John Shotwell

John Shotwell (I) (b. 1707; son of Daniel, son of Abraham the emigrant). John Shotwell (I) was also a Yeoman of Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey who married Lydia (Lidda) FitzRandolph. Noted on the will of John (I) b.1707 is John Clarkson who is identified as a close friend. John Clarkson married Bethia FitzRandolph, the sister of Lydia FitzRandolph. John Shotwell also likewise witnessed the will of John Clarkson. John and Bethia Clarkson had two sons James and Robert. These two sons also married FitzRandolph women. The two Clarkson brothers appear in the will of John's son: John Shotwell (II), also a Yeoman of Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, born 1727, who married Anna Dove.

John's son "John" (II) was incorrectly identified in the 1895 book "Genealogical Annals of the Shotwell Family" as "probably" the son of Abraham. The book did name a son John as the son of John b. 1707 but made him incorrectly assignment of Abraham's son also named John. This is the source that has spurred all current references hinging on one word “probably” with zero direct or indirect relationship established between the two. All sources appear to copy/paste from this singular root source, likely including find-a-grave, Family Data Collection, Millennial records, etc. Abraham did have a son named John born on 23 Mar 1728 in Essex, New Jersey according to Quaker records I found but has no correlation between Dr. Daniel Drake, his mother, or her close cousins John Shotwell and Mary (Shotwell) Morris.

The correlation of individuals named in wills between John I b. 1707 and John II b. 1727 and the direct evidence from Dr. Drake's description of his close family in 1847, 48 years prior to 1895. Dr. Drake wrote letters to his children stating his grandfather was Benjamin Shotwell (son of John Shotwell b. 1707) and his mother's (Elizabeth Shotwell), cousins were two named children (John III and Mary) of John Shotwell b. 1727.

John Shotwell and Benjamin Shotwell (the grandfather of Dr. Daniel Drake) were brothers.