John Severence (abt. 1676 - 1732)

1708 -- "John Severns was in Trenton Township as early as 1708 (when it was still Hopewell), and was one of twenty purchasers of the church lot there. Of the twenty, twelve are clearly former Newtown, Long Island, NY residents. " (source David Blackwell 8/31/98)

1712-- West Jersey Deeds, Book N, page 294; Daniel Coxe to JOHN SEVERNS; May 15, 1712; "Daniel Coxe of town and county of Burlington, Esq, to JOHN SEVERNS of Hopewell, yoeman; Whereas Edward Byllynge of London Gent. did convey to Thomas Williams of London Goldsmith 3/90 of 90/100 of West New Jersey, and Williams by deed October 30 &31, 1705, conveyed above shares to Daniel Coxe, therefore now Coxe conveys to SEVERNS 390 acres (besides allowance for highways) lying in the township of Hopewell and is that plantation and tract whereon said Severns now dwells and is part and parcel of the above 390. Beginning at red oak at West Shabakunk, E 24 ch to oak for corner by the road, by said road NNW 8 ch and N 8 ch 50 lk and NNW 13 ch to post for corner, ESE 29 ch to oak for coner, NNE 4 ch to post for corner, NE 50 degrees 24 ch to beech for corner by Shabakunk, by the same upwards to hickory by the said brook, W 2 ch 50 lk to black oak for corner, SSW 4 ch 50 lk to post for corner, WNW 76 ch to post for corner, SSW 47 ch lk to the said West Shabakunk, by the same to first mentioned corner tree." This property laid along the Pennington Road and part of this SEVERNS sold in 1714 to Robert Lanning, and the other part was soon after in the hands of William Green, both of these latter being formerly from Newtown, Long Island, NY." (source David Blackwell 8/31/98)

1714-- West Jersey Deeds, Book H-H, page 442; John Severns to Robert Laning; January 15, 1714; "John Severns of Hopewell, yoeman, to Robert Laning of Hopewell, yoeman. Whereas Edward Byllynge to Thomas Williams 3/90 of 90/100, and Williams to Daniel Coxe the same, and Coxe by B & S dated May 15, 1712 to SEVERNS of 390 acres in Hopewell. Now therefore John Severns to Robert Laning 244 acres (beside allowance), part and parcel of the above 390 acres and is that plantation whereon the said Robert Laning now dwells, beginning at stone for corner by High Road leading from Falls of Delaware commonly called Roger Parks Road, WNW by Richard Lanings land to his corner stone 34 ch 50 lk p/m; SSW 47 ch 66 lk by land heretofore Henry Bells to ash tree for corner by Shabbucunk Run p/m, bounded by said Run the several courses thereof downwards ca. 46 ch p/m to corner oak, E 24 ch p/m to oak for corner by aforesaid Rogers Road, bounded by said road upwards ca 65 ch p/m by the land of William Greens and the said JOHN SEVERNS to first corner stone."

1723-"William Green, will proved 1 June 1723, of Trenton, Hunterdon County, NJ, yoeman, formerly of Newton, Long Island but now from Hunterdon County, gives to his sons Joseph and William the house and Plantation that he bought from John Severans." (Will 2:240)

1725--John Severns in 1725 bought property from James Trent, but sold it to William Allen. This is the site of the Rising Sun Tavern, later called American House. Trenton, NJ. (From Pennsylvania Magazine) This James Trent was the son of William Trent

August 30, 1725 -- will of Howell, Daniel of Trenton, Hunterdon Co, NJ, blacksmith -- wife Mary, son David, land on east side on the middle road, Trenton; lot on the west side of Kings Street, Trenton, adjoining JOHN SEVERAN; lot of meadow in Maidenhead great meadows, adjoining James Price's land, said lot bought of Samuel Hunt. Son Daniel, when 21, house in Trenton which JOHN SEVERIN lives in...."

April 10, 1727 Albertus Ringo continued to make his home and ply his trade on the original town lot near the old mill and in 1727 one of the nearby residents, Enoch Andrus, conveyed a hundred and fifty foot square out of the back of his "quota fifth" for the nominal sum of five shillings to John Porterfield, David Howell, Richard Scudder, Alexander Lockhart, William Yard, William Hoff, John Severns, and Joseph Yard, all of whom were active Presbyterians.

1729-Abstracts from Ben Franklin's PA Gazette 1728-48....5 Dec 1729 John Severns of Trenton, his stable burned to the ground.

1730 John Severns witnessed an indenture dated 18 Nov 1730 between James Trent and Tho. McClelan for 1/4 acre lot on King Street in Trenton. Alexander Lockhart was the other witness. From some Records of Old Hunterdon Co, by Phyllis D'Aturechy, page 14 - page. 87. of Volume 1 of Special Deeds.

1738-- "West Jersey Deeds, Book E-F, page 163; Alexander Lockhart to Daniel Coxe....tract in Trenton Twp beginning at an oak being the most northerly corner of JOHN SEVERNS land..."

John Severns wrote his will May 25, 1727 and It was proved on July 10,1732; and he mentions wife Frances who received use of house and lot in Trenton adjoining Samuel Johnson. Sons Benjamin and Theophilus were to get use of house after mother’s decease. Daughter Margaret Seanders mentioned. The testator’s house and lot and 50 acres near town purchased from Staniland to be sold. There were a list of over 100 debtors. He makes Alexander Lockart and James Neilson his executors, rather than his sons. Now obviously his estate was large, and these men, both well established in Trenton, are reasonable choices. Benjamin however is included in the account list, presumably meaning he has set up a homestead somewhere in the region. Source: Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey; First Series; Volume 30; Somerville, NJ; The Unionist-Gazette Association, 1918; page 424:

The William Green house stands on a piece of ground that Daniel Coxe did sell in 1712. It was part of Coxe's large "Hopewell" tract, but the buyer was not Green, but one John Severns. This estate lay from the west to the east branches of the Shabakunk Creek, straddling both sides of "the high road from the Falls of Delaware commonly called Rogers Parks Road." This road had been laid out in 1700 and was resurveyed in 1741. It was the "Middle Road", that came to be known later as the Trenton-Pennington Road or Rogers Road. John Severns evidently sold to William Green Sr. the land east of this road, shortly after his purchase in 1712, although no deed is recorded. In 1714 he sold the property on the other side of the road to Robert Lanning. In this deed, fortunately recorded, Lanning’s purchase was bounded on the east side “by the said (Roger Parks) road upwards about sixty-five chains more or less by the land of William Green and the said John Severns.”

In less than six years from Hutchinson's deed to Heath and others, the Hopewell Presbyterians took measures for the erection of a church for themselves, within three miles of the one just described. This was the beginning of the congregation, which, after the foundation of the township of Trenton (1719-20), was called the "Trenton First Church," but which now takes the name of the new township of Ewing. The original deed was dated March 9, 1709, and conveyed two acres of land from Alexander Lockart, a Scotchman, to Richard Scudder, Jacob Reeder, John Burroughs, Cornelius Anderson, Ebenezer Prout, John Silerons [or Siferons, Daniel Howell, Severance, Severns], John Deane, Simon Sacket, John Davis, George Farley. Jonathan Davis, Caleb Farley, Enoch Anderson, William Reed, William Osborne, Joseph Sacket.