Samuel Dennis Sr (abt. 1646 - bef. 1708)

Born about 1646 in Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Husband of Mary Lathrop — married 14 Apr 1689 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey

Descendants

Died before 10 Jun 1708 before about age 62 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, East New Jersey

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Biography

Samuel Dennis was born about 1646. He was the son of Robert Dennis and Mary Jackson. He passed away about 1708 per his will dated 26 July 1707, proved 10 June 1708.

He was among the earliest Freeholders of Woodbridge. Much of what is known of his life is based on secondary sources such as the Reverend Joseph W. Dally's History of Woodbridge and Vicinity, researched and written using the primary sources still in existence nearing 1873. The Reverend detailed the condition of records in the preface of his book.^[1]

Samuel's primary occupation was as a weaver. He was very much involved in early government affairs at Woodbridge. He was nominated as a Magistrate and sworn in the 1st of September in 1673 along with Obediah Ayres and Stephen Kent. He was elected Deputy to the General Assembly in 1675, 1680, 1682, 1683, and 1688. Samuel was elected Sargent of the Court in 1676. He was appointed as Assistant Justice in 1683 and again in 1692. Additionally, minutes of the Governor and Council indicate Samuel presided over the Township Court in 1686-7. He was recorded as Rate Collector (tax collector) for the years 1675-1679, 1683, and 1691. He was recorded Rate Maker (assessor) for the years 1684-1688, 1691- 1693, 1696, 1698. He was appointed as an Overseer of the Highways in 1680 and again in 1690. In 1682 Samuel Dennis and Samuel Moore were the first elected overseers of the poor at Woodbridge and they held this position for many years, the latter of the two men died in 1688. Samuel Dennis was appointed Clerk of the Court from 1688-1692, after the death of Samuel Moore who was the first to hold this position.

Record of the marriage of Samuel Dennis to his wife (or wives) Sarah, by whom the births of his children were recorded at Woodbridge, give no indication of her surname. Many claim he had brought a wife Sarah Scullard to Woodbridge from Massachusetts. Samuel Dennis was named brother-in-law in the will of Samuel Moore, indicating Samuel Dennis had at some point married to his sister Sarah Moore. Reverend Dally's book also mentioned Samuel was the brother-in-law of Mr. Moore when the said Dennis filled in for Moore as "Clerk of the Court" when the latter was absent from a town meeting held 25th May 1682. There is record of Samuel Moore's daughter Rachel marrying in 1677 to Jonathan Dennis. Samuel Moore made his will in 1683 naming brothers-in-law Samuel Dennis and Samuel Hale with son-in-law John Blumfield as executors. It is evident Samuel Moore and Samuel Dennis, both being such important men to the history of Woodbridge, were certainly more than just contemporaries. Without further record it is not possible to truly determine the identity of Sarah, wife of Samuel Dennis, in the birth records of Woodbridge.

Record does exist of Samuel Dennis' final marriage in 1689 to Mary Crowell, widow. She was the widow of Edward Crowell who's daughter Mary Crowell married in 1695 to Samuel's son (Samuel b. 1672).

6 March 1695 it was recorded:
Samuel Dennis of Woodbridge, having married Mary, widow of Edward Crow, and thereby legally becoming the administrator of the estate of said Crow, who died intestate, empowers his said wife to manage the estate for the benefit of her said children by Crow, viz; Mary, Yelvarton, Joseph, and Edward and an inventory of the estate belonging to the children and receipt by Mary Dennis for it on behalf of the children. (Vol 21 Pg 231 New Jersey Archives).

Samuel Dennis of Woodbridge and wife Mary on 6 Sept 1697 sold 5 acres of Meadow in Woodbridge to Richard Powell, Innkeeper of Woodbridge, lands described as formerly belonging to Robert Dennis, dec'd.

Mary was named as his wife when Samuel Dennis made his will in 1707. It was proved the 10th of June in 1708. He mentioned sons Samuel and Jonathan, naming Samuel as sole executor.

Will of, transcribed

1707 July 26. Dennis, Samuel, of Woodbridge East Jersey; will of. Wife Mary. Children- Samuel, sole executor and Jonathan. Real and personal estate. Witnesses- Samuel Shepherd, Thomas Davis, Geo. Ewbanks. Proved June 10, 1708. 1707-8 Feb 2. Dennes, Mr. Samuel of Middlesex Co., Inventory of personal estate of...made by John Bishop, Thomas Pike, and Noah Bishop. 1708 June 10. Letters testamentary granted to Samuel Dennis, the executor of the last will etc.

It has caused much confusion both Samuel Dennis Sr. and Jr. left widows named Mary. Samuel Sr. last known wife was Mary (Lathrop) Crowell, widow of Edward Crowell, who's daughter Maria Crowell married Samuel Dennis, Jr. The will of Jr. was proven 1720 with her brother's Yelverton and Edward as witnesses. (below)

1719, March 20. Dennes, Samuel, of Woodbridge, Middlesex Co., yeoman, will of; wife Mary. Children- Sarah, Reliance, Elizabeth, Samuel. Real and personal estate. Executors- the wife and daughter Sarah with Edward Freeman and Benjamin Bloomfield as overseers. Witnesses- Yelverton Crowell, Edward Crowell, Moses Rolph. Proved April 21, 1720. Lib. A page 125.

Births of children in Woodbridge vital records:

"New Jersey Births and Christenings, 1660-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5FL-422 : 11 February 2018), Samuel Dennis in entry for Samuel Dennis, ; citing WOODBRIDGE,MIDDLESEX,NEW JERSEY, reference ; FHL microfilm 974.941 D2M PT 1, 2.

"New Jersey Births and Christenings, 1660-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5FL-H52 : 11 February 2018), Samuel Dennis in entry for Jonathan Dennis, ; citing WOODBRIDGE,MIDDLESEX,NEW JERSEY, reference ; FHL microfilm 974.941 D2M PT 1, 2.

"New Jersey Births and Christenings, 1660-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5F2-B13 : 11 February 2018), Samuel Dennis in entry for Robert Dennis, ; citing WOODBRIDGE,MIDDLESEX,NEW JERSEY, reference ; FHL microfilm 974.941 D2M PT 1, 2.

"New Jersey Births and Christenings, 1660-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5F2-55V : 11 February 2018), Samuel Dennis in entry for Sarah Dennis, ; citing WOODBRIDGE,MIDDLESEX,NEW JERSEY, reference ; FHL microfilm 974.941 D2M PT 1, 2.

Marriage

Marriage to Mary Crow [ell] widow, 14 Apr 1689 Woodbridge, Middlesex, NJ

• "New Jersey, Church Records, 1675-1970," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG6D-226H : 3 October 2019), Samuel Dennis and Crow, 14 Apr 1689; citing Marriage, Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States, Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey.

Sources

1. ↑ https://archive.org/details/woodbridgevicini00dal/page/n5

see also:

• Genealogy of the Family of Longstreet Completed. Edward Mayes. Circa 1935. Privately published. Clark T. Thornton, editor. Reprinted 2009. Pages 62 - 68, 69 - 70.

• [1] The journal of the procedure of the governor and councill of the province of East New Jersey from and after the first day of December anno Dmni--1682. Jersey City, New Jersey : J.H. Lyons, 1872. (name spelled Dennis, Dennes, etc.. throughout)

• [2] New Jersey archives, abstract of wills, 1670-1730. First Series Vol. XXIII. Page 134.

• Nelson, William. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, Volume 23. Calendar of New Jersey Wills Vol. I (1670-1730). Patterson, NJ, 1901. Page 134. Transcribed will of Samuel who died 1707/8, will proved 10 June 1708.

  1707 July 26. Dennis, Samuel, of Woodbridge East Jersey; will of. Wife Mary. Children- Samuel, sole executor and Jonathan. Real and personal estate. Witnesses- Samuel Shepherd, Thomas Davis, Geo. Ewbanks. Proved June 10, 1708.

  1707-8 Feb 2. Dennes, Mr. Samuel of Middlesex Co., Inventory of personal estate of...made by John Bishop, Thomas Pike, and Noah Bishop.

  1708 June 10. Letters testamentary granted to Samuel Dennis, the executor of the last will etc.

• Nelson, William. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, Volume 21. Calendar of Records in the Office of the Secretary of State (1664-1703). East Jersey Deed Records, Liber F. Page 272 of this source.

• Sanborn, Melinde Lutz. Third Supplement to Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc, Baltimore, MD, 2003. Page 73.

  DENNIS, Samuel (1645-1707-8) & 1wf. SCULLARD, Sarah (1645-1683-4) Nantucket/Woodbridge. [Source for this source: The American Genealogist 75:186]

• Clemens, William Montgomery. American Marriage Records Before 1699. Pompton Lakes, NJ, USA: Biblio Co., 1926. [Marriage of Samuel Dennes to Mary Crowell, widow. 14 April 1689, Woodbridge.]

• Dennis - JACK MOUNT'S HOME PLACE (http://nostalgia.esmartkid.com/dennis.html) Aug 21, 2007 - 9 Sep 1669, d. 27 Mar 1703, m. Rachel HULL; ii. Samuel, b. about 1670, d. 10 Jun 1708; iii. Maria "Mary", b. 7 Dec 1671, d. Oct 1689; [#3] iv.

• "New Jersey Births and Christenings, 1660-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5FL-422 : 12 December 2014), Samuel Dennis in entry for Samuel Dennis, ; citing WOODBRIDGE,MIDDLESEX,NEW JERSEY, reference ; FHL microfilm 974.941 D2M PT 1, 2.
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/LY7Q-4Z5: viewed 10/3/2021, shows marriage date.
• http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Samuel_Dennis_%2811%29
• http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/person/g15013.htm

• [3] Woodbridge and vicinity : the story of a New Jersey township ; embracing the history of Woodbridge, Piscataway, Metuchen and contiguous places, from the earliest times ; the history of the different ecclesiastical bodies ; important official documents relating to the township, etc. by Dally, Joseph W. 1873

• [4] History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Prominent Men by W. Woodford Clayton, Ed., 1882

• Robert Dennis Entry
• Geni Entry
• Descendants of Robert Dennis
• Family of Robert DENNIS and Mary JACKSON
• Family Pursuit Website
• Kansas State University-JRM
• Ancestry - Early Families
• Bloomfield Family

Research

First wife Sarah (Moore or Scullard), secondly married to widow Mary (Lothrop) Crowell...his son Samuel marrying to her daughter Mary Crowell