Biographical and genealogical history of the city of Newark and Essex County, New Jersey, V. 2, Part 14

Author: Ricord, Frederick W. (Frederick William), 1819-1897; Ricord, Sophia B
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: New York : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 678


USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > Biographical and genealogical history of the city of Newark and Essex County, New Jersey, V. 2 > Part 14


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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At a town meeting, January 24, 1686-87, "it is agreed that Benjamin Baldwin's or Stephen Davis's half Bushel shall be the standard which shall be thought most suit- able, and all Measures shall be sealed with an N and all Weights shall be tried by brass Weights if they can be had." "Town Meet- ing, January Ist, 1693-4. Item .- Benja- min Baldwin is chosen constable and he hath chosen Jonathan Baldwin, his son, for his deputy."


The children of Benjamin and Hannah (Sergeant) Baldwin were Benjamin (2d), Jonathan, Sarah, and Joseph. Benjamin Baldwin (2d), eldest child of Benjamin (Ist) and Hannah (Sergeant) Baldwin, was born in Newark (probably in that part now known as South Orange) about 1690. His children were David, born 1715; Aaron, about 1717; Sarah, 1720; and Benjamin (3d), 1730.


Aaron Baldwin, second child of Benja- min (2d), was born in South Orange, about 1717. He owned and died in the stone house (still standing, 1896) situated on the northwest corner of South Orange avenue and Munn avenue, in South Orange. He was a member in communion of the Moun- tain Society prior to 1756. By his will, dated September 7, 1797, he devised to his son Elias "forty acres of my land on the westerly end by Elizabeth River. * * To son Aaron, my house and all my land which I have not given to Elias," etc. Aaron (2d), however, died intestate before his father, in 1805, and the father, Aaron. Sr., made a codicil to his will in which he devises to grandsons Nehemiah, Joel and Cyrus, and further provides that their mother-the widow of his son Aaron-


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should be entitled to the same right of dow- er in the estate as she would have been had the property been vested in her husband and had he died intestate. The children of Aaron, Sr., were Zenas, born 1748; Aaron (2d), baptized February 5, 1758; Elias A .; Elizabeth, who married Richard Harrison; Eunice; Sarah, born 1766, and married Aaron Munn; Susannah; Tabitha, born 1752, and married Aaron Crane; Hannah, born 1762, and married Deacon Joseph Pierson; and Phebe.


Aaron Baldwin (2d), second child of Aaron (Ist), was born in South Orange and baptized at the church in Orange, Feb- ruary 5, 1758; he died in 1805 at the home of his son Nehemiah. He served as a pri- vate in the war of the Revolution, as a member of Captain Squiers' company, Sec- ond Regiment, Essex; also Captain Craig's company, state troops. He married, May 5, 1780, Sarah Baldwin, of Newark, born July 7, 1762, daughter of Joel Baldwin. Their children were: Mary, born 1780, and married Moses Munn; Nehemiah, Novem- ber 4, 1783; Samuel, 1786; Cyrus (Ist), born 1788, died 1793; Joel, born 1790; Ira; Cyrus (2d), born 1795; Phebe, 1797; Lu- cetta, 1799; Sarah and Matilda L., twins, June 23, 1802. Both Aaron and his father died at the house of Nehemiah, in South Orange.


Nehemiah Baldwin, second child of Aaron and Sarah Baldwin, was born at the homestead in South Orange, November 4, 1783. The fact that his father and grand- father died at his house shows that he sup- ported both of them in their old age. He married Rhoda Terrill, daughter of Amos Terrill, of South Orange. Their children were: Eliza, Aaron Ludlow, Aaron Riggs, Samuel A., born April 7, 1808, Amarantha,


Phebe Louisa, Mary Elizabeth and


George W.


Samuel A. Baldwin, fourth child of Ne- hemiah and Rhoda (Terrill) Baldwin, was born at the old Baldwin homestead, corner of South Orange avenue and Munn avenue, in South Orange, April 7, 1808. He mar- ried, first, September 1, 1830, Letitia Davis Ward, daughter of Abraham K. Ward, and his daughter, Emma Whybrew, married Dr. Joseph A. Corwin, of Newark; Anna Adelaide, born 1834, died 1855; Frederick Wellington, born July 14, 1839; Rev. Theodore Alling, born November 1, 1843, married Matilda Jane, daughter of William E. Layton, went as a missionary to Turkey in 1867 and still resides there. Samuel A. Baldwin married, secondly, Mary Addis, daughter of Miles Addis, of Addisville, Pennsylvania. By this marriage he had Wilmer Addis, Mary Adelaide, Elizabeth and Jane DuBois.


Wilmer Addis Baldwin, son of Samuel A. and Mary (Addis) Baldwin, was born in Newark, July 19, 1854, is a member of the firm of J. W. Goddard & Son, New York, and has resided in East Orange since 1891. He married Anna B., daughter of John Smith Hartshorne, of Newark, and has three children, viz .: Mabel Hartshorne, Anna Hartshorne and Elizabeth Carol.


Benjamin Baldwin (3d), son of Benjamin Baldwin (2d), was born in South Orange in 1730. In his will, dated September 1, 1801, proved April 9, 1804, among other devises, gives "to eldest son Josiah, in addition to the farm he now lives on, all that ten-acre lot I bought of Benjamin Coe, adjoining on Gershom Kilborn. To son Uzal all that farm he now lives on. * * *


To son Jephtha all the farm I now live on, including the land I bought of Jabez Pier-


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son." The children of Benjamin (3d) were Josiah, born 1755, died 1826, married Lydia Ogden; Jeptha, born 1778, killed by rail- road cars at Market street crossing, in New- ark, in 1852, married Catharine Bishop; Uzal, married Sarah Parrott; Rhoda, mar- ried John Myers; Phebe, married Isaac Condit; Mary, married, first, Joseph Cone, second, John Personette; Abbey, married Jonathan Condit; Eunice, married James Condit; and Zebula.


The Uzal Baldwin farm became the prop- erty of East Orange township for use as the poor-farm. The Jeptha Baldwin farm became the property of his son Benjamin and was sold by him to the Montrose Park syndicate, and is now within the precincts of Montrose Park, since annexed to the vil- lage of South Orange.


Josiah Baldwin, son of Benjamin (3d), [of Benjamin (2d), of Benjamin (Ist), of Joseph], was born in 1755, married Lydia Ogden and had: Abram, who married Sarah Baldwin; Samuel, who married Mary Meeker; Rachael, who married Mr. Mun- son; Josiah O., born 1796, who married Ann Munn; Elizabeth, born 1782, who married Jonathan Lindsley; Sarah, who married Joel Harrison; Mary, who married Cyrus Baldwin; Abbey, who married Joel Baldwin; Harriet, born 1800; and James E. Smith, born 1798.


Jeptha Baldwin, son of Benjamin (3d), [of Benjamin (2d), of Benjamin (Ist), of Joseph ], was born 1778, died 1852, married Catherine Bishop. They had as issue : Mary, who married Jabez Harrison; Clar- issa, who married Charles Alling; Susan, born 1811, who married Matthias Crane; Eliza, born 1810, who married Ira T. Free- man; Sarah, who married John Lindsley; Catherine B., born 1816, who married


Robert P. Day; Amelia F., who was born 1817, and married Charles Williams; Mar- garet, who became the wife of Joseph Wilde; Emma A., who married Walter Tompkins; Virginia; George W .; Benja- min E., who married Rebecca Tompkins; and Aaron Bishop, who married Catharine Mason.


Uzal Baldwin, son of Benjamin (3d), [of Benjamin (2d), of Benjamin (Ist), of Joseph], married Sarah Parrott. They had as children Jeptha; William W., who mar- ried Phebe Lindsley; Matilda, who mar- ried Elias Ross; Uzal; Sarah, who mar- ried Daniel Camp; Josiah L., who married Antoinette Quimby; and Abby.


Jonathan Baldwin, son of Joseph and Hannah Baldwin, was born February 15, 1649. He married, first, Hannah Ward, born 1663, and died 1693; and secondly, Thankful Strong. He died December 13, 1739. Children : John, born May 22, 1683; Joseph, baptized 1685, married a Miss Bruen, and died in 1777.


John Baldwin, son of Jonathan Baldwin, was born May 22, 1683, and died January 20, 1773, leaving a son named Ezekiel. This member of the family was born De- cember 19, 1719, married Sarah, daughter of Benjamin Baldwin (2d), and had as issue Gabriel, born 1740, who married, first, Re- becca Little, and secondly Hannah Foster. His children were: Jeptha, born 1744, and married Phebe Freeman; Eunice, who was born 1745, and married Samuel Smith; Mary W., born 1752, married Isaac Munn; Rachael, born 1755, and married Zadoc Hedden; Caleb, born 1757; Benjamin, who married Isabella Albright. Caleb Baldwin, son of Ezekiel, was born October 21, 1757, served in the war of the Revolu- tion, as private in Captain Abraham Lyon's


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company, Second Regiment of Essex. He had charge at one time of several British prisoners. He died in 1799, shortly before the birth of his youngest son, Caleb. He married Lydia Johnson, and had children, Eunice, who married Simeon Crane; Sarah, who married Henry Baldwin; Betsy, who married Louis Dodd; Catharine, who mar- ried Jabez Freeman; and David, Isaac and Caleb.


Caleb Baldwin (2d), youngest son of Caleb and Lydia (Johnson) Baldwin, was born in Orange, November 28, 1799, after the death of his father. He is now (1895) one of the oldest persons in Essex county, in full possession of all his mental faculties and a man of remarkable vigor and strength for his age. He is able to walk four miles a day without fatigue. In his boyhood, he attended school in the old white school- house that stood on the site of the present brick church, his teacher being Nathaniel Bruen. After completing his studies he was apprenticed to his brother David at the trade of shoemaking. About 1827 he opened a shop of his own and carried on a successful trade for about five years and then started in the meat business. About 1836 he opened a country store in Main street, in what is now East Orange, and be- came one of the first country merchants in this locality. In 1847 Mr. Baldwin ob- tained a position in the office of the Newark Daily Advertiser, which he held for twenty years and enjoyed the confidence of his em- ployers. He left the employ of the Adver- tiser to accept a position in the office of the Newark Water Board and after twelve years of active service he retired, having reached his eightieth year.


In his younger days, Mr. Baldwin served ten years as a member of two different mili-


tary companies of Orange, one of which was commanded by Captain Robinson. Many of the old Revolutionary soldiers were still living, and the military ardor of the young men was at its height. It was in 1824 when Mr. Baldwin had just reached his twenty-fifth year that one of the great- est events in the history of Essex county took place. This was the reception of La Fayette by the people of Newark, on his second visit to this country. All the mili- tary of the county turned out on that oc- casion, and Mr. Baldwin marched with his company from Orange to Newark and took part in the great celebrations, his company, among others, being reviewed by the Mar- quis de La Fayette and the governor of New Jersey.


With the exception of his military career, Mr. Baldwin has led a very uneventful life. He has made the best of his opportunities. With "malice toward none and charity for all," he has endeavored to live up to the golden rule. Upright, honest and conscien- tious in all his dealings, he has always proved himself worthy of the trust and con- fidence reposed in him, and in his declining years he has a "conscience void of offense."


Mr. Baldwin married, first, in 1825, Sarah, daughter of Bethuel Pierson, son of Samuel (3d), of Samuel (2d), of Samuel (Ist), son of Thomas Pierson, one of the original Branford settlers of Newark, and brother of Rev. Abraham Pierson. The children of Caleb Baldwin by his first wife were: I. Mary, born July 28, 1826, who married Caleb Neagles. 2. Hiram Pier- son, born July 20, 1828, general passenger agent of the Central Railroad of New Jer- sey; married Caroline E. Schnyder, daugh- ter of Aaron Schnyder, of Easton, Pennsyl- vania. Their children are: Mary Gertrude;


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Maggie S., who married Henry M. Bylles- by; Emily Pierson, who married Isaac Post; Caroline Napier, who married Warrington G. Lawrence. 3. Oscar L., born March 29, 1832, and married Isabel, daughter of Charles R. Akers. Issue: Charles R., Isabel, Joseph Halsey and Edith Merchant. 4. William H., born December 25, 1834; resides in Newark; married Cornelia Price, of Newark, and has four children, viz .: Elizabeth, who married Frederick F. Guild; Oscar H .; Bertha, married F. Walter Law- rence; Raymond S.


Caleb Baldwin married, secondly, Abby D., daughter of Lewis Munn, and their children were, Sarah C., who married James Clark; Theodore Frelinghuysen, who mar- ried Adèle Laeis, daughter of Felix Laeis, of St. Louis, Missouri.


Joseph Baldwin, son of Jonathan, was born November 29, 1685, married Miss Bruen and had, among other children, a son named Amos. The latter, known as "Dea- con Amos," was born about 1720, was a devout, earnest Christian, a man of consid- erable note in his day, was one of the earli- est deacons of the First church, and was one of the six elders who welcomed Rev. Jedediah Chapman to the pastorate, in 1766. He married Mary, daughter of Rev. Daniel Taylor, the first pastor of the Moun- tain Society, in 1721, and had a son named Lewis. Lewis Baldwin, son of Amos and Mary (Taylor) Baldwin, was born in Orange, October 22, 1744. He married Martha, daughter of Samuel Williams and had a son, Henry, by name. Henry Bald- win, son of Lewis and Martha (Williams) Baldwin, was born in Orange, May 24, 1773, married Sarah, daughter of Caleb Baldwin, and had a son named Cyrus. Cyrus Baldwin, son of Henry and Sarah


Baldwin, was born in that part of East Orange known as Brick Church, in 1808. He had only the advantages of the little neighborhood district school, and yet he accomplished more than many collegiate graduates of the present age. He grew up on the farm and employed his leisure hours during the winter months, as did most of his neighbors, in the manufacture of shoes. He took up surveying without any previous instruction, and for many years before his death was the only surveyor in this locality outside of Newark. He was conscientious and painstaking, and his work could always be relied upon. He was employed by Mr. Haskell to make all the surveys for Llew- ellyn Park; during his lifetime he laid out hundreds of acres into city lots, and made the original survey of Rosedale cemetery, Orange. His work extended for miles be- yond the Oranges. He was for many years justice of the peace and the only recognized legal counselor in this neighborhood; drew up most of the wills, deeds and other legal documents, not one of which has ever been contested on the ground of legal imperfec- tions. He was a man of great natural ability and sound common sense, and ac- cordingly was often called upon to arbitrate disputes between neighbors and seldom failed to arrange matters to the satisfaction of both parties. He enjoyed the confidence and respect of the people during his whole life, and not a single act of his ever brought dishonor or reproach on the name. By his wise and equitable decisions in the settle- ment of disputes, he doubtless saved thou- sands of dollars in litigation that might have ensued had the parties employed the usual methods. While not specially active in Christian work, he lived very near to the standard of the golden rule and set a wor-


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thy example for Christians to follow. While a man of decided convictions, he never gave offense by intruding his views on others, and ventured an opinion only when called upon to do so. He was a devoted husband, a kind neighbor and a steadfast friend. He died August 30, 1854. He married Eliza- beth Cooper, third child of Giles and Sally (Wicks) Mandeville. She was born July 8, 1810. Their children were: Henry Wicks, born 1831, and died July 31, 1868; Giles Mandeville, born 1833, and died August 3, 1888; Albert and Abram Man- deville, twins, born July 5, 1835.


Albert Baldwin, third child of Cyrus and Elizabeth (Mandeville) Baldwin, was born at the homestead, in East Orange, July 5, 1835. He had none of the advantages of the higher education enjoyed by those of the present generation. He mastered the rudimentary branches, however, in the little village school, and fitted himself for the honorable position which he has filled for so many years. He entered the Orange Bank as a boy, when Stephen D. Day was its president and W. A. Vermilyea its cashier. He acquired a sufficient knowl- edge of the business in three or four years to enable him to obtain a position in the City Bank, of Newark, in 1856, as receiv- ing and paying teller. The only other em- ployees at that time were a bookkeeper. clerk and "runner." The capital stock of the bank was three hundred thousand dol- lars, and the deposits amounted to three hundred thousand dollars annually. Even with this amount of business it was a very responsible position for a young man to fill. He inherited from his father, however, those strong traits and sterling qualities that would enable a man to succeed in any undertaking, and he proved himself fully


equal to the duties he assumed, and for forty years he has conducted its affairs with rare fidelity and devotion that has won for him the warmest affection and confidence of his associates. In 1858 he became its cashier, and now holds the dual position of cashier and vice-president. During his ad- ministration the deposits have increased from three hundred thousand annually to nearly two millions, the capital stock in- creased to half a million and the working force to three times the original number. There are probably few, if any, bank em- ployees in the city of Newark who can show so extended a record of faithful ser- vice. The staying and sterling qualities of the Baldwin family, however, are pro- verbial.


The foundation of Mr. Baldwin's suc- cess was laid in his native town, but he has not resided there since early manhood. His winters have been spent in Newark and his summers at Covent Station, on the Dela- ware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. He has had no time to attend to affairs out- side of the bank, its duties requiring his un- divided attention. He has been for many years a vestryman of Grace Episcopal church, Newark. Mr. Baldwin married, in May, 1861, Jennet P., daughter of Charles Hooker, M. D., of New Haven, Connecti- cut, a descendant of Rev. Thomas Hooker, who came to New England in 1633, settled in Hartford in 1636 and founded the first church in Connecticut. Mr. Baldwin's wife died in 1883, leaving the following named children : Charles Hooker, Albert Henry, and Jennet Eliza.


Abram Mandeville Baldwin, son of Cyrus and Elizabeth (Mandeville) Baldwin, and twin brother of Albert Baldwin, of Newark, was born at the homestead on Prospect


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street, near Main street, East Orange, July 5, 1835. After leaving school he began his business career as clerk in the shoe manu- factory of Joseph A. Condit. In 1859 he established a retail boot and shoe store and was the pioneer in the retail trade, the busi- ness having previously been done by coun- try stores which dealt in every class of goods. He soon established a reputation for first-class goods and honest dealings, and was enabled to carry a larger stock and greater variety than his "general-store" competitors. He erected a large frame building at 345 Main street, Orange, which was destroyed by fire in 1873. This was replaced by a fine brick building, where he has since carried on a successful and con- stantly increasing trade. During his busi- ness career of over thirty-five years, he has passed through the various money cris. s and has been able to meet promptly all his obligations, and notwithstanding the fact that competitors have entered the field from time to time, he has kept well in ad- vance and held his patrons. Like his brother, he has devoted his time to his busi- ness and mingled but little in public affairs. He has been a regular attendant at the Brick church for many years, and has led an exemplary, upright life, honored and respected by his neighbors.


GEN. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN.


To one who had "achieved greatness" and "had honors thrust upon him," it would be difficult to find a more modest, unassuming man than General George B. McClellan, who for twenty years or more was a resident of West Orange. During that time he mingled freely in all the social affairs of the Oranges, and every Sabbath


he worshiped in the little St. Cloud Pres- byterian church, greeting in the most cor- dial manner the plain, simple people whom he met there. General McClellan came of the same Puritan stock that settled New- ark and Orange Mountain. His great- grandfather, General Samuel McClellan, was a native of Woodstock, Connecticut, and commanded the first company of cav- alry that joined the Continental army at Cambridge. He subsequently became gen- eral and served throughout the war. When the currency of the Continentals had de- preciated and no funds were forthcoming with which to pay their soldiers, General (then Colonel) McClellan advanced one thousand pounds from his own private purse to pay the men of his regiment.


The father of George B. McClellan, a well known and prominent physician, set- tled in Philadelphia, where George B. was born December 3, 1826. It was expected the son would follow in the footsteps of his father, but he chose a military career and was sent to West Point Military Academy, at which he was graduated in 1847. He served with distinction in the Mexican war and was afterward placed in command of a company of engineers at West Point. In 1855 he was commissioned by Jefferson Davis, then secretary of war, to study the military operations in the Crimea. He afterward became chief engineer of the Il- linois Central Railroad, and on its comple- tion was made vice-president. At the break- ing out of the Civil war he was commis- sioned major-general by Governor Den- nison of Ohio, and placed in charge of the state troops. In May, 1861, he was com- missioned by the general government major-general of the regular army and placed in command of the Department of


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the Ohio. He was later assigned to the England Society, of Orange, and took fre- invasion of West Virginia, where he quent part in its proceedings. His kind- ness to animals was shown in his affection- ate regard for his old war horse, Daniel Webster, which bore him through the sev- eral Virginia campaigns. The old horse died, and was buried in a little grove on the mountain, and this spot is religiously cared for by the present owner, Mr. Chisolm. General McClellan died at his home on Or- ange mountain, October 29, 1885. His re- mains were interred at Riverside cemetery, Trenton, where, while governor, the de- ceased purchased a beautiful lot on a cliff overlooking the Delaware river. achieved great success. After the Bull Run disaster, in July, 1861, he was placed in command at Washington with an army of 52,000 men. He displayed great ability as an organizer and soon placed this immense army in splendid condition. He speedily attained a popularity seldom, if ever, equaled in the case of any other American general. Politics, however, played an im- portant part in the conduct of the war, and McClellan, not being in sympathy witlı the methods employed, was superseded in his command by other generals who were able to command political influence.


In August, 1864, he was nominated by the Democratic national convention for president of the United States. He re- signed his commission as major-general, U. S. A., and accepted the nomination. The principles of the Democratic party at that time were not popular and McClellan was defeated. After this he spent some years abroad, and after his return he pur- chased a home for himself on Orange mountain, where he resided until his death. In 1887 he received the Democratic nom- ination for governor of New Jersey and was elected by a large majority. His adminis- tration was moderate and conservative, giv- ing satisfaction to all. He was the first governor who made his official residence at the state capital. General McClellan was especially active in the affairs of the Presbyterian church. As a Christian he was humble, devout and earnest. He was one of the founders of the St. Cloud Pres- byterian church and one of its first elders. The tablet placed there to his memory shows the esteem in which he was held by the people. He was a member of the New


General McClellan married the daughter of General Marcy. His widow and two children-a son and daughter-still survive him. The son has been prominent in New York politics for some years.


ERNEST C. EVERTZ


was born in the town of Solingen, in one of the Rhine provinces of Prussia, October 2, 1854, a town noted for its extensive cut- lery manufactories. His parents were Peter Daniel and Alvena (Kouart) Evertz. The mother was a daughter of Henry and Wil- helmina (Stracher) Kouart, both of whom belonged to old families of Germany. The grandfather of our subject served in one of the campaigns under Napoleon Bonaparte. With his wife and two daughters, Alvena and Amelia, he bade adieu to home and friends on the Ist of December, 1859, and sailed from Bremen to America, but con- tracting a heavy cold he died on the third day of the voyage, and his remains, en- shrouded in a canvas, were lowered into the depths of the sea. The widow and her two daughters, together with their families,




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