[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 1, Ed. 1, Tree #5155, Date of Import: Aug 21, 1998]

John's son Richard, unlike John, is well documented in primary sources. He was in Hempstead by 1657 (when he was 17) and his first job was taking care of cows for people in the community (there is an involved legal contract for this in Records of the Town of N. and S. Hempstead, LI (1654-1880) and was frequently mentioned in the town records in court cases or tax notices. He is usually noted as having three sons -- Henry, William, and Benjamin. The fact his father John is not mentioned in the Hempstead town records seems odd. It is also odd that Richard did not name any of his sons "John" which would have followed accepted practice (but see his will below, he may have named a son John).

Richard seems to have done well in Hempstead, becoming a land owner and cow owner. Cows were introduced very early in the colonies, around 1633 I believe -- but they still must have been a valuable commodity. His probable will (from Long Island Source Records from the NY Gen & Biog Records, Henry Hoff, ed, Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co. 1987, page 137) is noted as follows:

"Sticks (Stites?) Richard (of Westbury) 6 Nov 1700. To wife Mary a third of the personal, stock, etc. To son John 22 acres beside what he has had; to son Benjamin 10 pounds. To my son Henry & his two sons each a yearling, besides what I have given him; to son William 100 acres at Millstone Rock already given him. To dau. Rebecah 20s to be paid to her husband Robert Denge. Residue of personal to daus Margaret & Mary. Overseers: Nathaniel Pearsall & William Willis. Wits: Samuel, Silas, & John Titus. Pro. 5 March 1700/01.

There were various ways of spelling Stites in the Hempstead records, and Richard himself apparently did not write (usually signing with "his mark"). The names in the will, for the most part, seem to match. Still, the questions remain.

Other information on Richard, from letter of Iris Thomas:

"Came to America at the age of 18 with his father who was then 63 years old. He landed at Plymouth, Mass., in 1658 and later settled in Hempstead, L.I. (note of Joseph Durbin Stites).

The first account I have of the name of the Stites's was Henry and Richard who were born in the reign of King Charles II in Derbyshire in England. They came into America about the year 1678 , and settled in Long Island in the New York Government (from Charles A. Stites (10) who received it from his Aunt Mildred Breedlove Stites -wife of Everett G. (9) when his grandfather Charels E. Stites (8) died. This was in an envelope with the address" Mrs. Rebecca J. Wharton, Westchester, Butler Co., Ohio) [RWS: The 1678 date is too late for Richard, who is recorded as being in Hempstead, L.I. as early as 1658 in the Annals of Hempstead]

Evidently John's son Richard was here first (before John, M.D.) I found traces of him in Hempstead, L.I. and one reference on a deed of sale to his being from "County of Yorkshire, North Riding" See The Annals of Hempstead - 1643-1832 by Henry Onderdonk, Jr., page 232 (From Frances R. Stites (10).\\

In these same annals, which is copied from original records officially filed with the town clerk -- there are numerous references to Richard -- suits for damages, purchase and sale of property (land and cows) and his will which was probated in 1709 (which conflicts with reported date of death in 1702). It was one of these deeds dated March 11, 1680 when he sold land to Henry Willis that states: I, Richard Stites of Westberry in y'e bound s of Hempstead on Long Island nd County of Yorkshier in y'd north Riding thereof, which would indicate that he came from that section of England, although your records show him to have been born in London.

Many reference to Richard in the Annals of Hempstead -
- name spelled Stiles, Stites, and Stich, as follows:
- page 24 - Jan. 21, 1660 - Stites vs. Washburn (suit for money owed, was awarded 4 pounds)
- page 28 - Fef. 3, 1675 - Richard Stites vs. M. Johannes
- page 29 - Jan. 6, 1676 - Mention of ownership of land, cows, etc.
- page 38 - 1657 - some land he sold (he signed by an X)
(letter of Frances R. Stites (10).

Although I have not found any information confirming this, the list submitted by Charles A Stites (10) which came from Rebecca J. Wharton indicates that Richard (2)had a brother Henry, and had seven children (Henry ,John, Richard, Elijah, Benjamine, Margaret, and Mary) rather then the three/four we have always noted (Henry, Benjamin, Richard and William). It says that it was Henry and Benjamin that came to Cape May, and Henry had seven children (Henry, Richard, Joshua, John, Isaiah, Mary and Martha) rather the five noted before (Richard Jr., Mary, Henry, Hannah, and John).

The list also says that Benjamin Stites married Elizabeth Foreman, and they had 3 sons and 2 daughters -- George, benjamin, Jonathon, beborah, and Martha. This agrees with previous information. (from Iris Thomas)

There is a possibility that Mary Naylor (born Underhill) was Richard's second wife, and that Henry and Benjamin were children of the first wife. Underhill can apparently trace lineage back to Edward I of England, according to genealogy in Cape May Genealogical Museum. But I've never seen it reported that Richard has two wives outside of this one note. Long Island Source Records by Hoff. Hist. and Gen. Record of Families of Old Fairfield by Jacobus. NY Gen. & Bio. Rec. Vol. 28 p. 166. From the Lawlands Ghost Return by W.E. Massey p. 142. New York State Detp. Names of Persons for Whom Marriage Licences were Issued Prior to 1784 p. 373 Death: Genealogical Records of NY July-October, 1897 Family: Gildersleeve Pioneers, "ibid, p. 139. Will: New York Wills Vol. 1 p. 141 Family: Underhill Genealogy, ed by Josephine C. Frost, Vol IV, pp. 2-3 Family: "The Underhills of Warwickshire." J.H. Morrison

Generation No. 2

Richard STITES (John Stote/Stites) was born 1640, and died 1702 in Hempstead, Long Island, NY. He married (1) unknown. He married (2) Mary UNDERHILL May 14, 1668, daughter of Humphrey UNDERHILL and unknown HALL.

Child of Richard STITES and unknown is:

(a). Henry STITES, born Abt. 1662 in Hempstead, NY. Children of Richard STITES and Mary UNDERHILL are:

(b). Benjamin STITES, born Abt. 1670; died 1732 in Cape May, NJ. He married Elizabeth unknown.

(c). Rebecca STITES.

(d). John STITES, died Abt. 1701 of Hempstead.

(e). William STITES, Sr., born April 3, 1676 in Hempstead, Long Island, NY; died May 13, 1727 in Springfield, NJ.

(f). Margaret STITES.

(g). Mary STITES.

Shirley R. Wilcoxon