The John & Phebe (Kirkbride) Hutchinson Line

of Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

This line of Hutchinsons were Quaker and it originates with a John Hutchinson and wife, Phebe Kirkbride, of Falls Twp, Bucks Co, PA, with both having connections into New Jersey. It is the belief by ALMOST ALL persons descending from this particular HUTCHINSON/KIRKBRIDE line that they are related to Thomas Hutchinson, "The Proprietor," of Hutchinson Manor, [also Quaker] which was located on the Delaware River, in what was then (1600-1700s) Hopewell Twp, Burlington Co, New Jersey, but is today Ewing Twp, Mercer Co, New Jersey.

 
This Thomas Hutchinson and wife, Dorothy Storr, were Quaker and were married in 1668 in Beverley, Yorkshire, England. They immigrated first to Maryland, where they can be found on Third Haven Creek, Talbot Co, Maryland and as members of the Third Haven Creek Meeting. They left Maryland and appear in New Jersey records in 1687;even though he was participating in land sales in NJ while being both in England and Maryland, after he and others where paid as creditors, by Wm. Penn, with New Jersey lands which became known as the Yorkshire Tenth. Thomas became one of the Proprietors of the Yorkshire Tenth which consisted of 1/10 of central New Jersey. [Thomas was identified in life and death as Thomas Hutchinson, "the Proprietor," as were male descendants, son John and grandson Isaac, when they sold land as heirs of Thomas.] Thomas lived on 5,000 acres of land he called Hutchinson Manor which was in what was then known as Burlington County, New Jersey. [The boundaries of Burlington County in 1600-1700s look nothing like the boundaries of it today, being that at one time Burlington County reached the top of the state]
 
The John and Phebe (Kirkbride) Hutchinson line was of Falls Twp, PA, and their descendants, for the most part in the early years, stayed in that area of PA, which is located just across the Delaware River, from Hutchinson Manor, the home of Thomas Hutchinson, "The Proprietor."  Therefore, it was natural to associate this line to the nearby Thomas Hutchinson. 
 
However, NJ and PA records (land, wills & religion) show that the John Hutchinson, who married Phebe Kirkbride, cannot be the John Hutchinson, the son of Thomas, "The Proprietor."  The only "record" found for this belief is in a 1905, "History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania", by W. W. H. Davis.  On page 727, of his biography of Margaret Waterman Rickey, he connects the John Hutchinson, who married (1) Phebe Kirkbride and (2) Sarah Burgess, as the son of Thomas & Dorothy (Storr) Hutchinson, and then states "whom Miss Rickey claims as the John Hutchinson, [as an ancestor] before mentioned, who settled in Bucks County." I can not dispute this claim of relationship to Thomas Hutchinson but I can prove that the John Hutchinson, who married Phebe Kirkbride, is not the John Hutchinson, the son of Thomas Hutchinson, "The Proprietor," and wife, Dorothy Storr, of New Jersey.
 
The John Hutchinson, son of Thomas & Dorothy (Storr) Hutchinson, married Joyce Venables, and they lived in New Jersey at Hutchinson Manor.  They also had dealings in Bucks Co, PA just as John & Phebe (Kirkbride) Hutchinson of Bucks Co, PA had dealing across the river in New Jersey. 
 
1. 20 February 1696/7 - John Hutchinson of Hutchinson’s Manor ye County of Burlington & Province of West Jersey, yeoman, Son & Heir unto Thomas Hutchinson of the same, late deceased, yeoman, conveyed to "Robert Pearson of Crosswicks Creek in ye sd. County of Burlington & yeoman … five hundred acres of land in any place to be taken up within ye Yorkshire Tenth belonging to ye said John Hutchinson as a Proprietor, not before surveyed & taken up by any other person." [West Jersey Records, Liber B, Part 2.]
 
2. 8 March 1696 - In a deed, dated 4 May 1709, wherein Thomas Hough and Jane "his now wife" of Springfield in the county of Burlington ... yeoman sell land to Richard Scudder of Hopewell...yeoman...[in the following land description is] Whereas John Hutchinson of Hopewell, yeoman, son an heir of Thomas Hutchinson of same, Gentleman, by deed dated March 8, 1696, deeded to Thomas Hough... [Unrecorded deed, in private hands as of 1983].
 
3. In Bucks Co, PA land records, Vol 2, Page 67, a deed reads "Andrew Heath and his wife, Elizabeth; John Hutchinson and wife Joyce by her maiden name Venables; and Frances Venables, young woman", all of Hopewell Twp, Burlington Co, NJ sold for 50 pounds to Peter Worrall of Bucks Co, yeoman, 220 acres lying in Makefield Twp, part of land formerly of William Venables, dec'd and his relict Elizabeth, now Elizabeth Heath.  Acknowledged: 2nd mo. 1701,  Witnesses - John Bainbridge, John Knowles, William Emley, Joseph Clows and James Hargroves.  Recorded - 8 Sept 1702.
 
    John Hutchinson, son of Thomas, of New Jersey, left a Will dated April 10, 1704 which was proved on June 6, 1704, which means he died between April and June of 1704.  His Executor was Thomas Lambert, of Nottingham, yeoman. Unrecorded Will - Vol 1-P 261- Burlington- "John Hutchinson, of Hopewell, in the County of Burlington, yeoman... wife, Joyce.. Children - Marmaduke, Isaac, Elizabeth; legacies to brother-in-law, Zebulon Heston and wife Dorothy, to sister Hannah.... " He signed his Will as HUTCHISON. Roger Parke, Andrew Heath, and William Emley, Sr were witnesses. The Will was probated in Hopewell, Burlington, New Jersey.
   
After John's death, in the Register of St. Mary's (P.E.) Church, Burlington, NJ, is the following entry made by Rev John Talbot, Rector in 27 September 1705: "Hopewell Chappel Church - Marmaduke, Isaac, and Eliz: Hutchinson John, Andrew Eliz: & and Sarah Heath, & Joseph Tyndall [Tindall], Baptized 7 bris 27." [St. Mary's Church Register]  The first three of these were the children of John and Joyce Hutchinson. The succeeding four were probably the children of Andrew Heath, ...: and the last named Joseph Tindall, was doubtless the son of Thomas & Isabel. Hopewell Chappel Church, was the scene of these baptisms. Now, Isaac above eventually went over into Bucks Co, PA, and I have recently learned that there were apparent descendants there named Isaac, Marmaduke and even Storr Hutchinson.
 
Now, the John Hutchinson, who intended to marry Phebe Kirkbride, of Falls Twp, Bucks Co, PA, witnessed a deed, and bought land, in Falls Twp., Bucks Co, on dates AFTER the death of the John, son of Thomas of NJ,who died in 1704; ie acknowledged on 10 Sept 1704 & was recorded 7 December 1705.

3/2/1706 - Jno. Hutchinson and Phebe Kirkbride intend to marry. [Falls Township Monthly Meeting - Marriages] 

 
Further proof is a deed from Joseph Kirkbride, father of Phebe and wife of John Hutchinson, dated 1707 in Bucks Co, PA Deed Book - C-1, Pages 378-380, wherein it states: Joseph Kirkbride of ye county of Bucks... for the sum of five shillings...in hand paid by John Hutchinson of ye said province,,, tailor... doth herby acknowledge and thereof doth acquit and discharge ye said John Hutchinson and Phebe his wife...forever.. [land in Bucks County] ...with all ye houses, edifices, barnes, stables, gardens, orchards...[etc]... dated "ye eighth day of December in ye...1707; acknowledged before a judge the same date and recorded February 24, 1707/8.

Phebe (Kirkbride) Hutchinson died 1724, and widower John Hutchinson, married (2) Sarah Burgess in 1726, in Bucks Co, proving that the John Hutchinson of Thomas & Dorothy (Storr) Hutchinson, who died in 1704, is NOT the same John Hutchinson, who married (1) Phebe Kirkbride, (2) Sarah Burgess, and who died in Nov. 1745 in Bucks Co, Pennsylvania. [Falls Monthly Meeting - Marriages: "John Hutchinson, of Falls Township, Bucks County, married 24th day of 9th month, 1724, Sarah Burges, of same place."]