I walked the grounds and river banks of my forefathers a couple of weekends ago. The first was Vincent, a Huguenot from Poitiers, France who some genealogists say sailed from the Channel Island of Jersey to New Jersey in 1665 on the ship Philip with the future colonial governor of East Jersey, Philip Carteret. On July 17, 1668, in Elizabethtown, N.J., Vincent married Ann Boutcher, from Hartford, England, under license from Carteret:
"Whereas I have received information of a Mutual Intent and Agreement betweene Vincent Rongnion of Poitiers in France and Ann Boutcher the daughter of John Boutcher of Hartford in England to Solemnise Marriage together, for which they have requested my lycense. This couple were joyned in Matrimony July 1668 by me James Bollen."Vincent and Ann settled on 154 1/2 acres along the Raritan River, which is part of Johnson Park today, where they had seven children.
The Raritan probably looks much the same as it did then, though now the surrounding area is mostly the Rutgers University Busch campus and pharmaceutical and biotechnology parks.
This mural of Carteret's landing at the mouth of the Elizabeth River can be seen at the Essex County Courthouse in Newark.
Vincent's descendant Benjamin owned this circa 1780 home which today is part of East Jersey Olde Town Village in the River Road Historic District.
Benjamin and other family members are buried at a family plot on the corner of Possumtown Road and Centennial Avenue in Piscataway.
3 comments:
Very cool trip Will.
I agree, very cool! You're doing a fine job of carrying on the noble Runyon name
Was digging through some sparse family history of mine, and I also descend from Vincent Rongnion ... via a few Thomases, then Ahimaaz and Nora Runyan and on down a few more. So it's cool to see your pics--thank you!
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