John Adams and his family belonged to a religious group called The Society of Friends. They were what is commonly known as Quakers. The family was part of the Burlington County, New Jersey group.
John Adams
Born: 10 JUN 1630 in Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA
Father: John Adams (1595 to 1633)
Mother: Eleanor Newton (1598 to 1681)
First Spouse: Jane James (1634 to 1662)
Married: 27 DEC 1654 in Marshfield, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA
Children:
Mary Adams (3 JUL 1656 to Unknown)
Daughter Adams (17 FEB 1657 to 1657)
Martha Adams (6 MAR 1658 to 29 DEC 1717)
Rebecca Adams (13 FEB 1661 to 2 JUL 1702)
Second Spouse: Elizabeth Russell (1643 to 1712)
Married: 1664 in Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA
Children:
John Adams (17 AUG 1664 to 4 OCT 1665)
Elizabeth Adams (9 MAR 1665 to 30 DEC 1747)
Sarah Adams (24 APR 1668 to Unknown)
James Adams (4 OCT 1671 to 1721)
Susanna Adams (6 NOV 1674 to Unknown)
Hannah Adams (15 FEB 1675 to Unknown)
Deborah Adams (7 MAY 1678 to Unknown)
John Adams (10 SEP 1680 to 30 DEC 1688)
Abigail Adams (2 JAN 1682 to 12 AUG 1759)
Thomas Adams (12 JAN 1684 to 1732)
Marcy Adams (13 DEC 1686 to Unknown)
Phoebe Adams (9 FEB 1690 to 1744)
Note: The above names are linked to their WikiTree profiles. There are several entries that include details that do not coincide with what I have included in this post.
Died: 19 JAN 1703 in Chester, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA
Burial: Old Winslow Burying Grounds, Marshfield, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA
Probate: 5 FEB 1703 in Burlington County, New Jersey, USA
Timeline:
1654 Marshfield, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA
1654 Marriage to Jane
1657 Death of infant daughter, not named
1662 Death of wife, Jane
1663 Went to sea for two years following Jane’s death
1664 Marriage to Elizabeth
1665 Death of first son, John
1666 Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA
1685 Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA
1688 Death of second son, John
1691 Camden, Camden County, New Jersey, USA
1694 Chester, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA
1702 Death of daughter, Rebecca
1703 Death and Burial
Occupation: unknown
Records:
Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
New Jersey, U.S., Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817
The U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
Variations of Surname: none
I found a biography for John on another Ancestry.com family tree. This information came from a book entitled “A Genealogical Dictionary of New Jersey”. It was published in the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, Volume 11, Pages 55 to 60. The author was Charles Carroll Gardner.
John Adam Family of Mass., N.Y. & N.J.
The John Adams Family,
of Plymouth & Marshfield, Mass.; Flushing New York; & Chester Tp. Burlington Co. NJ
by Charles C. Gardner,
A Genealogical Dictionary of New Jersey in. GMNJ 11:55-60503. John (2) Adams, son of John (1), was born in Plymouth, Mass., between 1625 and 1633; lived at Marshfield, Mass., Flushing, N.Y. and Chester Township. Burlington county, New Jersey. He died 1702-4. He married 1st at Marshfield, Dec. 27, 1654, Jane James, who died 1662-3. He married 2nd probably in 1663, Elizabeth — , who died after 1712.
His identity is proved by two deeds dated Oct. 30, 1654 and Dec. 10, 1666, both recorded in Plymouth Colony Deed Books. The earlier document describes the grantor as John Adams of Marshfield, yeoman, and states that the grant is made with the consent of his father-in-law, Kenelme Winslow, and Mrs. Ellenor Winslow, his wife. The 1666 deed is from Captain John Adams of Flushing, to Nathaniel Warren of Plymouth, for his share of land on the Namasket River, in Plymouth Colony, which had been purchased from the Indians in 1662 by twenty-six men including John Adams. (Mayflower Descendant 2 :4,5,7,40 ; NEHGR 3 :334 ; Whittemore’s Adams Family (1893) , p. 55) .
John Adams was a prominent member of the Society of Friends, both in New York and New Jersey. In 1667 and 1688 he was authorized to speak to fellow townsmen, once as to absence from Meetings and the other time concerning a marriage outside of the Quaker Church. (Onderdonk’s Annals of Hempstead, p. 94). The Records of the Society of Friends show the births of three children by wife Joan or Jane and twelve by wife Elizabeth, as well as the deaths of two sons. (NYGBR 3 :187 ; 7 :39,40)
John Adams is named as one of the patentees in the renewal charter of Flushing, 1685. (Mandeville’s Flushing, p. 15) . On June 4, 1691, John Rodman of Block Island conveyed to John Adams of Flushing, in exchange for land and houses there, 475 acres near Rancocus Creek, Burlington county, New Jersey, and 25 acres of meadow some distance from the house. (WJD B, Part 2:484).
He moved to New Jersey shortly thereafter and joined the Newton Monthly Meeting by Certificate dated Aug. 29, 1691. (GMNJ 3:21).”John Adams — acceptable [p57] Minister”. He was listed in 1761 by Elizabeth Estaugh, (for over fifty years clerk of the Womens Meeting of Newton and Haddonfield Friends) as one of the valuable Friends connected with the early activities of the Chester Meeting. (3 NJHSP 7:103).
On Jan. 27, 1693-4, John Adams of Burl. Co., yeoman, deeded to his son James one-half of the 500 acres bought of John Rodman as mentioned above. (WJD B, Part 2: 528). He was commissioned a justice of the Peace for Burlington county May 12, 1695, and this office he held for several years, the last renewal being dated May 12, 1701. (LS :536 to 579) . He served in the House of Representatives of West Jersey in 1697, when he signed an agreement of the Quaker members of that body to support the King. (NJA 2:148). The home of John Adams was in Chester Township presumably near Moorestown.
His will, Mar. 19, 1699 – 1700 — Feb. 5, 1703-4, named wife Elizabeth and children: Thomas, Mary, Martha, Hannah, Deborah, Abigail, Marcy, Rebecca and Feby; also, apprentice Benjamin Davis. The wife is named as exectrix. A codicil of Aug. (?) 24, 1701, disposes of 100 acres at Eggharbour. The inventory of the estate totals £316:4:2, a substantial sum, and includes two men slaves. (NJW Unrecorded 2:107). John Adams last appears as witness at the marriage of Henry Allen of Shrewsbury, Jan. 18, 1702-3. (SHGM I :252).
You can read the full biography on Family Search starting with Image 113 of 850. You will need to register for a free account to view these documents.
Under the heading “503. John (2) Adams”, the author included several citations for this biography:
The second paragraph references the Plymouth Colony Deed Books. I found the 1654 land deed on the Family Search website. It is under the heading “Plymouth Colony Records, Deeds, 1620-1699”, Image 80 of 677.
The third paragraph references Onderdonk’s Annals of Hempstead, Page 94. It indicates that John was a prominent member of the Society of Friends. He was what is commonly known as a Quaker.
“The Annals of Hempstead, 1643 to 1832” was published in 1880. The author was Henry Onderdonk, Jr. You can read this book on the HathiTrust website, Page 94.
The births of John’s children can be found on the Family Search website under the heading “New York Genealogical and Biographical Record”, Volume 3, Page 187. The image number is 225 of 479.
The fourth paragraph references Mandeville’s Flushing, Page 15. In 1685, John was one of the men listed on the renewal charter for Flushing, New York.
“Flushing Past and Present” was published in 1860. The author was Giles Henry Mandeville. You can read this book on the Internet Archive website, Page 15.
I could not find the other reference, WJD B, Part 2:484, in this paragraph. Does anyone know what WJD B stands for?
I did find the 1691 land sale on the Our Olden Cities website. This page is a biography of Dr. John Rodman (1653 to 1731).
The fifth paragraph references the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, Volume 3, Page 21. You can find this on the Family Search website under Image 307 of 908.
The seventh paragraph indicates that John wrote his Last Will and Testament on 19 MAR 1700. An excerpt of this document is shown above under the Probate Section of this post.
You can find this document in Ancestry.com’s “New Jersey, U.S., Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817” database. A paid subscription is required to access this record.
John’s First Wife:
Jane James:
The biography of John Adams and other historical publications contain little information about his first wife, Jane James. They listed the marriage date and a hypothesis as to when she died.
The death year was based on three events:
- Their youngest daughter, Rebecca, was born on 13 AUG 1661 in Marshfield.
- John “went to sea” for two years after Jane’s death.
- The 1666 land deed contained the initials of John’s second wife, Elizabeth.
It has been speculated that Jane died while giving birth to Rebecca or shortly thereafter. No death record has been found to confirm this statement or the actual year of death.
Who Was Jane James?
A hint on my family tree website gave me a clue about Jane’s parentage. It referenced the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 151, Page 67.
The specified page, 67, was actually in the middle of a 26-page essay. The publication was entitled “A New Look at the Family of Francis and Philip James of Hingham: Immigrant Ancestors”.
You can read this article on the American Ancestors website under the heading Vital Records from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 151, Pages 61 to 86. You will need a paid subscription to view these pages.
This article was a biography of two brothers, Philip and Francis James, who emigrated from Hingham, Norfolk, England. In June of 1638, they boarded the ship, Diligent, and arrived at Boston Harbor on 10 AUG 1638. Their destination was the town of Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA.
The 1638 passenger list for the Diligent included two families with the surname of James:
Francis and Mrs. Elizabeth James
Philip James, Mrs. Jane James, and four children
Page 67 of this biography listed the birth years of Jane and two of her siblings. As the families had lived in Hingham, Norfolk, England, I decided to search for baptism records for these children.
I found that a total of five children were born to Philip and Jane James. The children were baptized in Rockland St Peter, Norfolk, England. This parish is five miles southwest of Hingham.
Note: The baptism records and subsequent documents were written in Latin. As I cannot read Latin, I have to trust that the written words were correctly transcribed.
Francis James (1627)
Mary James (1629)
Ann James (1632)
Jane James (1634)
Sarah James (1636)
Philip’s daughter, Mary, must have died before 1638. I could not find a death record.
Another excerpt from this article helped confirm that Jane was born in Rockland St Peter. Under Francis James’ biography on Page 64 were these four sentences:
Was Francis James the father of Philip?
On Page 62 of this biography, the authors debate whether Francis James was Philip’s brother or his father. This is primarily based on the 1656 birth record of Mary Adams, the daughter of Jane James and John Adams.
The entry indicates that Mary was the great-grandchild of Widow James. The authors then surmised that the Widow James must be Francis’ wife, Elizabeth. This led them to the hypothesis that if Elizabeth was the great-grandmother of Mary Adams, then Francis must be Philip’s father.
The one point the authors seem to have missed is that the baptism was recorded after Jane died in 1662. If Mary’s birth was documented in 1656, the entry would have listed her parents as John and Jane Adams.
I believe that the person who transcribed this birth record entered incorrect information. As John was still living, he was listed as Mary’s father. The reference to Widow James was more likely referring to Jane’s mother. The transcriptionist must have missed the fact that Jane’s mother had already remarried in 1640 to George Russell.
For these reasons, I do not believe Francis was Philip’s father. I also found baptism records for these individuals on Ancestry.com’s database, “Norfolk, England, Church of England Baptism, Marriages, and Burials, 1535-1812”.
Francis and Philip James:
Francis was baptized on 20 SEP 1592.
Philip was baptized on 16 SEP 1601.
Their parents were listed as Thomas and Mary James.
Thomas James was baptized on 24 JUN 1561 in Rockland St Peter, Norfolk, England. No father was listed on this document. His mother was listed as Ann James.
Thomas James married Mary Norten on 11 MAR 1583 in Rockland St Peter, Norfolk, England. Six known children were born during this marriage:
John James (1585)
Mary James (1586)
Margaret James (1589)
Francis James (1592)
Joseph James (1598)
Philip James (1601)
I could find no information on Mary Norten.
My Thoughts:
I firmly believe that the men who immigrated to Massachusetts were born in Rockland St Peter. The information gleaned from the biography and the baptism records seem to confirm this statement.
The other reason I believe this statement to be true:
In the introductory paragraph on Page 61 of the biography, the authors reference the Cushing Manuscript. Daniel Cushing and his family were also passengers aboard the Diligent.
The authors explain that “later in life” Daniel Cushing compiled a list of these passengers. They were all people who emigrated from Hingham, Norfolk, England.
Misleading Information:
There are more than 8,000 people on my family tree website that have Philip’s father listed as John, Frances, Vrini, or Wilhelmi James. They did not attach any documentation to back up their claims of parentage.
Some of these family trees indicate that Vrini James lived and died in Helston, Cornwall, England. This parish is 400 miles southwest of Hingham, Norfolk, England.
When I searched Ancestry.com’s databases, I found a baptism record for Philipus James. He was baptized on 23 JUN 1599 in Helston, Cornwall, England. His father was listed as Vrini James. Remember, these records were written in Latin.
I then discovered that a man named Vrinus James married Margareta Wearn on 19 MAY 1599 in Helston, Cornwall, England.
There was no other information for a man named Vrini James on my family tree website. It was probably due to their programs not recognizing the unique given name.
On the GENUKI website for the parish of Helston is a section entitled “Genealogy”. If you click on the link “genealogy website” you will be redirected to a page containing three databases for births, marriages, and deaths. You may have to open these “in a new window” in order to view the entries.
I was able to find a baptism record for Philip James. I also found the marriage and death records for his parents. Both of the latter records showed his father’s name to be Unrinus or Urin. He died in 1628. She died in 1633.
The surname, Uren, originated in Cornwall, England. Could this mean that Vrini was actually christened under the name of Uren James? It is possible that he was given the surnames of both his parents.
I could find no other information on Philip James of Helston on my family tree website. He may have moved to another parish in Cornwall.
What I do believe is that Philip James of Helston is not Philip James of Hingham. If anyone has information that can disprove my theory, please contact me. My email is dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this post.
John and Jane’s Daughters:
Mary Adams:
Mary was born on 3 JUL 1656 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. I do not know when she died.
Many family tree owners have speculated that Mary died in 1657. I believe they are confusing Mary with the infant daughter who died in 1657. This daughter died two days after her birth.
I also could not find a death record for Mary in Ancestry.com’s “Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988”. This leads me to speculate that she may have married outside of the Scituate area.
Martha Adams:
Martha was born on 6 MAR 1658 in Marshfield, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. She died on 29 DEC 1717 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA.
Martha married Benjamin Pierce on 5 FEB 1678 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. Ten known children were born during this marriage:
Martha Pierce (1679)
Jerusha Pierce (1681)
Benjamin Pierce (1683)
Ebenezer Pierce (1686)
Persis Pierce (1688)
Caleb Pierce (1690)
Thomas Pierce (1692)
Adams Pierce (1695)
Jeremiah Pierce (1697)
Elisha Pierce (1699)
Benjamin Pierce was born in 1657 in Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. He died on 3 MAY 1730 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA.
I could find no birth record for Benjamin.
Martha and Benjamin were buried in the Groveland Cemetery.
After Martha died, Benjamin married a widow, Elizabeth Lobdell Perry, on 23 JUL 1718 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. He was 61 years old. She was 56 years old.
Elizabeth Lobdell was born in 1662 in Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. She died in 1742 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA.
Elizabeth had previously married William Perry on 31 MAY 1681 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. Twelve known children were born during this marriage:
Elizabeth Perry (1682)
Joseph Perry (1684)
Samuel Perry (1685)
Benjamin Perry (1688)
Amos Perry (1690)
Abigail Perry (1692)
William Perry (1694)
Hannah Perry (1696)
Isaac Perry (1698)
Jerusha Perry (1699)
Jemima Perry (1701)
Keziah Perry (1705)
William Perry was born in 1655 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. He died in 1716 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA.
Rebecca Adams:
Rebecca was born on 13 FEB 1661 in Marshfield, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. She died on 2 JUL 1702 in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA.
Rebecca married Henry Clifton in 1686 in Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA. One known child was born during this marriage:
Mary Clifton (1687)
Henry Clifton died on 20 JUN 1746 in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA. I do not know when or where Henry was born.
I could find no other information on Henry Clifton in the USA databases on Ancestry.com. I did find a record that shows a man named Henry Clifton was deported from England in 1681 and sent to New York. This was in the database “Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775”.
I am not positive that this record is for Rebecca’s husband. It is just a theory that he may have been born in England.
There are Find A Grave memorials for Rebecca and her husband. They were buried in the Friends Arch Street Meeting House Burial Ground.
John’s Second Wife:
Elizabeth Russell:
Elizabeth was born in 1643 in Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. She died in 1712 in Chester, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Elizabeth’s father was William Russell. He was born in 1605 in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, England. He died in 1681 in South Hampton, East Yorkshire, Long Island, New York, USA.
Elizabeth’s mother was Elizabeth Rogers. She was born in 1605 in Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA. She died in 1682 in Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA.
John and Elizabeth’s Daughters:
Elizabeth Adams:
Elizabeth was born on 9 MAR 1665 in Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA. I do not know when she died.
Their son, William, stated in his Last Will & Testament of 1741 that “my father and mother shall have maintenance out of the plantation that I now dwell during their natural life”.
This statement would indicate that Elizabeth was still alive in 1741. She would have been 76 years old.
Elizabeth married William Hollinshead on 23 MAR 1693 in Camden, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. Nine known children were born during this marriage:
Grace Hollinshead (1693)
Elizabeth Hollinshead (1695)
George Hollinshead (1697)
Sarah Hollinshead (1698)
Rebecca Hollinshead (1700)
William Hollinshead (1702)
Samuel Hollinshead (1704)
John Hollinshead (1705)
Rose Hollinshead (1710)
William Hollinshead was born on 18 JUN 1669 in London, England. I do not know when he died.
Their son, George, stated in his Last Will & Testament of 1755 that “my son, James, must keep maintaining my father, William.”.
This statement would indicate that William was still alive in 1755. He would have been 86 years old.
William Hollinshead’s Parentage:
A hint on my family tree website led me to a publication entitled “Some genealogical notes of the Hollinshead family“. It was published in 1911. The author was Asa Matlack Stackhouse. You can read this biography on the Internet Archive website.
The biography of this family starts on Page 9 of this 94-page book. William’s biography starts at the bottom of Page 12.
The author stated that much of this genealogical data came from John and Grace’s great-grandson, Jacob Hollinshead.
Jacob Hollinshead was born on 16 OCT 1732 in Evesham, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. He died on 4 DEC 1819 in Moorestown, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Jacob has a memorial on the Find A Grave website. He and his wife were buried in the Moorestown Friends Cemetery.
Jacob’s father was William Hollinshead. He was born on 23 DEC 1702 in Rancocas Creek, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. He died on 7 JUL 1741 in Evesham, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Jacob’s mother was Hannah Rudderow. She was born on 5 APR 1705 in Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. She died in 1765 in Chester, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Jacob’s grandparents were William Hollinshead and Elizabeth Adams.
Jacob’s great-grandfather was John Hollinshead. I do not know when he was born. He died in 1699 in Chester, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Probate:
Jacob’s great-grandmother was Grace. I have no other information on John’s wife.
The probate record for her husband indicates that Grace was still alive in 1699.
Sarah Adams:
Sarah was born on 24 APR 1668 in Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA. I do not know when she died.
Sarah married John Cowperthwaite on 1 JAN 1690 in Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA. Seven known children were born during this marriage. I could find no birth records for the children.
John Cowperthwaite was born in 1668 in Nottinghamshire, England. He died in 1732 in Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Probate Record:
Sarah and John have memorials on the Find A Grave website. They also have profiles on WikiTree.com. Both of these sites contain conflicting information about this family.
John’s Last Will & Testament was unsigned and must have been written shortly before his death.
Sarah must have died sometime before 1732 as she was not listed in this document.
John listed his sons as Thomas, John, and Hugh. He listed his daughters as Elizabeth, Susannah, Hannah, and Deborah.
Is there a descendant of this family who can “fill in the blanks”? My email is dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this post.
Susannah Adams:
Susannah was born on 6 NOV 1674 in Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA. She died in 1731 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA.
Probate:
Susannah married Edward Buzby on 7 MAY 1696 in Chester, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. Five known children were born during this marriage:
Mary Buzby (1699)
Edward Buzby (1700)
Joseph Buzby (1702)
Rebecca Buzby (1704)
Mercy Buzby (1714)
Edward Buzby was born in 1668 in England. He died in 1726 in Dublin, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA.
Probate:
From Edward’s probate record, it appears that their son, Edward, died before 1726.
Their daughter, Rebecca, married James Boorman in 1730. She was not listed in Susannah’s probate record. That would indicate Rebecca may have died before 23 FEB 1731 when Susannah wrote her Last Will & Testament.
Hannah Adams:
Hannah was born on 15 FEB 1675 in Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA. I do not know when she died.
Hannah married Abraham Brown on 20 MAR 1712 in Evesham, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. No known children were born during this marriage.
Who was Abraham Brown?
The list of witnesses to this wedding included Hannah’s mother, three sisters, and her half-niece, Mary Clifton. The document also listed four people with the surname of Brown.
The name that caught my attention was Preserve Brown. This given name is unique. Hannah and Abraham’s marriage took place in Burlington County, New Jersey. I decided to concentrate my search on this area to see if I could find a man named Preserve Brown.
The first record to appear in the search results was a Find A Grave memorial. It was for a man named Preserve Brown, Junior.
Preserve Brown, Junior, was born in 1699 in Shrewsbury, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. He died on 22 MAY 1760 in Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. The profile page shows that this man’s parents were Preserve Brown, Senior, and Mary Nathan Kite.
Preserve Brown, Senior also has a memorial page on Find A Grave. He was born in 1679 in Shrewsbury, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. He died on 26 JUN 1744 in Bordentown, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Preserve Brown, Senior’s memorial page did not list his parents. It did include two names that caught my attention:
Mary French, the grandmother of Preserve Brown, Junior
Abia Brown, the son of Preserve Brown, Senior
These two names appeared on the marriage record for Hannah Adams and Abraham Brown. These names helped confirm that I had the correct family.
I needed more information on Hannah’s husband. I knew Hannah was born in 1675. The Find A Grave memorial for Preserve Brown, Senior showed that he was born in 1679. This led me to conclude that Hannah’s husband was probably the brother of Preserve Brown, Senior.
I decided to search the internet with these criteria:
Name: Abraham Brown
Birth Year Range: 1670 and 1680
Birthplace: Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA
I found a profile on the WikiTree website for a man named Abraham Brown, Junior. He was born in 1671 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA.
The WikiTree page listed one of his brothers as Preserve Brown, Senior. Their parents were Abraham Brown, Senior, and Mary Potter.
Abraham Brown, Senior was born in 1644 in Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island, USA. He died in 1714 in Mansfield, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Probate:
The probate record listed Abraham and Preserve as two of the sons of the deceased.
The WikiTree profile shows that Abraham Brown, Junior, married Leah Clayton on 29 MAY 1692 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA. It does not list Hannah Adams as his second wife.
I did find another website that shows Hannah married Abraham Brown. It is entitled “Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy“.
This page also shows that seven children were born to Abraham Brown, Junior, and Leah Clayton:
Abraham Brown (1693)
Alice Brown (1696)
John Brown (1697)
Rachel Brown (1702)
Zebulon Brown (1704)
Lydia Brown (1708)
Leah Brown (1710)
Leah Clayton was born on 30 APR 1668 in Lancashire, England. She died in 1710 in Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Where Are the Death Records?
The Wolfe Genealogy website indicated that Abraham Brown, Junior, died after 1725. This statement was based on a land sale in that year.
I looked for a census record in Ancestry.com’s “New Jersey, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890”. The last entry for Abraham Brown was in 1724 in Mansfield, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
I could find no probate record for Abraham on my family tree website. I was looking specifically at the New Jersey databases.
At first, I thought that Abraham and Hannah may have moved out of Burlington County, New Jersey. I then stumbled across a manuscript in Ancestry.com’s “U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935”.
This manuscript was written by John Smith. He was a well-known Quaker in Burlington County and decided to write his memoirs.
On Page 30 of 102, the author gives few details about Abraham Brown. He indicated Abraham had become blind and had moved to Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey. He also thought Abraham died around the year 1736.
John Smith made no mention of Hannah in his memoirs. That could indicate that she died before 1736.
John Smith surmised that Abraham Brown died in 1736. That was all it was, his best guess. No physical document has been found that confirms when Hannah and Abraham died.
Deborah Adams:
Deborah was born on 7 MAY 1678 in Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA. She died in January 1731 in Evesham, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Probate:
Deborah married Juda Allen on 15 DEC 1705 in Chester, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. Five known children were born during their marriage. The birth years for the children are estimates. They are based on the marriage year and the order in which their names appear in their father’s Last Will & Testament.
Rebecca Allen (1706)
Elizabeth Allen (1709)
Mary Allen (1711)
Abigail Allen (1713)
Benjamin Allen (1715)
Juda Allen was born in 1675 in Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, USA. He died in July 1731 in Evesham, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Probate:
Deborah died about six months before her husband. This led me to think that they had succumbed to the same illness. When I searched the internet, I found a possible answer to this question.
A website called US Deadly Events has a page entitled “1731 Smallpox Epidemics, New York City and Philadelphia, 836-988“. In Footnote 1, the author suggests that people fled these large cities and may have spread the disease to smaller communities.
The probate records of 1731 indicate that Deborah and Juda were living in Evesham, Burlington County, New Jersey. I discovered that Evesham is 20 miles southeast of Philadelphia.
Abigail Adams:
Abigail was born on 2 JAN 1682 in Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA. She died on 12 AUG 1759 in Chester, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Abigail married Henry Benjamin Allen on 15 DEC 1705 in Chester, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. Seven known children were born during their marriage. All the children were born in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA.
Hannah Allen (1714)
Gabriel Allen (1716)
Meribah Allen (1718)
Catton Allen (1719)
Zerviah Allen (1721)
Samuel Allen (1723)
Michael Allen (1727)
Henry Benjamin Allen was born on 24 MAR 1678 in Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, USA. He died on 30 AUG 1748 in Mansfield, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.
Henry had previously married Hannah Corlies on 18 JAN 1703 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA. Five known children were born during their marriage. All the children were born in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA.
Jacob Allen (1704)
Exercise Allen (1705)
Moses Allen (1707)
Zachariah Allen (1709)
Patience Allen (1712)
Hannah Corlies was born in 1684 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA. She died in 1712 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA. Hannah was 28 years old when she died.
I discovered that Abigail’s husband was the brother of Juda Allen. He was Deborah’s husband, as shown above.
Their father was Jedidiah Allen. He was born on 3 JAN 1647 in Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, USA. He died on 21 JAN 1712 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA.
Their mother was Elizabeth Howland. She was born on 17 MAY 1647 in Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. She died on 17 DEC 1733 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA.
Marcy Adams:
Marcy was born on 13 DEC 1686 in Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA. I do not know when she died.
Her given name has been recorded as Marsey, Marcey, and Mercy.
I could find no information in my family tree website’s Quaker databases. Marcy may have wed outside the Burlington County area.
Phoebe Adams:
Phoebe was born on 9 FEB 1690 in Flushing, Queens County, New York, USA. She died in 1744 in Cape May, Cape May County, New Jersey, USA.
Phoebe married Abraham Brown on 2 JUN 1712 in Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. I do not know if any children were born during their marriage.
Abraham Brown was born in 1693 in Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA. I do not know when he died.
Abraham was the son of Abraham Brown, Junior, and Leah Clayton. His father married Phoebe’s sister, Hannah, as noted in this post.
I could find no information on Phoebe and her husband. Phoebe’s death information came from another family tree. I could find no documentation to verify this statement.
Notes:
John Adams (1595 to 1633) was the first person with that English surname to immigrate to North America from England. In 1621, John boarded the Fortune. This was the second ship, after the Mayflower, to bring puritans to North America. In late November of that year, the Fortune arrived at Plymouth Colony. John was the progenitor of all the Adams descendants listed in these posts.
Creating Your Family Tree
Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:
Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for births, marriages, and deaths.
Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.
Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.
When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. The records can include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.
If you have a unique surname, like Wakenight, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are many others on the internet for other countries like Ireland, Italy, and Germany.
Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty, and move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline with that famous person.
There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!
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