1699 John Mills was appointed as the new constable of Wellingborough Twp, Burlington County, New Jersey. Abraham Hewling returned John Mills for his successor as constable of Wellingborough, but John Mills did not appear and Abraham Hewling was instructed to take John Mills before a justice to attest to serve in the office of constable for the ensuing year. Dated February 20, 1698/99 at the Burlington court. [1] [2] [3]
1704 John and Mary Mills purchased land in New Hanover Twp, Burlington County, New Jersey on February 2. Another purchase was recorded with date September 17, 1709. Note that the second purchase was after John had died. Perhaps widow Mary made the purchase and it was recorded in both of their names or perhaps the deed was recorded for the purpose of administering the estate. [4]
1709 John Mills dated his will on April 17 in Chesterfield Twp, Burlington County, New Jersey. The will named wife Mary and eldest son Michael and four youngest children [unnamed]. Witnesses Constantine Wood, Zachariah Jess, John Scholey, Charles Woolverton. Proved May 3, 1709. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Transcription:
In the name of god amen
I John Mills of the county of Burlington and province
of new jersey being in perfect memory praise be
therefore given to almighty god do make and ordain this
my last will and testament in manner and form fol-
lowing that is to say first and principally of commend
My soule into the hands of almighty god hoping through
the merits death and passion of my savior Jesus Christ
to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my
sins and to inherit everlasting life and my body I commit
to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion
Of my executrix hereafter named and as touching
The disposition of all such temporal estate as it
Hath pleased almighty god to bestow upon me I give
And dispose thereof as followeth
First I will that my debts and funeral charges
That be paid and discharged
Item I give and bequeath to my eldest son Michael
Mills one shilling sterling money of England and
The rest of all my whole estate both real and
Personal unto my deere and loving wife Mary Mills
My full and sole executrix of this my last will and
Testament in order for her maintenance during
Her widowhood and at her decease if she dies a
Widdo in my name that then all my estate as aforesaid
To be disposed of by her amongst my four youngest
Children at her discretion and do hereby revoke
disnull and make void all former wills and testaments
By me heretofore made in witness I the said
John Mills to this my last will and testament being
Contained in one sheet of paper set my hand and seal
The seventeenth day of April one thousand seven
Hundred and nine.
Signed sealed and declared - John Mills
To be my last will land
Testament in the presence
Of
Constantine Wood
Zachariah Jogg
John Scholey
Charles WoolvertonBurlington the 9d May 1709
We Constantine Wood, John Schooley and Charles Woolston do solemny
declare in the presence of Almighty God, the witness of the truth of what
we say that we were present and saw the testator John Mills signe
seale publish and declare the within written instrument to be his last
Will and testament and that at the time of the publication thereof
He was of sound and perfect understanding and memory by the ?
Of these deponents judgement and belief and that at the same
Time we saw Zachariah Jess signe the same as witness thereto
In presence Of the testator
the mark John (three horizontal lines crossing a vertical line) Scooley, Charles Woolason, Constantine Wood
Burlington the 8d May 1709?
Then appeared before me Richard Ingoldesby Esqr Lieutenant
Governor of her Majesty Province of New Jersey New Yorke?
Constantine Wood, John Schooley and Charles Woolston whose
Solemn affirmation did declare that they were present
And saw the testator John Mills signe seole publish and declare?
the within written to be his last will and testament and that at
the time of ? publishing thereof he was of sound and
Perfect understanding and memory to the best of their
Knowledge and belief and that at the same time
Zachariah Jess? signe the same as witness thereto in the presence
Of the testator
Rich. Ingoldesby
Burlington the 3rd May 1709
Then Appeared before me Richard Ingoldesby the?
lieutenant governor of her majesty governor of (obscured line)
New Jersey New York ? Mary Miles executric of the
Within will and tooke her oath … inventory (?)
Inventory
A true and perfect inventory of the goods and chattels
Of John Mills of the township of Chesterfield and
County of Burlington and province of new jersey yeoman
Lately deceased taken and apprised by us under written
Apprisors this second day of may annonomony 1709
Household items, farm tools, 19 cattle, 3 calves, 2 mares, a gelding, 5 books, 6 acres of corn, 2 hives of bees.
Michael Newbould, Thomas Dugliss, Richard Ridgway junior Appraisers
Research Notes:
1683 John Mills was a witness to the will of Simon Reus in East Jersey. [10]
1699 John Mills and others of Fairefield, New Jerey purchased land on the Eastside of Chohansey River and Northside of Saw Mill Creek from the West Jersey Society. [11] Were John Mills of Fairfield, and John Milles whose will was dated 1709 in Chesterfield, the same persons? Perhaps this was Rev. John Mills of Salem and Cumberland counties, New Jersey. [12] The Cohansey River is in South New Jersey. [13]
1732 A Chattin genealogy reports that John and Mary Mills of Chesterfield had a son named Francis. Other children might include Sarah (c 1684), Francis (c1686), William (c1690), and Grace (c1698). [14] However, the 1709 will of John Mills names Michael as the oldest son, not Francis, as the Chattin birthdates imply.
Samuel Mills of Long Island is another candidate ancestor [15] [16] [17] [18]:
Morgan Young married, May 25, 1741, Elizabeth Mills of Long Island, N.Y. The Mills family settled at Southold, L.I. in 1660. Timothy and Samuel, sons of Samuel Mills of Long Island, moved to Morris County, N.J. in 1740, and a daughter of Samuel married Isaac Drake, Jan. 27 1740. Elizabeth Mills may have been another daughter of Samuel. She was born in 1720.
1677 George Miles [perhaps the father of John Mills] likely arrived in Burlington County on the ship Kent, Martha or Shield. [19] [20] [21] [22] Note that Thomas Schooley [23], a brother of John Schooley [24] who witnessed the 1709 will of John Milles, reportedly arrived on the same ship Martha.
1725 Francis Milles lived in Burlington County and purchased land there.
1727-8 Jan. 31, Inventory of the personal estate of Nicholas Mills, £22.15.9, a Bible and 4 other books I is.; made by James Patterson, James MacDaniel and Edward Woolley. [25]
1714 Zachariah Jess (witness to the 1709 will of John Mills) married Hannah or Rachel Lippincott, daughter of Restore and Hannah Shattock Lippincott.
Possible ancestors in England:
Holborn is in central London while Surrey is southwest of London.
1632 (7 Charles I) On 6 October and 12 January, Michael Milles, yeoman, of St. Andrew's, Holborn, was indicted at Westminster for not attending church. [26]
1658 On 4 April, Michaell Miles, son of Nicholas and Mary Miles, was born in Godalming Parish, Surrey, England. [27]
1662 On 1 January, Elizabeth Milles, daughter of Joshua Milles was buried in Surrey, England. [28]
1684 Michael Miells was buried 15 May 1684 in Surrey, England. [29]
[1] H. Clay Reed and George J. Miller, The Burlington Court Book. A Record of Quaker Jurisprudence in West New Jersey 1680-1709, Vol. 5 (1944), 213, 219.
[2] H. Clay Reed and George J. Miller, The Burlington Court Book. A Record of Quaker Jurisprudence in West New Jersey 1680-1709, Vol. 5 (1944), [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[3] H. Clay Reed and George J. Miller, The Burlington Court Book. A Record of Quaker Jurisprudence in West New Jersey 1680-1709, Vol. 5 (1944), [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[4] Major E. M. Woodward and John Hageman, History of Burlington and Mercer Counties, New Jersey (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1883), 379, [HathiTrust].
[5] New Jersey Record of Wills, 1705-1804, 1-232, image 142, [FamilySearchImage].
[6] New Jersey Record of Wills, 1-460, 1688-1713, 222, image 150, [FamilySearchImage].
[7] William Nelson, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 23. (Wills and Administrations 1, 1670-1730) (1901), 321, citing Lib. I, p. 232, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].
[8] New Jersey, U.S., Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817, Vol.36, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[9] New Jersey, U.S., Calendar of Wills, 1670-1760, [AncestryRecord].
[10] William Nelson, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 21. (Patents and Deeds, 1664-1703) (1899), 178, bottom, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].
[11] Patents and Deeds and Other Early Records of New Jersey 1664-1703, see also previous page, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[12] Rootsweb Mills Family, [URL].
[13] Wikipedia article about Cohansey_River, content subject to change, [Wikipedia].
[14] William B. Fetters, Abraham Chattin (c1692-1761) and Grace Mills of Woodbury Creek, New Jersey and Their Descendants, 45-55, [URL].
[15] Our Young Family in America, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[16] North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[17] Find A Grave Memorial at Ancestry.com, [AncestryRecord].
[18] Morgan Young genealogy.com page, [URL].
[19] Samuel Smith, The History of the Colony of Nova-Caesaria, or New Jersey (1890), 102, [InternetArchive], [Google].
[20] Joseph S Middleton, "Friends and their Meeting-Houses at Crosswicks, New Jersey," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 27 (1903), 340-45, at 340, [HathiTrust].
[21] U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, [AncestryRecord].
[22] William E. Schermerhorn, History of Burlington, New Jersey (Burlington, New Jersey: 1927), 379.
[23] Janet and Robert Wolfe, Genealogy Page for Thomas Schooley, [JRWolfeGenealogy].
[24] Janet and Robert Wolfe, Genealogy Page for John Schooley, [JRWolfeGenealogy].
[25] William Nelson, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 23. (Wills and Administrations 1, 1670-1730) (1901), 321, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].
[26] John Cordy Jeaffreson, Middlesex County Records, Rolls, Books, and Certificates, 1 Charles I to 18 Charles II, 1625-1667, Vol. 3 (1888), 129 and 130, top of 128-131, [HathiTrust].
[27] Henry C. Malden, The Parish Registers of Godalming (Surrey) 1582-1688 (1904), 119, [InternetArchive].
[28] Henry C. Malden, The Parish Registers of Godalming (Surrey) 1582-1688 (1904), 289, [InternetArchive].
[29] Henry C. Malden, The Parish Registers of Godalming (Surrey) 1582-1688 (1904), 313, [InternetArchive].