John Rudderow and His Descendants by John R. Stevenson

This post is about six ancestors who came to the Colonies in the 1680s, John Rudderow, who came as in 1681, as an employee of the Crown, his parents John Rudderow and Ann Jones, His wife–to–be, Lucy Stiles, came with either her brother or/and her parents, Robert Stiles and wife whose name is not given, which five came in 1683; are our ancestors through the Hollingshead line as follows:

Inez Elizabeth Hollingshead, the daughter of Hanna Burdette Rollins and
Abraham Hollingshead; the son of Elizabeth Evans and
Nelson Stoyell Hollingshead; the son of Aurelia Matthews and
Thomas Hollingshead who was the son of Anne Hill and
William Hollingshead; the son of Elizabeth Conrow and Anthony Hollingshead, the son of William Hollingshead and
Hannah Rudderow, the daughter of
John Rudderow and Lucy Stiles. John is the son of
John Rudderow and Ann Jones.

The book Moorestown and her Neighbors pp131-133: contains the following account of John Rudderow, and of Robert Stiles
RUDDEROW— John Rudderow arrived at Philadelphia from England about 1680. He was a surveyor and also had considerable knowledge about the law. After remaining in the neighborhood of Philadelphia for a few years he decided to return to England but the unexpected arrival at Philadelphia of Robert Stiles and his sister, Lucy Stiles, immediately altered his plans. He and Lucy Stiles were afterwards married and settled on a large plantation between the two branches of Pensauken Creek not far from Fork Landing. The original survey is dated Tenth month 1684 and calls for 650 acres which were surveyed in the names of John Clark and John Rudderow. 475 Acres of this tract located at the forks of the creek were later resurveyed for John Rudderowe. John and Lucy Stiles Ruderow’s children were Mary; Rebecca, Hannah, Ann, Sarah, John and three who names were not recorded and who undoubtedly died in infancy. John Jr. married Elizabeth Hollingshead and was the ancestor of those bearing the name Rudderow now living in the neighborhood of Moorestown. The Rudderows were active in the affairs of Chester Township which formerly included the present town of Moorestown.
STILES—Robert Stiles arrived from England about 1682 and settled for a few years in Philadelphia. In 1695 he purchased 415 acres on the noth branch of Pensauken Creek about two miles West of Moorestown from Charles Reade of Philadelphia. I am convinced, however, that this survey included a former survey as he undoubtedly settled on the Pensauken at an earlier date. The early records of Chester Township show that he was active in the affairs of the community as early as 1692. His first survey was probably in 1684 about the time when John Rudderow settled on the creek. Gabriel Thomas, who published “an Historical and Geographical Account of Pennsylvania ans West Jersey” in 1698, refers to Robert Stiles as follows: — “The trade of Goouchester County consists chiefly in pitch, tar and rosin, the latter of which is made by Robert Stiles, and excellent artist in that sort of work for he delivers it as clear a gum arabic.” Robert Stiles married Priscilla Howell, daughter of Thomas and Catheine Howell. Their children were Robert, John, and Martha. Robert married Sarah Rudderow, John died in infancy and Martha married Thomas Coles. The Moorestown branch of the stiles family is descended from Robert and Sarah Rudderow Stiles. The Stiles farm was located in Maple Shade on the North branch of Pensauken Creek a little below Camden Pike.

The following Article appeared in the April 1898 issue of
The New York Genealogical and Biogrphical Record

JOHN RUDDEROW AND HIS DESCENDANTS.
BY DR. JNO. R. STEVENSON.

2JOHN RUDDEROW was the son of 1John and 1Ann Jones Rud­derow of “Her Nant” Wales, Great Britain, and was born about 1660. He was educated for a lawyer in England. About the time the Quakers under William Penn began the settlement of West New Jersey and Pennsylvania (1680-1681), John Rudderow was sent over by the Government as a “Crown Surveyor,” whose duty it was to report to the home government upon the surveys made by the surveyors of the Proprietors. He superintended the laying out of the city of Philadel­phia (1681-1682-1683). Having finished his work he was about re­turning home, when a vessel arrived at Philadelphia bringing a company of Welsh colonists to whom William Penn had granted a Charter for a large tract of land near Philadelphia, now “Bryn Mawr”; among these settlers were his father, mother, and Robert Stiles and family. In 1684, John Rudderow bought a tract of land in Chester Township, Burlington County, New Jersey, and by subsequent purchases acquired all the land between the forks of Pensawkin Creek in that township, for a mile back from the forks. John Rudderow the Sixth, still owns and lives on a part of this tract [1898].
2John Rudderow took an active part in the affairs of his township and county. He served for several years as Town Clerk and the minute-book of Chester Township, still preserved, is partly kept in his own handwriting. In 1706, he was appointed a judge of the “Courts of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions” of Burlington County, New Jersey, and served until 1709, inclusive. He was an adherent of the Church of England (otherwise he could not have held the official posi­tion of “Crown Surveyor”), held services in his house, and in his will bequeathed ten pounds “Whenever a church shall be built hereaway” This legacy was paid by his son John to St. Mary's Church, Colestown, upon its organization (1752). Between 1690 and 1700, John Rudderow was engaged in the shipping trade between Philadelphia, the West Indies, and England ; the agreement of co-partnership between him and Captain Howell, his partner, is still preserved. In this way he imported the bricks from England with which to build his house, which has since been torn down. 2John Rudderow married 2Lucy Stiles, sister of Robert Stiles, whose family, together with John’s father and mother, had removed to Chester Township, Burlington County, New Jersey. His will is dated in 1729 and probated 1733. Their children were :
i. 3Mary, married, first, Guiteau ; married second, Joshua Maddock, mayor of Philadelphia. She lived to be 101 years old.
ii. 3Hannah Rudderow, married 1 April, 1727. William
Hollingshead. son of Wiliam Hollingshead and Elizabeth Adams. Their children all born at Burlington N. J. were:
i. George Hollingshead, b. abt 1728.
ii. 4Anthony, b. abt 1730, married Elizabeth Conrow; d 1812
iii Jacob, b. 16 Oct 1732, married, 14 July 1756, Mary Hollingshead. He d. 19 Dec. 1819.
iv Mary, b. abt 1734, married Martin Modden.
v Jerusa, b. abt 1736, married 30 August 1759, Joseph Hollingshead.
vi Bathsheba, b. abt 1738, married James Buckstone.
iii. 3Sarah, married Robert Stiles.
iv. 3Ann, married Samuel Davis.
v. 3John Rudderow, born 1694 ; died 1769. 3John (2John, 1John), married, first, Elizabeth Hollingshead; their children were:
i. 4John, died in infancy.
ii. 4Grace, married Jacob Lippincott.
iii. 4Mary, married Joseph Perry.
3John’s second wife was Elizabeth Jones; their children were
iv. 4Hannah, married — Wilson.
v. 4Ruth, married — Vanneman., twin
vi. 4Lizzie, married — twin
vii. 4Susannah, married — Hunter.
viii. 4Sarah, married — Vanhorn.
ix. 4Joseph, had two sons, John and Noble.
x. 4Samuel, no, male heirs.
xi. 4William Rudderow, born October 11, 1732 ; was married May 25, 1758 to Abagail, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca Spicer*; he died December 13, 1803 ; their children were:
i. 5John, born February 1 7, 1759 ; married, first, Jerugha, daughter of Benjamin and Hannah Inskeep ; second, Brina, Welsh, widow of James Leconey. He died in 1840.
ii. 5Jane, born February 1, 176o ; married Joshua Osler.
iii. 5Thomas, born December 3, 1761 ; married Rebecca Carty.
iv. 5Abagail, born March 24, 1764 ; married John Ashburner,
who arrived in Philadelphia from England in 1783. No record of marriages and deaths in the Ashburner family can be found. He died in 81st year of his age, on the 17th day of December, 1838 ; his wife Abagail, died July 30, 1842, in the 79th year of her age. Their chil­dren were:
i. 6Ann, born January 1, 1787 ; died January 5, 1839.
ii. 6Abagail, born March 2, 17 88.
iii. 6John, born February 15, 1789 ; died August 9, 1838.

This ends the article in the NYG&BR. More will be added later about the first, second, and third generations as more information becomes available.

The family of 4Anthony Hollingshead and Elizabeth Conrow
i. 5Aschseh Elizabeth, b. abt 1764, Morris N. J.; married 20
Sept 1786, Daniel Soules
ii. 5Sarah, b. abt. 1766, Morris N.J.; married 16 April 1789,
John Hill
iii. 5Isaac, b. abt. 1768, Morris N.J.; Married 20 Oct. 1790,
Anne Hill.
iv. 5William Hollingshead, b. 1774, Digby Nova Scotia,
Canada, Married, 3 April 1794, Anne Hill
v. 5George, b. abt 1776, Digby, Nova Scotia,
vi. 5Anthony, b. about 1778, Digby Nova Scotia, Married 31
October 1806, Eleanor Crossley.

29 May 2001

Rudderow; by Mary Ann NIcholson

The following article appeared on page 717 of a book published by The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey. The book was in the collection of the Everton Library in Logan, Utah. I have only the first page of the article. The Everton Collection is not currently available because of construction of the Logan City facilities.

Rudderow by Mary Ann Nicholson

When Dr. John R. Stevenson published his genealogy of the Rudderow family of New New Jersey in April 1898, he offered no sources for his facts (New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 29 [April 1898] 112-114). An effort to document his work has raised the possibility that Dr. Stevenson confused two contemporary men, one a Welsh Quaker and the other an English Anglican.
Stevenson stated that progenitor John Rudderow was born about 1660 in Her Nant, Mongoneryshire, Wales and came about 1681 as “Crown Surveyor” to review the surveys by Penn’s men who laying out Philadelphia; met Lucy Stiles and her family as they arrived in 1683; married her and settled in New Jersey.
Because Philadelphia was unsurveyed, William Penn appointed William Crispin, Thomas Holme, and Richard Noble to lay out the city according to his grid plan. Crispin died in England and Holme became surveyor-general. Henry Hollingworth served as an assistant to Thomas Holme, and kept a journal (John F. Watson, Annals of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania [Phila., 1845], 1:13, 14). Later David Powell and Charles Ashcom were appointed (Thomas Allen Glenn, Welsh Founders of Pennsylvania [Oxford, England, 1911], 72). Richard Noble, had come to New Jersey in 1675, and in 1676, took the oath of office as Chief Surveyor of Fenwick’s Colony on the east side of the Delaware in Salem, New Jersey (New Jersey Archives, 21:555). In 1683, he was to “set out” Front Street in Philadelphia (Jean R. Soderland, ed., William Penn and the Founding of Pennsylvania, 1680-84 [Phila, 1986], 162). No primary record has been found by this writer to date naming a “Crown Surveyor.”
Among those Welsh Quakers arriving in 1682-85 was John Rhyddech who was born in 1651 in Hirnant parish, Montgomeryshire, Wales. He was the son of Rhydderch; ap Evan of same place, yeoman. Before leaving Wales, John Rhyterch (sic.) of Hirnant parish, Montgomeryshire, yeoman, received 156 acres, conveyed in the Welsh Tract (company #2 of the Lloyd and Davies Patent) in April and June 168.
[This ends page 717, The book may have been A Genealogical Dictionary of New Jersey, a compilation of articles of eary New Nersey settlers. If any reader has access to this book I would love to have a copy of the rest of this article. I may have coppied the whole articles but I can locate only page 717.)