William McQuown (abt. 1683 - aft. 1771)

Born about 1683 in County Monaghan, Ireland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died after 1771 after about age 88 in Somerset, New Jersey [uncertain]

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BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM MCQUOWN OF COUNTY MONAGHAN , IRELAND AND BEDMINSTER, SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY

William McQuown was born on or before 1683 based on the estimated and or known ages of his children and presuming he was age 21 or older at his marriage.

His son John is estimated to have been born in 1705; his son James in 1707; probably a daughter Anne born about 1713; and finally a son Robert born in 1719, a confirmed date from his tombstone. There would likely have been more children born during this span of time but no information has been found to date.

William is believed to be the son of John McQuown since he named his first son John and that follows the Scotch naming custom, where the first son is named for the father's father. It also very likely he was born in or around Ballybay, Monaghan , Ireland. William is also believed to be the grandson of John McEoughain who paid the hearth tax in Donagh, Monaghan, Ireland in 1665.

He most likely accompanied both his sons and daughter when they boarded ship in probably Belfaast and sailed to America, landing in New Castle Deleware from whence they proceeded to the Peapack Patent in Bedminster Township, Somerset Co., NJ. He may also have been accompanied by his father John. This last supposition is based on a name John on the tombstone for Robert McQuown, another son of William. This Robert was not named as a son of William in Francis Stewart's will of 1771 since both he and his wife had died prior to 1771. According to the "Destiny of thee Scotch-Irish" a later group of people emigrated from Ballybay on May 10, 1764, leaving from Newry, Ireland aboard the Ship John, arriving in New York July 28, 1764. 140 of the 300 passengers were members of Dr. Clarks Ballybay Presbyterian congregation. The group proceeded to Albany aboard two sloops and then went on to Lake George, New York where they had been promised land. A petition to the Council of New York to grant them the 34,800 acres of land was signed by the eighty seven heads of families from the congregation. Among these names are a number who also appear in early Somerset Co., New Jersey and later, Mt. Bethel, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania records. These include the following family names:

Robert Caldwell, James Craig, Gasper Hart, James Nelson, Alexander Stuart, John Gillespy, William Guthrey, John McComb, James Moor, Robert Dunlop, Robert Johnston (Johnson), James Graham, James Murray, Michael Bruce, John Chambers and John Wilson.

In addition to the petition, other names from this reference work are mentioned:

John and Robert Caldwell; James, Jane, John, Robert and Williaam Campbell;Hugh and John Fleming; Elizabeth, James , John and Joseph Craig; Hugh and John Fleming; Alexander, John and William Gaston; Francis, James and John Hunter; John, Robert and Rowland Kewn (also McCowan, Cown, Kown, etc.); and Hugh, James, John, Thomas and William McBride.

While this is a list of Ballybay people 28 years after our McQuown/McEwen family came to America, it gives a broad overview of the size of the Ballybay Presbyterian congregation. Our family members married Craig, Johnson, Guthrie, McBride, Fleming, Stewart and and Dunlop individuals.^[1]

The following certificate was in the possession of Mrs. Charles McBride who was Ann, daughter of Anna and William PETTIT. Anna MCEWEN [MCQUOWN] PETITT was the sister to Francis MCEWEN [MCQUOWN], Senior.^[2]

“Tullycorbet, [Monaghan Co., No. Ireland] May the 19th 1736 The bearer, James McKeun with his wife Isabel and their children, William, Joan, Henry and Margaret McKeun have been orderly members of this congregation, he from his infancy and she from her marriage, still free from all public scandal or church censure and in good repute and now designing to transport themselves with Divine concurrence into some of the Protestant colonies of America, we heartily recommend them to the care and Christian fellowship of any religious society where God’s providence shall order their lot. Certified by H. Thompson, minister.” [Note: Since Francis Stewart's 1771 will names William as the father of John and James, they William had to be living in Ballybay when James and most likely, John were born.]^[3]

1. 041 Robert MCCOWN (MCQUOWN) and William MCCOWN (MCQUOWN) of New Jersey, yeomen ... [bound to] ... Lewis Morris, Govenor... 500 pounds... Jun 28, 1745...Robert MCCOWN ...obtained license of marriage for himself and for Mary HELLEM, spinster...[w] Tho’s BARTOW.

[Note: HELLEM, HELM and HELLEN are very close to each other. William is most likely the father of Robert as a young man would not have the money to post a substantial bond.] ^[4]

Robert MCQUOWN, New Jersey and Mary HELLEN (HELM), June 28, 1745.^[5]

Wm. MCQUOWN witnessed the will of John Craig of Somerset Co., NJ on May 9, 1753.^[6]

“First Generation John Craig (or Creag, as he signed his will) was born about 1688, probably in North Ireland or Scotland. There appears to be no record of his parentage, the place of his birth, or when he came to America. He was a resident of Somerset County, New Jersey, and died there on May 23rd 1753. He was buried at Leamington, Somerset Co., New Jersey….

John Craig of Somerset County, whose parentage is unknown does not appear, from the land records of the County to have been the owner of any real estate. There is found, however, in the “Journals of Andrew Johnston, 1743 – 1763”, concerning Lots in Peapack Patent, this entry:

“Dec’r 8th 1753. Agreed and enter’d into articles with David Harriot (HERRIN?) for 300 acres at Peapack, being part of Lott No. 13 on which John Craig settled…”

In another record, from the same source, the person referred to as “Crages mother” is evidently Ann Craig who was executrix of John Craig’s will in 1753:….

[The complete will follows]

[Note: Since John Craig lived in Peapack, where James MCQUOWN and presumably, his father William MCQUOWN and brother, John MCQUOWN, it appears that the William MCQUOWN who signed the will is one and the same as William MCQUOWN, father of James MCQUOWN, husband of Isabella STEWARD. He would be the only William MCQUOWN older than age 21 in Somerset Co..] ^[7]

1753, May 9. CRAIG, John of Somerset Co.; will of. Wife, Ann, sole Executrix. Children – Samuel, John, Alexander Chambers, William Linn, Margrat, James. Personal estate. Witnesses – John Belyeu, Wm. MCQUOWN, Robert Craig, Proved June 6, 1753. Lib. F, p. 175. 1753, June 11. Inventory. £397.10, incl. books, 10s; 2 bushels of buckwheat, a Negro man, £55; the improvement, £30; made by Moses Craig and Thomas HELMS. Ibid page 186 and 187: [Note: the LINN family also moved to Cumberland Co., PA and lived near the MCQUOWN family.]^[8]

On August 24, 1758, William's son Robert died at age 39 and is buried with several of his children and posssibly his grandfather, John, in the Lamington Cemetery in Bedminster, Somerset Co., New Jersey.

Robert MCEOWN Intestate and Inventory – 1759 - Somerset Co., NJ; Account – 1762 – Somerset Co., NJ 00234.^[9]

Aug 22, 1759. Robert MCEOWEN, of Somerset Co., NJ, yeoman. Int. Bond of Mary MCEOWEN, widow of and Robert HELM as administrators of the estate of, Brice RIKY fellow bondsman. Lib. G, p. 94; Aug. 28, 1758. Inventory, L154.2.6, by John KINNAN and Hugh CAMPBELL.

Oct. 16, 1761 account by the Administrators, Mary COOPER, late widow of Robert MCKOWN and Robert HELM, who have sold it for L68.12.1. ^[10]

“P. A., June 7th, 1759. – Wm. MCCLEWEN (?) tells me that John ROYCE is gone off much in debt, and has sold his improv’t to Alex ‘r LINN; that LINN has let one David KILLPATRICK go on the place, expecting we will let him continue for a few years paying a reasonable rent. MCCLEWEN (?) says he will ingage for his good behavior. He has paid him 50 pounds for the improv’t. I have given MCCLEWEN (?) a few lines -------- to KILLPATRICK’s continuing on the place till otherways ordered. [Note: Other property records mention Peapack and Lamington, in Somerset Co., New Jersey. The next listing mentions Hugh and Hugh Jr. GASTON.] ^[11]

March 1, 1771. Francis Steward, of Somerset Co.; will of. To Francis MCCOWN, ₤10. To Elizabeth HACKET, ₤10. To Kezia TUNISON, daughter of Cornelius TUNISON, tertius, ₤5. Rest of personal and real estate to John MCCOWN, James MCCOWN, William MCCOWN and Henry MCCOWN. Executors – John MCCOWN and James MCCOWN, above named sons of William MCCOWN. Witnesses – Mary TUNISON, Cornelius TUNISON, Tertius. Proved Oct. 19, 1777. March 31, 1777. Inventory, ₤ 353.11.7, made by Jacob Ten Eyk, Cornelius TUNISON, and Tunis TUNISON. Lib. 19, p. 341. [Note: These names appear to be the same as those of the Centre Co. Pennsylvania McEwen Family. Kezia Tunison may be a neice of Francis STEWARD and Mary TUNISON is Francis STEWARD’s daughter who married James MCCLENNY March 12, 1740. If he died and she remarried Cornelius TUNISON III this makes some sense.] ^[12]

A notice posted in the" Pennsylvania Gazette:, Dec. 23, 1772: “William HOPKINS [William WOOD], a servant man; runaway from his bail; middle aged: 5 feet 10 inches high; very black hair; dark complexion; wears his hair tied back; short fore teeth; stoop shouldered and commonly followed ditching”, advertised by William M’CLUNE (MCQUOWN) and John MCEWEN (MCQUOWN). [Note: this would be William and his son John.]^[13]

William died sometime after witnessing the will of Francis Stewart but no record has as yet been found to document this.

Sources

1. ↑ "Destiny of the Scotch-Irish" an account of a Presbyterian migration 1720-1853 by H. Leonard Porter III; Hudson Historical and Genealogical Library, Hudson, Ohio
2. ↑ "History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania” 1883, by John Blair Linn; page 456
3. ↑ “Some McEwen Family Roots” by Robert L. McEwen and Jeanne Waters Strong; 1993 LDS Library: US/CAN 929.273 H1 no. 7947, pages 3 and 4: MCEWEN IN PENNSYLVANIA
4. ↑ “New Jersey Marriage Records 1665 – 1800” by William Nelson; 1892 Baltimore; Genealogical Publishing Co.; pg. 25. In addition: New Jersey Biographical and Genealogical Notes from the volumes of the New Jersey Archives by William Nelson; 1973; Genealogical Publishing Co.
5. ↑ “New Jersey Colonial Documents – Marriage Licenses” page 178
6. ↑ New Jersey Archives, 1st series, volume 32, Calendar of Wills 1751 - 1760. page 77
7. ↑ “The American Ancestors of Margaret Esther Boulton and William John Thorn”. Ann Arbor, MI 1944 Chapter One – the Craig Family – Early Generations: First Generation
8. ↑ New Jersey Colonial Documents, Calendar of Wills – 1751 – 1760 page 77
9. ↑ “Index to New Jersey Wills 1689 – 1890” by Smeal page 957
10. ↑ “New Jersey Archives”, 1st series, volume 32, Calendar of Wills 1751 - 1760; page 211e
11. ↑ “Somerset County Historical Quarterly” Vol. IV. – 1915 page 36
12. ↑ “Archives of the State of New Jersey” First Series – Vol. XXXIV – Vol. V of Calendar of Wills; Willow Bend Books, Westminster, Maryland; 2000; page 498: Calendar of Wills 1771 – 1780
13. ↑ Runaways of Colonial New Jersey: Indentured Servants, Slaves, Deserters and …” by Richard B. Marrin; page 172