Mary Webster's Webster Line
Mary WEbster's Webster Line
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William Webster m Mary. Early settlers in Woodbridge, NJ. Births of
eight of their children in town records. He had suffered persecution
as a Quaker for declining to contribute to the support of some other
form of worship. From Scotland. some say Perth Amboy, Scotland,
but First SEttlers of Piscataway and Woodbridge describes Perth Amboy
as a place in New Jersey where he lived for maybe ten years bef moving
to Woodbridge. Rahway and Plainfield NJ meeting was formerly held at
Amboy and Woodbridge. (First SEttlers of Piscataway and Woodbridge)
Kathy ([email protected]) did lookup of some of following in:
Smedley, Samuel Lightfoot. Genealogy of the Smedley Family. 1901.
CS711.S637.
There is confusion about who were his children; IGI has my line from
Joseph Webster to his father Joseph Webster to William from Scotland to
New Jersey! Ancestral File has, William Webster b est 1660 Amboy, Scotland
(don't know where they have Amboy), m Mary, had Joseph b 1709/10/ Woodbridge
NJ, m Elizabeth (Shotwell), abt 1733 in NJ, they had Joseph Webster
b 25 Oct 1757 in Hunterdon, NJ, m 9 Jun 1757 Kingwood, Hunterdon, NJ,
Webster, who was b abt 1739 Kingwood, H, NJ, d bef 10 Aug 1767 in Kingwood,
H, New Jersey, and Joseph died aft 10 Aug 1769 in Buckingham, Bucks Co,
PA! The sources appear to be an ammalgamation of alot of people who sent
in data. This is all completely inaccurate, but establishing that took
several people alot of work.
A second Ancestral File pedigree is basically accurate, except it guesses
at Webster's identity and has her wrongly born abt 1712 in Woodbridge NJ
(She was born in Philadelphia), and d aft 8 Apr 1756 in Woodbridge NJ.)
Kay Walton ([email protected]) writes that the Quaker records in
"First Settlers of New Jersey" does not even include a Joseph.
"The Joseph that is attributed to William and Mary married Elizabeth
Shotwell and they were members of the Kingwood meeting in Hunterdon
Co, NJ. (They and their children below) I think Joseph is attributed
to William and Mary because there doesn't seem to be another WEBSTER
in the Quaker records of a suitable age to be his father." She shows
Joseph Webster first mentioned in Kingwood MM records 8 12 mm 1749,
Chesterfield rec cert from Woodbridge for Joseph and his wife 2 7m 1742.
Joseph had married Elizabeth Shotwell in 1733 at Woodbridge (18 8 1733
int). Prob his son JOseph Jr who was disowned for marrying out of meeting
9 6m 1757. Meanwhile, the other Joseph, w his mother RAchel, and brother
Skinner, were rec on certificate from Woodbridge 10 6m 1762. See also
below on choosing which Joseph was father of Mary Webster who married
John Miller!
I found in History of Woodbridge and Pickaway, NJ, some of the Quaker
and town records; Joseph Webster who m Elizabeth Shotwell m (2)
Susanna Cooperthwaite! (I didn't get date or it wasn't there.)
Land records from same source show a Joseph Webster ws in Woodbridge
atleast as early as 1735, and William there as early as mid 1690's
when he is listed as settling the town and as buying land each multiple
times. In 1726, A Joseph Webster was town constable in Woodbridge.
Children: (from Quaker records for Woodbridge in History of Piscataway
and Woodbridge)
Mary b 7/31/1690 Woodbridge (Quaker records)
Hannah b 9/1/1692 Woodbridge
William b 1/19/1692/3 Woodbridge
Moses Webster b 10/5/1694 Woodbridge
Sarah b 6/24/1695 Woodbridge m Wm Chambers Woodbridge MM 8 mo, 15, 1719.
Rachel b ___/13/1697 Woodbridge
Aaron b 4/12/1700 Woodbridge
Kay Walton says she has from Woodbridge town records,
Benjamin Webster b 4 2 mo (April) 1709 in Woodbridge m Rachel (Skinner?)
But I find him missing from the list of children of his parents' family
in the Quaker records! (Following explains that)
Discussion in First settlers of Piscataway and Woodbridge says "The births
of seven children of William and Mary Webster are found there from 1690
to 1700, and of one, in the MOnthly Meeting records in 1709. There wre
probably other children not registered in either place. Some of his family
were among the early settlers of Plainfield, NJ."
William Webster Jr. m Susanna (from records of their children. You
have to read far bef you learn he was William Jr. Marriage records
of Woodbridge Monthly Meeting; marr permitted 3rd mo, 16, 1717.
They had:
Mary b 26.5.1721 (from Woodbridge town records)
William b 27.7.1723 at Plainfield in Elizabethtown, NJ
Grace b 4.9.1725 at Plainfield,NJ She m John Shotwell, Woodbridge MM,
reptd 10th mo, 11, 1743.
RAchel b 22.8.1727 at Woodbridge, NJ at abt six o'clock in the morning,
with an entire crowd of women and a midwife attending.
John b22.2.1718 at Plainfield, NJ. Crowds not recorded.
Benjamin Webster b 2 mo 4 1709 m Rachel (Skinner?)
In 1762, RAchel and her children removed from Woodbridge to Quakertown
monthly mtg. (KIngwood)
(info also from Ken Reed ([email protected])
Kay Walton writes Benjamin Webster brought a certificate from Woodbridge
MM (Middlesex Co, NJ) to Hunterdon Co NJ 14 9m 1751. No mention made of
other family members.
On 8 5m 1755 Rachel Webster requested that she and "her daughters" (not
named) may be received among friends as members. From the Women's Minutes.
on 8 4m 1856 Benjamin Webser req a certificate of removeal to Woodbridge
for himself, his wife, and children (not named) (FROM Kingwood?)
On 10 6m 1762 Rachel Webster and children Joseph and Skinner recd by cert
from Woodbridge. (TO Kingwood?) (Women's minutes)
To her knowledge Rachel had no dau named Rachel
I think this marriage may have occurred in Plainfield, (Elizabethtown?)
because no record of it found in the other places where the family lived,
which I know have been checked, and their first children were born in
Plainfield.
It is odd that only Rachel, Joseph and Skinner removed from Woodbridge
to Quakertown (Kingwood-Quakertown), because two daughters were under
age in 1762, one was only ten, and almost noone was married; further, all
who did not obtain a certificate to transfer elsewhere (which was Skinner)
married in Kingwood, which suggests they were all there atleast at the
time when they married.
Children:
Skinner b 11.10.1736 rem to West Bradford TWP, Chester Co,
w certificate from Quakertown, dated 6.8.1780. Me m 5/23/1781 at
Buckingham, Bucks Co, Jane Hambelton, b 3.9.1757; d 6.8.1830;
dau of Stephen Hambleton and Hannah Paxson, and granddau of
James Hambleton and Mary Beakes of Bucks Co. They received a
certificate from Bradford to Haveford Mo Mtg 1.14.1785, and thence to
Abington, 1793, after which they resided in the Northern Liberties,
now pt of Philadelphia city.
Stephen Webster (eldest son) b 4.7.1782 d 3/17/1861 m13/3/1865
Frankford Mtg, Mary Thorp, b 8.22.1779 d 11.6.1866 sau of Thomas
and Elizabeth Thorp of Northern Liberties. They resided at Stouton Farm
near Frankford, where they were succeeded by their son John H. Webster,
who turned from farming to the manufacture of bricks, and with good
success.
(Ken Reed has completely different children as follows, and he doesn't
have Skinner, known for a fact to be one of Rachel's children.)
Susanna Webster b 10/11/1736 Plainfield NJ d 2/24/1832 Hunterdon, NJ:
m Samuel Kester 8/14/1758, Hunterdon, NJ (I think Woodbridge is in
Hunterdon Co) He was the son of Hermanus Kester m Anne Large, who was
son of Johannes Kester, according to Judy Douglas [email protected]
(THis is Judy Douglas' line).
Joseph Webster b 4/3/1743 m Rebecca Kester, dau of Paul Kester, son of
Johannes Kester.
Hannah Webster b 3/19/1746/7 Woodbridge NJ d 1821 Columbia Co, PA
m John Kester, 9/11/1766 Kingwood Monthly Mtg, NJ
Anne Webster b 4/14/1751 Woodbridge, NJ m Paul Kester, Oct 1772 Kingwood,
NJ
Samuel Webster d Oct 20 1772 m Susanna Kester 1755 Kingwood Monthly
Mtg, New Jersey She was dau of Hermanus Kester and Anne Large,
according to Mark L Tunnell, http://www.my-ged.com/db/page/tunnell.
I couldn't get his e-mail to work. He has them having atleast
one child:
Joseph Webster b 11/22/1769 Amwell, NJ d 8/30/1847, E. Hamburgh,
Erie Co, NY. m Phebe McCrary. (See stray NJ Joseph Webster families
for their children.)
A Rachel WEbster married Hermanus son of Hermanus and Anne Large; reasonably
if the mother was named Rachel, the first born daughter (plainly not all
the first born children were recorded) should have been named Rachel;
certainly one of them should have been.
She was b 28, 11th mo, 1742, and she married Hermanus 14, 10th mo, 1762.
(Grace Ebeneter)
(Judy has marr date as Jan 1763.)
Something was slightly strange about the marriage; see Kester page.
This happens to be the birth date of Rachel Webster, dau of Joseph Webster
and Elizabeth Shotwell. (Translates as 28 Jan 1742/3.
Kay remarks that a Rachel Webster also married Elijah Collins in 1763 and
that the dau of Joseph and E. Shotwell appears to be the only one the
right age in the Kingwood records. Also that she sees no Paul Webster
in the Kingwood records.
The alternative I have (there may be more) is she was the daughter of
Joseph Webster and Elizabeth Shotwell. She would have most likely been
born in the early to mid 1740's.
Of this family, only one, Skinner, did not marry children of either
Hermanus or Paul the sons of Johannes Kester, and I don't have them
marrying members of a different family of Websters.
The identity of Joseph Webster who m Rebecca Kester not at first clear.
Kay Walton in e-mail to me ([email protected]) based her judgement
on Joseph's identity on the following;
1. Joseph Webster who was declared out of unity in 1757 for marrying
out of meeting was several years
prior to the time Joeph and Rebecca married, and prior to the time that
Joseph, son of Benjamin and Rachel, returned to Kingwood (1762)
(That must be Joseph son of Joseph who m Elizabeth Shotwell 1733 at
Woodbridge)
2. The birthdate given for Joseph who married REbecca is different than
that of Joseph, son of Joseph and Elizabeth. Seems to rule out that
Joseph as Rebecca's husband. The birthdate for Joseph son of BEnjamin
and RAchel not given in these records.
3. The marriage of Joseph and REbecca took place abt 5 1/2 yrs after Joseph
came to Kingwood w his mother, Rachel (THey were received on certificate
from Woodbridge w mother RAchel and brotehr Skinner, 10 6m 1762.)
4. The only other Joseph in these records m Phebe Macerary, that Joseph's
birth given as 22 11m 1769.
5. The names of Joseph's and REbecca's children are all names from the famiy
of Joseph son of BEnjamin and Rachel. It was quite common to name the first
girl after the husband's mother.
Kay writes that she has not seen proof either that Rachel who came to
Kingwood from Woodbridge was married to Joseph, or that her maiden name
was Skinner; she expects this is taken from the fact that one of her sons
is named Skinner.
On the identity of Rebecca Kester, Kay found only Rebecca the daughter of
Hermanus Kester and Anne Large the right age. That Rebecca's birth date
is given as 16 2m 1742, which is different from the date of birth given
for REbecca who m Joseph Webster when her children are listed in the
records, which is that below. Ancestral File incorrectly identifies
this Hermanus as the son of Paulus. He was the son of Johannes the son
of Paulus. She actually married a Pennebacker.
JOseph Webster b 3 4m 1743 old stile m Rebecca Kester b 12 12m 1738
'old stile' in a listing of
their children, Kingwood/Quakertown MM in Hunterdon Co,
NJ, declared intentions to marry 18 11m 1768, "ltm" 8 12m 1768,
reptd to meeting 12 1 mo 1769.
(One IGI entry has him born to William Webster and Mary!)
Joseph Webster got cert for himself and wife REbecca to Buckingham
(Bucks Co) mm 10 8m 1769, rec 14 9m 1769. (Kingwood records)
returned to Kingwood 6th mo 1771 w daughter Rachel.
cert for selves and children, Rachel, Mary, William, Ruth and Joseph
to Haverford in PA 10 4m 1783 rec 8 5m 1783 (minutes erroneiously
call his wife Rachel)
From Radnor-Haverford-Merion minutes (vol 3 of Early church
records of Delware Co); 12 6th mo 1783 Joseph Webster produced
cert from Kinswood MM NJ for self, wife Rebecca, children Rachel,
Mary, Wm, Ruth and Joseph
granted cert to Concord metg for self, wife Rebecca and children,
(same ones)
From records of Concord MM (Early church records of Del Co vol 2;
Concord MM includes Concord, Chichester and Birmingham PM's
1788 6th of 4th mo; Joseph and wife Rebecca and children Mary,
Wm, Ruth and Joseph, cert from Haverford.
1791 6th of 4th mo; cert to Chester, RAchel and Mary Webster had
sept certificate.
25/4/1791 Joseph Webster produced cert from Concord to Chester MM
w his wife Rebecca
and children William, Ruth, Joseph. RAchel and Mary, daus, also
produced cert. ("Early Church REcords of Delaware Co, PA", vol 1,
by Launey and Wright, from Chester MM, which includes Chester,
Providence, and Middletown PM's.)
Their children:
(THe following, from Quaker Meeting records, are correct. Someone,
possibly the same person as the source of the idea that Joseph was
the son of Joseph? had approximate and incorrect dates of birth and
had them born in WOodbridge "Middlesex Co", Willistown, Chester Co,
Kirkwood, Camden Co, NJ, and "Plainfield, Cumberland Co, PA"!
Rachel b 20 1 m 1770 Kingwood/Quakertown MM record
m Enoch Griffith, son of Wm and Hannah Griffith of ASton TWP
Delaware Co, m 17/4/1794, she and parents of Middletown TWP,
Delware Co.
Samuel b 10 5m 1771 ""
Mary b 6 3m 1773 " " of Middletown, disowned 25/6/1798 for marrying
John Miller of New Garden before a magistrate.
William b 24 11m 1774 " "d 9.21.1841 m Lydia Sharpless in Chester Co
(from Sharpless family) he and parents of Middletown TWP, Delaware
Co, Lydia Sharples of same county, dau of MJoseph and Mary (Hibberd)
Sharples dec'd m 4/12/1800. She b 4.5.1783 d 9.6.1809 They lived
in Middletown twp, Delware Co, wee interred Friends Burial Ground
at Middletown. (from Barclay Richards).
Either he rem Agnes Yarnell, or the name of his wife is wrong in
Delaware Co history, or the following is a different William Webster.
"Founder of the Webster fam in Delaware Co."
Ken Reed has him married again to Agness Yarnell 10/31/1811; Grace
Ebeneter ([email protected]) has that, too, from Castor Assoc
book on the Custers.
by Lydia:
Mary b 8.22.1801 d 10.7.1837 m George Smedley
Rebecca b 6.28.1803 d 11.20.1844 m William Smedley
Sarah b 1.7.1805 d 1/13.1890 m Abraham Pennell
Joseph b 10.3.1806 d 12.24.1808
Lydia b 1809 d 9.2.1809 at Middletown.
by Agnes:
Caleb
William b Middletwon, Del Co 1815. "From his Quaker parents he
inherited the love of quiet pursuits, and never entered into the
activities of the business and policitical world, preferring rather
the uneventful farm life to which he had been bred. He inherited
also that love of books that ... Educated at Westtown, Chester Co,
Wiliam became an efficient and successful school teacher, only
leaving this occupation to enter upon that of farming, for which
he always had a preference."
Always attended the Friends' meeting. Firm adherent of Republican
party.
He d 1891, his wife d 1877.
m Elizabeth, dau of Salkeld and Mary (Pennell) Larkin of Delaware.
Hannah b abt 1839
m Samuel Moore who prev married her sister Ruth Anna
Ancestral File has most of these children b W Phil, which may
or may not be true.
Sarah L b abt 1841 m Joseph W Jones
Nathan b abt 1843 d in childhood?
Rebecca b abt 1845 d in childhood
Edward b abt 1847 m Emma England
Ruth Anna b abt 1849 m Samuel Moore d 1880
Hannah Moore
Elizabeth Moore
William b 6 Oct 1852 PA (Ancestral File)
m Cynthia D. Kester or Dora Kester, b 20 Aug1853,
Locus Twp, Columbia Co, PA (Ancestral File)
William b 16 Oct 1882 PA
Dora Edna b 20 Dec 1883 PA
Pennell Larkin b Middletown, De Co, 7/9/1853. Attended
Friends' Boarding School at Westtown, Chester Co.
In 1878, he took up creamery business in Chester Co.
In 1883 opened creamery which he retained until 1899,
milk depot in Media. Treasurer of his Monthly Meeting, and
a member of the school committee of the monthly meeting.
m 1878 Mary Y Yarnell. Lived for some time on the old
Yarnell homestead (in Middletown?)
I. Herbert b 5/8/1879, educated Westtown and Haverford,
assistant treasurer of Philadelphia Pneumatic Tube Co
m Mary K Hackensack
Annie Grace b 2/13/1880 ed at Westtown, a teacher at
Friends' School in Philadelphia.
Owen Y b abt 1855, AF had W Phil m Clara England
Elizabeth b abt 1857 AF has W Phil
Richard G.b abt 1859 AF has W Phil
m Annie Hutton, dau of Wm Hutton.
Phoebe
Ruth b abt 1819 Chester MM NJ (Ancestral File, prob PA)
Benjamin b 29 12m 1776 Kingwood/ Quakertown MM records
Ruth m Wm Griffith 4/3/1802
Joseph b Delaware Co, 8/4/1781 d 1/11/1867 Ken has her m Mary Clayton,
10/30/1823. It looks like Grace Ebeneter, who supplied from Castor
Assoc book on the Custers all of the children of Joseph Webster and
REbecca Kester, and has pretty much identical info to Ben's, has
Joseph d 1/11/1867.
farmer m Susanna Duncan, dau of Aaron Duncan. (from history of
Delaware Co.)
That the last child below was born on a specific date in 1814, then
raised by his grandmother after his mother died when he was an infant,
then Joseph is given as having married Mary Clayton at a later specific
date in 1823, suggests he married twice; assuming this is the Joseph who
made the second marriage!
Charles
Rebecca
Aaron D.
Susanna D.
Lydia m John Gilpin
Joseph b 4/15/1814 Chester Co. His m died when he was infant. Raised
by gm to age 6. Apprenticed as wheelwright in Sadsbury, Chester Co
returned to "more healthful occupation of farming". m 25 Apr 1839
Sarah dau of Caleb and Hannah Yarnall of Middletown TWP, gd of
Caleb and Phoebe Yarnall. rented then in 1861 bought farm in
Marple TWP, sold 1865, owned farm in Thornbury TWP. Whig or
Republican in politics. In 1872 elected and served term as sheriff
of Delware Co. He and his wife belonged to Chester MM.
Mary M. m A. W. Sloan
Charles N.
M. Rebecca
Thamzin R. m Jacob Kimes
Hannah A.
Joseph Jr.
Katharine ([email protected]) was the first to locate the parents of
Mary Webster loosely stated in a handwritten manuscript on the Miller
family by Bart Anderson (who according to Barclay Richards was once
Chester County Historical Society librarian, and who wrote the published
Miller genealogy that I have from Chester County Collections). He wrote
The Sharpless Family, too.
Anne Wiegle looked up much of this in Early Church Records of Del. Co,
Vols 1 and 2, too. [email protected]
Also Barclay Richards, [email protected]. He had vol. 3 of Early
Church Records in addition to vols 1 and 2.
Early Church Records of Delaware Co Vol 3, which Anne Wiegle doesn't have,
include Haverford MM.
Kay notes that mary was earlier a member of Chester MM, Delaware Co,
and there should have been a record of her acknowledgement and
acceptance back into the meeting, suggests checking Chester MM
records. I'm not so sure she wasn't just accepted at New GArden
MM. (Middletown was in Chester MM, I guess.)
Kay also notes that bec Delaware Co split from Chester Co in 1789,
wills and land recoreds will be at West Chester to 1789, afterwards
in Media. There is no West Chester MM. Chester was county seat
of Delaware Co until 1858 it moved to Media.
Also suggests tax records in Penna Archives Series III.
Children of A John Miller and Mary (don't know if any of them
are this John and Mary Miller)
Elizabeth b 1m 1704
James 1m 1693 (obv not same John and Mary)
Mary birth date not given dau of John, mother's name not given, from Kennett
Sq MM
William 2m 1698
Other Joseph Webster's:
Joseph Webster b 22 11m 1769 son of Samuel and Susanna and Phebe Macerary
b 2 11m 1765, dau of Andrew and Phebe See note on marriages out of
meeting below.
William b 20 5m 1793
Charles b 30 4m 1795
Mary Ann b 23 5m 1797
Thomas b 15 6m 1799
Andrew b 29 5m 1801
Susanna b 24 6m 1804
Phebe b 23 4m 1808; d 18 1m 1812.
This family got cert to Eden MM NY 3m 1816.
Joseph Webster m Elizabeth Shotwell 18 8m 1733 Woodbridge MM, cert
from Woodbridge to Chesterfield 2 7m 1742.
Elizabeth 6.6.1734
Joseph 25.10.1735
Mary 26.3.1737
Sarah 28.11.1740/1
Hannah 28.11.1740/1 d 10.2m 1815 buried at Independence
Rachel b 28.11.1742/3 m Hermanus Kester int 14 10 m 1762, 11 11m 1762
permission, reptd 13. 1m 1763. Hermanus son of Hermanus and
Anne Large. Something was slightly strange about the marriage;
see on Kester page; they seem to have married according to
procedure and then handed in a paper for marrying not according
to rules, Kay suggests possibly their first child was born a
bit too soon?
Deborah b 12.9.1743
Abraham b 12.9.1743
Susanna b 21.11.1747/8
Anne b 15.12.1750/1 d 23.8.1767 bur Kingwood
Martha 22.12.1752/3
William b 2.10.1757
Joseph Webster the son of Joseph who m Elizabeth Shotwell was disowned in
1757 for marrying out of meeting. Plainly this is not the same Joseph who
married Quaker Rebecca Kester w approval, whatever else. A Joseph Webster
handed in a paper of acknowledgement for his breech of discipline in marrying
a non-Quaker before a meeting in 1793. Kay thinks it was the same Joseph.
But since Joseph who married Phebe McCrary/ Macarary began having children
in 1733, while Joseph the son of Joseph was an old man by that time, I
think it is more likely to have been Joseph who married Phebe McCrary and
therefore she was not a Quaker (atleast not born to a Quaker family.)
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