Person:James Scriven (1)

James Scriven was our immigrant ancestor. He came to Long Island from England BY HIMSELF. In England he was first a Quaker, then a Ranter, and when he arrived in Long Island, he returned to the Quaker religion when he wanted to marry Mary Fry Gladding, as her family were Quakers in Westbury, Long Island. Mary Fry had first married William Gladding; he died and she married James Scriven, but proceded to die without issue.

James eventually went to Rhode Island where he married Alice Knowles. (I digress to say that I heard from a Chuck Fitzgerald, 23 Franklin Ave., Binghampton, NY 13901 with information on Alice Knowles and the Lewis Family.) Alice Knowles was the daughter of William Knowles and Alice Fish, (daughter of Thomas who was the son of Robert Fish). Information from Robert Charles Neibling, 541 Bellehurst Drive, Montgomery, Ala. 36109. Robert Fish/Fyshe married Alice Fyshe. He was the son of Thomas and his wife Alice Fyshe was the daughter of John and Margaret Craddock. John was thought to be the son of Augusine Craddack.

James and Alice Knowles Scriven had 5 children, one of whom is our ancestor, William Scriven, Sr. Alice died and James married for the third time a Hannah Sherman. They had one son, Joseph. (Referennnce: Quaker Records, Probate Records, Land Evidence Records, Town Records, Rhode Island State Archives Reocrds, various histories, etc.)

Most of the material searched so far indicates that William Scriven, Sr. was POSSIBLY born in Westerly, Rhode Island, although his parents moved several times and he could have been born in East Greenwich or Kingstown. Alice Knowles family was in South Kingstown.

The town records of Westerly, Rhode Island state, "William Scriven, son to James Scriven born June the 6th 1727" and then gives the information on the children of William and Mercy (March) Scriven on the same page. Proof actually comes from James will and land records. In James will he gives William certain property and in the land records of both James and william, the property is identically described. William sold this property to Joseph Stanton and states: "that I am the true, sole and lawful owner...in my own proper right as a good, perfect and absolute Estate of Inheritance..."

William had two brothers: Isaac and Thomas. Isaac went to North Carolina about 1743 and continued as a Quaker. Nothing further on Thomas...not even in his father's will, so he may have died by then. After James died, William was removed from the Quakers Meeting for not condemming his military actions, or words to that effect...

Pat Owenn says she has been to Rhode Island twice and up to now has found no records from the Town Clerks office, probates, land records, town Council Meetings records, showing the marriage to Mercy Lewis Scriven. Nor is her death recorded anywhere, nor on the marriages to Elipha or Mary Mosher.

William Scriven died in Petersburg, New York. This is accepted information by all sources. The exact location of his grave is the big question. Tacie of the 1899 Scriven Family History thought he was buried on the farm where "Aunt Olive" lived and died. Olive was his granddaughter...daughter of William Scriven, Jr. William Scriven, Sr. lived with them up to the time of his death.

In "Grafton Hills of Home" by Ruth C. Bennett, 1974, Vantage Press, NY "William Scriven Farm Cemetery...later known as the Olive Scriven Farm and occupied in 1916 by William Stewart. This was an unfenced plot in a potato field and much overgrown with brush (1916). Here in an unmarked grave probably is buried old William Scriven, a Revolutionary soldier."

Pat was in that area in 1980 for a couple of days and located the property and the burial ground was then a pasture for horses and was rented by owners of the adjoining property. William, Jr. his wife Mary Saunders Scriven (I think this was his second wife), Olive and several others are buried there, and their stones still in good condition. There are ruins of a foundation of a building on this land, which may have been a barn or home. There is supposed to have been a stage coach stop there also, as it was on the main road at that time. Now the main road is Route 2, which runs a little north of this land. There is a large depression close to William Jr's grave and it just might be William Sr. Needs someone to get to do some probing for a stone, for it is unlikely that the Sr. would have been buried without one. The land was originally owned by William Sr. and given to his son William Jr.

As to Lewis: There is evidently a history of the Crandall family and in it states that John Lewis and Tacy Crandall Lewis had several children including a Mary/Marcy. Books used for sources are: Lewis Geneology, Babcock Geneology, Vital Records of Rhode Island and Lewisiana.

The man who wrote me about Alice Knowles says: John Lewis was a freeman in Rhode Island and died 1690. Had son James Lewis who married Sarah Babcock (and the card confuses me as it may be that James died in 1690, not John his father). James Lewis and Sarah Babcock had daughter... (Note: Rest of letter pertained to the Lewis family descendants.)

Facts about this person:

Occupation Quaker Minister

1. ↑ Westerly, Rhode Island probate records
   3/5:541-2.

   Proved 31 Jul 1758;
   wife Hannah;
   sons: William, Joseph & Isaac;
   daughter Mary Scriven.
   John Knowles and Stephen Hosxie coexors with wife.
   Witnesses: Samuel Burdick of Charlestown, Benjamin Hoxsie and Sarah Hoxsie.