Robert Rockhill m. Margaret Nielson

Robert Rockhill m Isabelle "once Johnson"

Edward Rockhill m. Mary Richardson

Edward Rockhill m. Anne Clayton

Mary Rockhill m. William Godley

Edward Godley m. Hannah Mumford

James Mumford Godley m. Kitturah Malone

George Meriwether Godley m. Isabella S. Harper

John Lawrence Godley m. Martha Alice Benton

Nettie Ida Godley m. Hardie Duncan Leavelle

Evalyn Ruth Leavelle

Nettie Lynda Lindbeck

The old Rockhill Bible, printed in 1607, containing the record of the Rockhill ancestors from about 1600, is now the property of Mr. Clayton Rockhill of New York. For many years, this interesting record of the olden time has been kept in a metal case, and is in excellent condition: the inscription, written by Dr. John Rockhill, says:

"This Rockhill Bible, printed in 1607, given by Mary Rockhill (nearly ninety-seven years of age) to me, her grandson, John Rockhill, b. Mar. 22, 1726, and who was the son of Edward Rockhill and Anne his wife, who was the son of Edward Rockhill and Mary his wife (my said Grandmother) who was the son of Robert Rockhill and Isabelle his wife (first owner of this Bible) who was the son of Robert Rockhill and Margaret his wife, who is the most ancient of the name that I can discover."

Robert Rockhill Jr.

Robert Rockhill, Sr married Margaret Nielson. They lived in England. Little more is known of their lives. (We must give him credit however for the education he must have provided to his son, Robert Jr., who was a poet and philosopher.) But around them, Lincolnshire was overwhelmingly rural, with most people living in small villages or hamlets and working the land. Farming shaped everything and mixed agriculture dominated- grain, cattle, and sheep. The manorial systems still structured life, and manorial court records survive in Lincolnshire archives, showing disputes over land, grazing rights, and local obligations.

Most settlements were small, but several towns — Lincoln, Boston, Grantham, Stamford — served as regional hubs. Lincoln remained the ecclesiastical and administrative center, anchored by its medieval cathedral. Boston was a major port, especially for grain and wool, and later became a center of Puritan emigration.
After the Reformation, Lincolnshire’s parish churches remained central to community life. However a strong Puritan streak emerged, especially in Boston and the surrounding region.
Typical homes were timber‑framed or built of local stone or brick, depending on region. thatch was common for roofing, and interiors were simple: a hall, a hearth, and later separate sleeping chambers.
By the early 1600s, wealthier yeomen were building more substantial brick houses with glazed windows. Literacy slowly increased, especially among yeomen and tradesmen. Churchwardens’ accounts show purchases of Bibles and psalterm indicating growing household literacy.

Robert Rockhill Jr.

Robert Rockhill Jr. was born in Lincolnshire, England, on 4 January 1614; died in Lincolnshire, after 1685. He married Isabelle, "once Johnson" after 1675.  She was the original owner of the “Rockhill Bible.”

The marriage contract he entered into for his son, Edward, shows that he was a yeoman and lived in Broughton. Nestled on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, Broughton was a modest farming village shaped by open fields, ancient trackways, and the steady work of yeoman families. Its gently rising land offered better drainage than the fen country to the east, making it well suited for grain fields, sheep pastures, and small orchards. Most households lived within walking distance of one another, their days marked by the turning of the seasons, the ringing of the parish bell, and the shared labor of village life.
At the heart of the community stood St. Mary’s Church, where generations of Broughton families were baptized, married, and buried. Parish officers kept watch over tithes, poor relief, and local order, weaving the Rockhills and their neighbors into a tight web of obligation and belonging. Yet the 1600s brought new currents of thought into even this quiet corner of Lincolnshire. Traveling preachers, rising Puritan sentiment, and later the bold message of the Quakers stirred conversations in cottages and fields alike.

While agriculture dominated, several trades such as wool and cloth production, salt making and fishing, butchers, coopers, blacksmiths, millers and merchants were also important.
Boston’s port connected Lincolnshire to the North Sea trade network, exporting grain and importing goods from the Low Countries. Like Broughton, Aldingfleet saw troop movements between Hull, York, and the Trent crossings. Villagers were required to provide food, horses, and supplies, and sme families were drawn into political or religious disputes ;
During the English Civil War (1642–1651), Lincolnshire and York saw conflict between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces, with many towns and gentry siding with Parliament.
In May 1643 the Battle of Grantham skirmish occurred. Oliver Cromwell secured his first significant tactical victory against Royalist cavalry just outside the town. He continued to focus his attacks and gained his reputation in battles in the Lincolnshire area as his forces won the 11 October 1643 Battle of Winceby. In May 1644 his troops stormed Lincoln Castle, scaling the steep city walls, and capturing both the castle and cathedral close. The cathedral was used to stable horses

Lincolnshire was strategically important due to its open terrain and access to the coast. It changed hands multiple times. Local gentry raised militias. Villages suffered requisitioning of food, horses, and supplies.

Robert and Isabelle’s lives were surely impacted by this. Broughton felt the same tensions that rippled across the county: fines for nonconformity, constables reporting unauthorized meetings, and families quietly choosing conscience over conformity. For some, including Edward and Mary Rockhill, the village that had shaped their early lives became a place of both deep roots and growing strain. Their story — like Broughton itself — reflects a world where faith, land, and community were inseparable, even as the old certainties began to shift.

And as the effects of the Civil War lingered, another battle emerged as Quakerism arrived in Lincolnshire very early.

This is the climate that shaped families like the Rockhills.

The story of the sufferings of the Quakers in Lincolnshire during the years of persecution, 1650 to 1689, is tragic reading. In 1651, George Fox came to Lincolnshire and visited Friends. Visiting homes on both sides of the river Trent, Fox declares the word of Life to the people and directing them to their Teacher, Jesus Christ. The Quakers faced fierce legal persecution, heavy fines, and imprisonment from suspicious local magistrates who feared their radical social ideas. So many Quakers were imprisoned in Lincoln Castle that arrangements were made with the gaoler for them to have a special room apart from other prisoners for which a yearly rent of £6 was paid by Friends. A loom was also provided by the Monthly Meeting so that those in confinement might earn a little money to buy necessities.

And now parish Life was shaken as the Quakers rejected tithes, church attendance. bowing to authority, swearing oaths, and the authority of priests. This put them in direct conflict with the Church of England, the gentry, and the manorial system. For ordinary people, this meant public debates in market square, neighbors suddenly refusing to attend parish church, old social expectations breaking down, a new emphasis on personal conscience over hierarchy. In a county where parish life had been the unquestioned center of community for centuries, this was seismic. The Rockhills lived in a community where these tensions were visible and unavoidable.

Quakers in Lincolnshire were fined for not attending church, imprisoned for refusing oaths,
and property was seized for refusing to pay tithes. They were watched by local constables and churchwardens, This created a climate of fear, defiance, and quiet resistance. Quakers met in homes, barns, or fields — not churches. Villages saw clusters of families gathering in secret. Neighbors reported one another. Some households became centers of dissent. Others became centers of surveillance. In a place like Broughton or the surrounding parishes, this could divide a community right down the lane.
After the Restoration (1660), persecution intensified. The Lincolnshire Quakers — especially around Boston — began looking westward. Boston became a major port of departure for: Puritans in the 1630s and Quakers in the 1660s–1680s. Even families who stayed behind felt the loss of neighbors, tenants, and kin.
The Rockhills lived in a world where Parish unity was breaking down, neighbors were being fined or jailed, some families were disappearing overseas, the authority of the gentry was being challenged, and new ideas about equality and conscience were circulating Since the Rockhills were yeomen, they would have been right in the middle of these tensions. They were paying tithes, serving in parish roles, interacting with dissenters, and witnessing the legal and social fallout.

It is not know when Robert Rockhill, Junior joined the Quaker society but he served a Clerk of the Quarterly meetings until 1685. He was arrested and placed in Lincoln Castle. His imprisonment was part of this broader pattern. As a “Friend” (Quaker), he was likely charged with offenses such as refusing to attend Anglican services, refusing to swear oaths, or refusing to acknowledge the state church. These acts were considered seditious under the laws of the time.

(Lincoln Castle is a major medieval castle constructed in during the late 11th century by William the Conqueror, It remained in use as a prison and court into modern times and is one of the better preserved castles in England; The castle is open to the public most days of the week and possible to walk around the walls from which there are views of the castle complex, cathedral, the city, and surrounding countryside.)

Life inside Lincoln Castle prison was harsh and monotonous. The prison diet was deliberately plain and minimal, with meals consisting of bread, gruel, and occasionally meat or vegetables. The purpose of such a regimen was to break the will of prisoners and encourage them to reflect on their crimes. Prisoners were expected to adhere to strict rules and routines, which included mandatory labor, such as picking oakum (untwisting old rope into fibers) or working on the treadmill, a form of hard labor that involved walking on a large, rotating drum. The work was deliberately tedious and exhausting, designed to instill discipline and deter inmates from reoffending.

Robert seems to have been an excellent scholar, poet, and Quaker. A book in which he hand wrote his poems and thoughts supposedly exists in the possession of Mrs. Clayton Rockhill of New York. His book reflects his Quaker convictions and scholarly work, along with the writings of some of his opponents. He described the book as discussing “The Controversie between the Anabaptists, Independents, together with other Professors and the People of God called (in scorn) Quakers, concerning the Authority of the holy Spirit, in Judging or discerning the mind of God in the holy scriptures, truly state as owned by the Quakers. " It was written between 1663 and 15^th April 1675.

He was a philosopher, theologian, and poet. His words speak of the days when Quakers risked their lives for their religious beliefs. Some of his writings were from when he was imprisoned at Lincoln Castle. His last entry in the book, "Discourses and poems of Robert Rockhill," was written at Adlingfleet, England, This book, which was written in long hand by the author, between 1663 and 1675, is in the possession of Mrs. Clayton Rockhill of New York.

The preface of his book reads: "Severall writings Formerlie given forth upon several occasions And now Collected into one volume At the request of Friends And For the service of the truth By Robert Rockhill in ye 2 moneth 1671 Jude 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the Common Salvation: it was needful for me to write unto you , and exhort you, that ye should EARNESTLY contend for the faith, which was once delivered unto the saints. And of some have compassion: making a difference. And others save with feare: pulling them out of ye fire."

Thomas Spadoman, a priest and man who persecuted the Quakers, is quoted and Robert responds: And, deare friends, if ye find anything written here or elsewhere, which ye do not yet understand, or wch ye cannot yet receive, take heed of passing rash Judgment, in ye hastiness of your spirits, upon what you yet understand not, neither strive to comprehend it in your naturall wisdoms (for it stands but in ye fallen state of Adam, but be coole, and considerate, & wait in ye feare & dread of ye Lord, out of ye hasty spirit wch is not of God, until it shall please him to revive his truth in you, by his own spirit, which alone searcheth out the deep things of God; for we have often found it true, that a rash and hasty Judgmt. doth usually precipitate ye giver thereof, into ye great sin of calling evill good and good evill, unto which, a woe is (by ye Lord denounced so dear friends, I committ You to God, and to ye word of his grace, even that word of faith which is in your heart as paul preached, which is able to build you up , and to give you an inheritance with those that are sanctifyed by faith , which is in at Jesus our Lord . the 22th of ye I am ye true friend who have a load of pitty towards all men, but a 7th month, 1664. load of Complancency & deer delight to the people of God, who (dispised of ye world) are called Quakers)

Robert defends the use of the word “Quaker” as follows: "Moses that friend of God, he lived long before this last age, yet so terrible was the appearance of God unto him, that he did exceedingly fear and Quake . Heb .12. 21 Ezekiel alsoe he Ezek.12.18 lived long before I say. 66.5 this last age, and Jer. 5. 22 yet he ate his Dan . 10. 11 bread with quaking , Job . 37. I and drank his water Hab .3. 16 with trembling, so 1 Cor. 2. 3 Isaiah, Jeremith, Daniel, Elihu, Habbakuck, Paul, with many others, who all lived long before this last age, and yet they quaked and trembled at ye word of ye lord themselves and also declared ye mercy and comforts of God unto such others as trembled at his word so that it is most evidently manifest that even in ye first age of ye world and so all along untill this last age, there hath been such a people both in principle and practice, as this people are , whom both professours, and profaine, in scorn call Quakers and doubtless they either were, or might have been so called then, in ye world, and ye professours therein had then been arived at such a hight of impiety, and contempt, of ye power of God, as now they are."

From Lincoln Castle prison, he wrote this to those who imprisoned him:

"To John Monson ye Elder, John Monson ye younger and Thomas Meeres, three of the Deputy Lieutenants for the County of Lincolne .

FRIENDS I was brought to Lincolne the fourth instant, by a guard of armed men, and being presented before yee, you put me in choyce either to give bonds for my peaceable demeanoe and to refrain from Conventicles, or else to be imprisoned. And when I had attested my innocent and peaceable demeanoe towards the King, his people and government, you all told me that my neighbors had accused me for frequenting seditious meetings, and for suffering them at my house; who ought to have appeared before you alsoe; and face to face have proved the things for which they had accused me. But without this equall process; I have been imprisoned now twenty days and more, and it is in my heart to lay this thing before you, that in the fear of God ye may consider it , lest you who account yourselves Christians, should fall short of the nobility and Justice of the pagans, who thought it unreasonable to commit a prisoner, before he have his accusers face to face, and license to answer for himselfe, concerning the crime laid against him; soe, in the fear of God I offer this unto you, that ye will cause my accusers to appeare with me, face to face before you; and if they can prove any matter of wrong, or wicked lewdnes by me, that I am of evill name, or fame, or a perturber of the publics peace, then I shall not refuse to give you such security as may answere your just demands; or else to suffer Imprisonet as an evill doer. but if none of these things can be proved against me; why should I be imprisoned upon the clandestine suggestions of any person whomsoever. And if to accuse be sufficient, who can be Innocent ? "

In reply to these lines:

"The prisoners dittie OF Lincolne conjoined with the Castle,

against ye Bayle doth sing:

The Bayle' gainst both doth wrastle,

For Jesus Christ her king Thomas Grantham."

Rockhill penned

"A foolish title page! a monstrous birth!

Doubtles produced by a son o' th ' earth .

Unworthy lines, to front a sober booke:

Hence modest eyes, it is not worth ye look.

Robert Rockhill."

"Old Priscian 's Rule henceforth must hold no more,

'Twas hic et had Sacerdos hertofore:

But now poor hic must lye alone (sad fate!)

For his dear had he must repudiate.

One of his more serious poems,

"The smallest ray which in mans heart doth shine,

From the Eternall fount of Light Divine

Let none despise, for tho' it like the moon)

But dimly shine yet, as the noon - day sun

It shall expande its beames, & this shall be,

When Sions wounds great God! are heal 'd by thee.

And when a slaughter shall be made of all Proud Babels bratts,

and when her towers fall

When thus this sun - like brightness shall advance

To the increase of seven dayes radiance

And so arrive at its desired full

It shall not waine, it never shall be null;

For this is Sions everlasting story, I say,

The Lord 's my endless light, my God 's my glory."

In another writing, he berates his opponents: "Well, friends, the servants (ye have seen, from ye greatest to the least) have not escaped the slanderous tongue of this Machiavellian sophister, now let us see how the master himselfe can escape the sting of this incensed Hornett."

In another diatribe against an opponent’s words, Robert wrote: “But now, lest any errour should be found in Babels fairest building (although evident confusion is fallen upon the builders) this cunning workman is glad to play the sophister, and with his canting language, as with untempered mortar, to daub over your apparent deformity and thus he works it out."

This quote shows his love of his fellow Quakers: “So farewell, my beloved friends, I have discharged my duty of love unto you, and I am cleare of yoe bloud, in the sight of my God , and the evidence and demonstration of truth which I bring unto you if ye have eyes to see it), will truly prove, that I have been called, and moved of ye Lord, although a broken and despised vessell, and ye stirred me up outwardly unto it, and I have discharged my conscience to you, and doe rest in peace; and although I am Counted A deceiver yet am I Your true friend, in the love of God , the 22th of ye first month, 1664.”

The Rockhills were living in Adlingfleet, a drained, fertile, former marshland village. Robert and Isabel had at least 4 children, Edward, David, Alice and John. Adlingfleet is one of those wonderfully quiet English places where, beneath the surface, the entire early‑modern world was shifting. It sits right on the edge of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, in the low, flat marsh country near the confluence of the Ouse and Trent rivers — a landscape that shaped everything about daily life. It was a small agricultural village, surrounded by reclaimed marsh and rich grazing land. Life revolved around cattle and sheep on the low pastures, grain farming on the slightly higher ground and fishing and fowling in the wetlands

In addition, peat‑cutting and reed‑gathering for fuel and thatch also occurred. mThe land was both a blessing and a challenge as it was fertile but prone to flooding. Seasonal rhythms were everything.
Adlingfleet had a parish church (St. Nicholas), and like most rural parishes, it was the center of baptisms, marriages, burials, tithes and church rates, poor relief and community decision‑making
Though small, Adlingfleet wasn’t isolated. Its position near the Ouse and Trent meant that goods and people moved by river traffic. There were connections to Hull, Gainsborough, and York. New religious ideas were encountered while traveling along trade routes. This is one reason Quakerism and other dissenting movements reached the area early.
Adlingfleet was part of a region that saw strong Puritan and later Quaker influence. Some families remained loyal to the Church of England. Others became nonconformists — Quakers, Baptists, Independents. Local constables were required to report illegal meetings
The marsh parishes were known for being just remote enough that dissenting groups could meet quietly in homes or barns.
For the Rockhills, living in Adlingfleet or its neighboring parishes, they lived in a world where the marshland economy shaped daily survival. Parish authority was strong but increasingly contested
as Quaker missionaries traveled through the region. Neighbors were being fined, imprisoned, or pressured. In this atmosphere, emigration to the colonies became a real option for dissenters
Adlingfleet was exactly the kind of place where a family could feel both deeply rooted in the land and
increasingly alienated from the religious and legal pressures around them. A marshland parish at the edge of two counties, Adlingfleet sat where the Ouse and Trent rivers meet — a quiet village shaped by water, weather, and the steady rhythm of farm life. Families here worked the rich, low-lying pastures, raising cattle and sheep, cutting peat for fuel, and harvesting grain on the slightly higher ground. The landscape was both generous and unpredictable, with floods a constant companion.
At the center of village life stood St. Nicholas Church, where baptisms, marriages, burials, and parish business anchored the community. Parish registers from the mid‑1500s onward record the ordinary and extraordinary moments of Adlingfleet’s families. Yet beneath this familiar structure, the 1600s brought change. River traffic carried new ideas into the marsh parishes, and by the 1650s, Puritan and Quaker preachers were moving through the region. Some villagers remained loyal to the Church of England; others quietly gathered in homes or barns to worship in their own way.
During the Civil War and the turbulent decades that followed, Adlingfleet felt the strain of shifting loyalties, religious fines, and the watchful eye of local constables. Still, daily life continued: livestock on the commons, grain in the fields, boats on the river, and families rooted in a landscape that shaped their work, their faith, and their future.

Edward Rockhill Jr.

Edward Rockhill Sr,. was born in Addlingfleet, Yorkshire, England about 1650-1655.

As a young man, he would have lived through the days of fear and persecution, missing and fearing for his father as Robert sat in his cell at Lincoln Castle. From what is seen of him in New Jersey, Edward’s faith was strong like his fathers.

There is an account that says Edward married Mary Buffin or Taylor on 10 Sept 1673 in England. However the records of the Gansborough Society of Friends, Linconshire, show he received approval to marry Mary Richardson of Brigg, Yorkshire, on 14 Feb 1782. No record of a Mary Buffin or Taylor is found in the Society’s minutes, and that, coupled with the birth dates of the children, indicates Mary Richardson as most likely to have been his wife. The marriage consent is below:

4 Mar 1683 Lincolnshire, UK

Document / Certificate

Marriage record found in archives, Lincoln, UK

Edward Rockhill & Mary Richardson Marriage 4 Mar 1683 F.L. Garthrope Dist 1/16 Used in consent of his son’s marriage

To all Christian people unto whom this present writing shall come, Robert Rockhill of Galtrope within the parish of Braughton in the county of Lincoln yeoman Sendeth greeting in our Lord Everlasting. Know yee that the aforesaid Robert Rockhill for diverse good causes and considerations made there unto moving especially for and in consideration of a Marriage had made and solemnized between Edward Rockhill of Adlingfleet in the county of York, my only son. And Mary the only daughter of Robert Richardson late of Wootton in the county of Lincolnshire. Satisfied.

And for and in consideration of one hundred forty pounds of lawful English money to be paid unto the said Edward or his assignees with his wive’s filial portion at such time and in such manner as by the last will and testament of Robert Richardson bearing date the 27th day of January in the year of our Lord 1679 is bequeathed ordered and directed.

And also in consideration of the yearly rent of forty shillings of lawful English money to be paid unto me, the said Robert Rockhill or designee by the said Edward Rockhill, his executor, administrator, or assignee for and during the natural lives of me the said Robert Rockhill and Isabell, my wife.

And the longer liver of us by equal portions upon the first day of November and the first day of May, and the first payment to be upon first day of ye November one thousand six hundred and eighty-three.

Have given granted aliened enffeoffed and by this my present writing confirmed unto my beloved friend, Joseph Richardson of Stamfordbridge in the county of Lincoln Woolen Draper and unto Thomas Naimby of the same fishmonger, their heirs and assignees, and that my messuage tentament or dwelling house in Adlingfleet aforesaid commonly called Kirkgarthhouse now in the tenure and occupation of Edward Rockhill aforesaid And all that cottage unbuilt which I purchased of Edmund Morley situate in Adlingfleet aforesaid abutting upon the lands come to me the land of Charles Hall on or toward the south and upon the land sometimes the land of Christopher Adams upon or towards the north and upon the high plot of meadow ground there called theEntay between the grounds sometimes ye ground of the said Roger Drewry toward the north and the ground of S. Michael Quarton towards the south with all the barns, fields, and outhouses, and buildings whatsoever. Orchards, gardens, waters and water sources _may the easement passages profited commons and commodities unto the aforesaid premises belonging or in any wise appertaining And all my estate right title and enfeoved_?___ of and in the aforesaid premises with their appurtenances.

To have and to hold the aforesaid messuage tenement or dwelling house, cottages unbuilt, acre of meadow and all the before mentioned premise with their appurtenances and every part and parcel of the same unto ye aforesaid Joseph and Thomas their heirs and assignees to the use and behooves of me the aforesaid Robert Rockhill and Isabell my wife for ensuring both their natural lives and the longer liver of us and after our deaths, then for use and behooves of their two bodys?_ lawfully begotten or to be begotten And for the default of purchase then to go to the use and behooves of the right hereto of me the said Robert Rockhill forever to be hold on of this _____ Lord or Lord of _____ stood by _____ of right _____ to be paid

And I Robert Rockhill and my wife before mentioned _____ with their _______ unto said Joseph and Thomas their _____ and assigned for by aforesaid again _____ aforesaid Robert Rockhill and my _____ will warrant and for evermore defend by _____

In willingness when unto this my hand writing I have set my hand and seal the fourth day of the third month, commonly called March, in the thirtieth year of Charles second, King of England. Year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and eighty-three.

By the mid‑1600s, Edward Rockhill and his wife Mary found themselves swept into the great religious upheaval reshaping Lincolnshire. When the message of the Quakers reached the villages around Broughton, the Rockhills embraced it with a conviction that set them apart from their Anglican neighbors. Their refusal to swear oaths, pay tithes, or attend the parish church placed them directly in the path of local authority, and Edward paid the price: he was imprisoned for a time in Lincoln Castle, one of the county’s principal holding sites for dissenters. Yet persecution only strengthened their resolve. As fines mounted and pressure intensified after the Restoration, the Rockhills joined the quiet stream of Lincolnshire families looking westward for a place where conscience could be lived openly. In 1683, they crossed the Atlantic to New Jersey, carrying with them not only their faith but the memory of a homeland where conviction had cost them dearly — and shaped them into the steadfast family they became.

Shortly after their marriage, Edward and Mary removed to the colonies of America. The exact date is unknown but his name appears in New Jersey records stating about 1683. They settled near Mansfield Square, Chesterfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.

In Burlington County, NJ, around 1683, Edward Rockhill registered his earmark “ye right eare a crop & slitt straight done ye left swallow forke thus,

Settlement in New Jersey was new- European colonists upon their arrival in the 17th century encountered Algonquian-speaking Delaware Indians. The city of Burlington, settled by Quakers in 1677, was the capital of the West Jersey colony from 1681, Chesterfield Township was formed in 1688 and was later one of New Jersey’s 104 original townships, but the land was settled about a decade earlier, in 1677, by Quaker immigrants.

Edward was a Member of Assembly in 1684. He was a surveyor in West Jersey, Burlington County.

21 Feb 1686 he appeared at the County Court with a 12 year old boy named Benjamin Moore. Edward had brought Benjamin to NJ with him from England, paid his passage, and supported him for about a year. The Court bound Benjamin Moore to sere his master Edward “Ruckhill” until age 21. Then he would receive “the Custom of the Country.” (Burlington Court Book p. 64-65)

25 Jan 1686 Edward “Ruckhill” was named to the Grand Jury. (Burlington Court Book p. 69)

April 23 1687 Anthony Woodhouse of the first Tenth, yeoman, to Edward Rockhill of Burlington, roper, for 104 acres in the first Tenth, 62 thereof being part of I-32 share bo’t of George Hutcheson July 26-27, 1681, the other 40 given to grantor for his services by William Cooke of Sheffield, England. (New Jersey Records, Liber B pt 1 p. 127)

12 May 1687, Edward was named to a Traverse Jury.(Burlington Court Book p. 69)

Feb 1688 Edward is part of the Grand Jury.

The first religious organization perfected within the present limits of Chesterfield township was the Friends' Meeting at Crosswicks, Meetings. The following interesting extracts are made from the Meeting books:

"It hath Pleased the Mighty God and Great Jehovah in this Last Age after the Greate Night over nations, kindreds, tongues and People, since those glorious days in which the Appostles Lived, by his outstretched Gathering Arme and by ye word of his Etternal Power, to gather People who was weary of all dead formes and outside Professions into a waiting frame of Spirit.....

"At our monthly meeting at ffracis Davenport's House near Crosswicks Creeke, the place now called Chesterfield, in West Jersey, ye 2d of ye mo 1684.”

"5th mo. 3 d. 1690. Friends finding sum inconveniency by ye first day meeting being kept at so many Places have agreed that our whole meeting be kept ye next first day at ffrancis Davenports and the next first after Chesterfield meeting to be kept at Edward Rockhill and Nottingham meeting to be kept at

Nov Thomas Lamberts ye next after to gather at Robert Murfries, ye next after Chesterfield meeting to be kept at William Biddles and Nottingham at Mahlon Staceys."

The meetings heretofore held at the house of William Biddle, Edward Rockhill, and Ann Murfries were discontinued when the meeting house were was built. In 1706, new and more commodious house of worship was erected near the old one. This house was of brick, beautifully situated on a high elevation overlooking the town.

The Crosswicks Monthly Meeting records contain the following register of his children:

John, son of Edward and Mary Rockhill was born at Aldingfleete, in Yorkshire, Old England, 12 month 9th 1683; m Hope Hollowell

Sarah born at Aldingfleete 4^th month 16^th 1685 m. 10 June 1706 John Black, d. 1769

Jonathan, born in 1st month 6 1687, d 23 Feb. 1688

Mary born in 9^th month 3^rd 1688 m. 2 mo 1709 Nathaniel Stevenson

Robert born in 1^st month 25th 1692; m 9 mo 1716 Elizabeth Shinn d 13 Sep 1760

Ann, born in 12^th month 6 1693 m. 4 mo 1725 Henry Clothier d 10 Nov 1753

Joseph in 1696; m. 1) 26 May 1723 Sarah Taylor m. 2) 8 Apr 1736 Sarah Cutler

David b 1 29 1698 twin m. Margaret Craft m 2 30 Aug 1758 Ann Aaronson d. ca Sept 1785

Jonathan, b 1 29 1698 twin supposed incapable of getting a living

Edward b. Dec 3 1700 1700; m1 Apr 1725 Ann Clayton

Samuel b. 5 Feb 1702\

Nov 1690 Edward is appointed as constable of Chesterfield Township. (Burlington Court Book p. 122)

19 Jan 1691 Nathaniel Pope sonne of Joseph Pope late of Burlington deceased Chose Francis Davenport and Edward Rockhill guardians for him before Nathaniel Westland, Thomas Revell and Peter Fretwell Justices and admitted and gave bond for performance of their Trust (Burlington Court Book page 175)

Oct 1691 he purchased 104 acres adjacent to his current plantation This gave him a total of 206 acres between Blacks Creek, Black’s land and Samuel Taylor (Revel’s Surveys, p. 113)

In 1693, Edward Rockhill is residing in Chesterfield Township, Burlington County, NJ according to NJ records.

6 Feb 1693 “Then came Edward Andrews the sonne of Samuel Andrews late of the County of Burlington in West New Jersey And made his free Choice of Edward Rockhill of the County aforesaid to be his guardian, The court admitted Edward as guardian and he accepted. (Edward Andrews later choose to change his guardian to his brother Mordecay Andrews. Edward Rockhill gave an account of the money entrusted to him as guardian and requests to be dismissed as executor and as joynt Executor aforesaid “And as guardian to said Edward Andrews Rockhill is indebted to the estate in the Summe of Fifty and 3 shillings and four pence halfe penny and noe more. But said Edward charges nothing in his account for his paines and expenses therein: The Court therefore upon Consideration thereof thinks fitt to allow him 5 pounds. Soe it appears there rests due to said Edward Rockhill from the estate Forty six Shilling Seaven pence halfe penny.”

3 May 1693 Samuel and John Bunting Yeomen, deeded 6 acres to Edward and 3 others “Lying between Thomas Foulkes and the burying ground for a meeting house.” The 4 acknowledged that it was received in trust fo “ye People of God called Quakers belongingunto ye monthly meeting of friends Commonly held at Chesterfield Fallls. 3 Nov 1690 Edward is appointed as constable. (Burlington Court Book p. 122)

On 12 Sept. 1693, Edward witnessed the will of Samuel Andrews and then served as executor. He gave bond as executor on 10 Nov. 1693

19 Jan 1694 Nathaniel Pope, son of Joseph decd of Burlington, chooses Frances Davenport and Edward Rockhill as guardian Edward Rockhill along with Frances Davenport posted bond

20 Feb 1693/4 the court ordered that Edward receive the funds left by Andrews for his son, Edward

In Dec 1694 Edward Rockhill had a survey made of 55 acres including 2 acres of meadow, bounded south by Sam’l Taylor west and North by Duke Horseman and Benjamin Fields, East by Francis Davenport.

undated survey 1 acre of land in Burlington, fronting east on York Street South Christopher Weatherall N Francis Davenport; 6 perches 4 feet wide 20 perches long; also a waterlot on the East side of the alley; 364 feet East of York St 12 ½ feet front on the river and rear on the next street

25 Jan 1695 Edward deeded some of that 1/16th share (half purchased from Joseph Richardson 18 Aug. 1691) to Francis Davenport which

On 29 Jan. 1695 Edward Rockhill witnessed the will of John Curtis of Mansfield Township.

On 2 May 1695 Joseph Richard of Glamford Briggs, Lincolnshire, England, woolen draper, gave power of attorney to Mahlon Stacy, George Hutcheson and Francis Davenport, all of West Jersey, to give a deed to Edward Rockhill of Chesterfield, West Jersey, for 1/16th share of land near Burlington. And other land belonging to the 1/16th share (Lib B pt 2 p599)

On 25 January 1696 Edward Rockhill, yeoman, sold land to Francis Davenport, both of Chesterfield Twp, Burlington County, New Jersey. The land was part of 1/16th of a share which the grantor bought one half of Joseph Richardson of Glamford Briggs, Lincolnshire, England, woolen draper.

10 oct 1696 A survey was made by for Edward Rockhill of 100 acres adjacemt to John Moore, Marmaduke Horseman, Hannah Nicholson, Sam’l Bunting, Roger Park and Geo Hutcheson. (Revels Surveys p 136)

10 Dec 1697 Joseph Richards by his 3 attorneys deeded land to Edward Rockhill (see 1695 Power of Attorney) for 1/16th share and other land purchased from Edward Markwell. And the other land Richardson had bought of Edw Markell, bro. And heir of Wm. Markellwho purchased the same from Edw Searson. (Lib B pt 2 p67)

Edward completed an inventory of the goods of Daniel Bacon of Burlington

Inventory on 20 April 1698. A short time later on 10 May he gave bond as the Executor of Bacon’s will.

William Black’s will was filed 2 March 1701 It names his wife Alice, sons Thomas, William , John, Samuel, dau. Mary, dau-in-law Alice Becke,and a legacy to John Taylor when he comes of age, along with land in Mansfield Township and his personal property. His wife Alice was to be executrix and

Edward and John Rockhill with Samuel Taylor were witnesses.

Edward was one of 3 men who completed an inventory of William Black’s estate on 22 April 1702.

3 Nov 1702 Edward was a member of the Traverse Jury.

Edward Rockhill made inventory on the estate of Joseph Burch on 10 Dec 1703.

8 August 1704 William Murfin and Sarah Bunting were married at Chesterfield Meeting. Edward and Mary Rockhill were among the witnesses.

In 1704 and 1706, Edward Rockhill is shown to be residing in Chesterfield Township, Burlington County, NJ according to NJ records.

3 Sep 1706 Edward again serves on a Grand Jury.

On 13 Nov. 1706 John King and Elizabeth Woodward were married on November 13, at Chesterfield. Sarah and Mary Rockhill were among the witnesses.

The marriage of John Black and Sarah Rockhill occurred on 4 Dec. 1706 at Chesterfield, Burlington County, New Jersey. Edward and Mary Rockhill, Sarah’s parents and her sister, Mary Rockhill Jr. were witnesses.

15 April 1707 Edward Rockhill made the inventory of the estate of Francis Davenport of Chesterfield Twp, Burlington County.

25 May 1708 Edward Rockhill and Joseph and Michael Newbold made the inventory of the estate of David Curtis.

In 1708, Edward Rockhill is residing in Chesterfield Township, Burlington County, NJ according to NJ records.

The will of John Bacon of Chesterfield Township, Burlington County, a yeoman, was filed on 19 May 1711 His children are listed as Daniel, John, Elizabeth, and Mary, all under 21. Witnesses were Edward and Mary Rockhill and Robert and Patience Chapman. An inventory was made by Edward Rockhill and William Wood on 18 May 1711. "All the above written goods [incl. the 5 servants] are returned into ye registers office at Philadelphia being on board the Neptune, Henry Smith commander but for ye Safety of John Bacon's Children are put into the registers office in Burlington."

In January 1718, Peter Fretwell of Burlington granted land and a mansion house to John Warren, Samuel Bunting and Edward Rockhill.

Edward Rockhill, Sr. died between April 9 when his will was written and 18 May 1722 when it was proven. He wrote his will 9 April 1722 in Chesterfield Township, Burlington Co calling himself a yeoman. He names his wife Mary and children: John, Robert, Sarah Black, Mary Stevenson, Anne, Joseph, David, Edward, Samuel, Jonathan ("supposed Incapable of getting his Living"). Also mentioned is personal property, land in Chesterfield adjoining Samuel Taylor, meadows, bought of Benj. Field, 320 acres at the Mountains, a home farm of 100 acres bought of Anthony Woodhouse, and a 100 a. adjoining.. Mary was executrix. Witnesses were John Grant, Sarah Quicksall, and Jno. Richardson. The will was proved May 18, 1722. An inventory was made by Nathan Folwell and John Stevenson, amounting to £241.6. His son, David, was to receive land lying at “Ye mountsins surveyed to the Testator on May 7. 1712.” His son Edward received his father’ plantation and was directed to take care of Jonathan. (The mountains are believed to be the Watching Mountains between Bound Book and Basking Ridge.)

1721 3mo 28d Mansfield Preparation meeting held to Rec’ a legacy left this meeting by Edward Rockhill, Deceased, John Emley is appointed on behalf if said meeting and ye pay it to the Treasurer To agree with some friend to have the care of our meeting ggiyse etc Em Wright and Jno Emley. 4Then concluded. 

Edward Rockhill Jr.

Born 03 Feb 1700 Burlington County, New Jersey, Edward Rockhill Jr. was one of the leading men of the society of Friends of the Quakertown Meeting.

He married Anne Clayton, daughter of John Clayton, Jr. and Mary Wood on 01 Feb 1725 at Burlington Monthly Meeting. Their first intent to marry was recorded at a Monthly Meeting of Friends held at their Meeting House in Chesterfield the fourth of the 1st month 1724/25. “Edward Rockhill and Anne Clayton, both belonging to this meeting declared their intentions of taking each other in marriage and it was declared by some here that there parents that are living tho that they could not be here at this time, are willing & appoints our Friends John Lantum and Isaac Horner to make enquiry concerning his clearness from all others on account of marriage & make report to our next Monthly Meeting.” The second intent was recorded as “At a Monthly Meeting of Friends held at their Meeting House in Chesterfield the first of the 2nd month 1725 Edward Rockhill and Anne Clayton, the second time, declared their intentions of taking each other in marriage and nothing appearing upon enquiry but that they are clear from all others on that account & having consent of parents this Meeting leaves them to proceed & accomplish their said intentions according to the good order used among Friends and appoints Friends John Cheshire & Preserve Brown to have the oversight of the marriage & entertainment & make report to our next Monthly Meeting.” Note that Anne’s mother is listed as “Mary Cook.”

At a Monthly Meeting of Friends on the sixth of the 3rd month 1725 is stated “Our Friends appointed last Meeting to have the oversight of the two marriages then past report ye things were orderly & decently marriaged.” Anne was born in Burlington County, NJ in 1706.

From 1725 to 1730, a number of Quakers moved into the Quakertown, Hunterdon County, New Jersey area. Among them was the family of Edward and Anne Rockhill.

29^th daty of 6th month 1726 From our Quarterly Meeting at Burlington the 29^th day of ye 6^th month 1726

For our yearly Meeting to be held next following at Burlington ……..Edwaed is one of the men appointed to attend

He was a member of the Hunterdon Co. Board of Freeholders in 1730.

In October 1731, Edward, Jr. purchased of Thomas Hatton of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (agent for Abel Strettle of Dublin, Ireland) “two several tracts of land and timber swamp, one tract of upland included part of the site of the present Pittstown. The deed designates Edward as "Yeoman of Bethlehem Township in the county of Hunterdon, New Jersey." It was “in his actual possession now being …… by virtue of a Bargain and sale to him thereof made for one year.” One tract was described as "upland," and included part of the land on which Pittstown is situated. The beginning corner in the description of its bounda ries was "a beech tree on the south side of the Capolon creek opposite a part of the vil and from that point the line ran due lage ; west iiX chains ; thence southwesterly 80 chains to a hickory sapling ; thence south T,2) 4 chains to a corner post ; thence east 69'2 chains to a corner black oak ; thence north 88>2 chains to the place of beginning, containing 438 acres." The other tract, in the language of the deed, "being generally' Timber Swamp," consisted of 408 acres es. The beginning corner in its description was a tree which stood in the *Laokolong creek, near the present Oak Grove mill. These two tracts were a part of Abel Strettel's 5,000 acres in the Lotting Purchase.

20 March 1733 Jacob Doughty, a minister among friends, deeded 4 acres to Edward Rockhill, Nathaniel Stevenson, Samuel Willson and Samuel Large (as trustees) for a meeting house to be built on the land. (Stevenson is married to Edward’s sister.

Edward built a grist-mill on the land which in later years was occupied by Mr. Dent's Machine Shop at Pittstown. This mill was one of the first and, for many years, the only mill for grinding grain in his section. His land was on the Lower Musconetcong River

He was a Justice of the Peace in 1741.

23 Oct. 1743 Edward Rockhill of Bethlehem is shown to be one of the customers of the Janeway and Broughton general store. (unsure if this is Edward Jr. or Sr.)

Edward was a member of the Hunterdon County Board of Justice and Freeholders in 1739.

In 1746 he was a justice of the piece.

Edward and Anne had four children:

Mary who married Wm. Godley;

Anne, who married Maurice Robeson of Orange County, NY;

Dr. John born in Chesterfield, Burlington County on March 22, 1726, who married 1st, Rachel Robeson (sister to Maurice), and 2nd, Elizabeth (Lukens) Potts; and Achsah, who died unmarried.

Oliver Silverthorn died in 1746 and in his will names his wife Mary and sons, John,Thomas, George, and William. The witnesses were Thomas Silverthorn and Edward and Anna Rockhill.

Edward died in 1748 between writing his will and it being proven.

New Jersey, U.S., Calendar of Wills, 1670-1760 Name Edward Rockhill

Death Date Abt 1748 Will Date 6 Jun 1748 Will Place Amwell, Hunterdon Co.

will of. Wife, Ann. Son-in-law, William Godly, and Mary his wife, testator's daughter; son, John; negro boy, Dick; daughters, Ann and Achsah. Executors--wife, and testator's "brothers," Parnall Clayton of Burlington Co., and William Clayton of Trenton. Witnesses--Emanuel Coryell, Job Warford, Jona. Robeson. Proved June 10, 1748.; will of. Wife, Ann. Son-in-law, William Godly, and Mary his wife, testator's daughter; son, John; negro boy, Dick; daughters, Ann and Achsah. Executors--wife, and testator's "brothers," Parnall Clayton of Burlington Co., and William Clayton of Trenton. Witnesses--Emanuel Coryell, Job Warford, Jona. Robeson. Proved June 10, 1748.; Lib. 5, p. 476.; 1748, July 7. Inventory (£1.436.13.9) includes large old Bible; negro girl Cate, £40; negro boy Dick, £30; negro girl Hannah, £18; 11 Indian Blankets in store, £7.14; numerous articles of general mdse.; sundry goods bought of Preserve Brown, at Philadelphia, May 25, 1748; house and improvements, £50; sundries appraised at upper place at Bethlehem; negro boy Peter, £28; 6 hives bees; fulling mill and 50 acres of land, £124; half an old boat, £5; tract of land in Kingwood, £127.9.3. Bonds of Robert Wilson, Samuel Stevenson, Ezekiel Oliver, Henry Benet, Moses Collins, John Barbor, Edward Slayter, William Coats. Made by W. Montgomerie and Job Robins.; 1762, March 15. Account. Mentions land bought of R. Smith, Samuel Carpenter's article found in John Coat's hands, John Rockhill for posting books, Robert Pearson, James Martin, Samuel Holcomb, Malon Kirkbride, Francis Bows, Catharine Meadock, Benjamin Severns, Rut Johnson, John Riddel, Francis Castakin (for Samuel Myas Cohain and Bur. Kelsey), Parnel Clayton, John Coxe, Thomas Larrance, James Burling, Edward Burling, Elizabeth Baxtor, Andrew Reed, Robert and Amos Struttel, Benjamin Price, D. Martin, Mary Rockhill, Isaac Decow, Sr., Paul Lewis, Thomas Litle, John Coxe (for cost against executors of E. Corril), Thomas Cadwalader.

Anne Clayton Rockhill married Mr. Salter of Trenton N. J. and died about 1789: her father John Clayton Jr. was the son of John Clayton and his wife Elizabeth Taunt : and her mother, Mary Wood, was the daughter of William Wood, of Leicestershire, Eng. and his wife Mary Parnell, (of Ireland.) The Wood and Parnell families came to America, in 1677, on the "Flie "boat'' Martha from Hull, England. William and Mary were married Aug. 10, 1682, and settled in Burlington N. J. (if you look up the this painting - “1673 Dock scene at a British Port by Jacob Knyff”, the ship being loaded is the Flie Boat Martha.

Her will was written 17 November 1762. She lived in Trenton, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The will divided her property as follows: Daughter Mary Rockhill Godley Cherry- the house and lot where I live; Son John Rockhill- 50 acres of land on which he now lives; daughter Ann Roberson-3 50 pounds; Granddaughter Anne Godley - a bed and chairs. It stated that she had given directions to Achsah Lambert to distribute my other goods. The executor was Achsah Lambert, a friend and witnesses were Elizabeth Clayton, John Barnes, Joseph Warrell. The will was proven 31 August 1767.