William Huntington (say 1620 – c.1689) is my probable 8th-great-grandfather, possibly doubly, depending on the Elliott mysteries. His descendants are considered part of the North American Huntington family, and he is sometimes proposed be related to Simon Huntington, which might give me a common Huntington descent through both my parents. He migrated from England, and settled in Amesbury, Massachusetts (then part of Salisbury). He married Joanna/Joan, daughter of John Bailey. His birthplace and parents are not known, and his birthdate is estimated only from the births of his children.
William’s wife has long been known to be named Joanna, and the fact that she was provided amply for in the will of John Bailey (often spelled Bayly) led to the suspicion that she was his daughter. Later research in England confirmed this; she was baptized 1622-07-14 in Bromham, England, a daughter of John. Her mother Ann was also a Bayly, daughter of William, but the family is not traced beyond that.
Huntington genealogists have long speculated a connection between William and Simon Huntington. The Huntington Family Association (HFA)’s 1915 book proposes that William is a son of Simon by an earlier marriage, while others have conjectured that he was Simon’s younger brother. However, there remains no proof of any relationship between the two men.
As one author points out, “the names Christopher and Simon do not occur among [William’s] descendants”ref, which suggests William was not Simon’s son.
The HFA Huntington family numbering system nevertheless gives him the label 1.1, as though he were Simon’s first-born.
William and Joanna had three known children: John; James, who died in infancy; and Mary. Records of wills and deeds suggest no others. Mary, who married Joshua Goldsmith, is believed to have had no children. All descendants are thus through John, who had 9 known children, of who 2 died young.
My probable descent is through John’s daughter Deborah, who married Edmund Elliott, via their son Edmund Elliott, who may be the father of Nathaniel Elliott. Nathaniel’s wife’s mother was Hannah Elliot, whose parents are unknown, but have been speculated to also be Edmund and Deborah, who had a recorded daughter Hannah otherwise unaccounted for. If so, that gives me a double descent from William, just as I have from Simon.