Joseph Valentine (abt. 1712 - aft. 1782)

The first real glimpse of his father comes from the chronology given in an interview by his grandson, Eleazer Valentine, in 1852. Assuming Eleazer gave Joseph's children in order of birth (as in the rest of the chronology), males first, then females, it appears his son Joseph was the second son. How many sisters may have preceded him and his elder (assumed) brother is anyone's guess, but seems to indicate Joseph (Sr.) would have been married by at least 1747/8. Joseph (Sr.) appears to have resided at Oyster Bay from at least about 1744.

1743/4 Mar 23: Joseph Valentine, Samuel Mott & Thomas Wright were witnesses to the will of Henry Weeks of Oyster Bay, yoeman. This will confirmed deeds to sons Robert, dec'd, Jacob, Silas, & Abraham; to sons Silas & Abraham meadow in the west neck; goods to sons Jacob, Silas & Abraham & to grandson Ezekiel, son of Robert, dec'd. Bequests to eldest dau Rachel, wife of Abrahm Weeks of Oyster Bay, & to youngest dau Freelove, wife of Richard Powell. Exrs: son-in-law Richard Powell & friend Samuel Willis. Proved 25 Oct 1744. Joseph's sister had married Samual Weeks, son of George, a few years earlier. George Weeks and Heney Weeks may have been brothers or otherwise close relatives.

Together with his brothers John and Richard, and the children of his sisters Abigail Kirke and Deborah Weeks he is an heir to his brother Samuel's estate in May 1744. It appears he may have received or soon purchased some livestock, as on December 15th of that year Joseph, son of Richard, registered his ear mark in the town of Oyster Bay. [Oyster Bay Record Book V 1733-1749. LDS film #844550] A similar ear mark, the minor image of the one registered in Oyster Bay, was registered at Hempstead by a Joseph Valentine on 28 Oct 1746, however, this Joseph was not further identified.

On 11 Jan 1747/8 Joseph Volintine, George Weeks and Robert Townsend witness a deed between Robert and Ruth Shadbot, cordwiner, of Queens County, grantor and Daniel Rugers (Rustgyard), tailor, of Oyster Bay, grantee of a house and one acre lot at Ash Swamp in Oyster Bay. No neighbors mentioned. [OB Book New A:146-7]

On 23, 4th mo., 1749 Cornelius Vorhis (Voorhees), Richard Powel, and Joseph Valentine witness the will of Adam Wright, of Oyster Bay. Adam mentions daughters: Rachel and Deborah; youngest sons Reuben and Solomon Wright when of age; three eldest sons: Peter, Thomas and James; youngest daughter: Abigail is with my wife and being provided for by her. Executors: friends Thomas Davis of West Hills, John Hewlett of East Woods, and Joshua Powell of Bethpage.

Joseph Valentine, yeoman, of Oyster Bay, son of Richard, deeded to Dan Duryea of Oyster Bay on 20 April 1757 land being in "the old Purchase and Patent of Oyster Bay between Cold Spring Harbor and the great Plains... 42 acres, together with timber, fences, fields, enclosures. Owner in proper right a Good Perfect & Absolut Estate of Inheritance in fee Simple." Wit: Joseph Coles & Samuel Willis. [Oyster Bay Town Record Book, Vol. VI 1750-1763, p. 390]

• • His wife may have already been dead by this time, as no release of dower rights has been found. Or it could be that no release of dower was necessary if she had not resided on the property with her husband.** This maybe the property which Joseph inherited in 1744 when his brother Samuel died.

Joseph's father, Richard (III), then of Hempstead Harbor wrote his will on the 7th of April 1768 and died within two months. The will appears to have bequeathed to Joseph at least three pieces of land. By this time Joseph was his only living son, yet does not seemed to be favored in the will, nor is he named as an executor. Thomas Seaman of Westbury, Israel Pearsall of Hempstead Harbor, his loving friends, and his grandson, Richard Kirk, were appointed executors of this Will. Witnesses were Elijah Gowdy, Hendrick Onderdonk and Samuel Willis. [NYHS COLL VII:183-4] It seems, understandable, that Joseph might have been passed over as an executor for a couple of reasons. It may be that he did not share his father's enthusiasum for the Quaker religion... or married outside the confines of that church's boundaries. Even by 1856 it was remember that Richard (III) had been a Quaker. So this notion, which this researcher has seen that Richard was a Quaker, was confirmed by his own grandson nearly 100 years after the fact (1856). There was a Quaker congregation which met regularly at nearby Westbury, but there records only exist back to 1697, well after Richard died. It seems likely that if Joseph was raised in the Quaker faith, and that for whatever reasons he abandoned it as a adult which may have caused his father a great deal of disappointment and/or embarrasment. The facts seem to support the notion Joseph's children were not raised as Quakers, at least no such indication was put forth by his grandson in 1856. And his son, Joseph, appearently volunteered for the militia in 1775. There are other claims that other sons also volunteered in the __ against --- Greene?--- as the Revolutionary fighting moved closer to Catham (Columbia Co), though no records seems to exist to substaniate these claims. The other reason which comes to mind, that Joseph was passed up as an executor of his father's estate, may be a case of simple logistics. It may be that after he sold his inherited 42 acres in Oyster Bay in 1757 he left Long Island for the mainland... but this too is only speculative as no records have been located placing a place of residency for him between 1757 and 1779. We simply do not know where he was for those 21 years.