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"Jadiah the Sonne of Richard Higgens was borne in march 1656 alias 1657" in Eastham, Massachusetts. Jediah's mother was Mary, the second wife of Richard. [1][2][3]
With his parents, Jediah left Eastham, Massachusetts, and resettled in Piscataway, New Jersey about 1669.[2]
Before his marriage, Jediah began acquiring land of his own. Jan. 1, 1682. The first land record in Piscataway Township Book shows 2 acres of land granted to Jodiah Higgins. Registered June 25, 1682-83.[2]
"The Marriage between Jodia Higgins and Mary Newbold being first published according to Lawe, was Solemnized ye Twelveth day of ye Third Moneth called May 1684, before Elias ffarre Robert Stacy Justices and Thomas Revell Registr, Joseph Wood Eliakim Higgins, Tho: Higgins, Margarett Newbold Mary Peirson Elizabeth Hull Sarah Higgins Elizabeth Revell, Elizabeth Stacy Hellen Stacy", in Burlington[4] Mary Newbold, daughter of Micheael and Anne Newbold, was born May 23, 1661, at Eckington, York, England.
In 1700, he signed along with others, a petition to the King, against the acts of the Proprietors (recently acquired, who were removing people from the land they had purchased). They requested a fair and impartial Govenor to help settle the matters.[14] A year later in 1701, they inhabitants were still having trouble with the proprietors and petitioned the King again.[15]
Jediah served on the Grand Inquest for the Superior Court, and again in 1709 as grand juror. About this time, he was entrusted with a message to the Governor.- New Jersey Colonial Documents,[16]
About the year 1703, Jediah fixed his residence near the village of Kingston.[2] A 1762 map shows the location of the homes of Jedediah, Joseph and a second Jedediah (son, son, and grandson?) Look to the right of the town of Kingston. This was along the old road from the Raritan River to the Falls of the Delaware (now Rt. 27). The Jediah Higgins house has been restored. Various websites imply that Jediah (d. 1772) bought 1000 acres of land and built this house. Jediah (d. 1772) probably did build the house, but he was born in 1691 and probably did not purchase the land. It was probably Jediah (d. 1715) who purchased the land reportedly for a sow and some piglets.
Jedediah in 1710 signed a petition to Governor Hunter against Peter Sonmans for his "Insolent behavior",[17] to which he later swore in court.[18] and brought suit against Sonmans for changing "the books"[19]
In the Name of God Amen The twenty third Day of April in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fiveteen I Jediah Higgins of the County of Somerset in the Province of East New Jersey Yeoman being sick and weak in body, but of perfect mind and memory thanks be Given unto God therefor calling? unto mind the mortality of My body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once do dye do make and ordaine this my Last will and testament that I do ??principally and first of all I give and Recommend my Soul unto the hands of God that gave it and for my body I Recommend it to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like and decent manner at the Discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall Receive the Same again by the mighty power of God as touching his worldly estates, wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I Give / and ? of the same in the following manner and form ?
Wife, Mary: I Give to Mary my dearly beloved That one third part of all my moveable estate & all my now dwelling house during her natural life.
Son, Jediah. Item. I Give unto my well beloved son Jediah two hundred ackers of land to be laid out towards the Northermost part of my Tract of land 1. here to begin at a small brooke and so Runing the said brooke so farr as it will make two hundred ackres [200 acres in Northern part of Tract] and also one hundred and twenty ackers of Land lying at Barnegat Bay [120 acres at Barnegat Bay] and also two hundred & twenty ackers [200 acres]of land which Ji to take up belonging to a part of a property by me lately purchased all which tract and parcel of land here before mentioned to be by him freely to be possessed and enjoyed by him and his heirs and assigns forever.
Son, James. Item: I give unto my beloved son James a certain tract or parcel of land beginning at the aforesaid brooke 1. Running up the said brooke till it comes to the end of Jediah land 2. then behind the same till it comes to Daniel Cornelius corner tree? 3. go along the said Daniels line till it come to the said Cornelius lowermost corner 4. from thence a East South East line till it comes to a small brooke 5. from thence up the said brooke to the place when it first began. All which tract and parcel of land here before mentioned to by him freely to be possessed and enjoyed by him and heirs and assigns forever.
Sons, Miceall [Michael] and Thomas. Item: I give unto my well beloved sons Miceall [Michael] and Thomas all the rest of land belonging to this plantation here to be divided equally between them in quantity and quality to be by them freely to be possessed and enjoyed by them and their heir and assigns forever.
Son, Joseph. Item: I give unto my well beloved son Joseph the sum Eighty [80] pounds to be paid to him out of my Estate by my Executors hereafter mentioned when he shall come to the age of twenty and one years.
Daughter. Mary. Item: I give unto My Well beloved Daughter Mary when she shall come to aft of Eighteen Years or at the Day of her Marriage the sum of fifty [50] pounds. likewise to be paid her by my Executors.
Executor: Item: I give unto my Granddaughter Sarah Bloomfield the sum of ten [10] pounds to be paid her at the age of eighteen years by my Executors.
Also the rest of land belonging to this plantation here to be divided equally between them in quantity and quality to be by them freely to be possessed and enjoyed by them and their heirs and assigns forever. Furthermore my will that any of my children should happen to dye before they come of age or without issue that their portions or parcels of land be Return ? [the idea expressed to share and share alike] Equally to de divided amongst them and further I do appoint Constitute a make by dearly beloved wife Mary and my two sons, Jediah and James to be my Executors of this my last will and testament to see that the Same Executed and performed I do hereby ? disallow Revoke and make Voyd all former wills testaments or Legacies or Executors by me in ? before the herein named Rakpeiny and Confirming this to be my last will & Testament.
<1> *William Nelson Documents Relating to the Colonial and Revolutionary History of the State of New Jersey Calender of New Jersey Wills Vol 1. 1670-173 The Press Printing; and Publishing Co.,269 Main Street, Paterson, N.J., 1901. <2> * FindaGrave Memorial <3> * Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). <4>* Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 <5>* Clemens, William Montgomery. American Marriage Records Before 1699. Pompton Lakes, NJ, USA: Biblio Co., 1926 <6>* Will of Jediah Higgins from 1715 Somerset County, New Jersey New Jersey B2, page 16. NJ Archives Transcribed by Ceil Leedom circa 2014 South Brunswick Township Historian and Kingston Historical Society, secretary <7>*RICHARD HIGGINS A RESIDENT AND PIONEER SETTLER AT PLYMOUTH AND EASTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, AND AT PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY AND HIS DESCENDANTS BY MRS. KATHARINE CHAPIN HIGGINS [1] Note: the entered above was copied from the on-line document circa 2010 or so. The text as of 2016 appears to have changed but the dates and information appears the same as shown above.
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Jediah is 23 degrees from Herbert Adair, 19 degrees from Richard Adams, 17 degrees from Mel Blanc, 19 degrees from Dick Bruna, 17 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 30 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 19 degrees from Sam Edwards, 15 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 20 degrees from Marty Krofft, 13 degrees from Junius Matthews, 13 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 18 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.