John Borton (1634 - 1687)

Born 25 Jan 1634 in Aynhoe, Northamptonshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Anne (Kinton) Borton — married 12 Apr 1658 in Aynhoe, Northamptonshire, England

Descendants

Died 28 Jul 1687 at age 53 in Hillsdown, Evesham Township, Burlington, New Jersey

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Biography

John was a Friend (Quaker)

John and his family came to America and settled at Plymouth, New Jersey in 1676. (another source indicates arrived in 1679). He owned a 1/32 interest in the London tenth of the Province of West Jersey and owned a react of land 4 1/2 miles long by 1 1/2 miles wide about 12 miles east of Camden, NJ.

John Borton1 was baptized in 1634. In 1658 John, of Aynhoe, King's Sutton Hundred, Northamptonshire, married Ann Kinton.[4]

They soon became Friends, at a time when the group's stubborn refusal to submit to customary or legal practices they deemed contrary to Christian Truth resulted in persecution. The first recorded suffering for conscience sake of a Friend in Aynho was in 1659 when Margaret PARKER, "of Aino on the Hill, a poor Widow, having three Children, was imprisoned at Northampton seven and twenty Months for Tithes of Corn and Hay, less than 13s. 4d. in Value."[5]

In January 1660/1 John Borton and eight other men from the area, including John Bett from Aynho, were "taken out of their own Houses by Soldiers, and committed to Prison for refusing the Oaths".[6] They justified their refusal to take an oath by pointing to the clear instruction of Jesus in Matthew 5:34 to "swear not at all", echoed in James 5:12. Vindictive authorities quickly learned that tendering an oath to a Quaker who would refuse to take it was an easy way to find him or her guilty.

With the abortive uprising of the Fifth Monarchy Men (with whom Friends had no connection other than that they were both minority non-conforming religious groups) and the return to power of the Cavalier Parliament following the restoration of the Stuart monarchy, persecution increased.

The Number of [Friends] Prisoners now in Northampton Goal [sic] was near forty, put into the Low-Goal twelve Steps under Ground, where they were lockt up every Night among Felons, and in Winter the Goaler kept the Door fast sixteen Hours together, and they lay so close one by another, that he who was up last could hardly set his Foot between them to go to the Place where he should lie. Some of them were sick for Want of Air, and when their Friends came many Miles to visit them, they were not admitted: Their Food and Necessaries were often kept from them, so that their Sufferings were exceeding great. . . . The Generality of the Prisoners before mentioned lay about three or four Months, and then were discharged by the King's Proclamation.[7]

In 1665 John BETT, John BORTON, Edward HARDLY, and John HOLCROFT, "poor Labourers, had their Goods taken by Distress for a Fine of 4s. each, imposed for four Weeks Absence from their Parish-Church".[8] Parliament re-established a state church and decreed that all citizens must attend each Sunday or incur a fine. Friends, of course, refused to attend something they found devoid of spiritual nourishment. When they refused to pay the fines because the law itself was unjust, goods were taken from their homes or shops, often at many times the value of the original fine.

The fact that John Borton was considered to be a "poor labourer" probably had more to do with his decision to emigrate than the persecution he and his family endured. Early Friends knew that their example of trying to follow the teachings of Christ would get them in trouble. They believed that by remaining steadfast in the face of persecution would speak more loudly than mere words, and would help convince others to change their lives. However, the steady depredations on their resources by distraint and imprisonment meant that they would be unable to help their children to become independent adults. Therefore, when the Bortons heard about a group of Friends establishing a settlement on the Delaware River in West Jersey, where land was plentiful and cheap, they were interested. In 1679 they joined a group of several families of Friends sailing on the Griffith the province of West Jersey. They took with them a teenage son of Aynho neighbors.

John Borton, of Agnoe and his wife, Ann were granted a certificate of removal from Adderbury Meeting, England to Burlington Monthly Meeting in 1679.^[1]

A New Land - Hillsdown, West Jersey

"John Borton, with Anne, his wife, and seven children, two boys and five girls, settled at Hillsdown, on the Northampton River, now known as Rancoas Creek, New Jersey. The land he entered was a tract in Evesham Township, now Mount Laurel, Burlington, New Jersey. The tract of land extended from a line now [1908] occupied by the Mount Holly and Moorestown turn pike to Rancocas Creek, and was known as "Borton Tract."^[2]

John died in 1687 at Hillsdown, Evesham Township, Burlington County New Jersey.^[2]

Will of John Borton

He left a will dated "Ye 28th day of ye fifth month 1687" and proved 11th month 14th day of the same year.^[2]

I, John Borton of Hillsdown, being weak in body but of perfect memory,have made this my last will and testament in manners as follows:

Imprimis, I commit my soul to Almighty God who gave it me and my body to ye earth from whence it came, and to be laid in ye Burial Ground of Friends of Burlington

ITEM: I give to my son John that Settlement called Hillsdown, lying in the South Side of Northampton River, being in quantity 300 acres and somewhat more, together with barn, house and all other outhouses with garden, orchard, and all manner of improvements to whatsoever, except one third part thereof which I give to my dear wife Ann Borton and five pounds a year which she will during her natural life and widowhood.

I also give to my son John, a two and thirtieth part of a property through ye county and one yoak of oxen.

ITEM: I give to my son William the settlement fronting upon Northampton River northward, being in quantity 100 acres and somewhat more, with house, barn, garden, orchards, together with all manner of improvements hereinto belonging to my 3 lots upon Burlington Island and also 2 and 30th part of a property throughout the County, with one yoak of oxen.

ITEM: I give to my grandchildren 10 shillings apiece. All ye rest of my cattle and goods I give to my wife and six daughters, my debts and legacies being first paid, as follows: VIZ: one third to my wife and ye other 2/3 to be divided equally among my six daughters.

John Borton

Signed in the presence of us: John Wollman, Enoch Cole

Family Members

Parents

• William Borton 1590 – 1656
• Elizabeth Reade 1594 – 1689

Siblings

• William A Borton 1615 – 1616
• William Borton 1619 – 1686
• Elizabeth Borton 1622 – 1699
• Jane Borton 1625 – 1669
• Margaret Borton 1628 – 1629
• Henry Borton 1630 – 1683

Spouse & Children

• Anne Kinton 1636 – 1687
  • Jane Borton 1659 – 1688
  • Anne Borton 1660 – 1688
  • Elizabeth Borton 1664 – 1718
  • Ester Borton 1667 – 1719
  • John Borton 1669 – 1749
  • William Borton 1672 – 1699
  • Susanna Borton 1675 – 1718
  • Mary Borton 1678 – 1739

Sources

1. ↑ Certificate of Removal. Burlington Monthly Meeting. Ancestry. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 Image
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} History of the Borton and Mason Families in Europe and America (1908), page 10

This citation provides evidence for John Borton

3 citations provide evidence for Name, Death

• Haines, Richard. Genealogy of the Stokes Family, Descended from Thomas and Mary Stokes Who Settled in Burlington County, N.J. Camden, NJ, USA: Sinnickson Chew & Sons Company, Printers, 1903.

1 citation provides evidence for Name

• Millennium File: Name: John Borton Bourton

Gender: Male

Christening Date: 25 Jan 1634

Christening Place: of Aynhoe, Nrthmp, England

Death Date: 31 May 1687

Death Place: Hilsdown, Burlg., New Jersey, USA

Marriage Date: 12 Apr 1658

Father: William Borton

Mother: Elizabeth

Spouse: Anne Kinton

Children: Elizabeth Borton

Spouse Father: William Kinton

Spouse Mother: Elizabeth

Source Information:

Heritage Consulting. Millennium File [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2003.

Original data: Heritage Consulting. The Millennium File. Salt Lake City, UT, USA: Heritage Consulting.

Description: The Millennium File contains more than 880,000 linked family records, with lineages from throughout the world, including colonial America, the British Isles, Switzerland, and Germany.

1 citation provides evidence for Name, Death, Marriage, Baptism

• U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s: Name: John Borden

Arrival Year: 1678

Arrival Place: New Jersey

Source Publication Code: 8070

Primary Immigrant: Borden, John

Annotation: Names heads of families who came in the ship Kent to Wickaco and arrived and settled in the neighborhood of Burlington in October 1677, and in the Martha, November 1677. The Shield from Hull and other, unnamed ships from England in 1678 are also included.

Source Bibliography: SCHERMERHORN, WILLIAM E. The History of Burlington, New Jersey, from the Early European Arrivals in the Delaware to the Quarter Millenial Anniversary, in 1927, of the Settlement by English Quakers in 1677. Burlington, NJ: Enterprise Publishing Co., 1927, pp. 379-380 (appendix).

Page: 380

1 citation provides evidence for Name, Arrival

• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900: Name: John Borton

Gender: Male

Birth Place: En

Birth Year: 1634

Spouse Name: Anne Kinton

Spouse

Birth Place: En

Spouse Birth Year: 1636

Marriage

Year: 1658

Marriage State: En

Number Pages: 1

Source Citation: Source number: 86.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: LLH.

Source Information: Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

Original data: This unique collection of records was extracted from a variety of sources including family group sheets and electronic databases. Originally, the information was derived from an array of materials including pedigree charts, family history articles, querie.

1 citation provides evidence for Name, Birth, Marriage

• U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994: Source Citation: Haverford College; Haverford, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Minutes.

Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

Original data: Swarthmore, Quaker Meeting Records. Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

North Carolina Yearly Meeting Minutes. Hege Friends Historical Library, Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina.

Indiana Yearly Meeting Minutes. Earlham College Friends Collection & College Archives, Richmond, Indiana.

Haverford, Quaker Meeting Records. Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania.

1 citation provides evidence for Name, Death

• Web: New Jersey, Find A Grave Index, 1664-2012: Memorial# 70693081

1 citation provides evidence for Name, Death, Birth, Burial

• Genealogy of the Stokes Family: Descended from Thomas and Mary Stokes Who Settled in Burlington County, N.J. (Indexed)

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:SBT4-QDP : accessed 2017-01-16), entry for John /Borton or Bourton/.