The Family History of Mark Stratton

A Book of Strattons

Volume 1, 1908

by Harriet R. Stratton

A BOOK OF STRATTONS, Volume 1, 1908:

Here is what is stated in "A Book of Strattons, Volume 1" published in 1908 by Harriet Russell Stratton:

pg 237 - "Early Strattons of New Jersey:

In 1664 the territory between the Hudson and the Delaware was granted, by the Duke of York, to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. To this territory was given the name New Jersey, Carteret having been governor of the Isle of Jersey. Ten years later Berkeley sold his portion, East Jersey, to the Quakers. Later, William Penn, a Quaker, bought West Jersey from the heirs of Carteret.

In 1702 the two colonies were united and New Jersey was thereafter a royal province. As early as 1665 a few people from Long Island settled in East Jersey. In 1677, the "Good ship Kent" brought over from England about 200 people, the first colony sent out by the West Jersey Company. Religious toleration was permitted, and at once settlers began to come into "the Jersies" from New England and Long Island colonies. Other emigrants came rapidly from England.*

* William Penn, it will be remembered, was much interested in the attempts of the Quakers to make West Jersey a refuge for those who were persecuted for "religion's sake." Reference is found to an early acquaintance in England between the Penns and Strattons:
"Thomas Penn's will dated Jan. 29, 1655-6. Letters of administration issued to Richard Stratton, principal executor of Thomas Penn, late of Stratford."
### - In "a collection of the sufferings of the people called Quakers for the Testimony of a Good Conscience from their rise in 1650. Taken from Original Records, and other Authentick Accounts by Joseph Bessel," - published in London by Luke Hinde, 1753 - are references to John Stratton, Buckinghamshire, 1660 to 1676. He was "taken out of meeting by armed men and committed to prison" for not appearing before the Surrogate of the Bishop of Lincoln, to answer a charge of absenting himself from his parish church, and for not receiving a sacrament." ---- In the same volume is given a long letter to Fretwell, dated August 16, 1677, telling of the persecutions of the "people reproachfully named Quakers," of Rhode Island and Long Island. Among those mentioned are [others] and Eliphal Stratton.

In 1681 the ship "Paradise" brought a body of colonists, among whom were Timothy Hancock and his sister Mary, from Warwickshire.
Mary married William Matlock, who came in the "Kent". Timothy settled on a tract of 100 acres of land in Burlington County, between the forks of the Pensauken Creek, about two miles from the present town of Moorestown. In 1682, in connection with William Matlock and John Roberts, he bought a piece of land of the Indian chief Tallaca, the original deed to which is still preserved by a descendant of William Matlock. Timothy was a young man when he came to New Jersey - 3 years later - on November 16, 1684, he married Rachel Firman, in Evesham monthly meeting. Rachel died before 1690 and Timothy married Susannah Ives. ### The Firmans were amonth the first settlers on Long Island, and being Quakers they were probably among those who early removed to West Jersey. There was a large settlement of Friends at Salem, NJ. The records of their monthly meetings are now being compiled for the Pennsylvania Genealogical Society. He was a prominent man in the colony.

The first "Friends Meeting" was held at Timothy's house and the monthly meetings continued to be held there on alternat "First Days" for several years. The first burial ground fo rthe community was on his land.* In the autumn of 1713, two daughters of Timothy Hancock married Strattons. These two young men, Emanuel Stratton and Mark Stratton, were brothers. The records of their marriages give no clew to their parentage or former residence. In each case the records simply says, "he being a single man". From this date much is known of them. More than a thousand of their descendants have been satisfactorily traced.

Conflicting traditions are found concerning their ancestry:

Cregar's Haine's Ancestry, published in 1887, contains this: "Emanuel Stratton of Gloucester County, New Jersey, yeoman, a native of Long Island and a member of the Society of Friends is said to have descended from a William Stratton, of Stratford, England, four of whose sons emigrated to America. Emanuel died in 1725 appointing his 'lone brother', Mark Stratton of Evesham, executor of his will." This belief of many branches of his descendants, founded, as far as the writer has been able to learn, upon tradition only. By a careful study of the original will at Trenton, the word which Cregar supposed to be "lone" proves to be "lovin (loving)", but there is nothing to indicate that there were other brothers.

A tradition found in other branches says that these brothers came directly from England to New Jersey, and this belief is strengthened by the following little sketch written and left by "Grandmother Cowperthwaite," a great-granddaughter of Mark Stratton: "A history of the burial of the first person in the Orthodox Friends' Graveyard at Medford, N.J. "Martha Cowperthwaite's great-grandfather, Mark Stratton, departed this live 4th mo. 3rd, 1759, aged 67 years. He came out from old England in 1702 with Robert Bradock, Sr., and others. He was buried in a piece of ground by the new school house, by the consent of Friends."

This [above], was written many years after Mark's death - after the death of all his children. That he "came out from Old England" was probably a tradition only with "Grandmonther Cowperthwaite," who was born nearly fifteen years after the death of her great-grandfather. Yet traditions are always of interest, often suggestive and helpful in research, and sometimes lead to the discovery of facts - hence these are given here.

Mark and Emanuel Stratton, and all of their children, were Friends [of the Society], as are many of their descendants to-day.* Leaving their ancestry in the region of tradition, records of their descendants, as completely as the compiler has been able to collect them, are here given to the fifth generation. Volume II of this work will continue the compilation from the point where this volume leaves it. * *=For convenience in referring to them Mark and Emanuel are here called the first of their lines, and written Mark1 and Emanuel1, although no claim is made that they were the emigrants.

Emanuel Stratton of Evesham - continues on pg 241

Picture above shows the Old Orthodox Friends' Graveyard, in Medford, New Jersey. The schoolhouse in the background stands where the "new schoolhouse" once stood in 1759. Near it are several Stratton graves. Unknown picture date, although pre-1908

### DEEDS & INFO ON FIRMAN/STRATTON?:
"1690, 1st d., 3rd mo. Deed: Daniel Mills of Northampton River, Burlington Co., Yeoman to Timothy Hancock on Cropwell Creek said Co., and wife Susannah, formerly Susannah Ives, for 80 acres to be taken up in West Jersey."
And from the same source is a mention of a deed given in 1690, by Walter Humphries of County of Gloucester, England, by his son and attorney, Joshua Humphries, "to Timothy Hancock and his daughter Elizabeth by his former wife Rachel Firman." Several published works claim that Ann, daughter of Timothy Hancock (wife of Mark Stratton), was the daughter of his first wife. The above proves that this is not true, as Ann Hancock was born August 11, 1691. [SOURCE]

PG 290

STRATTONS OF SUSSEX COUNTY

The deeds of Sussex County, New Jersey, show that in 1779, two Strattons owned land in that county:
I - Daniel Stratton, b. abt 1758
II - Thomas Stratton, b. 1760

They both left New Jersey before 1820; Daniel died in Ohio; Thomas died in Pennsylvania. Their descendants believe that they were brothers, and nothing has been found to contradict this belief. No authentic record has been found to show their parentage, or the place of their birth. Tradition says that they were grandsons, or great-grandsons of Mark Stratton.

I. Daniel Stratton, born in New Jersey, of Quaker parentage (his name appears in a list of New Jersey Coast Gards from Sussex County in the Revolution). In 1779 he purchased land in Vernon Township, Sussex County, New Jersey. The records there show nothing more concerning him until about 1809, when he deeded a part of his same land to Daniel Stratton, Jr. He died in Hancock County, Ohio, about 1824. That he was descented from Mark Stratton and "his beautiful wife Ann Hancock" is well understood by his descendants. Daniel's grandson, Mark Stratton of Wabash, Indiana, claimed that he was named for his ancestor "the original Mark Stratton." The record of Daniel's marriage has not been found, but we know that he had at least five children, who settled in Ohio.