CAPTAIN JOHN BOWNE, patentee, was the son of William Bowne (q.v.) and his wife Ann. The writer believes that he was born in 1626, but can give no record to verify this, the impression probably being gained from some youthful conversation with his grandmother, who had much to say about her early Bowne ancestors. He died on Jan. 3, 1684.
With his father, William, he came from Salem to Gravesend, where, Sept. 20, 1647, he was alloted a plantation.
He was the unquestioned leader in the settlement of Monmouth, and, at one time, or another, held all the importnat offices within the gift of the people or the appointment of the Crown. At the time of his death he was Major of the Monmouth Militia, the ranking military officer of the county. No adequate account of his activities can be undertaken here.
He married Lydia, daughter of the Reverend Obadiah Homes, who long survived him. Their children were: Captain John (2nd), 1664-1716, who married Frances Bowman, and died s.p.; Captain Obadian, 1666-1726, who married, first, his own cousin, Elizabeth, daughter of Governor Andrew Bowne, and, secondly, Elizabeth, daughter of Captain Cornelius Longfield, who was the son of the Dutch Admiral Van Langveldt; Deborah, who married Richard Stillwell; Sarah, who married Richard Salter; and, Catherine, who married William Hartshorne.
The name has almost died out, but through female lines - Hartshorne, Longstreet, Hornor, Crawford, and many others - his blood is yet largely with us.
WALTER CLARKE, of Rhode Island, 1640-1714, was a son of Governor Jeremy Clarke. He was very active in forwarding the settlement of Monmouth, and did all in his power to make the enterprise a success. He did not himself come here, nor did any of his family, so far as the writer knows.
NICHOLAS DAVIS, of Newport, R.I., was another of the Patentees who did not settle here. He was originally of Plymouth Colony, where he was made a Freeman of Barnstable in 1643. He is said to have met his death by drowning in 1672.
SERGEANT RICHARD GIBBONS, Patentee, came here from Oyster Bay. He is said to have sometimes written his name "Gibbine:. He was Constable, and filled other offices. Lot No. 7 was awarded to him at Middletown. He lived near Nut Swamp, and his farm is said to have been of 500 acres. He was a Justice of the peace. His death took place in the summer of 1684. The Christian name of his wife was Elizabeth. Their children were: Mordecai, (1), who married Rebecca Grover and had children - Richard, Benjamin, who married Mary ..., and it supposed, James and Johanna; a son whose name is not known; (2), Johanna, (3), who married Thomas Applegate, and, it is believed, Ruth,(4), who married, 6-24-1686, William Lawrence.
WILLIAM GOULDING, or GOLDEN, Patentee, had lot No. 25 at Middletown, which, in 1672 he sold to Richard Hartshorne, who, in turn, sold it to Edward Crome. Information concerning him is not available. He is supposed to have been the father of Joseph, of Freehold, who married Anneke Davis; William and Samuel, of Cape May county; Anne, who married, first, Joseph Holmes, and, secondly, after 1704, Peter Perrine; and, probably, other children.
JAMES GROVER, Patentee, had lot No. 16 in the 1667 apportionment of Middletown lots. He came from Gravesend. One of the most active and useful of the first settlers, he had charge of the early land surveys. He was a Baptist. The Christian name of his wife was Rebecca. His death took place in 1685 or 1686. His children were: Joseph, (1), who married Hannah, daughter of William Lawrence (whe marrying as second husband, 1694, Nathaniel Leonard), by whom a son, Thomas, and two daughters; James, (2), the given-name of whose wife was Alice, and who was the father of Rebecca, who married Mordecai Gibbons; Safety, (3), Abagail, (4), who married Benjamin Borden; and Hannah, (5), who married, first, Richard Gardiner, and secondly, William Winter. The home farm of James Grove the first was at Tinton Falls. This he sold to Lewis Morris in 1673. The family has been largely represented in Upper Freehold, as well as along the shore.
OBADIAH HOLMES, patentee. The name is found in the Domesday Book under Tenants in Chief, as de Holmo. Robert Holmes, who lived, i think, in the Manchester district of England, was buried 1-14-1604-5. His wife, Alice, was buried 9-7-1610. Their son Robert, buried 11-12-1640, married, 10-8-1605, Katherine Johnson, buried 9-8-1630. These last were the parents of the Reverend Obadiah Holmes, born 1607, died 10-15-1682, buried at Middletown, Rhode Island. His wife was Catherine Hyde, from whose family is said to have sprung Queen Anne, herself, the mal-odorous Earl of Clarendon, and the still more mal-ororous Lord Cornbury, sometime Royal Governor of New York and New Jersey.
Reverend Obadiah Holmes was the first pastor of the first Baptist church in America (Newport), and suffered much from religious persecution (see Benedict's History of the Baptists, and other works treating of the times). He did not himself come to Monmouth, save as a transient visitor, but three of his children were prominently identified with its settlement - Lydia, who married Captain John Bowne, Obadian, and Jonathan.
Of these last two and their descendants, Judge Beekman has treated in his Early Dutch Settlers.
WILLIAM REAPE, Patentee, was of Newport, R.I., where he died in 1670. He did not come to Monmouth, but after his death his wife, Sarah, removed to Shrewsbury, where she died in 1715. There was one son, William, who was insane; a daughter Sarah, who married Wiliam Marsh and lived at Shrewsbury; and a second daughter who married William Brindley, of Rhode Island.
SAMUEL SPICER, son of Thomas and Micael, of Gravesend, married Esther (Hester), daughter of John and Mary Tilton. He did not long remain in Monmouth, but removed to the banks of the Delaware River, where he died about 1699. Both Samuel and Micael, his mother, had suffered from religious persecution. The family became one of the most prominent in West New Jersey. His children were - Abraham, Jacob, Mary, Sarah, Martha, Abagail, Thomas, and Samuel.
RICHARD STOUT, Patentee, is believed to have been a son of John Stout, of Nottinghamshire, or Northhampton, England. He is said to have come to America as a sailor, and to have been a man of parts, but of little formal education. He had, as has been told, amrried Penelope Van Princes and had participated in the vain attempt at an earlier settlement near Middletown. In 1657 he had a plantation of 17 morgens (about 34 acres) at Gravesend. He drew lot No. 6 at Middletown. His death took place about 1705, his wife surviving him for some years. The children were: (1) John, who had lot 19 at Middletown. His wife's name was Elizabeth. There was at least one son, Richard, who married twice, both of his wives, Esther and Mary, being daughters of Peter and Rebecca (Brazier) Tilton. his children were Esther, who married a Woolley, John, Jonathan, Mary, Catherine, and, Rebecca. (2) Richard, who had a son Joseph. (3) Mary, who married, 12-26-1665, Captain James Bowne. (4) James. (5) Alice who married, Dec. 12, 1670, John Throckmorton. (6) Peter, who married Mary Bullen, and had, among others, Mary and Peter. (7) Sarah, who is supposed to have married one of the Pikes, of Woodbridge. (8) Jonathan, of Hopewell, who married, Anna, daughter of james Bolton, and had children - Joseph, Sarah, Hannah, Benjamin, Zebulon, Jonathan, David, Samuel, and Anne. (9) Benjamin. (10) David, whose wife's name was Rebecca, and who is supposed to have been the father of James, of Amwell.
NATHANIEL SYLVESTER, Patentee, was of Shelter Island. He married a sister of Francis Brindley, Governor's Assistant of Rhode Island. He did not come to Monmouth.
JOHN TILTON, Patentee, was the son of John and Mary (Goodie) Tilton of Gravesend, who supported religious persecution and were banished by Stuyvesant. The children of these were John (1), Thomas (2), Peter (3), Esther (4), who married Samuel Spicer, Sarah (5), who married John Painter, Abigail (6), who married, first, Ralph Warner, and, secondly, William Scott, and Mary (7), who married, first a Carman, and, secondly, Henry Bowman.
JOHN TILTON, Patentee (2), sone of John (1), amrried Rebecca Terry. He died in 1704, she, sup. Dec. 18, 1715. Their children were: Sarah, who married Walter Herbert; John, who married Margaret Lippencott; Abraham, not traced; Samuel, married Patience, supposed daughter of Jedediah Allen; Daniel, married, sup. Elizabeth Powell; Thomas, married Faith Lawrence; Mary, married James Grover, Jr.; Hester, married William Lawrence; and Peter, married Lydia Bills.
PETER TILTON (3), was a Justice of the Peace. he married Rebecca Brazier, and had children: John, Peter, Thomas, Daniel, Henry, Samuel, Esther, and Rebecca.