WILLIAM AND ANN (SIMPSON) HUTCHINSON
OF WINDSOR TOWNSHIP, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
William And Ann (Simpson) Hutchinson lived in both Middlesex County and Monmouth County, New Jersey, in the early 1700s. They had 13 children. We know this fact because of the inscription on Ann's gravestone in the family burial plot on their homestead land. The inscription reads: "Sacred to the Memory of Ann Hutchinson, Relict of Wm Hutchinson Esqr. departed this Life Jany. 4th 1801. Aged 101 years 9 Months and seven days. She was mother of 13 children, and Grand Mother and great grand mother, & great great Grand Mother of 375 Persons." Their first born child was a Robert Hutchinson, born 11 December 1720. Therefore, one can assume that they were married in, or about, 1720.
I had always wondered why Ann Hutchinson, Wm's widow, was living with
Robert Willson when she died in 1801, when other family members were still
living in the area. I thought that it was possibly due to her son, Robert
of VA & GA, having taken all of "her" land as the heir according to English law,
selling it, and leaving her without a dowry, which forced her to sue him and her
other children, who bought some of the land.
So, I decided to work on finding out why she died at Robert Willson's home. And,
here is what I found: Robert Willson, Sr. - He was in the Revolution, was
a Whig, and a Lieut. of the Militia. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church
in Allentown, NJ and was a deacon in 1784, trustee in 1793, and an elder in
1809. Charles Robbins Hutchinson's work indicates that Robert was the first
Judge of election in East Windsor Twp. in 1797. He lived in East Windsor Twp, NJ
at the time of his will, dated Sep 11, 1816. The will was proved on Mar 7, 1820.
His obituary was found in the Trenton Federalist, dated 6 Mar 1820, and
indicated "Died- East Windsor, lately, Robert Wilson, esq., aged 82 years."
Robert's gravestone in the Allentown Presbyterian Church Cemetery spells his
name as "Willson" as was the way he wrote his signature on many documents
including his Middlesex Co Will. However, his children all used the "Wilson"
spelling.
Ann (Simpson) Hutchinson, William's wife, died at the home of Robert Willson and
her obituary was found in the family Bible of Samuel Johnes of East Windsor
Township. [The Johnes and Hutchinson family in the area inter-married later.]
The obit of Ann (Simpson) Hutchinson, dec'd, is in the 1 April 1801, Wed.
edition of the Freeman's Journal, in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, which
said that she died at the “home of Robt. Willis (sic) of East Windford (sic)
township.” [I have found her "obit' or death notice published in the larger
papers in states where she had children and other descendants; such as in
Atlanta, Georgia papers.] In all newspaper accounts of Ann (Simpson)
Hutchinson's death in 1801, at the age of 101.9.7, it states that she died at
the home of Robert Wilson, Esq of East Windsor Twp, Middlesex Co, NJ. So, who
was this Robert Wilson and what was Ann doing there.
In Robert Willson's Inventory, there is an item which states "Ballance due
the Estate of Robert Wilson deceased from Ann Wilson for Boarding her Mother -
doubtfull $42.22." And, this was the clue that led to the answer to my
question as to why she died at Robert Willson's home.
I know that William & Ann Hutchinson's daughter, Anne, married (1) James Brooks,
the High Sheriff of Middlesex County, and that her father, William Hutchinson, a
Justice of the Court in Middlesex County, put up a "performance" Bond for Brooks
as Sheriff. I found unauthored notes that indicated that James Brooks died
before his wife and his widow, Ann (Hutchinson) Brooks married (2) a Wilson; no
other name known. From this clue, it was my belief that the “Wilson” that
Ann (Hutchinson) Brooks married was none other than Robert Willson. What I
found was that Robert Willson was a widower of Rachel (Hutchinson) Willson, and
she was the daughter of my Jonathan Hutchinson, who is the supposed brother of
William Hutchinson, deceased, husband of Ann (Simpson) Hutchinson. If I
was correct, this marriage theory would also account for Ann (Simpson)
Hutchinson, mother of Ann (Hutchinson) Brooks, dying at Robert Willson’s home
per newspaper accounts (the obit of her death being pasted into Samuel Johnes
Bible) AND would explain the above language found in the Inventory of Robert
Willson’s Estate.
To prove this assumption, I had to find that James Brooks' widow, Anne
(Hutchinson) Brooks, did marry (2) Robert Willson, and that he was the widower
of Rachel (Hutchinson) Wilson. This belief was proved by the will of Robert
Willson, dated 11 September 1816, and proved on 7 March 1820. In it, he
directs his executors that he is to be buried at the “Allentown Church near my
first wife” and in it he calls his second wife, “beloved wife Anna.” I
then also knew by this will that Robert Willson’s first wife had died before
1816. A search of the Allentown Presbyterian Church Cemetery found Robert
Willson buried next to his first wife, “Rachel, Wife of Robert Willson, Esq.,”
who died in 1797. Robert’s stone indicates that he died 28 February 1820,
aged 84 years.
I then searched for the will of an Ann Wilson, after 1816, and found it filed
in Middlesex County, dated 17 March 1819, in which she is described as being
from East Windsor Township. It was also witnessed by Jacob Fisher, the same
person (by handwriting analysis) who witnessed the will of her late husband,
Robert Willson in 1816. The executors of Ann Wilson’s will were identified as
Rescarrick Moore and Sarah Moore. [Rescarrick Moore married Sarah
Brooks, a daughter of Ann (Hutchinson) (Brooks), 2nd wife of Robert Willson.]
Ann (Hutchinson) (Brooks) Willson died 9 May 1820 and her will was proved 29
June 1820 in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
This explains the tangled marriages of Willson/Hutchinson and also explains
how Sarah Brooks Moore had the Hutchinson family Bible records in her possession
in 1837. Other Wills and Inventories showed that Sarah's wedding ring was in
the possession of Sarah B. Smith, the daughter of John Mount Smith, of
Hightstown, NJ. And, this connection also explains how the family Bible
records of William and Ann (Simpson) Hutchinson found their way to, and were in
the possession of, the Smith family of Hightstown, NJ and were last known to be
in their possession prior to the death of John Mount Smith in 1921.
Sarah (Brooks) Moore, wife of Rescarrick Moore, also appeared before Judge
Joseph Mc Chesney, of Hightstown, then Middlesex County, on 24 March 1837 and
gave an affidavit listing the dates of birth of William and Ann Simpson
Hutchinson and their children. Judge McChesney wrote in the affidavit,
"Personally appeared before me, Sarah Moore, who upon her oath, saith the above
is the original record of family events made in the family Bible not long after
the event recorded occurred."
In the Will of Dorothy Newberry, widow of Richard Newberry, carpenter, of the
City of Philadelphia, PA, dated 7 April 1731/2, proved 1 June 1731, Book E-Page
163, comes the following abstracted material - "sisters - Catherine Stout, Anne
Hutchinson; brothers - William and Peter Simpson; cousins - John and Haskar
Newberry; friends - Jenkin Jones, Jane Pearce; nurse - Alice Haig;
brother-in-law: William Hutchinson; executrix-Anne Hutchinson; trustee- Jenkin
Jones; witnesses- John Kearsley, Jno. Cadwalder." [PA Wills - 1682-1834]
In September 24, 1737, William and Jonathan bought land on the southern side of
the Assanpink and on both sides of the Province line as run by George Keith from
the heirs of David Lyell, deceased. Charles Robbins Hutchinson states that the
tract of land was lying on the southerly side of the Assanpink Creek and on both
side of the province line as run by George Keith, containing 756 acres, and upon
which they settled. This land was in what is today the southern part of West
Windsor Township, Mercer County. He also states that the Lyells were Perth Amboy
people and it is likely that both Jonathan and William also came from that
locality and that they were brothers. [It is also known that the John Hutchinson, who married
Elizabeth Pearson in 1730, was also from Perth Amboy, New Jersey.]
In August 28, 1740, James Alexander and Daniel Donaldson Dunstar conveyed to
William Hutchinson, for 488.11.5 pounds, a tract of land in what was then in
Windsor Township, Middlesex County and is today East Windsor Township, Mercer
County, bounded east and north by Rocky Brook, including the present village of
Etra, then called Milford, extending southward to about where is now the
Monmouth County line and westwardly about one and a half miles; containing 1,037
acres. Its southwesterly corner appears to have been about where
Lawrence's Line between East and West Jersey crosses said county line. To
this tract William Hutchinson removed, and some portion of it still remains in
the possession of his descendants.
New Jersey Archives, First Series, Vol. XVI, page 89 - "At a council held at
Burlington on the 28th day of March, 1749. His Excellency by and with the advice
of this Board appointed the following officers in the several counties, viz: For
the county of Middlesex , William Hutchinson, one of the Justices of the Quorum.
And, again, found in New Jersey Archives, First Series, Vol. XVII, page 503 -
William Hutchinson, Justice of the Quorum, Middlesex County.
In Vol 69, Page 2, Jan 1994 issue of the "Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey", is the following document found
in the Drake Family Collection at Rutgers, dealing with an affidavit of
illegitimacy - "Margaret Gravat - Decembr 11th, 1762: Came before me, John Chamberlin on of his Majesties Justices for keeping the Peace for the County of
Middlesex, Margaret Gravat, and being sworn as the law in such cases directs,
saith that sometime about the latter part of last Fall was a year, or the
Beginning of the Winter that John Hutchinson, son of William Hutchinson had
Carnal Knowledge of her body when his wife was at Allin's Town taking care of
her son that was under doctor Newels hands, came and sundry times since and at
one of them times she verely Believes he has got her with child which child when
born will be a bastard. Sworn before me, John Chamberlin." After William's
death, his son Robert, sold William's land claiming it as "eldest son and Heir".
He made no consideration for Ann's Dower rights. Therefore, Ann sued Robert and
those he sold the land to, which included some of her other children, in the NJ
Supreme Court. A Writ of Dower against Robert Hutchinson was issued to the
Monmouth County Sheriff to bring him before the court and without delay "he
render unto Anne Hutchinson who was the Wife of William Hutchinson her
reasonable Dower of the Lands & Tenements in Monmouth County afd which were the
sd William Hutchinson formerly her Husband...", dated Oct 12, 1772. Supreme
Court action against Robert Hutchinson's actions was being taken as early as the
May 1771 term where in Cortland Skinner, Atty General, filed suit against
"Robert Hutchinson, Admr. Wm Hutchinson". Ann was still filing suits against her
children regarding her Dower rights in 1773 in the Supreme Court.
William also co-signed a bond appointing James Brooks, Sheriff of Middlesex Co
in Jan 1763 Term of the Middlesex County Court. [James Brooks married
William & Ann's daughter, Anne Hutchinson.]
In the Oct Term 1763 of the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, both William
Hutchinson and Jonathan Hutchinson were one of several of Middlesex County residents
called as members of the Grand Jury. William was present in the morning but
Jonathan and several others were not. The court recessed until 2:00PM, at which
time Jonathan and others appeared, after paying their fines of 20 shillings.
Both Jonathan and William were present for the afternoon session.
On 8 September 1767, William signed a petition, as one of 13 others, for Thomas Height
to maintain a "Publick house & Tavern Situate on the high road in the Said
Windsor ..." (Signing with him were two other Hutchinsons; sons John and Joseph.)
On Mar 11, 1769, William, being of New Windsor, conveyed to his son, William,
the last recorded land transfer in a Middlesex County deed. This is the last date I
know of prior to his death which occurred between the 1769 date of this deed and
a January 1771 date, found in the minutes of the Middlesex County Court of Common Pleas (1764-1771), for the
January Term of 1771. There is the docket of "John Martin", who charged the "Adn [Adminstrator
?] of Wm. Hutchison" a debt of 93 pounds, 15 schillings, and 8 pence. This
docket and other writs in the Common Pleas Court of Middlesex Co shows that
William Hutchinson, Esquire, died prior to January 1771.
In a Monmouth County deed, dated June 25, 1772, his oldest son, Robert
[born 11 December 1720 mentions
William is deceased, when he sells his land to John Ely, Junior, which Robert
had received from his father. One branch of family in Iowa doing Hutchinson
research says William died 6/25/1772, but this is not correct. It is simply the
deed date, wherein he was described as deceased.
Sarah Moore appeared before the Middlesex County Court on 29 March 1837 before Judge
Joseph McChesney, and gave the family record in an affidavit as it appeared in the family Bible
which was handed down thru the family to her. It said that William was born 12
June 1697\8. The notes of Charles Robbins Hutchinson state that William was born in
England and came to this country early in life. A great-grandson also states
this but adds, in a letter to a newspaper, that William was accompanied by a brother.
William was a Justice of the Peace for the King of England in Middlesex County.
[It is my opinion was loyal to the Crown in the years prior to the American
Revolution.]
The following story appeared in the Village Record, of Hightstown,
New Jersey, dated 20 Nov 1857:
Mr. Editor: On the farm now owned by Isaac Goldy, near Milford, about 2 ½ miles
from Hightstown, there is an ancient burial ground, wherein several of the old
owners of the soil thereabout found the last resting place of their earthly
remains. From a tombstone in that place I copy the following, verbatim et
literatu: "Sacred to the Memory of Ann Hutchinson, Relict of Wm Hutchinson Esqr.
departed this Life Jany. 4th 1801. Aged 101 years 9 Months and seven days. She
was mother of 13 children, and Grand Mother and great grand mother, & great
great Grand Mother of 375 Persons." I give also the punctuation and Capital
letters.
By applying the rule of compound subtraction, or more properly subtraction of
denominate numbers, and making allowance for the difference between Old and New
Style, we perceive that she was born on the 17th day of March 1699, and
consequently lived in three different centuries, i.e. she was born on the 17th,
lived through the whole 18th, and died in the 19th century. A very lengthy
article might be written upon the times, the scenes, and changes through which
she passed, and which she witnessed; but those conversant with history can fill
up the great space of her life with general incidents to suit themselves. I will
only mention a few facts in connection with her history, and that of her family.
She was the wife of Wm. Hutchinson, Esq, a Justice of the Peace under the crown
and government of England. This William Hutchinson took up from the government
all the land bounded easterly by or near the Earl of Perth's Patent, (at the
corner of the farm now owned by Mr. Wesley Sill,) and bounded northerly by Rocky
Brook, and extending westerly to at or about the farm now owned by Thomas Mount,
(son of Hiram Mount, dec'd); and extending southerly also to the Ely tract, (a
tract of 1500 acres taken up by John Ely, my great grandfather,) at or about the
property now owned by Abijah J. Chamberlin. You will perceive then, Mr. Editor,
that your office, and all of Hightstown south of Rocky Brook, stands on the
tract of this old lady's husband. Her first residence was a dwelling made of
pallisadoes, a few yards from where Mr. Goldy now lives. My uncle, the late Rev.
Robert Hutchinson, dec'd, and Mrs. Phebe Hutchinson, widow of Rev. Sylvester
Hutchinson, gave me several particulars in reference to the old Hutchinson
family, which I have not the space to fully record. Ann Hutchinson retained her
faculties to the last, and could see to thread a needle or read without
spectacles when in her 101st year. The family have been remarkable for
longevity. Her son, Joseph Hutchinson, (very properly and justly called in his
day by the Methodist Father Hutchinson,) lived on the place where Wm. R.
Hutchinson now lives. I well recollect the old gentleman myself. He was a very
exemplary and pious man, and between 1780 and 1790 was one of a very small class
or society in Milford. About the time Methodism began to be frequently preached;
my grand father, Richard Ely, who died in 1791, in his life time invited the
Methodists ministers to preach in his house, and in warm weather they sometimes
preached in his barn; he lived where Richard A. Ely, son of my uncle Aaron Ely,
now lives, in Millstone township. I have heard my father frequently say that he
remembered, though then young, when these meetings were held at his father's. By
(sic) why digress into the history of Methodism? Because the history of the old
Hutchinson family is identified with the early history of Methodism in this part
of the country. William Hutchinson, another son of this Ann, lived where Daniel
P. Hutchinson now lives, and had four sons, all of whom turned out to be
Methodist preachers, viz: Ezekiel Hutchinson, Robert Hutchinson, Sylvester
Hutchinson and Aaron Hutchinson, all of whom have passed the earth. Ezekiel
Hutchinson removed, many years before his death, to Ohio. My mother, who
departed this life in 1819, was one of the little band of despised Methodists
(for Methodists were persecuted and despised in their infancy) who formed the
church at Milford, and having been brought up to attend that church till I
arrived almost to manhood, and conversing much with the Hutchinson family, I
became of necessity acquainted with many facts in relation to that family, and
to the Methodist Church at Milford; which facts are many of them given by Judge
Pearce in the Record, a few weeks back, and are in accordance with what I
remember having heard from old people. There are many respectable families
descended from this Ann Hutchinson in the United States - Among those of her
descendants now living on the old Hutchinson tract are William R. Hutchinson,
Daniel P. Hutchinson, and the present Treasurer of New Jersey, R.M. Smith, Esq.
I would say, in conclusion, that not withstanding I have departed in my
religious views in some respects from ancient Methodism, the early instructive
lessons which I received from my Methodist relatives and friends, "He saves me
from a thousand snares." I still firmly believe the good old doctrine of free
grace, the freedom of the human will, and the universality of the atonement. To
which I will add; "Surely goodness and mercy have followed me all my days," and
that "The arms of love that compass me, Will all mankind embrace." J.J.E.
[Joseph J. Ely]
In the Village Record on the following week of the 27th Nov 1857, a response to
the above article was made by a great-grandson, Daniel P. Hutchinson, of William
& Ann:
“Mr. editor - Having noticed an article in your paper of the 20th inst.,
relative to the history of William and Ann Hutchinson, their burial place, and
descendants, and thinking it may be interesting to some of your readers who may
have lost the knowledge of their ancestors, I ask your indulgence while I speak
of some matters connected with these things.
William Hutchinson and one of his brothers came from England to this county
early in the 18th century. The maiden name of his wife Ann, was Simpson. Their
family of children, thirteen in number, as is recorded on Ann Hutchinson's
tombstone, consisted of five boys and eight girls. From these branches have
sprung numerous families, bearing the name of Tindall in the neighborhood of
Hamilton Square; English and Laird in Englishtown; Ely, Wilson, Moore, Taylor,
and others, of this vicinity; Kannan [Kinnan], Bennett and others, of New
Brunswick. The marriages into families of these names took place about one
century ago. With later generations come in the names of Cubberly, Dey, Moore,
Taylor, James, Hartman, and many others down to the present time, and now beside
hundreds of Hutchinsons in this vicinity, these descendants may be found in
almost every resident name among us. Although the date of the woman's birth
reaches back a period of about one hundred and sixty years, and her descendants
are numbered in the thousands, yet if she were living to-day in your borough,
she might receive daily visits from a grand-daughter who is now in the middle
age of life, while in other branches of the family she might look upon children
with a string of greats too long for any but a clear-headed person to mention.
In the old burying ground alluded to, this host may look upon the final resting
place of their time-honored ancestors- their first parents of this western
world. But it would be a sad sight to many, for the plough has already broken
the sod over many graves of this ancient burial place, and unless steps be
speedily taken, there will soon be left no mark to designate the sacred spot
where these first breakers of the soil rest.
I would ask if some plan may not be devised by which the remaining graves shall
be religiously protected, so that future generations may read this headstone. We
presume the present owner of the land would sell the lot to the descendants for
a trifling amount - That such graves should be thoughtlessly trampled upon seems
to us a burning shame; and from the personal knowledge we have of many of the
descendants, we believe that a sufficient amount of money could be raised to do
it in a permanent manner. D.P.H. [Daniel P. Hutchinson]
[Today, this ancient cemetery still exists off of Cedarville Road but with only
the two existing stones of Ann (Simpson) Hutchinson and her husband William plus
pieces of other fieldstones used as grave markers. I’m afraid that nothing was
done after the above article to preserve it and nothing has been done since.
Recently, many members of the community thought that site had been protected by East
Windsor Township due to the work of the East Windsor Township Preservation
Commission several years ago. This was work in which I participated to a limited
degree and even received written thanks from the Commission for helping preserve
the site. However, after many years, I was among the many surprised
residents who found out through various news articles in the local Hightstown,
New Jersey papers that this ancient
burial ground was not protected and had not been so protected as had been
proclaimed by the Commission. After having found this gravesite, many years ago,
I have walked through the fields to the site and tended to this
ancient cemetery each November in an attempt to keep it open. I have planted
numerous bulbs near the stones and have even introduced it to my grandson, aged
5, who would help me. This is the oldest known cemetery, with existing stones,
in East Windsor Township and it should be protected from further destruction.
The blade of the farmer's plow in the field currently passes over those two remaining
burials while the farm nearby uses the site as a place to discard various materials.
It would be a worthy project of the Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society to clean it up, put a fence around
it, and try to gain the proper preservation of the site for the future
generations. It would be a great project for the Society to complete the job
that the East Windsor Township Preservation Commission failed to finish.]
William is buried in field to the right of the big bend in the road from Etra to Roosevelt, after leaving Etra, by Feldsher Road. The two trees in the field to the right mark the spot of these two graves.
I found unauthored notes & material on the Hutchinson family in the New Jersey Historical Society in 1980s in an uncataloged cardboard box. I was given access to this material that appeared to have been given to the Society from a family. It contained newspaper clips, notes, and many pages of handwritten family sheets. I believe that this material MAY have come from Elmer Tindall Hutchinson, who was an officer of the Society and a well known author and historian. In this material, was information on the William and Ann (Simpson) Hutchinson family, which indicated that an Isaac Hutchinson of Three Hills Run, NJ, had the family record material on William and Ann.