Revision as of 08:19, 2 January 2007

William Stoughton was born about 1742 in New York and is reported to have been in the Revolutionary War, serving with troops fron New York until the close of the war. Per the research of Jeanne Eichelberger, "He served in Washington's Army in the battle of Monmouth and was with Lee's division when Lee ordered a retreat. He is said to have related afterward that the only time he ever saw Washington angry was when he came upon Lee's retreating division. He asked "What means this ill timed prudence?" They were turned back to the charge and victory finally was won."
William Stoughton moved to New Jersey where in about 1770 he married a Voorhees woman who was also originally from New York. It is possible that these two families knew each other in New York and migrated together to New Jersey, although that is speculation. William and his wife had nine children, all born in New Jersey. The older children were of marriagable age before the family left New Jersey. The oldest son, William Stoughton Jr., is thought to have possibly married and stayed behind in New Jersey when the famiy migrated westward, as he has not been found in the records. The second son, John Stoughton, married Catherine Covert in New Jersey. Catherine was of Dutch heritage, though her famiy had lived in New England for two generations. Catherine's father, Lucas Covert, moved westward to Northumberland County, PA, after the Revolution, and in 1796 settle near Slippery Rock Creek in Butler County, PA. He was one of the first white settlers in the area. The Stougnton parents and children, excepting possibly the oldest son, followed his lead. They resided for a time in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania (then in Northumberland County, now in Union County). The Stoughtons continued west in 1802 to Butler County (six years after the arrival of Lucas Covert), and by 1804 were in Middlesex Township. Members of the Voorhees family also migrated westward to Butler County. They were part of a migration of several of the old English and Dutch families of New England, moving westward in search of land for their growing families.
William was a farmer. He died without a will in April of 1822, and an inquest of sudden death was held. Families besides Stoughton mentioned in his estate settlement were Timblin, Gilgrist, Badger, Thompson and Rose. Some of these names are no doubt his sons-in-law. (This biography is based on the research of Jeanne Bortmes Eichelberger)

Ancestry chart segment

 Generation 7         Generation 8            Generation 9
 
                                          +-- [unknown]
                                          |   (????-????)
                  +-- William Stoughton --+
                  |   (1742-1822)         |
 John Stoughton --+                       +-- [unknown]
 (1773-1833)      |                           (????-????)
                  +-- [unknown] Vorhees
                      (????-????)

Sources:

Children

(all children with Catherine Covert)

Places of Residence

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of original
1	Estate of William Stoughton dated 1 Apr. 1822, filed 11 Oct. 1822, Robert Scott, Recorder. Names Sally Timblin, Joseph Timblin, (Alexander) Gilgrist, Esther Badger, Ann Timblin, Andrew Stoughton, William Thompson, Jacob Rose, Edward Timblin, John Timblin,as recipients. Submitted by John Timlin Esq., David Shannon.	(Transcript, Wm. Stoughton Estate 1822)
2	Inquest re. death of William Stoughton, filed 3 Apr. 1822, Center Twp., Butler Co. PA, filed with Estate of William Stoughton. Results of inquest re. sudden death of William Stoughton are not given. Documents lists costs, bill of David Shannon Esq., William Campbell Prothonotary, John Coovert for making coffin, and John Timblin, administrator of the estate.	(Transcription, Inquest papers, Wm. Stoughton)
3	1803 Tax List Middlesex Twp., Butler Co. PA: William Stoughton, 400 Acres, 2 cows, 2 horses or oxen, Valuation 360, Tax 1.08. 1895 History of Butler Co.PA, p. 58
4	1895 History of Butler Co., Brown & Co., p. 614 Chapter 59 Brady Township: "The development of coal deposits at Coaltown, begun some years ago ... the coal banks on the Hines, Boyd and douglass, William Badger, William Stoughton and Louis Martsolf lands, and the old Cornelius, D.K. Graham and James Martin banks, now abandoned, are well known as fuel suppliers of the past and present.
5	Early Settlers of Butler County, PA. 1800-1806 ed. John F. Gall & David K. Webb. Chillicothe, OH 1934, p.4 Early Settlers - a list of names appearing in early Butler County records indicating residence: Stouton, Wm. 1806.
6	Jeanne Bortmes Eichelberger, correspondence, 2006
7	Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams, gr-granddaughter of Elizabeth A. Stoughton.	N/A

Source notes

• Recipients named in the estate of William Stoughton include his son Andrew Stoughton, son-in-law Jacob Rose (husband of Effie Stoughton). Sons John, William and Samuel are not named. Preponderance of items to Timblin individuals (Ann Timblin, Sally Timblin, Edward Timblin, John Timblin and Joseph Timblin) suggest that perhaps two Stoughton daughters (Ann and Sarah ?) may have married Timblin brothers. Daughter Delilah Stoughton is not named. Others of unknown relationship: Alex'r Gilgrist, Esther Badger, William Thompson.
  Photocopy of estate of William Stoughton, and of inquest papers, received from Jeanne Bortmes Eichelberger 2006.

* Per Jeanne Eichelberger, the earliest Stoughton ancestors came from England in about 1591, settling in Connecticut, later in New York, and then in New Jersey. Our documented line came from New Jersey to Butler County, PA in 1802, settling in Middlesex township where William Stoughton appears in the tax list of 1804.

Conjecture

Research Wishlist

• Estate document