The Huntington Family

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

Source: J. Percy Crayon, Rockaway Records of Morris County, N. J. Families, (Rockaway, N.J., Rockaway Publishing Co., 1902)

The HUNTINGTON family came from Norwich, Eng. Simon, his wife Margaret (BERRET) formally a French Huguenot, and there three sons, Christopher, Simon (2) and Thomas. On the voyage, he was taken ill with fever and dysentery, one authority says smallpox, and died while in sight of land near the mouth of the Connecticut river, was buried at Saybrook, CT, 1633. He was born 1583. He had a brother Samuel in England who was a captain in the King’s Life Guard.

His wife became a member of the Rev. John ELLIOT’s church at Roxbury, Mass., where she probably married as the third wife of Thomas STOUGHTON, of Winsor, who came from Dorcester, Eng., on the same ship with Simon HUNTINGTON. The son settled at Saybrook, CT, Christopher and Simon went afterward to Norwich, CT, and from thence to Branford, CT, and with the Branford Colony in May 1666, to Newark, NJ.

Thomas married (1) a daughter of William SWAINE, of Whethersfield, CT, (2) Hannah, daughter of Jasper CRANE, merchant, who moved from New Haven, CT, to Banford, CT, 1652, and came with the Banford Colony to Newark in 1666. Thomas was born in England about 1626, died at Newark 1687. Hannah, his widow, married (2) John WARDSEN as second wife.

Thomas and Hannah (CRANE) had children: Samuel and Hannah. Samuel was born 1667, died 1708. The will dated Nov. 11, 1704, names children: Thomas, who had wife Susanna; Simon, born 1686, had wife Thankful, died in Morris county, perhaps at Whippany, July 17, 1770, and Hannah. The will of Simon mentions a brother Samuel.

Children of Simon and wife Thankful (who was she?): Samuel had wife Elizabeth; Eunice married Isaac OGDEN, one of the founders and subscribers of the Rockaway Church in 1758. Probably lived, died and was buried there, date unknown. Phebe, married Gershon GARD, son on (of?) Jenimah and Elizabeth, Jan. 18, 1758, lived at Ninkey, NJ, removed to Ohio in 1787. Capt. Gershom GARD was one of the seven sons who served in the Revolution. Elizabeth, married Thomas, son of Timothy PIERSON, Dec. 10, 1760. He was born 1737, died May 16, 1782, both probably buried at Rockaway. Sarah married WINTER; Simon married SYBE; John married Elizabeth HEADY, of Morristown, NJ, by Rev. Timothy JOHNES, June 16, 1750. He was resident at Morristown, and a member of the Presbyterian church to 1758, when he became a resident and manager of the iron works at Shongum, and was prominent as a member, officer and subscriber to the Rockaway church, holding at this early date pew number one. Deacon John was quartermaster under Gen. William WINDS.

Children of John and Elizabeth (HEADY) HUNTINGTON: Synon, baptized July 29, 1759; Gillard, baptized Feb. 21, 1760, both become members of the Rockaway church in 1793. John was born at Shongum, Nov. 2, 1779, and baptized there Oct. 21, 1782. Abraham, of Shongum, married Sarah LOSEY, May 10, 1796. Deacon John HUNTINGTON died about 1782 or 3 as no records of the church show, his children remained at Shongum until about 1800. He was more than probably buried at Rockaway, this being at the time of "Dark Ages" for church records, no mention is made at Rockaway or at Morristown. As none of the name was among the list of communicants Oct. 11, 1808, it is probable the families removed not later than 1800.

Soon after the Revolution many of the old families of this section sought the more fertile lands of the West, Western New York, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, and not a few to Vermont, and with them the old Bibles that contained the records of the old families.

This sketch may seem insignificant to the general reader, but researches have been made from the New England Genealogical Records, Savage’s Genealogies, The HUNTINGTON Family, Conger’s Newark Families, State and County records, Church records of Rockaway and Morristown, and all these fail to show many of the minor details that would make it more of interest.

The names Simon and Samuel are prominent in the family connections. Samuel HUNTINGTON, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was son of Nathaniel, the farmer, the son of Deacon Joseph, the son of Deacon Simon, of Saybrook, Conn., the son of Simon who died on the voyage from England. Samuel HUNTINGTON, son of Rev. Joseph, was governor of Ohio in 1808-10. He died July 8, 1817. Gen. Jedediah HUNTINGTON, graduate of Harvard, 1763, of Yale 1770, the son of Thomas, the son of Christopher, the son of Simon the first, was aid-de-camp to Gen. WASHINGTON. He was born at Norwich, Conn., Aug. 15, 1743, died at New London, Conn., Sept. 18, 1818

Transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003)