THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
IN  MORRISTOWN

                                                 

BILL OF MORTALITY

                                                  Prepared By
                                               Scott Shepherd
                                            S.Shepherd@att.net
                                                January 2008            

                                                                                                                                  

 Records of those interred in colonial cemeteries often depend on the diligence of those in future generations recording the inscription on grave markers.  However, when resorting to a survey of grave stones to identify those who are buried in a colonial cemetery such as the Presbyterian Church Burying Ground it must be recognized that many grave sites probably never were graced by a marker, or if placed, the marker may have long since deteriorated by the time the record of inscriptions was initiated. Fortunately for those interested in tracing their ancestors who lived in the area served by the Presbyterian Church in Morristown during Colonial Times, the Bill of Mortality offers an alternative source of information.

 

The Bill of Mortality was initiated in July 1768 by Reverend Timothy Johnes.  Following his death in 1794, the record was maintained until 1806 by William Cherry, the Church Sexton.

 

It is of interest that this record identifies 1680 individuals including one set of twins. Of that total, surnames were available for only 1586. The other 94 were identified variously as “Servant of” and the name of the family or “Illegitimate Child,” etc.  Of the 1586 for whom surnames are available, 1388 are individuals, who could have been buried in either the Presbyterian or Old Baptist Burying Grounds, whose names have never appeared in any known grave stone based compilations. Certainly a modest estimate that a few hundred of these individuals found their final resting place in the Presbyterian Burying Ground does not seen unreasonable given that numerous unmarked graves were unearthed in the vicinity of the oldest portion of the Burying Ground during the construction of the present Sanctuary Building in 1893. 

 

Several factors contribute to the disparity between the number of individuals listed in the Bill of Mortality and largely grave stone inscription based compilations, such as Who’s Who In The Grave Yard Of The Presbyterian Church In Morristown.

 

First and foremost is the fact that the Bill of Mortality contains the names of congregants in both the Presbyterian and Baptist Churches, while the Who’s Who In The Grave Yard Of The Presbyterian Church In Morristown deals solely with those affiliated with the Presbyterian Church.

 

A second contributing factor was the depressed economy in Colonial Times resulting from the repressive acts of the British against the colonies, e.g., The Iron Acts, The Stamp Act, etc. In such hard times the placement of a marker bearing an appropriate inscription easily could be considered an extravagance. Indeed it was not uncommon to bury the remains of the departed on the family farm with a simple field stone, with or without any inscription, as the only marker. 

 

A third factor was the unusually high infant mortality rate by today’s standards. An analysis contained in the Bill of Mortality of the age at the time of death of those who died between 1 July 1790 and 1 July 1806 reveals that 145 or 23% were individuals who died before reaching the age of one. Fully 256 or almost 46% were individuals who died before reaching the age of five.  For many of these infants the Bill of Mortality entry merely reads “Child of” followed by the name of the father.  If the given name of the deceased was not recorded, it follows that a marker very well might not have been placed at their grave site.

 

Some idea of the proportion of burials having taken place in each of the Presbyterian and Old Baptist Burying Grounds may be gained through the Bill of Mortality which identified the congregational affiliation of about 20% of the individuals listed. Based on the relative proportion of Presbyterians to Baptists in that sample, it would appear reasonable to assume slightly more than 50% of the individuals, who were not laid to rest on a family farm, found their final resting place in the Presbyterian Burying Ground rather than the Old Baptist Burying Ground behind their respective churches on “The Green.”        

 

Another consideration is the fact that of the two churches, the Presbyterian Church was founded nineteen years earlier than the Baptist Church, i.e., 1733 vs. 1752, and the Baptist Church did not locate to the site on “The Green” until May of 1771. 

 

Based on these factors, it seems likely that a few more of the individuals, whose grave sites have not been identified, found their final resting place in the Presbyterian Burying Ground than in the Old Baptist Burying Ground behind their respective churches on “The Green.”

 

It is well documented that an untold number of soldiers were interred in one or more mass graves in the Presbyterian and Old Baptist Burying Grounds during the small pox epidemic while Washington was encamped in Morristown in 1777.  A marker placed by The Daughters of the American Revolution commemorates the individuals whose final resting place is in the Presbyterian Church Burying Ground.  A similar marker was placed in Evergreen Cemetery, where remains were moved, following the vacating of the Old Baptist Burying Ground in 1892

 

In recent years during the preparation of the Who’s Who In The Grave Yard Of The Presbyterian Church In Morristown, this compiler cannot recall the grave site of any soldier from outside of Morris County who served in the American Revolution being identified.  However, recent interest in tracing one’s ancestors precipitated by data bases available using the Internet resulted in the confirmation of Colonel Daniel Hitchcock of Rhode Island as being interred in the Presbyterian Church Burying Ground. In this case the interment was documented through an entry in the Diary of Sergeant William Young of Pennsylvania made available through the Historian at Morristown National Historical Park.  The specific grave site however is known only to God. 

 

In conclusion, it is safe to say that far more individuals are interred in the Burying Ground of The Presbyterian Church in Morristown than compilations based on grave markers have been able to document.

 

It is interesting to note that in a majority of the cases in compiling the record Reverend Johnes opted to record the cause of death.  Perhaps contributing to his decision to record the cause of death was that in Colonial Times ministers were among the most highly educated members of their community.  As a result they often found themselves ministering to the physical as well as the spiritual needs of their flock.  It is well documented that Timothy Johnes, Jr. established a reputation of his own as “The Surgeon on Horseback” during Washington’s retreat across New Jersey in late Autumn of 1776.  Much of his medical know-how is believed to have come from his father.

 

The first of the two listings that follow presents in an alphabetical format the 1586 individuals whose surnames are known. When the Congregational Affiliation was recorded, the names of Baptist Congregants appear in RED and those of the Presbyterian Congregants appear in BLUE.  The names of 149 individuals who have been identified in other compilations of those interred in the Burying Ground of the Presbyterian Church are underlined. When the cause of death or the date of death was not recorded, the notation “NR” has been entered. The names of 42 individuals who among other things may have been “buried out of Parish” appear in Italics. Of the 1586 identified the following fifteen are known to have been reinterred at Evergreen Cemetery from their original resting place:

 

From The Old Baptist Burying Ground To Evergreen

 

                                    Esther Brookfield—Wife of John d. 1780

                                    Isaac Brookfield d. 1776

                                    John Brookfield d. 1777

                                    John Brookfield d. 1795

                                    Rhoda Brookfield—Wife of Job d. 1806

                                    Rachel Goble—Wife of Enoch d.1806

                                    Reverend John Walton d. 1770

 

From The Presbyterian Burying Ground To Evergreen

 

                                    Kezia Johnes—Widow of Reverend Timothy d.1794

                                    Reverend Timothy Johnes d. 1794

                                    William Johnes—Son of William d. 1803

                                    George O’Hara d. 1806

                                    Henry Wick Tuttle—Son of William d. 1805

                                    William Wickham Tuttle—Son of William d. 1800

                                    Albert Whepley—Son of Reverend Samuel d. 1801

                                    Edward Whepley—Son of Reverend Samuel d. 1801

 

Appearing after the first listing is a listing of those identified in the Bill of Mortality for whom a surname was not provided.  Their identities are arranged in date of death order.

 

 

                                              Alphabetical Listing By Surname

 

Name	Date Of Death	Cause	Age
Adams, Chloe--Widow	18 July 1800	Consumption	42
Allen, Charles	13 September 1781	Old Age	106
Allen, Child of Moses	20 August 1785	Dropsy	2
Allen, Elizabeth--Daughter of Gilbert	21 June 1785	Consumption	19
Allen, Elizabeth--Wife of Moses	25 July 1784	Bilious Fever	29
Allen, Henry	4 June 1803	Decay	71
Allen, Jacob	29 March 1779	Old Age	77
Allen, Jacob	12 June 1784	Kick From A Horse	22
Allen, Jacob	9 June 1764	Drowned	26
Allen, Jeduthun--Son of Silas	25 March 1795	White-Swelling	NR
Allen, Jemima--Daughter of Gilbert	16 February 1786	Worms	5
Allen, Naomi--Widow of Jacob	9 March 1784	Mortification in the  Blood	70
Allen, Phoebe--Daughter of Gilbert	30 March 1786	Consumption	18
Allen, Rebeckah--Wife of Zachariah	18 February 1783	Decay	35
Allen, Sarah--Widow	28 November 1789	Old Age	92
Allen, Stephen--Son of Gilbert	19 December 1778	Consumption	15
Allen, Wife of Charles	27 February 1781	Old Age	90
Allwood, Child of Samuel	29 November 1785	NR	NR
Allwood, Elizabeth--Daughter of Samuel	20 October 1800	Dysentery	22
Allwood, Joseph--Son of Samuel	11 July 1775	Rheumatism	2
Anderson, David	29 July 1776	Dysentery	24
Arhart, Gideon	29 September 1798	Yellow Fever	23
Armstrong, Child of Nathaniel	18 September 1775	Still Born	NR
Armstrong, Isaac--Son of Nathaniel	5 January 1778	Fever	1
Armstrong, Mary--Widow of John	31 January 1788	Old Age	84
Armstrong, Nathaniel, Jr.	27 May 1803	Consumption	34
Armstrong, Phoebe--Dtr of Nathaniel	27 November 1775	Whooping-Cough	2
Armstrong, Silas	9 January 1794	A Hurt and Fever	23
Armstrong, Son of Nathaniel	22 February 1782	Small-Pox	16
Arnold, Abraham Brasher--Son of Jacob	1 October 1801	Yellow Fever	18
Arnold, Child of Jacob	14 January 1782	Small-Pox	NR
Arnold, Child of John	27 February 1772	NR	NR
Arnold, Child of John	10 February 1773	NR	NR
Arnold, Child of John	26 August 1787	NR	NR
Arnold, Child of Nathan	31 July 1777	Dysentery	NR
Arnold, Child of Stephen	20 December 1775	Hives	NR
Arnold, Child of Stephen	17 June 1777	Hives	NR
Arnold, Child of Sylvanus	26 December 1785	NR	NR
Arnold, Child of Widow	15 May 1796	NR	NR
Arnold, Child of Ziba	24 April 1784	NR	NR
Arnold, Child of Ziba	1 January 1786	NR	NR
Arnold, Elizabeth--Daughter of Stephen	16 January 1773	Putrid Sore Throat	1
Arnold, Elizabeth--Widow of Robert	22 December 1795	Fever	70
Arnold, Elizabeth--Wife of Jacob	9 May 1803	Consumption	50
Arnold, Ezekiel--Son of Stephen	17 January 1773	Putrid Sore Throat	1
Arnold, Huldah--Daughter of John	17 March 1778	Consumption	2
Arnold, Isaac--Son of Robert, Jr.	6 November 1778	Worms	5
Arnold, Isaac--Son of Robert, Jr.	19 February 1783	Worms	4
Arnold, Mary--Wife of William	14 September 1774	Consumption	38
Arnold, Mary--Wife of Ziba	30 April 1791	Consumption	38
Arnold, Nathan	16 August 1777	Dysentery	23
Arnold, Rachel--Widow of Stephen	16 June 1786	Old Age	98
Arnold, Robert	9 December 1793	Lingering Decay	73
Arnold, Sarah--Wife of John	2 August 1778	Consumption	33
Arnold, Stephen	26 April 1774	Consumption	14
Arnold, Sylvanus	2 April 1796	Consumption	38
Axtell, Child of Luther	24 April 1789	NR	NR
Axtell, John	15 November 1768	NR	NR
Ayers, Child of Silas	15 November 1783	NR	NR
Ayres, Charles--Son of Samuel	6 August 1802	Dysentery	NR
Ayres, Child of Byram	1 September 1799	Thrush	NR
Ayres, Child of Isaac	27 Decmber 1771	NR	NR
Ayres, Child of Phinehas	20 August 1787	NR	NR
Ayres, Child of Silas	31 July 1796	NR	NR
Ayres, Child of Silas	15 November 1783	NR	NR
Ayres, Elisha	22 September 1798	Consumption	33
Ayres, Hannah--Widow of Phineas	17 July 1793	Consumption	45
Ayres, Isaac	7 June 1794	Consumtion	51
Ayres, Joanna--Wife of Isaac	12 April 1770	Consumption	24
Ayres, John	18 April 1777	Small-Pox	57
Ayres, John Dennis--Son of Widow	19 November 1798	Consumption	NR
Ayres, Phinehas	5 August 1789	Drowned	38
Ayres, Rolfe--Son of Widow Hannah	12 March 1793	Colic	12
Ayres, Sarah--Daughter of Peter	30 April 1777	Small-Pox	NR
Badgley, Child of Henry	12 August 1794	NR	NR
Badgley, Child of Ichabod	22 January 1792	NR	NR
Badgley, George	25 April 1794	Colic	68
Badgley, Wife of George	11 April 1782	Small-Pox	53
Baldwin, Bethuel--Son of Samuel	26 August 1776	Dysentery	2
Baldwin, Widow of Samuel	31 January 1781	NR	64
Ball, Caleb	15 November 1782	Consumption	54
Ball, Child of Matthew's Wife	10 August 1775	NR	NR
Ball, Hannah--Daughter of Jacob