Our cousin/brother, Mark Carley of CT has just found papers on file that
state that there were three Carley men in Fairfield about 1733-John, Joseph and
James. In one debt collection document, John Carley and Ephraim Jackson(John's
son Abraham's father-in-law ?) are the principales and written finely above
a line saying, "of Fairfield," is the phrase, "late of Marlborough now
resides...".
This is the only or most pointing written statement that we have yet to
confirm our conclusions thus far! It says John Carley was of Marlborough! The
document also seems to say "South Fairfield" which would be Southport today(next
to or part of Greensfarms and Westport) and there is a church there which
documents the family of David Sherwood and names John and Sarah (Sherwood
Carley).
Is this James is the brother of William who went to VA in the 1740's and
later to NC where the name became Cearley?
These would all be sons of Mariner William and Mary Bowden Carley - m. 1703
in Boston by Cotton Mather. Mary Bowden, daughter of John and Grace Bully
Bowden of Saco/Black Point, York, ME. William was of Marlborough, one of two
unregistered sons of Capt. Henry and Elizabeth Ward Carley.
Judy Schreiber
Bob Lefler