ROBERT HUTCHINSON, SON OF WILLIAM AND ANN (SIMPSON) HUTCHINSON
MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
Robert Hutchinson moved from Monmouth County, New Jersey to Prince William Co, Virginia in 1774. His brother John, who also moved into the same area in Virginia, probably left on or about the same time period. John died rather young and left a Will, dated 1779, in which he named four of his sons - Simpson, John, Joseph and James. He left the first three, who were under age, to the care of his brother Robert through his Will. When Robert moved to Virginia with his brother, John, the New Jersey families of Johnson, Dey, Hixon, and others moved into the same area. Robert Hutchinson stayed in that area of Virginia for about ten years or so and then later left Virginia and moved into Georgia, where other members of the William & Ann Hutchinson family had migrated.
In 1774, Robert was of Upper Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Much of the data on his family comes from the Bibles and the work of members of the Hutchinson family in Louisiana and Georgia and my work in New Jersey & Prince William County, Virginia. It appears that Robert left the New Jersey area between Apr 1774-Dec 1774 based upon both NJ & VA deeds. Robert & Elizabeth, his wife, last sold land of over 355 acres in New Jersey on 20 April 1774 and his 1st recorded purchase of land in Prince William Co, Virginia, was dated 13 December 1774, where he was already described as being from Prince William Co in the deed. After the death of his father, he was identified in NJ deeds as "the eldest son and heir."
Robert was the first born son of of his parents and when his father, William, died between March 1769 and January 1771, Robert took possession by English law all of his father's land. As early as the May 1771 Term of the Supreme Court of NJ, there is a case filed by Cortland Skinner Attorney General against Robert Hutchinson, the "Admr. of Wm Hutchinson", which shows that William was deceased by this date. Robert then sold it, failed to give his mother her dower, failed to complete any administration of his father's estate, and left New Jersey. We know that he failed as administrator for his father’s estate through a NJ court order, dated 11 May 1793, where the court, after many years of attempting to bring in Robert, finally appointed Peter Smith of Monmouth Co and Samuel Neilson, of Middlesex Co, as the new administrators to administer upon the "divers Goods, Chattles and Credits of the sd William Hutchinson in divers places within sd State yet unadministered upon by the said Robert Hutchinson, or by any other Person; ..." The document also states "Whereas William Hutchinson, Esqr late of the Township of Windsor, County of Middlesex ... decd. died Intestate, and administration of all and singular the Goods and Chattles, Rights and Credits which were of the sd deceased, at the Time of his Death, was committed unto Robert Hutchinson, which sd Robert has been absent from the State afd. for many Years past, and is not now a Resident in the Same; ..." (Liber 33 of Wills, Folio 231) A NJ Inventory, dated 11 March 1793, for William Hutchinson, Middlesex Co, was finally filed by Peter Smyth, the new administrator, of Monmouth County. Of course, by that time, there was no estate left.
In fact, his mother (who died in 1801 and lived to be over 101 years old) had to sue Robert in an attempt to try to obtain her rightful dower in the NJ Supreme Court. In the Supreme Court of NJ, a Writ of Dower, dated Nov 3, 1772, was given to the Sheriff of Monmouth Co to bring Robert into court. In the writ it stated that Robert was to rendor unto "Anne Hutchinson who was the Wife of William Hutchinson her reasonable Dower of the Lands & Tenements in Monmouth County ... which were of the sd William Hutchinson formerly her Husband..." Being Robert sold some of his father's land to other members of the family, his mother also had to sue some of her other children in an attempt to right her oldest son's wrong to her. Apparently, this was never resolved being there were numerous suits filed by his mother, Anne, against the buyers of the land into the 1773 term of the court. In the "History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties", by Salter, P. lxxiii, Ivins - "In 1773, Isaac Ivins, Jr, of Chesterfield, Burlington county, bought a plantation in Upper Freehold of Robert and Elizabeth Hutchinson." Because of Robert's actions against his aged mother, a present day Georgia descendant and I while researching the family have given him that name of "Robert, the Scoundrel."
[The children of Robert come from Margaret McClellen's, Louisiana research, the Bible records of Nancy Day Pearson Hutchinson (b 1839), which lists additional children of Catherine, Mary, Ann, Elizabeth, & Wilson. Also, the children names were also found Robert’s family "Bible," [actually a prayer book] found in the year 2000.]
Robert was last known to have been in Washington Co, Georgia and it is there in Georgia that he is suspected of having died. The following entry was from "Be It Known and Remembered", Vol 1-Page 85, per Edgar McNabb - "Robert Hutchinson, born 11 Dec. 1720 about sunrise on the first day of the week, died 31 August 1794 at 74, married 20 February 1747 by Robert Montgomery, Esq., to Elizabeth Lawrence, born 18 July 1729 at eight o'clock in the morning of the sixth day of the week. They had 11 children." [Much of this can be found in his family "Bible" record.]In the DAR Patriot Index, copyright 1994, is the following: Robert Hutchinson, born 11 Dec 1720, in New Jersey, died 31 August 1794, in Georgia, married Elizabeth Lawrence; was accepted and listed for Patriotic Service in Virginia. [Patriotic Service meant just about anything from signing an oath of allegiance to directly aiding in the war. In this case, Robert supplied the area with food; specifically beef.]
ROBERT HUTCHINSON TIME-LINE
The following is a time-line on Robert in an attempt to ascertain the "probable" location for the birth of his son, Peter Hutchinson, which has been reported to have been in North Carolina (from census records) in 1768. However, based upon my research using New Jersey and Virginia documents, this would appear to be unlikely since his father, Robert, and his mother were still in New Jersey. It is more probable Peter’s birthplace was New Jersey regardless of what a later census states. Also, a record filed by Peter, himself, shows he was born in Upper Freehold Township, [Monmouth County] New Jersey.
The time-line is as follows:
1. The earliest "recorded" deed regarding Robert Hutchinson is a Colonial quit claim deed from Henry Chamberlin, of Hunterdon Co, NJ to Robert Hutchinson, of "township of Upper Freehold, county of Monmouth" in NJ; dated 1 June 1762. However, the witnesses were not examined and the deed was not recorded until 19 March 1774 when the land was sold by Robert prior to his removal to Virginia. [NJ - Liber G-3, page 412].
2. The last "recorded" deed of William Hutchinson, husband of Ann, and father of Robert, was dated 17 Feb 1769, where he sold land to his son, William Hutchinson, Jr., where both of them were of Windsor Township, NJ [NJ-Liber I-2, page 139].
3. Various loose documents of the New Jersey Supreme Court [not classified or catalogued in 1994 at the NJ Archives] and with the Supreme Court Docket Books in 1771 thru 1773 showed various subpoenae, docket descriptions, lawsuits for debts incurred by Robert's father, William, who was now identified as deceased, and where Robert was the Administrator of his estate, etc, indicating that various people were after Robert Hutchinson for their claims against he and/or the estate of his father, William. In May 1771- The Attorney General of NJ filed suit in the NJ Supreme Court against "Robert Hutcinson, Admr. Wm Hutchinson". From this, one can conclude that William Hutchinson, Sr, died sometime between 17 Feb 1769 [above deed] and May 1771.
[The result of this, after having dragged on for many years, was that the NJ Supreme Court appointed another person to Administer William's estate in 1793, as Robert was identified as having been absent from the State for many years and was in the state of Virginia.]
4. A Monmouth Co, NJ, deed, dated 25 May 1772, showed Robert Hutchinson, yeoman, and wife, Elizabeth, to be of Upper Freehold Twp, Monmouth Co, and selling land to another NJ resident. Elizabeth was privately examined by the Court on 2 May 1774 and the deed wasn't recorded until 3 Nov 1774 [NJ-Liber G-3, Page 527].
5. A series of Monmouth County deeds by Robert Hutchinson is described, and in one instance including his wife, Elizabeth and Benjamin Hutchinson, who was described as their" Eldest son and heir at law to the said Robert and Elizabeth Hutchinson, his wife of the Township of Upper Freehold in the County of Monmouth ..." These deeds were dated 10 Mar 1774 [NJ-Liber G-3, page 415]; 11 Mar 1774 [NJ-Liber G-3, page 417]; and 11 Mar 1774 [NJ-Liber G-3, page 413] and in all instances Robert was of Upper Freehold, Monmouth Co, NJ.
6. On 26 Apr 1774, Robert Hutchinson of the "Township of Upper Freehold in the county of Monmouth", NJ sold land in the "township and Colony aforesaid" to Morris Cox, "of the same place, carpenter", who was Robert's son-in-law, husband of daughter Catherine [who subsequently ended up on Indian Creek, Lincoln County, North Carolina]. Elizabeth was examined on the same date as the deed. [NJ-Liber A-G, page 339].
7. No other "recorded" deeds are found in New Jersey for Robert and Elizabeth Hutchinson after the 26 April 1774 deed above.
8. The first "recorded" deed in Prince William County, Virginia [Deed Book T-Page 174] for Robert and Elizabeth Hutchinson described of" Prince William Co, Virginia", is dated 13 Dec 1774, and said land was sold to him by the executors of Thomas Faulkner. Robert Hutchinson was described as already living on the land being sold and being of "Prince William Co". Robert had purchased 348 acres for 350 pounds having paid a deposit of 20 pounds, and who had to pay off the balance of the purchase price by 20 Oct 1775 or forfeit the deposit. [Now, Faulker's Will, was dated 4 Sept 1774]. The witnesses to the deeds were Daniel Moore, Benjamin Hutchinson, Elizabeth Hutchinson, and Abodnogoe Adams.
9. In 1782, in VA, he is one the Tithe Lists with two negroes, Adam 20 & Robin 15, horses, 9 cattle; and Edward, Benjamin, Sarah Hutchinson, and a Daniel McCoy, probably the father of Elizabeth McCoy, wife of his son, Peter Hutchinson. In 1783, he is there with 2 family members over 21, 1 tithable slave, 2 slaves not tithable, 4 horses, 10 cattle. In 1784, he is no longer found on the Tithe lists or those of later years. On 5 April 1784, he settles the estate of John Hutchinson, his brother, as the executor of the estate and moves his family into Georgia, in the area where other members of his Hutchinson family from New Jersey lived; namely his children and those of Nathaniel, his deceased brother.10. On 2 April 1784, Robert Hutchinson of the Parrish of Dettingen, Prince William Co, VA leased a plantation of his for one year for the "rent of a peppercorn on Lady Day..." He then sells the same land on the next day for 116 shillings. On 3 May 1784, Robert Hutchinson makes an exception of 400 square feet of a graveyard of five graves, being 20 feet each way. And, on 10 April 1784 he sells for 190 pounds the land that he first originally purchased in 1774.
The following item was researched by Clark Forrest, of Holden, LA 70744 - (Hancock Co Deeds, Book E, page 86): 23 August 1794 - "Robert Hutchinson, Sale of Moveable Property, Hancock Co, Georgia, 23 August 1794 - I do hereby Bargin, and Sell all my moveable property to Peter Hutchinson and to Rachel Hutchinson for the value of taking good care of me and finding me in good Comfortable vittles and clothes untill my Death and Bury me desently after I am dead on this from [?] under my hand; witnesses - Fredick Rose, Robert Hutchinson, Ben. Hutchinson"; "Fedirick Rose and Benjamin Hutchinson and being duly sworn deposeth and said that they ware present when Robert Hutchinson, Desd, Signed and delivered the above obligation to Peter Hutchinson and Rachel Hutchison for the purposes therein contained and the said Benjamin Hutchison further Saith that he believes it was Robert Hutchisons desire for the property to be given away as before mentioned, and the Rose fursayth that he believes Robert Hutchison had his Senses about him at the time of Signing the above agreement, Sworn to before me this 27th of October 1800" - registered with Hancock Co on 19th Feb 1801. [These are the children, and their wives, of Robert Hutchinson.]
On the 24th of August 1988, the Bible of Robert Hutchinson [father of Peter Hutchinson, who later possessed the Bible record] was in the possession of a descendant named Bettye Grissom, 134 Morningside Drive, San Antonio TX 78209. In 2000, I actually received a copy of the above Bible and an abstraction of the Bible's record of the family.
The Bible record of Robert Hutchinson doesn't show the names of any further children other than 10 but does show an 11th child, a son born 1770, at 2 o'clock in the morning. His name is blank as is the month and day. Therefore, I suspect that he didn't survive being no first name was listed and was left blank. However, work by two families give a son, born 4 October 1770, but each with a different given name. The two names given by these two families for this child are: one name is Edward and the other name is Wilson.
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