Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton

Y-DNA shows that Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton is probably related to the Stockton family who lived in or near Wybunbury, County Cheshire, England. Richard also had an Uncle Thomas Stockton who was a doctor in or near London. The parents of Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton are not known. There is no evidence that Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton was a son of John "of Malpas" Stockton and there is no evidence that Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton is related to any of the Malpas, County Cheshire, Stocktons.

Richard Stockton and his wife Abigail were the founders of the New Jersey branch of the Stockton family. Richard was born about 1635, probably in England, maybe near Tarvin, Wybunbury, Nantwich, or Acton in County Cheshire. Richard and Abigail are buried on their property Richard purchased from George Hutchinson. This property is located on Annaricken Brook in Springfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey. Annaricken was also known as Annaniken, Oneanickon, Oneakiekon, and An-na-nicken. There are horse farms located on what was Richard Stockton's property.

A History of the Stockton Family, by J. W. Stockton

"that the tract of land purchased by Richard Stockton in West Jersey was originally known by the Indian name of An-na-nicken; that it was over two miles in length and one in width; and that the mansion house of the late James Shreve is on the site of the house built and occupied by Mr. Stockton until his death."

At Flushing on 22 Apr 1665, Col. Nicolls (Nichols), as governor of NY, commissioned Richard Stockton a Lieutenant of Horse. On 9 Apr 1669, the then governor of New York, Francis Lovelace, gave under this hand: "Whereas I intimated lately that I did approve of Richard Stockton to be Lieutenant of the Company of Foot, but I am since informed he was before enlisted and engaged in the Horse service, and I have thought fit to acquit him either as Officer or otherwise from the Foot service.

Will of Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton

In the name of God, Amen:

I, Richard Stockton, being sick and weak of body but sound of memory, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following:

First, I bequeath my soule into the hands of Almighty God and my body to be buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named, in hopes through the merrits of Jesus Christ to obtain a joyfull resurrection.

Item, I give to my son Richard after the decease of my wife four hundred ackers of land to him and to his heirs and assignes forever.

Item, I give to my son Job my plantation and all the improvements with four hundred ackers of land to him and to his heires and assignes forever, not to possess it till the decease of my wife; only in consideration of the said improvements my said son Job shall pay to Abigail the daughter of my son [son-in-law] Richard Ridgway the sum of ten pounds within a year after he enjoys the said plantation, and if uppon a resurvey of the whole twelve hundred ackers there happen to be any overplus, my will is that my son John shall have one-third part thereof joyning on his four hundred ackers which I formerly gave him, and the other two-thirds to be equally parted between my said sons Richard and Job.

Item, I give to my dear wife Abigail all my personall estate with the use of my plantation during her life, and after her decease the said personall estate to be equally divided between my five daughters, Abigail, Mary, Sarah, Hannah and Elizabeth; and I do make and Constitute my said wife Abigail my sole Executrix of this my last will and testament, revokeing all other wills and testaments heretofore made, as witness my hand and seale this 25th day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand and seven hundred and five.

[seal] Richard (his R mark) Stockton.

Signed, sealed, published and declared in the presence of us.

William Earle (WE) his mark,

Thomas Ricgeway (T) his mark,

Daniel Leeds.

Burlington, 10th, 8 mo., 1707.

Then appeared before Richard Inglesby, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor of her Majesties Provinces of New Jersey, New York, &c., Daniel Leeds, Esqr., one of the witnesses to the within written will, and made oath on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God that he saw the Testator sign, seal, and publish the within instrument to be his last will and testament, and that at the time of the publishing thereof he was of sound and perfect understanding and memory to the best of this deponent's knowledge and beliefe, and that at the same time he saw Thomas Ridgeway and Wm. Earle sign the same as witness thereto in the presence of the Testator.

Richard Inglesby.

Children of Abigail (nee unknown) and Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton:

Richard "The Builder" Stockton (c.1665-1709), m. Susanna (nee Witham) Robinson

Abigail Stockton born c.1667, m. Richard Ridgway

Mary Stockton born c.1669, m. 1. Thomas Shinn, m. 2. Silas Crispin, m. 3. Richard Ridgway

Sarah Stockton born c.1671, m. 1. William Venicombe, m. 2. Benjamin Jones

John Stockton born c.1674, m. 1. Mary Leeds, m. 2. Ann Ogborn

Job Stockton born c.1676, m. Ann Petty

Hannah Stockton born c.1679, m. Philip Phillips (1678-1740)

Elizabeth Stockton born c.1682, m. William Budd Jr

Abigail and Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton's great-grandson:

Richard "The Signer" Stockton (1730-1781)

Journal of John Bowne,

1650 - 1694

"to enquyer for Richards stoktons Ounkel {uncle} his name is Thomas Stockton a docker of fisick liueing in Cole harber in or nere london."

John Bowne was a neighbor of Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton in what was then Vlissingen, Long Island, New Netherland, now Flushing, Long Island, New York. John Bowne's Journal includes information about life in Flushing and his Quaker missions to England.

It appears that Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton requested John Bowne enquire about his uncle Thomas Stockton who lived in "Cole harbor" in or near London. "Cole harbor" is probably the district of Coldharbour that is in the center of London. John Bowne shows Richard's uncle Thomas Stockton as a "docker of fisick." In the 1600's a Doctor of Medicine was known as a "Doctor of Phyic."

Coldharbour was destroyed by the 1666 Great Fire of London.

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Y-DNA proves that Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton is related to a Wybunbury, County Cheshire, England, Stockton descendant. There is no evidence that Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton was a son of John "of Malpas" Stockton and there is no evidence that Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton is related to any of the Malpas, County Cheshire, Stocktons. It was just a guess by Dr. Stockton that Richard was a descendant of John Stockton of Malpas, England.

In his 1888 book, The Stockton Family in England and the United States, William Francis Cregar wrote that he thought it was "highly probable" that Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton (c.1635-1707) was a son of Richard and Dorothy (nee Bridger) Stockton of London. They did have a son Richard, however, that Richard Stockton died in the county of Surrey, England, and his will, dated 27 June 1665, proves that he was not the same person as Richard "The Emigrant" Stockton (c.1635-1707) who died in Burlington County, New Jersey.

Bio by Jerry J. Stockton