USA > New Jersey > Genealogical and memorial history of the state of New Jersey, Volume II > Part 69
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(VIII) James Dallas, eldest child and only son of the Rev. Dr. David and Elizabeth J. (Dallas) Steele, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 6, 1864. He was prepared for college under the direction of his learned father. He was a pupil in the Phila- delphia public schools and at the Langton Se- lect Academy, the best preparatory school of
Philadelphia. He was graduated at the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania, A. B., 1884; A. M., 1887, and after a post-graduate course of three years, B. D., 1891. His college honors were the prize for Greek prose composition in his freshman year and the Latin essay prize in the senior year. He was a student-at-law in the office of J. Sergent Price, Esq., in Phila- delphia, 1884, and at the same time matricu- lated in the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was graduated LL. B., 1886. He practiced law in Philadelphia, 1886- 90, but his desire to enter the christian min- istry overcame the allurements of successful practice at the legal bar, and in 1887 he began theological studies at the Theological Semin- ary in which his father was a professor, and he was graduated in 1891, but continued a post- graduate course in the University of Pennsyl- vania, where he obtained his degree of Bache- lor of Divinity in 1891, having received the Masters degree in course in 1887. He was in- stalled pastor of the First Reformed Presby- terian Church, located on West Twelfth street, New York City, on April 16, 1891, being the fifth pastor of the church. He resigned after a successful pastorate of fifteen years, March I, 1906, having accepted a call to become pas- tor of the First Presbyterian Church of Pas- saic, New Jersey, and he was installed March . 4, 1906, being the second pastor of that church. Besides his pastoral work he contributes regu- larly to religious magazines and church peri- odicals. He was made a member of the American Oriental Society in 1892, and is also a member of the American Historical Asso- ciation.
He married, December 8, 1898, Emma, daughter of Robert and Eliza (Nightingale) Abbott, of New York City; they have no chil- dren. Their home is in Passaic, New Jersey, at No. 15 Grove Terrace.
The Benjamin family of BENJAMIN Maryland, to which belongs the line we are now consid- ering, is so far as America is concerned entirely distinct from the families of Richard Benjamin, of Southold, Long Island, John Benjamin, of Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, and the Hon. Judah Philip Benjamin, of Louisiana, all three of whom are at the head of distinct genealogical lines in this country that have spread out into New Jersey territory. Like the three last men- tioned families, the Benjamins of Maryland, however. trace their origin back to English
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soil; and it is not at all improbable that the ancestries converge to a common progenitor on that ground-a constant English tradition -although the Maryland family in regard to emigration holds a position midway between the seventeenth century coming of Richard and John, and the nineteenth century advent of Judah Philip Benjamin's father and family.
(I) Joseph Benjamin, born in 1750, pro- genitor of the Maryland family, was the son of a well-to-do English yeoman. In 1774, lured probably by the "call of the wild" and the brilliant prospects held before the eyes of those courageous spirits who should venture forth into the new world, he emigrated to America and settled in Maryland. In the fol- lowing year, 1775, he went to Virginia with the intention of making that colony his perma- nent residence ; but before he had finally made up his mind where he would locate himself, the war between Great Britain and her Ameri- can colonies broke out; and while he was in Amelia county finding that Major, afterwards Lieutenant-colonel Theodoric Bland was form- ing a regiment of cavalry, he enlisted in it and was assigned to Captain Henry, popularly called "Light horse Harry" Lee's troop, from which he was afterwards transferred to Cap- tain Peyton's troop of the same regiment, in which he served throughout the war; at the close of which he was ranked as trumpeter for in 1820, when he applied for and was granted a pension for his services by congress, (See executive papers of the sixteenth congress, first session, volume 4, January 20, 1820) he is recorded as being the "trumpeter of Lee's legion of Maryland troops."
After the revolutionary war was over, Joseph Benjamin married and settled down finally in Charlestown, Cecil county, Maryland, where he became not only an influential citizen but also one of the founders and first trustees of the Methodist church in that place. He is also said to have operated a ferry across the mouth of the Susquehanna river ; and a pleas- ing tradition among the family is that during one of his campaigns he stopped at a farm house where he saw a comely young woman milking and asked her for a drink of water. He received, however, a generous draught of milk which he paid for with the promise, "When the war is over I am coming back to marry you." By Miss Winchester, the maiden of the above tradition, Joseph Benjamin had three sons, George, William, Isaac, treated below.
(II) Isaac, youngest son of Joseph and
(Winchester) Benjamin, was born in Cecil county, but removed later on in life to Talbot county, where he held for some time the position of sheriff. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, a farmer, and he must have been a man of considerable property and business ability as he was one of the contractors with the federal government for carrying the mails between Washington and Philadelphia, an ob- ligation which in those days of stage coaches and post horses involved a heavy outlay and investment. Isaac Benjamin's wife was Grace, daughter of Abraham Alexander. Her father was born in North Carolina, and in early life was a magistrate of Mechlenburg county, which he represented in the colonial legisla- ture until- 1775. On May 31 of this year he served as the chairman of the county conven- tion which passed a series of resolutions that later on became distorted into the famous "Mechlenburg declaration of independence." The facts of the case appear to be as follows : On April 30, 1819, the Register of Raleigh, North Carolina, published what purported to be a copy made from memory of resolutions passed by the Mechlenburg convention on May 20, 1775, and afterwards destroyed by fire. Certain phrases in this published copy are similar to passages in the Declaration of Inde- pendence of July 4, 1776, and caused doubt as to the authenticity of the Mechlenburg dec- laration to arise. In 1831, the North Caro- lina legislature, after an investigation of the subject, declared May 20th a legal holiday. Since then there has been a detailed and pro- longed controversy in regard to the two sets of resolutions, the weight of authority at pres- ent being overwhelmingly against the authen- ticity of the "Declaration" and in favor of the opinion that only one meeting was held, that of May 31, and that the resolutions there adopted, bearing no resemblance to Jefferson's Declaration, constitute the nearest approach there was to a "Mechlenburg Declaration of Independence.
Isaac and Grace ( Alexander ) Benjamin had seven sons, six of whom held commissions in the United States army and were killed in bat- tle, two in the Mexican war and four others in the civil war. The remaining son, Justus, is treated below.
(III) Justus, son of Isaac and Grace ( Alex- ander ) Benjamin, was born in Maryland. When a young man he was in his father's em- ploy, carrying mails until the railroads ab- sorbed that interest. He then worked on a farm which was also operated by his father.
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of the province of West Jersey. Thomas and Edith Woodruffe removed from Worcester- shire, England, to London, where they had several children born to them, including: Thomas, Edith, John and Joseph. With his wife and four children he left London in 1678 with one man servant, Allen Hanway, and Hanway's sister, being children of Leonard Hanway, of Weymouth, England. The party set sail for America in the ship "Surray," Cap- tain Stephen Nichols, master, and on the voy- age another child was born at sea and named Mary. They arrived at the mouth of the Delaware river and proceeded up the bay to Salem, the first settlement already formed by Fenwick. They went ashore in the fourth month of 1679. Fenwick's agents gave to Thomas Woodrooffe two lots next to William Williamson, each of ten acres, he receiving title to the last lot January 18, 1685-86. He had already served as sheriff of the county in 1682, and was a man of influence. He con- sented to the "Consessions and Arguments of West Jersey" on March 3, 1676, which secured a formal constitution for the safety of the province and the proper observation of the few laws that were framed to govern the peaceful people. He cultivated his land as well as car- rying on his trade as tailor, as was described, June 9, 1694, as "a yoeman of Salem, late of London" in a transfer of land in Burlington county, of which he was owner. In 1697 he deeded two lots of ten acres each in Salem to Ebenezer Dorbey (Derby), of Boston, New England, mariner. These were probably the lots allotted to him in 1679 by the Fenwick agents. His will dated August 17, 1699, names his son Joseph as his heir, and daughters as dead; and names his legatees: Son John Woodrooffe ; William Hull; Benjamin Knap- ton ; Daniel Smith, and servant Magdaline. liberated. His son Joseph died before taking possession of the estate and the will provided for this by passing it to Jonathan Beere and after him to his son John Beere to have it. A codicil to this will was made October 30, 1699, in which the testator reduces the legacy to his son John and revokes that to Daniel Smith it having been paid and the servant manumitted. This will is written as a manu- script map of New Jersey and the instrument was probated March 2, 1703-04, which ap- proximately fixes the date of death of Thomas Woodroffe, the progenitor. The children of Thomas and Edith (Wyatt) Woodrooffe were born in the order following: I. Thomas. 2. Edith. 3. John, see forward. 4. Mary. 5.
Joseph, on whose estate letters of administra- tion were granted June 10, 1709, and Thomas Hayward, his principal creditor was made ad- ministrator. Thomas, Edith, Mary, and Joseph apparently died before their father and mother and with them were probably buried in Salem, their only home in America.
(II) John, second son and third child of Thomas and Edith ( Wyatt) Woodrooffe, was born in London, England, or possibly Worset- shire, before 1675. He married and probably located in Burlington county, where there was a large society of Friends, and where his father owned land at one time during his ac- tive life. He appears on the records of West Jersey as having joined other citizens of Burl- ington county, May 12, 1701, petitioning the King for a confirmation of the appointment of Alexander Hamilton for governor at which time he (John Woodroffe) was a member of the house of representatives from Burlington county. He had children, the eldest being John, see forward.
(III) John (2) eldest son of John (I) Woodrooffe, the member of the provincial legislature of New Jersey, 1701, was probably born in Burlington county, New Jersey, about 1700. He married, about 1725, and the date of his death was May, 1755. Among his chil- dren was John, see forward.
(IV) John (3), son of John (2) Wood- rooffe, was born in Burlington county, New Jersey. He probably removed to Cohansey precinct, Cumberland county, New Jersey, where he married and had a family whose de- scendants still have homes there. John Wood- ruffe died in Cumberland county, New Jersey, in May, 1755.
(V) David, son of John (3) Woodruffe, was born in Cumberland county, New Jersey, in 1748, died there July 3, 1822. He had a son David, who was a private soldier in the Ameri- can revolution credited from Cumberland county, New Jersey, and also served in Cap- tain Allen's company of the New Jersey Line recruited in Cumberland county. After the close of the war he settled in Hopewell, Bridgeton township, Cumberland county, New Jersey, where his son Daniel M. was born in 1780 was at one time sheriff of Cumberland county ; clerk of the county ; judge of the court of common pleas and for many years auction- eer of Bridgeton and who lived to be over ninety years of age. Another son Israel, see forward.
(VI) Israel, son of David Woodruff, the soldier in the American revolution, was born in
Letus Eristomeal Sub Ch
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Hopewell, Burlington township, Cumberland county, New Jersey, November 9, 1802. He married, 1822, Rachel S., daughter of William Reeves, of Salem county, New Jersey. Had. four children : Adoniram, Isaac D., Elizabeth T., William R.
(VII) Adoniram Smith, son of IsraelWood- ruff, was born in Dutch Neck or Hopewell township, Cumberland county, New Jersey, May 14, 1823, died March 10, 1893. He mar- ried Katharine Ott, daughter of George W. and Susannah (Hitchner) Ott, born June 5. 1826, died March 9, 1903, and they had four children : Elizabeth, Hester, Susan, and Albert S., see forward.
(VIII) Albert Smith, son of Adoniram Smith and Katharine (Ott) Woodruff, was born at Dutch Neck, Hopewell township, New Jersey, January 13, 1859, died March 2, 1886. He married Eliza Josephine, daughter of Foster.
(IX) Albert Smith (2), only child of Albert Smith (I) and Eliza Josephine ( Fos- ter ) Woodruff, was born at Dutch Neck, Hopewell township, New Jersey, April 15, 1886. He was educated at the public school at Elmer and in the South Jersey Institute at Bridgeton. He took a business course at the Camden Commercial College in 1905. Mean- time he took up the study of law in the Temple University Law School, Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania, graduating in June, 1909, March II, 1908, had been examined and admitted to the New Jersey bar as an attorney, and became a partner in the law firm of Beacon & Woodruff, with offices at 206 Market street, Camden, New Jersey, the senior partner of the firm being George M. Beacon. His fraternal affiliation is with Elmer Council, Junior Order of United American Mechanics, founded in 1853. His political affiliation is with the Republican party; his church membership with the Pres- byterian denomination, and his professional association with the Camden Bar Association.
BROWN John Brown, first of this family to come to America, was born August 10, 1783, at Harddabon, Hertfordshire, England. He landed in Boston, Massachusetts, November 14, 1806. He mar- ried, May 9, 1816, in Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, Ann Jackson, born February 3, 1793, at Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, and landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 15, 1800. Among their children was John Jackson, see forward.
(II) John Jackson Brown, late of Paterson,
New Jersey, business man and banker, son of John and Ann (Jackson) Brown, was born in New York City, February 13, 1817, died in Paterson, July 23, 1894, after a long, honorable and successful career, a record of achievement such as is the good fortune of comparatively few men. When five years old he came to Paterson with his parents, leaving New York on account of an epidemic of yellow fever which prevailed for a considerable time in that city. His father was engaged in a general grocery and provision business, and was him- self a man of sterling qualities and high char- acter. The son attended the common schools of the then village until he was about thirteen years old, and afterward found employment as clerk in a dry goods store, remaining there for the next four years. In 1834 he went to New York City and secured a position as clerk with a manufacturer of caps and furs; but unfortunately his employer failed in business, and this event prevented Mr. Brown from starting in business on his own account as he had intended. He returned to Paterson, and again became clerk in a dry goods store, and a few years afterward succeeded to the grocery business formerly conducted by his father. This he continued with gratifying success until 1844, when he decided to abandon that trade and open a general dry goods establishment in the city, with which business he was more familiar and which was more in accordance with his inclination, and for the next twenty- three years he was reckoned among the lead- ing men of Paterson in mercantile pursuits. In 1867 he sold out his interest to Mr. G. C. Cooper.
About this time the First National Bank, of Paterson, which had been organized in 1864. became financially involved to the extent that its charter was in danger of being revoked, but through the efforts of Mr. Brown a radical reorganization was affected, capital was invest- ed, and he was elected its president, an office he held until the time of his death. To show something of his capacity as executive officer of the reorganized bank it may be mentioned that when he entered upon his official duties, October 1, 1864, the resources of the institution aggregated the sum of $149,135.80, and on July 18, 1894, the resources amounted to $2,- 327,215.95. But it was not alone as managing officer of the First National Bank that Mr. Brown's superior business qualities displayed themselves to such splendid advantage and gave him such enviable prominence in financial circles, for it was chiefly through his efforts
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that the Paterson Savings Institution was in- corporated and organized, and opened its doors for business on May 1, 1869. On May Ist of the following year the savings deposit account amounted to $104,442.67, and at the time of his death the total deposits were in excess of $4,000,000, with a surplus account of $445,000, while at the same time the bank had more than sixteen thousand five hundred depositors. At the time of his death he was treasurer of the Passaic Water Company, with which he had been identified since its organization. He also was one of the guiding spirits in the incorpora- tion and organization of Cedar Lawn Cemetery Association, 1866-67, the plotting its extensive lands for the cemetery tract, and during his connection with the association he served in the capacity of director, vice-president and president. In the inception of the Paterson Board of Trade he also figured as one of its organizers, and afterward, so long as he lived, took an active part in promoting its usefulness as a factor in the mercantile and industrial life of the city. He was largely instrumental in securing for Paterson the splendid system of parks which add to the adornment of the city and contribute to the comfort of its people.
"As a public spirited citizen," says one of Mr. Brown's biographers, "ready to assume the responsibilities of office, his life's principle not to shirk any duty was his guiding star. At almost the very organization of Paterson as a city he was chosen one of the board of alder- men, and while absent in Europe was again elected to that office by the people. In 1854 he was elected first mayor of Paterson, and after serving his term steadfastly refused a renomi- nation. During his incumbency of that office he projected and carried into effect measures for paving the sidewalks of the city, which before then had been almost entirely neglected ; and it was during his connection with the city government that the first sewer was construct- ed. In 1856 he was induced to accept a nomi- nation for a seat in the legislature of the state, the first candidate of the then newly organized Republican party. He served throughout the term for which he was elected, but positively refused renomination. During the civil war he united with several other prominent citizens of Paterson in the erection of the building known as the 'Wigwam,' which soon became the rallying place for the loyal people of the city. It's motto, 'Free Soil, Free Speech, and Free Men,' became a famous slogan through- out the region. Mr. Brown was an earnest member of the First Baptist Church of Pater-
son. He contributed liberally to the fund for the erection of the house of worship, and served both as chairman and treasurer of the build- ing committees in charge of the work. In his own home he was a delightful and most enter- taining host, as well as an interesting conver- sationalist. He travelled extensively, was a keen observer of men and events, and in his manner frank, generous, genial, with the same greeting for all who came to him; and he was no respector of persons, and greeted all alike with the same generous warmth of feeling. Thus he lived and so he died. Age had not withered him nor made him crabbed nor petu- lant, for although nearly eighty years old at the time of his death, he remained young in his feelings and manners until his last day, when he was stricken down while walking through Broadway to his office in the bank, with his usual rapid steps, in order to be there promptly at nine o'clock, as was his invariable custom and pride." After his death, resolu- tions of regret and sympathy were adopted by the several institutions with which he was connected in earlier and later years, among them the board of directors of the First Na- tional Bank, the trustees of the Paterson Sav- ings Institution, the board of directors of the Passaic Water Company, the Cedar Lawn Cemetery Association, the Board of Aldermen, the Paterson Board of Trade, the Society of the First Baptist Church, and Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Mr. Brown married (first) in New York City, October 28, 1841, Caroline L. Cogswell. born in New York City, November 22, 1825; died February 16, 1852. Children: I. Cath- erine Cogswell, born May 3, 1844; died May 26, 1844. 2. Henry De Camp, September 2, 1845; died September II, 1847. 3. George Baldwin, April 27, 1847; died December 31, 1868. These children were all born and died at Paterson, New Jersey. Mr. Brown married (second), April 19, 1855, at Mattawan, New Jersey, Mary, born May 14, 1834, daughter of William and Melisse (Doughty ) Swinburne, the former of whom was one of the founders of the company which in later years became known as the Rogers Locomotive Works. Four children were born of this marriage: I. A daughter, June 2, 1856; died July, 1856. 2. Edwin Swinburne, November 19, 1857; see forward. 3. Walter F., May 21, 1859; died January 29, 1871. 4. Caroline Cogswell, March 23, 1864; died February 12, 1894; married Llewellyn T. McKee, of Philadelphia, graduate of Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland ; chil-
Edwards, Brown.
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dren: Mary, born September 8, 1889; John Brown, July 19, 1891 ; Llewellyn T., January 2, 1894.
(III) Edwin Swinburne, eldest son of John Jackson and Mary (Swinburne) Brown, was born November 19, 1857, at Paterson, New Jersey. He was graduated from the military school of Henry Waters, a noted educator at Paterson. Upon laying aside his text books he at once took up the study of silk weaving and the manufacture of silk goods. In this line of enterprise Mr. Brown soon became thoroughly familiar with all its details, and for a number of years was successfully engaged in silk manufacturing at Hornell, New York. He was a man possessed of splendid qualities of mind and heart, his ideals in his business and social life were always of the highest type. His home life was always attended with felicity and parental affection. He died at Paterson, New Jersey, September 6, 1907. He married, at Hornell, New York, November 3, 1890, Ger- trude, born November 14, 1865, daughter of Francis G. and Elizabeth (Clark) Babcock, of Hornell, New York. Children, born in that city : Dorothea, December 1I, 1891 ; Carolyne Brown, March 30, 1903.
This surname comes from the
ALLEN Christian name Allen, which is very ancient. In the roll of Battle Abbey, Fitz-Aleyne (son of Allen) occurs. Alan, constable of Scotland, and Lord of Galloway and Cunningham, died in 1234. Surnames in England came into general use about the close of the twelfth century. One" of the first using Allen as a surname was Thomas Allen, sheriff of London, in 1414. Sir John Allen was mayor of London in 1525, Sir William Allen in 1571, and Sir Thomas Alleyne in 1659. Edward Allen ( 1566-1626), a distinguished actor and friend of Shake- speare and Ben Johnson, in 1619, founded Dulwich College, with the stipulation that the master and secretary must always bear the name of Allen, and this curious condition had been easily fulfilled from Allen scholars. There are no less than twenty-five coats-of-arms of separate and distinct families of Allen in the United Kingdom, besides twenty others of the different spelling of this same surname. There were more than a score of emigrants of this surname from almost as many different fami- lies leaving England before 1650 to settle in New England.
(I) Walter Allen, a native of England, born about 1601, was in Newbury, Massachusetts,
as early as 1640. and removed thence to Watertown about 1652. In 1665 he sold his estate in the latter town and bought of John Knapp sixty acres in Watertown farms lying near Concord. Four years later he purchased two hundred acres more in Watertown. By deed of gift dated October 1, 1673, he conveyed lands in Watertown to his sons Daniel and Joseph and soon afterward moved to Charles- town, where he died July 8, 1681. At the time of his death he owned lands in Watertown, Charlestown, Sudbury and Haverhill. The farm in the last named town was acquired in 1673. Old records give him various occupa- tions such as farmer, planter, haberdasher, shopkeeper and "haberdasher of hats." The inventory of his estate amounted to three thous- and fifteen pounds. His wife Rebecca, who accompanied him to Watertown, died before November 29, 1678, on which date he married Abigail Rogers. Children of first wife: I. John, settled in Sudbury. 2. Daniel, married Mary Sherman. 3. Joseph, mentioned below. 4. Abigail, born October 1, 1641. 5. Benja- min, April 15, 1647.
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