The New York Branch
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by
Frederic C. Torrey
The origin of the New York Branch of the Torrey family is shrouded in the mists of a comparatively recent antiquity. All that the most intensive research has so far accomplished is to reveal that one James Torrey married in New York City an Elizabeth Peach who died in New York City of yellow fever. They had a son James and a daughter Elizabeth or Betsey who married [Peleg] Smith. James Senior then married a Catherine Niver and they removed to Hopewell, Orange Co., New York where they had ten children, as shown.
The Introduction to the Nova Scotia Branch in this book names a "John, brother to the Nova Scotia progenitor James, who is rumored to have settled in the United States, and he may have been the ancestor of the New York Branch, father of James. Also in Volume One in the Introduction to the North Carolina Branch is noted a rumor that the progenitors first went to New York and one of them staid there. It is, however, just as possible that James, the first of the New York Branch may have dropped into New York City "on his own." There is no evidence to connect him with the Main Branch.‡
‡ A James Torrey of New York City, who was born about 1795, married Dec. 16, 1818 Elizabeth Brill. He had stepbrother David and brother Thomas, and sisters Matilda, Jane and Maria. His father was John Torrey who married first Feb. 28, 1787 in New York Margaret McArthur or (McEnthune) with above son David, and second Margaret McCulloch or (McCullen). I have descendants of this Branch and they will be found in Appendix to the New York Branch, but they are noted here as possibly in some way connected with the above family.
This concludes Frederic C. Torrey's verbatim written remarks of Frederic C. Torrey concerning the New York Branch of Torreys and its relationship to the other Torrey Branches.
Source: Frederic C. Torrey, The Torrey Families and their Children in America, Volumes I, II [1924, 1929]