the legal title to the first tract of land owned by the Talleys in Rockland Manor. William Talley did not survive long to enjoy the liberties acquired in his new domain, for he died some time between 1698 and 1702. He joined with his wife and the heirs of Jan Jansen, in 1698, in conveying one tract of the Chichester lands to Robert Langham. In 1702, when the remaining tract was sold to Philip Roman, Mrs. Elinor Talley made the deed as the widow of William Talley."[1] [Taken from Chapter III of the book, "A History of the Talley Family on the Delaware".]

"What was the inducement to take up this home in the wilderness? It was not to hunt wolves nor to catch fish. The overtowering timber, the forest primeval, was the magnet which drew the Talley family to this tract of land. Historians tell us that the hunting of timber in the back country, miles from the river, indicated the nationality of the settler there; it being as natural for the British settler to go to the timber as it is for the proverbial duck to seek the water. The Dutch and Swedish settlers remained close to the rivers and the rich pasture lands."[1] [Taken from Chapter V of the book "A History of the Talley Family on the Delaware".]


abt 1687 William married Elinor/Eleanor (Helena) JANSEN/JOHNSSON.[1],[4]

Eleanor was the widow of Jan Jansen (John Johnsson). John was born in Sweden, the second son of Johan Hendricksson.[5] The following is the will of John Johnson: John Johnson, of Markers Creek in the County of Chester, being now sick. Dated 16th of March, 1684/5. Proved by Elenor Johnson, 17th of April, 1686. Christopher Taylor, Regr. Genl., by Joseph Vaughan, his deputy. "To my wife Elener Johnson a third of all my estate in this world and the remainder equally to be divided among my children and they to be executors. My body to be buried in Chester alias Upland." Witnesses: Morton Knuson with his mark, Hen. Reynolds, Sydrack Whitworth.[6] The accompanying inventory, dated April 27, 1686, signed by the bondsmen is as follows: "Elener Johnson of Marcus Hooke, Widdow, and William Talley of the same place, Planter."[4] On March 6, 1687/8, William Talley is ordered to give security to the Orphans Court held at Chester to faithfully and truely discharge his trust as administrator in right of his wife to his Predisesor, John Johnson.[4]

All six of the Johnson children (Catharina, Peter, Gabriel, Margaret, Ann and Christiana) are named in the following deed made on December 2, 1698: "This Indenture made second day of 10th month.....reign of King William III in year of our lord 1698 Between William Talle of county New Cassell.....and his wife Elinor and Hypoletus Lefever of same county and wife Katherine and Peter Johnson Gabrill Johnson Margaret Johnson Ann Johnson and Christian Johnson To Robert Langham.....with John Childe This 14th day December 1698."[7], [8]

The New Castle court, on 21 Nov 1721, awarded 40 shillings to Elinor Johnson Talley - "a sickly, ancient and poor widow."[5]

They had the following children:

	2	i.	Thomas (~1690-1781)
		ii.	Mary. Mary married Peter CAMPBELL. Of Salem County, New Jersey.