Sears Family

This information comes mostly from Leah Blackman's History of Little Egg Harbor Township, which has been known to have a few errors in it so please bear this in mind until I have a chance to investigate further.

Paul Sears married Mary Freeman (daughter of Thomas Freeman and Rebecca Sparrow, grand daughter of John Freeman and Mary Prence). The only child I am aware of from this union was another Paul Sears, who married a woman named Charity Whiterage. They were the parents of the third Paul Sears, who married a woman named Parnell Hammond and had:

• Ann Sears? possibly?
• Paul Sears
• Sarah Sears, who married Nicholas Sooy.
• Josephus Sears (see below)

Josephus Sears was a sea captain who settled at Bass River. His first wife was Catherine Carter, a grand daughter of John Cranmer, Sr., of Bass River. His second wife was Achsah, the widow of Chalkley Cranmer, sr.

Josephus may have been the brother, or son, of Ann Sears, who married William Coffin, sr.

The children from Josephus' first marriage, to Catherine Carter, were:

1. John Sears, who married Dorcas Adams
2. Haman Sears, who married Abigail Leak
3. Rebecca Sears, who married William Allen of Bass River
4. Mary Sears, who married Henry Tice
5. Louisa Sears, who married James Wilson, the son of John Wilson. Their children were:
   • Josephus Wilson
   • Catherine , who married Joel Van Sant and had:
     • Louisa Van Sant
     • Minnie Van Sant
     • Edward Van Sant
     • Joel Van Sant
     • Doughty Van Sant
     • Samuel Van Sant
     • Madeline Van Sant
     • Lizzie Van Sant

The children from Josephus' second marriage, to Achsah Cranmer, were:

1. Jesse Sears
2. William C. Sears
3. Chalkey C. Sears, who married Sabra A. Mathis and had:
   • Elihu Sears
   • Achsah Sears
   • Abigail Sears