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Chapter 4: The Record, Vol. XXXVII, Oct., 1906, pp 277-282

(Continued from Vol. XXXVII, p. 173, of THE RECORD.)

18. JACOB⁴ SKILLMAN

(Jacob,³ Thomas,² Thomas¹), b. 1735, and m. Ann ---- circa 1767. A witness to his uncle Ben's will, Jan. 5 1777. Claim for Rev. War damages, covering, besides beds, bedding, only trifling household articles was sworn to by Ann, the wife, before Esquire Nathaniel Hunt, Oct. 18, 1782. Jacob d. Feb. 8, 1790, æ. 55, and Ann, Jan. 27, 1815, æ. 75. Their graves, and of their two daughters, Mary and Tamsen, are in the old churchyard on the hill at Kingston, marked by neat marble slabs. Known children:

19. ABRAHAM⁴ SKILLMAN

(Jacob,³ Thomas,² Thomas¹), b. 1740, on Long Island; m. Anne Johnson, 1765, and circa 1771, with his man (negro) "went to Natchez, Mississippi, to engage in the cultivation of indigo and there was poisoned and died." Anne, left a widow, soon after m. her cousin, Tom Johnson. Her son Abraham Johnson of Little Rocky Hill, m. Elizabeth, dau. of Sam'l Skillman, Jr. (b. 1765) of Kingston, and 1827, was an administrator of the estate of Tom, his father, then deceased. Children of Abraham and Anne:

(Jacob,³ Thomas,² Thomas¹) b. 1747, on Long Island, named for his mother's folk, Joris (George) being a common name among the Van Alsts of Newtown; a Revolutionary soldier, member of Capt. Teunis van Middlesworth's Company in Team Brigade. In 1782 m. (1) Rebecca Gracie, by tradition of Jamaica, L. I., but the family was early in New Jersey, of Scottish origin, but came from Liverpool, Eng. In Vol. XXIII, N.J. Archives, Matthew Gracie is credited to Monmouth Co.; a resident of Kingston for a period prior to 1800; name also spelled Gracy. George and Rebecca, after m. went to Virginia and their first child was b. there. Returning to New Jersey, at their home in Newark, (diagonally opposite the Presby. Church) the young wife d. 1784, æ. 31, and was buried in the old Presby. Churchyard on Broad St. George m. (2) Catharine Packer, of the "Packer Neighborhood," Neshanic, N. J. County records (Somerville) show George's name (April 13 and May 15, 1812) in property transfers. Was a cooper and farmer, and lived at Post Town (now Plainville) N. J., and there d. 1837, æ. 90 Had three sons:

21. SAMUEL⁴ SKILLMAN

(Benjamin,³ Thomas,² Thomas¹) b. 1732. First of this surname among the Skillmans, named for his mother's father, Sam'l Coe. Early m. his 2d cousin, "Magritta," dau. of John, and his wife, Nancy Paynter, and was the farmer in the household, coming with it from the ancestral home at Dutch Kills, in 1764, to Kingston. The father's will (1777, proved 1784), witnessed by Lemuel Scudder and others, gives "my son Samuel, all my Mansion House and Plantation near Kingstowne," etc., etc. This farm on the "Great Road" (also near Princeton or Queenston, now long a part of Princeton) Samuel sold after his father's death in 1784 when it became the home of the writer's great grandfather, Capt. William Jones who d. there in 1824. After this Samuel is lost track of; probably removed with other Skillmans to Pennsylvania (near Allentown), then westward, later on becoming a pioneer in the Miami Valley in Ohio. One son was:

22. THOMAS⁴ SKILLMAN

(Benjamin,³ Thomas,² Thomas¹) b. 1739, at the old Long Island home, became a blacksmith and in 1762, m. his cousin Sally (b. 1738), dau. of Jan and Anne (Hull) Skillman; with Jacob (brother-in-law) was executor of the will of Anne Skillman, his wife's mother (1772). Himself d. before Sally, she being granted at Somerville, July 9, 1795, letters of administration. Their home was at Kingston on the Somerset side of the "Great Road," and they had nine children:

23. THOMAS⁴ SKILLMAN

(Joseph,³ Thomas,² Thomas¹). b. March 13, 1736; m. (1) Janitje, dau. of Francis Titus and wife Ida de Bevoise, granddaughter of Francis who first settled at Bushwick (m. Antje Fontÿn}, the ancestor being Capt. Titus Sÿræchs de Vries, part owner of the grist mill at N. Utrecht, 1660, whose sons were Sÿræch Titus (great grandfather of Janitje), and Teunis Titus, head of the New Jersey family of this name. Francis Titus was a Tory, while his son-in-law, Thomas Skillman was Lieut. in the Militia on the patriot side in the Battle of Long Island. At Kip's Bay (34th Street, N.Y.), the latter was taken prisoner, 1776, and confined in New York, but his royalist father-in-law interceded, and both he and his brother John took advantage of Lord Howe's proclamation, and returned to their homes in Bushwick. Their uncle Abraham then also came back to Dutch Kills. Janitje d. previous to 1797, and with the sister and mother of Thomas was buried at Red Hook, L.I. The same year Thomas bought a 200-acre farm at Aquebogue and m. (2) Jemima Wells. Children of Thomas and Janitje:

24. JOSEPH⁴ SKILLMAN

(Joseph,³ Thomas,² Thomas¹), b. 1748; m. (1) unknown, New York; m. (2) in Episc. Church, Hempstead, L. I., May 11, 1774, Catharine Pratt; d. Aug. 27, 1821, æ. 72. In New York Directory, 1796, Joseph is "waterman," Pump St. (Walker); in 1802, "boatman," 4 Pump St.; 1806-7, "dockbuilder;" d. 1811? "Wid. Joseph," 1812-13, is at 3d St. (Eldridge); then is "Widow Skillman," 133 Leonard St. Children of Joseph:

25. JOHN⁴ SKILLMAN

(Joseph,³ Thomas,² Thomas¹), b. April 19, 1750; bap. May 13, Brooklyn (Ref. Dutch Church), as "Jan, child of Joost Skillman and Sara Messerole;" Ensign in a Bushwick Company at the Battle of Long Island; m. (1) Debora Conselyea, June 17, 1769; m. (2) Hannah Van Cott (b. June 17, 1768; d. Oct. 9, 1843.) John inherited the ancestral farm at Bushwick (now heart of Brooklyn), the house on Front St., between Union Ave. and Lorimer St. He was a J. P. and later Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Kings Co. Debora's grave is with the Conselyea's; he is buried at Mt. Olivet with others of the family. Debora had five children of the list following and Hannah the two remaining:

This completes in condensed form the muster-roll so far as known, of the fourth generation of the Skillmans, and we now enter upon the fifth.

 26. ISAAC⁵ SKILLMAN

(Jacob,⁴ Jan,³ Thomas,² Thomas¹), b. in New Jersey, 1770, and there m. (1792) wife unknown; about 1795, with entire family (three younger brothers), or even preceding them, perhaps, he migrated from Amwell Township, Hunterdon Co., N. J., across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania, near Allentown, by tradition, or "some German settlement near the Alleghenny Mountains." Separating from the others, with his growing family, he possibly journeyed to the extreme western line of the State, but eventually brought up (joining the others) as a pioneer in the Miami Valley at Glendale, near Cincinnati- but he did not remain there. He soon took his family to Union Co., Ind., and there settled permanently near Liberty; a farmer. The children were:

The above may not be the true order in the list of children.

 27. BENJAMIN⁵ SKILLMAN

(Jacob,⁴ Jan,³ Thomas,² Thomas¹), b. in New Jersey, May 4, 1776; d. May 21, 1829; m. Nancy (Bevis?), b. 1782; d. April 28, 1861; graves at Transit, Ohio. Pioneer settlers at Glendale, with father Jacob and two brothers following. From Pennsylvania, originally from New Jersey. Children were:

28. JACOB⁵ SKILLMAN

(Jacob,⁴ Jan,³ Thomas,² Thomas¹), b. May 13, 1778; d. April 20, 1831; m. Sarah Barber (b. Dec. 10, 1782; d. June 22, 1840); came with father and brothers from Pennsylvania to Ohio about 1800. Brother Isaac from wider wanderings, perhaps, to the same point, then removing to Ind., their relationship being thus obscured. Children of Jacob and Sarah:

29. ABRAHAM⁵ SKILLMAN

(Jacob,⁴ Jan,³ Thomas,² Thomas¹), b. March 30, 1782; m. Abigail Tucker. First settled at Tucker's Station. Had:

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