| Notes |
- ames GROVER, born 11 Jul 1611 in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England, is recorded on 27 Dec 1642 - "James Grover, apprenticed servant to James Hubbard, by consignation of Mathew Bancke, apprenticed himself to Edward Tomlins of Lynn, Massachusetts to learn the carpenter's trade."
("Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-33).
James was apparently a devout Baptist and one of the followers of Lady Deborah Moody who founded Gravesend in 1645 after she was expelled out of Salem, Masschusetts for her beliefs on adult baptism, and did not conform to the Purtain faith. 10 Dec 1645 Lady Moody, with her associates were granted a patent by the Dutch Director Kieft of New Amsterdam. 20 Feb 1646 James Grover was granted a house, lot, and a farm of 20 acres in the first division of Gravesend lands, which at that time was a small settlement of about 100 colonists.
The date is unknown when James married Rebecca Cheeseman, but their first child, Abigail, was born 27 Sep 1654. On 9 Mar 1654/55 James Grover, George Baxter, and James Hubbard, preferring English to Dutch rule, hoisted the English flag at Gravesend, declaring themselves subjects of the Republic of England. James was sent by the English colonists of Long Island on a mission to see Cromwell in England about their situation, and returned to Gravesend in 1657, bringing with him a letter from the Proctor, Oliver Cromwell, addressed to the English inhabitants of Long Island, which he afterward presented to the Magistrates of Gravesend "to be opened and read". Peter Stuyvesant, the Director General of New Amsterdam had been informed of Cromwell's letter, and ordered the arrest of James Grover. James considered it unwise to appear before Stuyvesant and prudently made his escape, leaving the letter with the Magistrates. 21 Mar 1666/67 James sold his farm in Gravesend to Thomas Devall.
James Grover, on 8 Apr 1665, became one of the original Monmouth County Patentees in New Jersey when he received lot #16 in Middletown, Monmouth County, New Jersey. On 27 Feb 1667/68 James subscribed to the Oath of Allegiance. He became the first town clerk of Middletown, and was one of the founders of the Baptist Church at Middletown. 16 Dec 1668 made an agreement with the town to lay out the meadows into town lots for one pound of merchantable blade tobacco for each acre. 4 Jan 1669 made an agreement with the Town of Middletown, in legal Town Meeting to operate his flour mill in accordance with certain specifications. During the early 1670's James Grover discovered bog-iron on his property and in order to assist in financing this project he mortgaged the property to Cornelius Steenwyck of New York. Tinton Falls Iron Works, located near Shrewsbury, was the earliest iron works in New Jersey. 13 Jun 1672 he was made a lieutenant in the Middletown Company of New Jersey Militia, and as a deputy to treat (discuss terms of an agreement or settlement) with the admirals and commanders of the fleet of the States-General in 1673. 30 Jun 1675 Governor Carteret granted to James Grover for a yearly rent of one-half penny per acre a tract of 330 acres called "Grover's Inheritance", on Swimming River in Middletown; also a triangular tract of 200 acres also called "Grover's Inheritance", on Ramanesse Creek; as well as another triangular tract of 25 acres on Navesink's Bay, and six acres of swamp land at the head of Jumping River. 29 Dec 1675 when Grover ran out of capital, he sold one-half interest of his ironworks to Colonel Lewis Morris of Morrisiana, New York. Morris later took over Steenwyck's mortgage and thus retained a three quarter interest in the works. 12 Mar 1677 the third recorded grant of land to James Grover from Governor Carteret, for 517 acres in Middletown. It was known as "Grover's New Invention".
WILL of Jmes Grover, Senr., of Middletowne, Mon. Co:
I James Grover, Senr, of Middletown,... "being Sencible of my Mortallity...give my Mansion house, my Mill with all that belongs thereto and all my land lying on the NE Side of Mill Creeke together with all my Meadow land adjoyning or elsewhere shall be divided three Equall parts. One third I give to my Son JAMES Grover, One third to Son-in-law Benjamin Borden for the Sake of his Wife, my Daughter ABIGAIL, and the other third part I give to my Son-in-Law Richard Gardiner for the Sake of my Daughter HANNAH his wife with all the privelidges & appurtenances thereunto belonging, to them and to theire Heires... "All the rest of my Estate Moveable and immoveable both household stuffe tooles Implements Cattle, horses, Swine and every thing else that is mine... After the decease of me and my Wife it shall be Equally devided between my FIVE (5) Children, James, Joseph, Safety, Abigall and Hannah. after my Decease all my Estate both Reall & personall shall be & Remaine in the possession of my Deare Wife Rebecca for her support & Maintenance so long as she shall live or remaine a Widdow...Appoints my Son James Grover & my Son-in-Law Richard Gardiner to be my Executers & none other.
In Wittnesse whereof I have hereunto Set my hand & fixed my Seale, this ffirst day of December, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Six hundred Eighty & five." (1685)
JAMES GROVER Sen. [Seal]
Wits.:
Richard Hartshorne
Tho. Webley
Intd on fol. 235, lib. 1.
On the endorsement of the will appears the following: "... dated first December, 1685, proved [?] feb. following." (proved 28 Jan 1686, by the witnesses, Richard Hartshorne and Tho.Webley, before John Throckmorton).
Rebecca died shortly thereafter, in October 1686.
There is a certain amount of CONFUSION regarding James' parents and his date of birth. One James Grover was christened 8 Nov 1607 in Chesham; another baptized 30 Aug 1623. Some researchers show James also as the son of James Grover and Ann Eames; still others as the son of Thomas Grover and Rebecca Gardiner.
SOURCES:
("This Old Monmouth of Ours", pg. 180, by William S. Hornor)
("Grover of Monmouth County" by John E. Stillwell in "Historical and Genealogical Miscellany, New York, NY" Vol. 3 1914, pgs. 246-278)
("The Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy", Vol. 6, 1937, pgs. 690, 778-9, by Frederick A. Virkus)
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1611 - 1685 (74 years)
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