Genealogical and personal memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey, Part 33

Author: Lee, Francis Bazley, 1869-1914
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 698

USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > Genealogical and personal memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey > Part 33

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John Drake, eldest son and second child of Andrew and Hannah (Blackwell) Drake, was born in Hopewell township, Mercer county, New Jersey, October 2, 1803. He was a student in the public schools of his district and at the Penning-

ton Academy. At a suitable age he was ap- prenticed to learn the carpenter's trade, and then worked at this occupation by the day. By thrift and industry he had accumulated a sufficient sum, in 1835, to purchase thirty-three acres of land which became the nucleus of the present Drake farm. He added seventy-three acres to this in 1848, and in 1888 the children increased this property by a further purchase of forty acres, making an area of one hundred and forty-six acres of valuable land located on the line of the trolley between Ewing and Pennington, and it is considered one of the most finely cultivated and productive farms of its size in that section of the country. It is devoted to general market- gardening and dairy products. Mr. Drake is a supporter of the principles of the Democratic party, and is a member of the Presbyterian church.

Mr. Drake married, January 3, 1829, Eliz- abeth Knowles, daughter of Noah and Jemima (Stout) Knowles, and granddaughter of James and Eleanor (Osborne) Stout and one of three children. In the early days Noah Knowles with his wife and family decided to migrate to Ohio. He accordingly went to the state of New York, purchased the necessary supplies for this journey, and with his wife and children embarked on a river boat on the Allegheny river. A terrible storm arose, and during its progress the vessel was wrecked and Noah and two of the children drowned. The mother and Elizabeth were saved, and ultimately made their way back to New Jer- sey. John and Elizabeth (Knowles) Drake had children: I. Pamelia, married Livingston Phil- lips. 2. 3. 4. 5. Noah K., Hannah M., Mary F. and Gerardus W., all unmarried, and managing a farm in company. 6. Elizabeth, married Ed- ward Maguire, and has children: Ada, married Sandford Verman, has four children, three of whom are: Edith, Hazel and Warren; John, married Alice Mountford, has children: Eliz- abeth, Virginia and Harold; George, married Bessie Lawton; Mary, married Frank H. Bur- roughs, has one child : Edward Franklin. 7. Albert, married Annie Everett. 8. Howard, un- married.

JOSEPH ROBERT KLEE, for many years a resident of Princeton township, Mercer county, New Jersey, whose finely cultivated farm on Cherry Hill road is considered a model of its size in this section of the county, is a representa-

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tive of the first generation of the Klee family to settle in the United States. He is descended from an old and honored family of Hanover, Germany, who has been prominently identified with public affairs in that country.

Frederick Klee, grandfather of Joseph Robert Klee, was a native of Hanover, Germany, and engaged in the mercantile line of business, in that city. He married, and among his children was a son John.

John Klee, son of Frederick Klee, was born in Hanover, Germany, 1826. He was a merchant in his native city, where he was a man of promi- nence and influence in many directions. He held in a very efficient manner a number of public offices, among others those of road commissioner and burgomaster. He also took an active interest in church matters, and was a trustee of the Lutheran church of Hanover. He visited the United States on a number of occasions, making pleasure trips, but never entertained the idea of settling here. He married Margaret Gerken, daughter of John Gerken, a farmer near Hanover, Germany, and among their children was a son, Joseph Robert, see forward.

Joseph Robert Klee, son of John and Margaret (Gerken) Klee, was born in Hanover, Germany, April 13, 1868. He received an excellent edu- cation in the schools of his native city, and came to the United States in 1886. His first business enterprise was in the real estate field in the city of New York, and in this he was eminently suc- cessful for a number of years, and accumulated a comfortable fortune. He then decided that living in the country was more congenial to him, and purchased the farm of Isaac Leigh in the Cherry Hill road, Princeton township, New Jer- sey, on which he is residing at the present time (1906). This farm shows the marks of careful and intelligent cultivation. Mr. Klee is a pro- gressive in his ideas, and makes a careful in- vestigation of all improvements, whether of im- plements or methods, that appear upon the mar- ket, and when he is convinced of their practical utility he immediately adopts them. The natural result is that his farm land repays him in a most remarkable degree. He gives his support to the Democratic party, and keeps well abreast of the times in all matters of public importance.

Mr. Klee married Mary M. Field, of Crown Point, New York, daughter of Hiram and Mercy (Buck) Field.

THOMAS CROZER, a retired farmer of Ewing township, Mercer county, New Jersey, cx-sheriff of the county, and who has filled a number of other public positions, is a descend- ant of an old family whose earliest members set- tled in the state of Pennsylvania.

The Crozer family came originally from France, but the date of their leaving their native country is not known. They removed to Scot- land, and some years later, about 1712, some of them went to Ireland and settled in the county of Antrim, from whence five brothers-Andrew, Robert, James, John and Samuel-emigrated to America, and settled at Philadelphia, about the year 1723, or as others assert, about 1740. They had all been educated in the Presbyterian faith.

James Crozer, one of these brothers, settled in Delaware county, Pennsylvania, where he died at an advanced age. He married

Gleave, of Springfield, Delaware county, Penn- sylvania, and they had children : I. John, see forward. 2. Elizabeth, married John Burchall. 3. Mary, married John Caldwell, and some of her descendants still reside in Delaware county. 4. Sarah, married John Ogden. She had a number of sons and daughters, and descendants are to be found in Delaware county and else- where. 5. Rebecca, married Joseph Brinton. 6. Martha, married Rumford Dawes. 7 and 8. Rachel and Esther, died unmarried.

John Crozer, eldest child of James and

(Gleave) Crozer, resided in Springfield town- ship, Delaware county, and left children : I. James, who died in Africa, unmarried, in April, 1820. 2. John P., born January 13, 1793, died March II, 1866. He resided at Upland, near Chester, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, and was buried in the Baptist burving ground there. His children were: Samuel A., J. Lewis, George K. and Robert H., who married and settled at Up- land ; who married Rev.

Griffiths, of Philadelphia ; who mar- ried a Mr. Bucknell, of Philadelphia ;

and Emma. 3. Samuel, died at Upland, Penn- sylvania, unmarried. 4. Elizabeth, married John Lewis, of Delaware county. and they have three sons and three daughters, all married.

John Crozer, another of the original settlers, also located in Delaware county, Pennsylvania, and married Gleave, a sister of his brother's wife, and at his death was buried in the Friends' burying ground. They had three daughters: Elizabeth, Margaret and

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all of whom married and outlived their hus- bands. They resided in Philadelphia, and had families, but only one left surviving children.

Robert Crozer, another of the brothers, re- sided in Philadelphia. It is probable that he had a large family, but only the names of two of his sons have been preserved: I. John, who re- moved to the southern part of Ohio, where the majority of his descendants reside. 2. Robert, one of whose sons, also named Robert, died in Philadelphia in the fall of 1864.

Samuel Crozer, the fifth of the brothers, died at the age of about twenty-seven years. His re- mains lie in the Presbyterian burying ground at Middletown, Delaware county, Pennsylvania. He left one daughter, who died in Philadelphia at an advanced age, unmarried.

(I) Andrew Crozer, mentioned above, the pioneer ancestor in a direct line of Thomas Cro- zer, was born in 1700, in Scotland, and was prob- ably twenty-three years of age when he came to this country. He resided for some years near the village of Black Horse, now Columbus, Bur- lington county, New Jersey, and in 1758 removed to Penns Manor, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, to a farm on the northwest side of Scott's Creek, at that time called Crozer's Creek, near the Del- aware river. There he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring October 24, 1776. He married Mary Richardson, born May 7, 1721, died November 22, 1783, daughter of John and Jane Richardson, of Black Horse, Burling- ton county, New Jersey, and their remains lie in St. James churchyard, Bristol, Bucks county, Pennsylvania. Their children were: I. Rob- ert, see forward. 2. Ann, born March 12, 1747, died June 9, 1821. She married, January 10, 1771, Hugh Morton, a native of Scotland. They had six children, of whom only one married, but he has had many descendants. 3. John, born March 27. 1750, died July 28, 1836, resided at Tyburn. Bucks county, Pennsylvania, but later removed to Fallsington. He married Ruth Ran- dall, who died May 7, 1831, and they were both interred at St. James churchyard, Bristol. They had five children who had many descendants. 4. Mary, born January 2, 1752, died April 17, 1820. She married James Nelson, of Fallsington, and they had one child: Margaret, who died, un- married, about 1848. 5. Sarah, born January 4, 1754, died May [0, 1768. 6. Joseph, born June 9. 1756, died April 12, 1824. He mar- ried (first) Phebe Miller, who died March 10,

1785, daughter of a Mr. Miller, of "Pennsbury Farm," Pennsylvania, and they had one child : Rachel, who married John Green, of Penns Manor, son of Gilbert and Rosamond (Park) Green. He married (second) Mrs. Jane (Prall) Schuyler, who died September 30, 1811, and he and his second wife are buried in St. Marys churchyard, in Burlington. 7. Jane, born June 27, 1758, died July 16, 1838. She died unmar- ried at Penns Manor, and is buried in St. James churchyard, Bristol. 8. Thomas, born Septem- ber 25, 1762, died September II, 1820. He re- sided in Penns Manor, and married (first), Per- melia, born January 16, 1768, died January 8, 1813, daughter of Peter and Sarah (Satcher) Williamson, and they had three children, who had many descendants. He married ( second) Jane Sands, of Fallsington, who died July 27, 1827. He is buried by the side of his first wife in Bristol. 9. William, born June 29, 1764, died September 13, 1835. He also resided in Penns Manor, and married, 1790, Mercy Wil- liamson, born June 12, 1766, died March IO, 1830, daughter of Peter and Sarah (Satcher) Williamson, and they had eleven children, most of whom married and had children. Mr. and Mrs. William Crozer are buried in the Friends' burying ground at Penns Manor.

(II) Robert Crozer, eldest child of Andrew and Mary (Richardson) Crozer, was born Jan- mary 19, 1745, and died November, 1805. He settled, about the year 1783, at Pennsbury, a farm on the Delaware river, in Penns Manor, Pennsylvania, which had formerly been the res- idence of William Penn. At his death his prop- ertv was divided between his two sons. He mar- ried. 1786. Rosamond (Park) Green, of Penns Manor, widow of Gilbert Green, and daughter of Paul and Hannah Park. of the vicinity of Burlington, New Jersey. She was born in No- vember, 1750, and died October 7, 1833, and was interred beside her husband in St. James church- vard, Bristol. They had children: I. Robert, born February 6, 1787, resided on the Penns- bury homestead for more than seventy-eight years, and then resigned it to one of his sons, and removed to Morrisville. He married. No- vember 10. 1810, Grace Wright, born Julv 25, 1791, daughter of Benjamin and Esther (Brels- ford) Wright, of Falls township, near Penns Manor. They had ten children. five of whom married and had children. 2. Samuel, see for- ward.

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(III) Samuel Crozer, second son and second and youngest child of Robert and Rosamond (Park) (Green) Crozer, was born April 9, 1789, and died April 12, 1847. He succeeded to the eastern part of the Pennsbury estate, and at his death his remains were interred in St. James churchyard at Bristol, as were those of liis first wife and seven sons. He married (first), March 16, 1812, Sarah Parsons, born February 19, 1790, died July 17, 1833, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth ( Broadnax) Parsons, of Falls town- ship, near Fallsington, and they had children : I. Robert, born February 28, 1813, died August 28, of the same. year. 2. Isaac P., born April 21, 1814, died September 21, 1814. 3. Wil- liam, born August 12, 1815, died September 10, 1831. 4. Elizabeth, born November 30, 1817. She married, March 27, 1851, Joseph Satter- thwaite, born February 3, 1813, of Lower Make- field township, near Yardleyville, son of William and Elizabeth (Watson) Satterthwaite, of Falls township. Their children were: Charles, born March 19, 1852; and Samuel C., born September 28, 1853. 5. Mary Ann, born January 16, 1820, died May 21, 1906. Married, September 22, 1853, Henry Berkhimer, of Wilmington, North Caro- lina, formerly of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and they had children: Anna Maria, born July 18, 1854, died October 1, 1864; and Harry, born July IO, 1859. 6. Edward, born March 10, 1822, died April 9, 1827. 7. Rachel, born September 21, 1824, died November 13, 1865. She married Oc- tober 3. 1849, David W. Kelly, born in Fallsing- ton, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, December 28, 1818, son of Jesse and Sarah ( Williamson) Kelly, and they were the parents of children : Samuel Crozer, born July 7. 1850, died April 13, 1864;, Sarah, born December 25, 1852; Edwin, born February 1, 1856; Alice, born November 24, 1859; Robert Anderson, born May 20, 1861 ; Anna, twin of Robert Anderson, died August 7. 1861 ; Rachel, born September 14, 1865. 8. Thomas, see forward. 9. Mahlon, born March 20, 1829. He was unmarried and removed to the west in the fall of 1851, and resided at St. Louis, Missouri. He was temporarily absent in the south at the outbreak of the Civil war, and was never heard from after that time. 10. Aaron, born November 18, 1830. He resided for sev- eral years in Minnesota, and then removed to Trenton, New Jersey, in 1855. He married, May 12, 1852, Julia R. Foster, born May 5, 1830, daughter of John and Deborah (Peterson)

Foster, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, and they have had children: Sarah, born February 27, 1853; Henry Clay, born July 22, 1855; Eliz- abeth, born July 30, 1857, died September 15, 1860; Stella Anna, born July 20, 1860; Edwin Hall, born January 1, 1861, died at St. Paul, Minnesota, September 30, 1861; Mary F., born February 26, 1862, died September 15, of the same year, at St. Paul; Josephine S., born June 18, 1866, died September 2, of the same year. II. Amos, born July 7, 1833, died at the age of six days. Samuel Crozer married (second), January 21, 1840, Martha Sterling, who sur- vived him, daughter of John and Sarah (Thomp- son) Sterling, and they had children: I. Hec- tor S., born October 27, 1840, died August 20, 1847. 2. Rosamond, born April 15, 1843, mar- ried, November 26, 1862, E. Lucien Richie, at- torney at law, of Philadelphia, and they had one child : Martha Irene, born January 27, 1865, died in June of the same vear. 3. John M., born June 4, 1845, died August 17, 1847.

(IV) Thomas Crozer, fifth son and eighth child of Samuel and Sarah (Parsons) Crozer, was born in Penns Manor, Pennsylvania, May 3. 1827. He attended the public schools of the district, and for a time was a scholar at the Gummere School. He then commenced to as- sist his father in the cultivation of the home- stead farm, which consisted of two hundred and twenty-five acres, was devoted to general and dairy farming, and was well stocked. He was thus employed until 1860. and at the outbreak of the Civil war he engaged in the horse business in Trenton, New Jersey, buying and selling Canadian and domestic horses for government 11se. At the end of four years of this line of business he undertook the management of the Old State Street House, which he conducted very successfully for two years, and then opened a liverv stable. He was engaged in this business until 1873, when he purchased one hundred and thirty acres of the William A. Green farm, in Ewing township, Mercer county, New Jersey, and cultivated this for general market garden purposes, and in addition had a portion of it de- voted to dairy farming, handling about two hun- dred and twenty-five quarts of milk per day, and other dairy products in proportion. This was a verv profitable undertaking and he continued it until 1805, when he sold it to his son-in-law, John Wesley Vernam, who has since taken sole charge of the place. Mr. Crozer has given much

Thomas Jewell,

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of his time and attention to the furtherance of all projects which tended to the improvement and welfare of the community, and may well be con- sidered one of the most public-spirited citizens of Ewing township. He was a member of the legislature in 1865 and 1866; was elected sheriff of the county on the Republican ticket for three- years, in 1870; was appointed inspector of cat- tle by President Harrison for four years. He joined Bristol Lodge, No. 25, Free and Accepted Masons, and was made a life member in Decem- ber, 1867.

Mr. Crozer is the fourth oldest living mem- ber of Bristol Lodge, No. 25, Free and Accepted Masons, he having joined the lodge August I, 1857, and the others in the following order : Jesse W. Knight, March 23, 1850; Charles Stur- devant, September 22, 1855; and John R. Stack- house, July 12. 1856.

Mr. Crozer married Catherine Cabeen Head- ley, born October 6, 1826, daughter of Benja- min and Rachel (Cabeen) Headley, of Falls township, near Tullytown, and they have had children: 1. Sarah Elizabeth, married Samuel Packer, and has had children: Edith Crozer. Martha Marshall, and Donald Julian. 2. Rachel Headlev, unmarried. 3. Lillie Cabeen, married John Wesley Vernam, and they have had chil- dren: Clifford Crozer, born April 14. 1888; Ar- thur Baldwin, born October 26, 1889; Agnes Hoffman, February 17, 1891 ; Katherine Cabeen, horn August 9, 1893; John Wesley, Jr., born February 29. 1896: Mary Headley, born July 22, 1897.

THOMAS JEWELL, who was for many years an honored resident of Penns Neck, Mer- cer county, New Jersey, was a representative of an old family of the state of New Jersey, who came originally from England and who bore their share bravely in the struggle for inde- pendence.

William Jewell, grandfather of Thomas Jewell, was born near Dutch Neck, in what was then Middlesex county, now Mercer county, New Jersev. November 6, 1727. and was a farmer by occupation. He purchased lands in what is now West Windsor township. He married Rebecca Dev. born Julv 7, 1730. a descendant of an old family who were among the early Colonial set- tlers. Their children were as follows: Elisha, horn February 20, 1758. removed to Oxford, New York, in 1812, and spent the remaining

years of his life there ; he enlisted in a New Jer- sey regiment and served during the Revolution. Richard, born December 20, 1760. William Dey, born July 4, 1765, see forward. Kenneth, born April 1, 1767. Hiram, born February 3. 1775.

William Dey Jewell, third son of William and Rebecca (Dey) Jewell, was born in Dutch Neck, Mercer county, New Jersey, July 4, 1765. He also was a farmer, and became well known for his industry and thrift, marked characteristics of the family. He married Sarah Hooper, born June 4, 1767, whose ancestors were among the early settlers of New Jersey. Their children were : Major, born August 4, 1787. Mary, January 3, 1790. Kenneth, February 27, 1793. Rebecca, March 7, 1795. Ann, September 2, 1798. Elisha, December 10, 1800. Margaret, February 20, 1803. William Dey, Jr., Septem- ber 19, 1806, see forward. Thomas, July 16, 1810, see forward.

William Dey Jewell, Jr., eighth child of Wil- liamı Dev and Sarah (Hooper) Jewell, born September 19, 1806, was reared to manhood under the parental roof, and was educated in the schools of the neighborhood as was the custom with the sons of farmers in those days. Upon taking up the practical duties of life he engaged in farming. which line of work he followed throughout the active years of his life. Mr. Jewell was progressive and enterprising, and like his worthy ancestors faithfully upheld the family characteristics of industry and thrift. He was a consistent member of the Presbyterian church at Cranbury, Middlesex county, New Jer- sey, and was a generous contributor to the sup- port of the church and worthy charitable enter- prises in the neighborhood.

William Dey Jewell, Jr., married Julia M. Schenck, of Penns Neck, and a descendant of an old New Jersey family, of whom much is written in this work. One daughter was the issue of their marriage, Alice Jewell, died in in- fancy. Mr. and Mrs. Jewell have passed away and their remains are interred in the Jewell fam- ily burying ground in the Presbyterian cemetery connected with the Presbyterian church at Cran- bury, New Jersey, where they both attended re- ligious services for many years.

Thomas Jewell, fifth son and ninth child of William Dey and Sarah (Hooper) Jewell, was horn in the family homestead at Dutch Neck, Mercer county, New Jersey, July 16, 1810. He was reared to manhood under the parental roof,

JEWELL FAMILY COAT OF ARMS

Sarah Afewwell

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sey. He followed in the footsteps of his ances- tors, and during his active years engaged at farm work. The latter years of his life were passed in the home of his brother, Edward Jewell, where he died March 31, 1894.

ISRAEL H. PIERSON. The late Israel H. Pierson, of Lawrence township, Mercer county, was born in Lawrence township, April 8, 1838, son of Theodore and Catharine ( Reed) Pier- son.

He attended the public schools of his native place, after which he studied for a short time at Dr. Hammill's school at Lawrenceville. He was then employed by his uncle, Uriah Pierson, who in 1849 built the store now occupied by N. H. Furman, in Lawrenceville. Mr. Pierson re- mained with his uncle as clerk until attaining his majority, and then went to Titusville, remain- ing three years. His next removal was to Fed- eral City, where he bought a farm of sixty acres which he cultivated for three years. At the end of that time he sold the property and opened a store, after which he spent some time at Port Mercer and one year in Lawrenceville, going thence to Hamilton Square, where for two years he was the proprietor of a hotel. His next home was in what is now Princesville, moving thence to Penns Neck, where for three years he was again the proprietor of a hotel. He then re- turned to his wife's birthplace at Princesville, where he passed the residue of his days. He was a Republican, and a member of the Society of Friends.

Mr. Pierson married Susan Mershon, born June 26, 1840, daughter of William Webster and Sarah (Clayton) Mershon, the latter having been the widow of Rve Baird. Their children were: I. Lillie, born July 17, 1861, died Sep- tember 24, 1861. 2. Sarah Catharine, born June 13, 1862, died December 31. 1888. 3. William Webster, born July 3, 1863, married Carrie S. Applegate, December 15, 1886, has children : Susan D., Frank A. 4. Evaline Sut- phin, born August 3. 1864, married John Van- derbilt, November 17. 1886, and has children: James, Eddie, Eva, and Elizabeth Vanderbilt. 5. Isaac Baker, born August 11, 1865, married, December 25, 1893, Pearl Brooks, and has chi !- dren : Gladys and Hazel. 6. Mary Baker, born August 23, 1866, married Scott J. Berrian, De- cember 31, 1800. and has children: Scott J. Jr., Georgie and Frank Berrian. 7. Calarry B ..

born July 15, 1867, married, December 25, 1892, Minnie Hammill, and has children: Della and Edna. 8. Laura D., born March 10, 1869. 9. Israel C., born October 30, 1871, died February 20, 1873. IO. Elizabeth R., born November 13, 1872. II. Anthony R., born August 3, 1874. 12. Garfield A., born May 29, 1881. The death of Mr. Pierson, which occurred Feb- ruary 4, 1887, was a loss alike to his family, his friends and the community in which he lived. His widow now resides at Princesville, on a farm of eight acres, purchased from the Hend- ricksons in 1830. In her posssesion is a sword carried by her grandfather, Andrew Mershon, Sr., in Washington's army.

Mrs. Pierson is a granddaughter of Andrew Mershon, who was born November 1I, 1764, in Lawrence township, and died June 6, 1848. His brother, Moses Mershon, was born July 2, 1767, and died November 29, 1814, at Sacketts, New York. Andrew Mershon married Anna Mer- shon, widow of Andrew Mershon, Sr., born 1773, died November 25, 1856, and their chil- dren were: Susanna, born March I, 1793, died January 6, 1829. George B., born February 25, 1795, died February 24, 1862; married Catha- rine Clausen, born September 10, 1797, died September 15, 1877; one child. Cornelia, born June 10, 1797. died December 29, 1863. Wil- liam W., born October 11, 1800, died January 26, 1869, married Sarah Clayton. Horatio P., born August 6, 1805, killed by a horse May 9, 1837. Benjamin, born August 10, 1812, died October 8, 1812.

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Genealogical and personal memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey, Part 33

Author: Lee, Francis Bazley, 1869-1914 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 698

Author: Lee, Francis Bazley, 1869-1914
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 698