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Archiver > NJHUNTER > 2005-09 > 1125921893


From: Marfy Goodspeed <>
Subject: Re: [NJHUNTER] Early Burial Ground, Stockton, NJ
Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2005 08:04:53 -0400
References: <6.2.1.2.2.20050904175008.01cf41b8@mail.njsuttonfamily.org>
In-Reply-To: <6.2.1.2.2.20050904175008.01cf41b8@mail.njsuttonfamily.org>


Dennis,
You are describing the Rittenhouse cemetery, located on the Prall/Wolverton
farmstead, often described as "on a hill overlooking Stockton". Peter
Rittenhouse and his wife Sarah are buried there, as you have noted. Theirs
are the earliest graves, except for I (or A) W 1732; W R 1767 (William
Rittenhouse, progenitor of the Rittenhouse family in NJ); and C R 1778 (his
wife Catherine Howell). I have not seen those early stones myself. They were
transcribed by Hiram Deats and Egbert Bush in 1917. There is probably a
listing of the graves at the Hunterdon Co. Historical Society.

Snell writes of this cemetery: "

"The old Rittenhouse graveyard is to be seen near Lambert Hoppock's house
above Prallsville." [p.371] "A little northwest of the residence of Maurice
Wolverton near Prallsville, and on his farm is an old burial place
containing about an acre. It is now in a neglected state, being overrun with
trees, bushes, and weeds." [p.384]

Also: "Here rest the remains of the older stock of the Rittenhouse family.
Many of the graves are marked by the common unlettered field-stones there
being but little marble. The graves of John Cavanagh's two wives are here
... There is also a marble gravestone" for Peter and Sarah Rittenhouse.

It is intriguing that Rittenhouses would be buried on land that belonged to
the Wolvertons. Certainly the Rittenhouses had plenty of land of their own.
In the 1760's the land was part of the large holdings of the Howell family.
In 1761 Joseph Howell sold 250 acres (that included the cemetery) to George
Ely. The only connection I can see is Wm Rittenhouse's wife Catherine, whose
brother Daniel Howell (c.1688-1733) owned all that land as early as 1710
when it was given to him by his father-in-law John Reading.
Regards,
Marfy Goodspeed

On 9/4/05, Dennis Sutton <> wrote:
>
> Found the following regarding an old cemetery in Stockton while
> transcribing the Hunterdon Democrat. Might be of interest to Rittenhouse
> or Cavanagh families. Don't know if this published anywhere else at this
> time.
>
> Old Grave Yards.
> A correspondent of the Hunterdon Independent writes as follows: One
> hundred years ago, grave yards, or places where the dead were buried, were
> quite numerous in this part of the country. They were usually located in
> out of the way places. Some of them are now overgrown with trees. Others
> have entirely disappeared and are now farm land. Many of the graves were
> marked with common field stones, bearing no names or dates. One of these
> burial places can be seen on the farm of Maurice Wolverton, near
> Stockton. Here a few of the graves are marked with white marble head
> stones, on which are the following names and dates:
> P. Rittenhouse, born 1724, died 1791.
> Sarah Rittenhouse, widow of Peter Rittenhouse, Died Dec. 16 – 1844 – 76
> yr.
> of her age.
> P. Rittenhouse, son of Elisha and Isabel his wife, was born 1798, Died
> 1804.
> Stachys Rittenhouse died April 11, 1827, 22 years of his age.
> John Blake, died Dec. 9 – 1826 – 47 yrs. 2 da.
> Ann Cavanaugh, wife of John Cavanagh, died Dec. 24, 1810, aged 20 yrs., 6
> mo. 4 da.
> Hannah Cavanagh, wife of John C., died 24 – 1814, age 22 yrs. 10mo. 5 da.
> Jacob and Letitia Lamberts' son, born Jan. 15 -1815. died infant.
> John Cavanagh, named above, is supposed to have been the John
> Cavanagh, who was Sheriff of Hunterdon County from 1818 to 1821.
> Elisha Rittenhouse was the son of Peter, and lived on and owned the
> mill property about one mile south of Locktown.
>
>
> Dennis Sutton
>
>
>
>
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