He was of Lynn, Mass., in 1646, where it is recorded of him, in Mass. Hist. Coll., as follows: "Matthew Stanley was fined L5, with 2s. 6d cost, for winning the affections of John Tarbox his daughter without her parents' consent. The latter was allowed 6s for their attendance in court for 3 days." Samuel Stanley, a son of Matthew, born in 1656, was of Topsfield , Mass. He had eight children, of whom six sons went to Attleborough and settled near the falls. One son, Benjamin, removed to Haverhill. From these have descended a large number of families residing in Eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and in later generations in New Hampshire and Maine, especially in the latter.
Was of Essex, Mass., in the latter part of the seventeenth century. He was a shipmaster, but resided in Essex, where he left an estate. His descendants spread through Northern New England, and are now found most abundantly in the western part of Maine. Prof. Richard C. Stanley, of Bates College, is of this family.
Resided in Newbern, N.C., in 1780, where he was a merchant and an extensive owner of shipping. He married a daughter of Richard Coydell, so prominent in the early days of the Revolution, and had two sons, John and James G. John Stanley was a lawyer and a member of Congress in 1801-3, and 1809-11, and had Edward who was a Whig member of Congress in 1836-42; 1849-53; removed to San Francisco in 1853, where he was military Governor of the State, and died in 1875. A brother of his is Commodore Fabius Stanley, of the U.S. Navy. A large number of descendants of this family are found principally in the Southern States.
Came to New Kent (now Hanover) County, Virgina before 1686 when he had grants of
land. Thomas was born in England about 1660, and traces back to King Henry 3rd. This line is through Baron Strange. Thomas and
his family immigrated to New Kent County, having come there from the town of Preston in Lancashire, England in 1685.
In 1691, Thomas and his family became Quakers. The Quakers in England refused to attend the established Church. They
believed it contrary to God's will to fight and kill; so they refused to serve as soldiers, and in Virginia, they refused to serve as
indian fighters.
The Stanley's worshipped in the Black Creek Friends meeting for 30 years. Some of their
followers were fined and jailed, which probably accounts for the fact that the Stanley's purchased 800 acres of uninhabited virgin
forest on both sides of Cedar Creek in 1714. In 1721 they moved to that land, when Thomas was about 65 years old. He died in
1730, in Hanover County, Virginia.
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