Ahnentafel #364 - William Darby

William Darby known as Deacon William for his standing in the church. 

Born: 1693
Died: February 26, 1775 in Elizabeth, New Jersey

Buried: Baptist Church, Scotch Plains, New Jersey

Married: Mary (--?--)

Records: 

1743 - The first meeting house erected by the Baptists in Scotch Plains was probably commenced in the year 1743.  The managers engaged in its erection were John Stites, William Lines and William Darby. The land upon which it was built, including the graveyard, was given to the church by William Darby, its first ruling elder.  In 1759, the house was much enlarged, covered with cedar shingles both roof and sides, and so finished as to afford agreeable accommodations to the rapidly increasing congregation. This house continued in existence until the winter of 1816-1817, when it took fire and was burned to the ground.


1747 - August. 5 - Baptists in the Scotch Plains area had been going to the old Piscataway Baptist Church about 10 miles away.  At length the drudgery of traveling so far to services, and the increasing need for a spiritual center within their own community, impelled fifteen of them to ask for "dismission" from the parent church in order to organize one of their own.  Their application was answered by the following resolution adopted by the parent church at Piscataway.

"Whereas, in the course of Divine Providence there is necessity of a church to be constituted at the Scotch Plains, in the County of Essex, in East New Jersey, and some of the members of the Baptist Church at Piscataway in the County of Middlesex and the Province aforesaid, having their dwellings at and near the said Scotch Plains, and they having made application to us, and obtained a grant for a dismission from us, in order to incorporate themselves into a church; this may certify that William Darby, Recompense Stanbery, John Lambert, John Dennis, John Stanbery, Henry Crosby, John Sutton Jr., Isaac Manning, Mary Brodwell, Mary Green, Mary Dennis, Tabitha Sutton, Catherine Manning, Sarah DeCamp and Sarah Perce, when they are regularly constituted into a church according to gospel order and given themselves up, in a church fellowship are fully and freely dismissed from our church."

They adopted and signed a solemn covenant.  The organization also included the election by the body of Samuel Drake as Church Clerk, and William Darby and Recompense Stanbery as Ruling Elders, and as the record declares were also to perform the duties of Deacons.  Thus the church was duly constituted and publicly recognized and fellowshipped as a Regular Baptist Church.

1762 - February 4 - deed to Benjamin Person / Pierson (?)

To all Christian People to whom these presents shall come greeting &c. Know ye that I William Darby of the Borough of Elizabeth County of Essex & province of East New Jersey, for and in Consideration of the sum of one thousand pound currant money of the Province abovesaid, to me in hand already paid or secured & to be paid before the Ensealing & Delivery of these presents by Benj'n Person (?) of Borough place & province abovesaid the Re---- hereof I hereby acknowledge and myself to be therewith fully satisfied, contested and paid & thereof & therefrom and of & from every part & parcell thereof I do hereby acquit, exonerate, Release & Discharge him the said Benjamin Person his heirs & assigns forever, Have given, granted, Bargained & sold & by these presents do for myself my heirs, Execors, and Admrs. fully, freely clearly & also ------ give, grant, alien, Release, convey & confirm same to him the said Benjamin Person his heirs & assigns forever all that tract of parcell of land situate lying & being in the Borough abovesaid Beginning at a walnut tree being the southwest Corner of a Lot of Land Belonging to Zebulon Jennings (?), thence South East thirty foure Chains to a white oak Number Tree, thence North East forty eight chains & fifty links to a stake thence Northwest thirty four chaines to a stake thence Southwest to the Beginning, containing & to contain one hundred & sixty four acres & nine tenths of Land by the same More or less, Bounded Southwest by the Lands of John High and Samuel Hinds, Southeast by the Land of John Davis North East by the Land of Zachariah Davis & John Spring in Northwest by the Land of Samuel Youmans & Zebulon Jennings, Together also with all & all manner of Houses, Barns, Stables, Orchards, Gardens, -----, fences, Feedings (?), pastures, woods, waters & water courses, Together with all the appurtenances thereunto Belonging, ----- Manour of Ways Appertaining unto him the said Benjamin Pierson his heirs & assigns forever and I the said William Darby, do hereby covenant, grant promis & agree to &c with him the said Benjamin Pierson his heirs & assigns that at the time of the Ensealing & Delivery of these presents I am as Lawfully the owner of all & singluar the above Granted & Bargained tract of Land & premises ----- of the Freeholders of Elizabeth Town are to these several & Respective Lands which they clame by virtue of the Indian Purchase & grant from General Richard Nichols Esqr. formerly Governor of this province &c. And am as Lawfully possessed & seized of the same and that the said Benjamin Pierson his heirs & assigns shall & may from time to time & shall times for ever hereafter, have, hold, use, occupy & enjoy all & singular the above granted & Bargained tract of Land & premises & every part & Parcell thereof, without any Let, Trouble, Hinderance, Interruption or Molestation from the said Wm. Darby, or by assent, priority or procurement, and I the said Wm. Darby do further covenant & bind myself my heirs Execors. & Admrs. by these Presents, to warrent & also Defend him the sd. Benjamin Pierson his heirs & assigns, in the Quit & pressable (?) Possession & Enjoyment of all & singular the above granted & bargained premises for ever hereafter agst. the Just & Lawfull Claim or Claims of any person or person whatsoever Claiming the same or any part or parcell thereof from by or under men that shall lay any clame to the same by virtue of the Grantor further abovesaid In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this fourth Day of February Anno. Domini one thousand seven hundred & sixty-two.  William Darby {SEAL}

Signed, sealed & Delivered in presence of Elizabeth Conner, Jonathan Crane Province of New Jersey Decem'r the 26th 1765 personally appeared before me Sam'll. Woodruff one of his Majesty's Councils for the province Jonathan Crane Esqr one of the witnesses of the within Instrument & being Duly Sworn - Saith that he saw the Grantor Execute the Same as his voluntary Act.  Sworn before me the Day & Year above Written. Test. Sam'll. Woodruff. 

Examined and agrees with the orig'l. the words the intent in the 12th line from the bottom of page 199 East interlined in the 6th line from the top of preceding page were by mistake in recording also the words Tract of Land wrote on a Erazure in the 24th line of the page last mentioned. 

John Mackay 

1768 - One man who helped weave the life of Scotch Plains in its present day pattern was William Darby.  He was instrumental in forming the first church of our town, the Baptist Church built in 1747. He gave land for the first school built in 1768.

1774 - February 9 - Abstract of will - Darby, William of the boro of Elizabeth, Essex County, yeoman:  will of.  Ch: Samuel, William, John, Ephraim, Elias (deceased leaving ch:  Elias, Ephraim, Mary).  

In the name of God amen, I William Darby of the town of Eliz. county of Essex and province of East New Jersey yeoman; being of sound mind and disposing memory (thanks be given to God for the same) and calling to mind and duly considering the mortality of my body, and knowing for man once to die, and the time when very uncertain, do make and ordain this my last will and testament.  Principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God who gave it, Trusting in his mercy and in the merit of my dear redeemer for the remission of all my sins.  My body I commit to the earth to be buried in a christian like and decent manner, at the discretion of my executors (hereafter named) nothing doubting ----- the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the Almighty Power of GOD. And as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, devise and dispose of in the following manner, viz. 

I order all my just debts and funeral expenses to be paid. I give to the heir in law of my son Samuel Darby, dec'sd. twenty shillings to cut and debar him of all right of heirship to my estate. I give and bequeat to my son William Darby to him his heirs and assigns forever the plantation whereon he  now lives. I give and bequeath to my son John Darby to him his heirs and assigns forever the plantation whereon he now lives and what land I have lying between that land I sold to Melvin Park (?) and my sd. son John Darby's land. I give and bequeath to my sons William Darby & John Darby to them, their heirs and assigns forever All my right and title to certain land and meadow not now in my possession lying within the bounds of Eliz. town to be equally divided between them if they can get the same.  I order and empower my executors to sell the plantation whereon I now live, viz. what land I bought of the Rev'd. Bennjamin Miller and Abraham Clark also, part of a piece of Mountain land which I bought of William Linn (?), viz. that part of it which lies to the southern of the road that runs thro it; also my Falls mill and land and privileges belonging to it, and also what in certain land I have lying between that I sold to John Shotwell and my Falls' mills lot And I confirm such sale, made by my executor for the above lands and premises herein ordered by them to be sold, & for every part and parcel thereof, to be good, strong valid and effectual in Law.  I give my son Ephraim Darby twenty shillings.  I give and bequeath to my grandson Elias Darby, son of my son Elias Darby dec'ed to him his heir & assigns forever, all that land I have lying between what land I sold to Melvin Park and that I gave my son Elias a deed for also what mountain land I have lying to the southwest of that I sold to John Shotwell to the road. But if my sd. grandson should die under the age of twenty-one years leaving no issue lawfully begotten of his own body, then what I have given to him, shall be equally divided between his brother & sister Ephraim & Mary Darby my son Elias's children; and I order my sd. son Elias's widow to have the use of what I have given her children till they come of age to help her bring them up. I give my grandson Samuel Darby, son of my son Samuel Darby, dec'ed. five pounds of light money, a loom, three reeds/rods(?) and gears and other utensils to the sd. loom belonging. I give to my daughter Mary Conger (?) twenty shillings. I give to my daughter Margaret Casterline (?) twenty shillings. All the rest of my Estate I give and bequeath to my sons William Darby & John Darby to be equally divided between them.  I make and ordain, constitute and appoint my sons William Darby and John Darby Executors to this my last will and testament. And I do, revoke and dis---- all former wills by me made; ratifying & confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal February the ninth, One thousand seven hundred and seventy four. 1774

Sign'd -----  -----  & delivered by the said testator William Darby to be his last will & testament. William Darby {SEAL} in presence of Abner Hamton, Sarah Hampton, William Coles.  

1775 - March 8, will proved, Liber L 

Be it remembered that on the eighth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five Abner Hatom and William Coles two of the witnesses to the within will appeared before me John Thomson duly discharged (?) etc. and the said Abner Hamton (being one of the People called & Questioned) did affirm and the  said William Coles being duly Sworn on the Holy Evangelist did deposes that they were present and did see William Darby the Testator within Named Sign and Seal the within Instrument and also heard him Publish Promise and Declare the same to be his Last Will and Testament that at the doing thereof he was of sound and disposing mind and Memory as far as they know and as they verily believe and that at the same time Sarah Hamton the other subscribing witness was also present and signed her name as a witness together with this Affirmant and Deponent in the presence of the said Testator. 

John Thomson Senr. 

Also at the same time William Darby and John Darby the Executors in the within Will Named appeared before me and were duly Qualified as Executors thereof by taking the Oath of Executors as appointed by Law.  John Thomson Senr. 

Children:

Elias

Samuel b. ca. 1730, d. before 1775

• Samuel 

William b. 1731, d. 1793 md. Patience Frazee b. 1731, d. 1764

• Mary b. 1756, d. 1848 md. John Osborn, children: Joel, John, Jonathan, Charles & Mary
• Ezra b. 1758, d. 1808 md. Phebe Swan - Ezra served in the 9th & 10th Congress as representative of New Jersey.  Died in office of tuberculosis and buried in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC. 

Ephraim b. 1734, d. 1795

John b. Jan. 17, 1736 md. 1) Rachel Squire & 2) Margaret (Wood) Stanbury.  Children by Rachel

• John b. 1762, d. 1829 md. Nancy/Anna Stanbury (daughter of stepmother Margaret (Wood) Stanbury.  John & Nancy's children: Jacob, Recompence, Catharine, John, Aaron & Joseph
• Margaret

Mary md. (--?--) Conger 

Margaret md. (--?--) Casterline