Linda Berg Stafford's account of the Day Family:

[Daniel Day, who died in 1760 in Mendham, Morris County, New Jersey, is the earliest proven Day in this lineage. His parents, birth date, and birthplace are not known. Some researchers believe Daniel may have descended from George and Mary (Riggs) Day, Puritans who came from Milford, Connecticut and settled in Newark, New Jersey. However, the lineage is not established or proven. John Littell in his 1851 book, "First Settlers of Passaic Valley Above Chatham", mistakenly placed Daniel as the son of Jonathan, grandson of Joseph Day and Hannah Sargeant, and great grandson of George and Mary Day. Considering that Daniel's first child was born in 1728, Daniel had to have been born before 1712, and Jonathan was born 1719-20. Daniel's wife was named Mary, but there is no record of her maiden name, parents, birth date or birthplace].

Daniel was among the very first settlers in Chatham, Morris County, New Jersey, buying land on the west bank of the Passaic River before 1728 from John Budd, a wealthy Philadelphia merchant. Daniel's land was adjacent to that of two other Days, John and Abul, but their relationship to each other is not clear. John Day bought 100 acres on either side of an old Indian crossing, the Minisink Trail, at a natural ford crossing the Passaic River. Daniel bought 150 acres to the southwest of John's plantation, and Abul bought 146 acres south of Daniel.

A bridge was constructed on John Day's property, and for many years the community was referred to as John Day's Bridge. Although most of Daniel's family moved farther west in Morris County to Mendham, Daniel's son, Timothy, and grandson, Israel, stayed in Chatham and operated a well known tavern.

The communities of Chatham and Mendham were settled mainly by Scotch-Irish people from Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey; Long Island, New York; and New England. They were plain people with very little education who were interested in good farmland and the abundant iron ore. Excellent water power, wood for charcoal, and high quality, easily available iron ore led naturally to the manufacture of iron. In fact, there were so many forges in the area, it was nicknamed "Old Forges."

The Days were Presbyterian and probably worshiped at a nearby church. The area's first church was organized in 1718, the Presbyterian Church at Whippany, and it remained the only church of any denomination for more than 20 years. In 1740, another Presbyterian church was established at West Hanover (now called Morristown), and, in 1747, a third Presbyterian church was organized at Bottle Hill (now called Madison). Some of the families in Chatham also worshiped at the New Providence Presbyterian Church to the east, but it wasn't until 1823 that Chatham had its own Presbyterian Church, well after Daniel's family had moved.

When the Day family moved to Mendham, they worshiped at the Hilltop First Presbyterian Church. One of their ministers was Rev. John Pierson, youngest son of the first President of Yale College and a man of great learning and purity of character, but boring; he was finally asked to resign "because his ministrations had ceased to interest them". In 1938, Eugene Carrell of Morristown, New Jersey, wrote the lineage of the Day Family for the 200th Anniversary of the Hilltop First Presbyterian Church and included Daniel and his son, Nehemiah.

His children are clearly named in his Will. Carrell listed two other children, Hannah and David, who probably preceded Daniel in death and, are therefore, not named in his Will. Four of Daniel's sons served in the Revolutionary War in New Jersey, including Nehemiah who left a detailed account of his experience. Daniel died between April 12, 1760, when his Will was written and June 10, 1760, when his Will was probated.

Sources:
John Littell, Genealogies of the First Settlers of Passaic Valley above Chatham, (Feltville, NJ: Stationers' Hall Press, 1851), pp.113-123.

Margery Frances Day Hanson, "Day Unto Day", (Burlington," VT: Queen City Printers, 1978), p. 35.

Eugene Carrell, "The Day Family of Mendham," in Two Hundredth Anniversary Reminiscences of the First Presbyterian Church Mendham, New Jersey 1738-1938. ed. by Helen Wright, (Jersey City, NJ, 1938), pp.56-58.

Rev. Joseph F. Tuttle, D.D., "The Early History of Morris County, New Jersey," (Newark, NJ: New Jersey Historical Society. 1869)
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New Jersey Colonial Documents Calendar of Wills 1751 - 1760, pg. 88; 10 June 1760 in Mendham, Morris, New Jersey:
In the name of God amen. April the twelfth 1760.
I, Daniel Day, of Mendham in Morris County and eastern division of the province of New Jersey being sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given to God therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to dye do make and ordain this my last will and testament touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life I give demise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form --

Item, I give and bequeath unto my son Benjamin Day
Item, I give and bequeath to my Son Samuel Day
Item, I give and bequeath unto Mary my beloved wife
Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Desire
Item, I give and bequeath unto my son Zekiel Day (not Jehiel)
Item, I give and bequeath unto my son Artemas Day
Item, I give and bequeath unto my son Nehemiah Day
Item, I give and bequeath unto my son Jeremiah Day
Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary
Item, I give and demise unto my two sons Timothy & Daniel Day