Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Mathew Allen of Burlington Co. New Jersey

The following account of Mathew Allen of Burlington County Was compiled by Charles Carroll Gardner and appeared as Part of A Genealogical Dictionary of New Jersey in The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, vol. 16, pages 32-35

301. MATHEWl ALLEN, born about 1645‑55 in England; died Sept. or Oct., 1701, at Chester, Burlington County, N. J.; He married (1st) in England, the widow Conaroe, of whom only her married surname is known; Matthew married. (2nd) about 1687, Rachel French, daughter of Thomas and Jane (Atkins) French, born Mar. 24, 1663/4, at Nether Heyford, Northants, England. After Mathew's death, Rachel married. (2nd) Feb. 9, 1702/3, HughSharp. (W JD B :657; Thomas French Gen., I :64; NJA 23:177.; GMNJ 3:22; NJW 1:226).
The first mention of Mathew Allen is found in the records of the Upland (Chester, Pa.) Court, under date of Nov. 12, 1678, when "Upon the Peticon of mathew allin the Court doe grant him Liberty to take up 200 acres of Land, hee seating and Improoveing the same". (HSP‑Memoirs 7:116). No further record has been found of him. on the west side of the Delaware River, and he probably soon moved across to West Jersey, where he signed the "Concessions and Agreements", which had been drawn up at London and signed there under date of Mar. 3, 1676/7, by some of the prospective emigrants to the Colony. Of the 151 signatures, some three‑quarters had been affixed before Allen's, including those of many who were in America prior to the date of the "Concessions", so that there is no question but that Mathew signed his name in America. (NJA 1:269).
On Dec. 5, 1678, Mathew Allen signed a petition to the "Governor of Yorke" in support of the claim of one Henry Jacobs, who had been a tenant of Matiniconck Island "when wee first came into this Country". (N.Y.Hist.Mss. 21:36).
In 1680 Mathew bought of John Smith of Christeene Creek (Delaware), 3200 acres in Burlington County on the Delaware River near Rancokus Creek, as well as 200 acres and some small lots in Burlington. Part of this land remained in possesesion of his descendants as late as 1759.
He took up his residence in Burlington, but sold his house and lot there in Sept. 1685. He may have moved at that time to his large tract in what was set up as Chester township, but his residence is variously described in deeds as "near Burlington" in 1687, Molton Berry in Burlington County in 1689, (does this name perhaps furnish a clue to his English home?), and thereafter as Rancokus Creek and Chester township. (WJD B :87,253,419434 ; P :330 ; SHGM 2 :1).
Mathew Allen was called carpenter in some deeds and yeoman in others.
In 1695 he was Constable in Chester township, and under date of May 16, 1701, signed an address of the inhabitants of West Jersey to the King. (W JD B :304, 536 ; WHBM: 254; NJA 2:384).
His will, Sep. 17, 1701‑Oct. 17, 170I, calls him of Chester township and names wife and four children. He left three shillings apiece to Isaac and Jacob Conorow (Conaroe) and to Anthony Frier (Fryer). The first two were sons of his first wife.
In 1699 Jacob Conaroe deeded land given him by his "father‑in‑law" (step‑father) Mathew Allen in 1683.
The nature of the relationship between the Allens and the Fryers is not clear. Anthony Fryer's will, 177.4, names as executor Mathews Allen, and makes a bequest to the latter's son Anthony. (NJW‑Unrec. 2:23; 3700C: SHGM 2:34; WJD B :657).
Mathew Allen belonged to the Newton (Haddonfield) Meeting of Friends, and the births of his four children appear in their records. (GSPM‑Hdfld.:378).

Children of Mathew' Allen and Rachel French
+ 302. Mathew2, born. Oct. 23, 1688 ; married. Grace Jones; he died. 1732‑46.

303. Mercy2, born. Mar. 13, 1692/3; married. (1st) 1710, Thomas Middleton; married(2nd) 1730, John Hugg; married (3rd) 1732, Thomas Lippincott; 4. Feb. 17, 1754. (GMNJ 3:23; HEQG 2:234; French Gen.: 186) .

304. Mary2, born. Oct. 23, 1695; married. (1st) Jarvis Stockdale; married (2nd) 1741,John Mickle. (NJA 23:442; NJW: 3503C; HEQG 2:242).

305. Thomas2, born Apr. 7, 1699; was of Wellingborough tp. 1737; buried . Chester, Apr. 10, 1758; unmarried and an invalid. (WJD L:507; BuCt 2:212, 222; GSPM‑NJCIE: 233, 583).

302.MATHEW2 ALLEN, son of Mathew1, born Oct. 23, 1688, in Burlington Co.; he died, between 1732 and 1746, probably in Chester township; Mathew jr. married. Aug. 27, 1711, at Abington, Pa., Monthly Meeting of Friends, Grace Jones, daughter. of John and Rebecca Jones, born. Sep. 12, 1693. (NJW :2209C; GMNJ 3 :71 ; French. Gen.:185).
Mathew 2 was Constable of Chester township. 1714. Overseer of the Poor 1718 and served on the Burlington County Grand jury the same year. He was definitely a Quaker, and witnessed three marriages at Haddonfield Monthly Meeting, but no record of his membership is found. (BuCt 2:85,137,147; GSPM‑Hdfld. M.M..: 149:160).
He was living in Chester township, a yeoman, when he sold, on Aug. 9, 1720, 1000 acres of the tract that he had inherited from his father.
In 1732 or 1733 the administratrix of Jacob Burdsall, formerly of Burlington County, who died 1731/2, made payment of £3. to a Mathew Allen, presumably Mathew2 after which his name does not appear. Only two children are positively known, but there were doubtless others. (NJW :2209C; WJD X :166;P:255 ; GMNJ 3:71).
Children of Mathew2 Allen and Grace Jones
+ 306. Mathew3, born. 171‑; married. Martha Stokes; died. 1768‑74.

307. William3, born 171‑ or 172‑; married. (ie. declared Marriage. Intentions. Feb., 1745/6 at Haddonfield Monthly .Meeting.) Judith Stokes, daughter. of Joseph and Judith (Lippincott) Stokes; burried Jan. 13, 1772, at Chester (Moorestown) ; Judith Stokes was born. June 30, 1722; and died in Chester township, 1780, a widow, her will naming only her Stokes relatives.
Two infants who d. 1748 and 1749 believed to be only children. (GMNJ 3 : 23, 71 ; NJA 32 : 311 ; 35 : 14 ; GSPM‑Justice 1 : 33 ;GSPM‑NJCIE: 231, 241).

308. (possibly) John3, born. about. 172‑; and Married March 26, 1744, at Christ Church, Philadelphia, Mary Butcher; he died at Springfield, Burlington Co., about Jan., 1753. (2PaA 2:325; NJA 32:10).

306. MATHEW3 ALLEN, son of Mathew2, born. 171‑ in Chester township, died there 1768‑74; married. (declared. intentions. at Haddonfield, M.M. Sept. 1737) Martha Stokes, dau. of Joseph and Judith (Lippincott)Stokes, Martha was born Mar. 8, 1718/9, at Chester; d. after 1775. (GMNJ 3:23,68; NJA 32:311; Evesham M.M. rec.; GSPM‑Justice 1:33). On Aug, 29, 1737, Mathew Allen, "late of Evesham Township carpenter" was deeded 600 acres in Chester township by his uncle Thomas Allen, 422 acres of which he and wife Martha sold June 12, 1759. He had been living on this plantation, located on Rancokus Creek. His last appearance on the records seems to be in 1768, at the time of his son Anthony's marriage. (W JD L :507 ; P :330 ; N JA 20 :322 ; Evesham M.M. rec.)
On Jan. 5, 1744/5, the will of Anthony Fryer, a legatee in the will of Mathew1 Allen, names Mathew3 Allen as executor and leaves £ 50 to Mathew's son Anthony. (NJW: 3700C).
In 1764 Martha Allen and her son Mathew4 were received into Burlington Monthly Meeting from Evesham Meeting, but later rejoined the latter Meeting, Mathew in 1769 and Martha in 1775. (HEQG 2:191). No complete list of the children of this family has been found.

Children of Matthew3 Allen and Martha Stokes:
309. Mathew4, born 1738-43; was living in 1769

310. Grace4. born Dec. 6, 1741; married 1st 1763, Ner Eayre; married 2nd 1767, William Rogers; Grace died 24 sept. 1807, (Evesham M.M. Births and Deaths, p. 25; WHBM: 376

311. Anthony4, born Jan. 6, 1743/4; married 1768, Mary Robers; died Jan. 6, 1812, at Woodbury. (Evesham M.M. rec.; GSPm-NJGIF: 33)

312. Joseph4, born 174- ; married, 1768, Hannah Iredell; ;lived at Evesham and Salem z9NJMB A:154; HEQC 2:50)

313. Enoch4 born 174-or 175-; and married 1st, 1774, Hannah Collins; married 2nd , Ann Kirby, widow. (GMNJ 3:150; GSPM Justice, 1:33)