Revision as of 00:54, 1 February 2007

John Stoughton was born about 1773 in New Jersey, the second of nine children of Williams Stoughton and his wife, born a Voorhees. John grew up in New Jersey in a community of English and Dutch families, and married Catherine Covert there in about 1795. John was about 22 years old, and Catherine was 18 when they married. By the following year Catherine's father, Lucas Covert, had migrated west to the wilds of Butler County, PA. John and Catherine had 2 sons born in New Jersey, the first being born in 1797, when Catherine was 20. At some point John and Catherine along with John's parents and siblings (with the possible exception of his oldest brother William) moved west as far as Lewisburg, PA, in what was then Northampton County. By 1802 they settled in Butler County, PA, and their thrid son was born in Butler County in 1802. John and Cathering build a home and cleared a farm. John appears on the 1804 tax list with 100 acres, 2 cows and 2 horses. John and Catherine had a total of 5 sons and 4 daughters. They were members of Muddy Creek Baptist Church. Their children married into the families of Wick, Glenn, Boyle, Logan, and Patterson. John Stoughton died in 1833, with a will. Catherine outlived him, and is listed as 72 years old in the 1850 census. Their burial site has not been located.

Ancestry chart segment

 Generation 6           Generation 7         Generation 8
 
                                         +-- William Stoughton
                                         |   (1742-????)
                    +-- John Stoughton --+
                    |   (1773-1833)      |
 Andrew Stoughton --+                    +-- [unknown] Vorhees
 (1802-1867)        |                        (????-????)
                    +-- Catherine Covert
                        (1778->1850)

Sources:

Children

(all children with Catherine Covert)

Places of Residence

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of original
1	1803 Tax List Middlesex Twp., Butler Co. PA: John Stoughton, 100 Acres, 2 cows, 2 horses or oxen, Valuation 144, Tax 0.43 1895 History Butler Co., p. 58
2	Deed Transfer from John Stoughton to William Stoughton, dated 10 Feb. 1820. Witnesses George (P___), and John Timblin. Recorded 14 Feb 1820,Butler County, John Timblin, Esq.	(Transcript)
3	Deed Transfer from John Stoughton to William Stoughton, dated 7 Apr. 1824. Centre Twp., Butler Co., PA, Deed E-222. 50 Acres for $75.00.	(Transcript)
4	Will of John Stoughton, Estate File # S-40,Muddy Creek Twp., Butler Co. PA. Signed 8 Apr. 1833. (Microfilm, Butler Public Library, Vol. A, p. 264, 1833) Lists wife Catherine; sons William, Luke, Andrew, John, Jacob StoughtonJacob, Bernard; daughters Eufame Logan, Hannah Stoughton, Jane Stoughton; executors: son Jacob Stoughton, & William Stoughton(Sr.?); witnesses: Samuel Stoughton & Robert Hemphill.	(Transcript)
5	Jeanne Bortmes Eichelberger, correspondence, 2006
6	Covert Family of New York by Robert Thorton Covert. Notes that John Stoughton married Catherine Covert; lists her parents as Lucas Covert and Cornelia Van Zandt, who were cousins; lists the children of Lucas And Cornelia Van Zandt Covert. (This source noted by Jeanne Bortmes Eichelberger; not seen by this researcher.)
7	Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams, granddaughter of Bert Winfred Wilson.	N/A

Source notes

• The will of John Stoughton, 1833, implies that John Stoughton and Bernard Stoughton are two separate sons. Research of Jeanne Eichelberger indicates one son, John Bernard Stoughton.
• John Stoughton names as executors in his will of 1833 his son Jacob Stoughton and William Stoughton (Junior/Senior?). William's name is followed by what appears to be either "Junior", or "Senior" (written out, not abbreviated). John's father William was already dead in 1833. John's brother William seems the likely candidate, although Jeanne Eichelberger believes he may have either died or married and remained in NJ as no further evidence of him has been found. In that era, the terms senior and junior were used to indicate an older and younger set of relatives, not necessarily a father/son relationship. John's son William G. Stoughton, although he has no son named William, could be addressed as William Sr. because his brother, John Bernard Stoughton, has a son William. However, it seems logical that in writing the will, the wording in that case would have been "my sons Jacob Stoughton and William Stoughton. Or, William G. Stoughton may have been referred to as William Stoughton, Jr., being the grandson of John's father. If the son of John Bernard Stoughton were known as William Stoughton Jr., he would not be the person named as executor as he would be at most about 5 years old at that date. No other William Stoughton candidates are known at present, so one is led to believe that the executor is either William G. Stoughton, or that John Stoughton's brother William was indeed alive and residing in Butler County in 1822. It is possible that the word following William Stoughton in the will is neither junior or senior but something other.

Conjecture

Research Wishlist

• Will abstracts of Andrew, William, John Bernard, Jacob, and Luke
• Will of John Stoughton Sr.
• 1803 Tax Rolls Middlesex Twp. Butler Co. PA