Genealogical and personal memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey, Part 40

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

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The family of Scarborough is an old one, and doubtless derives its name from the locality where the early progenitors resided when sur- names first came into use. Scarborough Castle was an old Norman fortress in Yorkshire, Eng- land. The arms of the family consist of a castle by the sea, a beacon flaming on its turrets, the sun rising in the east, and a manned ship at an- chor.

HORACE GREELEY HOUGH, formerly successfully engaged in the manufacture of brick, now for many years one of the successful

farmers of Ewing township, Mercer county, New Jersey, is a descendant of a family whose history is an extremely interesting one.

The Hough family is of Gallic-Flemish origin, a branch still existing at Bruges, in Flanders, whose name is rendered De la Hooghe. Repre- sentatives of the family were in England in Che- shire at the time of William the Conqueror, the name at that time being spelled Del Hoghe, De Hooghe, etc., and manuscript genealogies are in the British Museum and elsewhere, where the name appears as Del Hoghe, De Hogh, d'Hoghe, etc.

(I) Richard Hough, the pioneer ancestor of Horace Greeley Hough, when he determined to emigrate to America, purchased two tracts of land, one above and the other below the village of Yardleyville, Bucks county, Pennsylvania. He had been living in Macclesfield, county of Ches- ter, in England, and this probably accounts for the name of Makefield, which is generally accept- ed as a corruption of Macclesfield. His only rel- ative -of the name of Hough of whom we have any record is his brother Jolin of the same town in England, who in 1691 bought of William Penn three hundred and seventy-five acres of land in Pennsylvania, "towards the Susquehanna river clear of Indian incumbrance," and in 1694 con- veyed three-fifths of it to Richard, who was then in Pennsylvania. Richard Hough arrived in Pennsylvania, in the ship "Endeavor," of Lon- don, Seventh month 29, 1683, bringing with him four servants or dependants; Francis Hough, probably a younger brother or nephew, who was to serve two years and to have fifty acres at the expiration of his term: Thomas Wood, of Wood- house, and Mary his wife, to serve respectively five and four years, and each to have fifty acres ; and James Sutton, to serve four years, to have three pounds five shillings per annum, and fifty acres of land when his time was finished. Rich- ard Hough went directly to Bucks county, where he had taken up his two tracts of land, and, as they were in a very conspicuous position, it is not strange that he should have had much influence in the naming of the township of Makefield. The upper tract ran back from the river about a mile and three-quarters, and covered the present site of Taylorsville. At the first survey a highway was laid out between it and the Manor of High- lands, this fact heing mentioned in a deed of 1688 when Richard Hough sold two hundred and fifty acres of this land, and the highway is still in use,

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being now (1907) the road from Taylorsville to Eagle. The warrant for this land is dated Sep- tember 20, 1685, and the patent July 30, 1687. The latter, copied in the Doylestown deed-books, describes it as "five hundred acres next to Henry Baker on the Delaware River." Davis in his "History of Bucks County," says that Richard Hough and Henry Baker took up land along the creek now known as Hough's Creek, and that it was first called Baker's Creek, then Musgrave's and finally Hough's Creek. after Richard Hough. The lower tract of land owned by Richard Hough extended inland about three miles and was about one-quarter of a mile broad. When the official division was made in 1692 the line be- tween Makefield and Falls was run about one mile farther down the river where Morrisville is at the present time. .

Here, near a spring of water. Richard Hough built a stone house, one of the few early ones in the county, only the most pretentious being built of that material. The stone, no doubt, came from his own land. James Logan wrote to Phineas Pemberton, about 1700, that William Penn had ordered a memorandum to be entered in the land office "that ye great quarry in Richard Hough's and Abel Janney's lands be reserved when they come to be confirmed. being for ve public good of the county." In this house six generations of the lineal descendants of Richard Hough were born, part of the land remaining in their posses- sion until 1850, when thev removed to Ewing township, Mercer county, New Jersey. He he- longed to the Falls Meeting of the Society of Friends. and in this house the first meetings of the society were held until the building of the Falls Meeting House in 1690. the first in the courtv. The Bucks County Quarterly Meeting continued to be held there and in the houses of William Biles and Nicholas Waln and others un- til 1606. When William Penn lived at Penns- bury he attended Falls Meeting, and its minutes have, under date Eighth month I. 1701. "The Governor being present. a member of this meet- ino acquainted us of his intention to depart for England in a short time. It was therefore agreed that Phineas Pemberton. Toseph Kirkbride, Richard Hough and Samuel Dark draw un a cer- tificate concerning him to be in readiness against this day week."

Richard Hough took an active part in all the affairs of the early days of the county, political, social and religious. He was one of the commis-

sion or jury that made the first official division of Bucks county. For many years he took a promi- nent part in the government of the province. He represented Bucks county in the Provincial as- sembly in 1684, 1688, 1690, 1697, 1700 (new as- sembly elected in October), 1703, and 1704; was a member of the Provincial council in 1693 and 1700. He held no office under Governor Fletch- er's regime, although from a paper dated March 14, 1693-94, certifying to the election of assem- blymen from Bucks county, he appears to have had something to do with the conduct of the elec- tion for that year. His next appearance in the assembly was in 1697, and when Governor Fletcher, of New York, preferred a request for money, the matter was referred to a joint com- mittee of both branches of the legislature, of which Richard Hough was a member from the assembly, and the report was adverse to the de- mand of the governor. During the meeting of the general assembly of 1699, Richard Hough was appointed, May 15, one of a committee "to inspect into the Account of Charges which have accrued upon occasion of the Privateers plunder- ing the town of Lewes ;" during a second session devoted to the consideration of the same subject, Mr. Hough took an active part, and more string- ent laws were passed against piracy and illegal trade. He was one of the few supporters of the proprietary in the assembly of 1704, and contin- ued to be a member of the supreme executive council of William Penn or a member of the as- sembly until his death, March 25, 1705. he hav- ing been drowned in the Delaware while on his way to meet the members of the assembly at New Castle. He was a man of a high order of intelli- gence and integrity, as is abundantly attested by his associates, among whom William Penn, in a letter to a friend at the time of his death, says: "The loss of our dear friend. honest Richard Hough, is well-nigh irreparable." James Logan wrote to Penn, Philadelphia, Second month 5. 1705, "I know not what the advancing season, that stirs up humors as certainly in men as in vegetables, may produce, but this past winter we have, as I said in my last, been very quiet, tho' I expect but little good from the present repre- sentatives till another election,-the honest being so much out-voted by the men of deep designs or shallow sense, the others' properties. Richard Hough, one of the best in the house, was about three weeks ago, unfortunately overset in a

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wherry, coming down the river, and, with two other persons, lost his life; the rest were saved. He is much lamented by all that knew him, and understand the value of a good man." William Penn wrote in reply, London, Seventh month 1.4, 1705, "I lament the loss of honest Richard Hough. Such men must needs be wanted where selfishness and forgetfulness of God's mercies so much abound." A number of other letters re- ferring to the beneficial influence Richard Hough had exerted in the community passed between Logan and Penn. He was also one of the jus- tices for Bucks county, and in 1700 was appoint- ed one of a "Court of Inquiry," to investigate the state of affairs in his province. By his will, dated May I, 1704, he disposed of his property, com- prising more than two thousand acres of land in Bucks county, in the following manner : One- half the plantation on which he lived, together with the stone house and out-buildings, to his wife Margery, during her life; the other half to his eldest son, Richard, when he reached the age of twenty-one years; after his wife's death, the whole plantation, consisting of four hundred and odd acres, to go to his son Richard. To his sec- ond son, John, he left his land "lying betwixt Samuel Baker's and Governor Penn's Manor of Highlands, which is about three hundred and fif- ty acres." To his youngest son, Joseph, his land "lying at Neshamine Creek betwixt Randal Black- shaw's and John Gray's, which is about five hun- dred and seventy odd acres." His daughters, Mary and Sarah, were given their portions in money. His land next to John Palmer's, about two hun- dred and seventy odd acres, and his land in Buck- ingham, adjoining Daniel Jackson's, four hun- dred and seventy-five acres, to be sold. He made his wife Margery and son Richard residuary leg- atees, and appointed them, with his "friend and brother," William Biles, the executors. The wit- nesses were Jacob and Abel Janney.

Richard Hough married, First month 17, 1683-84. Margery Clows, died II, 30, 1720, daughter of John and Margery Clows. This was the first marriage under the control of the Falls Meeting. The minutes of the Monthly Meeting have the following concerning it: "Richard Hough and Margaret Clows, have again appeared in the meeting and do desire the meeting's con- sent to take each other in marriage. And Friends ordered to make inquiry do say that they find nothing, but they are both clear; therefore the meeting doth leave them at liberty to proceed in

marriage; and doth order Thomas Janney and William Yardley to see the same orderly done and performed." The marriage certificate was signed by twenty-three persons. John Clows, the father of Mrs. Hough, who was of Gosworth, Cheshire, England, and Margery, his wife, came to Pennsylvania, Seventh month 29, 1683, in the ship, "Endeavor," of London, bringing with them their children-Margery, Rebecca and William. They had been preceded by three other children -John, Jr., Joseph and Sarah-who came in the "Friends' Adventure," Seventh month 28, 1682. John Clows, Sr., brought with him three servants -Samuel Hough, possibly a relative of Richard Hough, taking this means of getting to America, as many young men did at that period of time ; Joseph Chorley ; and Jolin Richardson. The fam- ily settled in Makefield, where John Clows had land on the river front. He also had an inland tract on the Neshaminy, which was later pur- chased by Richard Hough. John Clows repre- sented Bucks county in the assembly in 1683 and 1684, and his death occurred Seventh month 4, 1687. His wife died Second month 2, 1698. Their children were: I. John Jr., who died Fifth month 5, 1683. 2. Joseph, married Eliza- beth Pownall. 3. William, married Sarah Han- field. 4. Sarah, married John Bainbridge, of the New Jersey family of that name. 5. Margery, mentioned above. 6. Rebecca, married John Lambert, of Nottingham, West Jersey.

Richard and Margery (Clows) Hough had children : 1. Mary, born Sixth month 1, 1685, died November II, 1720. She married, April 6, 1704, William Atkinson, of Bristol. He was the son of Thomas Atkinson, a minister of the Society of Friends, and with his wife and three sons came to Pennsylvania in 1682, from Newby, in York- shire, England. He settled in Northampton township, Bucks county, and his sons-William and Isaac-went to live in Bristol, where the for- mer became a common councilman of the town ; served several terms as coroner of Bucks county ; was county commissioner and collector of excise ; and an elder of the Falls Meeting. 2. Sarah, horn Fourth month 7. 1690. She married (first). Fourth month 23, 1708, Isaac Atkinson, brother of William, mentioned above; (second) Leonard Shallcross, who appears to have been married be- fore, hut the name of his first wife is not known. He had a brother, John, who married, Third month 29, 1710, Hannah Fletcher, under care of Abingdon Meeting, and lived in Oxford town-

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ship, Philadelphia county. 3. Richard, married (first) 1711-12, Hester Brown; (second), Sev- enth month 27, 1717, Deborah Gumley, of Phila- delphia, probably the widow of John Gumley, of Philadelphia, letters of administration on whose estate were granted February 22, 1714, to his widow, Deborah Gumley. 4. John, born Sev- enth month 18, 1693, married, 1718, Elizabeth Taylor, daughter of Philip and Juliana Taylor. After the death of Philip Taylor his land at Ta- cony, Philadelphia county, was sold by his chil- dren, most of them removing to Bucks county, where the family has long been wealthy and in- fluential. The branch descended from Benjamin Taylor, brother of . Elizabeth (Taylor) Hough ; they were large landholders in Makefield, and gave the name to Taylorsville. 5. Joseph, born Eighth month 17, 1695, died May 10, 1773. Mar- ried Elizabeth West.

(II) Richard Hough, third child and eldest son of Richard (1) and Margery (Clows) Hough, married (first), 1711-12, Hester Brown ; (second), Seventh month 27, 1717, Deborah Gumley, of Philadelphia, who was probably the widow of John Gumley of that city, letter's of ad- ministration on whose estate were granted Feb- ruary 22, 1714, to his widow, Deborah Gumley. Among their children was a son, Henry.

(III) Henry Hough, son of Richard (2) and Deborah (Gumley) Hough.

(IV) John Hough, son of Henry (3) Hough. (V) Phineas Hough, son of John (4) Hough. was born 1790, died May 9, 1876. He married (first) Elizabeth Carlisle, by whom he had 110 children. He married (second) Deborah Aspy, born in 1796, died in 1854, and they had children : I. William Aspy, see' forward. 2. John, be- came a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church, and died in Delaware while filling the of- fice of presiding elder. 3. Mary S., married Jacob Hendrickson, of Ewing township, Mercer county, New Jersey. 4. Samuel Y., died in Kansas. 5. Phineas, a merchant in Philadelphia, now deceased. 6. Benjamin F., same as Phin- cas. 7. Edwin W., died in Philadelphia of dis- ease contracted while serving in the army during the Rebellion.

(VI) William Aspy Hough, eldest child of Phineas (5) and Deborah (Aspy) Hough, was born at Yardleyville, Pennsylvania, December 4. 1819, and died 1888. He acquired a considerable fortune, and in 1850 purchased the old Dr. Olden farm in Ewing township, Mercer county, New

Jersey, which was then in the possession of Mur- ray McIlvaine, and consisted of one hundred and sixty-four acres. He was recognized as one of the most successful farmers in the township, and his artistic taste and mechanical skill enabled him to remodel and beautify his home, and render his surroundings attractive and pleasant. He took an active interest in any plan for the improve- ment and welfare of the township, and was one of the vice-presidents of the West Ewing Im- provement Association. He was a member and a liberal supporter of the First Presbyterian Church of Ewing, of which he was one of the trustees, served on the church building committee in 1867, and on the parsonage committee in 1880 and 1881. He was overseer in Ewing Grange, No. 73. He married, February 5, 1845, Eleanor Stockton, daughter of John Stockton, and a de- scendant of the old New Jersey family of that name. Their children were: I. John Stockton, see forward. 2. Thomas, died at the age of six years. 3. Mary, died at the age of seven years. 4. William Henry died at the age of twenty- four years, October 12, 1881, while pursuing his studies at Rutgers College, New Jersey, with a view to preparing for the ministry. 5. Horace Greeley, see forward.

(VII) John Stockton Hough, eldest son of William Aspy (6) and Eleanor (Stockton) Hough, attended the Model School and Acad- emv of Trenton from 1858 to 1863; attended the Collegiate Institute, Fort Edward, New York, 1863: Eastman's Business College, Poughkeep- sie. New York, 1863-64, from which he gradu- ated ; Polytechnic College of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, and College of Engineering, from 1864 to 1869, graduating from the same, and was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. During 1868-69 he served as professor of chem- istry at Boys' Central high school, Philadelphia ; was resident physician of Philadelphia Hospital, 1869; was engaged in literary work and original researches, 1869-74: from 1874 to 1888 crossed the ocean seven times for observant study in Europe, spending from six months to a year each time, and during these visits became interested and studied building and care of stone roads ; in 1890 he was one of a number who formed the New Jersey State Road Association, and began to formulate the plan of the State Aid Road Laws; in 1891 was one of the above associa- tion who framed the first act; in 1893 was one of the above who framed the

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act of 1893; in 1894 promoted the building of the first macadam road in Mercer county, and was the first supervisor of country roads in Mer- cer county ; in 1895 was one of the above who framed the act of 1895: was vice-president of the association and chairman of the committee on legislation ; in 1896-97-98-99 supervised all leg- islation on state roads ; in 1896 framed law giv- ing free stone from workhouses of counties; in 1899 promoted the building of the first state and township road and was appointed supervisor : from 1894 to 1900 promoted and brought about the building of nearly all the improved roads in Mercer county ; in 1897 was appointed by the st- preme court as one of the commissioners ; in 1898 assessed benefits on all the roads built except the one on which he resides ; in 1898 was appointed by State Road Association as one of a commit- tee to show the New Jersey roads to the delega- tion from Virginia ; in 1898-99 drew and super- vised the bill to increase the state appropriation from $100,000 to $150,000: from 1890 to 1900 stood alone in Mercer county as the one person who has devoted time, talent and means to pro- moting the building of improved roads, and pro- curing the necessary legislation. Since the enact- mient of the State Aid Law Dr. Hough worked in harmony with the late Mr. Burroughs, and during the two terms of Mr. Budd in securing legislation, preparing specifications and supervis- ing the construction of macadam roads.

John S. Hough married (first) Mary Weth- erell, deceased, who had one child, Francis, who died at the age of eighteen years. He married (second) Edith Riley, now residing at Ewing- ville, and they had children : Richard, deceased ; Edward, Harry. John, Robert. deceased; Rich- ard. Arthur and Robert.

(VII) Horace Greeley Hough, fourth son and fifth and youngest child of William Aspy (6) and Eleanor (Stockton) Hough, was born in Ewing township, Mercer county, New Jer- sev. His education was acquired in the public schools of this township and this was supple- mented by a course of study in the Trenton Acad- emy, from which he was graduated, and a final course in Rider's Business College. He then en- tered upon his business career, which was the manufacture of brick, both for building and fin- ishing purposes, and was thus engaged very suc- cessfully until the failing health of his father ob- liged him to abandon this line of work and take charge of the home farm. Upon the death of

his father the farm property passed into his pos- session, and by means of the practical and pro- gressive methods hie employs this has become one of the model farms of the county. In addition to this he has given a great deal of his time and attention to the breeding of coach and road horses, and has put upon the market some of the finest horses of this class that have ever been ex- hibited, both as regards style and quality of work. He has one imported stallion, which is the only one of this kind in that section of the state. In many ways he has introduced new meth- ods, and his influence in the community has been a very beneficial one. He has always taken an earnest interest in the politics of the township; has served on several election boards, as road su- pervisor, and is now serving his fourth term as a member of the township committee. He is a stanch upholder of the principles of the Repub- lican party, and a consistent member of the Pres- byterian church.

Horace G. Hough married. November. 1886, Emma V. Murphy, daughter of James and Emi- ly (Rogers) Murphy, and their children are: Marjorle, Burnel Montgomery and Horace Eg- lington, twins.

JAMES R. FREEMAN, deceased, was a highly respected resident of the state of New Jersey, and a representative of one of the old families of the state.

James Freeman, the pioneer ancestor of the family, came to this country from England at an early date. He was the father of three sons, William, Jonathan and James, all of whom emi- grated to America. William settled in Maine, Jonathan in Rhode Island, and James in New Jersey.

James Freeman, one of the three sons of James Freeman, the pioneer, became the progenitor of the New Jersey branch of the family. He was an active participant during the war of the revo- lution, in the course of which he was struck by two British bullets, which he carried in his body during the remainder of his life. They had en- tered at his chest, followed the course of the ribs and lodged in the fleshy part of the back. The surgeon demanded one hundred dollars to extract them, so Mr. Freeman concluded to al- low them to remain where they were. His death occurred in Sussex county, New Jersey. He married Ann Rice, who was of Scotch deseent, and they became the parents of children, as fol-

Kung G. Freeman

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lows : I. Joseph, who settled at the Holland Purchase in New York, and subsequently lived for some years in or near Plainsboro, New Jer- sey. He married a Miss Wilson, and had a num- ber of children. 2. Keziah, married William Fine. 3. Rachel, married Thomas Berrien, a graduate of Princeton College. 4. Margaret, married John Dixon, a Scotchman. While still living with his parents he was sent for a physi- cian, was surprised by a press gang and taken aboard an English vessel. He permitted them to think that he was satisfied with his new work and performed it cheerfully; he was thus given a greater amount of liberty, and when they were anchored off the New Jersey coast succeeded in making his escape. Though kind and devoted to his wife and family, he was always moody and irritable because he never heard from his old home. 5. Elizabeth, who died unmarried. 6. Isabel, married (first) Charles Yard and had a son and daughter ; married (second) John Bar- ras, and had three children. 7. James R., see forward.

James R. Freeman, seventh and youngest child of James and Anın (Rice) Freeman, was born January 18, 1792, and died in Washington town- ship, Mercer county, New Jersey, June 12, 1864. Early in life he engaged in the trade of weav- ing, and later became a carpenter and cabinet maker. In early manhood he resided in Allen- town, opposite the Presbyterian church, and the closing years of liis life were spent upon the farmı now (1907) occupied by his sole surviy- ing daughter. He was a man of scholarly attain- ments and possessed a wonderfully retentive memory, a fact which made his recitals of many of the incidents of the earlier history of the state of great interest. He married (first), October 8, 1812, Jane Jackson Tantum, born August 9, 1787, and they had children: William S., George H. and Sarah Ann, all deceased. He married (second), February 3, 1830, Mary Jemison Wainwright, born January 28, 1809, died March 5, 1847, daughter of James and Susannah (Jem- ison) Wainwright, and granddaughter of Dan- iel Wainwright, who during revolutionary times served in the capacity of tax collector. He was murdered by a band of Tories, November, 1777. while on his way home, the miscreants suppos- ing that he had a large sum of money about his person. They were so enraged at finding they were mistaken that they drove a stake through his breast and hid his body in a salt pit. Con-

science-stricken by the enormity of the crime they had committed, they got in a batteau, confessed the deed, then threw themselves overboard and were drowned. The children of James R. and Mary Jemison ( Wainwright) Freeman were :

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Genealogical and personal memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey, Part 40

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