Notebook:Borden Family in New Jersey

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Notebook:Borden Family in New Jersey

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Benjamin Borden (1)
Benjamin Borden (4)
Richard Borden (4)

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Whitehead et al. 1902

From: Source:Whitehead, et al. 1894-1923 vol 24:43 (1902)

THE BORDEN FAMILY.

Richaed Borden, born 1601, was admitted an inhabitant of Aquldneck. R. I., in ICS, and on May 20 was allotted five acres. On March 16, 1641, he became a freeman. In 1665 he and Benjamin Borden (his son, then a minor). James Grover and others. all of Gravesend. L. I., bought considerable tracts of land at Neversink. Narumson and Portupick, in Monmnuth county, N. J., for which he contributed £9, and was allotted three shares. Richard was a Deputy to the General Court In 1667-70, indicating that he had returned from Long Island. If, indeed. he ever removed from Rhode Island. He died May 25, 1671. and was buried in "the burying place that Robert Dennis gave Friends in Portsmouth," R. I. His (nuncupative) will was proved May 31, 1671, by the Town Council, on testimony concerning the wishes of the deceased. Fy its provisions land in New Jersey was left to his son Francis. His personal estate was inventoried at £1572 8s. 9d.—Qrncalotil- cal nictinnnry ',f llhod» Island, hy John Osborne Austin. 1887. 23-24; Mon- m'nilh I'oii'il/i fi'nls. ABf't Hint'. Riirtiunion mid timer Counfies. 454; Olif Times in Oh! Honmouth, 207; Hordca (!enealoiiy- His children were:

Second Generation. i. Thomas", m. Mary Harris. Jan. 20. 1664: d. Nov. 25, 1676; she

d. March 22, 1718. He lived at Portsmouth, R. I. 2. Ii. Francis';.

ill. Mary», married John Cook. and died before 1691. iv. Matthew", born May. 16?.8: married Sarah Clayton, May 4, 1S74; died July 5, 1708; she died April 19. 1735. He lived at Portsmouth, R. I. He was "the first English child born on Rhode Island." say Friends' records. He owned land on Cooper's Creek. Gloucester county, in 1685. A patent was issued to him for 400 acres on Crosswicks Creek and John Tomiinson's Run, 4th mo. 1695.—jV. ,I. .4rrftirr«, XXI., 377. (SI.

v. Johns, born September. 1640: married Mary Earie, Dec. 25. 1670: died June 4. 1716; she died June. 1734. He lived at Portsmouth. R. I. He devised to his daughters. Hop» and Mary Borden. all his lands in Shrewsbury, N. J., and certain lands in Pennsylvania. He owned land in Mon- mouth county as eariy as 16S7. See N. J. Archives. XXI.

vi. Joseph", born July 3, 1613; married Hope . He lived

at Portsmouth, R. I., and at Barbadoes. W. I. Joseph Borden. of Chester county, Pa., cordwainer, bought a tract of 356 acres of land at Oneanickon, alias Carmell, Springfield townshlp. Buriington county, Dec. 1, 1701.—If. J. Ar- ehii-n, XXI., 531. vii. Sarah-', born May. 1644; married Jonathan Holmes; she died

about 1706; he died in 1713.

viil. Samuel", born July. I645: married Elizab»th Crosse, June 1, 1679. On Feb. 10. 1672, he sold Lewis Mattox, of Portsmouth, R. I., a share of land In Monmouth, N. J. He Is said to have removed to Westehester, N. Y.. prior to to his marriage, but was afterwards at Philadelphia, where he died. He was a member of the West Jersey Assembly lu 1682, says Smith's Hist, of N. J.. 151. There was surveyed for Samuel Borden a tract of 200 acres "at Hatt's Plantation on the northwest side of the road from Buriington to Shrowsburry," Feb. 21. 1681-2.—N. J. Archh-es, XXL, 350. This tract was conveyed by his administrators about 16H4.—Hi., ;!72. Administration on the estate in West Jersey of Samuel P.orden was granted Feb. 8. 1692-3. to Francis Rawle, of Philadelphia, merchant, princlpal creditor of the deceased: Thomas Budd. of Philadelphia, and John Budd. of Buriington, were bondsmen for the administrator.— Rurlinqtan Rreords. p. 19: If. J. Archivrs. XXIV.. 46, Francis Rawle. administrator of the estate of Samuel Borden. of Pennsylvania, dec'd. and Thomas Woodroof, of Salem. late of London, conveyed to James _________________ a. ix. Benjamins, born May. 164'.!; married Abigail Grover, Sept. 22. 1670.

2. Francis Borden was a freeman of Portsmouth in 1655, He removed to Shrewsbury. N. J.. in 1u(J5, or soon alter The first Friends' meeting in New Jersey is said to have been held at his house. in 1672. The court was held at his house. Sept. 3, 1678. He married Jane Vicars, li'th of 4th mo., HiTT. He d. in Shrewsbury. 19th 1st mo.. 1704-5. Ills will. dated May 24. 1703, describes him as of Shrewsbury. yeoman. In it he devises lands patented March 25, 16S7. nnj other tracts bought May 4, 1696. and of his brother. John Borden. April 7, 170i); also property in the Parish of Goudherst (Goldhurst), Kent. Kngland, inherited 1'rom Francis Fowle. of Cranbrook. county of Kent, by his will of October 8, 1632. This is suggestive of the origin of the Borden family. although Fowle was probably a connection or an ancestor in the maternal line. Francis Borden appointed his wife and his son Francis executors of his will. His personal estate was inventoried at ^106. 11. 6.— East Jirmy Wills, Lib. 1, p. 151. The "Jean Borden" who in 17u7 was Induced to contribute £3 toward a fund said to be for the purpose of bribing Lord Cornbury. then Governor. to do justice to the people. was probably the widow of Francis Borden. — A-itslin, as cited; Hint. Buriington and Mercer row/iti's. 454; .V. J. Archives. III.. 214; Shrewsbury Friends' tterunis. Many references to Francis Borden are to be found in N. J. Archives, XXI. In the eariy records this name usually appears as Burden or Burdein.

The children of Francis Borden and Jane Vicars were (all b. at Shrewsbury):

i. Richard*, b. llth of 2d mo., - .

Ii. Francis;', b. 1st of Stth mo.. - ; m. Mary - . Their children (b. in Shrewsbury) were: 1. Elizabeth. b. 6th of 5th m., 1707; 11. Jane. b. 7th of 6th mo.. 1708; ill. Frances. b. 24th of 12th mo.. 1709-10; iv. John. b. 23d of llth mo.. 1710-11; v. Ancy (?Amy), b. 6th of 12th mo., 1714; vi. Mary. b. 21st of 6th mo.'. 1717; vii. Thomas. b. 27th of 4th mo.. 1719; viii. Jeoms. b. 4th of Sth mo., 1722. iii. Joyces, b. 1th of 4th mo., J(xS— ; m. John Hance. junior. Issue: i. Joseph; ii. John. named in the will of Francis Borden. Perhaps others. iv. Thomass, b. 4th of 12th mo.. 16S4.

3. Benjamin* B uiDsN married Abigail Grover (dau. of James Grover, senior, of MUldietown), Sept. 22. 1670 He probably removed from Portsmouth. R. I.. soon after maklns the purchase of lands in Shrewsbury. in W65. and settled at the latter place. being allotted Lot No. 29 of "the lotts of Middieton." Dec. 30. 1667, and the next day Lot No. 23. in "the lotts that are in the Poplar feild and the mountany felld." — 7'oici i Bonk af old Multlhloicn. 1. He was allowed, April 9, 1670. to take up nine acres elsewhere in lieu of Lot No. 23, "considering the badnes ot it beiug throwne up to make good some other lotts." — Ib., 10. He was admitted. July 8. 1670. as one of the associate patentees. He contributed £6 toward the purchase. and was allotted one share. The court was held at his house in Shrewsbury. in 1676. He was a Justice of the Peace in 1685, In 1692 and 1694 he was elected to the Assembly from Middietown. and in 1695 and 1698 as one of the six members from Monmouth county. In 16!)3 he was appointed by act of the Assembly to be one of the Road Commissioners for Monmouth County. a position he still held in 1711. He was one of three men "legally Chosen (Jan. 1. 16!)5-i;) to meet the men of the other towns of the County to Assess .... the tax or Rate that is to be Raised for the Support of the Government." to which office (corresponding with the "chosen freeholder" of to-day) he was re-elected in 1697-8.— Tokh Book. 32-33. The records of conveyances show that he was a large landholder; some of his purchases 'were as follows: Oct. 21, 1676— return of survey

standing he commenced a small Trade, which he managed with Prudence and Integrity; but in about four or five Years it pleased God to afflict him with a severe Fit of the Asthma, which (although he got the better of at that

for tract in the allotment of Cohanzick: 1677-8. Feb. 28—patent for same, 300 acres; he was then a weaver, of Middletown; June 20, 1677— patent lor 351 acres at Middletown; Jan. 22, 16S7—patent for 150 acres in Monmouth county; March 2s, 16SS—he was the owner of l-20th of l-48ih of East Jersey; May 1, 1695—patent for 240 acres at Crosswicks. and 30 acres at Barnegat; Oct. 5. 1696—deed for 560 acres in Monmouth county.—.V. ./. Archives, XXI., 27. 113, 116, 235, 297. 542, 556, 566, In 1716 he appears to have been of Evesham. Buriington county, when he conveyed lands to his son Joseph, of Freehold. In 1718. being then of Auchweas. Buriington county, he conveyed lands to his son James.— Aiixlin, as cited; Md Timrx in Ohl Moiimouth, 170, 171, 207. 208. 249; .Y. J. Archivex, XXI., 158-61. His children were:

Third Generation.

i. Richardi. b. Jan. 9. 1672. Probably on account of some of

the political troubles of the day. the Attorney General was directed in 1734 to file an information against him In 1739 he was of Chester. Buriington county. In 1750 he resided at Evesham. Buriington county. He had a suit in chancery agninst Richard Stout, but his solicitor, John Coxe, threw up the case in a huff, saying that he could not get justice from Gov. Beicher, the Chancellor ex offlcio.— .V. J. Archives, XIV., 505;' XI., 5S0; VII., 542-3. 547.

Ii. Benjamin", b. April 6 i675. He settied at Middletown,

Monmouth county. He bought. Jan. 8. 1700. of Anthony Woodward. a tract of l.ono acres of the great Dockwra patent, south of Arneytown.—//(«(. Buriinyton and 3lrre.er CniintirK. 454. When the court of sessions at Middletown, on March 25, 1701. arraigned Moses Butterworth for piracy, and he confessed that he had sailed with Capt. William Kldd on his last voyage, Benjamin Borden and his brother Richard were conspicuous among the thirty or forty men who dashed into the court room to rescue the prisoner. The two Bordens were arrested by the constables. but a hundred men quickly rallied. and they were rescued from the officers' grasp, though wounded in the melee, and the rioters turned the tables by imprisoning the Governor (Col. Andrew Hamilton), the Court, the Attorney General and the court officers for four days. in tol^en of their contempt for the waning authority of the Proprietary Government.—Monmnutlt County Rcrnrds. Book of Minutrs No. 1, nuoted in "Old Times in Old Monmouth " 263: .V. J. Archirrn, II., 362-3. Benjamin Borden and James Borden were among the petitioners in 1701 for a Royal instead of a Proprietary Governor.—.V. J. \rchirrs II.. 396. He was the agent for the recelpt of the Monmouth county taxes in 1705 and 1706.—/6.. III.. 351-2. Administration on the estate of Benjamin Borden. of Eves- ham townshlp. Buriington county, yeoman, was granted June 6. 1728. to Susannah Borden. his widow. The inventory of his personal estate amounted to £222, 10. 10%.— Eimt Jtrniv Wills. Liber 2, p. 532.

4. 11i. James», b. Sept. 6. t677: m. Mary . 6, The will of

James Borden. of Freehold township, Monmouth county. is dated Dec. 23, 1727. and was proved Feb. 22, 1730-31. His personal estate was inventoried at £ 115, 16. 10.

lv. Rihecoa". b. June 8. t680; d. young. v. Sifety. b. Pept. 6, Kx.'.

vi. .Amey». b. March 4. IM. 6. vil. Joseph", b. May 12. lic*7; d. Sept. 22, 1765.

vili. Jonathan", b. April 14. 1IW). He was living at Chester, Buriington county. in 1739.

Ix. David", b. March x. 16S2; d. young. x. Samuel», b. April 8. 1696.

. Time) pursued him, with small Intermissions, to the Day of his Death ..... In those Intermissions he was remarkably chearful and sprightly, and still continued his small Trade with Success. About the Year 1735 he

4. Jamkss Bobdi..k, b. Sept. 6. 1B77; m. Mary - . In his will he names children:

i. Richard. 11. Innocent, m. John Bozworth. of Buriington county mar-

riage license dated July 13, 1734. 111. Joseph. iv. Phebe. prob. m. Benjamin Gardiner, of Buriington county.

marriage license dated May I8, 1737. v. ReDeckah. vi. Abigaill. vil. Mary. vill. Ilellen.

Ix. Ann.

5. JosM'a* 13 inns*. m. Mary Ann - , prior to 1716. Sailing in a coasting vessel (probably his own) from Shrewsbury. he came to Karnsworth's Landing. Buriington county. in 1719. and determined to locate there. On March 3. 1724, he bought from Samuel Farnsworth a tract of 105 acres of land on the Delaware. to which he added by subsequent purchases until he owned neariy the whole site of the future Bordentown. As eariy as 1722 he had become interested in the erection of a bloomary forge on Black's Creek. Buriington county. In J724 his place on the Delaware was known as "Burden s Landing." but by 1739 it was called "Burden's Town." whence the transition to "Burdentown" and "Bordentown" was easy. Joseph Borden was appointed one of the Quorum Justices for Buriington county in 1739. In 1740 he started a "Stage Wagon to carry Passengers or Goods. between Perth-Amboy and Bordens-Town." in order to develop the latter place and make it an important point on tho route from Philadelphia to New York. This stage route was kept up by him and his son Joseph for twenty years or more. He gave the site for the Friends' meeting house in 1740. and Aug. 5, 1751. conveyed to the Baptists. for a nominal consideration (£5), the site for a church and burying ground. He opened a store. and carried on a general mercan- tile'trade many years; laid out streets. erected what was then considered a splendid mansion. and in other ways manifested a most enterprising spirit, and a confidence in the future of Bordentown.— Hist. Hurlinylon and Mtrci-r Coantirs. 456. 458-3; History of Iron in All Ages. by J. M. 'Swank. 2d ed.. Ii92. 157; N. J. Archives, XI., 342. 686, note; 687; XII., 22. note; 171; XV.. 98. His children were:

Fourth Gencration. i. Anna*, m. the Rev. Joshua Potts. pastor of the Baptist

Church at South Hampton. Bucks county. Pa. 6. 11. Joseph', b. 1719; d. April S, 1791, in his 72d year.

ill Rebecca*. m. Joseph Brown. perhaps a physician near Bor- dentown. at whose inn Benjamin Franklin stopped in 1723 when on his journey from Boston to Philadelphia. iv Hannah*. m. John Lawrence. of Monmouth. marriage li-

cense dated April 26, 1731. v Elizabeth*, m. Thomas Douglass, of Monmouth. marriage

license dated Jan. 9. 1734. vi - *, m. --- - Clayton. vil. - *. m. Thomas Potts. who bought the Iron works on

Black's Creek. Feb. 1. 1725

6. Josipm Bohden, jun. (Joseph". Benjamins, Richard'). b. 1719; m Elizabeth. daughter of Marmaduke Watson; died at Bordentown. . April 8, 17!)1. He was actively engaged from eariy manhood in his father's extensive business enterprises. especially the stage boat and stage wagon from Philadelphia to Perth Amboy. via Bordentown. until his advancing years caused him to retire from active life. in 1788. In 1718 tickets for a lottery for the benefit of St. Mary's Church. Buriington wt-re to be had from him. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1749. and a Judge in 1757 and again in 1767. In 1761 he was elected to the assembly as one of the two members for Buriington county and served until 1769. evidently occupying a conspicuous posl-

planned and laid out this Town, which, although but small, is much larger than could have been expected, when we consider the Disadvantages its Patron lay under. About this Time he accepted of a Commission of the Peace, in which Station his greatest Enemies allowed he behaved with the utmost Prudence, and strictest Justice; and as he was esteemed for his public, so he also was for his private Worth, he being a kind Neighbour, and a sincere Friend; a tender ,Husband, and an affectionate Parent."—The Pennsylvania Gazette, No. 1921, October 17, 1765-

tlon among his colleagues. In 1765 the Assembly elected him as one of the three deputies to represent New Jersey in the Stamp Act Congress. at New York. and he and Hendrick Fisher signed the appeal of that Congress to the King and Pariiament. urginp the repeal of the Act. The Assembly heartily approved of their conduct. He was chosen a.a one of the members of the first Provincial Congress. which met at New Brunswick. July 2. 1774, to send delegates to the Continental Congress. In the ensuing February he was selected by his fellow citizens as one of the Committee of Observation for Buriington County. and later as a member of the Provincial Congress held at Trenton in May. June and August, 1775, This body appointed him one of the Committee of Safety. which was vested with executive power during the recess of the Provincial Congress. Eariy in 1776 he was commissioned Colonel of the First Regiment of Buriington County militia, but he resigned. Sept. 28. 1776, when he was appointed Quartermaster, for which position his business experience and abilities rendered him peculiariy well qualified. He was appointed Judge of the Common Pleas. Sept. 11, 1776, and again Sept. 2s. 1781. He was one of the promoters of the episode made famous by Francis Hopkinson in his poem on the "Battle of the Kegs.' when It was designed to blow up the British vessels in the Delaware near Bordentown by a rude sort of torpedoes made of kegs filled wilh powder, which were sent fioating down the river short- Iv before daylight on Jan. 7, 1778, and were expected to explode on coming in contact with the war vessels. having certain mechanical attachments to ensure such result. Unfortunately for the success of the enterprise. the vessels were hauled into their docks the night before the kea-s were set loose. The British soon after raided Bordentown. and Tudge Borden's handsome residence was laid waste by fire. May 10, 1778. He was liberally educated, had a fine presence. and was highiy infiuential in the community. His widow died in 1807. in her S2d year.—ffint. Hurlinglnn nnd Mrrrrr CMintim, 467; .V. .7. .1 rrhifs. XII., 442; XVI., 89; XVII., 137, 455; -V. V. Public Lihrnru KuV'-tin, I., 104; Gordon's Hist. .V. J., 140; Pcnn. Mag. of Hi"t, nnil Hiny., IX., 435,

Fifth Gencration. The children of Joseph Borden were.

i. MaryG, m. Thomas McKean. of Newcastle. Del.. marriage

license dated July 21, 1763; d. March 12. 1773, in her 29th year. Thomas McKean was one of the Delaware Signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 1799, 1S02 and 1S05. serving nine stormy years.

Ii. Nancys, married Francis Hopkinson (afterwards one of

the Signers of the Declaration of Independence), Sept . 1. 1768. For the announcement of the marriage. in the fiowery language of the day. see N. J. Archives, X., 427, note. 111. Joseph*, born in 1755, He was an ardent patriot during the Revolution. being Captain of a troop of light-horse. which he raised in Buriington county. He was wounded at the battle of Germantown. in 1777, but although his injury inconvenienced him the rest of his life he repeatediy volunteered for active service when he felt he could be of use to the cause. He was a United States loan officer, and was appointed one of the commissioners to sell lands confiscated to the State for treason. He married Mary. daughter of Langhorne Biles. of Bucks county. Pa. He died Oct. 16. 17S.«, leaving one child, Elizabeth Borden. who married Azariah Hunt, of Hopewell. N. J.