Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy --- Go to Genealogy Page for Bridget Woodley

Notes for Bridget Woodley

1670-71 For two years in a row, 1670 and 1671, the constables for Newport, Essex, presented Bridgett Bingham, the wife of James Bingham, for absenting herself from the parish Church. In 1670 it was for "three seuerall sondayes last past" [1] In 1671, named a widow, Bridgett Bingham was presented again for absenting herself from church for 4 Sundays. [2]

1671 Bridget Bingham of Newport, widow, and Benjamin Scott, junior of Widdington, yeoman, and wife Margaret (both daughters of John Woodley, late of Widdington, yeoman, deceased), were fined for attending an illegal Friends Meeting and a deed declaring the uses of the fine was recorded. [3] [4]

1675 John Bingham, citizen and goldsmith of London, purchased 1000 acres of John Fenwick in 1675 and removed to Evesham, Burlington County, where he lived with Bridget Bingham, his second wife, daughter of Benjamin Scott, in the early 1680s. [5]

1681 Widow Bridget Bingham was a passenger on the Henry and Anne from Gravesend England, bound for the Delaware Valley in July and was present at the birth of Elizabeth to Margrett and Benjamin Scott at Graves End. [6]

1681 Bridget Bingham was present at the birth of Sarah to William and Ann Peachee at ye nursery on 23 of first month 1681.

1687 On 8 of month 8, at the Chesterfield monthly meeting [New Jersey], "William Watson declares his intentions to take to wife Bridget Bingham, the lord permitting." [7]

1687 On 3 November, William Watson and Bridget Woodley made their second declaration of intention to marry, as recorded in the Chesterfield, Burlington County, monthly meeting minutes. [8] On 3rd day, 9th month, "Marriage of William Watson and Bridget Bingham accomplished." [9]

1687 Widow Bridget Bingham married William Watson of Nottingham. [10] She assigned, to her son James Bingham, her right to 200 acres purchased in 1684 from Benjamin Scott. [11] [12]

1687 Nov 30. Endorsement Bridgett Bingham, widow, assigns the "within mentioned" land to her son James Bingham. [13]

1688/89 On 21February, Thomas Foulke, son of Thomas Foulke, of Chesterfield, married Elizabeth Curtis, daughter of John Curtis, of Ogston, at Chesterfield. Witnessed by William and Bridgett Watson and others. [14]

1691 Nov 4. James Bingham (the son of Bridget) assigns the "premises within written" to John Scott. [15]

1695 On 1 month [March], day 25, William Watson was listed among the residents of Nottingham Twp, Burlington County. [16]

1702 On 3 of month 4, Bridget Watson, wife of William Watson, was buried in Nottingham, New Jersey. [17]

Research Notes:

"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." [18]


Footnotes:

[1] Essex Record Office, document T/A 418/172/84, [Essex Archives].

[2] Essex Record Office, document T/A 418/173/88, [Essex Archives].

[3] Essex Record Office, document D/DC 41/463, [Essex Archives].

[4] Robert and Catherine Barnes, indexers, Genealogies of Pennsylvania Families from the Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 3 (1982) 226.

[5] William Otis Sawtell, "William Bingham of Philadelphia and his Maine Lands," Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 9, (1926), 207-226, at 212.

[6] Hannah Benner Roach, "Seventeenth Century Birth Records in the Delaware Valley," Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 27 (1966), 83-91, at 91 footnote.

[7] Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, Chesterfield Monthly Meeting, Men's Minutes, 1684-1738, 10, [AncestryImage].

[8] Lewis D. Cook, "Marriage Intentions, 1685-1730, Burlington County, New Jersey," National Genealogical Society Quarterly 53 (1965), 129-32, at 129.

[9] Charlotte D. Meldrum, Early Church Records of Burlington County, New Jersey, Vol. 2 (1995), 40.

[10] U.S. Quaker Meeting Records, Marriages in Burlington Monthly Meeting (derived from other sources), [AncestryImage].

[11] Robert and Catherine Barnes, indexers, Genealogies of Pennsylvania Families from the Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 3 (1982) 226.

[12] Amelia Mott Gummere, Friends in Burlington (Philadelphia: Collins, Printer, 1884), 83, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].

[13] William Nelson, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 21. (Patents and Deeds, 1664-1703) (1899), 442, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].

[14] Chesterfield Monthly Meeting, Burlington, New Jersey, Births and Deaths, 1675-1750, Vol. K, Marriages, 1684-1724, 41, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].

[15] William Nelson, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 21. (Patents and Deeds, 1664-1703) (1899), 442, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].

[16] Trenton Historical Society, Nottingham Township, New Jersey Minute Book 1692-1710; 1752-1772 (1940), 3, [World_Cat], [GoogleBooks], [FHLFilmCatalog].

[17] Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, Untitled: Chesterfield Births and Deaths, 8A, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].

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