John M. Bowlby Sr.
John M. Bowlby Sr., son of Thomas Bowlby and Martha Barker, was born before 19 Dec 1703 in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, England, was christened on 19 Dec 1703 in Parish Of Barlborough, County Derby, England, and died between 7 Dec 1779 and 31 Dec 1782 in Mansfield, Woodhouse Twp., Sussex Co., NJ.
General Notes: The maiden name of John’s wife Mary remains completely uncertain. To date, our efforts to uncover primary source information regarding her maiden name have led us only to historical researchers speculations. What we have seen are "best guesses" but nothing definitive, and backed by virtually no primary source material.
Perhaps our most prolific and accomplished historical researcher, Raymond Edwin BOWLBY, has left us his case for suggesting Mary LANING. He wrote:
John married before 1735, the estimated birth of his eldest son. John’s will states that his wife’s name was Mary, but family historians disagree upon her maiden name. Some believed her name was Mary LANING, while others believed she was Mary, the daughter of Josiah MERCER of Burlington of whose will Thomas BOWLBY (6), John’s father, became executor in 1727. After carefully studying John’s will, Harriet STRYKER-RODDA, a leading expert on early New Jersey genealogical history today, wrote her opinion in a letter of 10 Nov. 1981, that the wife of John was Mary LANING: ’That will proves without a doubt his relationship and family name of his wife Mary, for the executors were wife Mary and friend Joseph LANING, witnesses Edward LANING, Isaac LANING and Altiye LANING. A wife’s interests in an estate in such a rural area as Mansfield-Woodhouse were normally protected by having her relatives party to its settlement if any were living nearby."
But, many other well respected historical researchers have also left us their opinions.
Perhaps a source of suggesting Mercer as Mary’s maiden name may have come from DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, VOLUME XXIII. CALENDAR OF NEW JERSEY WILLS, VOL. I. 1670-1730 page 316
1727 Aug. 26. MERCER, Josiah, late of Edmington, Co. of Middlesex, Great Britain, now of Burlington, gentleman; will of. Wife Sarah. Daughter Mary. Real and personal estate. Executor - Thomas BOWLBY, Witnesses - Tho: BARNES, Will’m ROBINSON, Daniel MESTAYER. Proved September 5, 1727.
1727 Sept. 5. Inventory of the personal estate, L60.5, incl. 18 moydores, 2 half moydores, 1/2 guinea, 2 small gold rings, in all 139 pwt. and 18 gr. at 5sh. 6 per pwt. L38.8.7 1/2, money in copper pennies L4, a silver watch and steel seal and chain L5, a silver tobacco box and pipe stopper L1.5; made by Thos. HUNLOKE and Tho. BARNES.
______ _____, MERCER, 1 _______. Part of will of , mentions a will executed in Great Britain and left in the Custody of wife Sarah. Leaves real property in America to the wife and daughter Mary and appoints Thomas BOWLBY as executor; used as wrapper of another (EDDINGTON, 1727) will.
1. Doubtless the Josiah MERCER whose will is given in the next preceding paragraph.
From: THE AMERICAN GENEALOGIST VOL. XXXIV (1958). Article written by Lewis D. COOK. F.A.S.G., of Philadelphia: BOWLBY OF MANSFIELD-WOODHOUSE, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND OF BURLINGTON, MORRIS, HUNTERDON, AND SUSSEX COUNTIES N.J.: OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNA., AND NOVA SCOTIA
"iv. John BOWLBY, executor of father’s Will in 1731; is said to have m. one Mary LANNING, dau. of some Joseph LANNING, in 1734, but evidence is not found. The Joseph LANNING named a co-executor in the Will of John BOWLBY was probably the testator of Bethlehem Twp., Hunterdon Co., N.J., 1814, q.v. in NJ Archives, 42:248. John BOWLBY d. testate in Mansfield Twp., Sussex Co., Nj, between 7 Dec 1779 and 31 Dec. 1782, appointing he wife Mary BOWLBY and friend Joseph LANING executors, and devising his estate to his children..."
He further mentions that the baptisms of some of their children, by the Church of England minister in Sussex Co., N.J. are found in his register, published in the Penna. Magazine of Hist. and Biog., vol. 12.
But, on 23 Nov 1972, William M. LEFFINGWELL sent a draft of his article BOWLBY to Janis PAHNKE, (and she kindly has sent a copy to me...) From pg 3.
"...
3. John, b. m Mary (MERCER ?)
....
As executor of his father’s will, John BOWLBY was responsible for the family’s right to land in West Jersey. He probably returned to England after his father’s death, where he may have married Mary MERCER. He was back in the Province by 1735, when his first son, Samuel, was born."
We remain hopeful that we might yet uncover more definitive evidence by exploring both the LANING and MERCER genealogies. Other theories abound, such as Mary was first married to a MERCER or a LANING prior to her marriage to John, or that he was married to two different women by the name of Mary - first to a Mary MERCER, then to a Mary LANING. But, to date, none of these speculative theories are based upon any direct evidence that our Mary BOWLBY was related to either the MERCER or LANNING families.
Will: 7 Dec 1779.
John married Mary Laning before 1735.
Children from this marriage were:
Samuel Bowlsby (*).
Hannah Martha Bowlby was born about 1736 in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, England and died after 1810 in Rowan Co., NC.
John Bowlby Jr. was born between 1735 and 1744 in Imlaydale, Mansfield, Woodhouse Twp., Sussex Co., NJ and died on 20 Sep 1818 in Mansfield Twp., Sussex Co., NJ.
Sarah Bowlby was born about 1738.
Pvt. Thomas Bowlby Sr. was born on 2 Apr 1744 in Hunterdon Co., NJ, died on 8 Jan 1827 in Hunterdon Co., NJ60 at age 82, and was buried after 8 Jan 1827 in Mansfield Woodhouse Cem., NJ.
