Read the ebook Historical and genealogical miscellany; data relating to the settlement and settlers of New York and New Jersey by John E. (John Edwin) Stillwell

Read the ebook Historical and genealogical miscellany; data relating to the settlement and settlers of New York and New Jersey by John E. (John Edwin) Stillwell

Great resource.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Dennis

Ralph Waldo Emerson Dennis 1852-1914, of Chicago , was a great great great grandson of Samuel Dennis of Shrewsbury. Ralph was a teacher , principal and super. of schools.

Photo is of the Park Manor School in Chicago, where he was principal from 1890 - 1910.

He graduated from Cornell University in 1877. He taught at the State Normal School in Oshkosh WI, where he met and married Ellen White, daughter of the Mayor of Racine WI in 1881.

(Ellen White was, by coincidence , a distant cousin of ours through the Tilton side of the family.... For that matter, so was Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Ellen, and their daughter Mary Dennis were both also teachers.

Son Chester Dennis was born in Jamestown , North Dakota in 1887, where his father was either a lawyer or a teacher of law. The record is unclear.

I wonder if there is any connection between being named after Ralph Waldo Emerson and choosing a career in Education.

Brief biography of Samuel Dennis

On November 2nd, 1650, Samuel Dennis was born in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, England. He was baptized on January fifth.

His father was Benjamin Dennis, who was born there as well in 1624.

Samuel's birth was just after the the English Civil War, while Oliver Cromwell was Lord Protector of the English Common wealth. By 1660 when Samuel was ten years old, Cromwell had died, the Commonwealth collapsed, and the monarchy was restored under Charles the Second.

Samuel and his father Benjamin were bricklayers, possibly his grandfather as well. So by this age Samuel was probably learning the trade.

Samuel Dennis was a "Quaker". a member of the Society of Friends. In 1675 he left England to join the Quaker settlement at Shrewsbury, East Jersey.

He arrived in New York on October 27th 1675, and boarded at the home of Restore Lippincott on Rumson Neck, now Rumson New Jersey. Restore was the brother of his future wife, Increase. In 1676 he sent back to England for a letter from the Men's Monthly Meeting at Stansted Mountfitchet, which stated he was of good character and "clear of engagements" to marry.

His marriage to Increase Lippincott took place in Shrewsbury on April first 1680, when Samuel was about thirty years of age. By 1685 he is listed as paying quit rent on 120 acres of land at Shrewsbury. His home was on the same spot that my mother grew up in, now Sycamore Avenue and Sunnybank Lane, Little Silver, New Jersey.

Samuel and Increase had their children beginning in 1682 when their first daughter Abigail, named for her grandmother Abigail Lippincott was born. Samuel Jr was born in 1689, Jacob in 1691, and daughter Zipheah in 1693. Their youngest child Rachel was born before 1695, when Increase died on September 29 at the age of thirty eight.

Samuels daughter Abigail was about thirteen years old at the time of her mothers death, so presumably she helped care for her younger siblings from that time on.

Besides farming, Samuel was active in public affairs, being elected to represent Shrewsbury at the General Assembly of East Jersey at Perth Amboy in 1692. 1693 and 1694 . His name also appears as a surveyor, an active buyer and seller of property, and a Justice of the Peace from 1704 - 1723.

In December of 1702, the family converted to the Episcopal church, when a large number of Quakers were converted by a traveling minister, George Keith, himself a former Quaker.

Samuel Dennis passed away at Shrewsbury on June 7th, 1723. His gravestone can be found at Christ Church in Shrewsbury.

Charles James Turner

Charlie and Beth Turner, Morristown NJ in the Forties and Washington DC in 1970

Fathers Day

All the other posts on this blog are on my mothers side of the family, The Dennis and Hobbs families, this one is for my father on Fathers Day.

Here are his ancestors, several generations of fathers ( and mothers too). Mostly the families started out in the Boston area in the 1600's , then settled the frontiers of Massachusetts and Maine as they expanded.

His father, Frederick H. Turner, had changed his name from Selden Pliny Henley in the 1890's. Both names appear on the chart, but they are the same person.

His mothers parents, James and Helen Power, were from Ireland , emigrating to Newfoundland. I don't think they ever came to America.

One ancestor family, the Tristam Coffin family of Nantucket Mass. shows up in both the Dennis and Turner family trees.

Helen B. Pierson 1891-1983

Edwin Hobbs with Helen Pierson.


Helen B. Pierson was born in Morristown NJ , September 17th 1891. Her parents were Joseph F Pierson and Harriet Little. Her father was a letter carrier for the post office.

Her great great Grandfather was Job Pierson 1768-1852. He first appears on the 1806 census in Mount Freedom NJ. He was a farmer and a nail maker. He was a founder of the Mount Freedom Presbyterian Church in 1820. The family farm was along Hanover Avenue in the Shongum section, near where the Morris View nursing home is today.

His son, Helen's great grandfather, Alpheus Pierson 1806-1891 was also a farmer, nailmaker as well as a storekeeper and Justice of the Peace.

Helen's grandfather was named Alpheus Ebenezer Pierson 1841-1925, and was a butcher as well as a dealer in hides and tallow, who lived in Morristown.

The sources disagree as to where Job Pierson came from, the 1850 census says he was born in NJ, the 1880 census listing for his son gives Jobs birth location as NY. Another local history says he was from England.

Many of the Morristown area Piersons were descendants of Thomas Pierson who was among the first English settlers in the area. He built a sawmill in 1685 near the Greystone State Hospital site.

I could not find anything on the family of Helens mother, Harriet Little, except that her parents came from Ireland in 1863. Helen's Grandmother Jane Little and her Uncle William Leslie Little lived next door at 7 Hazel Street in Morristown according to the 1900 and 1910 census.

Letter from Killyman, County Tyrone, Ireland

This letter was written to 2nd Great grandfather Richard Simpson , May 17, 1863

;;;;;;;;;

My Dear Brother,

I have long thought on your not writing me, if there is a cause for so dong it is more than I know the reason. Your capital I think would afford to write your sister, you may think me (illegible) but I do not think this way. I think I might not care what I should write my brother and I hope you will look on this as coming from the hand of near relation. For my part I have lots of relations ... friends I believe I am the lowest in circumstances therefore I hope you will acknowledge me and answer to this note. I believe your capital is very strong and I trust you will remember me soon. I have written you several letters besides sending you word by my friends but of no use it has seemed.
I have looked on it this way that perhaps you did not get them or no word spoken to you. Our day might not be long in this life then our troubles will be over. This country has got a great change for the worse by reason of bad trade. I need not mention this as you know all this already. I send my kind love to Mrs. & children also accept the same yourself as it is all I have in my power. My husband to send his love to you all the parties that writes this is a great friend of ours and hopes you will give praise to the write by answering soon.
(Brother John is well)

From your affect. Sister Jane Dilworth care of Thomas Cross

Mayrow? (illegible) Killyman County Tyrone.

..............

Julia Jones Still Hobbs

I found a web page with a family tree for Julia Jones Still Hobbs here.

It seems she was married twice, first to a Still, secondly to James Hobbs.

here is an excerpt from the above site: If it is correct , that is a whole lot of new ancestors in a single paragraph !


41. George Jones7, was born Feb. 4, 1787, at Edenville, Warwick Township. N .Y ..and died Dec. 23, 1868, at Vails Gate. N .Y where he had been living with a daughter after selling his farm. He md. Jan. 18, 1806 (perhaps at a double wedding with sister Rebecca) in Warwick Township;.Jane Lazear. b. Feb. 8, li88 in Warwick Township; died Oct. 8, 1857. Jane was the daughter of Cornelius Lazear and his wife, Catharine Lobdell, and the granddaughter of Johannes Lazear and his second wife, Jannetie Banta of Hackensack. Catherine Lobdell was dau. of Lieut. Samuel Lobdell, (Who came from Connecticut and married Elizabeth Blaine, dau. of Thomas Blaine, one of Warwick's first settlers, and Catharine Wisner, dau. of Johannes Wisner.) George was a farmer and an active leader of the Methodist Church. Both are buried in Warwick Cemetery. Children all born Warwick:

Children: 12

62. i. Catharine8 b. June 5, 1807; died Sept. 15. 1807.

63. ii. Samuel L.8 born Feb. 3. 1809; died July 7, 1889. He md. Oct. 28, 1830, Cecelia Dolan. She d. March I, 1832, and he md. (2) Isabella King.

64. iii. Sarah8 born Feb. 24. 1811; died Jan. 8, 1899. She md. Wesley Still of Vails Gate, May 4, 1831, who died May 26, 1884. Issue: Sarah, Elizabet., George, and Wilbur.

65. iv. Jane8 born .Apr. 25, 1813; died Jan. 13, 1901. md. May 26, I842, Thomas Still of Vails Gate, N., who died act. 30, I880.


66. v. Lumen A8 born June 21, 1815; died Oct 11, 1884. md. Sophia __________
( UNINTELIGBLE – 4 lines of BAD COPY Includes child 67, female * Julia Jones)

died. Nov. 8, 1844, at Florida. N.Y. He was son of Henry Still and Elizabeth Coleman, and was a carriage maker by trade. Issue: Catherine md. Artermas Many; Josephine md. Moses W Fuller; Hiram md: Jane Peck. Julia md. (2) *John Hobbs and had three children none of whom had issue. ,
NOTE -- Clearly not correct -- her husband was James Hobbs, and her son James Jr had two Children- Edwin and Wilbur Hobbs. ---68. vii. Catharine8 born Jan. 29, 1820; died Jan. 19, 1899. She md. Feb 23, 1843, Nathaniel Covert and removed to Dutchess Junction. N..Y. Issue: George, Henry, Cecelia, Alonzo, Fletcher, Judson: Alida, NathanIel, WilIard and Catharine.

69. viii. Cornelius8 born Jan. 24. 1822; d. July 10, 1854. md. Aug. 5, .1845.. LouIsa Ferner. Issue: Edward, md. Alice ??emerest; James.

70. IX. William8 born June 27, 1824; died Sept. 22, 1828.

71. x. Harriet V.8 born Oct. I, 1826; died Oct. 17. 1865. She married Sept. 15, 1847. William Many who died in 1851. She md. (2) John Hardwick in 1853. No issue.

72. xi. Hester Ann8 born Sept. 23. 1829; died Jan. 17. 1906. She md. (1) on Jan. 16. 1851..James VanDuzer who died Sept. 20, 1851, son of John and Nancy (Benedict) VanDuzer; had one son,Jarnes J., born posthumously. She .md. (2) Nov 13. 1855, William Satterly Curtis. son of Benjamin and Ablgail (Satterly) Curtis of Blooming Grove. N .Y. They had three children: Edward Thomas, Jennie Curtis. and Ruth Camille.

73. xii. Celia D.8 born Jan. 10, 1832; died Oct. 5, 1902. She md. Dec. 18, 1855, Robert Ferrier and had one child, Harriet, who md. Emory ; Dederick.