Gen. Aaron Hankinson

General Aaron Hankinson was born 7 Feb 1735 near Rowland's Mills, Hunterdon Co., New Jersey. He died October 9, 1806 in Stillwater, Sussex Co., NJ.

His marriage license dated 9 Feb 1764 is recorded in Trinton, NJ at the State Office and gives him of Amwell Township, Hunterdon Co., NJ. He married Mary Snyder of Kingwood Township, Hunterdon Co., NJ.

He was raised on a farm in Hunterdon Co., NJ, but moved to Sussex Co., NJ and is buried there at the Yellow Frame Cemetery of the Presbyterian Church near Stillwater of which he was an elder.

He was first commissioned as a Colonel commanding NJ Regiment troops, and later a Brigadier General of the NJ Militia after the Revolutionary War. His regiment was part of Gen. David Forman's brigade at the Battle of Germantown, PA 4 Oct 1777 and under Gen. Washington. He was a mamner of the NJ Assembly 1782-1786 and 1788-1792 from Sussex Co.

He had 13 children:

1. Joseph Hankinson born 1763 died 1838 married Margaret Goble

2. Henry Hankinson was born 27 Aug 1767. He married Mary McCullough born 17 Jul 1782 on 14 Aug 1800.

3. Sarah Hankinson born 1770 died 10 Feb 1815 married first David Lynn and second John Smedley

4. John Hankinson was born 25 Nov 1771 and died 3 Aug 1845 married Eliz. Hunt.

5. Thomas Hankinson was born in 1775 died 27 Apr 1796

6. William Hankinson was born 30 Oct 1779 and died 17 Oct 1830. He became Justice of the Peace of Warren County in 1827 and Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in 1829. He lived at Gravel Hill, Sussex Co., NJ (now Blairstown, Warren Co.) and died there. He married Margaret Crisman. They had no children.

7. Samuel Hankinson was born in 1792 and died 21 Apr 1793

8. Elizabeth Hankinson married Nathan Armstrong.

9. Hannah Hankinson married Copper Kelsey

10. Aaron Hankinson was born 22 Apr 1782 and died 23 Feb 1850. He married sarah Kelsey 12 Apr 1804.

11. Nancy Hankinson married Aaron Southard.

12. Rachel Hankinson married Sidney Herriott.

13. Daniel Thatcher Hankinson.

Note:

The will of Aaron Hankinson is dated 9 Apr 1805. See Surrogate's Office in Newton, Sussex Co., NJ inBook A of Wills, p. 101. See also Book of Deeds Vol P, p. 459.

Notes:

Notes for BRIGADIER GENERAL AARON HANKINSON:

Aaron was a Brigadier General. On his tombstone it reads:

In Memory of B. General Aaron Hankinson

who departed this life Oct. IX, 1806

Aged 71 years, 8 months, 2 days

Let all his children in a word

Unite and praise the Eternal God,

For the sweet hope that he has gone

To rest with Christ, God's only son.

He may have been Joseph.

He fought at Amboy, NJ 1776 and in the battle of Germantown, PA on Oct 4 1777 under General Washington. He was a member of Assembly NJ 1782 to 1786 and 1788 to 1792.

Evidently he was a God-fearing man, of soldierly instincts and tastes, a typical Jerseyman of his age and time, a good citizen, and a man of parts and substance.

Indians raided into the state from New York as well. Governor Livingston got this letter in July about a raid.

From the William Livingston Papers, Vol. 4.

From Aaron Hankinson

Sussex July 12th 178l

By order of a Late Act (1) I am To Send a general Return of the State of my Batalion By the first of july but not having an Oppertunety [Since I?] have been somthing falty I pray the Governor to Excuse my not being Sooner (wood) inform the Governer by his orders we where to Rase three men out of Every Companey for the frontiers of Sussex which Orders we have Complid with and have Rasd 29 out of 36 the Last account I had from the Capt. possible there may be more have joynd Since and by a Late Law we are to Rase Every 16 Teenth man Sir I have issued my orders to the Several Capts but am fearful the men will not be got. Wood inforn1 his Excellency there has been Several

morders Committed Latly over thc mountain by the Savedges(2) they Came to thc house of one [ . . . ] Steel (3) and Cortrile which they Took of after Traveling Some Distance the said [ . . . ] being Somthing Old and a noted Torey thc Endians Kild and Scalp him Our people took there tracks followed them about 20 miles Came up with them Kild one Endian wounded two more Released Steal and Cort[ . . . ] and took all this Bagage from them another party Since Came to thc house of John Larner Kild said Larner his Son his Sons wife and a Small Child another Son of said Larners hearing the firing Came to there assistance Six Endians fired at him but through favour they mist him he made the house he then Returnd a Shot and Lukkely Shot one through the Calabass(4) they then posted foot. I am Dear Sir your most abediant and very humble Servant

Aaron Hankinson

Letter written by General Aaron Hankinson:

Letter from Aaron Hankinson, Colonel, 2nd Regiment, Sussex, to Govenor William Livingston, in "The Livingstone Papers".

Sussex July 12th 178l

By order of a Late Act (1) I am To Send a general Return of the State of my Batalion By the first of july but not having an Oppertunety [Since I?] have been somthing falty I pray the Governor to Excuse my not being Sooner wood inform the Governer by his orders we where to Rase three men out of Every Companey for the frontiers of Sussex which Orders we have Complid with and have Rasd 29 out of 36 the Last account I had from the Capt. possible there may be more have joynd Since and by a Late Law we are to Rase Every 16 Teenth man Sir I have issued my orders to the Several Capts but am fearful the men will not be got. Wood inforn1 his Excellency there has been Several morders Committed Latly over thc mountain by the Savedges(2) they Came to thc house of one [ . . . ] Steel (3) and Cortrile which they Took of after Traveling Some Distance the said [ . . . ] being Somthing Old and a noted Torey thc Endians Kild and Scalp him Our people took there tracks followed them about 20 miles Came up with them Kild one Endian wounded two more Released Steal and Cort[ . . . ] and took all this Bagage from them another party Since Came to thc house of John Larner Kild said Larner his Son his Sons wife and a Small Child another Son of said Larners hearing the firing Came to there assistance Six Endians fired at him but through favour they mist him he made the house he then Returnd a Shot and Lukkely Shot one through the Calabass(4) they then posted foot. I am Dear Sir your most abediant and very humble Servant

Aaron Hankinson

I. For previous reference to thc assembly act to raise 750 militiamen in New Jersey see WL to George Washington, June 27, 1781.

2. During thc 1781 campaign, 2,945 British-allied Iroquois and Algonkian harassed American frontier settlements and scored unsettling victories in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. One of thc first attacks in New Jersey occurred in Chatham on May 25 when two Loyalists lead thc warriors to the town (NJA {newspaper Extracts}, S: 25 2).

3. Perhaps William Steele, a Loyalist who was arrested on September 1781 for carrying news of American military maneuvers to the British (NJA [Newspaper Extracts}, 5: 296).

4. calabash: a hard shelled gourd used as an eating utensil.

(slang for head)

In June of 1780, the British invaded New Jersey again, landing 5000 at Elizabethtown and moving towards Springfield, where the Hobart Gap provided a route into the hills and towards Morristown, where Washington and the army had spent a hungry winter filled with dissent and mutiny. On June 7th they were forced to halt by the Continentals at Connecticut Farms ( now Union, NJ) and a very large number of militia, who kept a steady threat against the flanks of the British. The Continentals were greatly outnumbered , but the British could not bring all their power to bear due to the harassment of the militia on every side. The British retreated after burning the town and killing Mrs. Hannah Caldwell, wife of rebel parson James Caldwell.

Afterwards, with the British holding on Elizabethtown point, the militia kept them under surveillance and harassed them. Washington had half sent home, for fear that they would desert if forced to stay for an indefinite period. Washington preferred to rotate the militia, easing their burden. On June 23rd, the British moved again towards Springfield, forcing the Continentals under Gen. Greene back through the town of Springfield. At that point, seeing Greene in a strong position along the sides of the Hobart Gap into the mountains, and the militia gathering by the thousands on his flanks, the British retreated.

NJ also later in the war, enlisted militia men into special units of "state troops" which were militia units in longer terms of service, usually one year, but some were of 3 , 6 or 9 months. These served along the "frontiers" or borders of the state where action by the enemy was frequent, such as Bergen, Monmouth, and around Elizabethtown and Amboy.

From the William Livingston Papers, Vol. 4:

Gen. Aaron Hankinson had a sister Elizabeth Hankinson who married John Reading of Amwell Township, Hunterdoon Co., NJ in April 1772 and died 9 June 1817. He was born in England in 1686.

Sources:

• 1. Cary's American Atlas, 1802.
• "New Jersey Births and Christenings, 1660-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5FT-RLV : 11 February 2018), Aaron Hankinson, ; citing OLD TENNENT SCOTCH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,TENNENT,MONMOUTH,NEW JERSEY, reference ; FHL microfilm 974.946 T1 K2S.
• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed January 30, 2019), "Record of Aaron Hankinson ", Ancestor # A051099.
• "New Jersey, County Marriages, 1682-1956," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VKMZ-VH5 : 12 December 2014), Aaron Hankinson and Mary Snyder, 09 Feb 1764; citing Monmouth, New Jersey, United States, New Jersey State Archives, Trenton; FHL microfilm 802,938.
• Hornor, William S. This Old Monmouth of Ours: History, Tradition, Biography, Genealogy, Anecdotes. (Freehold, N.J.: Moreau, 1932), 107
• Aaron Hankinson of Hardwick, Sussex Co. Calendar of Wills, 1806-1809. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. (Trenton, NJ: Archives of the State of New Jersey), volume 40, page 153
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8121493