Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, 1912


Hempstead Family Biography

There is reason to believe that the Hempstead family of New England came from Hempstead, England, a village rendered noteworthy in the annals of medicine as being the home of Harvey, the great anatomist, who discovered the circulation of the blood. It was here that he was buried in 1657.

(I) There is little reason to doubt that the first American ancestor was Robert Hempstead, born at Hempstead, England, who in 1645 appears on the records as one of the nine original settlers of New London, Connecticut. The fact that there is a tradition in the family that Robert Hempstead came to New London in a boat, and also the fact that the name is an unusual one, and occurs nowhere else except at Hempstead, Long Island, settled two years previously, combine to make it probable that Robert Hempstead first settled there. The tradition further relates that having settled in Long Island and founded the town since known by his name, he became impatient of the dominant Dutch influence and crossed the sound to Connecticut. He thus became one of the first settlers of New London, then known by the Indian name, "Pequot." Robert Hempstead married, though her name is not absolutely certain, Joanna Willey, and their daughter, Mary, born in 1647, was the first white child born in New London. Their three children were: Mary, mentioned above, married Robert Douglas; Joshua, of whom further; Hannah, born 1652, married (first) Abel Moore, and (second) Samuel Waller. Robert Hempstead died in 1654.

(II) Joshua, son of Robert and Joanna (Willey) Hempstead, was born in 1649. He succeeded his father in the ownership of the homestead. He married Elizabeth Larrabee, of Saybrook, Connecticut, and died in 1687. Their children were nine in number: Elizabeth, died in infancy; Elizabeth, born 1672, married John Plumbe; Mary, born 1674, married Greene Plumbe; Lydia, born 1676, married - Salmon; Joshua, of whom further; Hannah, born, 1680, married John Edgecomb; Phebe, died unmarried; Patience, married (first) Thomas Ross, (second) James Hodsell; Lucy, married John Hartshorne, and in 1726 they removed to Cecil county, Maryland.

(III) Joshua (2), son of Joshua (1) and Elizabeth (Larrabee) Hempstead, was born in 1678, and was nine years old at the time of his father's death in 1687. Provision was made for the son's education in the will of the elder Joshua, the bequest being, in his own words, "for the bringing up of my sonne, and that he may be well educated and brought up in learning." To this second Joshua the homestead descended, and he held it for a long time, being eighty years old when he died. He was a man of great force of character and of excellent judgment and high probity. He was a power in his community, where he was loved and respected by all. He began a diary in 1711 and carried it on for a period of nearly fifty years until his death in 1758. This has been a mine of information concerning matters of that locality and period, and has been published by the New London County Historical Society. He married Abigail Bailey, of Southold; Long Island. She died August 5, 1716. Their children were: Joshua (3), born 1698, died 1716; Nathaniel, of whom further; Robert, born 1702, married Mary Youngs, of Southold; Stephen, born 1705, married Sarah Holt; Thomas, born 1708, died in 1729; John, born 1709, married Hannah Salmon; Abigail, born 1712, married Clement Miner; Elizabeth, born 1714, married Daniel Starr; Mary, born 1716, married Thomas Pierpont. By the death in 1716 of the third Joshua, a lad of seventeen years, his brother Nathaniel took his place as the eldest son in the family.

(IV) Nathaniel, son of Joshua (2) and Abigail (Bailey) Hempstead, was born in 1700. He married Mary Hallam, and died at the age of thirty, leaving three children: Joshua (4); Nathaniel (2), born 1727, married Hannah Booth; Mary, born 1729, married Christopher Eldridge, of Groton. The two little boys left at their father's death lived with their grandfather, becoming to him as his own children, and many references are made to them in his diary.

The five sons of Joshua (2) scattered to various parts of the country. These with that from Stephen (2), born 1754, died 1831, form six lines of descent, from one or the other of which all of the name Hempstead come. From the second Stephen, who was noted for his valor in the revolution, and who in 1811 went to St. Louis, Missouri, comes the line in the west. Of this branch came the Stephen Hempstead who became the second governor of Ohio. Another branch settled in Virginia, and from thence the family came to Fayette county, Pennsylvania, about the year 1790.

(II) The first of the line under consideration was Joshua, probably a son of John and Hannah (Salmon) Hempstead, who came to Fayette county, Pennsylvania, about 1790, and settled in Redstone township. He married Susanna Elliott, a sister of Captain John Elliott, with whom he came to this county from the east. His children were: Sarah, married John Neal; Mary, married Henry Murphy; Elizabeth, married Francis Hughes; Jeremiah, married Elizabeth King, Felix, of whom further.

(III) Felix, son of Joshua and Susanna (Elliott) Hempstead, was born in Redstone township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, April 2, 1806, died September 11, 1870. He was a blacksmith by trade, later buying a farm near Uniontown, which he sold, moving to Uniontown and later to Masontown. He married Eliza Swan, who died on the farm near Uniontown. He was a Whig and a Republican, and both he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church.

(IV) Thomas S., only child of Felix and Eliza (Swan) Hempstead, was born near Carmichaels, Greene county, Pennsylvania, in 1830, but lived his entire life in Fayette county. He was educated in the public school, worked with his father in the shop and on the farm, later becoming himself a farmer and well-to-do stock fancier. He was a Republican in politics. He died in Masontown, Pennsylvania, in 1901. He married Susan, daughter of Jacob and Mahala (Core) Poundstone, of German township. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Poundstone: 1. John Henry, died in April, 1812. 2. Susan, married Thomas S. Hempstead, whom she survives. 3. Sarah Anna, married John Nolan and moved to Ohio where she died. 4. Jacob, a capitalist of Redlands, California. 5. Taylor, now a farmer of German township. 6. Sarah, married Isaac Mosier and died in 1911. 7. Margaret, married Nathan Gilmore, of Connellsville, Pennsylvania. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Hempstead: 1. Ella, now residing at home. 2. Anna, deceased. 3. Charles S., of whom further. 4. Margaret, now living at home. 5. George, deceased. 6. Myrtle, married Otis Powell, teller of the First National Bank of Uniontown.

(V) Charles S., eldest son of Thomas S. and Susan (Poundstone) Hempstead, was born in German township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, May 21, 1864. He was educated in the public schools of Masontown, Pennsylvania, and also attended the night schools to obtain greater opportunities for an education. He began business life as a clerk with Captain J. M. Hustead in Fairchance, Pennsylvania, and later had charge of the stores of the American Steel & Wire Company in Fayette and Westmoreland counties until they were absorbed by the H. C. Frick Company, continuing with them until he entered the banking business. Since 1903 he has been cashier of the First National Bank of New Salem, Pennsylvania, and is also vice-president and director of the First National Bank of Masontown, Pennsylvania. He has other important business interests in the county. He is connected with the Champion Coke Company and the Genuine (Connellsville) Coke Company, both active concerns. He is an energetic capable man of affairs and occupies a high position in public esteem. He is a Republican in polities, a member of the Presbyterian church, and of Fayette Lodge, No. 228, Free and Accepted Masons.

He married, October 31, 1900, Antoinette Bartlett, born near Connellsville, Pennsylvania, in 1864, daughter of Edward Bartlett, a merchant of New York City, later until his death of Washington, Pennsylvania; he married Susan Clark, of Uniontown, who survives him. Their children were: Antoinette, of previous mention; Clark T.; Harry E.; Miriam, deceased; Helen S. The family home of the Hempsteads is at Masontown, Pennsylvania

Source: Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, John W. Jordan, Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1912.





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