John Stockton (1701 - 1758)

Born 8 Aug 1701 in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 20 May 1758 at age 56 in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey

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Biography

John Stockton was born on 08 August 1701 in Piscataway Township (now Princeton), Mercer County, New Jersey and was the son of Susanna (Witham) and Richard "The Builder" Stockton

John served as presiding judge of the Court of Common Pleas for many years. He was a major contributor to the property which became Princeton University.

He married his cousin Abigail Phillips (the daughter of his aunt Hannah and Uncle Philip). They had four sons and four daughters.

Their eldest son Richard "The Signer" Stockton (1730-1781) signed the Declaration of Independence. In 1754, Richard built the home, known as ‘Morven’, on the Stockton family estate. His wife Annis Boudinot chose the name ‘Morven’ after the ancient Scottish King Fingal’s home.

John Stockton died on 20 May 1758 and was buried at the Stony Brook Quaker Meeting House Burial Ground in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA. ^[1]

Obituary

"Prince-Town, (New-Jersey) May 23. Saturday last, after a painful illness, departed this Life, John Stockton, Esq; of this Place, in the 57th year of his Age. As his Life has been so generally useful, his Death apparently diffuses a universal Sorrow. For about twenty-five years past, he has, with great Acceptance, executed the Office of a Magistrate, and about half the Time, that of a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas: His Judiciousness, Moderation, and Integrity, in his various Decisions as a Magistrate, rendered him peculiarly dear to the Place and Country in which he lived; where his Merit acquired him a great Influence. As his Situation in Life made it unnecessary for him to regard lucrative Motives, in the Discharge of his public Offices, so his unaffected and steady Piety to God, and universal benevolence to Mankind made him indefatigable in his Endeavors to compose Differences, promote Peace and Harmony, suppress Immorality, and encourage Virtue and true Religion. In the social Duties of Life, he distinguished himself as a tender Husband, an affectionate Father, a kind Master, and a faithful Friend: His last Sickness he supported with great Patience and Composure, and received the Evidences of his approaching Dissolution, with that Magnanimity which true Religion inspires. It pleased God to give him strong Confidence in the Truth of the Gospel, and the Merits of his Lord and Saviour; and when he found his "Flesh and his Heart to fail," he doubted not, and has left his Acquaintances not the least Room to doubt, but that "God was the Strength of his Heart and his Portion for ever." ^[2]

Father's Will

Will of Richard Stockton, of Middlesex County, New Jersey; 1709 4th m. (June) 25th; which mentioned ...

- wife Susanna

- mother Abigall Stockton

- children Richard, Samuel, Joseph, Robert, John, Thomas

- brother Philip Philips.

- Personal property (negro slaves)

- Land ...

- 300 acres betw. John Horner & Henry Greenland

- 300 a. at the rear of John Horner

- 600 a. on the other side of Stoney Brook

- 200 a. adjoining the meadow betw. Benj. Randell & William Holding

- 1000 a. part of it the home farm

- 400 a. at Ananicke, inherited from the father

- 150 a. more undescribed.

Executrix: wife

Trustees: John Stockton, Samuel Wilson, Benjamin Clarke

Witnesses: Thomas Lescitor, Jane Stoughton, Henry Mashon, Joseph Worth, John Killey, Benjamin Clarke.

Proved: 15 Aug 1709 [Lib#1; p242].

Research Notes

Morven - “Home to one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and to five New Jersey governors, Morven has played a role in the history of New Jersey and the nation for more than 250 years.

Morven was built by Richard Stockton (1730–1781), a signer of the Declaration of Independence, in the 1750s on property granted to his grandfather by William Penn (1644–1718) in 1701. Of course, European settlers were not the first to call this land home. Native Americans lived in the Mid-Atlantic region for more than 12,000 years. Archaeology at Morven has uncovered evidence of Lenni-Lenape tool-making on its five acres.

After a fire in 1758, the home was rebuilt and christened Morven, (“big hill” in Gaelic) by Richard’s wife Annis Boudinot Stockton (1736–1801). Richard was a graduate of the first class of The College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and became a prominent lawyer. In 1776 he was one of five New Jersey delegates appointed to the Continental Congress where he signed the Declaration of Independence. The British ransacked Morven later that year, capturing and imprisoning Stockton. He was released in January 1777. Annis is one of America’s earliest published female poets, immortalizing heroes of the Revolution such as George Washington, who called her “the elegant Muse of Morven.”

As wealthy lawyers, the first two generations of Stocktons at Morven owned enslaved men, women, and children. Records indicate that by the time the third generation of Stocktons took ownership of Morven in 1840, enslaved people no longer lived on the property. At first, they were replaced by free African Americans, and then eventually by immigrants from Ireland and Germany. Servants worked at Morven well into the twentieth century.

Four more generations of Stocktons resided at Morven through the early 20th century before the property was leased to General Robert Wood Johnson, Chairman of Johnson & Johnson from 1928to 1944. He was followed by five New Jersey governors when Morven served as the state’s first Governor’s Mansion (1945–1981).” Morven Museum and Garden ……………

Wikipedia

“In 1701, Richard Stockton was granted 5,500-acre (2,200 ha) by William Penn which included the land where Morven now stands. In the 1750s, his grandson, also named Richard Stockton, had 150 acres (61 ha) on which he built the house that his wife Annis Boudinot Stockton named "Morven", after a mythical Gaelic kingdom in Ireland.

Commodore Robert Stockton (1795–1866) later lived in the house that was built on the property. Robert Wood Johnson II, chairman of the company Johnson & Johnson, leased the home after Bayard Stockton died during 1932.[4]

The house remained in Stockton family ownership until 1944, with it was purchased by New Jersey Governor Walter E. Edge. The sale was subject to the condition that Morven would be given to the state of New Jersey within two years of Edge's death.[5] Edge transferred ownership of Morven to the state during 1954, several years before he died.[6]”

Owners of Morven ...

1758-1781 "The Signer" Richard Stockton (1730–1781)

1781-1828 "The Duke" Richard Stockton (1764-1828)

1828-1866 Commodore Robert Field Stockton (1795–1866)

1866 ... Major Samuel Witham Stockton (1834-1899)

1944-1954 Walter E. Edge

1954-1981 Governor's Mansion

1982-currently - Museum.

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #107396259 for John Stockton, b: 10 Aug 1701; d: 20 May 1758; buried: Stony Brook Quaker Meeting House Burial Ground, Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA
2. ↑ Obituary published in "New York Mercury" newspaper on 05 June 1758

• Cregar, William Francis. The Stockton family in England and the United States; Philadelphia : Patterson & White, 1888. p96 on Internet Archive

• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications 1889-1970 compiled by National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution of Louisville, Kentucky; on ancestry.com citing APID#1,2204::0

• "American Ancestors of Edgar Scudder Cook and his wife Josephine Bailey; for John Stockton

• https://www.morven.org/about

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morven_(Princeton,_New_Jersey) with footnotes ...

[4] "Edge Buys Historic Mansion at Princeton; Governor Will Later Give it to New Jersey" published in "New York Times" on 11 Nov 1944; p15

[5] Edge, Water Evans, "A Jerseyman's Journal", Princeton University Press 1948

[6] "Jersey Acquires Estate of Edge" published in "New York Times" on 28 Jan 1954; p29

[7] Nieto-Munoz, Sophie (2021/Jan/03) "Former N.J. First Lady Debby Kean dies at 76"; NJ.com

[8] "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Morven"; National Park Service; with photos.