Abraham Kitchell

History of Abraham Kitchel

With the advent of Abraham Kitchel's family, the American Kitchell family tree was beginning to take shape.

Abraham was born at Newark, new Jersey, in 1679 and lived there until, at the age of 31 years, he resigned his seat on the Newark judiciary bench and moved to Hanover, or Whippany, in what is now Morris County, New Jersey.

This area of New Jersey, which borders the Whippanong River, became the birthplace, home and burial place of many of our Kitchell ancestors.

The Morris County area, like Newark, was purchased from the Lenni-Lenape Indians.

Quoting from Along the Whippanong- history of Hanover Township, New Jersey, 1676-1976 by Elizabeth R. Myrose and Clavie B. Kitchell:

"To this stream, in whose depths ran carp and catfish and whose banks were dotted with berry trees, maple, ash, hickory, chestnut, oak and willow, came the Lenni-Lenape, meaning "Original People." When and from whence he came no man can say. But he called the river Whippanong, "Place of the Willows."

The exact date that Abraham moved his family from Newark to Morris County, New Jersey is uncertain. Less than 25 miles separates these two localities. Between 1710 and 1724, Abraham was buying and selling real estate in both places. In December of 1712 he sold his homestead in Newark to Deacon James Wheeler.

Later, on May 5, 1713, he bought from John Prudden a tract of land in Newark.

On December 23, 1718 he bought 200 acres of land in Morris County from Jeremiah Osborn.

Then on May 20, 1724 he purchased a 1,075-acre tract from Rebecca Wheeler of Burlington. This acreage was east of Whippany and embraced much of what is called "Hanover Neck."

The Hanover Township was made a part of Hunterdon County, and the settlement had grown sufficiently by 1722 to carry a part of the burden of government. Abraham was made a lieutenant in Captain John Howard's company of the Hanover militia. He was appointed a justice of the peace in 1725, consequently "Esquire," by Governor William Burnett.

In October of 1737, Abraham was commissioned to act as assistant county judge and to hold Court of Oyer and Terminer (High Criminal Court) by John Hamilton who was at that time President of the Council. The "United East and West Jersey" had been separated from New York a few years earlier.

After Morris County was set apart from the county of Hunterdon by legislation on March 15, 1739, Abraham was among six men to become its first county judges. He was appointed by Governor Lewis Morris, in whose honor the county was named, to hold court at Morristown for life, but he was taken by death soon after, on December 12, 1741, at the age of 62 years.

In 1741, 45 military officers of Morris County, including Abraham Kitchel, signed oaths of allegiance to the King of England. Excerpts taken from the <u>Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society</u> in an article entitled "Two Most Unique Parchments of Morris County, New Jersey," read as follows:

"Below are presented for the interest of historians and genalogists, the copies of two parchments…

No similar document is extant in relation to other sections of New Jersey. Evidently enough, they were inspired by fears of the Jacobite activities in England, imperiling the throne of King George II….

Though the officers of the militia may have been obliged to take oaths of allegiance, it would seem that the others signed gratuitously."

These parchments, dated January 1, 1741 and April 20, 1741 respectively, were both signed by Abraham, who was apparently in good health at that time. Abraham, like his ancestors Robert and Samuel, was a farmer, officer of the court, and active in community church work. He was a deacon in the Presbyterian church, and now sleeps under the name of "Deacon Abraham Kitche," in God's Acre at Whippany, New Jersey.

Abraham was married to Sarah Bruen in 1703. They had seven children. His wife was a daughter of John Bruen and graddaughter of Obadiah Bruen, who was one of the early pioneers of the Newark settlement. Through Sarah, who is the mother of all known Robert Kitchell descendants that follow Abraham, there is a clear line to European royalty.

By Abraham's unprobated will, he provided for his wife Sarah and left the homestead to David, the youngest son, specifying the sums that David should pay to the other heirs, viz: ten pounds each to Joseph and John; forty pounds to Grace Lindsley; twenty-five pounds to Mary Leonard; and thirty-five pounds to Abigail Crane. The plantation, if David died without issue, was to be equally divided between Joseph and John.

The 1,075-acre homestead plot, which embraced much of Hanover Neck, was divided between Joseph and John Kitchel. Abraham's son, Samuel, had died in 1732 at about age 28 with no wife; and, accordingly, was not in Abraham's will.

Land records, the signature on his unprobated will, his tombstone inscription, and early publications all show that Abraham had dropped an "L" from his surname, spelling it Kitchel.

On June 14, 1737 a bill of sale was recorded, wherein Abraham purchased a Negro man, named Cromoll, who was about 25 years of age. The purchase was made from John Plume, of Newark, for 47 pounds and 15 shillings.

Conclusion

As of August 1989 there are 5,455 known descendants of Joseph Kitchel; 2,641 descendants of John, who had thirteen [I count sixteen] children by three wives; and only 205 descendants of David. David was just 30 years old at the time of his death. Part of the imbalance in the total number of known descendants in each branch may be attributed to the fact that most Kitchell family historians have been descendants of Joseph.

Source: Kitchell Family History by Deloris Kitchel Clem and Dwain L. Kitchel, published 1989, The Gregath Company, Cullman, Alabama

Whippany Cemetery Headstone Inscriptions:

Here Lyes ye Body of Deacon Abraham Kitchel

Dec'd Dec'r ye 2d 1741 In ye 62d year of his Age

• http://trees.wmgs.org/getperson.php?personID=I93695&tree=Schirado

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• Updated from FamilySearch Family Tree via son Joseph Kitchell by SmartCopy: Mar 6 2015, 13:30:31 UTC

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• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 30 2019, 0:45:06 UTC

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GEDCOM Source

@R1453668922@ North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,61157::0

GEDCOM Source

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@R1453668922@ U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,2204::0

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Volume: 113 1,2204::251201

GEDCOM Source

@R1453668922@ North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,61157::0

GEDCOM Source

1,61157::1317315

GEDCOM Source

@R1453668922@ U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,2204::0

GEDCOM Source

Volume: 113 1,2204::251201

GEDCOM Source

@R1453668922@ North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,61157::0

GEDCOM Source

1,61157::1317315

GEDCOM Source

@R1453668922@ U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,2204::0

GEDCOM Source

Volume: 113 1,2204::251201

GEDCOM Source

@R1453668922@ North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,61157::0

GEDCOM Source

1,61157::1317315

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Nov 13 2021, 19:40:05 UTC