My Havens Family in New Jersey Blog
My Havens Family in New Jersey Blog
The writer of this blog would like to greatly recognize the efforts of Henry C. Havens and his publication of "The Havens Family in New Jersey" in 1933. It is through his research and writing that a large portion of this blog is based.
The writer of this blog would also like to pay tribute to the following list of publication, journal articles, websites and newspaper posts; The History of Baptists in New Jersey by Thomas S. Griffiths, Brick Township Changing Scenes by Brick Township Historical Society, Images of America Brick Township by Eugene E. Donatiello and John G. Leavey, Early Havens History Havens-Crombie Line by John Newell, The History of Brick Township by Eleanor Angott, Collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society Volume III, The Havens Book: The Story of a Family compiled by descendants of Schenck Hanford Havens and the Early History of Narragansett by Elisha R. Potter Jr.
The writer of this blog would also like to point out the irony in the plight of the Havens family, being pushed out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and driven to other areas to practice their faith without persecution.
This blog follows the male members of my direct line down to my great-grandfather, as indicated on the chart and information below.
WILLIAM HAVENS (1600-1683) 100*
The earliest historical mention of the surname Havens in America occurs in the account of the establishment of the government of Portsmouth on Rhode Island in Narragansett Bay. Although no record has been uncovered to prove this, it is believed that William Havens came to America from Aberystwyth, Cardingshire, Wales. Others believe this is the birth location of his second wife.
The Massachusetts Bay Colony had an ongoing battle with the English Parliament over its royal patent, issued by Charles I and given to John Winthrop to carry over to New England with the Puritan settlers in 1630. The patent gave the colony’s governor and officers the power to make laws for themselves and basically to be self-governing, so long as their laws did not contradict the laws of England.
In 1638 Anne Hutchinson was expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Three years after arriving in Boston, she found herself the first female defendant in a Massachusetts court. When she held prayer meetings attended by both men and women, the authorities were alarmed; but what really disturbed them was her criticism of the colony's ministers and her assertion that a person could know God's will directly. Put on trial for heresy, she defended herself brilliantly. But her claim to have had a revelation from God sealed her fate. She was banished from the colony. Along with her family and 60 followers, she moved to Rhode Island, and later to New York, where she perished in an Indian raid.
In 1638 William was admitted as an inhabitant of the Island of Aquidneck, having
submitted himself to the government that was being established.
Aquetnet was an Indian chief who owned the island of Aquetnet or Aquidneck or Rhode Island. By the advise of Roger Williams
this island was purchased on March 24, 1638, and on July 1, 1639 a regular
government was formed. Below is a copy of that document signed (marked)
by William Havens in 1638. Note that Ann Hutchinson's husband William and their son Samuel were also listed on this same document.
In 1644 William Havens received a grant of four acres of land. William was
also offered land in Portsmouth. Below is a map listing his property. This property is located near the current city hall of Portsmouth.
William's eldest son John Havens 201 leased on December 2, 1662, for a period of seven years a dwelling house of William Havens, with all the belongings thereto, at 5 lbs yearly, payable March 20, in wheat, pease, Indian corn or oats.
William Havens was listed as a carpenter and a
locksmith. William Havens wrote his will on March 24, 1680 and was
proved on September 25, 1683. Below is a write up of that will. It is
unknown where Mr. Havens was buried as it is believed the island had no
stone smiths to carve headstone.
JOHN HAVENS (1627-1687) 201*
Below
is an excerpt from the Rhode Island Court Records. Records of the Court
of Trials of the Colony of Providence Plantations 1662-1670, vol. II.
in which John Havens is speaking in contempt of the the governors of the
colony of Rhode Island on May 6, 1665.
”I John Havens doe acknowledge and Confese that I have notoriously abused his majestyes most honorable Commistioners as also the worshepfull governor Benedict Arnold in not only specking aprobious speches but grose falshoods and that Causlesly for which mibehavioures of mine I am heartily sorry and doe promise amendment for the future and however it be that the honourable sire Robert Carr hath through Clemacy past by my said offense Respecking ther honour yet I doe acknowledge the favor of this Court in binding mee over to my good behavior unto the next Court for that ignomianous Exprestiones of mine against the governor.”
Generous offers were made by the Berkeley-Carteret government
to prospective settlers in the colony of New Jersey. To every freeman
who had come before January 1, 1665, provide with one hundred and fifty
acres of land: to those called "master" or "mistress" who came before
January 1, 1665, armed and provided as required, one hundred and twenty
acres. Beginning on February 27, 1667-1668, an Oath of Allegiance was
administered to all inhabitants of Navesink in New Jersey. This list included twenty-four men, of whom one was John Havens, son of William of Portsmouth.
Be it that John Havens leased the land of his father in 1662, was speaking in contempt in 1665, and the leasing of the land in New Jersey began in 1667, John had to have come to New Jersey between that time.
At the time of his death in 1687, the properties of John Havens 201 were as follows: (1) House and lot of twenty-four acres at Narawataconck (a branch of the Shrewsbury river); (2) 120 acres on Ramsont's neck, near lands of Edmond Laffetra and Judah Allan; (3) Four acres of meadow at Narawataconck bounded on the northwest by a branch of the Shrewsbury River; (4) Four acres of meadow on Racoone Island, (5) 100 acres of land on Passequanocqua creek (northern branch of the Manasquan river).
Below is a copy of some of these recording, as well as a a map of the area listing these locations.
DANIEL HAVENS (1680-1740) 307*
Daniel
Havens was the third son of John Havens 201 and Hannah Stannard.
One quarter of his father's real estate was bequeathed to Daniel, the
other quarters going to his mother Hannah, and brothers Nicholas and
John Havens. Daniel
Havens 307 observed in his will the ancient custom of primogeniture,
bequeathing all his "lands and Tenements" to his wife Christian during
her lifetime, then to his eldest son George. His will, made on the
twenty-first of January, 1739, was not proved until over a year later,
March 26, 1740.
“In the Name of God, Amen, the twenty first day of January, One thousand seven hundred and thirty nine I Daniel Havince of Shrewsbury in the County of Monmouth and Province of New Jersey Yeoman being sick and week of Body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be to God therefore—calling to mind the mortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die Do make & ordain this my last Will and Testament that is to say principally and first of all I Give and Recommend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it and for my body I recommend it to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing Douting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty Power of God and as touching such Earthly Estate whearewith it has plesed God to bless me with in this life I Give Devise and Dispose of the same in the following manner and form Imprimis I give and bequeath to Christian my dearly beloved Wife all my moveable Estate after my lafull Depts and equeat charges are paid and also all my Lands and Tenements so long as she lives my Widow but if she ceseth to live my Widow either by Marage or Death then I give and Bequeth all my Lands and Tennements to my son George to him his Heirs or assigns for ever but if it shall plese God that my Son George dye before he poseseth my Lands and Tennements or not having lawfull Issue then my will and intent is that my Lands and Tennements Shall be Sold and the money to be equally Divided amongst all the rest of my Children eaquelly alike Item I give to my Daughter Anna five Shillings Item I give to my Son Daniel five shillings Item I give to my son John five shillings Item I give to my Daughter Mary five shillings Item I give to my Daughter Margrett five shillings Item I give to my Daughter Christian five shillings Item I give to my Daughter Ann five shillings all which Legecies so bequeathed to be made out of my moveable Estate. My Desire is that my Daughter Ann may live with her mother or Brother George tell She is of Age I likewise Constitute make and Ordain my only and sole Executors of this my last Will and Testement and singular my Lands Measuages and Tennements my well beloved Wife and my Dutiful Son George retifying and Confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testement in Witness Whereof I have hearunto Set my Hand and Seal the day and year above written.”
Witnesses: His
William Matters Daniel D. Havince
Wm. Cosgrave Mark
JOHN HAVENS (1720-1788) 404*
John Havens 404 was a merchant along the Mansquan River.
"A
marriage license was issued to John Havens, a weaver, to marry Anna
Davis, for 500 pounds and the marriage took place on 21 Jan 1745, in
Shrewsbury. Witnesses were John Forman and Robert Savage.”
John Havens, son of Daniel and Christian Havens, in about 1787, settled with his family on Kettle Creek, in what is now Brick township, Ocean Co. NJ. They made their home on Metedeconk Neck, a large strip of land lying between the Metedeconk River and Kettle creek and bordering on Upper Barnegat Bay. He and his son John purchased six hundred acres of land. This land had been previously owned by John's brother Joseph Havens 409, land that had been seized for debt by the Sheriff of the County of Monmouth and sold for 78 pounds.
John Havens died at his home in Ocean Co. in 1788. Below is a description of his will.
“In the Name of God, Amen. I, John Heavens of Shrewsbury in the County of Munmuth and State of New Jersey, being Week in Body but of sound memory, do this twentieth first day of July in the Year of our Lord 1788 make this and publish this my last will and Testament in manner following that is to say, First of all I recommend my soul into the hand of God that Gave it and my Body to the Earth to be buried in a deasont manor. I also will and bequeath all my Lands and Intrust in Lands to my sons John Heavens and Jacob Heavens to beneen equilly divided between them. I also Give my son Danniel Ten pound, and to my sone Moses Heavens I give Twenty pound if he comes after it in ten year, if not to be Eaquilly devided Amongst the Living. And I Give to my sone Jesse Heavens Five pounds if he Comes home in fore Year, if not to be put to use till his dator Anna comes of Age then to be given her. I give to my daftor Eavis Ten pounds, I give to daftor Elizabeth Ten pounds. I Give to my Grand son Jesse Heavens Fifty pounds when he comes of Age And to be put to Intrust till he comes of age. I Give to my grandsons John Davis and Jesse Heavens one Bed and Bedding to bee Cept in hands of my sone John Heavens, hoom I appoint his Gardeen. I also ordain my sone Daniel eight pound out of the Remaindors of my Estate the rest to be davoided Acording to Law Between Moses, Eavis, John & Jacob Heavens and Elizabeth Davis. N.B. John is to have the privilege of the Gras this Year. I likewise Constitute and ordain to my sole Executors, that is to say my sone John Heavens and my sone in law William Davis, of this my last will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal the day and date above ritten.
Witness present Jonathan Curtis John Heavens His X mark Walter Curtis Margaret Price
Affirmed Monmouth 30th day of October, 1778.
Walter Curtis and Margaret Price two of the witnesses to the within will being duly affirmed did declare that they saw John Havens the Testator therein named Sign and Seal the same And heard him publish pronounce and declare the within writing to be his last will and Testament and that at the doing thereof the said Testator was of sound and disposing mind and memory as far as these affirmants know and as they verily believe that Johnathan Curtis the other subscribing evidence was present at the same and signed his name as a Witness to the said will in the presence of the said Testator. Affirmed at Monmouth the 30th day of October, 1788, before me,
Thomas Henderson
Surrogate
JOHN HAVENS (1747-1815) 501*
In 1796, John Havens 501, then called "senior", purchased land from James Allan for 1,500 lbs a tract of land of 250 acres of farmland, wooded and meadow between Metedeconk River and Kettle Creek and bordering Barnegant Bay. This property remained in the possession of the family for over a century. The property deed stipulated that “a plot of one-half acre in the northwest corner of the orchard be used as burying ground.” At the time of the purchase John Havens 501 was about 50 years old. His wife Rebecca Jeffrey had died six years earlier, leaving John with four sons and a daughter.
In 1792 John Havens married again, this time to Elizabeth Hill, who before her marriage had lived in Hopewell, New Jersey and had been a loyal member of the Baptist Church. Through this lady, the first Baptist Church in Ocean County was established in 1804.
It is here, within the cemetery plot, that the Kettle Creek Baptist Church was built. In 1893 the church was renamed the Osbornville Baptist Church. Unfortunately that building was destroyed in 1920 by a fire. The cemetery still exists and is located off Drum Point Road near the bend of the road toward Shore Acres.
JOHN HAVENS JR (1775-1839) 602*
In 1796 John Havens Jr 602 bought 100 acres of land from his father John Havens 501 for property located, as described in the land survey, at the head of the branch that puts out of maple branch that empties into the North Branch of the Metetecunck River. Huh?
In 1798 John Havens 602 married Anner Osborn, daughter of Abraham Osborn. Abraham was a noted veteran of the Revolutionary War and large land owner in Ocean County.
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John died in 1839 and is buried in the First Baptist Church in Laurelton.
Anner Havens died in 1871 in Kettle Creek at age 90. Below is a copy of her obituary.
ABRAHAM OSBORN HAVENS (1801-1854) 7034*
Abraham O. S. Havens, the only male child of John and Anner Havens, was born on the Kettle Creek homestead, and moved to Burrsville, Brick township, a village about ten miles from his birthplace. He was a farmer-preacher, having been ordained in 1836 as pastor of the newly-formed Baptist Church at Kettle Creek. For a time he served as captian in the New Jersey militia. From 1850 until 1854 he was clerk of Brick township, and in 1853 was elected to the New Jersey assembly.
In his will he gave a plot of as a site for a church building in his own town, and left a sum of money to be used toward the creation of the same. This church is now known as the First Baptist-Orient Church in Laurelton.
In Chapter 28 of the History of Brick Township by Eleanor Angott she states that the Reverend Abraham S. Havens was out plowing the fields one day when a seizure forced him to stop. He called out for his fourteen-year-old son Abraham C.B. Havens to take over the plow and finish the work. The following day Reverend Havens died.
HORATIO ELY HAVENS (1849-1929) 8007*
Horatio Ely Havens was the youngest child of Abraham O.S. Havens and Ann Davison. He lived on the old homestead of his parents for 80 years. He was a prominent farmer.
Horatio's brothers Abraham C. B. Havens and John G. W. Havens ran a store opposite where the Cracker Barrel store was.
Another brother of Horatio was Henry Clay Havens who volunteers to fight for the Union in the Civil War and unfortunately lost his life in the Battle of Monocacy, VA in 1864.
WALTER HAVENS (1873-1957) 9159*
Walter Havens was my great-grandfather. He died before I was born, and therefore I never met him, but I knew of his presence. Whenever we went to visit my grandmother, which was often, and who lived just off the Laurenton Circle on Forge Pond Rd, there was always talk about the gas station on the circle that Walter use to manage. It might have still been there, but sadly isn't there anymore. For a while, I think there was a Kinney's Shoes, and a Cracker Barrel, but sadly I haven't been back to this area for a decade.
Walter Havens was the brother of Emma Havens. Emma taught school at a young age in the area, retiring in 1930, and eventually a school was named in her honor.
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