Revision as of 14:30, 16 October 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)
(Click here for complete biography & Stoughton name background)

Ancestry chart segment

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

Sources: ^[7]

Children

(all children with [unknown] Vorhees)

Places of Residence

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of original
1	1810 United States Federal Census, Center Twp, Butler Co, PA Page 2. Census is not dated. Lists family headed by W. Stoughton: 1 male 10-15, 1 male 16-25, 1 male >45, 1 female 26-44. Families headed by J. Stoughton, J. Timblin, and T. (or J.) Timblin also on page.
2	Estate File of William Stoughton, "Vendue paper", (this title implying a public auction), names Sally Timblin, Joseph Timblin, (Alexander) Gilgrist, Esther Badger, Ann Timblin, Andrew Stoughton, William Thompson, Jacob Rose, Edward Timblin, John Timblin,as recipients or purchasers of listed items, along with their value.	(Transcript, Wm. Stoughton Estate 1822)
3	Inquest re. sudden death of William Stoughton filed 4 Apr. 1822, Center Twp., Butler Co. PA. Document lists bill of costs of David Shannon, corroner, for inquest performed on 3 April 1822; William Campbell Prothonotary; John Coovert for making coffin; and John Timblin, administrator of the estate. Second document reads "April the 1st 1822 Estate of William Stoughton deceased, to John Coovert, __ To Making a Coffin...$4.50. Rec'd of John Timblin administrator the above mentioned estate the ___received in full. John Coovert. Third document, dated 15 Aug. 1823, reads "Rec'd the within amt. in full from John Timblin, Esq. David Shannon.	(Transcription, Inquest papers, Wm. Stoughton)
4	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
5	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.
6	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.
7	Jeanne Bortmes Eichelberger, correspondence, 2006
8	Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams, gr-granddaughter of Elizabeth A. Stoughton.
9	Deeds transactions of John Stoughton in which John Timblin serves as a witness.	(Transcript) (Transcript)	N/A

Source notes

• Can not find William Stoughton in 1790, 1800, or 1820 cencus.
  
  
• Photocopy of estate record received 2006 from Jeanne Eichelberger,with notation "Estate of William Stoughton, Dated 4-1-1822, No Will on record, filed 10-11-1822, Robert Scott, Recorder."
• Recipients/purchasers named in the estate sale record 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 (Sally?)) 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.
• 1895 History of Butler Co. Pa p. 614 reference to coal banks on land of Wm. Stoughton is unclear whether to original homestead, or to a Wm. Stoughton producing coal in 1895. If the latter, possibly William Stoughton born 1851, son of Andrew Stoughton per the 1860 census.

Conjecture

• Per P.K. Heckathorn, our William Stoughton was in the census of Greene Co. PA, Cumberland Twp. in 1800. This William Stouton is age 26-45, his wife age 16-26, and 2 daughters are aged under 10 years. There are no sons present. The age for William is within reasonable range, but the lack of sons is hard to overlook. We doubt that this is the same William Stoughton documented by this page; it could however be his son, William Stoughton, Jr.

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