From the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography
Vol. 36 (1913) pp. 464-472NOTES ON THE STEELMAN FAMILY OF CINNAMINSON TOWNSHIP IN BURLINGTON COUNTY AND GREENWICH TOWNSHIP OF GLOUCESTER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
COMPILED BY PROF. ARTHUR ADAMS
The earliest record of the Steelman Family in New Jersey, that I have been able to find, is in connection with a sale of land on the north-east side of Penisaukin Creek to Philip Waller by Charles Steelman in 1666.* There are other references to this Charles Steelman; he held various township offices, such as Overseer of the Highways. From a deed made by his son Charles in 1730, we learn that his wife was a daughter of Hance Monsier; probably she is the "Mrs. Ella" referred to in Rudman’s list of the parishioners of Old Swede’s Church in Philadelphia made in 1697-1698. The deed recites that Hance Monsier left land to Charles Steelman by will, but no such document can be found of record.
From the deed made by the younger Charles Steelman, we learn something in regard to the children of the first Charles. This deed (Trenton Deeds, D-D 206), is dated 25 May, 1730; it is of sufficient interest to justify a brief abstract: Charles Steelman of the County of New Castle upon Delaware River, son and heir of Charles Steelman late of Sinnaminson, Burlington County, New Jersey, deceased, by and with the advice and consent of John Bird of New Castle and Margaret his wife and of David Enuxson and Eleanor his wife of the same county, sisters of the aforesaid Charles Steelman, sells to Philip Wallis of Evesham in Burlington County, for £30, a small tract of land in Chester Township on the east side of Penisaukin Creek. The land was purchased of William Biddle by Hance Monsier, grandfather of the said Charles Steelman, by deed of 10 April, 1688, and was bequeathed by Hance Monsier to Charles Steelman the father of the grantor. It is evident then that Charles Steelman the elder died sometime between 1688 and 1697. We know from Rudman’s list that, in addition to the children mentioned in this deed, he had a son, Eric.
Children:
i. Charles, b. c. 1679; went to New Castle; nothing further known.
2. ii. Eric, b. c. 1681.
iii. Margaret, m. John Bird.
iv. Eleanor, m. David Enuxson2. Eric Steelman (Charles1). He is first mentioned in Rudman’s list with his brother Charles as a son of Mrs. Ella, "mother of the Steelmans now," where his age is given as 16 (1697). He bought land in Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, of Justa Lock 9 July 1715. He married Britta or Bridget ------. Letters of administration on his estate were granted to Bridget Steelman and Tobias Bright 12 May 1731. From documents relating to the estate, we learn that Eric Steelman had at least the children whose names are here given.
Children:
3. i. Hance.
4. ii. James.
iii. Mary.
iv. Catherine.3. Hance Steelman (Eric2, Charles1). From various deeds we learn that Hance was the eldest son. He filled local offices, such as Overseer of the Highways and Constable, with satisfaction to his neighbors and credit to himself. He married Alse or Alice Jones, a daughter of the widow Catherine Jones. She was a housekeeper for John or James Boles; when he died he left his property to her daughters; his will is dated 4 March 1715. From a deed (Woodbury Deeds, TT 268), it appears that Hance Married Alse and his brother James married Rebecca [Jones] Boles. The will of Hance Steelman is dated 7 May 1755 and was proved 29 December 1760. His wife is mentioned, but not by name. He gives his son James the homestead and ten acres of cedar swamp nearest the Delaware; to his son Charles he gives half of the homestead plantation - 250 acres; to his sons John and David he gives the residue of his real estate equally. The executors named are Alexander Randall and his son John.
Children:
5. i. James, b. 17 November 1719.
6. ii. Hance.
7. iii. Charles.
8. iv. John.
v. Daniel, d. intestate and s. p.4. James Steelman (Eric2, Charles1). From the deed cited in connection with Hance3 Steelman, it is evident that this James married Rebecca Jones, or as his son James speaks of her, Rebecca Boles. So far as is known, they had only one child.
Child:
9. i. James5. James Steelman (Hance3, Eric2, Charles1). According to the record of Trinity (Racoon) Church, Swedesboro, James was born 17 November 1719. In addition to the homestead given him by his father, he became the owner of the lands of his brother Daniel on his decease intestate and without children, he being the eldest brother. His first wife was Magdalen Peterson; she dying in her forty-ninth year, was buried in Racoon churchyard 12 January 1771. He married, second, Catherine, daughter of Nicholas and Elizabeth (Lock) Keen. She was born 4 April 1746, and they were married 12 February 1772. Her second husband was Ephraim Seeley, whom she married 17 December 1788; letters of administration were granted to her on his estate 31 January 1801. James Steelman was one of the trustees to whom the charter of Trinity (Racoon) Church, Swedesboro, was granted in 1765.
James Steelman’s will is dated 3 April 1786 and was proved 22 January 1788. He speaks of a wife but not by name. To his son James, besides other land, he gives ten acres of meadow land on Repaupo Creek; to his son Isaac he gives the rest of the Repaupo land and about two acres lower down the creek then in the tenure of Andrew Steelman; to his sons John and Andrew he gives the homestead plantation; he mentions three daughters --- Sarah, Elizabeth, and Jemima; the executors named are Thomas Clark and his son-in-law Daniel Sutherland. Letters of guardianship were granted to Ebenezer Adams for Jemima, John, and Andrew Steelman 22 January 1788; similar letters were granted to the same person the same date for Elizabeth Steelman. The birth of this son Isaac is recorded in the register of Racoon Church.
Children:
10. i. James
ii. Sarah, b. December 1761, m. Daniel Sutherland.
11. iii. Isaac, b. 15 June 1764, bap. 9 July 1764.
iv. Elizabeth, m. James Code.
v. Rebecca, b. 5 February 1773.
vi. Jemima, b. 31 May 1776, bap. 10 June 1776, m. Isaac S(L)aymon.
12. vii. John, b. 5 November 1778.
13. viii. Andrew, b. 15 June 1781.6. Hance Steelman (Hance3, Eric2, Charles1). The will of this Hance Steelman is dated 4 November and was proved 15 December 1761. He speaks of his wife, but does not mention her name; it is probable, however, that it was Sarah, for letters of administration were granted to his brother James Steelman and to Sarah Steelman. To his son John, who is spoken of as under age, he leaves the homestead. He speaks of young children, specifically of young daughters, but does not mention their names. Charles Steelman was a witness. A John Steelman who died in 1774 speaks of his mother Sarah Steelman and of his sisters Johannah and Catharine. As he seems to be a young unmarried man, he is doubtless John son of Hance, and so we are able to determine the names of two of the unnamed daughters. The land given to the two sisters seems to be the land given to Hance junior by Hance senior and by him to his son John.
Children:
i. John; will dated 14 December 1773 and proved 21 January 1774; unmarried; property left to sisters.
ii. Johannah.
iii. Catharine.7. Charles Steelman (Hance3, Eric2, Charles1). He married Brigitta Dalbo 17 March 1756 (Records of Old Swedes’ Church, Philadelphia). Charles and Britta Steelman of Greenwich Township 10 October 1764 sell a plantation on the westerly branch of Repaupo Creek to James son of Hance Steelman; Charles derived title from Alse Jones through his father Hance Steelman. Letters of administration were granted to Felix Fisher and Daniel Sutherland on the estate of Charles Steelman 4 February 1785. Nothing further is known of him.
8. John Steelman (Hance3, Eric2, Charles1). This John Steelman married Mary ------. John and Mary Steelman 6 June 1769 sell land in Greenwich Township near Repaupo Creek. The land was left by Hance Steelman to his sons John and Daniel by will of 7 May 1755; Daniel died intestate and his interest went to his eldest brother James, who released it to John 7 February 1769. The will of John Steelman is dated 21 January 1775 and was proved 11 August 1775. He mentions his wife but does not give her name; nor does he mention the names of his children who are said to be under age. Letters of administration were granted to Mary Steelman the date of the probate of the will.
Children:
i. Sarah, b. September 1764, bap. 10 September 1765 (Racoon Church Record).
ii. Mary, m., first, ------ Miller; second, 19 March 1803 John Ernest Christian Bethausan, practitioner of physic. He was the son of Charles Christian and Rosina Maria Bethausen, now or late of Berenberg, Germany. They were married by the Rev. Nicholas Collin, who carefully noted her parentage in the records of Old Swede’s Church, Philadelphia. (Old Swedes’ Church Records, p. 263.)9. James Steelman (James3, Eric2, Charles1). This James moved to Great Egg Harbor, where he made a deed 18 May 1789, in which he signs himself James Steelman, Senior. He sells a plantation in the forks of Repaupo Creek in Greenwich Township to William Beaston, tracing title from James Boles through his mother Rebecca Steelman formerly Rebecca Boles. Nothing further has been learned concerning him.
10. James Steelman (James4, Hance3, Eric2, Charles1). He married Eleanor -----. Letters of administration were granted 2 January 1790 to Eleanor Steelman and James Code on the estate of James Steelman. 17 January 1795 Felix Fisher of Greenwich Township was appointed guardian of Sarah and James Steelman, children of James Steelman the younger of Greenwich Township, both under fourteen; the mother Eleanor was the wife of John Kerns.
Children:
i. Sarah, b. probably in 1785, if the record in the Racoon Church register refers to her: "buried 6 December 1198, Sarah, daughter of James Steelman, Jr., aged thirteen years."
14. ii. James Boles, bap. 4 July 1790.11. Isaac Steelman (James5, Hance3, Eric2, Charles1). Isaac was born 15 June 1764 and was baptised 9 July 1764. (Racoon Church Record). He married Elizabeth ------. It would seem that he died about 1828. Isaac Steelman and Elizabeth his wife 11 October 1790 sold land in Greenwich Township to Meshack Fish of Waterford Township. The land was conveyed to Eric Steelman by Justa Lock 9 July 1715, and Eric Steelman dying intestate, the land descended to his eldest son Hance, who left it by will of 7 May 1755 to his sons John and Daniel. Daniel died without issue and his part went to his eldest brother James, who by his will of 3 April 1786 gave the land to his son Isaac, the grantor, to whom it was confirmed by decree of the Supreme Court at Trenton in November 1789 (Woodbury Deeds, B 96). The only child of whom trace has been found is a daughter Elizabeth. She made a deed 6 October 1830, in which she speaks of herself as of Philadelphia, and by which she sells land in Greenwich Township that had been left to her by her grandfather James Steelman. She mentions her father Isaac Steelman (Woodbury Deeds, B3 120).
Children:
i. Elizabeth, moved to Philadelphia.12. John Steelman (James5, Hance3, Eric2, Charles1). According to the records of Racoon Church, John son of James and Catherine (Keen) Steelman was born 5 November 1778. No record of his marriage has been found unless he be (sic) the John Steelman who was married to the widow Hannah Hendrickson by the Rev. James Feltus, Rector of Trinity Church, Swedesboro, 6 January 1803. John Steelman’s will is dated 27 August 1825 and was proved 5 October 1825. He does not mention a wife. He speaks of his eldest son Hiram, and provides that if the property he received from his father is entailed to him, he shall have no more of his real estate; but if it prove not so, that all is to be divided between his children equally.
Children:
15. i. Hiram.
ii. Elizabeth.
16. iii. James B. iv. Sarah.13. Andrew Steelman (James5, Hance3, Eric2, Charles1). Andrew son of James and Catherine (Keen) Steelman was born 15 June 1781 (Racoon Church Records). It appears from deed dated 10 August 1811 (Woodbury Deeds, Q 251) that he married Sarah daughter of Daniel England; she had a sister Susannah who married Joseph Cooper. Andrew must have been married before 18 January 1804, because she joined in a deed on that date. Nothing further known.
14. James Boles Steelman (James10, James5, Hance3, Eric2, Charles1). He was baptised 4 July 1790 (Racoon Church Record). His lands in Greenwich Township were sold by the Sheriff to John Steelman 23 March 1813 (Woodbury Deeds, B 223). The inventory of the estate of James B. Steelman is dated 11 May 1815, and John Kerns, doubtless his step-father, was appointed administrator. It does not appear whether or not he was married.
15. Hiram Steelman (John12 James5, Hance3, Eric2, Charles1). 17 December 1827 Hiram Steelman, son of John and grandson of James Steelman, sold land in Greenwich Township to John B. Miller (Woodbury Deeds, UU 319). Hiram Steelman and Sarah Shoulder were married at Lower Bridge 18 August 1835 by Samuel G. Ogden. The compiler has heard of at least two children.
Children:
i. James, deceased a few years since, lived at Daretown, N.J.
ii. A daughter, living.16. James B. Steelman (John12, James5, Hance3, Eric2, Charles1). From a deed (Woodbury Deeds, K4 453), we learn that this James B. Steelman married Judith L., daughter of William Casperson. The deed is dated 5 December 1849. Nothing further known.
DATA NOT PLACED
Woodbury Marriages
- 31 June 1828 Charles Steelman to Martha Russell of Woolwich Township.
- 10 March 1810 James Steelman to Mary Sweeten, both of Woolwich Township
- 16 March 1803 Andrew Steelman to Sarah Seeley by the Rev. James Feltus, Rector of Trinity Church, Swedesboro.
Trenton Guardianship Record
28 January 1788 letters of administration for the person and estate of Elizabeth Steelman were granted to Ebenezer Adams. It is probable that she was a daughter of James5 Steelman by Magdalen Peterson his first wife. On the same date letters of guardianship were granted to the same person on the person and estate of three children of the second marriage, namely, Jemima, John, and Andrew Steelman.