John Falkinburg (JNF)
The research in this section of the website is based on a set of notes by David Absalom ©1997. I first came across this information on Drake-Rockcastle Genealogy website. The original document by David Absalom shows that he did considerable work researching the records of the Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends and other sources not commonly accessible on the web. I have not been able to contact the author. If anyone can give me further information about David Absalom or his work on John Falkinburg, I would be very appreciative. While I have not yet been able to confirm the data contained in these notes, I will use them here. They are, perhaps, the best reference regarding John Falkinburg's life.
John Falkinburg (also known as Falkinberg or Falkinburge) was the eldest of the six children of Henry Jacobs Falkinburg II and Penelope Stout. Born November 9, 1739 at Little Egg Harbor Township, Burlington County, New Jersey (others cite the birth date about 1736). John married Mary Somers, daughter of Edmund Somers, Sr. and Mary Steelman of Great Egg Harbor, Gloucester County (now Atlantic County). Leah Blackman states that John lived on the Elihu Mathis farm, but moved to Pennsylvania in 1785. {JNF.1}
3 NOV 1760 "...At this meeting also John Falkenburgh of Little Egg Harbour and Mary Somers of this place declared their intention of marriage with each other and he was also informed that a Certificate would be expected at their next appearance and his father being present give his consent, and signified that his wife was also consenting." {JNF.2}
"John Folkenburg ... [was] granted [a] certificat[e] to marry, on November 13, 1760 by the Little Egg Harbor Monthly Meeting."
1 DEC 1760... At this meeting John Falkenberry and Mary Somers appeared and signified the Continuation of their Intentions of Marriage with each other and said John produced a Certificate from Little Egg Harbour Monthly Meeting to our satisfaction and Friends finding nothing to obstruct leaves them at liberty to consummate their marriage According to the good order used among us and appoints Peter Steelman and Noah Smith to see the marriage orderly accomplished and report thereof to our next monthly meeting." {JNF.3}
5 JAN 1761 "In the minutes of the monthly meeting for Egg Harbour-Cape May held January 5, 1761, '...At this meeting Noah Smith and Peter Steelman reports that they saw the Marriages of Nathan Bartlett and Judith Somers, and John Falkenberry and Mary Somers orderly accomplished.' By the following month both Judith Bartlett and Mary Falkinburge removed to Little Egg Harbor Township to live and joined the Little Egg Harbor Monthly Meeting at Clamtown (now Tuckerton). Mary’s certificate was received by Little Egg Harbor M.M. on May 14, 1761. {JNF.4}
If anyone still is wondering about variations in the spelling of our family name, just look at the way in which it is recorded in the Record of the Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends: John Falkenburgh, 3 NOV 1760; John Folkenburg 13 NOV 1760; John Falkenberry, 1 DEC 1760; and Mary Falkinburge, 14 MAY 1761!
David Absalom states that "nine children were born to this marriage. Some knowledge exists about all of these children except Judith." In the following table the symbols † (reported by Blackman) ‡ (reported in Families of Burlington County)
| Name | Birth | Marriage | Death |
| John Falkinburg | 9 NOV 1739 (Little Egg Harbor Township, Burlington County, NJ) |
3 NOV 1760 {JNF.4.1} | JAN 1786. (age 46) |
| Mary Somers | 28 FEB 1742/3 (Great Egg Harbor) |
9 AUG 1825 | |
| (1) Edmund | 20 JAN 1762 | ||
| (2) Samuel † ‡ | 28 NOV 1764 | Alice Mathis; Tuckerton, Burlington Cnty., NJ | |
| (3) John † | 12 DEC 1767 | m. 1794 BET May 1799 Catherine Hatfield of Middle Paxton Twp. Dauphin Cnty, PA |
MAR 1832 Woodcock Twp. Crawford Cnty., PA |
| (4) Joseph † | 24 APR 1769 | Sarah Ludlam d: 24 JAN 1838 |
|
| (5) Hannah † | 19 MAR 1771 | Joseph Herr 8 MAY 1792 {JNF.5} |
|
| (6) Talitha † | 16 MAY 1774 | 26 NOV 1798 Enoch Stephenson of Dennis Twp., Cape May Cnty., NJ. |
ABT 1851 at Dennis Twp., Cape May Cny., NJ |
| (7) Judith † | 16 SEP 1777 | ||
| (8) Susanna † | 12 NOV 1779 | Jesse Williams Centre Cnty., PA |
27 AUG 1831 |
| (9) Somers † | 1783 BET 1785 Millerstown, PA {JNF.6} | 23 APR
1809 Elizabeth Sullivan of Cumberland Cnty., NJ {JNF.6a} |
|
| All data in this table is from David Absalom's original set of notes unless otherwise stated. | |||
| Notes | |
| {JNF.1} | Blackman [3] p. 246 |
| {JNF.2} | From David Absalom's original set of notes: Monthly Meeting held at Egg Harbour for Egg Harbour and Cape May 3 NOV 1760, p. 139. |
| {JNF.3} | From David Absalom's original set of notes: Monthly Meeting held at Egg Harbour for Egg Harbour and Cape May the 1 DEC 1760, p. 193. |
| {JNF.4} | From David Absalom's original set of notes: Monthly Meeting held at Egg Harbour for Egg Harbour and Cape May the 5 JAN 1761. |
| {JNF.4.1} | New Jersey Marriages, 1684-1895 (John Falkenburg and Mary Somers) Ancestry.com |
| {JNF.5} | Marriages by Reverend John Linn Centre Presbyterian Church, Shermans Valley, Perry (Then Cumberland) County, Pennsylvania |
| {JNF.6} | Families of Elizabeth and John Gardner. The range of dates for the birth of Somers Falkinburg is generally given as 1781 BET 1785. However, since we have evidence that he was born in Millerstown, PA, this would indicate that this was after the family moved to Pennsylvania in 1873. Thus, I have narrowed the range of dates to 1783 BET 1785. |
| {JNF.6a} | New Jersey Marriages 1684-1895 Ancestry.com |
| References | |
Last updated 9/26/09
© 2009 Donald R. Falkenburg