Richard's father seems to have taken the name of Williams for his family name ; but as the surname of Williams was of so late a standing, his Majesty recommended it to Sir Richard to use that of Cromwell in honor of his relation, the Earl of Essex, whose present greatness entirely obliterated his former meanness."* The several branches of the Cromwell family in America claim descent from the same parent stock as that of the Protector Oliver Cromwell. It is presumed that the ancestor of the American line was Col. John Cromwell, third son of Sir Oliver, and a brother of the Protector. John, a colonel in the royal army, mar. Abigail

. He had a da. Joan and a son John, who emigrated from Holland to

the New Netherlands. John, son of Col. John, resided at Long Neck, Westchester. He mar. Mary , and left two sons, John, from whom the

present Oliver Cromwell and Jeremiah of West Farms are descended, and James. The latter was b. 1696, and d. 1780 ; he mar. Esther Godfrey, and left, I. John, of Harrison, b. 5th December, 1727, d. 1805, mar. Anna Hopkins of L. I. she was b. January 12, 1730. II. Cromwell. HI. James,

who left Oliver. IV. William of Poughkeepsie, who had William of New

a Burke's Hist, of the Landed Gentry of England, vol. i. 429.

APPENDIX. 513

Vork, and Robert of Canada. John, eldest son of James and Esther Godfrey, had, I. James, b. Nov. G, 1752, d. 23d Dec. 1828, mar. Kith of May, 1782, Charlotte Hunt, da. of Aaron ; she was b. 18th Nov. 1762, and d. Jan'y, 1839. Their children were, 1. Daniel, who mar. Elizabeth Townsend, and had Henry, Edward, Daniel, and Charlotte, all of New York. 2. James, who mar.