Family:Jacob Cummins and Hannah Shipman (1)

Jacob Cummins and his wife Janetje (or Hannah or Jane) Shipman were named in the Sep 9 1761 will of her father, Jacob Shipman, who died in Hunterdon County New Jersey in 1761.

Most of Jacob's children were named in papers pertaining to the settlement of his estate after he died intestate in 1811 in Hardwick Towsnhip. At least two, Christian and John were not named in the estate papers.

Christian Cummins who died in 1796 was not named although his two sons were beneficiaries of their grandfather's estate.

Jacob's first son named John who appears to have died about 1778 was not named in the estate. However Jacob's second son named John who was born between 1778 and 1784 is named in those papers. It was not uncommon for parents to name a newly-born child after a recently-dead child. Indeed Jacob's grandson, David Cummins of Millgrove, Ontario, Canada named a second son John (John Harvey Cummins born 2 Nov 1847) after the death of an earlier son named John who had been born 2 Apr 1834.

We know that one of Jacob Cummins' sons died a soldier during the US Revolution. William McMannes and others in Knowlton on July 24 1796 signed an affidavit in support of Daniel Cummins' petition for land in Upper Canada. The affidavit stated in part "... his Father and all the family was good friends to loyalty in the late war one of his brothers died a Soldier in his Majesty's servis." This son appears to have been John Cummins. We know that John Cummins was recruited on Jan 26 1777 into the 5th Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers by William Hutchinson. On Aug 22 1777 Private John Cummins was taken prisoner of the rebels. The property of John Cummins of Sussex County was offered for sale by a republican Committee of Safety after an inquisition in 1778. This was a usual fate for the property of a loyalist who had taken arms. John was still listed as a prisoner in Feb 9 1781 from the Fifth Battalion. From then until Mar 4 1783 he was listed as a prisoner from the First Battalion.

1. ↑ New Jersey Wills Vol 33 Lib 11
   383, 1761.

   Will of Jacob Shipman of Tewksbury Township, Hunterdon County, in New Jersey Archives.