John Pledger (1650 - 1694)

Born 1650 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England

Descendants

Died 1694 at about age 44 in Salem, New Jersey

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Doug Lockwood [send private message]

Biography

John was a Friend (Quaker)

John Pledger of Portsmouth in Hampshire, shipped himself aboard the ship called the Joseph and Benjamin, the masters name was Matthew Paine bound to Maryland. The said John Pledger arrived at West New Jersey the 13th day of the first month in the year 1674.

Elizabeth Pledger, the wife of John Pledger and Joseph Pledger, their son, were shopped aboard the ship called the Griffin. Robert Griffin being master, bound for Delaware River, who arrived in the said river the 23rd day of the 9th month at or near New Salem in the year 1675.

Joseph Pledger b. 4 June 1672, John Pledger b 27 Sep 1680 in W. New Jersey. ^[1] An Indian deed dated 27 Mar 1675 mentions land belonging to John Pledger. On 25 May 1675 John purchased 3,000 acres of land in Salem, West New Jersey from John Fenwick.

John was a member of the West Jersey General Free Assembly for the terms of 1682 and 1684. John and Elizabeth also brought their servants, Ann Parson and Mark Reeve with them from England.

Notes

John Pledger, born in England abt. 1645-1650? Ships carpenter. Arrived in "Nieuw Nederland" region of "West New Jersey" from Portsmouth, England, BEFORE 1674 on a DUTCH ship to arrange for the purchase of "Varkens Bloed" (Pigs' Blood), a Dutch whaling colony also called "Varkins Kill" on Hudson's South River (Delaware R), renamed Fenwick(e)'s Colony, now Salem, NJ.

In June of 1986, Dr. Robert W. Harper, history professor at Glassboro State College, now Rohan University in Glassboro, NJ, confirmed "speculation" -- and the "speculation" of William Lambeer of The Pennsylvania Historical Society -- that John Pledger and his "cousin" (brother-in-law) Hypolyte (Hippolet) LeFevre arrived in Nieuw Nederland on "de Onrust" (the Restless) or "de Walvis" (the Whale) in advance of the colonists who founded the first permanent Quaker Colony in the New World.

John Pledger's wife, Elizabeth Lefevre, a French Huguenot from St. Martins-in-the-Fields, Middlesex County, England, arrived at "Fort Elsborg" at the mouth of the Salem River, home of the new Quaker Colony on March 13, 1675, with son Joseph (age 2) on the "Joseph and Benjamin," Matthew Paine, ships master (captain). ^[2]

Will

17 Oct 1694 JOHN PLEDGER of Salem Co., yeoman: Will of wife Elizabeth, Children- Joseph, sole executor and John. "Netherland" farm of 600 acres, part of the Fourth Lot, 456 A., adjoining to sister Braithwaites's a 16 A. Lot of Chohansey. Personal estate. Witnesses, Joane Braithwaite, Alice Groome, Dan Smith, Andrew Thompson and Richard Darkin requested in postscript to look after son John. Recorded 19 Dec. 1694.

24 Nov 1694 Inventory of the personal estate 477.7 Pounds; incl 3 negro slaves @ 87.7 pounds; silver spoons 3.3 pounds; a do. tankard, 5 pounds; old books, 6 shellings; 18 bushels of barley; 2.5 pounds; do of peas, 1.8 pounds; made by Samuel Hedge and Bart Wiatt. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Ency of Amer Quaker Genealogy, Vol ll, Hinshaw.
2. ↑ William N. (Bill) Redstreake, date: 1/26/02, rev. 12/11/02
3. ↑ N.J. Archives, 1st series, Abstracts of Wills, Vol ll 1730-1750. The Unionists Gazette Assoc. Printers, 1918. Main library, Dayton, Ohio.

• "U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935"
  New Jersey > Union > Rahway and Plainfield Monthly Meetings > Births and Deaths, 1686-1798 > image 5 of 68
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 25 March 2024)
  David Smith.
• http://www.smokingbluegrass.com

Notes

John Pledger (I) arrived in "Nieuw Nederland" from Portsmouth before 1674 on a Dutch ship to arrange the purchase of Varkens Bloed, a Dutch whaling colony on Hudson's South River (Delaware River), which was renamed Fenwick's colony (now Salem, NJ). John was a ships carpenter and was born in England between 1645-1650. His brother-in-law Hippolite LeFevre., Jr arrived in "Nieuw Nederland" with him. They were in advance of the colonists who founded the first permanent Quaker colony in the New World. John's wife Elizabeth Lefevre was a French Huguenot from St. Martins-in-the-Fields, Middlesex County, England. Elizabeth and their son Joseph, age two, left England in January of 1675 aboard the ship Joseph and Benjamin, (Matthew Paine ships master) bound for West Jersey and Maryland. The ship arrived at the mouth of the Salem River at Fort Elsborg, West Jersey on March 13, 1675. There is a possibility, however, that Elizabeth and son Joseph arrived on the ship Griffin, (Robert Griffin master), bound for the Delaware River, and that John arrived on the Joseph and Benjamin. In the Salem Meeting records it says that: "Elizabeth and son Joseph arrived in said river 23 9m (November) at or near New Salem 1675." Shortly after John Pledger's arrival he purchased land from the Indians on March 27, 1675. This was before John Fenwick's arrival at Bereton Fields, Township of New Salem. John Pledger soon arranged to purchase more land. On May 25, 1675 he was granted a patent for 3000 acres to be laid out in John Fenwick's projected colony in the province of New Caesaria, or New Jersey. In the patent for the 3000 acres it mentions that his former home was in Portsmouth, County of Southampton, England and that his occupation was shipcarpenter. Along with John came his brother-in-law, Hypolite Lefevre, jr, of St. Martins-in-the-fields, Middlesex County, England. Hypolite obtained a similar patent of 3000 acres on the same day that John did, and it was located adjacent to John's land. Hypolite called his plantation Hollybourne. A return deed dated June 12, 1676 of the survey of land that was purchased from the Indians by John Pledger and Hypolite Lefevre describes the land as being in the first half allotment of Alloways, "between Alloways Creek, Great Swamp, Mill Creek, Fenwicks's Creek and Maneton's Creek." John & Hypolite would eventually acquire additional land adjoining these tracts. The warrant for survey of the new purchase, dated November 2, 1676 and returned November 12, 1676, described the land as being between "Mannatons and Allowayes Creeks, the Mill Creek and Fenwicks's River."

On May 31, 1678 they sold a portion of these lands located on their western bounds, running "from the head of great Mill Creeke N. W. downe the said Mill Creeke, the said Mill Creeke being the west side bounds of their Plantacons called Hollybourne and Bereton Fields," to Walter, Francis, and John Forest of Burlington, on which to build a mill. John was a member of the first local government of West Jersey. In May of 1678 he was a member of the Council and Consultation for Fenwick's Colony, the colony was all of West Jersey. The Council and Consultation settled all of the disputes that arose in the colony, in todays terms it would be similar to a county government. During the years of 1682 & 1684, John was a member of the West Jersey General Free Assembly. On April 16, 1685 John, of Bereton, Salem Tenth, gave power of attorney to Steven Worlidge of Portsmouth, England, to let Steven sell John's land and houses in Bereton, County of Southampton. It would seem that name of John's tract in Salem was derived from that of his home in England. In the year of 1687 John sold 3 or 4 acres of land on Alloways creek "alias Mun Mouth River," to John Worlidge. In the deed John Worlidge was described as a kinsman. John was married to Hypolite's daughter Ann. On November 14, 1689 John sold 544 acres along Manneton Creek to William and Joan Brathwait. Joan was the sister of Hypolite & Elizabeth Lefevre Pledger. In the Autumn of 1694 John Pledger died. In his will he left the tract of land called Bereton Fields to his son Joseph and another tract called The Netherland Farm to his son John. He also asked five "friends" to look after his son John, who was not of age. One of the "friends" was Joan Brathwait. The following information comes from the book, Salem Quarter: The Quakers Salem Quarterly Meeting Southern New Jersey 1675-1990: John Pledger owned a plantation along Alloways Creek, but it is not know if he attended meetings (church) there or in Salem. In 1941 a Memory Walk was created to perpetuate the memory of early settlers and prominent members of the Alloways Creek meeting. Field stones were used and their names were cut into them and they were placed along the entrances to the men's and women's doors at the present meeting house. John Pledger has a stone along the Memory Walk. The people who lived in the area in the 1670's thought it would be easier to start their own meeting instead of traveling the long distances over the woodlands and marshes to Salem. The first formal meeting was held in 1679 but informal meetings were held several years before. The way most people, who lived at the plantations along Alloways Creek, attended meetings would be by the use of their boats. It is also noted that most burials also used boats to get to and from the burial ground. From 1679 to 1718 the meetinghouse was on the north side of the creek. In 1718 the meetinghouse was moved to the south side of the creek since that's where most of the people lived. The present brick meeting house was completed in 1756 and is located near Hancock's Bridge, NJ. The last regular meeting was held June 29, 1930. The present building is maintained and they still have special meetings there. The graveyard is also maintained today, there are however no tombstones for the early settlers. The Quakers of that time thought it was not proper to mark the grave sites. Some historians believe that John Pledger is buried in Salem though. The early settlers of the area in the late 1600's and early 1700's cleared the forest from the higher land for the building of their homes, barns and for farming. Many of the men of that time also trapped muskrats in the salt and fresh water marshes. When in season they hunted deer, small game and water fowl. They were also crabbing and fishing in many of the tidal creeks of the townships.