| David Broadwell |
Sorry to be so late in answering your letter of May 24. I have a form of bone cancer and am having a series of radiation and chemo treatments, so that I haven't felt up to doing anything extra. However, today I do have some time. Thanks for the information you sent. It is practically the same as I have except that there is no mention in my records of a Searing.
My record says that on Sept. 25, 1764, Josiah Broadwell, Esq., was elected county judge of Morris County and he and his wife Abigail?, transferred their membership by letter from the Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth to the Morristown Church in April 1770. Another record says that Josiah married(1) Sarah Bryant (1722-1774) of Madison, N. J. - just a stop from Morristown. My record says Sarah died in 1774, but doesn't give the date of Josiah's death. Their children (seven or eight) were quite outstanding. Sorry, but I have nothing about a Searing.
I am a descendant of Wm. Broadwell (1682-1746), brother of Richard, who is buried in the New Providence Churchyard at New Providence. As you say John must have died young(2). Richard married Hannah Bonnell about 1710. They died young and their two daughters, Rachel and Margaret, were raised by their grandfather Nathaniel Bonnel and Samuel Chandler. (This Rachel is, I assume, your "Rachel").
Richard Broadwell (I don't know his birthday), has a descendant Tyree Broadwell who in 1983, lived in Gibsonville N. C. Perhaps you should write to him.
My branch of the family is descended from David Broadwell(3) (1747-1816), who with his half brother William (both sons of William III, brother of Josiah, Henry and the others) migrated with their wives, families and relatives from Morris County, N. J. on ox sleds during the winter of 1803-1804 to northern New York - then a wilderness. They came up the Hudson River to Ft, Edward, then a portage to Lake George, then another portage to Lake Champlain (about 150 miles long) to Plattsburgh about 25 miles south of where I live at the end of Lake Champlain at Rouses Point. We live then than a mile from the Canadian border. A bridge across the lake to Vermont and New England was built here in 1937 and is to be replaced starting this summer by a more modern one at a cost of approximately 4 million dollars.
David's descendants, not including me, are still living on the land they settled in 1804 - 1000 acres - now less acreage(4). There is a beautiful red stone house, which was built to last forever, having been started by David's youngest son in 1825 and now owned by my cousin Keith Broadwell.
David Broadwell was first married to Mary Hand in Morristown. She died in childbirth and he then married Sabera Willcox(5) by whom he had five children - all in New Jersey. He then married Elizabeth Carroll of Morristown and it was she and their one and only child (son), David, Jr. who was born in New Jersey in 1795, who made the trip here in 1803-1804.
Wm. Broadwell, David's half brother was also married three times and had 15 children in all - one of whom was Baxter Broadwell(6). He grew up and went to Illinois where his aunt Jane, Wm's sister, was living (Calhoun County). She had married her cousin, Moses, son of Josiah of Morristown. They took up several sections of land and, later became very prosperous. They lived in the Springfield area. I was told that their red place? which was immense and served as an inn at one time is being restored by the State of Illinois. It is about 20 miles from Springfield and is a historic landmark. Baxter later went to live in Iowa. He became the father of triplets, James Madison Broadwell(7), Thomas Jefferson Broadwell and another, named George Washington Broadwell. Someone is trying to research them, and I have had many letters, but I know almost nothing about them. Of the 15 children of Wm. Broadwell who came here in 1803-1804 there is not one descendant living here. Practically all of David's descendants, of whom I am one, live nearby - not too many left. My wife and I have no children. We were teachers here in the area for many years. We retired in 1966 and started an antique business which keeps us busy. We live in the oldest house in town, built in 1815, and have our shop in a barn, part of a garage and woodshed. Winters we usually spend in Tucson AZ and also own property there. I will soon be 80. I, too, have run out of regular paper, so am using this - please excuse.
When I started this family history "hobby" someone sent me data compiled by Estelle (Crum) Broadwell, wife of Charles Lane Broadwell (1876-1927), who was a prominent attorney in Cincinnati.
She says that the Wm. Broadwell who married Mary Morse in 1677 was the son of Edward Broadwell who came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early Puritan migration. There was unrest in the colony so a Rev. Mr. Pierson, gathered his little flock of about 60 persons together and they went to what became Branford, Ct.
Trouble arouse there, over religion, so Rev. Pierson again, took his followers across Long Island Sound to New Jersey. They were among the founders of Newark, N. J. Edward Broadwell was said to have been born near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire in 1625. So Wm., who married for the second time in 1677 could have been his son. Since these early Broadwells came from the vicinity of the Forest of Dean [Gloucestershire, England], where the earliest iron mines and smithies were located. Also lumbering and saw mills were big here. I always have thought that's where Wm. Broadwell - Mary Morse came into such big business deals, as they owned hundreds of acres of woodland and the largest sawmill in Elizabeth and had a contract to furnish cut lumber to Gov. Dongan of N.Y. who had a big operation going for himself on Staten Island before 1700.
Right now, I don't have any books left to send to anyone, which I do at no cost, but from time to time someone dies and relatives return copies that I gave to them in 1964. Note: The book he is referring to can be found on this web page at Clinton County
If I do get one I shall send it to you. It, however, has more about our family after they came here to settle than about the early part in New Jersey.
There is a Mr. R. Broadwell whose address is given below, who like Judith B. has a wealth of information on the family that he would be happy to send to you.
Sincerely, Andrew B.
Sorry to be sending you such a mixture of information, but I tried to dig into to some letters and other data I have that might be of interest to you. The information about my ggg grandfather William was copied from his bible which he left to his daughter Elizabeth Broadwell Tingley whose descendants who live in Ohio. The Tingleys came from Morristown and a street there is named for them.
1) Note on side margin of letter: Josiah must have married twice.
2) Note on side margin of letter: One source says he died when six years old.
3) Note on side margin of letter: David was a soldier during the Revolution and was stationed in Morristown. He was a sergeant and a blacksmith. After the war he was appointed a Lieutenant by Wm. Livingston, Gov. of N. J. in the Morristown Militia 1784.
4) 6 miles on the south side of the Saranac River.
5) Sabera Willcox, daughter of Peter Willcox of Rockaway was called "Sybbah". She was my ggg grandmother.
6) Baxter Broadwell born Jan 5, 1788 in New Jersey - came with his parents to Plattsburgh, N.Y. in 1804.
7) James Madison Broadwell lived in Burlington, Iowa.
| New Jersey Broadwell Families | New York Broadwell Families | Illinois Broadwell Families | Georgia Broadwell Families |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morris County | Clinton County | Sangamon County | Milton County |
| William Broadwell | David Broadwell | Simeon Broadwell | Crabapple Cemetery |
| Broadwell Ancestry |
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