Thomas Eldridge

THOMAS ELDRIDGE: the son of Jonathan, was born abt 1684 probably in Burlington County, NJ. His marriage witnessed by Jonathan, Martha and Mary Eldridge, to Mary James on 3 mo 11, 1704, is recorded in the Phila MM records. He settled in Phila, PA where he was granted freeman status on 1 June 1705. A freeman was one who “took out his freedom’ and was granted by the City of Philadelphia, certain rights and privileges of a citizen. One requirement was to be at least 21 yo, hence we can estimate his birth to be 1684. Thos and Mary Eldridge made their home in Philadelphia where the births of 2 children were recorded in the Quaker Monthly Meeting records. A son, James, was born on 12 mo 2, 1704/5, and a dtr, Mary, was born 3 mo 11, 1710. From notes in the Cope and Ender Collections, it appears Thomas and Mary also had a son, Joseph, who was named in a deed along with siblings James and Mary.

Also found in these collections, Thomas and Mary produced a certificate from the Phila MM to the Concord MM on 4 mo 1, 1717, and settled in Calm Township, Chester, County, PA. Thomas Eldridge’s son, Jonathan, of East Malburrow, Chester County, married 10 mo 3, 1771, a second wife, Sarah Davis at the Goshen Meeting. Jonathan died and his widow Sarah married William Allen. Their grandson, Eldridge Allen, married in Davenport, Iowa in 1859.

Notes indicate that Mary James Eldridge died, and Thomas was married a second time to Hannah Duncan, although no official record of the marriage has been discovered. Hannah Duncan Eldridge could have been the great-grandmother of Duncan C. Eldridge of Davenport, IA.

• Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Jan 22 2019, 13:18:46 UTC