1795 - 1800
Baptist Church at Lyons Farm
Marriage Records
City of Newark
Essex Now Union County, New Jersey

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The Baptist Church at Lyons Farms (a village adjacent to the Waverly railroad station, between Newark and Elizabeth, and so called from the first settlers, William and Henry Lyon), was constituted Apr. 16, 1769, by twelve persons, chiefly from the Scotch Plains Church. The pulpit was supplied by various clergymen--from Scotch Plains, New York, Morristown and elsewhere--until 1779, when the Rev. ---- Ward was called, being ordained at Short Hills, May 8, 1779. From Oct. 4, 1780, to June 29, 1785, there is but one entry in the records--of a meeting on Sept. 20, 1783. George Guthrie, minister, administered the rite of baptism on June 29, 1785, and frequently thereafter until Apr. 16, 1786. The next church meeting was on March 7, 1787, amd the next on Aug. 30, 1788, at which time it appears that the Rev. Joseph Stephens was supplying the pulpit. He was dismissed Dec. 20, 1788, to the churches at Upper Freehold and New Mills. The next meeting was held on Sept. 26, 1789, when a committee was appointed to secure the services of the Rev. William Vanhorne, of the Scotch Plains church, for one quarter of this time for one year. The next meeting reported in the church book was on Mar. 11, 1792. It was "Agreed to give Bro^r: Peter Bryant of Piscataway an Invitation to serve us as a Preacher for the next 3 months, requiring two thirds of the Lords days in the said time. Bro^r: Clisby after informed us that Bro^r: Bryant accepted the same, the Time to commence the first day of Apr. 1792." The Rev. Peter Bryant was thereupon engaged for three months, and was ordained pastor of the church on Sept. 13, 1792. He continued pastor until the close of the year 1807. He kept the church records in admirable shape, writing a beautiful hand. His register of marriages began Jan. 1, 1793, and was arranged thus:

• PRAY, John of New York, Taylor ---- to Sally CRANE of Lyon's Farms, Jan. 1, 1793.

Each marriage was numbered at the beginning, and the marriage fee received was noted at the end. Thus we learn that during the eight years, 1793-1800, he performed sixty marriage ceremonies, and received therefor fees amounting to E35, 17s. 6 d., or $89.90, an average of $1.50. The usual fee was 8s., or $1; the highest was E1, 4s., or $3.

The old book of records is a stout folio, in excellent preservation, bound in parchment, and lettered on the front cover:

It contains the records of church proceedings from Apr. 16, 1769, to Nov. 2, 1854, kept in somewhat desultory fashion; also records of baptisms (of adult persons received into the church); and records of marriages.

The editor is indebted to the authorities of the church for the loan of this precious volume, for the purpose of copying the following record of marriages prior to 1801.

A few notes may be convenient regarding the names of places mentioned in these records:

Bridge-Town--Lower Rahway.

Camptown--known since 1852 as Irvington.

Canoe Brook--a small stream in Livingston township. The straggling settlements along it were known by the name of the brook, and later the principal hamlet was called North Farms and Northfield.

Connecticut Farms--now more generally called Union, about three miles west of Elizabeth.

Rathway--Rahway.

Williams' Farms--between Elizabeth and Westfield.

• BAKER, Rebecca and Daniel CROWELS, June 19, 1799.
• BALL, Hannah and George JEWELL, May 15, 1797.
• BENNET, James and Jenny BOWMAN, of Elizabeth Town, Aug. 2, 1795.
• BOGART, John, carpenter, and Mary VAN PELT, both of Staten Island, North-End, Jan. 11, 1795.
• BOWMAN, Jenny and James BENNET, Aug. 2, 1795.
• BROWN, Hetty and Ashur EDWARDS, Feb. 14, 1796.
• BRUIN, Josiah of Camp-Town and Lydia ROBERTS of Newark, Feb. 23, 1799.
• BANNEL, Caleb and Charity PRICE, both of Elizabeth Town, Sept. 26, 1795.
• CAPRON, David, taylor, of Elizabeth Town and Mary OGLAND, of the same place, June 11, 1797.
• CLARK, Hannah and Josef WILCOKS, Sept. 14, 1799.
• CLAY, Thomas, North Farms, and Phebe DURAND, of the same place, Oct. 19, 1799.
• CLISBY, Polly and Uzal JOHNSTON, Sept. 13, 1800.
• COLEMAN, Epenetus, farmer, of Lyon's Farms, and Suckey Moorehouse, of Elizabeth Town, July 12, 1797.
• CONGOR, Betsy and Timothy CRANE, Oct. 26, 1793.
• CONGOR, Samuel, shoemaker, of Lyon's Farms, and Abby KELLY, of the Harbour, Feb. 15, 1795.
• CORE, Betsy and Isaac HAYS, Jan. 1, 1794.
• CRANE, Betsy and Aaron NUTMAN, May 14, 1800.
• CRANE, Jacob of Elizabeth Town and Sally SEERS, of the same place, Oct. 20, 1800.
• CRANE, Johanna and Abraham SCUDDER, June 24, 1797.
• CRANE, Moses, of Elizabeth Town, and Phebe CRANE, of North Farms, Aug. 31, 1799.
• CRANE, Phebe and Moses Crane, Aug. 31, 1799.
• CRANE, Sally and John PRAY, Jan. 1, 1793.
• CRANE, Sally and James JEWELL, Nov. 23, 1796.
• CRANE, Sally and Seth WOODRUFF, Dec. 20, 1800.
• CRANE, Timothy, shoemaker, and Betsy CONGOR, both of Lyon's Farms, Oct. 26, 1793.
• CROWEL, Daniel, of Orange, and Rebecca BAKER, of North Farms, June 9, 1799.
• DEAN, Luther and Unice MEEKER, both of Elizabeth Town, May 7, 1795.
• DRAKE, Andrew, Staten Island, farmer, and Polly Mulford, of Connecticut Farms, June 20, 1795.
• DURAND, Phebe and Thomas CLAY, Oct. 19, 1799.
• EDWARDS, Isaac, farmer, and Susannah KING, both of Canoe Brook, Mar. 13, 1796.
• EDWARDS, Patience and Benjamin HALBERT, Sept. 5, 1797.
• FORCE, Lydia and Jonathan WARD, May 31, 1800.
• FORCE, Mary Ann and Frazy HAIES, Sept. 12, 1799.
• FOSTER, Betsy and Amos WILLIAMS, Nov. 4, 1799.
• FREMER, Jemima and David WHITEHEAD, Apr. 10, 1797.
• GARTHWRIGHT, John, shoemaker, Connecticut Farms, and Eunice LLOYD, of the same place, Oct. 25, 1800.
• GRUMMON, Isaac, farmer, of Lyon's Farms, and Jemima PRICE, of the same place, Mar. 31, 1799.
• GRUMMON, Polly and Timothy WOODRUFF, July 10, 1800.
• GREEN, John Denman, and Lydia HAND, of Rahway, Feb. 9, 1794.
• GREEN, Lydia and Isaac HAND, Apr. 8, 1798.
• GREENE, Sally and Aaron MEEKER, Apr. 7, 1793.
• HAIES, Frazy, carpenter, of Woodbridge, and Mary Ann FORCE, of the same place, Sept. 12, 1799.
• HALBERT, Benjamin, cooper, Morris Town, and Patience EDWARDS, widow, School Mad., Williams-Farms, (illegal), N. B.--Void by previous marriage, Sept. 5, 1797.
• HAND, Isaac, farmer, and Lydia GREEN, both of Springfield, Apr. 8, 1798.
• HAND, Lydia and John Denman GREEN, Feb. 9, 1794.
• HARRIS, Phebe and Moses HAYES, Sept. 17, 1798.
• HARRISON, Patty and John RENSLAY, Oct. 10, 1798.
• HARRISON, Sally and Joel MEEKER, Apr. 12, 1800.
• HAYES, Moses of Newark, and Phebe HARRIS, of Elizabeth Town, Sept. 17, 1798.
• HAYS, Isaac, blacksmith, and Betsy CORE, both of Newark, Jan. 1, 1794.
• HEDDON, Aaron, of Camp Town, and Abby WOODRUFF, same place, June 21, 1800.
• JARVIS, Benjamin, of Rathway, and Phebe OGDON, of Elizabeth Town, Nov. 13, 1798.
• JEWELL, George, farmer, of Sodom, and Hannah BALL, of the same place, May 15, 1797.
• JEWELL, James, farmer, Elizabeth Town, and Sally CRANE, of Bottle Hill, married at Mr. Js. Willcock's, Eliz. Town, Nov. 23, 1796.
• JOHNSTON, Uzal, chair-maker, Eliz. Town, and Polly CLISBY, of Newark, Sept. 13, 1800.
• JONES, Martha and Amos PRICE, Apr. 11, 1797.
• KELLY, Abby and Samuel CONGOR, Feb. 15, 1795.
• KING, Susannah and Isaac EDWARDS, Mar. 13, 1796.
• LLOYD, Eunice and John GARTHWRIGHT, Oct. 25, 1800.
• LOVE, John Nicolas, baker, New York, and Abby TAYLOR, of Lyon's Farms, Sept. 22, 1798.
• MACHESNEY, Peggy and Isaac MEEKER, Aug. 9, 1795.
• MARSH, Polly and Nathaniel MITCHELL, Dec. 3, 1800.
• MEEKER, Aaron, mason, of Lyons Farms, and Sally GREEN, of the same place, Apr. 7, 1793.
• MEEKER, Isaac, farmer, and Peggy MACHESNEY, both of Canoe Brook, Aug. 9, 1795.
• MEEKER, Joel, farmer, of Lyon's Farms, and Sally HARRISON, of Sodom, Apr. 12, 1800.
• MEEKER, Lidia and John STEWART, Dec. 24, 1800.
• MEEKER, Prussia and William WOODRUFF, Apr. 30, 1798.
• MEEKER, Unice and Luther DEAN, May 7, 1795.
• MITCHELL, Nathaniel and Polly MARSH, both of Elizabeth Town, Dec. 3, 1800.
• MOORE, Polly and Phibbe SHEMASH, Oct. 16, 1796.
• MOOREHOUSE, Suckey and Epenetus COLEMAN, July 12, 1797.
• MULFORD, Polly and Andrew DRAKE, June 20, 1795.
• NESBIT, Joseph, Schoolmaster, and Ruth PRICE, both of Eliza. Town, Aug. 15, 1798.
• NUTMAN, Aaron, of Springfield, and Betsy CRANE, of Connecticut Farms, May 14, 1800.
• OGDEN, Joseph, Farmer, of New Galloway, and Comfort PRICE, of Lyons Farms.
• OGDEN, Phebe and Benjamin JARVIS, Nov. 13, 1798.
• OGDON, Rebecca and Abner OSBORN, Mar. 5, 1795.
• OGLAND, Mary and David CAPRON, June 11, 1797.
• OSBORN, Abner, Miller, of Sodom, and Rebecca OGDON, of Connecticut Farms, Mar. 5, 1795.
• OSBORN, Triphene and Stephen WILLCOCKS, Nov. 17, 1793.
• PARKER, Jonathan, taylor, of Elizabeth Town, and Susannah PRICE, of the same place, Apr. 1, 1797.
• PARCELL, Abner, carpenter, Elizabeth Town, and Polly WHEELER, Widow, of Lyon's Farms, Mar. 24, 1799.
• PIERSON, Hannah and Wheeler WADE, June 30, 1794.
• PRAY, John, of New York, taylor, and Sally CRANE, of Lyon's Farms, Jan. 1, 1793.
• PRICE, Amos, taylor, of Elizabeth Town, and Martha JONES of Sodom, Apr. 11, 1797.
• PRICE, Charity and Caleb BUNNEL, Sept. 26, 1795.
• PRICE, Comfort and Joseph OGDON, Feb. 27, 1794.
• PRICE, Jemima and Isaac GRUMMON, Mar. 31, 1799.
• PRICE, Ruth and Joseph NESBITS, Aug. 15, 1798.
• PRICE, Susannah and Jonathan PARKER, Apr. 1, 1797.
• REEVES, Rhoda and Caleb SMITH, Nov. 13, 1796.
• RENSLAY, John, shoemaker, of New York, and Patty HARRISON, Lyon's Farms, Oct. 10, 1798.
• ROBERTS, Lydia and Josiah BRUIN, Feb. 23, 1799.
• ROBERTS, Seers, of Camp Town, farmer, and Sally WILLSON, Widow, of the same place, Apr. 9, 1800.
• SCUDDER, Abraham and Johanna CRANE, both of North Farms, (Ab. Scudder, sadler), June 24, 1798.
• SEERS, Sally and Jacob CRANE, Oct. 20, 1800.
• SHEMASH, Phibbe, farmer, and Polly MOORE, both of Bridgetown, Oct. 16, 1796.
• SPINNING, Sally and Daniel WININGS, Oct. 13, 1793.
• SMITH, Caleb, farmer, and Rhoda REEVES, both of Canoe Brook, Nov. 13, 1796.
• STEWART, John, of Lyon's Farms in Newark, and Lidia MEEKER, of the same place, Dec. 24, 1800.
• SWIFT, Henry, taylor, of Elizabeth Town, and Mary WILLIS, of Rahway, May 6, 1797.
• TAYLOR, Abby and John Nicolas LOVE, Sept. 22, 1798.
• VALENTINE, Daniel, shoemaker, and Rachael WINANS, both of Lyon's Farms, Feb. 14, 1799.
• VAN PELT, Mary, and John BOGART, Jan. 11, 1795.
• WADE, Wheeler, shoemaker, and Hannah PIERSON, both of Connecticut Farms, June 30, 1794.
• WARD, Jonathan, shoemaker, of North Farms, and Lydia FORCE, of the same place, May 31, 1800.
• WHEELER, Polly and Abner PARCELLS, Mar. 24, 1799.
• WHITEHEAD, David, of Lyon's Farms, and Jemima FREMER, of Camp Town, Apr. 10, 1797.
• WILCOCKS, Joseph, shoemaker, of Camp Town, and Hannah CLARK, of the same place, Sept. 14, 1799.
• WILLCOCKS, Stephen and Triphene OSBORN, both of Camp Town, Nov. 17, 1793.
• WILLIAMS, Amos, of Newark, carpenter, and Betsy FOSTER, of Lyon's Farms, Nov. 4, 1799.
• WILLIS, Mary and Henry SWIFT, May 6, 1797.
• WILLSON, Sally and Seers ROBERTS, Apr. 9, 1800.
• WINANS, Rachael and Daniel VALENTINE, Feb. 14, 1799.
• WININGS, Daniel, mason of Lyons Farms, and Sally SPINNING, of the same place, Oct. 13, 1793.
• WOODRUFF, Abby and Aaron HEDDON, June 21, 1800.
• WOODRUFF, Seth, mason, of Elizabeth Town, and Sally CRANE, of Lyon's Farms, in Newark, Dec. 20, 1800.
• WOODRUFF, Timothy, mason, Eliz. Town, and Polly GRUMMON, Lyon's Farms, July 10, 1800.
• WOODRUFF, William, of Morristown, miller, and Prussia MEEKER, of Connecticut Farms, Apr. 30, 1798.