Charles Dayton to Emma Dayton, August 10, 1872

107 Front St New York City Aug 10. 1872

Miss Ema Dayton South Glastonbury

Dear Madam I must ask permission to write you a letter in lead pencil, as I have had a nervous fever for several days and it is harder for me to write steadily with a pen.

Your letter of Aug 3d and the accompanying writings (which I herein return to you as you have reqested) were duly received and I have copied the whole of the letter into my records. Your kind interest in the matter places me under great obligation to you and The clearness with which you express the information you have collected renders your letter of especial value.

In criticizing certain traditions which you narrated in your letter, as I propose to do in this letter, I trust you will credit me with a simple desire to arrive at the truth more than to urge and advertise my own especial opinions. Throughout all my records I have made it a rule to put nothing down as fact unless I ad documentary or othehr sure evidence, or a numerous sequence of facts rendering a point seemingly sure. All other items I put down as mere statements to be considered as open to investigation. Of course these remarks apply only to traditions and narrations about the earliest Daytons in this country.

2 You say that your Grand Father Marion Dayton told you his Grand Father was Henry Dayton and came from England-- I must be allowed to for the present doubt but that in some way the different Grandfathers were mixed up and an unintentional error made. If Henry Dayton and a brother had bought a township on Long Island I should have before this have learned where it was as I have been all over the East End.

As your records state that Henry Dayton Jr was born in 1728 it will be reasonable to assume that his father Henry Sr must have been born as early as 1700 about and that the other of the two brothers must have been born within say a dozen years of 1700.

Now according to your tradition as it has been told to you--these two brothers who were born about 1700 (came to America and were living at the commencement of the Revolution then being aged probably over 70 years as the Revolution became active in 1776.)

You will at once see for yourself how improbable it is that persons so advanced in age would take an active part in whig-ism and toryism--much more, so act as to be obliged to flee & forsake property.

3 I am therefore inclined to think that the story of there being two bros, a tory and whig etc--as belonging to some other family. Of course we do not want any tory that we can get rid of.

You say 'Henry Dayton settled in Lyme or New London Conn or near those places? Henry Dayton Jr was born there--these are two important facts and I would like to have you tell me if they are certainly true.

I am inclined to think however there may be error as to these two points if my theory, which I will now explain, is the true condition of things. ________________________________________ I enclose you a copy of a will of a Henry Dayton who was born about 1700 and who lived in the vicinity of Setauket and Port Jefferson Long Island. He was a man of a great deal of property for those days, when Long Island land was very valuble.

His second son Norton Dayton was

4 Born about 1730 and I have the record of his descendents, and those of the bros and sisters of Norton, except the one mentioned as the "Eldest son in the will, and named Henry. At the date of the Will he seems to have been living "in New England" on a farm belonging to his Father. You say that Henry Dayton Jr your ancestor was born 1728 which exactly corresponds to the probable date of birth of the elder brother of Norton Dayton; of whom I had no trace until I hit your branch, and since then I have felt almost sure you "hitch in" there.

You will of course be anxious now to correct the records of Colchester and I hope to hear what you find at your convenience as early as possible.

Henry Dayton of the will had property in New England and at other places away from the Island it

5 seems, but I cannot hear of his ever having lived off of the Island. Norton his second son was born on Long Island where ever the eldest may have been. Are you sure that Henry Dayton Jr was not born on Long Island, and that his father ever lived on the main lands--These are the important points to be cleared up to find out your connection, and perhaps you can tell from the Colchester Records--It will be well for us someday to send to Syme also--as to New London I find nothing in the histories of that place but the Town Records may show something possibly - I have a Miss Dayton married in New London about 1700 and also I find that this Henry Dayton who made the will had a law suit in 1740 that had some reference to New London--

6 The copy of the will I send you is in pencil but I guess you can make it out all right. Little attention was paid to spelling then. You will see that Catharine Abigail and Abraham are in both of your families as names--

As to who are the ancestors of Henry Dayton who made this will, I will tell you what I can--

The Daytons have been longer in this country than you evidently have any idea--

Ralph Dayton Born about 1598 is the first settler I find--He was living in New Haven in 1638, one of the very first settlers. He lived there until 1649 when he removed to East Hampton Long Island and lived their till he died, one of the leading inhabitants in wealth and influence.

He had at least 2 children, and I have some traces pointing to another. One of his sons was named Robert and he remained at East Hampton