Philip Rau\Row

Some online family trees and websites claim that the Philip Rau/Row of Hunterdon county, New Jersey was the Philip Jacob Rau, the son of Johannes Rau (1722-1771) and Catherine Loscher of Dutchess County, New York. However, there is no birth record for a Philip Rau in late 1752, but there is a baptism record for a Johannes Rau born in October 1752 to Johannes and Catherine (Loscher) Rau.

Mary Row's Revolutionary War pension affidavit says that when Philip Row married Mary Smith on 9 July 1772 he was 19 years and 7 months old. Therefore he was born in about December 1752. The affidavit does not indicate where Philip Row was born, but it was probably in New Jersey.

Phillip Row was a Revolutionary War soldier in the New Jersey Line. His widow applied for a pension on 4 February 1840 in Morris County NJ. The application states she was 85 or 86 in 1840, and that the soldier married Mary Smith 9 July 1772 at which time the soldier was age of 19 years 7 months and she was age 21 years 8 months and their first child Mary was born 19 July 1773. Phillip lived in Hunterdon County NJ at enlistment and the widow lived there when she applied in Morris County NJ.

Philip and Mary (Smth) Row had eight children born between 1773 and about 1796, all in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Five of them (John Jacob, Elisabetha, William, Philipp and Johannes) were baptized and recorded in the Zion Lutheran Church in Oldwick to parents Philip and Maria Rau.

The Revolutionary War Pension File for widow Mary Row states:

"Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the 5th section of the act of Congress of the 4th July 1836. State of New Jersey, County of Morris,

"On this 4th day of February, 1840, personally appeared before the subscriber, a Judge of the Superior Court of Common Pleas of said County of Morris, Mary Row, aged 85 or 86 years, a resident of Tewksbury township in the County of Hunterdon, believed by me to be a woman of truth & unblemished character, & who from age & bodily infirmity, I certify is unable to attend Court at the Court house, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath render the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 4th 1836:

"I am the widow of Philip Row, who was a Militia soldier in the war of the Revolution & performed militia duties as I verily believe in every year of said war from its beginning to its end. He was at first a private soldier & lived in the bounds of Captain Godfrey Reinhardts Company, under whose command as Captain or as Major, most of his Militia duties were performed. He also belonged to Colonel Mehelm's Regiment of the Hunterdon Militia when home he often mentioned as well as the names of Colonel Frelingheusen & Colonel Seely, General Winds & General Dickinson, under whom he served at various times & places. It is not in my power to mention but a very few of the Services of my said husband, but some of his duties I have heard him speak of, as well as of some of the battles in which he was engaged. I have hear him tell of the battles of Millstone, of Monmouth & Springfield, in all of which I believe he was engaged. In the early part of the war, he carried his Rifle as a private, & on the promotion of Captain Reinhardt as Major, my husband was promoted to be an Ensign as I believe & afterward to be a Lieutenant. He had a suit of Regimentals which he wore when he went on duty as an officer c Blue Coat faced with Red, & an Epaulette on his Shoulder. I do not know what became of his commission, nor do I know that he ever recd a discharge in writing. I have often prepared his knapsack with provisions, & fitted him off with clothes & ammunition & he would be absent from home sometimes a month & sometime longer on militia duty, leaving me with our Children to provide for, & the farm to manage in his absence as well as I was able. Sometimes on claims (?) his absence would not exceed two & three weeks. The Comp??? was classed, & one class was called for a month, when it would be relieved by another taking its place, & when there was great danger from the Enemy, the whole would be ordered out. His officers I believe are all dead, & most of his comrades. I know of but two of them living, viz: William Young & John Blane, who served with my husband, whose testimony is hereto annexed, as the only evidence I can produce of his service in the war, upon which I claim a pension from the United States.

"My husband performed a months duty under Captain Reinhardt at ar??? [blotch] in July 1776 & under Col. Mahelm & Genl Dickinson. He performed a ????s [blotch] Militia service at Elizabeth town, under the same officers in August 76. He performed a month service under Lt. Cramer at Raritan in October & November 76, & at Elizabeth town, following Genl Washington's retreat through Jersey from Elizabeth town to N. Brunswick. He performed a month service at Trenton, N. Brunswick & its neighborhood, under Captain Emmam. The two last mentioned towns, altho as expected to be about a month in each, yet I have from conversation with John Blane, that the service was very unjust, & the Militia, with my husband was detained on duty not less than 6 weeks in each town, & I respectfully claim that period of service in each of the two last mentioned towns. The last town was in the winter, Jany 77 & February. He performed a month's duty with Capt, Reinhardt Col. Meholm, & Genl Dickinson at Millstone in the winter season, with the Somerset troops under Col. Frelinghausen & Col. Nelson & Genl Dickinson, when them was a battle with the enemy at Van Eps mills. My husband once pointed out the spot to me, when this battle was fought, as we were rideing toward N. Brunswick.

"He performed another tour of Militia of a month duration at Crane's point near Elizabeth town in the fall season, under Capt. Reid & Major Reinhardt, Col. Puly & Genl Dickinson. On this occasion it is my belief, that he acted as Ensign in the Col. Read being chosen Captain in Major Reinhardts place & my husband as Ensign. I have heard him tell of crossing in the night from Elizabeth town to Staten Island & having a fight with the Enemy on the Island. I also remember him to speak of losing his gun flint in the action, & stopping to put another in its place, & to load his Rifle. Whilst doing this behind a Corn crib, the enemy were close upon him, & as he came to join his comrades he fired his gun at them, & their shot flew thick around him.

"He performed another tour of a month's Militia duty at Freehold & English town at the time of Monmouth battle, in which I believe he was engaged personally, & in which I believe he was an Ensign or a Lieutenant. I cannot say certainly which. The first part of this month was spent at Trenton, performing guard duty.

"He performed a month's Militia service in December near Springfield, in 1776, under Capt. Reinhardt, & with him was engaged in the Springfield battle at that time, Gen? Hear? commanding the Militia. He performed a month's Militia service in March 77, in Reinhardt's company, near ??ibble town, before the Enemy evacuated N. Brunswick & Amboy. The two towns last mentioned. I learn from conversation with William Young, a comrade of his, although I have heard my husband often speak of the Springfield battle, & the battles of Short hills & Ash Swamp, in which he was engaged, as I believe. He was out on public duty, both as a private & an officer, on many other occasions beside those before mentioned. Some of them were on claim, & some were regular monthly tours, which I cannot particularize, having no memorandums & my memory being frail. I am reminded of another tour which he performed near the close of the war, in February or March 1780, or 1781, when the Pennsylvania troops revolted & the Militia was called out to intercept them in the neighborhood of Pluckemun. For this & the other Services of my said husband in defense of his Country, I respectfully claim such a pension as under the Laws of congress I may be entitled to incur, believing that he has faithfully performed not less than 10 months service for which I ask a pension.

"I was married to the said Philip Row by Reverend Frederick Dellicker on the 9th July 1772, & my first child Mary was born July 19th one year & 10 days after my marriage. I do not know of any Church or Parish record of my marriage but have in my possession a leaf, which my husband kept in his family German bible, whilst he lived & upon which leaf he had written in the German language with his own hand, the date of our marriage as well as his age at that time & my own age. Since his death, a School master in our neighborhood, whose name was John Beammer (?), & who understood German & English, has written on the same side of said leaf a translation into English which reads thus, viz: "1772. Philip Row was married to Mary Smith on the 9th of July, then I was 19 years and 7 months old, and Mary Smith was 21 years and 8 months old." This paper, I herewith send to the pension office, & it is in the handwriting of my said husband, who could not write in the English language at all. His books of account were all kept in German, & said John Beammer (?) assisted in settling said books & all his affairs, because he understood the German language. This is the only evidence I possess of my marriage.

"My husband, the aforesaid Philip Row lived in Hunterdon County in Tewksbury township when he entered upon his Militia duties in the war of the Revolution, where I now live, & where he lived till his death. It is not more than half a mile from the line which divides Hunterdon from Morris County, & the reason why my Declaration is taken in Morris County is because Judge Smith, who is my near neighbour, is better known to me & lives nearer to me than any one of the Judges of Hunterdon County. I am also so blind that I cannot distinguish one neighbour from another except by the voice & I am much too infirm from age & its weaknesses to travel to any Court house & especially to Hunterdon Court which is distant 20 miles.

"My husband, the aforesaid Philip Row, died at our dwelling in Tewksbury, Hunterdon Co on the 9th of June, Domini 1817 & I have remained his widow to this day, as will appear by reference & proof hereto annexed.

"Sworn to & subscribed at Washington township, Morris County on the 4th day of February Domini 1840.

                                                                    her

                                                           Mary   X   Row

                                                                  mark "Before me Joseph Smith one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Morris County."

Philip Row died after 9 June 1817 when he wrote his will, and before 2 July 1817 when the will was proved in the Hunterdon County Surrogate's Court by two of his sons as executors. The will and accompanying probate papers include:

"Will of Philip } In the name of god Amen. I Philip Row of the Row deceased } County of Hunterdon Township of Tewkesbury State of New Jersey, being in a weak and low State of health but of sound mind and memory and Considering the uncertainty of live have this Ninth day of June one thousand eight hundred and Seventeen made this my last Will and Testament in Maner as follows. First my will is that all my personal estate may be sold in a Short and convenient Season after my decease and likewise so much of my Real estate as my Executors shall think Needfull and that all my honest Debts be paid of every Kind. Secondly my will is that my dear and loving wife Mary Row shall be Supported in a decent and Comfortable manner during her Natural life by my Sons Jacob and John Row to be ^at^ equal expence for the same which will be in lieu of her Dowery or any pertentions to Dowery out of my estate. Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Mary Row now the Wife of John Hovert five Dollars. Item I also Give and bequeath to my Daughter Elizabeth Row now the wife of Jacob Apgar five Dollars. Item I Give and bequeath to my Daughter Anna Row now the wife of John Auble five Dollars. Item I Give and bequeath to my son Peter Row if living five Dollars. Item I give and bequeath to my son Philip Row fifty Dollars the above Gifts and bequeaths to be paid by my Executors as soon as Practicable. Item I Give and bequeath to my sons Jacob and John Row the residue of my estate both real and personal after paying all my Debts and Expences and the several bequeaths the overflow to be divided equal half and half between the two to them ^and^ their heirs forever always Subject to the support and Maintenance of their Mother Mary Row during her life or widowhood. Lastly I appoint my sons Jacob and John Row and William Todd to be my Executors to this my last Will and Testament in Witness I set my Name.

"Signed Sealed and Acknowledge this to be my last Will and Testament in the presence of } Wm. Willet, John Lutes, Simon Hegeman } Philip Row {Ls}

"State of New Jersey Hunterdon County Ss William Willet one of the Witnesses to the within Will being duly sworn saith that he saw Philip Row the testator herein named Sign and seal the same and heard him publish pronounce and declare the said Instrument to be his Testament and Last Will and that at the doing thereof the said Testator was of sound and disposing mind and memory as far as he knows and as he truly believes and that John Lutes and Simon Hegeman the other Subscribing Witnesses were present at the same time and signed their names as Witnesses to the said Will together with this deponent in the presence of the Testator Sworn 2d July 1817 before me } J.T. Blackwell Surg't } W'm Willet

"Hunterdon Ss. Jacob Row and John Row two of the Executors in the within will named being duly sworn say that the within Writing contains the true last Will and Testament of Philip Row the Testator therein named as far as they know and as they truly believe and that they will well and perform the same by paying first the debts of the said deceased and the legacies in the said will Specified as far as the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased can thereunto extend and that they will make and ?????? into the Surrogates Office at Flemington a true and perfect Inventory of all and Singular the goods Chattels & Credits of said deceased that shall come to their hands or possession or to the possession of any other person or persons for their use and Render a Just and true Account when thereunto lawfully required. Sworn 2'd day of July 1817 before me } Jacob X Row J.T. Blackwell Surrogate } John Row

"State of New Jersey } Ss Hunterdon County } I,John T. Blackwell Surrogate of the County of { seal } Hunterdon do certify the annexed to be a true Copy of the last will and Testament of Philip Row Late of the County of Hunter- don deceased and that Jacob Row and John Row of the County of Hunterdon two of the Executors in the within will named proved same before me and are duly authorized to take upon themselves the admini- stration of the estate of the Testator agreeably to the said will. Witness my hand and Seal of Office the Second day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Seventeen

                                                                   J.T. Blackwell Surrogate."

There is no known burial location of Philip and Mary (Smith) Row in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.