James (Bollen) Bullen (1629 - bef. 1682)

Born 1629 in Hingham, Norfolk, England [uncertain]

Husband of Anne Vanquellin — married 1655 in Middle Town, Middlesex, New Jersey

Descendants

Died before 27 Mar 1682 before age 53 in Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey

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Biography

James Bollen arrived with the English fleet that forced the surrender of New Amsterdam 08 Sep 1664. He held the rank of Captain, which suggests he commanded one of the four English warships (Guinea, Elias, Martin, William and Nicholas). He was deputized to accept the surrender of New Amsterdam, whereupon Fort Amsterdam was renamed Fort James (after James Duke of York). Col Richard Nicolls appointed him, ‘Commissary of the Ammunition,’ at New York. ^[1] James remained in New York City until Aug 1665, when Governor Philip Cartaret arrived and appointed him Secretary of the Province of New Jersey. Governor Carteret had stopped off in Virginia on his voyage to New York, where he wrote to Governor John Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Colony: “Newporte newes, Virginia, 13° Junii 1665…Sir—-If you please to doe me the favour to let mee Heare from you direct your Letter to Cap* James Bullaigne in New Yorke (sic)”. (History Elizabeth, New Jersey pp 49, 50). ^[2]

James Bollen initially settled in Elizabeth Town but, “Becoming exceedingly obnoxious to the town, by his readiness to do all the Governor's bidding in opposition to the people, he exchanged properties, Sep. 30, 1673, with John Martin, of Woodbridge”. ^[3] Hatfield claims Philip Carteret’s governorship was doomed because of his, “putting in office, and persistently retaining when notoriously rejected and despised for their sycophancy such parasites as Bollen, Vauquellin, and Pardon.” ^{[4] [5]}

Monette ^[6] claims he may have married Anne Vanquellin, apparently because he witnessed her father’s will (Robert Vauquellin). On 22 Sep 1668 he signed, “James Bollen, Secretary and of the Councill”, on Governor Philip Carteret’s charter to found the Town of Bergen; ^[7] and the following year Robert Vanquellin and James Bollen laid claim to adjacent properties in what in 1675 would become Bergen County. ^[8] However, such mundane connections hardly bespeak marriage. “He was appointed Justice of the Peace, Jan. 20, 1666 and, as such, officiated in almost every instance in the marriage-services of the period.” ^[9] Had he himself married he would surely have logged a record of it.

If James Bollen’s daughter, Mary, was born in England in 1655; and if his son, James Jr, was born in New York in Feb 1665; it follows that he was already married at least ten years, and that his wife was two months pregnant at the time they disembarked in New York.

He was the father of Mary, born 1655 in England; she married Peter Stout, son of Richard and Penelope Stout about 1670. ^[10] His daughter, Ann, born 1665 in New Jersey married Jonathan Stout in 1685; also a son of Richard and Penelope Stout. Allegedly, his son, George, born 1667, went to sea as a pirate; first mate to the notorious Captain William Kidd on the ship Adventure from which they famously took the ship Queddagh Merchant out of Surat in the Arabian Sea. ☠ Captain Kidd was brutally executed for it; ^[11] George captained the Queddagh Merchant to Madagascar where its cargo was sold and then vanished. I picture him living out his days in some exotic, remote port with a pirate chest full of loot.💰^{[12] [13]}

He died before 27 Mar 1682 (the date his estate was inventoried). “His personal effects were sold, among the purchasers being an Ann Bollen, presumably the widow”. (Why ever would a widow have to purchase items out of her husband’s estate?) ^[14]

10 May 1683 James and Anna, children of James Bollen late of Woodbridge, New Jersey; Secretary of the Province who died intestate, selected Samuel Moore and Nathaniel Fitzrandolph, both of Woodbridge, as their guardians. 12 May 1683 Letters admin granted to Samuel Moore and Nathaniel Fitzrandolph on the estate of James Bollen. ^[15]

Sources

1. ↑ Hatfield, Edwin Francis • “History of Elizabeth New Jersey” : Carlton & Lanahan, New York 1868 p 109 https://archive.org/details/historyofelizabeth00hatf/page/109/mode/1up?view=theater
2. ↑ Holman, Winifred Lovering • “Ancestors and Descendants of Philip Bullen” : Rumford Press, Concord, New Hampshire 1930 p 139 https://archive.org/details/ancestorsdescend00holm/page/294/mode/1up?view=theater
3. ↑ Hatfield, Edwin Francis • “History of Elizabeth New Jersey : Carlton & Lanahan, New York 1868 pp 43, 108, 213 https://archive.org/details/historyofelizabeth00hatf/page/108/mode/1up?view=theater
4. ↑ Hatfield, Edwin Francis • “History of Elizabeth New Jersey” : Carlton & Lanahan, New York 1868 p 213 https://archive.org/details/historyofelizabeth00hatf/page/213/mode/1up?view=theater
5. ↑ Honeyman, Abraham Van Doren • “History of Union County, New Jersey 1623-1923” : Lewis Historical Publishing Company New York and Chicago 1923 Vol I p 37 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uva.x000329055&view=1up&seq=57
6. ↑ Monette, Orra Eugene • “First Settlers of ye Plantations of Piscataway and Woodbridge, Olde East New Jersey 1664-1714” : Leroy Carman Press, Los Angeles 1933 part V p 794 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uva.x000448176&view=1up&seq=164
7. ↑ Winfield, Charles Hardenburg • “History of the County of Hudson, New Jersey” : Kennard & Hay, New York 1874 pp 105-112 https://archive.org/details/historyofcountyo02winf/page/112/mode/1up?view=theater
8. ↑ Nelson, William • “Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey 1664-1703” : Press Printing and Publishing Company, Paterson 1880 Vol XXI pp 1, 8, 19, 45 https://archive.org/details/documentsrelatin21newjuoft/page/8/mode/1up?view=theater
9. ↑ Hatfield, Edwin Francis • “History of Elizabeth New Jersey” : Carlton & Lanahan, New York 1868 p 109 https://archive.org/details/historyofelizabeth00hatf/page/109/mode/1up?view=theater
10. ↑ Stout, Wayne D • “Hosea Stout, Utah's Pioneer Statesman” : Self published, Salt Lake City 1953 pp 5-6 https://archive.org/stream/HoseaStoutUtahsPioneerStatesman#page/n11/mode/1up
11. ↑ Pirate of Pearl Street https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2017/05/pirate-pearl-street-true-new-york-adventures-captain-kidd.html
12. ↑ ‘James of New Jersey and His Pirate Son, George,’ by Duane Boggs https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/bollen/17/
13. ↑ Pomfret, John Edwin • “Province of West New Jersey 1609-1702” : Octagon Books, New York 1976 pp 202-204 (limited preview) https://archive.org/details/provinceofwestne0000pomf/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater
14. ↑ Holman, Winifred Lovering • “Ancestors and Descendants of Philip Bullen” : Rumford Press, Concord, New Hampshire 1930 p 139 https://archive.org/details/ancestorsdescend00holm/page/294/mode/1up?view=theater
15. ↑ Nelson, William • “Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey 1664-1703” : Press Printing and Publishing Company, Paterson 1880 Vol XXI p 54 https://archive.org/details/documentsrelatin21newjuoft/page/54/mode/1up?view=theater

Acknowledgments

• Garlack, Betty Harrell “Stouts, Bollens, Throckmortons, Ashtons and Higgins” self published, Cupertino 2014 pp 44-52 • https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/776964/?offset=0#page=50&viewer=picture&o=info&n=0&q=
• WikiTree profile Bollen-19 created through the import of ross20genancestors-children6-22-2011.ged on 22 Jun 2011 by Lamar Ross. A detailed bio
• This person was created through the import of Weaver.ged on 03 Jan 2011.
• This person was created through the import of Reba Family Tree_2011-03-12.ged on 13 Mar 2011.
• This person was created through the import of Smith-Hunter.ged on 10 Mar 2011.
• This person was created through the import of grant2.ged on 07 Feb 2011.