John Good Clevenger (1678 - abt. 1746)

Born 27 Apr 1678 in Younkers Plantation, Westchester, New York

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Platt) Clevenger — married 1704 in Burlington, New Jersey

Descendants

Died about 1746 at about age 67 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth, New Jersey

Problems/Questions Profile managers: William Brown [send private message], Vince Hall [send private message], and Johnie Dudley [send private message]

Biography

John Good Clevenger ^[1]was born 27 April 1678 in Yonkers, Westchester County, NY^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]}

His father died in 1684, age 30, in Westchester, New York. His mother died in 1691. Thus, John Good Clevenger was orphaned at age 13.

1698 census lists him as working as a servant on the farm of his Haden grandparents in Westchester County, New York. [John] appeared in a 1698 census of West Chester Town, NY, when he was listed as "sarvant" in the household of John Headen, his grandfather (18 NY G&B Rec. 129). After 1698 there is no mention of John Clevenger. By 1699, a John Clevenger appears on the tax records in New Jersey. It seems to be a unanimous assumption by those of us pursuing this family that it is the same John Clevenger from New York who was in New Jersey from 1699 for some years. The assumption seems reasonable in view of the disappearance of John from New records and the prompt appearance of a John Clevenger in New Jersey records. ^[8] He acquired farmland in New Jersey^[9]

31 Aug 1699: John Clevenger appears in records of Monmouth, New Jersey in the case of Anthony Bagley vs John Clevenger.

MONNETTE names John CLEVENGER as a first settler of Piscataway, Middlesex, NJ before 1714 ^[10].

Soon after arriving in New Jersey, John Clevenger found himself embroiled in a violent land dispute between farmers like himself, holding title to land under Indian purchases, and a group of wealthy Proprietors, mostly Scottish aristocrats, who claimed the right to collect substantial quitrents from farmers.^[11]

Nov 1700: John Clevenger is among the 150-plus signers of a petition to the King. The farmers cited all of their grievances against the Proprietors and humbly requested that the King appoint a competent, fair Governor to replace the Proprietary one, in order to adjudicate their grievances. However, instead of relief the farmers received a withering reply from the Proprietors’ agent, William Dockwra, in which he described them as “a few factions and mutinous people” and deferred their complaint for seven years “after the offence (if it be one).”^[12] The petition and response led directly to an incident known as the Monmouth Insurrection in March 1701.

6 Mar 1713-14. John Clevenger witnessed the will of Lowrie Thomas.^[13]

9 April 1716. John Clevenger is mentioned in the will of the John Bowne, a wealthy New Jersey merchant and landowner. He is listed as owing a mortgage to Bowne's estate^[13]

10 Jan 1757: the will of Barzillai NEWBOLD of Mansfield, Burlington, NJ mentioned land in New Hanover, Burlington, NJ "whereon John CLEVENGER now dwells".

Marriage: 1704 to Mary (Margaret) Unknown in Burlington, New Jersey. ^[14]They had the following children:

1. Mary Clevenger (1706-1800) m Thomas Hankins in 1728
2. Hannah Clevenger (1709-1800) m William Duckworth in 1731
3. Samuel Clevenger (1710-1803) [open profile]
4. Catherine Clevenger (1711-1800) m Charles Miller (1710-1795)
5. George Clevenger (1714- ) m Deliverance Horner 19 July 1737
6. Abraham Clevenger (1717-1794) m Jane Platt on 26 July 1742
7. John Clevenger (1718-1809) m Hannah Baker on 17 Mar 1742
8. Thomas Clevenger (1722-1771) m Mary Platt in 1746
9. Margaret Clevenger (1724-1762) m Thomas Asson on 9 Feb 1746 [NOTE: on the same day, William Asson married Mary Platt]^[15]
10. William Clevenger (1726-1768) m Mercy Asson in 17 Aug 1750^[16]

He died in 1746/1750 in either Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey or Shrewsbury, Monmouth, New Jersey. ^[17]

Died: 1746 at Shrewbury, Monmouth, New Jersey^{[18][19][20][21]}

Buried: Friends Burying Ground Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA. Uncertain if there is (or was) an actual stone or a virtual Memorial, unsourced.^[22]

Research Notes

• The Yonkers Plantation was the south part of the Manor of Phillipsburg, west of the Bronx River. These lands were held by lease.

• Some secondary sources say that Mary his wife is the daughter of Isaac Platt, a wealthy landowner on Long Island, New York, but this has been disproven. Another secondary source says that Mary's family name was Crawford, but this is unsourced.

• Although the middle name of "Good" obviously derives from his mother's family name, all primary sources found so far name him as "John Clevenger". Possibly, the "Good" was added from a secondary family tree.

• John Good Clevenger. ^{[23][24][25][26][27][28]}Good Clevenger*++

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S-2097963757 Data: Text: Ancestry.com. One World Tree (sm) [database online]. Provo, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc.
2. ↑ Source: #S-2097963757 Data: Text: Ancestry.com. One World Tree (sm) [database online]. Provo, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc.
3. ↑ Source: #S-905815574
4. ↑ Source: #S-904631834
5. ↑ Source: #S-904277159 Birth year: 1678; Birth city: Yonkers Plntatn; Birth state: NY
6. ↑ Source: #S-904391116 Source number: 115.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: VAU
7. ↑ Source: #S-904277159 Birth year: 1678; Birth city: Yonker S Plantation; Birth state: NY
8. ↑ George R. Griffiths, Griffiths [1980] Clevenger Pioneers & Descendants, pp. 19-28
9. ↑ Brendan McConville, These Daring Disturbers of the Public Peace, The Struggle for Property and Power in Early New Jersey, (University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1999). This book, which began as a Reed College thesis, is an in-depth analysis of the Anti-Proprietary movement.
10. ↑ Monnette, First Settlers of Ye Plantations of Piscataway and Woodbridge, [Olde East New Jersey], 1664-1774, part 7, p1506)
11. ↑ George Griffiths, Clevenger Pioneer and Descendants, (Gateway Press Inc, Baltimore 1980, pp. 16-17.
12. ↑ Whitehead, William A. ed, Documents relating to Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, 1687-1703, NJ Archives, Series 1, Vol 2, (Daily Advertiser Printing House, 1881)
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} New Jersey Wills
14. ↑ Clevenger, Pioneers & Descendants, compiled by George R. Griffiths (1980: Baltimore, Gateway Press) pp. 16-22: essay on genealogical data concerning this individual and his surroundings
15. ↑ Documents relating to the colonial history of New Jersey, p. 15
16. ↑ New Jersey marriage records 1650-1800
17. ↑ Source: #S-2097963757 Data: Text: Ancestry.com. One World Tree (sm) [database online]. Provo, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc.
18. ↑ Source: #S-905815574
19. ↑ Source: #S-904631834
20. ↑ Source: #S-904277159 Birth year: 1678; Birth city: Yonkers Plntatn; Birth state: NY
21. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images memorial page for John Good Clevenger (27 Apr 1678–1746), Find A Grave: Memorial #240858814 citing Friends Burying Ground, Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA; Maintained by Seth Hamm (contributor 47826671) .
22. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #240858814
23. ↑ Source: #S-905815574
24. ↑ Source: #S-904631834
25. ↑ Source: #S-904277159 Birth year: 1678; Birth city: Yonkers Plntatn; Birth state: NY
26. ↑ Source: #S-904391116 Source number: 115.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: VAU
27. ↑ Source: #S-904277159 Birth year: 1678; Birth city: Yonker S Plantation; Birth state: NY
28. ↑ Source: #S-904264377

• Source: S-2097963757 Title: OneWorldTree Note: www.ancestry.com
• Source: SOUR1672 Title: Profile page Text: http://www.archives.com/member/Default.aspx?_act=PersonProfile&personId=19835153
• Source: SOUR1665 Title: Profile page Text: http://www.archives.com/member/Default.aspx?_act=PersonProfile&personId=19834604
• Source: S-904264377 Repository: #R-1274706077 Family Data Collection - Marriages Edmund West, comp. Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc
• Repository: R-1274706077 Ancestry.com
• Source: S-904391116 Repository: #R-1274706077 U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Yates Publishing Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Clevenger-66 created through the import of ancestors.ged on Aug 19, 2011 by x x.
• WikiTree profile Clevenger-132 created through the import of The Brown_s of Council Bluffs (1).ged on Sep 25, 2011 by William Brown.
• WikiTree profile Clevenger-241 created through the import of Vince2.ged on May 16, 2012 by Vince Hall.
• WikiTree profile Clevenger-248 created through the import of Vince2.ged on May 16, 2012 by Vince Hall.