John Woolley (abt. 1659 - abt. 1743)

Born about 1 Oct 1659 in Newport, Rhode Island

Ancestors

Husband of Mercy (Potter) Wooley — married 1683 in Monmouth County, Province of East Jersey

Descendants

Died about 30 May 1743 at about age 83 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth, Province of New Jersey

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Biography

John was a Friend (Quaker)

John Woolley was born 8th month 1659 [October 1659 n.s.], the son of Emmanuel and Elizabeth Woolley of Newport, Rhode Island.^[1]

The date of birth of October, 1659, found in the Family Search source and Find A Grave Memorial, appears to be correct; however, the FAG Biography text contains an erroneous birth date of August 28, 1656. Find A Grave is a valuable source, but you cannot assume that all information on Find A Grave is correct. The picture of the gravestone posted on this WikiTree profile, and which was uploaded from Find A Grave, cannot be considered a reliable source, as it only lists John Woolley as being the son of Emmanuel and Elizabeth, with no vital dates.

His father Emmanuel Woolley was born in England, and immigrated to and resided in Newport, Rhode Island.^[2]

From Salter's History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties 1890:

Emanuel Woolley is the first of this name mentioned in Freehold records. He was among the number who paid for and was awarded a share of land in Monmouth, 1667. He belonged to Newport, R. I., where he was freeman, 1655. He did not settle in Monmouth, and as some of his children came to the county it is presumed his share of land came into their possession. The sons Edward, William and John, are supposed to be the persons of these names who subsequently married in Monmouth.

Circa 1682 -- John Wooley moved from Newport, Rhode Island Colony to Monmouth County, Province of East Jersey (now New Jersey). ^[3]

After 1682 John Woolley settled at Freehold Township, Monmouth County, Province of East Jersey (now New Jersey).

In 1683 John Woolley and Mercy or Mary Potter married at Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, Province of East Jersey (now New Jersey).

Mercy or Mary Potter was a daughter of Thomas and Ann Potter.

Children

Between 1684 and 1702, John and Mercy Potter Woolley had 11 children: five daughters (Ruth, Elizabeth, Leah, Elizabeth, and Ann Mary) and six sons (Thomas, William, John, Joseph, Benjamin, and James). All were born at Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, Province of East Jersey (now New Jersey).

1. Thomas Wooley born 1684; m. Patience Tucker.
2. Ruth Wooley-295 born on July 22, 1687; d. September 14, 1687, at Shrewsbury
3. William Woolley born on August 17, 16XX ; m. Ruth Lippincott.
4. John Woolley born on December 31, 1690; m. Patience Lippit.
5. Joseph Woolley born on December 31, 1690; d. February 1, 1705, at Shrewsbury.
6. Benjamin Woolley born on February 25, 1692
7. James Woolley born on August 6, 1695; d. February 17, 1716/7, at New York.
8. Elizabeth Woolley born on April 23, 1697; d/y October 1699 at Shrewsbury.
9. Leah Woolley born on February 15, 1698; m. John Mattock (sic ?) Denn, son of James and Elizabeth (Maddox) Denn of Salem County, at her father's house at Shrewsbury on March 5, 1723/4, as his second wife.
10. Elizabeth Woolley born on February 17, 1700; m. Benjamin Field at Flushing, Long Island
11. Ann Mary Woolley (confusion with her first name, variations cited) born on December 3, 1702; m. John Allen (b. 4-1-1697) certified on 5-6-1723

On August 12, 1730, widower John Wooley and Rachel Clark married at ??.

John Wooley died about 1743, and his will was proved on 30 May 1743.

October 2, 1732, Will of John Woolley, of Shrewsbury, yeoman, "being ancient and indisposed," proved May 30, 1743, mentioned: wife Rachel; sons, Thomas, William, John, and Benjamin Woolley, Thomas being the eldest; daughter, Leah Den; daughter, Elizabeth, the wife of John Field; daughter Ann Mercy Allen.

Possible Burial Location

He was possibly buried at the Friends Meeting House Burial Ground in Shrewsbury, Monmouth, New Jersey. Note: There is a gravestone photo on Find A Grave.^[4]According to John Edwin Stillwell, there is no evidence that John, his wife Mercy, his son John and his wife, or his grandson, Benjamin and his wife, were buried at the Friends Meeting House Burial Ground. Apparently, a Wooley descendent placed the gravestones later and they may contain some errors.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS3T-6V3P?i=27&cc=1935767; Image 28 of 146; Film/Digital Note: Records of births, marriages, and deaths of the Friends Meeting at Newport, R.I
2. ↑ Stillwell, John Edwin, Historical and Genealogical Miscellany, Data Relating to the Settlement and Settlers of New York and New Jersey New York (1932), Volume 5 viewer=1&offset=0#page=431&viewer=picture&o=info&n=0&q= pp429-431,445
3. ↑ Edward Mayes. Genealogy of the Family of Longstreet Completed. Circa 1935. Privately published. Clark T. Thornton, editor. Reprinted 2009. Page 40.
4. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 10 June 2020), memorial page for John Woolley, Find A Grave: Memorial #134285705, citing Friends Meeting House Burial Ground, Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA ; Maintained by okiegal03 (contributor 46922048)

See also:

• Ancestry.com. Rhode Island, U.S., Vital Extracts, 1636-1899 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Arnold, James Newell. Rhode Island Vital Extracts, 1636–1850. 21 volumes. Providence, R.I.: Narragansett Historical Publishing Company, 1891–1912. Digitized images from New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts., Vol 7, pp. 82-83 Accessed on ancestry.com, November 2020.

• https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/204940:3897?indiv=1&ssrc=pt&tid=112125382&pid=222065234689&usePUB=true (requires subscription).

• View free Ancestry Sharing Image.

• Stillwell, John Edwin, Historical and Genealogical Miscellany, Data Relating to the Settlement and Settlers of New York and New Jersey New York (1932), Volume 5 viewer=1&offset=0#page=431&viewer=picture&o=info&n=0&q= pp429-431,445

• Edward Mayes. Genealogy of the Family of Longstreet Completed. Circa 1935. Privately published. Clark T. Thornton, editor. Reprinted 2009. Page 40.

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 10 June 2020), memorial page for John Woolley, Find A Grave: Memorial #134285705, citing Friends Meeting House Burial Ground, Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA ; Maintained by okiegal03 (contributor 46922048)

• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS3T-6V3P?i=27&cc=1935767; Image 28 of 146; Film/Digital Note: Records of births, marriages, and deaths of the Friends Meeting at Newport, R.I

• Franklin Ellis. History of Monmouth County, New Jersey, p 793. R.T. Peck & Co., Philadelphia, 1885.

• A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties by Edwin Salter, 1890