Ann (Skuce) Adamson (abt. 1695 - abt. 1733)

Wife of John Adamson — married 1716 in Newton, (later Haddonfield) Monthly Meeting, Gloucester, New Jersey

Descendants

Died about 24 Jul 1733 at about age 38 in Springfield, Gwynedd MM, Bucks, Colony of Pennsylvania

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jack Wise [send private message]

Biography

John and Ann declared their intention to marry at the Newton Monthly Meeting of Friends in West Collingswood, Gloucester County (now Camden) New Jersey. Newton Meeting became Haddonfield Meeting in 1721. 20 APR 1716 – John Adamson and Ann Skuse Announced Intention of Marriage The earliest extant documentation from the New World that references John comes from the Newton Monthly Meeting Minutes dated the 9th day [20] of the 2nd month [April], 1716. At a monthly meeting held at Thomas Shackle’s house, John and wife-to-be, Ann Skuse, presented their intentions of marriage with each other. Thomas Stokes and Thomas Troth were appointed by the meeting to make inquiries regarding the couple’s good standing (Haddonfield Monthly Meeting Minutes: 1710-1731, p. 35). 25 MAY 1716 – John Adamson and Ann Skuse Confirmed Intention of Marriage At a monthly meeting held at Newton, the 14th day [25] of the 3rd month [May], 1716, John Adamson and Ann Skuse, the second time, presented their intentions of marriage with each other. When inquiries were made concerning their clearance, nothing stood against them, so the meeting consented to their marriage. Thomas Stokes and Samuel Lippincott were appointed by the meeting to attend their wedding (Haddonfield Monthly Meeting Minutes: 1710-1731, p. 36) Some marriage certificates for the Newton Quakers still exist, but apparently John and Ann’s certificate was not preserved as there is no trace of it among the Newton meeting archives. Even though their exact marriage date is unknown, it is known that Quaker marriages generally took place during the meeting for worship and within two months following the announcement of intent. Therefore, it is likely that John and Ann were wed around the 5th month [July], 1716.

A record of John and Ann’s confirmed intention of marriage was also recorded in the Haddonfield Monthly Meeting Women’s Minutes. Recorded the same day, the 14th day [25] of the 3rd month [May], 1716, John Adamson and Ann Skuse signified their continued intentions of marriage. When inquiries were made concerning their clearance, nothing stood against them, so the meeting consented to their marriage. Mary Haines and Elizabeth Braddock were appointed by the meeting to attend their wedding. Unlike the Men’s Minutes, the Women’s Minutes spelled Ann’s surname Skuce instead of Skuse (Haddonfield Monthly Meeting Women’s Minutes: 1705-1769, p. 22).

I was at the Friends History Center at Swathmore College about two weeks ago. There was no record of John Adamson in the archives until he and Ann Skuse declared their intent to marry Feb 1715 at Haddonfield Monthly Meeting, although it seems possible they might have been at the New Town (Newton) MM or Chesterfield MM before Haddonfield. All three were Gloucester County; Haddonfield later Camden County when Gloucester County split.

Also listed is "got license to marry at Haddonfield MM on March 14, 1716".

The discrepancy in years is common in these old records--I think it has to do with the calendar changes and/or subsequent copying.

Know nothing about his parents or siblings and there are no records of them at Swathmore. There are records of Adamsons in MMs in England prior to 1700 in the Swathmore archive. John got certificate of transfer to Gwynedd MM, Upper Gwynedd Twp, Bucks County, PA, on Jan 14, 1725, as there was no MM at Richland Twp, Quakertown borough, where they settled at the Great Swamp, until 1742. John is found there in histories of early Bucks County.

Contributed by : Harry Egan Adamson on July 21, 2000

Death

The Gwynedd Meeting reported Ann Adamson, dead 7 mo, 25th day, 1733, leaving a nursing infant (Simon). [The date said to have been converted to the Gregorian (todays) calendar - I have not seen this record, but the 7th month in 1733 would have been the month of September.] Others report her death as 6 Oct 1733, which is the conversion. After her death, the Swamp Friends of the Gwyned MM donated 40sh to provide a wet nurse for Simon.

Research Notes

Ann is often reported as the daughter of a Swedish family from Delaware. This seems extremely doubtful to me, for various reasons - religious differences and the location being primary. The biggest problem of the Swedish Ann Skew marrying the Quaker John Adamson, is that she would have likely been Lutheran. There is also the problem of getting the couple in the same location to meet and marry. The researcher that reported the above information, later posted a retraction. (See at end of research notes)

Ann Skute was granddaughter of the military administrator of New Sweden in the Delaware Valley, Sven Skute, who arrived in 1643. Anns' father was Johan Svensson Skute(1654-1722) and her mother was Armegot Martensdotter Garretsson(1664-1755!). Sven Skute and family are well documented and easily found in records of the American Swedish Historical Museum here in Philly. In fact, his grant from the Queen of Sweden encompassed what is now all of South Philadelphia, from river to river, and the original document is held by the Pennsylvania Historical Society here. Ann died at or soon after the birth of Simon in 1733 and money was raised at GMM for a wet nurse. Ann's name is variously listed as Skew, Shew, Chew, Shoe, even Skull, but the curators at the Swedish museum are satisfied that it is Skute, even tho Queen Christinas' charter says "Sven Schutte." The story of New Sweden, Nya Sverige, 1638-1655, is most interesting. Sven is mentioned in all the histories I have seen about New Sweden, since he was involved until his death in every military, economic and political decision in New Sweden and its' successor colony under the Dutch.

Harry Adamson Retraction Letter

Posted By: Harry Adamson Jr Subject: John Adamson & Ann Skew Post Date: May 12, 2004 at 15:18:20 Message URL: http://genforum.genealogy.com/adamson/messages/870.html Forum: Adamson Family Genealogy Forum Forum URL: http://genforum.genealogy.com/adamson/ Dear Friends, I want to withdraw some previous findings I reported which I cannot further authenticate. I regret if it causes inconvenience to Adamson researchers, and I apologize for it. Some time ago, I reported that Ann Skew/Shew/etc was part of a Swedish family who were early settlers along the Delaware River, inhabiting what is now Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The name is variously seen as Skew/Shew/Shue/Skute/Shute/etc. There is much documentation for this family, especially at the Swedish museum here, and there are many extant gravesites in the Philadelphia area dating from the 1600s. Because of my beginner's enthusiasm, I latched on to this Swedish Ann Skew as the wife of John Adamson, married at the Newton Meeting in (then) Gloucester County NJ about 1715. Two experienced Adamsons, Evelyn of Nebraska and Jerry of Kansas, convinced me I jumped the gun on this, and have patiently guided me into deeper research. The Skews were operating a trading post in or very near the Newton Colony and I assumjed their daughter to be the Ann I was looking for, based mostly on the convenience of location. I did not consider the religious implications of a Lutheran-Quaker marriage in 1715, among other things. There is another Adamson, a "Jeames" listed in the 1680s on a grand jury in Gloucester County, but I can otherwise find no Adamson info for that time or placae. A trip to the state archives in Trenton is necessary, as I have exhausted all the local NJ and PA sources. I am now considering that "Skew" was a mistake by the meeting clerk, perhaps an entry made during a hectic meeting, or made some time after the marriage itself, which was part or similar to another name, for instance "Askew." For those of you who relied on my misguided assumptions, I am sorry for your inconvenience. I will post any new findings from Trenton, hopefully sometime over the summer after I visit the archives.

• Fact: Ann Skute Myth Go to http://adamsonancestry.com/ and search at the top for the link to "Ann Skute Myth"
• Fact: PLEASE NOTE Ann's John was NOT John Baldwin Adamson - he was NOT related to Basil Adamson in anyway. Y-DNA has proved these are very different families.
• Fact: Surname unproved Skew/Skuce, Skute, etc. are various spellings found. It has been proved she is NOT the child of a Swedish John Skuce/Skute from Delaware to which she has been attached. There is a discrepancy in location and religion. Please read source below.
• Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch Please Note: Ann Skuse / Skuce is not the same Ann as was mis-reported on genforum.generalogy.com on 20 November 1998 by Ruth Adkinson and again on 21 July 2000 by Harry Eagan Adamson Jr.

They purported that this Ann was daughter of Johan Skute and Armegot Garretsson. The Skute family is of Swedish Lutheran belief, and no daughter would have been involved in Quaker activitiesm, nor would she be likely to marry a Quaker man as was John Adamson. Swedish Records of the Gloria Dei Church shows the Johan Skute Family in 1698. There is no evidence that Johan Skute even had a daughter named Ann. This second posting was withdrawn on Gen Forum on 12 May 2004 and on the Rootsweb Mail list on 3 April 2004 by Harry Eagan Adamson Jr. Several researchers have accepted the first posting as their lineage and without any other proof and either missed or ignored the redaction. If you have any tangible proof regarding the parents of Ann Skuse / Skuce many descendants would appreciate hearing from you. http://www.adamsonancestry.com/research/b19.htm#P19

• Fact: Date of Death Gwynned Monthly Meeting reported Ann Adamson as dead on the 7th month, 25th day, 1733. In the old style Quaker dating then in effect, the 7th month was September.

Sources

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 25 January 2022, 22:45), entry for Ann Skuse (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:L87Y-P1N ); contributed by various users.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #125169501
• "New Jersey Marriages, 1678-1985", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-S6NK : 20 January 2020), Ann Skew in entry for John Adamson, 1716.
• "Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Births and Baptisms, 1520-1999", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6CTY-88MC : 11 January 2021), Ann Adamson in entry for Thomas Adamson, 1717.
• "Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Births and Baptisms, 1520-1999", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6CTY-ZJYT : 11 January 2021), Ann Adamson in entry for Ann Adamson, 1728.
• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~katy/adamson/index.html
• U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994
• Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Note: This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files.

Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Skute-1 created through the import of Hummel_Goerl_Cecil_Miller Fami(3).ged on Jun 12, 2011 by Angela Hummel.