Robert Dennis, of Woodbridge

Robert Dennis

• Birth: Between 1619 and 1620, England
• Death: Between 1688 and 1697, Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey
• Parents: unknown
• Partner: Mary

Their children:

• o Child: John Dennis Born: About 1643
• o Child: Samuel Dennis Born: About 1644
• o Child: Elizabeth Dennis Born: 1648, Massachusetts
• o Child: Mary Dennis Born: 19 September 1649, Barnstable, Massachusetts
• o Child: Jonathan Dennis Born: 1650, Barnstable, Massachusetts
• o Child: Joseph Dennis Born: About 1652, Barnstable, Massachusetts

Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy - http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/person/p15013.htm (dead link)

Updated link: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/person/g15010.htm

Extracted from http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/mn/m15010x15011.htm

The notes below are for Robert Dennis, who lived in Yarmouth, Massachusetts and died in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey.

1677 On 17 July, "Whereas there was formerly a deed made by Robert Dennis of Woodbridge and Mary, his wife, dated December 1, 1671 [see 1674 note], where a transport was made of his whole estate to three of his children, viz., Jonathan and Joseph Dennis and daughter Elizabeth, and now we, Jonathan Dennis, Joseph Dennis and Thomas Bloomfield, Jr. (late husband of the above Elizabeth, deceased), do declare a reconveyance to our honored father, Rober5t Dennis."
John and Samuel, shown here as sons of this Robert Dennis, lived in the Woodbridge area at this time, but there is no direct evidence that they were sons of Robert.
Mary has been reported to be Mary Jackson born 1621 in Rhode Island

___________________________________

Robert Dennis (son of William Dennis and Jane Scarlett) [Incorrect / disproven]was born 1617 in England, and died 1685 in New Jersey. He married Mary Jackson [unproven]

Children of Robert Dennis and Mary Jackson are:

• John Dennis, b. 1638.
• Samuel Dennis, b. 1646.
• Mary Dennis, b. 1649.
• Charles Dennis, b. 1650.
• Jonathan Dennis, b. 1652, Cohansey, Alloway, Twp, Salem,New Jersey, d. May 31, 1720, Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey.
• Elizabeth Dennis, b. 1655.
• Joseph Dennis, b. 1658.
• Thomas Dennis, b. 1660.
• Hannah Dennis, b. 1662.
• George Dennis.

Robert and his brother Thomas belonged to a clan in Scotland (McDonald). This clan was engaged in a war with another clan in 1610. The McDonald Clan lost the war and made it impossible for the Dennis brothers to remain in Scotland. They went by ship to France where they remained for only a few months. Then they went to Copenhagen, Denmark. While there they made plans to go to the "New World". A ship the "True Love" was purchased. They formed a party of settlers to accompany them on their voyage. They sailed into Trenton, New Jersey in 1635. Robert settled at Yarmouth, Cape Cod Massachusetts. Thomas settled in Barnstable, Copeland Township, New Jersey. In 1643 Robert was on a committee with John Alden and Miles Standish, when Governor Carteret opened up land in New Jersey. In 1667 Robert was allocated land at Woodbridge which was just over from New York. New Jersey was still Indian territory at that time. Robert Dennis and wife Mary who were residents of Yarmouth in 1641 and remained there until they removed with a family of at least four sons and one daughter. Robert Dennis was one of the original proprietors of Woodbridge, NJ in 1669. In NJ the Dennis family is recorded as being of the Quaker persuasion -- a possible reason why Robert left Yarmouth. Quakerism was frowned on in early Plymouth Colony." In 1674 Robert signed over some of the family land in Woodbridge, New Jersey to son Jonathan. By 1694 Robert had sold his inherited land and moved further south into a new area where the Cohansie River, in Cumberland County, New Jersey, emptied into the Delaware River. The town is now called Greenwich and is a historical monument. The ruins of the old Dennis plantation are marked "Historical".

~ Elmer Martin and Family - http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/u/r/Courtney-L-Murray/...

__________________________

Robert Dennis

Born Abt 1617

Died 1685, Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey

Ships to America: The True Love, 10 Jun 1635 departed from London for Bermuda (or Summer/Somer Islands) Robert Dennis, Master. 105 passengers listed; examined by minister of Gravesend

From Some Descendants of Robert Dennis of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, 1957, by Elaine Dennis Young:

"It might be possible to ascertain who was the owner of the ship "Truelove," which with 'Robert Dennis, Mr.,' sailed from the Port of London, June 10, 1635, and is said to have landed about twenty people on Cape Cod and also to have touched at Portsmouth, Rhode Island, at this time. This was not Mr. Dennis' first voyage to the New World, as he had sailed the "Phillip" of London for the Somer Islands on July 20, 1634. On September 19, 1635, we find the "Truelove" with Mr. Jo. Gibbs. Had Robert, then remained at Yarmouth, where we soon find him active in the affairs of the Colony? One authority states that he did, in fact, land his family in Rhode Island, butthis seems doubtful for two reasons: first the names of his family are not recorded on the passenger list of the Truelove; and second, we do not find Robert at Portsmouth until some years later. We shall probably never know the truth of this, as we shall probably never know when and where Mary died; the mother of the baby who died at birth in 1649. That Mary was doubtless the Mary who, as a wife with Robert in 1656, signed the deed to Andrew Hallet of a house and land in Yarmouth. Early Yarmouth records were destroyed by fire so we may never know whether, as suggested by Savage, Robert of Portsmouth is the son of Robert of Yarmouth. It seems most unlikely.

Charles C. Stickney, genealogist of the New Jersey Dennis family, says:

"Robert 2nd was born at Portsmouth in 1645, purchased land there Aug 26, 1656, was made a freeman in 1671." Does it seem likely that an eleven year old boy would be buying land? One genealogy of the New Jersey family flatly states that Robert of Portsmouth did purchase New Jersey land in 1666, and again in 1691 only a few days before his death, which occurred in Portsmouth. Robert, of the New Jersey family, was the grandson of Thomas, who came with Winthrop and settled there. Thomas had a son John born on the ship Jewell. John had three sons, Samuel, Robert, and John alldistinguished in New Jersey history. It is difficult to see how these professional genealogists could be so mistaken, but perhaps they did not have access to material which is now available."The YARMOUTH MAN IS NOT OURS according to John Dennis.Residence: 1640 of Yarmouth. Plymouth Colony records show he prefers charges against Ed MOrrell for stealing. 1643 Listed as able to bear arms in Yarmouth 1643 On committee for laying out lands in Yarmouth 1648 Received a grant of land in Rabbits Ravine and Member of Committee for Yarmouth 1650 Propounded as a Freeman June 4 1651 "Early Town Records of Portsmouth" Town Meeting June 16, 1651 "Robert Dennis is received inhabitant amongst us and hath given his ingagement."1656 Deeded a house and land to Andrew Hallet 1656 August 25--Purchased 20 acres of land in Portsmouth from Job Hawkins and his mother of Boston.1658 Served under direction of Captain Miles Standish and Mr. John Alden on committees to settle land disputes as recorded in "Freeman's History of Cape Cod."1666 21 May--An associate of Daniel Pierce who purchased land from Governor Carteret, John Ogden, and Luke Watson for settling two townships.1666 11 Dec In consideration of 80 pounds sterling, they transferred one-half the tract known as the Arthur Cull or Amboyle, originally owned by Governor NIcholls. On the back of the deed, Robert Dennis is listed as an associate of Daniel Pierce.1671 Made a Freeman in Portsmouth--from 1651 to now, he is active in Yarmouth records--from this point on is busily engaged in Portsmouth records. *It is Cheryl Bill's thoughts that this is the point when we begin to see Robert's son, Robert and not this Robert.

~ Families of NW Pennsylvania - http://northwesternpa.net/getperson.php?personID=I3192000&tree=NWPa

__________________________________

ROBERT DENNIS (c. 1619 - 1683+)

Robert Dennis was probably born in County Essex, England. He was in Yarmouth, Massachusetts from 1643 to 1669. He married Mary (-), no marriage or death dates known; he died after April 1683.

There have been many conflicting statements published about Robert Dennis' life in New England, but there are many records to substantiate his activities there.

He was a surveyor, farmer, carpenter, jurist and tax collector. The family removed to New Jersey at the invitation of Governor Carteret #117. A patent for land in Woodbridge dated December 1667 named him "Robert Dennis of Yarmouth", with others.

Dennis was named a "Burgess" to represent Woodbridge in May 1668. In December 1674 he and his wife Mary conveyed land to four of their eight children. His land in Woodbridge was named as a boundary in several deeds, and the published archives of New Jersey contain many references to him and his sons.

James L. Dennis #C49

REFERENCES

• History of Old Yarmouth, by Charles E. Swift
• New Jersey State Archives, First Series, Vol. XXI
• Vital Records of Woodbridge, New Jersey, by Rev. Joseph W. Dally

http://www.njfounders.org/DFNJ_2011_Book_FINAL2011.pdf

______________________________________

Sources / Links

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/person/p15013.htm

http://northwesternpa.net/getperson.php?personID=I3192000&tree=NWPa

Some Descendants of Robert Dennis of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, 1957, by Elaine Dennis Young

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/u/r/Courtney-L-Murray/...

http://www.njfounders.org/DFNJ_2011_Book_FINAL2011.pdf

Last name may also be spelled Dennes in some documents.