USA > New Jersey > Salem County > Salem > History and genealogy of Fenwick's colony > Part 22
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William, the son of Benjamin and Mary Shourds, married Martha, the daughter of Peter and Mary Andrews, of Man- nington. Peter was a native of Great Egg Harbor ; his wife, Mary, was the daughter of Whitten and Martha Huddy Cripps,
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of Mannington .* William and Martha Shourds had four children-Rachel, Mary, Benjamin and William Shourds .- Rachel, their eldest daughter, married Thomas Mullineux, of Ulster county, New York; her husband is deceased, and she now lives at Mount Holly, Burlington county. Mary Shourds lives in the city of Philadelphia, and remains single. Benja- min, the eldest son, resides in Philadelphia, and is a brick layer by trade. He is married and has several children. William Shourds has been twice married; his first wife was Hannah Yardly, by whom he had three children-Martha, Letitia and Hannah. His second wife is Rebecca Rainer. Mary, the daughter of Benjamin and Mary Shourds, married Samuel Hewes, of Delaware county, Pennsylvania; they are both deceased, leaving one son-Charles Hewes. Samuel Shourds, the second son of Benjamin and Mary Shourds, was born 6th of 9th month, 1781; he married Elizabeth, the daughter of Jacob and Mary Carpenter Ware. Jacob was the great grand- son of Joseph Ware, the emigrant, who came to this country in the ship Griffith, as a servant, and landed at Salem 5th of 10th month, 1675. Jacob's wife was Mary Carpenter, the daughter of William and Mary Powell Carpenter. William was the grandson of Joshua Carpenter, of Philadelphia. He was born in the State of Delaware, and came to this county about the year 1745 or '46, and married Mary, the daughter of Jeremiah Powell, Jr., who was several years younger than her husband ; they had four children-Mary, William, Powell and Abigail. Samuel and Elizabeth Shourds had three children-William, Mary and Thomas. William died young. Samuel Shourds,
* I have frequently alluded to the Cripps family withont stating their ancestry. It is an old family of England. Nathaniel, the first that I have knowledge of, was the son of John Cripps, born about 1656. He married, in England, Grace, sister of James Whitten, who located land in Lower Mannington, at the first settlement of Salem county. Nathaniel and his wife, Grace Cripps, came to America in 1678, and settled in Burlington county. By tradition he was the founder of Mount Holly. Nathaniel and Grace Cripps had six children-John, Benjamin, Samuel, Virginia, Theophla and Hannah Ann Cripps .- John, the eldest son, married Mary Eves, of Haddonfield. Benjamin, the second son, married Mary Hough. Their children were Whitten, who in 1759 married Martha Huddy; John, their second son, died a minor; Hannah, married Samuel Mason, of Mannington, in 1756, son of Thomas Mason, of the same place ; Cyntha married James Bonsall, of Darby, Pennsylvania. Whitten Cripps subsequently was the owner of the landed estate of his great-unele, James Whitten; he had two children-Benjamin, who married the daughter of Peter Carney, of Upper Penn's Neck ; and Mary Cripps, who married Peter Andrews, a native of Egg Harbor.
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the father of the before mentioned children, died in 1807, in - his twenty-sixth year. He resided, at the time of his death, in Lower Penn's Neck, where his children were born. Mary Shourds married William Bradway, the son of Ezra and Mary Denn Bradway, of Lower Alloways Creek; they have six children-Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary, Anna, Rachel and Ellen Bradway. Thomas Shourds was born 28th of 2d month, 1805, and married Sarah, the daughter of Joseph and Ann Mason Thompson, 10th of 1st month, 1828. Joseph Thompson, her father, was the son of Joshua Thompson, a native of Elsinboro, and the great grand-son of Andrew Thompson, the emigrant, who landed at Elsinboro in 1677. Ann Mason, wife of Joseph Thompson, was the daughter of John Mason, who was the son of Thomas Mason, and he was the son of John Mason, who emigrated from England and landed at Philadelphia in 1684; (he, however, came and settled at Salem soon afterwards.) Thomas and Sarah Thompson Shourds had eight children-Anna T., Samnel, (who died when about twenty months old,) Thompson, Samuel, 2d, Thomas M., Eliza- beth T., Sarah W. and Mary Carpenter Shourds. Samuel Shourds, 2d, died when he was in his nineteenth year. Sarah Ware Shonrds died when she was in her twenty-first year. Elizabeth Thompson Shonrds died when she was about thirty- one years old. Thompson, the son of Thomas and Sarah T. Shourds, is a carpenter and builder, and follows that business in Philadelphia. He married Rachel, the daughter of Comly and Susan Tyson ; they have had three children-William, Anna T. and Susan 'T. Rachel, his wife, is deceased, as also their oldest child, Willie Shourds. Thomas Mason Shourds, the son of Thomas and Sarah T. Shourds, married Anna, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Brown, of Alloways Creek; they have three children-Sarah W., Mary and Thompson Shourds.
SUMMERILL FAMILY.
The Summerill's are a large and ancient family of Upper Penn's Neck. The most reliable account of the family is that William Summerill and Thomas Carney emigrated from Ireland about 1725, and settled in Penn's Neck, Salem county. William Summerill, soon after his arrival, purchased a large tract of land near the present brick mill at the head of Game creek, extend- ing to Salem creek. He and his wife, Mary Summerill, resided on that part now owned by Benjamin and Rebecca Summerill Black, (she having inherited the property from her father.) They had two sons-Joseph and John. When his children were young he had the misfortune of losing his wife ; soon after which he left the township of Penn's Neck and settled in Pittsgrove, and there married a widow by the name of Elwell. By this wife he had two daughters, one of whom subsequently married a Newkirk, the parents of Garrett and Matthew Newkirk, of mercantile fame of Philadelphia. An incident, relating to the introduction of those eminent men into business life in Phila- delphia, was related to the writer more than thirty years ago by an aged physician, then a resident of Pittsgrove. He said the father of Garrett and Matthew Newkirk was in the practice of going to Philadelphia market with his poultry once in a year, which was common among the farmers of Salem county at that time. On one of his trips his eldest daughter accompanied him for the purpose of buying a new bonnet, soon after they arrived in the city, she went to one of the milliners and purchased her- self one, and whilst waiting for it to be trimmed to her liking, she was impressed with the idea that she would be glad to have the opportunity of learning the trade before she left. She asked the milliner in attendance if she would be willing to take her to learn the trade; the milliner replied in the affirmative, but when she mentioned the matter to her father he discouraged and desired her not to undertake it. But her mind was settled upon it ; she told her father that if he would pay her board whilst learning the trade, that would be all of his estate she wanted. He at last consented. After she had learned the busi-
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ness she set up on her own account, and in a few years accumu- lated a fortune. At the death of her father she obtained a situation in one of the dry good stores for her eldest brother Garrett, and in a short time afterwards she found a situation for her younger brother, Matthew; both of them eventually became successful and wealthy merchants in their adopted city. Wil- liam Summerill, the emigrant, died in Pittsgrove, at a very ad- vanced age.
Joseph, the eldest son of William and Mary Summerill, set- tled in Wilmington, Delaware, and engaged in the shipping and blacksmithing business. He married and had two sons and two daughters; both of his daughters married sea captains. His sons, Joseph and Nehemiah, became merchants in Philadelphia, but finally failed, causing, also, the failure of their father. After which they removed to the interior of Pennsylvania, where, it is said, some of their family still remains. John, the youngest son of William and Mary Summerill, married Naomi Carney, daughter of Thomas and Mary Carney, of Carney's Point. The Carney's purchased a large tract of land on the Delaware river, being part of the Bowtown tract of 1640 acres, that formerly be- longed to Matthias Nelson, he being a Swede. John and his wife, Naomi C. Summerill, owned and lived on the property that his father purchased when he first settled in New Jersey. It is now owned and occupied by Benjamin and Rebecca S. Black, as before mentioned. The old mansion house was burned during the war of the Revolution by a marauding party from the Brit- ish fleet that was lying in the Delaware river opposite Helms Cove. There is now a large iron pot in the possession of the Summerill family, that was in the old family mansion when it was burned ; it certainly is quite a centennial relic. John Summerill, 1st, died comparatively a young man, leaving a widow and four sons-John, Jr., Joseph, Thomas and William, and two daughters-Mary and Rebecca. Naomi, their mother, proved a parent indeed. She remained and carried on farming, and raised and educated her six children. She never married again.
John Summerill, 2d, married Christiana Holton; they had nine children. James and Josiah died minors. Their father was a successful agriculturist, and at his death was the owner of a large quantity of excellent land in the township of Upper Penn's Neck. He lived to be nearly fourscore years, leaving four sons and three daughters-John, 3d, Naomi, Garnett, William, Ann, Rebecca and Joseph C. Joseph Summerill, the second son of John, 1st, married Mary Linmin ; they had two
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children-William and Mary; both of whom are deceased. William Summerill, son of Joseph, married Elizabeth A. Cris- pin. He purchased the James Mason farm, in Mannington, near Salem, and resided thereon until his death. He left a large family of children. Most of William Summerill's chil- dren's names I have no knowledge of, excepting three of his sons-James, Robert and Henry, who are residents of Upper Pittsgrove. William's widow is still living. Mary, the daugh- ter of Joseph and Mary L. Summerill, married Stephen Straughn. He is deceased. Thomas, the son of John and Naomi Carney Summerill, married Elizabeth Borden; they are both deceased, dying young, and leaving a family of young children, who are all deceased excepting two daughters-Han- nah and Elizabeth Paul. One of the sous was married, and left two sons, who are in business in Philadelphia. Hannah, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth B. Summerill, married Samuel Holton ; she is deceased, leaving one son. Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Summerill, married Somers Barber ; the latter is deceased, and leaves two children, both living. William, son of John and Naomi Summerill, died a young man, unmar- ried. Mary, daughter of John and Naomi Summerill, was twice married ; her first husband's name was Clark, and after his death she married John Holton; they left three sons- Thomas, Samuel and Andrew Holton ; the last named is living ; the two oldest brothers are deceased.
John Summerill, 2d, died in 1854, and left seven children. The eldest son, John Summerill, 3d, died in 1865, aged sixty- two years. He was above medioerity in mental abilities. In early life he became an active politician, was elected to the State Legislature when a young man, and was subsequently chosen a State Senator and served the full term with entire sat- isfaction to his constituents. He was affable and very pleasing in his manner. His wife was Emily Parker. At his death he left two sons-John, 4th, and Joseph C. Summerill, both of whom are store keepers and large dealers in grain at Helms Cove, a short distance below Pennsgrove. There their father commenced the same business in 1829.
Naomi, the daughter of John, 2d, and Christiana H. Sum- merill, married Robert, the son of James and Elizabeth Newell. Robert and his wife since their marriage, reside in the township of Mannington. They have three sons and one daughter living. John S. Newell, their eldest son, married Emma, the daughter of William Morris, late of Sharpstown ; they have one child- Robert. Their daughter, Josephine, married Edward A. Van- 31
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neman, of Upper Penn's Neck; her husband is deceased, leav- ing children. The two younger sons of Robert and Naomi Newell are Robert, Jr., and James. Garnett, the second son of John and Christiana Summerill, is a farmer, and owns and resides on the property that was formerly owned and occupied by Peter Carney, the youngest son of Thomas Carney, Sr. Gar- nett married Mary Borden, of Sharpstown. They had four chil- dren-James, Annie, William G. and John, M. D. James is deceased ; Annie married Henry M. Wright; William J. and John M. Summerill are unmarried. William, the third son of Jolın and Christiana Summerill, married Hannah Vanneman. He resides in Upper Penn's Neck. He and his wife have two sons-Josiah and Daniel V. Summerill, both of whom are mar- ried, and reside on farms near Pennsgrove. William Summerill does a large amount of public business in his native county, having been, and is at the present time, one of the Judges of the Salem County Courts, and is also one of the Directors of the Canal Meadow Company. This canal was projected as early as 1801 by John Moore White and Michael Wayne, two emi- nent lawyers of West Jersey, who, at that time, owned a large tract of low lands and meadow bordering on Salem creek. They, in conjunction with the late Joseph Reeve, who resided near Sharpstown, made an application to the State Legislature for a law to cut a navigable canal for a two-fold purpose. The said canal was intended to carry off the waters that flowed down the upper branches of Salem creek into the river, instead of a cir- cuitous route of more than twenty miles to the Delaware river by the course of Salem creek, and only two miles and four rods by the canal. The contemplated canal was dug, but proved a failure. It was attempted about thirty years ago to open it deeper, but it was soon abandoned as impracticable. Some seven years since, there was an application made to the State Legislature for a new law for the purpose of taxing all the owners of the low lands and meadows that lay above John Denn's canal to the head of tide water, for the purpose of defray- ing the expenses of digging a canal large enough for navigation, and also, to stop the creek some distance below the contemplated canal. The meadow was surveyed by three commissioners chosen for that purpose, which survey amounted to seven or eight thousand acres, and a tax assessed on said meadow by a second set of commissioners elected for that purpose, agreeable to their law. The Directors decided in cutting the new canal on the site 'of the old one, about half a mile below Hawk's Bridge, that was dug nearly seventy years previous. Through the energy
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and perseverance of Elisha Bassett, William Summerill, George Biddle, David Pettit and Robert Walker, the work was com- menced and the canal was completed so as to be navigable, and Salem creek completely stopped about fifty rods below the canal, where it empties into Salem creek. This public work was under- taken through great opposition by some of the owners of land that lay bordering on Salem creek, notwithstanding it is likely to prove one of the greatest publie benefits that was ever under- taken and fully consummated of the kind in Salem county. In regard to navigation it enables owners of land in Upper Penn's Neck, a large part of Mannington and Pilesgrove town- ships, as well as the owners of extensive meadows and low lands, that lie below the dam, to send the products of their farms to market without much cost, or labor. The complete draining by the canal makes their meadows more than two-fold profitable than heretofore.
Ann, the daughter of John and Christiana Summerill, mar- ried Elias Kaighn, of Camden. The latter is deceased, leaving one daughter, but his widow is now living at Helm's Cove, Upper Penn's Neck. Rebecca, the daughter of John and Christiana Summerill, married Benjamin Black; they own and reside on the old homestead farm of the Summerill's, as hereto- fore mentioned. They have two sons and two daughters. Joseplı, the youngest son of Jolm and Christiana Summerill, is a Methodist clergyman, of which religious society, I think, most of the Summerill family are members. Joseph married Saralı I. Vanneman, and has six children, three daughters and three sons-Hannah, Christiana, Louisa, Joseph C., Thomas C. and Daniel Vanneman Summerill. At the death of Thomas Car- ney, 1st, he left two sons-Thomas and Peter Carney, and two or three daughters. He, as was the custom in that day, devised all his real estate to his sons ; his daughters, particularly Naomi, his eldest daughter, who married John Summerill, 1st, did not heir any of her father's real estate. Thomas Carney, Jr., left one daughter to inherit his large estate, who afterward married the late Robert G. Johnson, of Salem. Peter Carney, the brother of Thomas, left two danghters; one of them married Benjamin Cripps, of Mannington ; the other daughter married John Tuft, of Salem, but died young, leaving one son-Sinnick- son Tuft. There is a singular circumstance connected with the Carney and Summerill families that does not often occur. Naomi Carney Summerill's descendants, now, after a lapse of nearly a century, owns the larger part of the landed estate that belonged to her two brothers, Thomas and Peter Carney, including several large and valuable farms.
SHARP FAMILY.
The Sharps are an ancient family of the South of England. They held a large landed estate in Tilbury, in Gloucester, near the city of Bristol. Anthony Sharp, the subject of this sketch, being the eldest son of that lineage of the Sharps, inherited the great landed estate of the family, in the county of Gloucester. He was born about 1630, and early in life became convinced of the doctrines of George Fox; likewise one or two of his younger brothers became members of the persecuted religious sect, called Friends or Quakers. Anthony Sharp, the eldest brother, emi- grated from Tilbury, England, in the time of Cromwell, and settled in Queens county, Ireland, and purchased a large county seat called Roundwood, near Mount Mellick. That was his home, although he resided and did an extensive mereantile busi- ness in the city of Dublin. The estate called Roundwood is still in the possession of the Irish branch of the Sharp family to this day. Anthony Sharp purchased a large landed estate in East and West Jersey. On the 22d of 4th month, 1681, he bought of Roger Roberts, of Dublin, the one-tenth part of the one-hundredth part of West New Jersey. Again in a deed, dated 16th of 9th month, 1700, he purchased of Henry Mason and Elizabeth his wife, and William Barnard, the sixteenth of the twentieth part of the one-hundredth part; he likewise bought of the same parties the following day the tenth part of the one-hundredth part of West New Jersey. Anthony Sharp also purchased of Thomas Warner, of Dublin, the one-third part of the one-half part of John Haywood's, one of the East Jersey proprietors. The deed was dated 14th of 10th month, 1682. The said John Haywood, William Penn, Gwinn Laurie, Robert Barclay, and eight others, all being members of the Society of Friends, bought from George Carterett East New Jersey. The said John Haywood sold his one-twelfth to Thomas Warner, of Dublin, for £350 sterling; not for himself alone, but including in that transaction, as equal parties, were Anthony Sharp and Samuel Claridge ; both of these were citizens of Dublin. A division was made of the one-third part each owned, that being
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in 1682. Afterwards Anthony Sharp purchased of Samuel Claridge one-half part of his original one-third of John Hay- wood's moiety, as one-half part of the original one-twelfth of East New Jersey. This deed bears date 20th of 2d month, 1694.
Anthony Sharp, the elder, had three sons-Isaac, Joseph and Daniel, and one daughter-Rachel Sharp. He died in the year 1707, and was buried in the ancient Friends' burying-ground in the city of Dublin. Isaac, the eldest son of Anthony, married and had three sons-Anthony, Isaac and Joseph Sharp, and four daughters ; their names were Mary, Sarah Mason, Rachel and Margaret Sharp. Anthony, the eldest son of Isaac Sharp, mar- ried and had two children, one of whom whose name was Isaac, died during his minority. The daughter, Francis Sharp, mar. ried Luke Flood, of Queens county, Ireland. The family of Floods are an ancient family of both England and Ireland Francis and her husband resided on the great landed estate called Roundwood, that was owned by the first Anthony Sharp. Mary, the daughter of Isaac Sharp, probably died unmarried. Her sister Sarah Mason Sharp, married a person by the name of Daniel Delaney, and Margaret, the youngest daughter of Isaac Sharp, married a man by the name of Hill; they afterwards emigrated to America. Anthony Sharp, 1st, bequeathed to his third son, Daniel Sharp, and his heirs in male line in the order of primogeniture, one-fourth part of his lands in East Jer- sey. He bequeathed to his second son Joseph, and his heirs in the male line, one-fourth part of all his lands in East New Jer- sey, and in default of such issue to his eldest son Isaac Sharp.
Joseph Sharp, second son of Anthony, married Catharine Sewage of Ireland, had one daughter. Isaac, the second brother of Anthony, 2d, emigrated to America, and settled in West Jer- sey, at a place called Blessington, now known as Sharpstown. He bronght the frame of his house with him from Ireland, and the site where he built his house is on the farm owned at the present time by Joseph Robinson. The tract is known as " The Park" to this day by the old inhabitants in that section. It is probable that the said Isaac Sharp emigrated about the year 1730. He was appointed Judge of the Court of Salem county, by George H., King of England, 1741. This is the copy : " George the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, " France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and to our " trusty and well beloved Isaac Sharp, Esq., Greeting: We, " reposing especial trust and confidence in your integrity, pru- " dence, and ability, have assigned, constituted and appointed,
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" and we do by these presents assign, constitute and appoint " yon, the said Isaac Sharp, to be our officer, Judge of Inferior " Court of Common Pleas, to be held in and for our county of "Salem, in our Province of New Jersey, giving and hereby " granting to you the said Isaac Sharp, full power and authority " to exercise and enjoy all power and jurisdiction, belonging to " the said Court, and to hear, try and determine all causes, and " quarrels which is recognizable in our said Court, and to award "execution therein accordingly. In testimony whereof, we " have caused the Great Seal of our said Province of New Jer- " sey to be hereunto affixed. Witness our trusty and well beloved " Lewis Morris, Esq., Captain General and Governor-in-chief over "our said Province of Nova Cesaviea, or New Jersey, and the " territories therein depending in America, and Vice Admiral in " the same, and at our city of Perth Amboy, the sixteenth day of " August, in the eighteenth year of our reign, Anno Domini, " 1741. HOLME."
Isaac Sharp married a daughter of Thomas Lambert, who resided near the falls of the river Delaware, in the county of Burlington, previous, however, to the marriage of his father. Isaac, then residing on his country-seat, in Ireland, called Round- wood, made a settlement on him, it being six hundred acres on land at Blessington, situated in the township of Pilesgrove, in the county of Salem, and all other (his) the said Isaac Sharp's lands in the said county of Salem, and likewise one moiety, or half of all other the said Isaac Sharp's lands within the said province of East and West New Jersey, in America, except 1050 acres of land on Cooper's creek, in the county of Glouces- ter, known by the name of Rush Hill; also all the said Isaac Sharp's personal estate in the county of Salem, or elsewhere in America. Isaac Sharp, the emigrant and his wife, had three sons and five daughters; their names were Samuel, Edward, Anthony, Mary, Jaiel, Hannah D., Sarah, Rachel Wyncoop, and Elizabeth Sharp. The time of the death of Isaac Sharp, the father of the above mentioned children, is not mentioned ; prob- ably before the year 1770. I think his name is not mentioned in Salem County Court records after that date. He had a birth right in the Society of Friends, and he continued to be a mem- ber during his long and active life.
Anthony, the youngest son of Isaac Sharp, of Sharpstown, espoused the part of the patriots during the Revolutionary struggle. He lay concealed in the barn whilst the British were in the neighborhood of his home, and Samuel Humphries, the projenitor of the present families of Humphreys, then a small
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