. The New York genealogical and biographical record . ,I happily came across a vol-ume which contained TheLife and Death of Willett, by * Smith, published1634. And at the BritishMuseum, London, I found catalogued some thirty-nine volumes, written and published by said Willett while he was rector of Barley. Knowing that thiswas the father of New Yorks First Mayor, I determined to go to Bar-ley Parish, and learn what I could of his early home. And here isanother error in the generally accepted account of the place whereThomas Willett was born : its location is put do
. The New York genealogical and biographical record . ,I happily came across a vol-ume which contained TheLife and Death of Willett, by * Smith, published1634. And at the BritishMuseum, London, I found catalogued some thirty-nine volumes, written and published by said Willett while he was rector of Barley. Knowing that thiswas the father of New Yorks First Mayor, I determined to go to Bar-ley Parish, and learn what I could of his early home. And here isanother error in the generally accepted account of the place whereThomas Willett was born : its location is put down as being in Wiltshire,whereas it is in the eastermost bounds of Hertfordshire, only fifteen milesfrom Cambridge, forty miles from London, and leagues away fromWiltshire. I set out from Kings Cross on Saturday, January 23, 1897, via GreatNorthern Railway. It was the day after the great snowstorm in Eng-land, a storm that not only filled the columns of the English newspapers,but as well filled all the lanes to Barley. I was set down at Royston, and. BARLEY CHURCH. HERTFORD. * Reverend Dr. Peter Smith married Tacobina. the daughter of Dr. AndrewWillett, and became the rector of Barley some little while after the death of , so well knew of whom he was writing. The Parish Register says that hiswife Jacobina was baptized November 26, 1592, and was buried April 10, 1650. Hedied August 22, 1657. IQ2 New Yorks First Mayor. [October, as there is no such thing as a sleigh in all the land, I had to take awagonette and go about five miles further to Barley Rectory. Theroads, mere lanes in width, with hedges on either side, were drifted sofull that in many places the snow was as high as the wheels of the wagon-ette. Ours was the first vehicle through, and only for the good stouthorse and a careful driver I fear the trip would have been a failure. Theprogress was slow indeed, but at last I was safely landed at my destina-tion. I was cordially welcomed by the rector, Rev. J. Frome
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