John Berrien (1711 - 1772)

Born 19 Nov 1711 in Newtown, Queens, New York

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Eaton) Berrien — married 16 Aug 1759 in Somerset, Somerset, New Jersey

Descendants

Died 22 Apr 1772 at age 60 in Rocky Hill, Somerset, New Jersey

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John Berrien is Notable.

Biography

Judge John Berrien, a was born 19 November 1711 in Newtown, Queens, New York. ^[1]

Marriages

Judge John Berrien was twice married.unsafe site: dennisberrien.com/tree3.html#John_PC

1. Mary Leonard, m. 1744; no children
2. Margaret Eaton b. 1733 in Eatontown, NJ d. March 29, 1819; bur. at St. Mary's Churchyard, Burlington, NJ; daughter of John and Johanna (Wardell) Eaton.

Children

1. John John Berrien
2. Elizabeth Eaton Berrien 1762-1799, m. Nathaniel Lawrence 1761-1797
3. William Berrien 1764-1814, m. Mary MacPherson 1765-1832.
4. Samuel Berrien, b. 1766 at Rocky Hill, Somerset, NJ; d abt 1830 East Windsor, Mercer Co., N.J. m. Ann Hepburn, she d abt. 1833 East Windsor, Mercer Co., N.J.
5. Mary Mary Berrien
6. Thomas Berrien 1769-1850, m. Rachel Freeman 1776-1857.

Occupation

Occupation: Judge of the Supreme Court of New Jersey

Date: ABT 1735

Will Abstract

1772, April 21. Berrien, John, of Rocky Hill, Somerset Co.; will of. Wife, Margaret Berrien, and my 6 children, John, Elizabeth, William, Mary, Samuel and Thomas, all real and personal; the children to have their shares when of age. Executrix—wife, Margaret. Witnesses—Richard Stockton, Samuel W. Stockton, Israel Everett. Proved May 2, 1772. Lib. K, p. 419.^[2]

Death and Legacy

John Berrien died 22 APR 1772, aged 60 Rocky Hill, Somerset, New Jersey, and is buried in Princeton Cemetery.^[3]

Notes

Long quote from Rockingham.net^[4]

"Rockingham is believed to be the second oldest house in the Millstone River Valley, its original rooms built between 1702 and 1710. The house was originally a two-story, two-room frame house situated high on a rocky hillside above the river. When the house was purchased by John Berrien, a prominent New Jersey Supreme Court Judge, in 1735, he greatly enlarged it for his growing family, making it a substantial farm appropriate for a wealthy, educated man.

"In June of 1783, some Philadelphia troops of the Continental Army went into revolt and marched upon Philadelphia. Congress fled to Princeton, New Jersey, after being assured of New Jersey's protection. Elias Boudinot, President of the Continental Congress, called upon General George Washington to send a loyal detachment of troops to Philadelphia and, thereafter, requested his presence in Princeton. Washington was in Newburgh, New York, near West Point with the remains of the standing army and only too happy to comply. When accommodations were sought for Washington and his retinue in August, there was little still available for a short-term stay. The only suitable home sat four miles away and belonged to the widow of John Berrien. Mrs. Margaret Berrien (who was living in a townhome in Princeton) agreed to rent Rockingham to the General and his entourage on a monthly basis. On August 23rd of 1783, General Washington - accompanied by his wife, three aides-de-camp, a small guard of two to three dozen soldiers including dragoons (the equivalent of military police today), and servants - took up residence.

"The General would ultimately stay there for almost three months, from August to November. It must have been a pleasant stay with Rockingham's varied orchards and spacious grounds, although Mrs. Washington was ill and returned to Mount Vernon. Washington entertained frequently, including various dignitaries such as Jefferson and Madison and hosted at least one party with over two hundred guests.

"Sometime in mid to late October, 1783, Washington wrote his Farewell Orders to the Armies, giving thanks and praise to his troops and announcing his retirement from military service. He then sent this document out on October 30, to be read to the army at West Point and published in Philadelphia newspapers on November 2. On October 31st, Washington and Congress received word that the Treaty of Paris had been signed, effectively ending the Revolutionary War. On November 10th, Washington left the farmstead and returned to New York to eventually oversee the evacuation of British troops from New York City."

Sources

1. ↑ Civil Service Record in the DAR but they note he died before...Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed June 23, 2021), "Record of Berrien, John Sr", Ancestor # A009557.
2. ↑ Page 41 Calendar of New Jersey Wills. https://ia804606.us.archive.org/4/items/calendarofnewjer06newj/calendarofnewjer06newj.pdf
3. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #9727079
4. ↑ http://www.rockingham.net/history.html

• Ancestry Family Trees
• Somerset Co Hist Q Franklin Township Hist Notes printed 1915 Vol IV p-184 and p-187 "Colonial history of N J First series Vol 32"
• Wikipedia.org for John Berrien, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Berrien

Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Berrien-24 created through the import of WORCESTER_2012-07-31.ged on Jul 31, 2012 by Bob Worcester.
• Thank you to Bill Schroeder for creating WikiTree profile Berrien-30 through the import of wiki2.ged on Nov 24, 2013.