Garrison (My Paternal Side)
A lot of the Garrisons from southern New Jersey are descendants of Jacob Garrison "Old Jacob" of Turkey Point, New Jersey. Thanks to a Garrison family researcher by the name of Phyllis Miller we all know that Jacob Garrison aka Jacob Gerritzen aka Jabob Gerritz de Haas was the son of Gerrit Jansen van Oldenburg aka Gerrit de Muffe, my 9th great grandfather, the suffix 'de Muffe' was a deragatory term the dutch used in the late 16th century to refer to the people of lower Saxony and the Oldenburg area was within that area see de Muffe or mof in wikipedia.
The following interactive map shows Lower Saxony area of Germany including Oldenburg.
Lower Saxony, Germany
Gerrit was a foreman on Kiliaen Van Rensselaer's farm on Manhattan Island in 1632. A lot can be misconstrued through a translation from dutch to english as was the case with one translation of the Dutch records that showed that on July 21, 1640 Gerrit was charged with rape. But the accurate translation of the document showed that he was charged with eloping with a certain "Clara Mathys". Gerrit pleaded to the court that he and Clara were betrothed. He was fined 20 guilders and had to sign a 100 guilder note to obtain Clara's release from a servidtude contract she had entered into with Jonas Bronck (the man the Bronx was named after). Clara had gained passage to the new world from Jonas Bronck by agreeing to be Jonas' wife's servant for a certain period of time.
On May 18th 1639 Gerrit Jansen van Oldenburg bought a tobacco plantation with Volkert Evertsen.
Gerrit Jansen eloped with Clara Mathys and they married on July 21, 1639, my 9th great grandparents. Gerrit and Clara had the following children: Anneken Gerrits (bap. July 6th, 1640), Jan Gerrits (bap. Jan 4, 1642), Abraham Gerrits (bap. Nov. 28, 1643), Jacob Gerrits (bap. Oct 14, 1646), and most probably Claertie Gerrits (no baptism found). As you can see their last names look different than that of their father. That is because the Dutch used the patronomic naming convention where you take as your last name your father's first name with a possessive 's at the end as in "Jacob Gerrit's ". Later it became "Jacob Gerritzen" as in "Gerrit's son". In November of 1674 then English overtook the Dutch for the final time and New Netherlands and the city New Amsterdam was changed to New York. When this happened the English made a proclamation that the Dutch patrinomic naming convention be abolished (for how would they keep track of them for tax purposes?). That is how our family name, Gerritzen, was born. A Website worth visiting is New Netherland Institute where you can learn a lot about New Netherlands and their inhabitants.
The day after Gerrit married Clara Mathys Gerrit Jansen and Volkert Evertsen Leased the Tobacco Plantation they purchased a couple months previous. About a year and a half later Gerrit signs a promissory note to pay for grain he had purchased from the baker
On February 17, 1646 Gerrit Jansen van Oldenburg purchases Pannebackers Bouwery (or Farm No. 5). He sells the same farm or a portion thereof about 7 years later.
Gerrit Jansen van Oldenburg died somtime in the year 1661 in New Utrecht in New Netherland which is now in Brooklyn.
Jacob Gerritzen married Christina Cresson the daughter of the French Huguenot Pierre Cresson. Christina's family left France for the Netherlands and finally to the New World and became one of the founders of the city of New York. Please see the Cresson pages for more on Pierre Cresson.
Jacob Gerrits along with Zegar Gerritse (not related) bought 72 morgens of land south of the Fresh Kill during the duch re-occupation. When the the English re-took the area in 1674 the land purchases made during the re-occupation were considered null and void. But the land that he had purchased ended up being purchased by his father in law in 1680. Which passed down to Jacob when Pierre died. I created a map of the colonial land patents on Staten Island in 2006 for my father to use in his research. The map was created using an old 1907 map created by Frederick Skene. You can use the interactive version of this map below.
On May 23rd, 1677 Pierre Cresson left the town of Haerlem with his family. He sold his farm to Jan Hendricks Van Brevoort. Pierre Cresson then moved to Staten Island, near Long Neck, on the northwest side of the island (a piece of land he had previously purchased). A small stream, on which lay his meadow at Sherman’s Creek, was long called after him “Pierre Cresson’s Run”. See my upcoming Cresson page for more detailed information about this family line.
According to Phyllis Miller’s article in January 1993 NYGBR Issue 124 - 1 "The Garrison Gerritsen Descendants of Gerrit Jansen van Oldeburg alias Gerrit de Mof", Pierre and Joshua Cresson received the patent on December 24, 1680. This land was on the south side of the Fresh Kill and had a creek running from it.) The land was near Smoking Point. Mention is made in the survey for a patent for Christopher Billip of land “south of the Fresh Kill extending to Jacob De Muffe's his creek”. Could this be the creek mentioned above about the Pierre Cresson Run? Below is an interactive map of the old land patents on Staten Island. Click on a piece of property to see information about that patent. The patents shaded purple are of interest to this Garrison line. You can also compare the old Colonial land patents to modern day aerial photograpy using the following application: Staten Island Land Patent Compare App
Staten Island Colonial Land Patents
Source: Map - Staten Island Colonial Land Patents from 1668 to 1712 by Frederick Skene
Jacob Garrison, my 8th great grandfather married Chirstina Cresson about 1673 and through that union had the following six children: Gerrit (1674 - 1751), Peter (1676 - 1747), Jacob Jr. ( 1678 - 1751), Johannes (1680 - ?), Isaac (1682 1705) and Abraham (1685 - 1766), my 7th great grandfather.
Jacob and Christina lived on the piece of land purchased by Pierre Cresson on Staten Island and this was passed down to them when he died. Jacob left Staten Island for Salem County New Jersey and gave power of attorney to his brother John on March 12th, 1691.
Thomas Budd deeded Jacob Garrison 600 acress in 1696. In 1698 Jacob sold 300 of that 600 acres to Leonard Berryman and he sold the rest of it in 1703 and moved to Turkey Point (Autuxit).
Jacob Garrison died sometime between Jun 9th, 1708 and January 7th of 1709. These dates are from the last time he made a change "Codicil" to his will and when the Will was Proved.
Abraham Garrison (1685 - 1766), my 7th great grandfather married Katherine (1st wife) and from that union they had five children and they were: Christian (1716 - 1762), Rachel (1719-1778), Isaac (1721 - 1767) my 6th great grandfather, Joseph (1734-1794), this is most probably William Lloyd Garrison's grandfather, and Samuel (1739 - 1793). Abraham had three children by his second wife Marcy and through that union had three children: Levi (1743 - 1840), Elizabeth (1745 - 1825) and Abraham (1749 - 1840).
In 1715 Abraham was a private in Captain Seeley's Co. Militia on the south side of Cohansey creek.
Abraham Garrison signed his last will and testament on August 19, 1765 and his Will was proved on October 22nd, 1766.
Isaac Garrison Sr (1721 - 1767) of Deerfield, New Jersey was my 6th great grandfather and married Hannah Bennet on December 30th, 1740 in Pitsgrove Township in Salem County, New Jersey (Pitsgrove Presbyterian Church) and from that union 12 children were born: Isaac (1743 - 1801) my 5th great grandfather, Mary (1743 - ?), Hannah (1746 - ?), Esther (1747 - ?), Abraham (1749 - 1775), Rumah (1751 - ?), Catherine (1753 - ?), Bennet (1755 - ?), Joseph (1757 - ?), Jeremiah (1759 - ?), Syles (1761 - ?) and Alpheus (1763 - ?).
Isaac Garrison Sr died between the dates of May 12th and July 10th of 1767 (his Will was signed on May 12th and proved on July 11 of 1767).
Isaac Garrison Jr was baptized April 14, 1743 in Pitsgrove Presbyterian Church. He married Susannah and from that union had six children: Hannah, Mary, Susan, Temperence, Isaac (1780 - ?) and Jeremiah (1780 - 1831) my 4th great grandfather.
Isaac Garrison Jr purchased property on the Muddy Run, a river running through Pitsgrove Township in Salem County, New Jersey. This property was later split up through the actions of the Orphans court.
Pittsgrove, Salem County, New Jersey, Split 1
Orphan's court split of Isaac Garrison's Muddy Run property for Isaac's descendants.
Jeremiah Garrison (1780 - 1831) my 4th great grandfather married Mary Gifford on May 12th, 1804 in a Methodist church by Reverend H. Parvin in Salem County, New Jersey and through that union they had eight children: John * (1811 - 1885) my 3rd great grandfather, Abraham * (1814 - 1888) my 3rd great grandfather (no I did not make a mistake they are both my 3rd great grandparents!), Eleanor "Ellen" (1820 - 1900), Alice (1822 - 1892), Mary (1823 - ?), Amelia (1824 - ?), Sarah (1825 - 1902), Wesley (1826 - 1843).
Jeremiah Garrison, my 4th great grandfather died in 1831 without a wife or a Will so his younger children were orphans and most likely looked after by the older children that were just becoming of age. They lived on a portion of the property on the Muddy Run that was left to Jeremiah by his father.
Pittsgrove, Salem County, New Jersey Split 2
Orphan's court split of Jeremiah Garrison's Muddy Run property for his descendants.
John Garrison *, my 3rd great grandfather married Lavina Camp on September 29, 1835 in Gloucester, New Jersey and from that union they had four children: Mary Ann* (1835 NJ, 1898 IL), my 2nd great grandmother, John, James and Charlotte.
Abraham Garrison *, my 3rd great grandfather married Mary (maiden name unknown) and from that union they had eight children: Benjamin ( 1835 - 1865 ), Jeremiah * ( 1839 NJ, 1910 IL ), my 2nd great grandfather, Mary Jane (1842 - ), Robert ( 1845 NJ - 1903 IL ), Christopher ( 1849 - ), Abraham ( 1851 - 1900 ), Anabelle ( 1855 - 1871 ), Sarah Elizabeth (1860 - 1900).
As you can see the daughter of John Garrison married the son of Abraham Garrison (double dose of Garrison genes) hence the two sets of 3rd great grandparents.
Jeremiah Garrison * was born in Turkey Point, Cumberland County, New Jersey on January 22, 1839 and married Mary Ann Garrison * on March 16, 1859 in Goshen, Cape May County, New Jersey and from that union had nine children: William Edward (1861, 1917), Jeremiah Jr (1862 - 1927), John Wesley (1864 - 1870), Mary Elizabeth "Libby" (1865 - 1920), Annabell (1865 - ), Richard (1869 - 1907), Lewis Oliver (1869 - 1870), Abraham (1871 - 1910), Ida May (1879 - )
Jeremiah Garrison Jr. married Sarah Lorraine Conlee on September 13 1884 in Sangamon County, Illinois and from that union they had thirteen children: William Richard (1885 - 1886), Ida Mae (1887 - 1962), Clara Belle (1888 - 1960), John Wesley (1890 - 1963) my grandfather, Fred Earl (1893 - 1935), Peter Norman (1896 - 1897), Maude Cecil (1897 - 1986), Edward Lee (1900 - 1918), James Thomas (1902 - 1903), Agnes Muriel (1904 - 1993), Henry Alva (1906 - 1953), Emma Louise (1908 - 1908), Arthur Gerald (1910, 1910). (Picture to right is John W sr, Fred E, Henry A and Edward L seated). (Picture to left is John Wesley Sr and Marie 'Goodman' Garrison)
John Wesley Garrison Sr. married Mary Mae Marie Goodman on August 18th 1914 in Springfield Illinois and from from that union they had five children: Edythe Lorraine (1916 - 2002), William Edward (1919 - 1993), Mary Catherine (1821 - 1821), Lois Bernice (1922 - 2005), John Wesley Jr. (1933 - 2007) my father.