Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of John Stephens

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Descendants of John Stephens

Generation No. 1

1. JOHN¹ STEPHENS was born Abt. 1735 in Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey or England?, and died January 02, 1787 in Upper Freehold, Monmouth County, NJ. He married (1) LUCRETIA GASKILL Abt. 1760 in Burlington, New Jersey, daughter of EDWARD GASKILL and ELIZABETH LIPPINCOTT. She was born 1744 in Springfield Twp., Burlington, NJ/Springfield, Union Co., NJ, and died August 22, 1785 in Upper Freehold, Monmouth, NJ. He married (2) FANNY BROCK 1785.

Notes for JOHN STEPHENS:
John was a blacksmith and owned a sawmill and apparently a large tract of land. Checking to see if he is son of William Stephens born 1711 and died 1787. John was probably an Episcopalian. He is reported on in a privately published book by James Francis Stephens, Ph.D. (entitled John Stephens and Lucretia Gaskill of New Jersey). John Stephens is also reported on in a Lippincott family report as he married a Lucretia Gaskill whose Mother was Elizabeth Lippincott. It is not known with certainty if John served in the Revolutionary War but from the Pennsylvania Archives (poss. page 675) we find the "Stephens, John: clothing given by the government Jan 1, 1777, when he returned to Philadelphia: shoes 1; Breeches 1; Shirt 1; Jackets 1; Blankets 1" It also reported that "Private John Stephens under Capt. Parr...".
John' wife, Lucretia Gaskill, was from a Quaker family and was disowned for marriage contrary to discipline Sept. 5, 1765. Afte Lucretia's death in 1785 he remarried in 1785 to Fanny Brock. Freehold, located on Crosswick creek, was the county seat on Monmouth Co. and in 1936 had a population of 7,000. His land seems to have been located near New Egypt, NJ which was located on the lake that was the headwater of Crosswick creek.
His will was made in 1787 and probated 3 months later. This will is now in Trenton, NJ. Witnesses to the will were John Antram, William French, and Thomas Willing. His oldest son Samuel was executor and was to care for his last wife Fanny as long as she remained his widow. She was to have two rooms in Samuel's house (the homestead) and the use of the kitchen, the cellar, and the pump, with other possessions and a stated amount of money yearly. He left an inventory covering several pages of household, farm, and blacksmith items. This is found in Book A, Page 68, Monmouth Co. Courthouse at Freehold, NJ. John is listed ont 1778-1780 Tax list of Upper Freehold, N.J. The will is #5955M, dated 1-2-1787, recorded 3-23-1787, Lib. 29. Page 303.

More About JOHN STEPHENS:
Fact 1: WAS A BLACKSMITH

Notes for LUCRETIA GASKILL:
Lucretia is the Great Great Granddaughter of John Endecott, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Her family were Quakers and she was disowned "for marriage contrary to discipline and rules of the Quaker church" on Sept. 5, 1765; Ency. of America Vol. II, page 233.

More About LUCRETIA GASKILL:
Fact 1: 1785, SHE DIED SOMETIME BEFORE THIS YEAR

Children of JOHN STEPHENS and LUCRETIA GASKILL are:

2.	i.	APOLLO"POLLARD"² STEPHENS, b. 1775, Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey; d. 1844, MONROE COUNTY, OHIO.
3.	ii.	SAMUEL STEPHENS, b. 1761, Monmouth County, NJ; d. December 03, 1803, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
4.	iii.	EDWARD STEPHENS, b. December 04, 1763, Monmouth County, New Jersey; d. May 03, 1846, Newton, Green Co., PA..
	iv.	THOMAS STEPHENS, b. 1771, Freehold, Monmouth,NJ.
5.	v.	JAMES "SHUCK" STEPHENS, b. September 06, 1773, Freehold, Monmouth Co., NJ; d. July 08, 1861, Jakes Run, Monongalia Co., W. Virginia.
	vi.	JOHN STEPHENS, b. 1777, Monmouth Co., NJ; m. (1) RACHEL EVANS, 1803; m. (2) DRUCILLA CAMPBELL, Aft. 1807; b. Greene Co., PA..
6.	vii.	STACY STEPHENS, b. September 06, 1779, Monmouth Co., NJ; d. October 30, 1861, Greene Co., PA..
	viii.	LUCRETIA STEPHENS, b. 1765, Monmouth , NJ.
	ix.	MARY STEPHENS, b. 1767, Upper Freehold, Monmouth, NJ.

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