Often Heard about her Adventures When He Was Young

The previous blog entry discussed Therese Walling Seabrook. Among some hand-written letters to Therese found in the Vera Conover collection at Monmouth County Historical Association by Kathleen Mirabella is the one below from Joseph Harrison West, of Mercer County, NJ, a local politician and historian and genealogist as well as descendant of Penelope. The content under discussion is obviously the account of Penelope’s experiences, presumably similar to what Mrs. Seabrook published in the Midget (circa 1891) and what John Stillwell published in 1916.

What I find interesting are the memories of the writer’s father, Joseph L. West, who “never saw or read an account of Penelope Stout.” Mr. West, Sr. had heard many of stories but not the scar story.

“Hamilton Square, NJ July 8, 1886

“Cousin Therese:

“I venture to call you cousin, although we are beyond the third degree of consanguinity.

“I have been much pleased in reading your letter, and have read it two or three times. The tradition, as you have it, reads very much like the account in Smith’s, 1765, history of New Jersey, excepting the part which speaks of Penelope’s allowing her grandson, John, to pass his hand over the scar. There is no doubt but what it is all true, though I never heard that part before. Penelope must have lived to 1730, as John Stout was probably a young man about that time; and though I have doubted, a little, that she lived to be 110 years old, yet according to your accounts, it must have been a fact.

“My father, also, never saw or read an account of Penelope Stout, yet when I read to him the story as published in 1790, he said he had often heard about her adventures when he was young. I am a grandson of Annie Stout West. In her father’s bible it is spelled Anne and in the West bible Anna. It is likely that I am the youngest of all the great grand children of John Stout. My father was her youngest son, and I am his youngest.

“Grandmother was born in 1755, my father in 1798, and I in 1847.”

[skip sections]

“And now I come to grandmother Anne, who married William West, a son of Bartholomew, who was of the Monmouth Wests. I suppose you saw my “West” article in the Monmouth Democrat last April. William and Anne had nine children. They have all passed away. My father died in 1876, and he the next youngest, William S., died last spring aged 90 years and some months. Grandmother died in 1814.”

[no closing; missing page(s); but we know it is from Joseph West from the contents as well as from other complete letters in this handwriting and with his signature.]

The genealogy of Joseph H. West is as follows:

Richard Stout + Penelope

John Stout (-1724) + Elizabeth Crawford
Richard Stout (1678-about 1749/50)+ Esther Tilton
John Stout (1701-1782) + Margaret Taylor (about 1711-)
Anne Stout (1755-1814) + William West (-1850)
Joseph Lippet West (1798-1876) + Hannah Hammell (1804-)
Joseph Harrison West (1847-) + Mary Reed Appleton (-)
 

Thus Joseph H. West and Therese Walling Seabrook were 2^nd cousins, one generation removed.

It’s nice to know that the various stories passed down through the generations in New Jersey substantially agree and that Penelope herself wanted her descendants to remember her adventures and survival. Next time, a family tradition that seems somewhat garbled.

More Records from Rev. Oliver Hart's Journals

Rev. Oliver Hart (minister of Hopewell, NJ, Baptist Church from 1780 to 1795) kept a chronological journal of sermon titles he preached plus an index of the Biblical text plus notes in his diary—a triple set of overlapping  information. Below is the list of sermon dates where people’s names (a dozen marriages and 80 funerals) were mentioned [plus other details from his diary in brackets]. I think in every case where he enters both the death and the funeral, the funeral was always the day after the death. Note: Most of these events are apparently mentioned in the Town Records of Hopewell, NJ, a book I haven’t seen, but another independent source is always good.

 

I find two other things of interest. In February 1790, Rev. Morgan Edwards preached on three consecutive Sundays in Hopewell Baptist Church. Edwards was the author of Materials Towards a History of the Baptists in Jersey, its preface dated May 1, 1790. This book, published in 1792, contains the famous passage about Penelope Stout: “The mother lived to the age of 110, and saw her offspring multiplied into 502 in about 88 years.”

 

Referring to the death of Benjamin Stout in Feb 1782 at the age of 86, Rev. Hart (then 58 himself) remarked, “older than oldest of Stout family, now living.” Obviously the Stout family noted such things.
 

1780
[Oct 15 Zephaniah Stout’s child’s funeral]

[Dec 11 Zebulun Stout is brother of Capt. David Stout]

[Dec 21 Hart calls Zebulun Stout his uncle, likely by marriage not blood]

1781

Feb 4 preached at John Stout’s house [in Amwell]

[Feb 12 John Stout of Hopewell gave Hart $100]

[Feb 14 Miss Rachel Stout is sister of Richard Stout; she gave Hart $22]

[Mar 8 mentioned that Anne Stout is a widow]

Mar 12 Preached at Richard Stout’s house

[Aug 16 saw Miss Eunice Evans and Miss Margaret Parks]

[Sep 16 Married Asa Osborne to Orpha Hart; witnesses  Levi Stout, Ann Wall, and Phoebe Gillmore]

Oct 5 Mr. David’s Stout funeral [at Amwell, age 86]

Oct 11 Mr. Zephania Stout’s funeral [was buried at Col. Stout’s Burying Ground on the Hill; left widow and 2 young children]

Oct 15 Zeph. Stout’s child’s funeral

[Nov 2 Married Andrew Higgins to Sarah Applegate]

1782

[Jan 13 Married John Ford to Anna Vanhess]

Feb 9 Old Mr. Benj. Stout’s funeral [died Feb 8 at age 86, “older than oldest of Stout family , now living”]

[Feb 18 Mary-Ann Little was very ill]

Feb 23 Mrs. Baldwin’s funeral

[May 26 Rev. Hart’s diary ends here; next several diaries are missing]

Oct 4 Old Mrs. Runyan’s funeral

Nov 20 preached at Mr. Jacob Stout’s

Nov 24 at Capt. David’s house for funeral of child [Mr. Saxton’s child]

Dec 11 preached at Benj. Stout’s house

1783

Jun 4 Benj. Reader’s funeral

July 22 old Mrs. Hixon’s funeral

Aug 31 baptized Polly Gillmore

Oct 30 Mr. Saml. Hunt’s funeral

Dec 8 William Stiniman’s funeral

1784

Feb 13 Sarah Hunt’s funeral

Feb 15 Benj. Stout’s son’s funeral

Feb 21 Mrs. Bryant’s funeral

Feb 25 preached at Jacob Stout’s

May 24 Mr. Jos. Green’s funeral

Sep 20 Mrs. Merrell’s funeral

Sep 28 Effy Merrell’s funeral

Oct 6 Mrs. Simmons’s funeral

Oct 8 Ambrose Barracraft’s funeral

Nov 2 Mr. Harris’s son’s funeral

1785

Jan 3 Old Mrs. Sarah Vankirk’s fun.

Feb 6 Penelope Stout’s funeral

Apr 6 John Senteny’s funeral

Jun 4 Joshua Higgins’s wife’s funeral

Aug 28 at Southampton Jos. Dungan’s funeral

Sep 8 Sally Merrell’s funeral

Sep 13 Sarah Fano’s [Gano] funeral

Sep 22 Mr. Jacob Stout’s funeral

Sep 25 [Squire] Jared Saxton Esq’s funeral

Dec 23 Barbara Antony’s funeral

1786

Jan 12 Benjamin Merrell’s funeral

Feb 24 Catharine Vanpelt’s funeral

Mar 14 Francis Quick’s funeral

Apr 16 Mr. Isaac Hough’s funeral

May 29 Mary Armstrong’s funeral

Jun 7 John Hart’s funeral

Jun 27 Mrs. Vanpelt’s funeral
Dec 18 [Absalom Houghton’s funeral]

1787

Apr 3 Mrs. Jewel’s funeral

Apr 7 David Stout’s funeral

Apr 30 N. Drake’s wife’s funeral

Jun 26 Michal Blew’s funeral

Aug 15 Daniel Gano’s funeral

Sep 21 [young Mr.] Golden’s funeral

Dec 1 Higgin’s child’s funeral

Dec 10 Anthony Stout’s wife’s funeral

Dec 15 Mr. Fisher’s funeral

Dec 21 George Corvine’s funeral

1788

Jan 31 Rebeka Drake’s funeral

Feb 11 Thos. Drake’s child’s funeral

Feb 13 Lucina Park’s funeral

Mar 7 Nc. Drake’s grandchild’s funeral

Apr 13 funeral for Mrs. [R.] Drake’s son

May 6 Mrs. Blackwell’s funeral

Jun 5 Mr. Thomson’s fun N.Y.

Jul 8 Naomi Lot’s funeral

Aug 11 Jas. Swallow’s funeral

Aug 12 John Snook’s funeral

Aug 24 Alice Cone baptis’d

Aug 25 Young Blew’s funeral [son of Abr’m Blue]

Aug 28 Zebulun Stout Senr.’s funeral

Aug 31 Temperance Hixon baptized

Sep 1 preached at widow Golden’s

[another diary begins]

Nov 25 Caty Stout’s funeral [“died of a decline”]

[Dec 3 Married Mr. Daniel Drake to Miss Frances Golden at home of her father Jacob Golden]

Dec 8 Capt. Dd. Stout’s funeral [David Stout died y’day, age 83 years; left 4 sons, 5 daughters, many great and great grand children]
[Dec 8 William Simmon’s funeral]

[Dec 28 Married Capt. Jacob Sckanek to Miss Anne Law]

[Dec 31 Married Mr. William Barrey to Miss Ruth Golden at home of her father Jacob Golden in Hopewell]
1789

[Jan 1 Married Mr. Nicholas Drake to Miss Hannah Bryant at home of her father Valentine Bryant in Hopewell]

[Jan 11 Married his daughter Polly Hart to Mr. Benj. Merrell]

[Feb 4 Married Mr. Bemjamin Randolph to Miss Mary Stout at her uncle Zebulun Stout’s house]

[Feb 5 Married Mr. Jonathan Stout (son of Daniel) to Miss Hannah Horval at home of her father Mr. Stephen Horvel in Somerset County]

[Feb 15 baptized Amy Blue (wife of Isaac)]

Mar 26 Jno. Runyan’s wife’s funeral

[Apr 4 Married Mr. Reuben Anderson to Miss Sarah Runyan at home of John Stout]

Apr 8 at Elder Jno. Stout’s

Apr 9 at Mr. B. Stout’s

Apr 10 funeral of old Mrs. Golden [aged 90]

Apr 24 funeral of old Mrs. Sarah Stout [at John Merrell’s]

Apr 25 Ichabod Leigh [Lee]  Esqr.’s funeral

Apr 26 Baptized Sarah Smith

[Apr 30 old Mr. Benj. Stout in Amwell was dangerously ill]

May 6 Rachel Hill’s funeral [in Amwell, wife of James]

[May 16 “R. Stout was cut off, for which I am sorry.”]

May 25 Benjamin Stout Senr.’s funeral [in Amwell]

Jun 21 baptized Mary Blue

Jul 29 Natl. Hixon’s

[Aug 11 Married Mr. Joab Stout to Miss Elizabeth Bryant at her father William Bryant house in Hopewell]

[Aug 15 new deacons Saml. Stout and Jediah Stout; James Stout is Elder]

[end of this diary]

Oct 1 Jesse Christopher’s child’s funeral

Nov 5 Jos. Harris’s child’s funeral

Nov 14 Mrs. Harris’s funeral

1790

Jan 6 at Thomas Drake’s

Jan 22 Andrew Nannoy’s funeral

Jan 25 Nancy Hunt’s funeral

Feb 14 Rev. Morgan Edwards preached

 Feb 21 and 28 Rev. Morgan Edwards preached

Mar 8 Ury Osborn’s daught.s fun.

Mar 9 Sally Drake’s funeral

Mar 22 Old Mrs. Gulick’s funeral

Apr 10 old Mr. Slack’s funeral [possibly Mrs. Slack]

May 5 Francis Blackwell’s child’s funeral

1791

Jan 12 Mr. Hull’s funeral

Jan 14 at Ezek. Anderson’s for his son

Mar 13 funeral for Mr. Aaron Runyan

Apr 1 funeral for Mrs. Blackwell

Apr 14 Mr. Larson’s funeral

Apr 19 Mrs. Hunt’s funeral

July 24 mentioned following names: Mr. Ewing, Mr. Ustick, Deacon Natl. Stout, Dr. Rogers, Mr. Allison, Dr. Jones, Mr. Wilson, Thos. Drake

Aug 12 Sally Blackwell’s funeral

Aug 21 Eph. Carle’s son’s funeral

Sep 24 Hannah Brush baptized

Nov 12 old Mr. Blacwell’s funeral

Nov 28 Elias Golden’s funeral

Dec 10 Fun. The Drake’s child

Dec 14 Mrs. Drake’s funeral

1792

Jan 20 Jemmy Gordon’s funeral

Mar 11 Thos. Drake’s funeral

May 22 in room of Moses Hadley

Sep 14 Mrs. Merrell’s funeral

1793

Jul 3 John Ketcham’s funeral

Jul 26 at Mr. James Parine’s

1794

Jan 10 Mrs. Pettitt’s funeral

Jan 28 Idin Post’s funeral

May 1 Gideon Lion’s son’s funeral

Jun 13 Polly Furman’s funeral
 

{Editor's Note: Rev. Hart died Dec 31, 1795}

 

The Hopewell Church Records of Rev. Oliver Hart

This post was updated Thursday, Nov 1 after I went to the South Caroliniana library on the USC campus in Columbia, SC to view the papers of Rev. Oliver Hart. What does he have to do with Penelope? Hart was the minister of Hopewell Baptist Church when Morgan Edwards published his book Materials Toward a History of the Baptists, the second printed account of Penelope's ordeal and the first to claim 502 descendants and an age of 110 years. I had assumed that Hart provided the data to Edwards but the journals recorded that Rev. Morgan Edwards preached in Rev. Hart's church in Hopewell on Feb 14, 21 and 28 of 1790, about the time that Edwards was supposedly collecting his data from various towns in New Jersey.

Why are the records in South Carolina. Rev. Hart was a Baptist minister in Charleston for 30 years before he was chased away by the British because he was an active patriot. He was originally from Bucks County, PA, just across the Delaware River from Hopewell, NJ  but his older children remained in Charleston and his widow returned there (presumably with his journals and papers).

Here from Rev. Hart's journals is the list of the 216 members of the Hopewell Baptist Church on Dec.  1, 1780, when Rev. Hart became the pastor. Typos may be embedded due to Rev. Hart's tiny but neat handwriting, 200 years of fading, the person who oiginally transcribed his journal, and my typing. This list makes it much easier to believe that Penelope had 502 descendants when she died.

Note: Later I will update this page with additional information in [brackets] from the journals.

86 male members--John Stout, Elder; David Stout, Elder; ??Stout, Deacon; Nathaniel Stout, Deacon; Nathan Stout, Deacon; Zebulun Stout, Jacob Stout, David Stout, Hezekiah Stout, Benjamin Stout, Andrew Stout, James Stout, David Stout, John Stout, Zebulun Stout, Richard Stout, Samuel Stout, Benjamin Stout, Richard Stout, Samuel Stout, Benjamin Stout, Jedidiak Stout, David Stout, Levi Stout, Zehania [Zephaniah] Stout, Benjamin Stout, Thomas Drake, James Drake, John Drake, Ralph Drake, Enoch Drake, Timothy Titus Senr., Timothy Titus, Junr., Stephen Barton, Deacon; Zebulun Barton, John Hunt, James Hunt, Wilson Hunt, Nathaniel Hixon, Andrew Hixon, Bonham Runyan, John Corwine, John Corwine, Joseph Reed, James Wicoff, David Labaw, Francis Labaw, Moses Labaw, Ichabod Lee, Joseph Lee, Elijah Lee, Henry Vankirk, David Snowden, John Jewel, Jacob Huff, James Osborne, Uriah Osborne, William Osborne, Abraham Servie, Joseph Merrell, Samuel Merrel, John Matthew, Benjamin Matthews, Jedidiah Higgins, Geshome Herren, Samuel Hill, Thomas Craven, James Hill, Alexander Buchanan, William Parks, John Manners, Joseph Higgins, John Disberry, John Hixon, Gideon Lyan, Jerrer’d Saxton, Nathaniel Foster, Ephraim Smith, Abm. Runkle, Rev. John Blackwell, Rev. Benjamin Coles.

122 female members--

Rachel Stout, Sarah Stout, Mary Stout, ?? Stout, Esther Stout, Grace Stout, Marcy Stout, Eppenetus Stout, Martha Stout, Catharine Stout, Charity Stout, Mebal Stout, Penelope Stout, Hannah Stout, Ann Stout, Rhoda Stout, Rachel Stout junr., Rachel Stout, Dorothy Drake, Jemima Hunt, Jemima Laban, Jerusha Lee, Charity Lee, Mary Jewel, Lidya Huff, Lidya Servie, Leah Merrell, Elizabeth Matthews, Frances Higgins, Sarah Higgins, Barsheba Hill, Rachel Buchanan, Rachel Parks, Rachel Shannon, Jemima Hixon, Martha Smith, Sarah Blackwell, Mary Coles, Sarah Runkle, Ann Wilkins, Martha Hogland, Alice Runyan, Sarah Vankirk, Sussannah Gano, Sarah Park, Rebekah Eaton, Eleanor Merrell, Jane Vannelt, Hannah Saxton, Elizabeth Hise, Lucretia Chamberlain, Elizabeth Knowles, Mary Carbines, Tabitha Brush, Phoebe More, Anne Manners, Penelope Stout, Elizabeth Roberts, Anne Sherd, Mary Silvers, Marcy Runyan, Catherine Nanpelt [Vanpelt?], Abigal Vannoy, Anne Warford, Martha Dollos, Thamar Drake, Elizabeth Hart, Amy Olivant, Sarah Stout, Anne Brinson, Sarah Matthews, Sarah Randolph, Lucina Stout,  Anne Craven, Lucina Park, Miriam Younk, Penelope Hart, Elizabeth Cochran, Martha Reed, Elizabeth Drake, Margaret Sherrard, Hephziba Stout, Mable Cannuel, Hosa Vankirk, Catherine Saxton, Mary Barton, Margaret Vankirk, Elizabeth Lefever, Mary Hise, Jane Hutchefon, Mary Prawl, Pamelia Hunt, Sarah Goflin, Sarah Wildgoose, Elizabeth ??, Mary Runayn, Elizabeth Stout, Naomi Osborne, Pencina Osborn, Frances Laryson, Hannah Merrell, Sarah Listsen, Sarah Runkle, Elizabeth Hill, Sarah Hunt, Sarah Brush, Jane Stout, Mary Biggs, Sarah Roberts, Mary Stout, Elizabeth Stout, Rachel Snowden, Sussannah Allen, Elizabeth Hixon, Margaret Wilson, Sarah Hilsy, Mary Vanpelt, Rebekah Chetester.

7 Negroes--Bonto, Cate, Dinah, Weld, Cate, Sor, Frank
 

I think the pattern of names is a grouping by families. Unfortunately, I see no distinction between groups. A listing of "Jemima Hunt, Jemima Laban" suggests Jemima Laban is the daughter of Jemima Hunt.

More details next week.

A Summary of What's Known about Penelope

Last week I listed the major sources of the stories about Penelope. Combining all threads produces the following summary of what we know about Penelope:

Penelope (whose maiden name was possibly Kent or Lent or Thompson or Thomson or vanPrincis or vanPrinces or vanPrincen or vanPrincess or van Prince or van Printzen) was born probably in the 1620s in either England or Holland to unknown parents who were either English or Dutch. Rumors suggest her father was a minister. In the 1640s at approximately 20 years of age, Penelope married either an Englishman or a Dutchman (whose name was probably Kent or Prince or vanPrince or vanPrincis or vanPrinces or vanPrincess or van Prince or van Printzen) probably in Amsterdam. Soon thereafter they sailed on a ship (name unknown) from Amsterdam to the Dutch West Indies colony of New Amsterdam possibly by way of the Caribbean island of Curacao.

Sometime in the 1640s somewhere in the Sandy Hook area of Raritan Bay (in what is now Monmouth County, NJ), Penelope’s ship (which might have the Kath/Kat/Cat/Cath which sank in 1648, returning from Curacao with a cargo of salt) ran aground or capsized in a storm or sank. Everyone except Penelope perished in the incident or else everyone except Penelope was killed by Indians after surviving the wreck or else everyone safely made it to shore except Penelope’s husband who was either injured in the wreck or had been sick on the voyage. If other passengers and crew survived the incident, they hiked to New Amsterdam, but Penelope refused to abandon her husband, who was too sick or injured to travel.

After the wreck, Indians attacked whoever was still there on the beach. If Penelope’s husband survived the wreck, the Indians killed him. The Indians mutilated Penelope (head injury and/or shoulder injury and/or partially disemboweled and/or scalped), and left her for dead. She managed to crawl into a hollow log or tree for protection and survived on the fungus growing on the rotten wood.

Later (perhaps a week), one or two Indians possibly with a dog were on the beach. Possibly they wounded a deer, which ran by Penelope’s log/tree with an arrow sticking out of it. Penelope called to the Indians to put her out of her misery. The young Indian (assuming there were two) was anxious to do so, but the older one prevailed. The older Indian carried the wounded white woman to his village near where the town of Middletown now stands. She recovered from her injuries.

Either Penelope lived with the Indians for many years, or else she escaped in a canoe, or else white men heard of her presence and rescued her, or else the old Indian delivered her to New Amsterdam for a ransom.

On 12 Sep 1648 (our only reliable date) in Gravesend, Long Island, colony of New Netherland, Pennellopy Prince testified in a slander trial about one woman milking another woman’s cow.

Penelope married Richard Stout, an early settler of Gravesend (on Long Island near Coney Island), who may have been 40 years old when they married in the 1640s (probably between 1642 and 1648). Richard was likely from Nottinghamshire, England, likely left home after an argument with his father possibly about a woman his father deemed unsuitable, and served in the English navy (possibly involuntarily) for probably seven years before being discharged in America (probably in New Amsterdam) about 1642.  "Octoberr 13th, 1643, Richard Aestin, Ambrose Love [London?] and Richard Stout made declarations that the crew of the Seven Stars and of the privateer landed at the farm of Anthony Jansen, of Salee, in the Bay, and took off 200 pumpkins, and would have carried away a lot of hogs from Coney Island had they not learned that they belonged to Lady Moody."

Penelope and Richard Stout had 10 children who lived to maturity and populated New Jersey.

At some point after marriage and by 1666 at the latest, Penelope and Richard left Gravesend and (with other settlers) founded the town of Middletown, NJ, near where the old Indian’s village was. At some point while she had young children (probably near Middletown but possibly in Gravesend), the old Indian warned Penelope that other Indians planned to attack her settlement. She could not persuade her husband of the truth, so she took the children away in a canoe (possibly provided by the old Indian). At her departure, her husband decided to be prudent, gathered the other settlers, and thwarted the attack before it occurred. Thereafter, the Indians and settlers lived in peace.

Richard Stout died as an old man (probably around age 90), his will being probated in 1705. Penelope died probably between 1712 and 1732 at an old age, which some claim was 110 years, at which time she had 502 descendants. She was buried somewhere in the Middletown area. Her numerous descendants recounted her adventures to their numerous descendants.

Penelope told her great grandson John Stout to reach into her apron pocket and feel her abdominal scar. John told this story to his granddaughter Helena Hoff, who told her granddaughter Therese Walling.