1723 On 27 March, Roger Fort surveyed land bought from Samuel Coate. Bordering lands of Ananiah Gaunt [Warrant Date: 13 Aug 1722]. 197 Acres. Springfield Township, Burlington County. [1]
1749 The inventory of the estate of John Berryman, of Burlington County, New Jersey, included book accounts of Roger Fort and Marmaduke Fort. [2]
1749 Roger Foort, of New Hanover, Burlington County, dated his will on May 7. The inventory was dated May 13. [3]
1749. May 7. Foort, Rojter, of New Hanover, Burlington Co., yeoman; will of. Wife, Anne. Children — John, Joseph, Joan, Hester, Edith, Roger and Marmaduke. Real and personal estate. Executors son Marmaduke, and friend John Monro. Witnesses — Edward Weaver, Francis Shinn, John Burr, Jun'r. Lib. 6, p. 47.
1749, May 13. Inventory, £138.12.2; made by Aaron Robins and John Croshaw.
1750, Jan. 24. Account of Marmaduke Fort, having paid debts to Thomas Price, Nathaniel Thomas, William Buddell, Solomon Shinn, Edward Weaver, John Croshaw, John Monrow, Henry Cooper, James Shinn, Hope Atkinson, Julius Ewan, Robert Farrell, Jonathan Taylor, James Southwick, William Fox, Thomas Allinson, William Robinson, Casper Horner, George Briggs, Edward Gaskill, Thomas Shinn, John Burr, Jun'r, Thomas Conarro, James Wills, Jonathan Thomas.
1761 Ann Fort wrote her will in 1761 and it was administered in 1762. [4]
1761, Nov. 29. Fort, Ann, of Northampton, Burlington Co.; will of. Son, Rodger Fort, chest. Daughter, Edith, chest. Daughter, Joana Lay, £5. Granddaughters, Ann Price and Hannah Price, beds, etc. Rest of personal and real to my two daughters, Esther Murphy and Edith Price. Executors — daughters, Esther Murphy and Edith Price, and my friend, Daniel Jones. Witnesses — Samuel Reeve, Edward Mullen, Joseph Harrington. Proved Oct. 9, 1762. Lib. 11, p. 235. 1762, Aug. 19. Inventory, £54.16.0, made by John Budd.
1763, Oct. 14. Account by Thomas Berkinshea and Esther, his wife, late Esther Murphy, as Executrix of estate of Ann Fort.
A biosketch reports [5]: "Roger Fort, of Burlington County, New Jersey is said to have been of Welsh descent according to a history of Orange, New Jersey written by Whitmore. He appears in New Jersey about 1700 and died testate, his will being probated May 16, ... "
A sketch of the Fort Family reports [6]:
Roger Fort, the ancestor of the New Jersey family of this name, in his will, signed his name Fforte, and it is claimed that the family is of Welsh descent. The English family of this name, which dates back to the Conqueror, is spelled Fort. Burke's Peerage, in giving the line of Earl Fortescue, says: "This noble family deduces its origin from Sir Richard le Forte, a distinguished soldier in the invading army of William the Conqueror, who protected his royal master at the celebrated battle of Hastings, by bearing a strong shield before him, from which event the French word escue (to shield) was added to the original surname of Fort, and thus Fortescue produced." The motto of Earl Fortescue, borne on his Coat of Arms, was: "Forte scutum salus ducum."—"A strong buckler is the safeguard of the leaders." Burke's General Armory gives the Coat Armour of the Fort family of England as: Arms.—Quarterly, azure and gules over all a castle or, on a chief argent a bee volant, ppr. between two martlets sable. Crest.—On a mount vert a lion sejant argent pellettée, collared gules holding in his dexter paw a cross crosslet fitchée of the last.
Roger Forte, the ancestor of the New Jersey family of this name, came, probably, from England with his wife Anne, between 1696 and 1702, and took up a tract of about six hundred and fifty acres of land in Burlington County, N. J. He built for himself a log house in IIanover township, near Pemberton, then called New Mills. This land has remained in the family until quite recently. He was a thrifty, prosperous farmer. By his wife, Anna, he had John, Joseph, Marmaduke, Roger, Joan, Edith and Esther.Marmaduke Fort, third child of Robert and Anna ( ) Fort, was born in the old log house on the homestead farm, in 1710. This log house and a subsequent frame one, built by Marmaduke, were both burned, and he then built a frame house which, though improved, is still standing. He married, first, Mary —, who died in 1786; he married second, Mrs. Mary Wells, of Bucks County, Pa. His children were all by his first wife. They were Anne, John, William, Elizabeth, Thomas. Both Marmaduke and his first wife were buried in the old Baptist cemetery at Pemberton, near the Rancocas Creek. The tombstone contains the following inscription:
"Stay, passengers, see where I lye,
As you are now, so once was I,
As I am now, so you must be,
Prepare for death and follow me."John Fort, eldest son of Marmaduke and Mary (–) Fort, was born at the homestead, in Pemberton, September 15, 1745. He served in the New Jersey State Militia during the War of the Revolution. He, with other patriots, helped to supply the American army while they were encamped near Philadelphia. He married Margaret, daughter of Andrew and Mary Heisler. They had issue, Susannah, Mary, Deborah, Margaret, Andrew, John and Daniel.
A sketch of the Fort Family reports [7]:
The progenitor of the Fort family in New Jersey was Roger Fort, who probably came from England, with his wife Anne, about the year 1696, and settled in Burlington county, New Jersey. The family is said to be of Welsh origin, and this ancestor spelled the name Fforte. To him and his wife were born the following children: John, Joseph, Marmaduke, Roger, Joan, Edith and Esther.
The children of Marmaduke Fort were: John, Anne, William, Elizabeth and Thomas. John, the eldest son, rendered valiant' service in the New Jersey state mihtia during the war of the Revolution. He married Margaret Heisler, and their seven children were: Gusannah, Mary, Deborah, Margaret, Andrew, John and Daniel.
Andrew Fort married Nancy Platt and their children were: George Franklin, who was born on the 30th of June, 1809, and was honored with the office of governor of New Jersey; Margaret, Sarah Ann, Mary, John, Jacob Platt, Susan, Andrew Heisler, Daniel Adams and Caroline.
A sketch of the Fort Family reports [8]:
On November 14, Andrew Heisler Fort, father of former Governor John Franklin Fort, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Walter H. Oliphant, of Mt. Holly. He was in his ninetieth year. For many years he was active in the affairs of Burlington County and the state. He was a member of the Legislature during the sessions of 1867-8, and was for fifteen years a town committeeman of Pemberton Township, being generally elected without opposition. His father was Andrew Fort, who also resided at Pemberton.
Mr. Fort was a farmer, and lived at the homestead that has been in the Fort family since 1696, when the first settler, Roger Fort, came to Pemberton, N. J., then called New Mills, and took up a tract of six hundred acres of land under a royal grant of the King of England. Two Governors of this state were born on the homestead property; George Franklin Fort, Governor of New Jersey from 1851-54, and John Franklin Fort from 1908-11. Mr. Fort retired from farming about twenty years ago and had lived here for twelve years. Once a Henry Clay Whig, he had been a Republican since that party was organized. He married Hannah Brown, who died in 1870. He never remarried. His family consisted of John Franklin Fort, Margaret B. Manwaring, widow of Joshua Manwaring, of Detroit; Mary F. Oliphant, the wife of Walter H. Oliphant, with whom he resided at the time of his death, and Hannah A. Hendrickson, widow of Jacob C. Hendrickson, of Mt. Holly.
Mr. Fort had three brothers: George F. Fort, former Governor; Rev. John Fort, a Methodist minister of the New Jersey Conference, and Rev. Jacob P. Fort, a Methodist minister of the Newark Conference. He was in the Legislature with Postmaster James L. Hays, of Newark, and Henry J. Irick, of Burlington County, now on the State Board of Equalization of Taxes.
[1] New Jersey State Archives, Colonial Land Surveys and Warrants, 1670-1727 (online database), Basse's Book: Folio 264 [SSTSE023], [NJ_State_Archives].
[2] A. Van Doren Honeyman, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 30. (Wills and Administrations 2, 1730-1750) (1918), 43, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[3] A. Van Doren Honeyman, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 30. (Wills and Administrations 2, 1730-1750) (1918), 182, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[4] A. Van Doren Honeyman, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 30. (Wills and Administrations 2, 1730-1750) (1918), 149, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[5] Homer T Fort, A family called Fort: the descendents of Elias Fort of Virginia, (1970), 662, [GoogleBooks].
[6] Henry Whittemore, The Founders and Builders of the Oranges, 428-IA6, [GoogleBooks].
[7] Frederick William Ricord, Sophia B. Ricord, Biographical and Genealogical History of the City of Newark and Essex County, 66, [GoogleBooks].
[8] Abraham Van Doren Honeyman, The New Jersey Law Journal, Volume 34, 382, [GoogleBooks].