USA > New Jersey > Salem County > Salem > History and genealogy of Fenwick's colony > Part 8
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I shall conclude this short and reliable history of Jacob Elwell and his wife, Catharine Dubois ; for many of his descend- ants I have alluded to heretofore in the genealogy of other families. Jacob Elwell, the emigrant, died in Pittsgrove town- ship, aged seventy-three years ; his widow, Catharine Dubois Elwell, in 1798, far advanced in years. As far as I have learned, both of those aged persons left an enviable reputation and numerous descendants.
GUY FAMILY.
Richard Guy and his wife, Bridget Guy, were among the first emigrants to Fenwick's Colony. His occupation in his native country was that of a cheesemonger; he resided in the parish of Stepny, London, in Middlesex. He purchased one thousand acres of land in what is now known as Elsinboro. The deed and receipt for the land was dated in the 9th month, 1676; the purchase money was ten pounds. The said land was located bounding on Delaware river, extending from the old Swede's fort to the present mouth of Salem creek. He was not, however, a resident of the county but a few years. And on the same day he likewise bought of Fenwick, for his friend Thomas Pyle, a citizen and upholsterer of the city of London, ten thousand acres of land, for which he paid fifty pounds sterling. The following is the receipt of John Fenwick for said land:
" Received on thirteenth day of the third month, called May, " one thousand, six hundred and seventy and five, of and from " Richard Guy, of the parish of Stepny, of the county of " Middlesex, (chessemonger), the full sum of fifty pounds " sterling, mentioned and expressed in a Deed, bearing even " date herewith, and made for me John Fenwiek, late of Bin- " field, in the county of Berks, within the kingdom of England, "Esq., and early Proprietor of the Province of New Cessavia, " or New Jersey, in America, to the said Richard Guy.
" Witnesseth present :
" PETER HOFF,
By me, FENWICK.
"SAMUEL NICHOLSON,
" RICHARD MORGAN,
" JOHN SMITH,
" EDWARD CHAMPNEY,
" EDWARD WADE,
" THOMAS ANDERSON,
" EDMUND WARNER,
" RICHARD NOBLE,
" JAMES GARDFILDSER."
The said land was surveyed by Richard Noble in 1676, and
JOHN FENWICK'S RECEIPT TO RICHARD GUY,
FOR
Ten Thousand Acres of Land, for his friend, Thomas Pyle.
Received, the one and thirtieth day of the Third Month, called May, One thousand six hundred seventy and five, of and from Richard Guy, of the Parish of Stepney, alias Stebun- heath, in the County of Middlesex, Cheesemonger, the full sum of ffifty pounds Sterling, which is the same sum of ffifty pounds mentioned and expressed in a certain Deed Poll bear- ing even date herewith, and made from me, John Fenwick, late of Binfeild, in the County of Berks, within the Kingdom of England, Esquire, and cheif proprietor of the one moyetie or halfe part of the Tract of Land within the Province of New Cesaria or New Jersey, in America, to the said Richard Guy.
poloni Huft
John Smith
ESmond Harmix
GrimesGarfild sig
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GUY FAMILY.
was located in the upper part of Salem tenth, where the township of Pilesgrove is now.
About 1690 Richard Guy and George Deacon removed with their families to the county of Burlington. Richard died in a short time afterwards, leaving a widow, who survived him a number of years. George Deacon lived until 1722, leaving children. Some of his descendants are still living in that county at the present time.
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GOODWIN FAMILY.
John Goodwin was the son of John and Catharine Goodwin, of the parish of St. Buttolph, in Algate, London. He was born 25th of 10th month, 1680, and emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1701. From thence, the following year, he removed to Salem, and in 1705 he married Susannah Smith, the oldest daughter of John Smith, of Smithfield; they had four children -John, Mary, Thomas and William Goodwin; the two oldest died young. Thomas Goodwin was born in 1721, and married Sarah Morris, the daughter of Lewis Morris, of Elsinborough, in the year 1743. Thomas and his wife lived on her property that she inherited from her father in Elsinborough until 1656, when they sold it to Samnel Abbott, and purchased the property in the town of Salem of John Mason. The said property was located on Broadway street, and in the spring of 1757 they removed to Salem, and here ended their days. In the 10th month, 1765, Sarah Goodwin, wife of Thomas Goodwin died, aged forty-one years, leaving no children. Thomas Goodwin's second wife was Sarah Smith who lived but a few years after her marriage, and departed this life in the year 1783. Thomas remained single for twenty years, and in 1803 he died, aged nearly eighty-two years, leaving his estate to his great nephews and nieces. William Goodwin, the young- est son of John and Susannah Goodwin, was born in 1723, and in 1744 he married Mary Morris, second daughter of Lewis Morris ; they lived in Elsinborough on her share of her father's estate ; they had five children-John, Lewis, Susannah, Mary and William Goodwin. John Goodwin, their oldest son, was born in 1745, and in the year 1772 he married Sarah Hall, daughter of Clement and Margaret Hall. It was one of the first marriages that took place at the present Friends' meeting house in Salem. John Goodwin's wife lived but a short time after they were married, leaving no children. Mary Goodwin, the mother of John Goodwin, died in 1776, and consequently the property belonged to him after his father's death. John did not survive his mother but a few years, making a will and
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leaving his right of the real estate to his nephew, William Goodwin, the son of Lewis Goodwin.
Lewis Goodwin, the second son of William and Mary Good- win, married Rebecca Zanes, of Salem, danghter of Susan Zanes; they had two children-John and Susan Goodwin. John married Abigail Carpenter and had three children-Lewis, William and Thomas Goodwin. Lewis Goodwin's second wife was Rachel Nicholson, the daughter of William Nicholson, of Mannington, and they had three children-William, Thomas and Morris Goodwin. William, the oldest son, married Hnldah Townsend, daughter of Daniel Townsend, of Cape May. Thomas Goodwin married Sarah Jefferis, daughter of Joshua Jefferis. Morris Goodwin married Sarah Smith. Susannah Goodwin, oldest danghter of William and Mary Goodwin, was born in 1750, and in 1773 she married John Mason, the son of Thomas Mason, and grand-son of John Mason. He was a widower when he married Susannah Goodwin, his first wife was Ann Hall, daughter of William Hall, Jr .. They lived and owned on Broadway street in Salem, which property is now owned by Morris Hall. John Mason and Ann his wife had one danghter named Sarah, and she married Ed- gar Brown. John Mason and his wife Susannah had six children-William, Mary, Ann, Thomas, Elizabeth and John G. Mason. Their oldest son, William, died in 1776. Mary Mason married Abner Beesley and had four children-Mary, William, Benjamin and Thomas Beesley. Her second hus- band was Job Ware, who had two children-Job and Elijah Ware. Ann Mason was born in 1778, and married Joseph Thompson, son of Joshua Thompson ; they had for children -Snsan, the oldest, married Joseph Pancoast. Elizabeth, their second daughter died in her fifteenth year. Sarah Thomp- son married Thomas Shourds. Ann Thompson married Thomas Fogg. Thomas Mason, their second son, was born 1780. About the year 1812 he married Hannah Hancock, daughter of Joseph Hancock ; he and his wife lived but a short time after they were married, leaving one child-Hannah Mason, and she married Richard M. Acton. Elizabeth Mason was born in 1782, and she died single in the twenty-fourth year of her age. John Goodwin Mason was born in 1785 ; he never married, and died in 1839 in the fifty-fifth year of his age. John Mason, their father, died about 1787; his widow, Susannah Mason, married Joshua Thompson and had two children-William and Joshua Thompson. William Goodwin, Jr., was born in 1758, and married Elizabeth Woodnntt, of Mann ington ; he and h
1
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GOODWIN FAMILY.
wife had six children-Prudence, the oldest, married Atkinson Conrad. Mary Goodwin married Jonathan Woodnutt. Rachel Goodwin married Preston C. Woodnutt. Sarah Goodwin mar- ried Henry Dennis, her second husband was Jonathan Wood- nutt. Elizabeth and Abigail Goodwin always remained single ; they were remarkable for their kind and sympathetic feelings, always willing to assist the poor and afflicted, going and looking after them in the abodes of poverty, and administering to their wants as far as their circumstances would allow ; they continued in their noble deeds of philanthrophy until old age and as long as bodily strength permitted them to do it. It seemed that the spirit of the immortal Howard had descended upon them.
HANCOCK FAMILY.
William Hancock, Sr., came from England to this county in the year 1677, with his wife, Isabella Hancock, and two sons, John and William Hancock. He took possession soon after his arrival of allotment of land on the south side of Alloways Creek, containing 1,000 acres. The said land was surveyed by Richard Hancock, by order of John Fenwick, in 1676. William Han- cock died and left his estate to his widow, Isabella, who, the year following, sold one half of the allotment to John Maddox. She survived abont ten years after her husband. In her will she devised her real estate to her oldest son, John Hancock, and her personal estate to William Hancock; and he purchased 500 acres of land in Elsinborough, adjoining lands of John Mason on the south, Samuel Nicholson on the east, Rudoc Morris' land on the west, and by Isaac Smart's land on the north. In 1705 he built a large brick house; it stood until within a few years ago, and then it was torn down by Richard Grier, the present owner of the property, and a large frame house erected on the site of the old one. I believe William Hancock married Sarah Stafford. Their son, Thomas Hancock, was born 5th of the 12th month, 1714. William Hancock held the office of Justice of the Peace for many years, and he died about the year 1740. His son, Thomas Hancock, married and had two sons-William and Thomas Hancock. At their father's death the landed estate was divided equally between them. William Hancock, son of Thomas, married Hannah Fogg, daughter of Charles Fogg, in the year 1770. William Hancock, their son, was born 4th day of the 7th month, 1771; he died a minor. John Hancock was born the 24th day of 4th month, 1773; Elizabeth Hancock was born the 17th of the 7th month, 1776. John died in 1794, and made a will, leaving his estate to his cousin, William Hancock, son of Thomas Hancock. Thomas Hancock married Mary Goodwin, daughter of William Goodwin; they had five children -Thomas Hancock, Jr., William, Morris, Sarah, and Elizabeth Hancock.
John Hancock, the eldest son of William and Isabella Han-
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rock, inherited by his mother 500 acres of land on the south side of Alloways creek, where the village of Hancock's Bridge is now located. All accounts we have of him go to show that he was a man of great energy in relation to business. He added largely to his estate. In the year 1708 he built a bridge across Allo- ways creek. I have no doubt he was assisted by the public in the work. It was known for many years as John Hancock's bridge. In 1709 there were commissioners appointed by the Court to lay out a public highway from the town of Salem, by the way of John Hancock's new bridge, to the town of Green- wich. John died about 1725, leaving one son-William Han- cock, and he came in possession of one of the largest landed estates in the county; his lands lay mostly in Alloways Creek, Elsinborough, and Penn's Neck. William married Sarah, the daughter of Nathaniel Chambless, Jr., of Alloways Creek. In the year 1734. William Hancock built himself a large and substantial brick dwelling, which is still standing, in good repair. It is an historical house, on account of the horrible massacre which took place in it by the British soldiers on the American militia, who were quartered in it in 1778. William Hancock, then an old man, received a mortal wound, and died in a short time afterwards at the house of his brother-in-law, Joshua Thompson, about half a mile farther down the creek. William had one daughter by his first wife, Sarah Chambless-Sarah Hancock. She married Thomas Sinniekson, of Salem, son of Andrew Sinnickson, of Penn's Neck. Thomas and his wife left no issue. His second wife was Sarah, the daughter of Joshua and Sarah Thompson, of Elsinborough; they had one son- John Hancock, who married Eleanor York, daughter of Andrew York, of Salem; they had several children; four of them lived to grow up, and had families-Sarah, who married Morris Hancock, son of Thomas Hancock, of Elsinborough; Henrietta married Lewis P. Smith; Thomas Y. Hancock married Rachel, daughter of William and Elizabeth Nicholson; Maria married Richard P. Thompson, son of Hedge and Mary Ann Thompson, of Salem. William Hancock done a large amount of public business, was a member of the Colonial Legislature for twenty years in succession, and held the office of Judge and Justice at the time of his death.
OBEDIAH HOLMES FAMILY.
The Holmes family, of the county of Cumberland, are an ancient and numerous family. At this late day it is almost impossible to follow the various branches with any degree of certainty, therefore I will endeavor to confine my remarks to those branches who have kept a correct record of their ancestors. It appears that Obediah Holmes, Sr., was born 1606, at Preston, Lancashire, England, and at the age of thirty-three he emigrated to America, landing at Boston in 1639. He located at Salem, in the State of Massachusetts, and most probably married soon after that event. He was a Baptist clergyman of no ordinary intellect, and for the doctrines he so ably and powerfully enun- ciated, he was arraigned in 1650, and tried by a court of the rigid Puritans of that day, and was condemned to be publicly whipped, together with a number of Friends or Quakers, who likewise held religious opinions, which they regarded as heresy. I have no doubt the Puritans, in their blind zeal, believed such religious doctrines were detrimental to the peace and happiness of their commonwealth. Soon after that event, Obediah Holmes removed, with his family, to Newport, Rhode Island, where religious liberty was granted by just and liberal laws, made and enacted by Roger Williams. He died at Newport, 15th of 10th month, 1682, aged seventy-six years. There is no mention at what time his wife's death occurred, but I think it was previous to his. They had eight children, most of whom survived their parents ; some married in New England, one or more settled on Long Island. Two of their sons, Obediah and Jonathan, came to New Jersey and purchased a tract of land of the Indians, amounting to 1,600 acres, located near where Middletown now is, in Monmouth county. The two brothers were constituent members of the Baptist church at Middletown, which church is said to be the first of that denomination constructed in the State. Obediah, however, remained in Monmouth county but a short period, and removed and settled within Fenwick's Colony, in the Cohansey precinct, on the south side of the river, in Shrews- bury Neck, in 1685. He was one of the nine Baptists that.
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assisted in organizing the first Baptist church in South Jersey, in 1690. It does not appear that he was ever ordained a regular clergyman, but he occasionally preached. He possessed, by nature, a legal mind, and the early inhabitants of that section of country soon appreciated his business capacities, and when the Salem courts were regularly established, in the early part of the reign of Queen Anne, he and Thomas Killingsworth were appointed Judges, and John Mason, Samuel Hedge, and Joseph Sayre, from Cohansey, were the Justices.
Obediah Holmes, Jr., married a young woman by the name of Cole; they had four children-two sons and two daughters. The eldest daughter married a young person by the name of Love, his second daughter married a person by the name of Parvin. Both the Love's and the Parvin's are among the first families that settled in Cumberland county. Obediah's eldest son, Samuel Holmes, was drowned when a young man; his youngest son, Jonathan Holmes, married and died young, leaving one son-Jonathan Holmes. The death of Jonathan Holmes, Sr., occurred 8th of 9th month, 1715. Jonathan Holmes, Jr., in 1729, married Anna Dominick, of Long Island ; they had eight children-Mary, born 16th of 10th month, 1731 ; Susanna, born 3d of 11th month ; Jonathan, born 14th of 4th month, 1735 ; Ennice, born 9th of 5th month, 1736 ; Phebe, born 23d of 2d month, 1738; Anna, born 23d of 10th month, 1739; Abijah, born 3d of 4th month, 1741; and Rachel, born 14th of of 1st month, 1750. All of these died minors, excepting Abijah and Phebe. Jonathan and Ann Holmes were members of the Presbyterian church, at Greenwich, and Jonathan was a large contributor towards building the old brick meeting house at that place, in 1735. He was, also, one of the elders of the church, and continued to be, I presume, up to the time of his death, and he assisted in purchasing the parsonage in 1749 for the church. His remains lie, as also those of his son, Abijah, in the ancient cemetery of that place. Phebe Holmes, the daughter of Jonathan and Ann Holmes, born 1738, married Dr. Samuel Ward ; her second husband was Moses Bloomfield, the father of Governor Bloomfield, of this State. Abijah Holmes, son of Jonathan and Ann Holmes, born 3d of 4th month, 1741, married Rachel Seeley, the daughter of Ephraim and Hannah Seeley, on the 18th of 5th month, 1767. They had five children-Sarah, born 1st of 5th month, 1771; Mary, born 29th of 3d month, 1774; Jonathan, born, 10th of 9th month, 1776 ; John, born 3d of Sth month, 1778 ; and Ephraim Holmes, born 13th of 7th month, 1780. These children were
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all minors at the time of their parents' death. Abijah, their father departed this life 6th of 3d month, 1785, and their mother, Rachel Seeley Holmes, 8th of 1st month, 1789.
Jonathan, the son of Abijah and Rachel S. Holmes, born 10th of 9th month, 1776, was married three times. His first wife was Lydia Watson, born 11th month, 1776, and died 19th of 9th month, 1799, and was buried in the old graveyard of the Baptists, near Sheppard's mill. She left one son-Abijah Holmes, who is living, and is far advanced in years, and resides in the city of Camden. Jonathan's widow, Clarissa Holmes, is living in the city of Bridgeton, aged eighty-nine years. They have one son, living in the town.
John, the son of Abijah and Rachel Holmes, born 3d of Stli inonth, 1778, was married twice. By his first wife he had a son- Alfred Holmes, who lives at this time in Lower Hopewell town- ship, Cumberland county. John's second wife was a Bowen; by her he had three children; their son John Holmes lives at or near Bowentown.
Ephraim, the son of Abijah and Hannah S. Holmes, was born 13th of 7th month, 1780, and married Harriet Potter Bowen, 13th of 4th month, 1813; she was the daughter of David and Jane Potter Bowen. Ephraim and his wife had five children- Edward B., the first son, born 29th of 7th month, 1815, married Julia Dillingham, and died in New York 17th of 2d month, 1858, leaving a widow and one son. Ephraim, the second son, born 11th of 7th month, 1817, is at this time a practicing phy- sician, and resides in the town of Greenwich. Mary P., the third child, born 20th of 9th month, 1819, married Charles M. Lawrence, and died 26th of 10th month, 1865, leaving three children, two of whom are married. Her husband is still living at Port Jervis, New York, and is a physician. David B. Holmes, the fourth child, born 5th of 8th month, 1833, married Caroline Elizabeth Gibbon, danghter of Charles Gibbon; David and his wife reside at Schuylkill Haven, Pa .; they have three children. Harriet Bowen Holmes, the youngest child of Ephraim and Harriet P. Bowen, born 6th of 7th month, 1825, died 31st of 8th month, 1850; she never married. Ephraim Holmes, the father, died 28th of 5th month, 1848, and was buried in the Presbyterian graveyard at Greenwich. His wife, Harriet Potter Holmes, survived him twenty years, her death taking place 2d of 4th month, 1868, aged seventy-eight years.
Many persons think that the family of Holmes in Cumberland and that of Salem are of one family. I think there is no relationship existing between them. They spell their names
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OBEDIAH HOLMES FAMILY.
differently ; the Salem county family write their's Holme, while Obediah wrote his name Holmes, and it is so recorded in the Salem Court records, and I believe all his descendants write their names the same way. Further, Obediah Holmes, Sr., landed at Boston more than forty years before Thomas Holme, the surveyor-general for William Penn, and John Holme, (I presume they were relatives,) arrived from England to the province of Pennsylvania. History informs us that John Holme was one of the first Baptists in that province; that was a few years before he came to Salem county to live.
HOLME FAMILY.
John Holme, emigrated from England, and settled in Phila- delphia, soon after the city was founded by William Penn. It appears he had a family-wife and two sons ; one of his sons bought a large tract of land within the county of Philadelphia and settled thereon; the place is known at this day as Holmes- burg. His brother, John Holme, purchased a large tract of land in Salem county, situated in Monmonth precinct, and set- tled thereon; that being in 1698; he was one of the first that belonged to the Babtist religions association, that lived near the town of Salem; he died the early part of eighteenth century, leaving one son-John Holme, who subsequently married; he had two sons and one daughter ; one of his daughters, Eliza- beth Holme, married Joseph, the son of Joseph Fogg, the emigrant ; they had nine children-David, Ebenezer, Charles, Hannah, Ann, Elizabeth Holmes, Isaac and Rebecca Fogg. John Holme, the eldest son of John Holme 2d, inherited the homestead of his father's, located near Allowaystown, erected a flour mill, known for many years as Holme's Mill. The said mill and land was subsequently owned by Josiah M. Reeves and brothers. John Holme was at one time Judge of the Salem courts, and an ardent patriot in the days of the American Revolution. Benjamin Holine, the youngest son of John Holme 2d, was born about 1730; his first wife was Jane, the danghter of Daniel Smith, Jr., who resided near the village of Quinton's Bridge; about the year 1762 he purchased what was known as the David Morris estate, it being large and valuable, in the township of Elsinborough, of John Hart, he being half brother of David Morris. Benjamin's first wife, Jane Smith, died young, leaving no issue ; he subsequently married Esther Gibbon, whose maiden name was Seeley ; her first husband was John Gibbon, son of Leonard Gibbon. John volunteered in the army, and was taken prisoner and died in one of the prison ships of the British, near New York. Benjamin and his wife, Esther Holme, had two children-John G. and Jane Holme. Benjamin Holme was a historical man and a stanneh Whig, in
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the American Revolution, and was appointed a Colonel of the American Militia, of the lower counties, operating with Colonel Hand, of Cape May ; by so doing his buildings in Elsinborough were burned, by order of Colonel Manhood, the British com- mander. After peace was restored he rebuilt his buildings and lived to an advanced age, much respected by his neighbors and friends. John G. Holme, son of Benjamin and Esther Holme, married Rebecca, the daughter of Thomas and Rebecca Thomp- son, of Salem ; she died leaving one daughter-Rebecca Holme, who subsequently married George W. Garrison. John G. Holme's second wife was Margaret, daughter of Clement and Rebecca K. Hall, of Elsinborough. John and Margaret Holme had three children-Benjamin, Jane and Caroline Holme. By this marriage of John Holme to Margaret Hall, (they having issue) was the means of restoring the large landed estate Colo- nel Holme bought of John Hart, to the Morris family again. Margaret was the fifth generation in lineal descent from Rudoc Morris. Benjamin, son of John G. and Margaret Holme, married Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry and Ann Smith Dennis, of Salem ; their children living are Caroline, John, Henry, Lucy, Franklin and Jane Holme. John, the son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Holme, married Lena, daughter of James Woolman, of Pilesgrove; they have issue. Jane, daughter of John G. and Margaretta Holme, married John, the son of Morris and Lydia Hall, of Elsinborough. John is deceased, leaving no issue ; his widow, Jane Hall, resides in Salem. Caroline, daughter of John and Margaret Holme, died when she was about ten years of age. Jane, daughter of Colonel Benjamin Holme and his wife Esther, married a man by the name of Harris, who resided at Swedesboro, Glon- cester county ; she died about a year after marriage, leaving no issue.
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