Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy --- Go to Genealogy Page for John Platt --- Go to Genealogy Page for Rebecca Dennis

Notes for John Platt and Rebecca Dennis

1719 John Platt was baptized on 13 Sep, 1719 at St. Marys in Burlington.

1764 John Platt was taxed in Shrewsbury (later Dover) Twp, Monmouth County, New Jersey. [1]

1779 John Platt was taxed in Dover Twp for 400 acres. [2]

1783 John Platt was taxed on 100 acres in Dover Twp. The acreage of his sons increased in the same year.

1786 John Platt was taxed on 100 acres in Dover Twp. [3]

1786 John Platt, perhaps this one, and Henry Chapman were named as two of several executors in the will, dated 1775, of William Neat of London, merchant. Henry Chapman of New York City was appointed executor because John Platt and the other executors were "beyond the seas". [4]

1787 Samuel Ivins of Burlington County, son of Solomon Ivins deceased, chose John Platt, perhaps this one, as guardian. Gervas Pharo was appointed as fellowbondsman. [5]

1788 Levi Platt (1788), Abraham Platt (1791), Joseph Platt (1795), and John Platt (1796) all registered their cattle marks in the Old Dover Town Book. [6]

1797 John Platt was taxed in Dover Twp, Monmouth County. [7]

1796 John Platt, Jr reported stray cattle in Dover Twp, Monmouth County, New Jersey. [8]

1808 "John's will (#8781 - Monmouth County New Jersey. The will was dated February 15, 1790, and was amended by codicil on May 5, 1807. [9]:

Rebekah Platt, "my Dearly Beloved Wife", is to receive "one-third of said plantation and two north rooms below stairs in the house, during her life, then to return to my son Abel Platt", also "one-third of all my moveable estate with paying one-third of said Debts and Legasys". Abel Platt is appointed "hole and sole executor", and is to receive "All my Homestead Plantation whereon I now dwell with all my other Lands, with paying two-thirds of Debts and Legasys"-- To each of his other children John's will leaves the sum of five shillings. They are listed in order as follows" son Levi Platt; son Abraham Platt; son John Platt: son Francis Platt; daughter Jane Platt now Southard; daughter Silance Platt now Bennet; daughter Jemima Platt now Horner; son Joseph Platt. The bequests of "one-third of said plantation" to his wife and "all my Homestead Plantation" to his oldest son Abel seem to overlap and conflict, but Rebecca's death in September, 1805 would appear to leave the entire plantation and "all my other lands" to Abel without question. John decided after some months to clarify the status of his "moveable estate" by the "Caudisel" of May 5, 1807: "A Caudisel to my will annexed - This may certify that I John Platt, Senior of the Township of Dover and County of Monmouth and Eastern Division of the State of New Jersey, being sound in mind and memory, Do give to my son Abel Platt all my Moveable Estate wich I had willed to my wife, for his tender care over his Mother while helpless and myself blind for a number of years. Given under my hand and seal May the 5th Eighteen Hundred Seven 1807." It is of interest to note that John signed his original will in 1790 in his own hand, but signed the codicil in 1807 by mark, perhaps because of the blindness to which he refers.


Footnotes:

[1] Edwin Salter, A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties (1890), 46, [GoogleBooks].

[2] New Jersey, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890, January, 1779, [AncestryRecord].

[3] New Jersey, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890, June, 1786, [AncestryRecord].

[4] Elmer T. Hutchinson, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 36. (Wills and Administrations 7, 1786-1790) (1939), 166, citing Lib. 28, p. 426, [InternetArchive].

[5] Elmer T. Hutchinson, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 36. (Wills and Administrations 7, 1786-1790) (1939), 124, citing Lib. 29, p. 80, [InternetArchive].

[6] Edwin Salter, A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties (1890), 363, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].

[7] New Jersey, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890, 1797, [AncestryRecord].

[8] Edwin Salter, A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties (1890), 363, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].

[9] Charles Platt Jr, Thomas Platt of Burlington, New Jersey and his Descendants (Peterborough: Richard R Smith Co, 1967), 33.