First Generation

1. Richard HARTSHORNE¹ was born on 24 Oct 1641 in Hathern, Leics., England. He died on 17 May 1722 in Middletown, Monmouth, New Jersey. Richard Hartshorne was the son of William Hartshorne of Hathern, Leicestershire and the brother of Hugh, a successful upholsterer of London. While Hugh probably never came to this country, he held substantial financial interests here as he was one of the twelve proprietors of East Jersey. Richard came to America from London in September, 1669, in his twenty-eighth year, although some records indicate that he settled in Middletown in May, 1666. He probably sojourned in Rhode Island for a brief time as he married Margaret Carr there. As he was of the Quaker faith there was doubtless little tolerence for this expression in New England.

It was, doubtless, through the representations of his father in law that Richard Hartshorne directed his steps to Middletown, N.J. Here at Weikec, in the vicinity of Bay Shore, John Hawes, an early settler, had cleared and partially fenced a piece of land upon which he had commenced the erection of a house. Sandy Hook was first held under a grant to him in 1677. Being a member of the Society of Friends, he was visited in 1672 by George Fox, who says,

"We went with a Friend, Richard Hartshorn, brother of Hugh Hartshorn, the upholsterer, in London, who received us gladly at his house, where we refreshed ourselves; and then he carried us and our horses in his own boat over a great water, which occupied most part of the day getting over, and set us upon Long Island." [George Fox, An Autobiography; Chapter XVIII, Two Years in America, 1671-1673]

He was apointed by William Penn and his associates one of the commissioners to lay out West Jersey, but whether he acted in that capacity or not is uncertain.

Richard Hartshorne began farming on Wakecake Creek and discovered that the Indian title had not been purchased by the patentees, the only persons authorized to do so. Said Hartshorne, "The Indians ... came to my house and laid their hands on the post and frame of the house and said the house was theirs, they never had anything for it, and told me if I would not buy the land, I must be gone." With other threats, which included killing his cattle, he went to Gravesend and purchased the interest of William Goulding, thus becoming a patentee with the right to purchase from the Indians. "When I came back," he wrote, "the Indians were at me and I did. James Grover, Richard Stout, Samuel Spicer were at Wakecake, when I bought and paid for it, I then being a patentee as well as the rest."
[Samuel Smith, The History of .... Nova-Caesaria, or New Jersey]

"Capt. Stout paid the indians a barrill sider for me and I gave them a note for an anker of rum because they should not drink it at my house.
RICHD HARTSHORNE."

"When the Indians sould the land the except of bunting treese for Cannoes fishing, fouling, pluming, Hucelbering and such like there fore I bought them them and they have not pretended since to trouble me."
RICHD HARTSHORNE."

Deed, 8 Aug., 1698, conveying to Richd Hartshorne from Vowavapon & Tocushis formerly Hendricks, the rights of pluming, hunting, fishing etc. as Hartshornes sheep were killed and "for peace and quietness."
--Hartshorne papers.

On the 18th of Feb., 1669-70, he agreed, for the sum of three hundred and fifty guilders, to transfer his claim to Hartshorne, and in a final agreement, on the 27th of the same month, he stipulated to finish the house by "daubing" it inside and outside; by making a chimney and one out-let; by laying, the "floore"; by making a cellar under the out-let, and by placing one window in the house, with four lights, with "shutts to the lower lights." It was further agreed by Hawes that he would have all this work completed by the last of April next ensuing. The transfer deed was recorded in the Town Book, on the 24th of May, 1670, by which we can infer that the work had been finished according to contract, and that Richard Hartshorne and his bride had either taken possession or were about to do so. He rapidly acquired lands by grant and purchase. Among them the Sandy Hook and Highlands Tract, which was granted to him by the Proprietors, and which reached Westerly to Lupatotong Creek, the dividing line between Keyport and Matawan, on the Easterly side of which lies the old and but recently altered Kearny House, and on the Westerly side the modern house built by Henry Seabrook. Through his tract ran, enumerating them from the West to the East, Monasconk, Chingaroras, and Waycake Creeks, which are, frequently, at this day, confused, Monasconk, next East of Lupatatong being called Chingaroras. Further this tract was bounded by the Bay Shore and reached inward to the Indian Path. The Bowne tract which adjoined, extended Westerly from Lupatatong Creek to the Raritan River. While these boundaries have been given as the limits of the grants to Hartshorne and Bowne, yet they could not have been wholly intact, for Whitlock, Compton and others were in possession of large tracts on these very sites. In all it is said Hartshorne's lands amounted to two thousand three hundred and twenty acres, but I have found evidence of more. Enumerated in this tract were, probably, some of the following lands:

- 1670, Apr. 23 He purchased town lot 25, from William Golding to whom, in the original division of lots, in 1667, it had been assigned, and on Dec. 26,1670, he conveyed it to Edward Crome.

- 1672, Nov. 25. He purchased the claims of land, in the Monmouth Patent, owned by the aforesaid William Golding. - 1677. Richard Hartshorne's Lease of Sandy Hook, dated Oct. 27, of this year: Whereas Richard Hartshorne hath a purpose to sett up a fishery at the River's mouth of this province Intending to put himselfe to Some Considerable Charge about the Same, and having Solicited us, the Governor and Council of this province and the Right Honorable Sir George, Carteret, .... absolute Lord Proprietor of the same, for encouragement, wherefore we doe grant him, &c., as followeth:
1. to enjoy the whole range and benefitt of Hearbage and feed for hogs and cattle with privilege of fowling, fishing, etc. .... upon the beach called Sandy Hook, for 21 years; rent, 1 pepper corn, yearly, if demanded.
2. at the expiration of the lease, Richard Hartshorne to enjoy a double proportion, for range, with any other persons, that may become an inhabitant; reserving rights to the Lord Proprietors, etc.
Abstract of the original Hartshorne paper.

Among real estate transaction bearing the name of Richard Hartshorne, were some of the following:

- 1676, June 28. He had seven hundred and fifty acres granted to him by the Proprietors, at one half pence per acre, of £1-11-13, yearly, quit rent.
- 1677, May 9. He received one hundred and fifteen acres in Middletown.




- 1678, Nov. 22. He received four hundred and forty five acres in Middletown.
- 1685, July 8. He received five hundred acres at Manasquan.
- In 1685, he bought lands at the head of Barnegat Bay.
- 1685, Dec. 7. He received five hundred acres, on both sides of the Manasquan River, etc.
- 1686, June 8. He received four hundred acres.
- In 1687, he bought land from John Smith and Mary, his wife.
- 1692, Nov. 2. He received two hundred plus two hundred acres, "one of the tracts is Sandy Hook, other in Bay.
- In 1699, he was possessed of lands on both sides of the King's Highway, in Middletown. Those on the South side, he sold, in this year, to William Wilkins, who in turn sold them, in 1716, to George Taylor.
- In 1703, he conveyed to his son, William, Portland Point, being five hundred acres.

He took up his residence at Portland on the Highland Tract; which he retained until 1703, when he removed to the village of Middletown. Here he erected and occupied the house still standing easterly of the old George Murray or present Coudert house and on the highway at the junction of the road running to the Atlantic Highlands in which he remained till his death in 1722. The lands transferred to William Hartshorne remained intact to the time of his death in 1748, when he devised the greater portion of them to his sons Robert and Esek, though John, another son, got two hundred acres of it on Claypit creek and Navasink river, as also a large tract of land on Rumson neck. Thus it remained till 1762, when Esek released to Robert all his title to lands south of a line drawn East and West through his territory, making each tract about seven hundred and forty seven acres and each retaining a one-half interest in Sandy Hook. The property of Robert lay on the South side along the Navesink river. It was kept by him till his death in 1801, when his son Richard became seized of the title and lived upon the estate till his death in 1831, when it in turn passed to his son Robert upon whose demise in 1872, it passed to his sons Benjamin M. and Edward Hartshorne. The title to the northern part of the original estate, which, as we have seen, was vested in Esek, was sold by his executors June 8, 1797, to Tylee Williams, including an undivided one-half interest in Sandy Hook, the whole being about 800 acres. Tylee Williams conveyed the Hook to Nimrod Woodward, who sold it to the U. S. Government, Feb. 26, 1806.

Though it is not known where Richard was educated, it is known that he was a lawyer and probably the first of that profession in Monmouth Co. He wrote an account of the country which was circulated in England, and induced considerable emigration.

He held many responsible positions, among them the following:

- Constable, of Middletown.
- 1675, Jan. 1. Clerk of the Court of Small Causes.
- 1675-1677. Town Clerk, of Middletown, N. J. - 1679, and as late as 1698, he was a Justice.
- 1682 to 1704. He was a Member of the Provincial Assembly, from Middletown.
- 1683. He was named for High Sheriff, of Monmouth County, but declined the office.
- 1685. Elected to represent Middletown in the Assembly.
- 1686 to Oct. 16, 1693, and February, 1696 to March, 1698 he was Speaker of the Assembly.
- In 1684, 1686, 1695, 1698 and 1699. He was a Member of Gov. Laurie's Council.
- 1698-9. He was one of the Judges, of the Court of Common Right, at Perth Amboy.

Richard was High Sheriff of Monmouth County and was Speaker of the Colonial Assembly. In 1684, he was one of Gov. Laurie's council and in 1685 he was elected to represent Middletown in the Assembly. He was chosen speaker of the Assembly in 1686, when also he was again appointed member of the Council. He was a man of good reputation and benevolent disposition. He belonged to the Society of Friends and was eminent among them. He organized the Friends of Middletown, one of the earliest in this country and was one of it's first ministers. The celebrated George Fox, founder of the Quaker movement, visited him in Feb. 1672, in his travels from Maryland, and on his way to Friends' meeting at Oyster Bay, Long Island. He says: "We went with a Friend, Richard Hartshorne, brother of Hugh Hartshorne, the upholsterer in London, who received us gladly to his house where we refreshed ourselves and then he carried us and our horses in his own boat over great water which held us most part of the day in getting over and set us upon Long Island."

George Fox records in his Journal, 27th of 6 mo., 1672, that he arrived at Richard Hartshorne 's, at Middletown Harbor, which was in a new country now called Jersey ; went from there to Shrewsbury, and they were building a new meeting-house there. It was evidently not ready for occupancy, for Fox preached near where now stands the station of the Central Railroad of New Jersey , at Little Silver , under the shade of a tree that stood in the corner of the road that leads to Shrewsbury Meeting House.* [Historical and Genealogical Miscellany: New York and New Jersey, Vol. I]

Richard Hartshorne was appointed by William Penn and his associates one of the commissioners to lay out West Jersey, whether he acted in that capacity is not certain.

FROM RICHARD HARTSHORNE TO HIS CHILDREN.

My children- What I now write to you is to speak when I can not therefore I charge you all to mind what I say. I expect you all to serve God with an upright heart, for if your heart is not upright toward God all your service & worship are vain- I desire you all in an humble frame of spirit to mind- hearken to the Spirit of God in every one of your consciences & as you yield obedience to that & there abide, your heart will be upright in the sight of God & so your worship will be acceptable. Pray that God will give you a true faith in Him, be sure you avoid vain janglings & controversies about religion. Be sober in all communities & if they suit you not keep away & make no scoff nor flout at any especially in their religious worship; nor go because it only pleases this or the other man but because it is well pleasing to God- Be sure all of you to be dutiful to your mother & show her that obedience due to a good mother for such she has been to you & see that you are all loving & kind one to another as brothers & sisters ought to be. I charge all of you not to be lofty but endeavor to serve each according to your ability- And be not hot but slow in taking offence & slower in giving. And be courteous to all, shutting not your door against a stranger but showing hospitality by setting him on his way- And my sons, for as much as there is a necessity for government while we are all upon earth, for the well ordering affairs in the world see that you endeavor as far as you can to choose good men & be not wanting to support them according to your ability & guard against ambition of rule or office- And now my children I commit you to God Almighty, who is a Father to the fatherless, who truly fear Him & take my leave- farewell, farewell.

Richard Hartshorne died at the patriarchal age of eighty-one, and was buried upon his own land, which he set aside, in his will, for a burying ground.

1722, May 14. Will of Richard Hartshorne- proved May 22, 1722, mentioned:

"My will is all my debts be paid and it is not in my memory I owe Five shillings to any man or men." "one half acre for a burying place to be for me and my children and their posterity to be laid out fronting the street upon a square so as to include the graveyard where my wife lies buried in, lying to the Eastward of my orchard where I now live being in the home lot formerly John Bownes."

Son, Hugh
Daughters, Mary Clayton
Katharine Fitz Randolph
Sarah Taylor
Mercy Lawrence
Son, William

In 1704, Richard Hartshorne made a record, in writing, of his to Margaret Carr, and the dates of birth of their children. was copied by Elisha Lawrence, son of John Lawrence, of Upper and has been transmitted through the descendants of this of the Lawrence Family to the present generation. From this the following dates were obtained, and from various other which will be noted as they occur.
[New Jersey Colonial Documents XXIII:216 - Lib. A:221]

EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER WRITTEN BY RICHARD HARTSHORNE OF MIDDLETOWN MONMOUTH COUNTY, N. J., TO A FRIEND IN ENGLAND.

DEAR FRIEND: My love is to thee and thy wife, desiring your welfare, both inward and outward: and that we may be found steadfast in that truth which is saving, for the welfare of our immortal souls. Now, friend, I shall give thee some information concerning New Jersie, but time will not permit me to write at length. Thou desirest to know how I live. Through the goodness of the Lord I live very well, keeping between 30 and 40 head of cows and 7 or 8 horses and mares to ride upon, etc. There are 7 Towns settled in this Province, (Viz.) Shrewsbury and Midletown on the seaside, and along the riverside and up the creeks there is Piscattaway and Woodbridge, Elizabeth, Newark and Bergane. Most of these towns have about 100 families, and the least 40. The country is very healthful. In Midletown, where I live, in 6 years and upwards there have died but one woman about 80, one man about 60, a boy about 5 years old, and one little infant or 2. There are in this town, in twenty-five families, about 95 children, most of them under 12 years of age, and all of them lusty children. The produce of the Province is chiefly wheat, barley, oates, beans, beef, pork, pease, tobacco, Indian corn, butter, cheese, hemp and flax, French beans, Strawberries, carrots, cabbidges, parsnips, turnips, radishes, onions, cucumbers, watermellons, mushmellons, squashes; also the soil is very fertile for apples, pears, plums, quinces, currans, red and white, gooseberries, cherries and peaches in abundance; having all sorts of green trash [truck] in Summer time; and the country is greatly supplied with creeks and rivers, which afford stores of fish, perch, roach, baste, sheepshead, oysters, clams, crabs, sturgeon, eels, and many other sorts of fish that I do not name. You may buy as much fish of an Indian for half a pound of powder as will serve 6 or 8 men. Deer are also very plenty in this Province. We can buy a big buck of the Indians much bigger than the English deer for a pound and a half of powder, or lead, or any other trade equivalent; and a peck of strawberries the Indians will gether and bring borne to us for the value of 6d; and our beef and pork is very fat and good. The natural grass of the country is very much like that which grows in the woods in England, which is food enough for our cattle; but by the waterside we have fresh meadows and salt marshes. We make English mead and beer; besides we have several sorts of drink; and travelling in the country and coming to any house, they will generally ask you to eat and drink and take tobacco; and their several sorts of drink they will offer you as confidently as if it were sack. There are abundance of chestnuts, walnuts, mulberries and grapes, red and white. Our horses; and mares run in the woods, and we give them no meat winter or summer, unless we work them; but our cows must be looked after. Our timber stands for fences about the land we manure. We plough our land with oxen for the most part. A husbandman here and in Old England is all one, making most of our utensils of husbandry ourselves; and a man that has 3 or 4 sons or servants that can work along with him will down with timber amain, and get corn quickly. The best coming to this country is at spring or fall. We make our soap and candles and all such things ourselves. In the winter we make good fire and eat good meat, and our women and children are healthy. Sugar is cheap; Venison, geesee, turkies, fowls, and fish plenty; and one great happiness we enjoy, which is we are very quiet. I could give thee more information concerning this country, but time will not leave. In short, this is a rare place for any poor man, or others; and I am satisfied that people may live better here than they can in Old England, and eat more good meat. The vessel is going away. I have no time to copy this over; therefore take the sense of it.

My love salutes thee. Farewell,
RICHARD HARTSHORNE.

New Jersie, Midletown, 12th of the 9th month, 1675. [Genealogical Annals of the Shotwell Family, pg. 196-97]

Richard HARTSHORNE and Margaret CARR were married on 27 Nov 1670 in Newport, Newport, Rhode Island. Margaret CARR (daughter of Robert CARR and unknown _____) was born estimated 1645 in Newport, Newport, Rhode Island. Richard HARTSHORNE and Margaret CARR had the following children:

2	i.	Robert HARTSHORNE was born on 5 Feb 1671/72 in Monmouth Co., New Jersey. He died before 1675.
3	ii.	Hugh HARTSHORNE was born on 15 Jul 1673 in Monmouth Co., New Jersey. He died before 1677.
4	iii.	Thomas HARTSHORNE was born on 14 Nov 1674 in Monmouth Co., New Jersey. He died before 1679.
+5	iv.	Mary HARTSHORNE.
+6	v.	William HARTSHORNE.
7	vi.	Richard HARTSHORNE was born on 17 Apr 1681 in Monmouth Co., New Jersey. He died before 1685.
+8	vii.	Catherine HARTSHORNE.
+9	viii.	Hugh HARTSHORNE.
+10	ix.	Sarah HARTSHORNE.
11	x.	Richard HARTSHORNE was born on 15 Feb 1689 in Monmouth Co., New Jersey. He died before 1693.
+12	xi.	Mercy HARTSHORNE.