Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy --- Go to Genealogy Page for Matthew Watson --- Go to Genealogy Page for Anne Pierson

Notes for Matthew Watson and Anne Pierson

Matthew Watson married Anne (Pearson) Mauleverer, widow of Edmund. [1]

1706 John Black and Sarah Rockhill were married on December 4, at Chesterfield, Burlington County, New Jersey. Witnessed by Anne Watson and others. [2]

A biosketch of the Watson family reports [3]:

Watson Family. This family was among the earliest and most influential of the first settlers in West Jersey. We find the name of Thomas Watson as a signer of "The Concessions," but have no further record of him. In the "First Book of Records of Chesterfield Monthly Meetings, New Jersey," commencing 2d of 8th mo., 1684, is "A Preface to ye Ensuing Booke." This is a most ably written article, and is in the nature of a profession of faith. William Watson was one of the three signers of it, which shows that from the establishment of the meeting he was an active and influential man among the Friends. He married and had children, — William, Jr., who was born at Kerlington, in the county of Nottingham, in Old England, 1667; Isaac, was bom at Farnsfield, Nottingham, England, 1670; Elizabeth, at Farnsfield, 1678; John, at the same place, 1672. William married Bridget Bingham in 1687. She died, and was buried at Nottingham, Burlington Co., in 1702.

Isaac owned a large tract of land on the north side of Crosswicks Creek. In 1708 he built a long stone house, which is still standing. Elizabeth died 12th of 2d mo., 1688, and was buried in the burying-place of the people called Quakers in this township.

In about 1683, Matthew Watson took up a tract of land containing one thousand acres, more or less, extending along the east and south bank of Crosswicks Creek 'in the northern part of the township. Here he built his first cabin on the high bluff overlooking the creek. Near it was " Watson's Ford," the present crossing of the Camden and Amboy Railroad. This ford, being the first above the mouth of the creek, was an important point of travel in those early days, and here one of the first week-day meetings of the Friends at private houses was established "on the 2d of ye 8th mo., 1684." Matthew, in 1695, was the constable of Chesterfield, and subsequently held township offices. Although the two Watson tracts were in close proximity, so far as we have been able to determine there does not appear to have been any relationship between William and Matthew Watson. Matthew married Anne Manlever, of Scarboro', county York, England, in July, 1681. They had two children,— Matthew, Jr., born at Burlington in 1682; Marmaduke, in 1685. In 1703, Matthew, the father, died. Anne, his widow, departed this life in 1721.


Footnotes:

[1] Chesterfield Township Tercentenary Committee, Chesterfield Township Heritage: Burlington County, New Jersey (1964), 28, [GoogleBooks].

[2] Chesterfield Monthly Meeting, Burlington, New Jersey, Births and Deaths, 1675-1750, Vol. K, Marriages, 1684-1724, 67, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].

[3] Major E. M. Woodward and John Hageman, History of Burlington and Mercer Counties, New Jersey (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1883), 278, [HathiTrust].