USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > Genealogical and personal memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey > Part 49
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HON. JOSEPH WARREN FLEMING. Hon. Joseph Warren Fleming, a prominent resi- dent of Titusville, Mercer county, New Jersey, has been for many years secretary and treasurer of the Titusville Canning, Fruit and Vegetable Company. He has followed the example of a number of his illustrious ancestors, in that he has filled with benefit to the community various pub- lic offices of trust and responsibility. The family is one of the oldest in the state of New Jersey, and has taken an important part in military and civil events for several hundred years.
One of the earliest ancestors of whom we have any record was Sir John Le Fleming, a famous crusader. The name owes its origin to a native of Flanders who, during the reign of King Da- vid the First, 1124, migrated to Scotland and settled there, taking the name of Le Fleming or Flanderensis, in honor of his native country. Sir Robert Le Fleming, 1272 to 1309, was one of the few trusty friends who assisted in crowning Robert Bruce. His son, Sir Malcolm Fleming. Lord of Fulwood, received a large grant of land and was in high favor with the king. He was also made governor of Dunbarton Castle and sheriff of the county. His son, also Sir Mal-
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colm, succeeded him as governor, and was a sup- porter of the right and title of David the Second, of the line of Bruce. Dunbarton Castle was en- trusted to the custody of the Flemings for many generations. During the time of Queen Mary, Lord James Fleming, at that time the governor, was married to the daughter of Lord Ross, at Holyrood palace, Edinburgh, and the queen was present on that occasion. Sir Thomas Fleming, his son, emigrated to Virginia, as did several other members of the family. One of them was the father of James Fleming, born in Iredell county, North Carolina, in 1762, who served in the Revolutionary war, later removing to Ohio, where he died in 1832. He was the great-grand- father of Hon. Josiah Mitchell Fleming, of Den- ver, Colorado. Another descendant was Colonel John Fleming, who migrated from Virginia to Kentucky in 1790; he was grandfather of Hon. John Donaldson Fleming, late United States Dis- trict Attorney of Colorado. Archbishop Rich- ard Fleming was the founder of Lincoln College, Oxford. Major General James Fleming, 1633- 1751, spent forty years of his life in the British army and is buried in Westminster Abbey. Arch- ibald Fleming, who went from England to Ire- land in 1173 with the Earl of Pembroke, was the ancestor of the Flemings, who became lords of the barony of Slane, county of Meath, Ireland. Sir Thomas Fleming, lord chief justice of Eng- land, commenced the profession of law at the same time as Francis Bacon, but was preferred to him by the attorneys and prime ministers of that time and merited and earned the highest pro- fessional honors. Margaret Fleming has been immortalized by Sir Walter Scott as "Pet Mar- jorie." Rev. John Fleming, a Scotch clergyman and naturalist, occupied the chair of natural philosophy at Kings College, Aberdeen, from 1832 to 1843, and was the author of several im- portant works. Bishop Michael Fleming, 1785- 1850, was a Roman Catholic Canadian. He founded and erected St. John's Cathedral, became its first bishop, and erected a number of other churches and schools. Among those who were notable in the American history of the family may be mentioned: Captain Fleming, who was killed between Trenton and Princeton, January 2, 1777, during the midnight retreat of Washing- ton from Trenton; Colonel Thomas Fleming, died in August, 1777, of exposure and hardships endured during the Revolution; William Flem- ing, was a member of the Virginia House of
Burgesses, and judge delegate to the Continental Congress, 1779-81. The family to be more par- ticularly mentioned hereinafter may very prop- erly be called the "Bethlehem Flemings," as its first members in America settled near the old meeting house in Hunterdon county, New Jersey. (I) Malcolm Fleming, the first of this branch of the Fleming family of whom we have any rec- ord, seems to have been a thrifty and industrious man. He was known as a "Yeoman," or man of small estate in lands, and he was also a weaver by trade, which is attested by various articles used in this trade which were left as the portion of his orphans. His farm was well stocked and his vil- lage for trading was Cookstown, in the center of Ulster province. He died about 1730, his wife's death having preceded his, and willed his prop- erty to James Bigger, as trustee for his children. This trust was later transferred to Rev. John Strong to enable Mr. Bigger to emigrate to America. It is to be presumed that Malcolm Fleming was a godly man and a church member, as his sons brought to America letters from the Presbyterian church. Among his children were: I. William, see forward. 2. Andrew, of whom little is known. 3. Thomas, of Cookstown, was in Bethlehem township as early as 1755, and re- moved to Vienna in 1783. 4. Samuel, born April 2, 1707, died February 10, 1790, was the pioneer settler of Flemington, the county seat of Hunterdon county, New Jersey. Recently there was talk of a tablet to be placed on the oldest house in Flemington. This house was built by Samuel Fleming in 1756, and ten years prior to this he was licensed to keep a hotel at Amwell, and again in 1763. He seems to have been un- fortunate in his land speculations, and finally be- came so embarrassed that he was sold out to meet his obligations. His third son, William, was also granted a hotel license in 1756. As Samuel Fleming kept a tavern, the place was called Flemings, and as other houses were erect- ed this became changed to Flemington. He mar- ried Esther Mounier, born January 6, 1714, member of a French Huguenot family who left France to escape religious persecution. They had five sons and two daughters, the first child born April 10, 1737, the second, Esther, married Colonel Thomas Lowrey ; she was born April 15, 1739. and died October 13, 1814.
(II) William Fleming, eldest son of Mal- colm Fleming, the weaver, was born near Cooks- town, county Tyrone, Ireland, prior to 1730. He
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probably assisted his father in the labors of the farm, harvested the flax, drove the cows from pasture, etc. He also gathered fagots for fires for cooking purposes in the big stone fireplace in the kitchen, fires being rarely needed for heat- ing purposes in that climate. He attended such school as was kept by the Presbyterian congrega- tion, near the church or possibly in the church mansc. He could read and write, and was a dea- con in the old Presbyterian church in Cookstown. He and his brothers mentioned above took out church letters and emigrated to America about 1751. Soon after we find them located on their own lands in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, where William spent the remainder of his life and is buried in the old churchyard of the Beth- lehem Presbyterian Church. Following is a copy of a receipt given by William Fleming :
"April ye 17th 1767.
Received of Thomas Fleming the sum of one pound five shillings and four pence, I say for Mr. Haner sallery being in full I say vullued by me. WILLIAM FLEMING. With a present from Andrew Fleming."
He took an active part in the life of the com- munity in which he lived, and worked assidu- ously to cultivate his farm. He added Iris share to the defense of the country against the govern- ment whose distressing treatment of Ireland had caused him to leave that country. He probably died in 1794, as his will was dated at Bethlehem township, June 16, 1792, and proven February 4, 1795. His wife was named as beneficiary and she died after 1795. He married Eleanor Rut- ledge, in Ulster province, Ireland. She was a descendant of an intelligent, patriotic family of the north of Ireland, and was probably a sister of Dr. John Rutledge, who emigrated to Charles- ton, South Carolina, about 1735, and practiced medicine there. He died leaving a widow with seven children, among them being John and Ed- ward Rutledge. Both were governors of South Carolina and jurists; both bore arms in the Rev- olution; both were members of the Continental Congress and Conventions. Edward was a sign- er of the Declaration of Independence, and John was a maker of our constitution. It was of John Rutledge that Patrick Henry said, "He was by far the greatest orator in the first Continental Congress at Philadelphia." William Fleming and his wife had children : Andrew, see for- ward. Eleanor, married McDaniel. Martha, married Crawford.
(III) Andrew Fleming, only son of William (2) and Eleanor (Rutledge) Fleming, was born in Cookstown, county Tyrone, Ireland, about 1740 to 1745. He sailed to America with his parents and a number of other relatives in the summer of 1751, and spent his entire life in the township of Bethlehem, Hunterdon county, New Jersey. The opportunities for obtaining school- ing in those days were few, and probably he had not a very good education. His main instruction was received from his mother. He undoubtedly took an active part in the stirring events of the Revolution, giving his support to the cause of the patriots, and died October 19, 1785. His death was the result of a dispute with a drunken Tory over politics, which resulted in a quarrel, during the progress of which the drunken man bit Mr. Fleming in the face. As a result of this wound blood poisoning set in and caused death. He is buried in the Fleming family lot in the old churchyard in Bethlehem. He married Rebecca Paterson, who died November 20, 1821, being about seventy-five years of age. Their children were: I. William, see forward. 2. Eleanor, born April 23, 1771, married David Butler, who resided in Mansfield, Warren county, New Jer- sey. 3. Martha, born June 11, 1773, married a Mr. Robinson or Robeson. 4. Meakim ( Mal- colm), born February 11, 1775. 5. Margaret, married George Cratchley, who moved to Rich- mond, New York, 1826. They had a son, David B., who was working on a farm in Jacksonville, New York, in 1829. 6. Rebecca, unmarried. 7. Saralı, married John Kitchen.
(IV) William Fleming, eldest child of An- drew (3) and Rebecca ( Paterson) Fleming, was born on a farm in Bethlehem township, Hunter- don county, New Jersey, May 31, 1769. He at- tended school and learned to read and write, but as he was but fifteen years of age at the time of the death of his father, he was soon obliged to assist his mother to the best of his ability. He then went to live with his grandfather, William Fleming, who was then an old man, and young William took charge of affairs on the farm. Aft- er the death of his grandfather he settled the es- tate, remaining in charge of the farm, as his grandmother depended on his assistance. He was then about twenty-five years of age, and probably remained in charge until 1798. He fol- lowed the occupation of farming throughout his life, and died of an attack of pleurisy, January 21, 1833. He married, December 30, 1798, Eliz-
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abeth Cook, a member of a family of Friends. She was born September 9, 1768, and was about six months older than her husband ; she died Oc- tober 4, 1849. She lived at Cook's Cross Roads in the town of Bethlehem, whither she moved with her father, Jacob Cook, in 1784. Probably soon after their marriage they moved to a farm one mile west of Oxford Furnace, in Warren county. Later they moved into the "Chestnut Barrens," in Alexandria township. The children of William and Elizabethi (Cook) Fleming were : I. Eleanor, born March 23, 1880, married Sanı- uel Mitchell ; died May 5, 1878. 2. Jacob Cook, born January 31, 1802, married, September 8, 1828, Lucinda Baird, and they had five children ; died May 2, 1874. 3. Thomas, born March 19, 1804, married Clarissa Baird, December 9, 1832 or 1834; died in 1883. 4. Andrew, born Octo- ber 23, 1805, married, December 8, 1838, Mar- garet Lawshe. 5. Joanna, born September 8, 1807, married, August 1, 1828, Jacob Theanley Haney ; died at Raritan, New Jersey, January 3, 1880. 6. William, see forward. 7. Tylee, born April 23, 18II, married, March 15, 1832, Sa- mantha Pratt ; died, in Lima, Indiana, September 7, 1839. 8. Abbott, born November 25, 1813, married, May 6, 1837, Margaret Semple ; died, in Lima, Indiana, January 23, 1894. He was an elder in the Baptist church, and for many years was pastor of the church at Lima and Van Bu- ren.
(V) William Fleming, Jr., sixth child and fourth son of William (4) and Elizabeth ( Cook) Fleming, was born at the farmhouse of his pa- rents near Oxford Furnace, Sussex (now War- ren) county, New Jersey, June 14, 1809. His education was acquired in the district public schools and he then assisted his parents on the farm until they removed to the "Chestnut Bar- rens," in 1824. He was living in the latter place in 1831, and his father made him a joint executor in his will with his brother Andrew, to adminis- ter the estate for the mother as long as she should live, and then sell to the best advantage and divide it equally among the children. This was accomplished in 1849. When William was twenty-one years of age he traveled to New York, to visit his brother Jacob at Pultneyville. He learned the trade of stone mason, and was engaged for work of this kind on the court house at Flemington. After his marriage he settled on a farm in the northern part of Alexandria, near Swinesburg, remaining there for a period of
about twenty-seven years. There he was en- gaged in farming until 1848, when he removed to another farm in Harbourtown, which he cul- tivated until his death, which occurred February 4, 1873. Both he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church at Titusville, and he was an elder in that institution. He was about six feet, four or five inches in height, and had very light hair and complexion. He was a man of kindly disposition, sound judgment and his coun- sel was often sought by his neighbors. He took a deep interest in school and public affairs, was on the township committee of Hopewell, and held other civic offices.
He married, February 18, 1836, Charity Haga- man, born April 22, 1809, died April 29, 1878. They had children. I. Elizabeth, born August II, 1836, near Bloomsbury, married, November, 1869, William H. Hart, who died October I, 1896. They resided on a farm near Hopewell, which is still in the family. They had one child : Warren Fleming Hart, born September 20, 1870. Mr. Hart was a descendant of "Honest" John Hart, who signed the Declaration of Independ- ence. 2. John, born near Bloomsbury, Decem- ber II, 1838, obtained a good education, and has followed farming all his life. He has also a fine dairy farm. He married, November 16, 1864, Phebe Furman Cornell, born at Harbourtown, New Jersey, June 8, 1843, and they have one child: Annie Cornell, born November 30, 1866, at Pennington. She married, November 17, 1886, Jolın Calvin Erickson, born at Perrins- ville, Monmouth county, New Jersey, March 20, 1863, and they have children : Esther Cornell, born September 6, 1888; Marion Phebe, born February 10, 1891 ; John Fleming, born July 19, 1894; Stanley Fleming, born July 21, 1897. 3. Hannah Ann, born near Bloomsbury, February 21, 1841, died July 12, 1878. 4. Eleanor, born near Bloomsbury, March 2, 1843. She married, June 28, 1875, Newton Bray Rittenhouse, a grandson of General Bray, of the Continental army. He is also a descendant of the famous American astronomer, David Rittenhouse. New- ton Bray and Eleanore (Fleming) Rittenhouse had one child: William E. Rittenhouse, born December 1, 1876, and the family lived in Dela- ware township, Hunterdon county. 5. William, Jr., born near Bloomsbury, May 27, 1845, resides in that place, where he is superintendent of a to- mato canning factory. He married, November, 1869, Lucinda Hunt, and they had one child :
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Bessie, born August 6, 1875, died January, 190I. 6. Hon. Joseph Warren, see forward. 7. Jane, born near Harbourtown, April 23, 1852, resides on a farm near Pennington, New Jersey. She married, June 26, 1875, Joseph M. Hunt, and they have one child : Helen F., born March 19, 1890.
(VI) Hon. Joseplı Warren Fleming, third son and sixth child of William (5) and Charity (Hagaman) Fleming, was born near Harbour- town, Mercer county, New Jersey, January 31, 1851. He resided there until April, 1874, when he removed with his mother and two of his sisters to Titusville. During the following summer and winter he attended a course at a business college, and in the summer of 1875 traveled to Illinois, and in 1879 through the eastern part of Colorado and Dakota. Since that time he has resided in the state of New Jersey. He has been secretary and treasurer of the Titusville Canning, Fruit and Vegetable Company since April, 1891, and his enterprise and executive ability has made this a very successful undertaking. His home is beautifully located on the banks of the Delaware river, not far removed from the monument which marks the spot where Washington crossed the river to capture Trenton in 1776. In his posses- sion is the family Bible. He has been prominent- ly identified with the political history of the town- ship and the county. He was a member of the election board from 1894 to 1899 ; was nominated to the New Jersey state legislative assembly on the Republican ticket by a majority of four thousand six hundred and fifty-six votes over the highest candidate on the Democratic ticket. He was re-elected in 1900 by a majority of five thousand six hundred and ninety-one votes. He is affiliated with the order of Free and Accepted Masons and that of the Junior American Me- chanics.
He married, April 9, 1881, Mary Harriet Cor- nell, born November 9, 1846, third and youngest daughter and child of Ralph and Mary Ann (Akers) Cornell. Ralph Cornell, who was the son of Nathaniel and Sarah (Cook) Cornell, and the grandson of William and (Howell) Cornell, was born June 6, 1803, and died July 25, 1849; his wife, Mary Ann (Akers) Cornell, was born November 25, 1814, died September 29, 1880. Nathaniel Cornell was born April 19, 1762, died August 9, 1829; his wife, Saralı (Cook) Cornell, was born February 21, 1762, died January 25, 1855. Nathaniel and Sarah
(Cook) Cornell had children : I. Enoch, born March 21, 1787. 2. Henry, born May 17, 1789, died December 20, 1869. 3. William, born May 17, 1791, died March, 1795. 4. Elizabeth, born June 5, 1793, died February, 1796. 5. Aaron, born February 22, 1796, died December 4, 1873. 6. Samuel, born August 5, 1798, died June 8, 1877. 7. Nathaniel, Jr., born November 10, 1800, died June 7, 1826. 8. Ralph, mentioned above. Mary Ann (Akers) Cornell was the daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Hagaman) Akers; the former was born January 15, 1788, died February 25, 1863; the latter, daughter of William and Mary (Fisher) Hagaman, was born September 1, 1792, died September 19, 1858. They had children: 1. Oliver, born October 4, 1813, died December 30, 1813. 2. Mary Ann, mentioned above. 3. Catherine, born October 19, 1817, died June 10, 1830. 4. Amos, born October 14, 1819, died October 19, 1867. 5. Abraham, born March 2, 1823. 6. Melinda, born April 30, 1829, died March 10, 1898. 7. Lewis, born October 21, 1831, died March 25, 1899. 8. Catherine, second, born January 17, 1834, died April 8, 1893. 9. Levi, born March 21, 1836, died October 31, 1906. 10. Emma, born August 24, 1839, died June 17, 1870. Ralph and Mary Ann (Akers) Cornell had children : I. Sarah Elizabeth, born December 7, 1839. 2. Abigail Conover, born October 8, 1844. 3. Mary Harriet, married Hon. Joseph Warren Fleming, as previously stated.
APPLEGATE FAMILY. It is an honor to have had a noble ancestry, but it is still better to be an honor to our ancestors. But regardless of ancestry, "A mon's a mon for a' that." This ar- ticle will treat of the Applegate family in this country, and especially that branch which settled in New Jersey and to which belongs George F. Applegate, the optician, residing in the city of Trenton, New Jersey.
Before entering into the history of his im- mediate family, it is well to review several of the characters found in past generations, both in the old world and those who emigrated to our shores in the past centuries. Lowers' work, published in London in 1860, entitled "Patronymica Brittan- ica," states that Applegarth is derived from an enclosure for apples, or apple trees, an orchard, and that Applegath and Applegate are corrup- tions of Applegarth. Being an author noted for his research into the origin of names, he is ac-
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cepted as authority. The ancient Saxons and Britons had great respect for trees and groves, in some cases amounting to reverence, and the fortunate man.
owner of an apple orchard was looked upon as a ' settlers of Gravesend, Long Island, and is be-
The Applegarths were a noted family of Hampshire, England. Further back Apeliard is found and is doubtless the most ancient form. This was applied to an ancient family in Nor- folkshire, England. The last syllable of the name Apeliard, pronounced "Yard," was ren- dered as Aplegarth and Aplewaithegarth, mean- ing the same as yard. Nicholas de Apelyard and Robert del Apelgath were prominent men among the first of this origin.
In tracing back the noted family of Appleyard in Norfolkshire, England, there is found a strik- ing coincidence of family names with those of the first Applegates in New Jersey. In 1419 a branch of the Appleyard family, who adopted the orthography of Appleyard, came into possession of the manor of Dauton. Will Appleyard in 1481 bequeathed to his son Thomas and names his mother, Elizabeth, and brothers John and Bartholomew. This Bartholomew died in 1492, but their names, Bartholomew, Thomas and John, were handed down in the family and these were also the prominent given names of the orig- inal Applegates of this country. It was not un- common in the past for names to undergo changes in orthography as they were handed down from one generation to another. Sometimes this was done for euphony, but was generally due to carelessness or ignorance of recording clerks. A number of changes have occurred since the first settlement of the family in America. In 1674 the name was written Applegadt, in the pe- tition of Bartholomew and Thomas Applegadt for leave to purchase land of the Indians. Rich- ard, the son of Thomas, in his will in 1732 gives his name as Aplegate. Some of the descendants of Bartholomew, who settled in Middlesex coun- ty, write their names today as Appleget.
Another theory of the origin of the name is that it is a combination of two Saxon words, "Apple," meaning fruit in general, and "Gate," meaning a street or way. For example, if a man lived on a street where fruit was sold, he would be called Applegate, or on a street fronting the south, Southgate, or on a street exposed to high wind, Windgate, or on a street exposed to the cold, Colgate. While this is a plausible theory, the name Applegate is not to be found in any
genealogical or heraldic work over three cen- turies ago.
(I) Thomas Applegate was among the first
yond question the founder of the Applegate fam- ily in this country. He was an Englishman, who is named among the patentees of Flushing, Long Island, in the patent dated October 19, 1647, is- sued by Governor Kieft. Gravesend was divided in 1645 into thirty-nine lots and among those receiving shares were: Richard Stout, John Buckman, Samuel Spicer, Nicholas Stillwell, John Bowne, William Goulding, William Comp- ton, and others whose names are familiar in the early history of Monmouth. The following year, 1646, John Buckman sold his share to Thomas Applegate, who was probably the same Thomas Applegate who, with the colony . of Massachu- setts Bay in 1635, was licensed to keep a ferry between Weymouth and Braintree. His wife was Elizabeth and the court records of the Bay col- ony show that she had some trouble, probably growing out of ecclesiastical tyranny of that big- oted age, when it was considered a dishonor to worship God in a faith other than believed in by the Puritans, and those who did so worship were fined or "well whipt" by the order of the court. The record referred to reads: 1636 Sept. 6, Elizabeth Apelgate, wife of Thomas Apel- gate, was censured to stand with her tongue in a cleft stick for swearing, reviling and railing."
The following entry in the court records of Massachusetts Bay Colony are found, dated "1638, Dec. 4. William Blauton appearing was enjoyned to appeare at the next court with all the men that were in the canoe with him. and Apelgate wch owned the canoe out of which the three persons were drowned; and it was ordered that no canoe should be used at any ferry upon paine of 5-I nor no canoe to be made in our jur- ixdiction before the next general court upon paine of IO-I."
The name Thomas Apelgate (usually spelled with one "p") frequently appears in the early records of Massachusetts between 1635 and 1640. Like many others he found refuge in Rhode Isl- and and afterwards at Gravesend, Long Island, where he was of a party that resided in Holland before they came to Long Island, and their resi- dence in Holland indicates that they left Eng- land because of their religious and political views and were objectionable to the government of Charles I.
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