A Portrait and Biographical Record of Hendricks County (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1895)--pages 916-919
History and Genealogy of the Hadley Family--This is one of the oldest, most substantial and conservative families of Hendricks County. For generation after generation its male members have been prosperous farmers, noted for their steadiness of character and adherence to the Friends' Church. The progenitor of the family in America was Simon Hadley, who was born in Ireland. Tradition says that he came to America as a stow-away on a vessel bound for Philadelphia. He settled in Bucks County, Pa., and became a wealthy and influential man of considerable note, and it is said he was a slave-owner, and was accustomed to deal out the rations to his slaves himself. He was a lover of fine horses, of which he kept quite a number. He was finally found dead in his stable, some persons believing that he was robbed and killed by one of his servants for the money which he carried upon his person. Some believed that he was kicked to death by one of his fine horses. He was a land owner in Bucks County, Pa., and a very influential member of the Friends' Church.
One of his sons, Joshua, the founder of the branch of the family with which this notice is most concerned, settled in North Carolina as a pioneer, and there married Patience Lindley. They became the parents of Simon, born fifth day, third month, 1737, and married Bridget Foote; Mary, born twenty-ninth day of third month, 1739, married Benjamin Pickett; Jeremiah, born twenty-third of fifth month, 1741; Joshua, born twenty-third of fifth month, 1743, married Ruth Lindley; Joseph, born fifth of tenth month, 1745, married a Cashatt for his first wife; Deborah, born fifth day of twelfth month, 1747, married Mincher Litler; Hannah, born twenty-sixth of second month, 1749, married Jesse Johnson; Catherine, born twenty-fourth of ninth month, 1752, married Thomas Halliday; Lydia, born twenty-fourth of eleventh month, 1756, married Samuel Halliday.
The following are the names and ages of Joshua and Ruth (Lindley) Hadley's children: Sarah, born the seventeenth of eight month, 1762, married Eli Newlin for her first husband, and Jeremiah Pickett for her second husband; Thomas, born the tenth day of twelfth month, 1763, married Mary Newlin; Simon, born sixth day of the tenth month, 1765, married Elizabeth Thompson, who was born eighth day of the seventh month, 1770; Joshua, born twenty-fourth day, first month, 1767, died when about six years old; William, born twentieth day, twelfth month, 1768, married Sarah Clark; John, born twenty-third day, twelfth month, 1770, married Lydia Harvey; a second daughter, born the twentieth day of tenth month, 1772, died in eight days, unnamed; Ruth, born fourteenth day, tenth month, 1773, married Hugh Woody; Mary, born fifteenth day, tenth month, 1775, married Nathaniel Edward; Jeremiah, born sixteenth day, tenth month, 1777, married Mary Hornaday; Jonathan, born ninth day, ninth month, 1779, married Ann Long; Jacob, born first day, third month, 1781, married Phoebe Pickett (second wife); Joshua, born thirteenth day, twelfth month, 1783, married Rebecca Henshaw (second wife); Catherine, born thirteenth day, six month, 1787, married Jesse Dixon; Joseph, born thirteenth day, sixth month, 1787, married Mary Henshaw; Patience, born seventeenth day, sixth month, 1789, married Benjamin Pickett.
Simon Hadley, Sr., and Elizabeth Thompson were married fifth month, tenth day, 1787, and they were the parents of fourteen children: Martha, born fourth month, fourteenth day, 1788, died tenth month, eighteenth day, 1847; James T., born seventh month, sixteenth day, 1789, died second month, twenty-seventh day, 1871; Ruth, born third month, fourteenth day, 1793, died tenth month, twenty-eighth day, 1797; Joshua T., born first month, twenty-eighth day, 1793, died tenth month, fourteenth day, 1841; Sarah, born twelfth month, twenty-seventh day, 1796, died first month, eighth day, 1877; Elizabeth, born first month, fourth day, 1799, died twelfth month, twenty-second day, 1858; Simon, born ninth month, twenty-third day, 1801, died third month, eighth day, 1872; Elenor, born ninth month, fifth day, 1803, died third month, thirtieth day, 1806; John T., born twelfth month, thirteenth day, 1805, died seventh month, twenty-fifth day, 1857; Mary, born second month, twenty-second day, 1808, died eleventh month, nineteenth day, 1880; Thomas T., born fourth month, twelfth day, 1810, died tenth month, thirteenth day, 1884; Jeremiah, born sixth month, second day, 1812, died seventh month, fifth day, 1814; William T., born seventh month, fifteenth day, 1814, died eleventh month, seventeenth day, 1889. This is the genealogy of the race of Hadley unto the present generation.
After Joshua Hadley, the second Joshua of this record, had married Ruth Lindley, he settled on land in Chatham County, N.C. Of his father, Joshua, nothing further is known. Joshua and Ruth lived in a log cabin with a dirt floor, and their furniture was of the most primitive description and home make. Joshua was a very industrious man and a good manager. He built a grist-mill, which he ran for many years; he also raised and dealt in fine horses and flourished exceedingly, becoming a man of wealth for his community, and owning a large tract of land. He was a man of marked characteristics, sound judgment, and a practical business man. He was well known in his county, as he kept a mill which was frequented by settlers from miles around. Old John Newlin of Chatham County, N.C., a well known, wealthy Quaker, of high character, knew Joshua Hadley well, and in a conversation with Addison Hadley, of this county, told him that “Joshua was not as intelligent as some, was a great hand to sleep, but was always wide-awake on a trade.” He was a man of strong willpower, sturdy of frame, stout built and of powerful physique. His wife, Ruth, was a woman of much gentleness and kindness of heart, and when people had come a long distance to mill, she would always have some refreshments for each, especially for the boys who rode miles on horseback, bringing a two-bushel sack of corn to be ground. Her virtues are still remembered by her descendants. She was a woman of much intelligence, and it is related that the afternoon after the birth of her son Jacob in the morning, which was during the Revolutionary War, that she was taken on a sheet in the yard, to hear the cannonading at the battle of Guilford, forty miles away. The Hadleys were among the prosperous people of that part of North Carolina. They owned no slaves and some of them were very out-spoken in their anti-slavery views. Ruth Hadley died at about fifty years of age from over-exertion and heat. Joshua lived to be over seventy years of age, and left his children all a good property. He was a stanch adherent of the Quaker church and brought all his children up in the faith. After the death of his first wife, he married a widow Hiatt, who died two years after. He afterward married Jane Henshaw, but there were no children by either of these marriages.
William T. Hadley, son of Simon and Elizabeth (Thompson) Hadley, was born in Chatham County, N.C., seventh month, fifteenth day, 1814, on his father's farm, on which, for two generations, his family had been engaged in agriculture. He received a limited common education, learning to write a plain hand and the common branches necessary for the transaction of business. His father, Simon, had come to Hendricks County, Ind., in the fall of 1829, and settled on the land where Mrs. Ruth Hadley now resides. Here Simon Hadley, assisted by his sons, cleared up an excellent farm of 253 acres, still retained in the family. He was a Quaker, an upright, hard-working farmer, one of the pioneers of Hendricks County, and one of the first members of the Hadley family to settle in this county. William T. Hadley married Beulah Hunt in the eleventh month, twelfth day, 1837, and they had two sons—Tillman, born fourth month, thirteenth day, 1839, and died first month, seventeenth day, 1888; Daniel, born first month, thirteenth day, 1843, and died eighth month, second day, 1865—a soldier in the civil war in an Indiana regiment, at Harper's Ferry. Mrs. Hadley died first month, twenty-third day, 1843, and Mr. Hadley, tenth month, first day, 1843, married Ruth Woody, the daughter of John and Mary Holliday Woody.
John Woody was from an old American family, born tenth month, fourteenth day, 1777, in Orange County, N.C. He was the son of James and Mary (Laughlin) Woody, who were old settlers in North Carolina. John Woody and wife were the parents of the following children: Thomas, Sarah, Elizabeth, James, Catherine, Hannah, Mahlon, Mary, John, Ruth, Eleanor and Samuel. Mr. Woody came from Orange County, N.C., to Parke County, Ind., in 1829, was one of the pioneers of that county and became a substantial farmer. He and family were all members of the Friends' Church, and in that faith he died on his farm in 1856. He voted the Whig ticket and was an honest and respected man. After marriage Mr. Hadley settled on the old homestead, where he resided until his death. Politically he voted the Republican ticket. He was a hard-working man of high character and reared a respected family of children, as follows: Harriet S., born January 20, 1846; Martha T., born June 20, 1848, died December 25, 1864; Mary E., February 2, 1850, died December 21, 1869. Harriet S. married William C. Stanley, and to them have been born seven children, now living: Luna O., Elda R., Mervin T., John W., Arthur W., Alva W., and Sarah E. Mary Elizabeth married Elias M. Hodson, February 15, 1868, and to them was born one son, Horace M. (For marriage of Tillman Hadley, see sketch of Hannah Hadley). Mrs. Ruth Hadley's grandchildren married as follows: Luna O. Stanley married Elma Maxwell, and they have one daughter; Elda R. Stanley married John F. Soots, and they have two children; Julia V. Hadley married Arlendo Cox, and has three sons. Horace M. Hodson, son of Mary Elizabeth (Hadley) Hodson, married Lula M. Prichett, and is the father of one child.
Mrs. Ruth Hadley, our subject, was born in Orange County, N.C., October 20, 1827, and was seven years of age when she came to Indiana with her parents. The journey was made by means of a four-horse wagon and a carriage over the mountains. Mrs. Hadley is a woman of Christian virtues, a member of the Friends' Church, and has been throughout life a devoted mother and a woman of patient industry.