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Source: J. Percy Crayon, Rockaway Records of Morris County, N. J. Families, (Rockaway, N.J., Rockaway Publishing Co., 1902) Three brothers of this family landed at Plymouth in 1636, soon after the settlement of the Plymouth Colony. One of them, John, came to New Haven, who is the progenitor of the LAMSON family of this section. He came to New Jersey in 1710, as the records of the New Jersey Proprietors at Perth Amboy show that the homestead farm near Dover was deeded by them in 1710. John LAMSON or LAMPSON was an early settler at New Haven and probably died there. He married Elizabeth MORRIS, who with their son Eleazer, came to Newark. He is mentioned in the Newark Town Records as a fence viewer Jan. 1, 1693. Eleazer married Abigail, daughter of Capt. Samuel SWAINE and wife Joanna. The SWAINEs came from London to Connecticut in 1635, came to Newark with the Branford Colony in May 1666. Had children: Elizabeth, born 1649; Joanna, born 1651, married Jasper CRANE , Jr., died Sept. 16, 1720. Christiana, born 1659; Sarah, born 1669, and Abigail, who married Eleazer LAMSON. Eleazer and Abigail had children: Daniel, Thomas, who settled at Orange, was revolutionary soldier, and Eleazer, born 1720, died Mar. 24, 1789. He was at Rockaway, as a member of the Presbyterian church in 1779 and as a bridge inspector with Capt. Stephen JACKSON and Col. Jacob DRAKE in 1781. His wife Jane was born 1723, died Jan. 26,1796, both buried at Rockaway. Newark records have Moses as a son of the first Eleazer, but as the records show that he was born 1750, and died Dec. 22, 1798, buried at Rockaway, it is conclusive that he was the son of Eleazer and Jane. Their other children were Daniel, who resided near the Quaker church, also Rhoda, who was born 1755, died at an advanced age and buried at Rockaway. Thomas, who was born 1755, died Jan. 27, 1838, buried at Rockaway. Benjamin, born Mar. 1, 1761, died 1824, buried at Rockaway. Benjamin married Thankful HATHAWAY May 9, 1786, she was the daughter of Jonathan and Lydia, and born May 15, 1787, died 1827, both buried at Rockaway. Benjamin was elder of the Rockaway Church in 1809, and inherited the property south of Dover and lived and died there. Children: Daniel, born Apr. 3, 1788, married Phebe JACKSON, July 3, 1816. She was daughter of John, the son of Benjamin JACKSON. This name is not on the JACKSON records however. Ira, born Mar. 29, 1792; Jonathan HATHAWAY, born June 2, 1799, married Lucy, daughter of Capt. Job and Sarah (COOPER) TALMAGE, of Franklin, Mar. 23, 1824. They removed to the Lake country in Western New York and probably died there. Albert G., born Aug. 7, 1803; sold his share of the property to his brother Daniel and went to Western New York. Benjamin probably had son Eleazer and daughters, but have no records of them. Children of Daniel and Phebe (JACKSON) LAMSON, who remained on the old homestead: Jane, married Charles THOMPSON; Rhoda, married HEDDEN, of Center Grove; Chloe, never married, lived at Philadelphia; Eleazer, a school teacher, born Aug. 28, 1810, died Sept. 28, 1860, married Elizabeth A., daughter of Capt. John SEWARD, of Hurdtown. She was born June 10, 1812, died Mar. 14, 1893, both buried at Berkshire Valley. Charles married Nancy CHRYSTAL of Dover. Children of Charles and Nancy: Alfred, married Sophia Ann COOPER, daughter of David, of Franklin. Mareus, went to war in 1861; George went West; John C., married Esther AYRES, of Franklin present, resident of the old homestead. Martha, married Jacob KONTZ, of Ninkey. As will be seen by the church records, the latter part of the last century and the first part of this no stationed minister was at the Rockaway church, and if we consult the marriage records at Morristown we would find that at this period a large part of the marriage ceremonies were performed by the Justice of the Peace, generally spoken of as squire. Esq. Benjamin LAMSON held that office at this period, and his finances must have been largely increased by the swains, young and old, in all this region around about. Tradition relates of one unprofitable investment. A twice widower, a resident of Pigeon Hill, had contracted a matrimonial alliance with a young widow, a resident of the mountain region above Hibernia, which under peculiar circumstances did not materialize. The best laid plans of mice and men, etc. The arrangement was that the widower�s neighbors who had team and conveyance, was to go to the widow�s and bring all her household goods and chattels, including a barrel of soft soap, an indispensable article in those days to every thrifty housewife, and appear at Squire LAMSON�s where the widower would meet her and they two would be made one, and then proceed at once to the home of the widower, where a wedding supper would be waiting, prepared by the neighboring wives, and all, young and old had been invited for a grand jollification. A messenger had been dispatched to Squire LAMSON�s to apprise him of the fact. The good natured squire immediately set his house in order; threw on an extra supply of wood in the open fire place, to give them a warm and comfortable reception, as the temperature out was below the freezing point. At nine o�clock, the appointed hour, the parties arrived, the widower, like many others, could not stand prosperity, and his friends had induced him to imbibe too freely of the ardent spirits of that day, and on his arrival it took two of his friends to conduct him to the house. The widow, took in the situation at a glance, and would accept no apologies, but informed the would-be groom, that he was not the man who came up in the Hibernanian mountains in search of a wife and made a contract, and that she would not marry him under any circumstances. The wedding supper, which had been prepared with great care and skill under the supervision of the neighboring housewives, must not be allowed to spoil, and it would certainly not save over until the next event, so all went to the house of the widower and great was the jollification thereof. Another and similar circumstance happened soon after, so that the guests, many of them, could boast that they had partaken of four marriage suppers, at the residence of their friend only twice married. There might be a moral attached to this bit of ancient history, that would benefit the present day and generation, but I shall not interfere with the morals, the manners or customs of that day or this. Transcribed by John Cresseveur |
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