From the Blue Family Association Website:
Family legends claim that John Blew was one of the earliest settlers in the valley of the South Branch of the Potomac River, in what is now Hampshire County, WV. He supposedly brought his wife and children from New Jersey in 1725, settled on the river about five miles north of the present site of Romney, and built his cabin near Hanging Rock (sometimes called Blue's Rock). This tradition conflicts with the following evidence and deductions.
1. John Blew (1.1) was in Somerset Co., NJ, on 14 Nov 1757, to be sworn in as coexecutor of his father's will. Although this was about two months after the death of John Blaw (1.), it is highly unlikely that John (1.1) came all the way back from Hampshire Co. to discharge this duty. This, alone, is not conclusive, however, since many settlers fled Hampshire Co. during the years 1754-1758 due to the Indian raids of the French and Indian War. John (1.1) and his family might have retreated to the coast to escape the war, and returned to New Jersey when he received word of his father's death.
2. At his death in 1770, John (1.1) did not own land. No land was mentioned in his will, and no Hampshire Co. deeds (known to the compiler) record his ownership of land.
3. In Maxwell and Swisher's "History of Hampshire Co., WV" (page 701), it is stated that "The date at which John Blue came to Hampshire Co. is fixed partly by tradition and partly by family record. His son John (grandfather of the present John Blue) was twelve years old when he came with his father to Hampshire. He died in 1791, aged 78 years. That would prove that he came to Hampshire in 1725. If such was the case, he was about eight or ten years earlier than the usually accepted earliest settlement of the South Branch Valley". A careful examination of this statement shows an inconsistency. The present (1897) John Blue (b. 1834) was a son of Garret I. Blue and his wife Sarah. Garret I. Blue was a son of Capt. John Blue (b. 1740). Therefore, if the grandfather of the 1897 John Blue was twelve years old when he came to Hampshire Co., this dates the arrival of the Blues at 1752, and establishes the pioneer as John Blue (1.1.1).
4. The John Blew who received the Fairfax land grant for Lot 27 on the South Branch was John (1.1.1). Although dated 17 Aug 1749, this grant was really executed subsequent to 1 May 1754, the date that Hampshire County was formed. This fact is established by the identification of the grantee as "John Blew of Hampshire Co.". This also indicates that John Blew was living in Hampshire Co., or what was to be Hampshire Co., before the grant was executed, probably having arrived in 1752, as indicated in (3), above.
5. Most deeds for Fairfax Lots, subsequent to the original grants, mention the original grantee, as well as later owners. The earliest deed on record for Lot 27 was executed in 1816 between Uriah Blue's heirs and Uriah and Garret Blue. The deed states that the deceased Uriah received the land through the will of his father, John Blue (John 1.1.1). No mention is made of an earlier John Blue as the original grantee.
6. The Maxwell and Swisher account, referenced in (3), above, also states that "There were three brothers, John, Uriah and Michael, the latter two making their homes near Shepardstown, while John settled about five miles north of Romney, ----." John (1.1) did not have a brother named Uriah, and the Michael, who was possibly his brother, died in New Jersey. John (1.1.1), however, did have brothers Uriah and Michael, who did settle in the area near Shepardstown.
Therefore, this John Blew (1.1) followed his sons to Virginia after the death of his father in 1757. The actual date of his arrival in Hampshire Co. is unknown. John and Cattron probably lived on land owned by their children, since there is no record which identifies him as a grantee or grantor of land. John (1.1) died in 1770, and his will, dated 20 July of that year, left personal effects to his family, including clothing, three silver spoons, two riding horses and saddles, plow irons, a wagon, a hoe, an axe and an iron wedge. Most of these he probably brought with him on his journey from New Jersey.
His wife, Cattron, outlived him and she was named executor of her husband's will, a duty she declined in favor of her son, Abraham. She is said to be a Van Meter by some researchers, but I have found no evidence to that effect. By the spelling of her name, it is probable that she too was of Dutch ancestry.
From the Blue Family Association Website:Family legends claim that John Blew was one of the earliest settlers in the valley of the South Branch of the Potomac River, in what is now Hampshire County, WV. He supposedly brought his wife and children from New Jersey in 1725, settled on the river about five miles north of the present site of Romney, and built his cabin near Hanging Rock (sometimes called Blue's Rock). This tradition conflicts with the following evidence and deductions.
1. John Blew (1.1) was in Somerset Co., NJ, on 14 Nov 1757, to be sworn in as coexecutor of his father's will. Although this was about two months after the death of John Blaw (1.), it is highly unlikely that John (1.1) came all the way back from Hampshire Co. to discharge this duty. This, alone, is not conclusive, however, since many settlers fled Hampshire Co. during the years 1754-1758 due to the Indian raids of the French and Indian War. John (1.1) and his family might have retreated to the coast to escape the war, and returned to New Jersey when he received word of his father's death.
2. At his death in 1770, John (1.1) did not own land. No land was mentioned in his will, and no Hampshire Co. deeds (known to the compiler) record his ownership of land.
3. In Maxwell and Swisher's "History of Hampshire Co., WV" (page 701), it is stated that "The date at which John Blue came to Hampshire Co. is fixed partly by tradition and partly by family record. His son John (grandfather of the present John Blue) was twelve years old when he came with his father to Hampshire. He died in 1791, aged 78 years. That would prove that he came to Hampshire in 1725. If such was the case, he was about eight or ten years earlier than the usually accepted earliest settlement of the South Branch Valley". A careful examination of this statement shows an inconsistency. The present (1897) John Blue (b. 1834) was a son of Garret I. Blue and his wife Sarah. Garret I. Blue was a son of Capt. John Blue (b. 1740). Therefore, if the grandfather of the 1897 John Blue was twelve years old when he came to Hampshire Co., this dates the arrival of the Blues at 1752, and establishes the pioneer as John Blue (1.1.1).
4. The John Blew who received the Fairfax land grant for Lot 27 on the South Branch was John (1.1.1). Although dated 17 Aug 1749, this grant was really executed subsequent to 1 May 1754, the date that Hampshire County was formed. This fact is established by the identification of the grantee as "John Blew of Hampshire Co.". This also indicates that John Blew was living in Hampshire Co., or what was to be Hampshire Co., before the grant was executed, probably having arrived in 1752, as indicated in (3), above.
5. Most deeds for Fairfax Lots, subsequent to the original grants, mention the original grantee, as well as later owners. The earliest deed on record for Lot 27 was executed in 1816 between Uriah Blue's heirs and Uriah and Garret Blue. The deed states that the deceased Uriah received the land through the will of his father, John Blue (John 1.1.1). No mention is made of an earlier John Blue as the original grantee.
6. The Maxwell and Swisher account, referenced in (3), above, also states that "There were three brothers, John, Uriah and Michael, the latter two making their homes near Shepardstown, while John settled about five miles north of Romney, ----." John (1.1) did not have a brother named Uriah, and the Michael, who was possibly his brother, died in New Jersey. John (1.1.1), however, did have brothers Uriah and Michael, who did settle in the area near Shepardstown.
Therefore, this John Blew (1.1) followed his sons to Virginia after the death of his father in 1757. The actual date of his arrival in Hampshire Co. is unknown. John and Cattron probably lived on land owned by their children, since there is no record which identifies him as a grantee or grantor of land. John (1.1) died in 1770, and his will, dated 20 July of that year, left personal effects to his family, including clothing, three silver spoons, two riding horses and saddles, plow irons, a wagon, a hoe, an axe and an iron wedge. Most of these he probably brought with him on his journey from New Jersey.
His wife, Cattron, outlived him and she was named executor of her husband's will, a duty she declined in favor of her son, Abraham. She is said to be a Van Meter by some researchers, but I have found no evidence to that effect. By the spelling of her name, it is probable that she too was of Dutch ancestry.
AKA John Blew
AKA John Blew
From the Blue Family Association Website:
John Blue and his family were probably drawn to Hampshire County by the existance of a sizeable Dutch population, which had previously migrated from New Jersey and New York. According to Maxwell and Swisher in "History of Hampshire Co., WV", George Washington, as a lad of 16 years, was commissioned in 1748 by Lord Fairfax to survey some of the Fairfax lands. "On April 4 he made an entry showing the kind of people who lived there (along the South Branch of the Potomac), and who were all squatters on the lands of Lord Fairfax, or at least on land claimed by him....... . On April 4 he (Washington) writes, 'We were all attended with a great company of people, men, women and children, who followed us through the woods, showing their antic tricks. They seemed to be as ignorant a set of people as the Indians. They would never speak English, but when spoken to all spoke Dutch'."
Since John's first wife, Mary Marshall, had her last child in 1753, it is probable that she had died before the family set out from Somerset Co., NJ, or that she died during the journey to Virginia. Sometime in the 1750's John married his second wife, reputed to be Margaret Keyser (some say Van Meter). Together, they had ten children to add to the four from his first marriage.
Sometime after 1 May 1754, John Blue (Blew) received a grant from Lord Fairfax for Lot 27, 304 acres on the South Branch of the Potomac River. He and his family lived on this land, located on the east bank of the river just south of Hanging Rocks, for about twenty years. In 1770, at about the time of his father's death, he purchased Lot 31, north of the Rocks and containing 243 acres, from Job Welton. He was living on this tract of land when he died in 1791. In 1773 he purchased Lot 30, containing 312 acres, from Thomas Wood, and in 1774 he received a grant of 203 acres adjacent to Lots 27 and 30. So, at this time, John (1.1.1) owned 1062 acres along the South Branch, surrounding Hanging Rocks.
John Blue's will was proved on 14 April 1791. In this will he divided his land between his four eldest sons (sons of his first marriage); John received Lot 30, except for seven acres above the Rocks which went to Uriah; Uriah received Lot 27; and Michael and Garret each received a half share of Lot 31. Each son also received a one-fourth part of the "new survey" of 203 acres. Each of these four sons was obliged to pay certain sums of money to the remaining ten children.
From the Blue Family Association Website:John Blue and his family were probably drawn to Hampshire County by the existance of a sizeable Dutch population, which had previously migrated from New Jersey and New York. According to Maxwell and Swisher in "History of Hampshire Co., WV", George Washington, as a lad of 16 years, was commissioned in 1748 by Lord Fairfax to survey some of the Fairfax lands. "On April 4 he made an entry showing the kind of people who lived there (along the South Branch of the Potomac), and who were all squatters on the lands of Lord Fairfax, or at least on land claimed by him....... . On April 4 he (Washington) writes, 'We were all attended with a great company of people, men, women and children, who followed us through the woods, showing their antic tricks. They seemed to be as ignorant a set of people as the Indians. They would never speak English, but when spoken to all spoke Dutch'."
Since John's first wife, Mary Marshall, had her last child in 1753, it is probable that she had died before the family set out from Somerset Co., NJ, or that she died during the journey to Virginia. Sometime in the 1750's John married his second wife, reputed to be Margaret Keyser (some say Van Meter). Together, they had ten children to add to the four from his first marriage.
Sometime after 1 May 1754, John Blue (Blew) received a grant from Lord Fairfax for Lot 27, 304 acres on the South Branch of the Potomac River. He and his family lived on this land, located on the east bank of the river just south of Hanging Rocks, for about twenty years. In 1770, at about the time of his father's death, he purchased Lot 31, north of the Rocks and containing 243 acres, from Job Welton. He was living on this tract of land when he died in 1791. In 1773 he purchased Lot 30, containing 312 acres, from Thomas Wood, and in 1774 he received a grant of 203 acres adjacent to Lots 27 and 30. So, at this time, John (1.1.1) owned 1062 acres along the South Branch, surrounding Hanging Rocks.
John Blue's will was proved on 14 April 1791. In this will he divided his land between his four eldest sons (sons of his first marriage); John received Lot 30, except for seven acres above the Rocks which went to Uriah; Uriah received Lot 27; and Michael and Garret each received a half share of Lot 31. Each son also received a one-fourth part of the "new survey" of 203 acres. Each of these four sons was obliged to pay certain sums of money to the remaining ten children.
According the Blue Family Association Website:
John Blaw was baptised at the Brooklyn Dutch Reformed Church in Kings Co. NY. He later became a yeoman farmer in Somerset Co., NJ. The term yeoman, by which he is described in his will, implies that he was a land owner and worked his own land. His will, however, did not mention land, only personal property, since he had distributed his real property to his children before his death in 1757. Judging from the inventory of his estate, John Blaw was a fairly wealthy man; his personal estate was valued at almost £1000. Included in this estate were "a negroe man & woman" valued at £30.
Prior to 1742, John Blaw purchased 400 acres of farmland from Abraham Van Horn, a merchant of New York City and a large New Jersey landholder, and 95 acres adjacent to this tract from Nicholas Lake of New Brunswick, NJ. This land is located about one-half mile south of Blawenburg, Montgomery Twp., Somerset Co., NJ, on the Great Road leading to what is now Mercer Co. On 10 January 1741/2, John Blaw sold the east half of this plantation (247.5 acres) to his son, Michael Blaw. This gave Michael the part of the tract that lay east of the Great Road and John kept the land to the west of the road. Michael ran a mill at the point where the Great Road crosses Beden's Brook, and it is believed that Blaw's Mill was the origin of the name Blawenburg. On the same day, John sold the west half of his plantation to his son Frederick. This fact was discovered from a record of a mortgage deed signed by Frederick in 1768.
It is through John Blaw's will that the identity of his son, John, is established. He named John co-executor of his will, and in accepting the duties, son John signed the paper using a distinctive mark. A similar mark is found on the will of John Blew (1.1, below). Furthermore, John Blaw willed to his son,John, a silver "drink beker". This later appears as a "Silver Cup" in the 1790 will of his grandson, John Blue (1.1.1, below), see photograph on title page. An additional connection is established by the mentioning of silver spoons in the wills of John Blaw (1.) and John Blew (1.1). John (1.1.1) was the only one of four sons of John (1.1) who did not receive a silver spoon. This was probably because he, as the eldest son, had already been given the most important family heirloom, the Silver Cup.
The earliest records of John Blaw (other than his baptismal record) are found at the 1st Dutch Reformed Church at Jamaica, Queens Co. NY (on Long Island), where the baptisms of his last three children are recorded. The records of the Town of Jamaica contain a deed of land between Jacamiah Denton and Nathan Smith, in which the land is described as being bounded on the north by John Blue. Also, in 1717, John Blue's earmark for his cattle was registered as "a slitt in each ear and a happeny on the fore side of the near ear". Thus, it is clear that John Blaw (Blue) was a farmer in Jamaica NY before moving to Somerset Co. NJ.
Records of this family have been found in several other Dutch Reformed Churches. Michael was baptised at the Brooklyn Church, and some of the children of Michael and Frederick appear in the baptismal records of the Harlingen Dutch Church, several miles northeast of Blawenburg. No records for son John, or his family, have been found in Somerset Co. During this time period, the Dutch Church at Harlingen was split by the Frelinghuysen controversy, and the records of both congregations are incomplete. Cousins Hendrick and Altie Blauw were put out of the church and it's possible that some of this family joined them. Alternatively, it may be that they were Baptists, even at this early date. They were not members of nearby Hopewell Baptist Church, however, they may have attended without becoming official members. Later generations in Virginia and Ohio were members of the Primitive Baptist Church.
The Silver Cup, which was made by Jurian Blanck, Jr., of Brooklyn, NY, provides a vital link between the Blaws of New Jersey and their New York ancestors. The cup has the initials I*F inscribed on its base. In 1676, Jurian Blanck was a near neighbor of Jan Frederickse in Brooklyn, who later adopted the surname Blaw or Blaau (see Extended Family A at the rear of this book). This Jan Frederickse had a son Jan baptised on 9 December 1677 at the Brooklyn Dutch Reformed Church. It is believed that the I*F on the cup stands for Jan Frederickse, and that his son Jan was John Blaw (1.), herein. New York records indicate that Jan Frederickse came to America in the year 1652.
The surname of Margaret, John Blaw's wife, has not been discovered to date. She has been erroneously called a Van Leeuwe based on a Jamaica baptism in 1704 when "Jan Blauw and Maria Van Leeuwe were sponsors at the baptism of Aeltie, daughter of Frederick Hendricks and Dina Hendricks". There is no indication that Jan and Maria were man and wife.
John BLAW died in Somerset Co. NJ and his will is on file at the NJ Archives in Trenton.
According the Blue Family Association Website:John Blaw was baptised at the Brooklyn Dutch Reformed Church in Kings Co. NY. He later became a yeoman farmer in Somerset Co., NJ. The term yeoman, by which he is described in his will, implies that he was a land owner and worked his own land. His will, however, did not mention land, only personal property, since he had distributed his real property to his children before his death in 1757. Judging from the inventory of his estate, John Blaw was a fairly wealthy man; his personal estate was valued at almost £1000. Included in this estate were "a negroe man & woman" valued at £30.
Prior to 1742, John Blaw purchased 400 acres of farmland from Abraham Van Horn, a merchant of New York City and a large New Jersey landholder, and 95 acres adjacent to this tract from Nicholas Lake of New Brunswick, NJ. This land is located about one-half mile south of Blawenburg, Montgomery Twp., Somerset Co., NJ, on the Great Road leading to what is now Mercer Co. On 10 January 1741/2, John Blaw sold the east half of this plantation (247.5 acres) to his son, Michael Blaw. This gave Michael the part of the tract that lay east of the Great Road and John kept the land to the west of the road. Michael ran a mill at the point where the Great Road crosses Beden's Brook, and it is believed that Blaw's Mill was the origin of the name Blawenburg. On the same day, John sold the west half of his plantation to his son Frederick. This fact was discovered from a record of a mortgage deed signed by Frederick in 1768.
It is through John Blaw's will that the identity of his son, John, is established. He named John co-executor of his will, and in accepting the duties, son John signed the paper using a distinctive mark. A similar mark is found on the will of John Blew (1.1, below). Furthermore, John Blaw willed to his son,John, a silver "drink beker". This later appears as a "Silver Cup" in the 1790 will of his grandson, John Blue (1.1.1, below), see photograph on title page. An additional connection is established by the mentioning of silver spoons in the wills of John Blaw (1.) and John Blew (1.1). John (1.1.1) was the only one of four sons of John (1.1) who did not receive a silver spoon. This was probably because he, as the eldest son, had already been given the most important family heirloom, the Silver Cup.
The earliest records of John Blaw (other than his baptismal record) are found at the 1st Dutch Reformed Church at Jamaica, Queens Co. NY (on Long Island), where the baptisms of his last three children are recorded. The records of the Town of Jamaica contain a deed of land between Jacamiah Denton and Nathan Smith, in which the land is described as being bounded on the north by John Blue. Also, in 1717, John Blue's earmark for his cattle was registered as "a slitt in each ear and a happeny on the fore side of the near ear". Thus, it is clear that John Blaw (Blue) was a farmer in Jamaica NY before moving to Somerset Co. NJ.
Records of this family have been found in several other Dutch Reformed Churches. Michael was baptised at the Brooklyn Church, and some of the children of Michael and Frederick appear in the baptismal records of the Harlingen Dutch Church, several miles northeast of Blawenburg. No records for son John, or his family, have been found in Somerset Co. During this time period, the Dutch Church at Harlingen was split by the Frelinghuysen controversy, and the records of both congregations are incomplete. Cousins Hendrick and Altie Blauw were put out of the church and it's possible that some of this family joined them. Alternatively, it may be that they were Baptists, even at this early date. They were not members of nearby Hopewell Baptist Church, however, they may have attended without becoming official members. Later generations in Virginia and Ohio were members of the Primitive Baptist Church.
The Silver Cup, which was made by Jurian Blanck, Jr., of Brooklyn, NY, provides a vital link between the Blaws of New Jersey and their New York ancestors. The cup has the initials I*F inscribed on its base. In 1676, Jurian Blanck was a near neighbor of Jan Frederickse in Brooklyn, who later adopted the surname Blaw or Blaau (see Extended Family A at the rear of this book). This Jan Frederickse had a son Jan baptised on 9 December 1677 at the Brooklyn Dutch Reformed Church. It is believed that the I*F on the cup stands for Jan Frederickse, and that his son Jan was John Blaw (1.), herein. New York records indicate that Jan Frederickse came to America in the year 1652.
The surname of Margaret, John Blaw's wife, has not been discovered to date. She has been erroneously called a Van Leeuwe based on a Jamaica baptism in 1704 when "Jan Blauw and Maria Van Leeuwe were sponsors at the baptism of Aeltie, daughter of Frederick Hendricks and Dina Hendricks". There is no indication that Jan and Maria were man and wife.
John BLAW died in Somerset Co. NJ and his will is on file at the NJ Archives in Trenton.
Map, America - Brooklyn, New York
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=b7650a32-b508-4e60-9363-3688d6ab3f02&tid=29253146&pid=2439The Chalice, Fall 2010
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=626b6268-65f7-4f05-a838-75a4607250f6&tid=29253146&pid=2439Page two
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=878ceac1-c3c2-49bd-9b1a-812248e80be0&tid=29253146&pid=2439Descendants Of John Blaw, D1757 Somerset County., NJ
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=310e7cb4-4354-42f4-9d6e-aa7b382d00f5&tid=29253146&pid=2439