| Maria (Stillwell) Britton was a New Netherland settler. Join: New Netherland Settlers Project Discuss: new_netherland |
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According to a Wikitree contributor Maria is presumed to have been born of an early English father under Dutch rule in Gravesend on western Long Island. Gravesend is now a neighborhood in south-central Brooklyn, along the shore of Gravesend Bay and Coney Island. In 1609 Henry Hudson landed his ship the Half Moon there at the island known by the natives as Narrioch (Coney Island). In 1643 Gravesend became one of the original towns founded in the Dutch colony of New Netherland when Governor Willem Kieft granted a land patent to the Anabaptist Lady Deborah Moody, as a site where that English sect could settle free from religious persecution. Clashes with the natives delayed the town for two more years, until December 19, 1645.
According to Leng and Davis, "William Britton appears to have married Mary, the daughter of Nicholas Stillwell of Gravesend, for on September 26, 1663, he is described as a son-in-law."[1] It follows that if Stillwell claims Mary's husband William as his son in law, then this Mary's father is Nicholas Stillwell Jr and her mother is his wife, Ann (Van Dyke) Stillwell. The Stillwells had been disconnected from this profile in November 2014 so they could be connected instead to the completely unsourced profile of Adam Mott's wife Mary. As of February 2016, despite cited source material added to Mary/Maria (Stillwell) Britton's profile and the complete absence of such material for Mary Mott, the Stillwells remain connected to Mary Mott as her alleged parents.
Maria Stillwell was born about 1645.[2] She and William Britton married prior to 26 September, 1663 as on that date Nicholas Stillwell described William as a son-in-law.[2][3]
Both the Brittons and Stillwells had lived in Gravesend at one time. This settlement had been granted a charter specifically to create a place for Englishmen to practice religious freedom. Its founder, Lady Deborah Moody, was a strong Anabaptist, a group that rejected infant baptisms as invalid.[4][5][6]
On 14 July 1678 , when she was 33, on Maria received adult baptism in the Reformed Dutch Church in Flatbush along with her children with William Britton: William, Nathaniel, Richard, Joseph, Benjamin, John and Daniel. The baptismal record, a digitized copy of which is attached to this profile, reads as follows:
"Wm Britton of S.I. Maria his wife + of children vis Willem (a. 15), Nathanael(13), Richard (11) Joseph (9) Benj. (7) Jan (5) Daniel (1 1/2 yrs) "[7]
The family returned to the Flatbush Church after the birth of the youngest son, Nicholas and held his baptism in the same Dutch Church.[8]
From Richmond County Records there are shown transactions in which she was involved.
It is not certain whether William's name is included in the baptismal record solely to establish his marriage and legitimate paternity of his children or because he also was baptised at the same time. No similar baptismal record in New York has yet been found for William's brother Nathaniel. Both brothers, being raised as Anglicans, were presumably baptised in England as infants as is the practice of that denomination. Michele Britton Camera has raised questions that require further research. Did William embrace the Anabaptist theology rejecting his first baptism as invalid? Was he baptised again 14 July 1678 along with his wife and children? If he had acted against his initiation sacrament, it is reasonable to speculate that the re-baptism was a part or the total reason for a rift with his father. Brother Nathaniel was included in his father's will. Did he embrace a denomination more palatable to their father? If so, which one? Did Nathaniel influence the Britton family's decision to join the Presbyterian church after they moved from Staten Island to New Jersey?
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Maria is 21 degrees from Herbert Adair, 17 degrees from Richard Adams, 16 degrees from Mel Blanc, 22 degrees from Dick Bruna, 19 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 32 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 17 degrees from Sam Edwards, 16 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 17 degrees from Marty Krofft, 12 degrees from Junius Matthews, 14 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 16 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
S > Stillwell | B > Britton > Maria (Stillwell) Britton
Categories: Gravesend, New Netherland | New Netherland Settlers | New Netherland Project-Managed | New Netherland Settlers Project Needs Church Records
"After a careful study of all of the above statements, we believe perhaps a more lucid version would be that Mary (daughter of Captain Richard Stillwell), married first, Nathaniel Britain, son of William, the immigrant and his wife Maria....... After the death of Nathaniel, Mary married second, Valentine Dushan who was a widower; and after his death (?) She married 3rd about 1716, Lambert Garrison, also a widower with several children Garrison died about 1725, and Mary was living with her only son, Nathaniel Britain at the date of his will 1754, in Philadelphia County Pennsylvania" Bailey, T. H. Bailey-Britton History and Genealogy. Kingsport, TN: Publisher Not Identified, 1962. http://haygenealogy.com/hay/howsmon-britton-frost/britton/brittonbook1962/index.html
"There are several conflicting statements or versions, by at least four genealogists in regard to the Britain Stillwell families." and concludes with...
http://haygenealogy.com/hay/sources/
Maria is probably descended from somewhere on this following line, but it is not clear where she would logically fit in the tree
http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stillwell-18