Martha Britton, (Brittain, Brittaine), who married Edward Poe in 1753, was born in Bucks County’s Plumstead Township @1732. Martha was one of the youngest of the Brittain children. Her father was John Brittain (b. 1695, Staten Island, NY, d. 1784, Bucks County, PA). Her mother is considered by most genealogists to have been Elizabeth Stillwell (b. @1698 in either NJ or PA, d. before 1761 in Hillstown Township, Bucks County, PA) - there is no record of her death. Martha’s family had an early history in Bucks County’s Plumstead Township dating to 1727 when her father and mother moved from Monmouth, New Jersey. Her parents had 11 children and all were born or lived in Pennsylvania, except the oldest, Richard, who remained in New Jersey. The Britton family of Plumstead Twsp. contributed to the American Revolution. John Britton, Martha’s father, took his oath to the new revolutionary government in 1778 as memorialized in John Dyer’s diary. Her brother Nathaniel served in the Bucks County Associators/Militia. While records are minimal for the American 1600’s and early 1700’s, most family genealogists agree that Martha brought two important early American families into our family tree: Stillwells and the Brittons (Brittains). Martha’s Britton and Stillwell Family Roots The ‘American’ Brittons (Brittains, Brittaines) of our family go back to two brothers - Nathaniel and William who came to New Amsterdam (New York) in the mid 1600’s. Their older brother Richard served as Vicar of Bisley in Gloucester, England. Another presumed brother, Cananuiel, who immigrated to Chester, PA @1682 after a year of imprisonment in London and died shortly after his arrival. Cananuiel had been scheduled earlier for deportation in 1664 and after languishing on the ship in port for months he was denied passage to the New World. Nearly 20 years later he again faced punishment for his Quakerism and in 1681 after being imprisoned and beaten he emigrated from England to Chester, Pennsylvania. Two Britton sisters never left England. In Martha’s Brittain family line we look to William Brittain (b. before 1635, d. 1683) as her probable direct ancestor and earliest family member in America. As with many ‘family trees’ during this early era of American history - with little documentation that we take for granted in our modern era - there are disagreements as to her direct ancestor(s) on the Brittain side. After spending too many hours trying to make sense of the possibilities I have come to the conclusion that identifying the correct g grandfather for Martha is less important. It is enough to know that Grandma Smith’s 6 g grandmother brings both the Brittain and Stillwell lines as direct ancestors of hers. Here is some background information on both families: • Martha Brittain’s family can trace its immediate ancestry in England to Richard Britton Sr of Batcombe, Somesetshire, England in the 1630s, who had five surviving children. This is positively known from two records for his son Richard Jr. who was the vicar in Bisley, Gloucester. The two Brittons who were our American progenitors (whether they were brothers or an uncle (Nathaniel) and nephew (William) combination each had an impressive involvement in the early history of Long Island and Staten Island. For example early records show: William lived in Mespat and Nathaniel in Flatlands in 1650’s and ’60’s; both moved to Staten Island @1667 where William farmed and Nathaniel was an innkeeper and farmer. In 1678-79 William served as constable of Dover. Nathaniel was appointed to a 3 man committee by Governor Lovelace to ‘negotiate the Purchase of 1670’ by which all Indian claims to Staten Island were ended. After the successful negotiations Nathaniel and Captain Richard Stillwell, son of Lt. Nicholas Stillwell, (and Committee member with Nathan Whitman) were selected to survey the ‘new lots’ on Staten Island. Both Nathaniel and William left a legacy captured by this short description in a history of Staten Island. Both brothers became Staten Islanders after the conquest of New Netherland by the British in1664, and both had large families of children, to whom the same Christian names, William, Nathaniel, etc., were given; so that the family tree is difficult to trace in detail. It includes, during the 264 years of the family residence on our Island men prominent in the Island’s history, particularly in the founding of churches for a William Britton led in establishing the Presbyterian Church 1729; and a Nathaniel Britton aided building St. Andrew's in 1709. That they were not backward in civic matters is shown from 1678 when William was a constable, to 1860 when Alexander Hamilton Britton was a director of the newly established Staten Island Railroad.
[ref: Staten Island and Its People] The American progenitor of the other half of Martha’s family, the Stillwells, began with Lt. Nicholas Stillwell, Jr (@1606 - 1671), whose daughter Maria (@1645-1683) married William Britton.
Lt. Nicholas Stillwell Jr. came to America @1635. Dr. Stillwell’s research and this thumbnail history comes from his 4 volume Stillwell genealogy. Accordingly, here are important dates and events: Nicholas Stillwell arrived @1635 in Virginia and was a pioneer settler on the York River. Based on tract maps and recorded history he was a tobacco farmer and ultimately had a large plantation before leaving for New York in the mid 1640’s.
Initial farm near current town of Yorktown, VA. While in Virginia Stillwell reprised a similar role he played in Europe - that of military commander. The Powhatan tribe had been involved in attacks upon the settlers under the leadership of a powerful leader, Opochanckanough, and whose attacks in 1644 resulted in the deaths of nearly 400 settlers. Described as a massacre by the Virginia General Assembly, troops were authorized to end the hostilities. York County supplied up to 50 soldiers and Stillwell commanded these troops under General Clairborne. The Virginians were successful against the Powhatans in 1644, but the final defeat took place in 1646 and Stillwell had already moved to New York. And in New York Stillwell returned to his demonstrated leadership experience in both military affairs and government. In the late 1640’s Lt. Stillwell first settled in New Amsterdam (Manhattan), but shortly thereafter moved to Gravesend, Long Island (modern day Brooklyn between Bensonhurst and Coney Island). He was elected and served as magistrate four years in a row until he moved to the Flatlands (Amersfort) in 1654 where he was elected as the village magistrate for two years. He continued for several years in the affairs of both Gravesend and Amersfort and tending to his multiple plantations on Long Island. Literally, volumes have been written about his life and family. I will share the following summation of Lt. Stillwell by Dr. John Stillwell in 1929 who wrote 4 volumes (@1600+ pages) outlining his Stillwell family legacy in America. Dr. Stillwell wrote : “All that is now known concerning Lieutenant Nicholas Stillwell has been recited. Perhaps more may come to light, but enough has been rescued, to establish him as one of the most conspicuous and stirring figures of his eventful time. At this late day he seems like an adventurer of fiction, or a hero of the romantic past. With his great natural force he dominated his fellowman, who during his long career perpetuated him in public office, both elective and appointive; and in private life he was the chief adviser of Lady Deborah Moody and a host of his fellow townsmen. Though possessed of a martial spirit, he was free from the swashbuckling and buccaneering qualities which in that day were prone to accompany prowess. Likewise his deportment was such that he avoided the many scandals and lawsuits common to his time, in the vicinity of New Amsterdam. His persistent activity, ready exposure to hardship, and the age he attained, justly creates the impression that he was a man of great physical strength and robust constitution. He was ever foremost where valor was called for, or Where Dutch resistance to English aggression was needed. His sense of loyalty to his benefactors was paramount to all personal interests, and the intensely Dutch authority, T. G. Bergen, Esq., who was never accused of favoring any person or thing English, paid him the merited compliment of saying that he never swerved from his allegiance to the Dutch, which is more than could be said of many of his English neighbors. That he was hasty and passionate of speech under excitement, we concede, but it was only by a handful of malcontents and wrongdoers, against whom he had fearlessly stood alone in the turbulent moments, that he was called unreasonable and a distrurber of the peace…. “There is nothing extant which proves the religious convictions or affiliations of Nicholas Stillwell, but the tone of his last will indicates that he possessed the piety of his day, which is confirmed by a letter dated, April 12, 1660, to the Director and Council, signed by Nicholas Stillwell, and other residents of Gravesend, wherein they bitterly lament the licentiousness of their town, the desecration of the Sabbath, confusion of religious opinions, and: "as the fear of the Lord alone holds out promises of temporal and eternal blessings, and as we, your petitioners, to our sorrow and constant regret, see no means by which to make a change for the better, we have concluded to address ourselves to your Honors as being the only hope for us and the well-being of the Community and humbly and respectfully do ask and pray that a preacher or pastor may be sent here that the glory of God may be spread, the ignorant taught, the simple and innocent strengthened and the licentious restrained.” So it is not surprising that the adventure of military action called to him again in June 1663 in response to the Indian War, called the Second Esopus War, which began throughout the New Netherlands area as attacks on one farm harvest near Wiltwyck, resulted in the deaths of 12 men, women and children and captives taken as hostages. With an awareness that the local militias could not confront the threat, Director General Peter Stuyvesant of New Netherlands on behalf of the Dutch government and West Indian Company, called for volunteers to meet the threat and administered the following oath to Lt. Nicholas Stillwell and the newly organized military council: “I promise and swear to be loyal and faithful to the High and Mighty Lords, ….United Netherlands, (and)……priviledged West Indian Company…….., to serve them gallantly and faithfully as a good and loyal (officer and) is duty bound to do so truly help me God Almighty.” Dutch Records, Albany, NY, B. 21, p. 169 Stillwell, who commanded a detachment of English settlers, in late July, after weeks of miscalculating the retreating Indians, along with militia commander Crieger surprised the warriors at one of their forts. The troops attacked and routed the Indians and in this one engagement ended their threat and ultimately led to a peace treaty. However, with one threat eliminated another one appeared shortly after the successful fight with the Esopsus. Stillwell, upon his return home from the Esopus War, was asked by Stuyvesant to intercede on his behalf when a representative from the colony of Connecticut arrived on Long Island in late 1663 claiming all of Long Island for the King of England and allegiance must be paid and submission given to the Connecticut colony. Despite his English background, Stillwell loyally represented Stuyvesant and New Netherlands before the English farmers who dominated the area. Stillwell, as the Gravesend magistrate, created animosity among the local farmers when he arrested the Connecticut representative who refused to end his ‘rable rousing’ of the local populace to ignore the Dutch and recognize England as the legitimate governing authority. Stillwell’s unpopular action was not well received by the majority and when four English frigates appeared in the Bay a short time later to enforce England’s sovereignty, Lt. Nicholas Stillwell realized his days on Long Island were numbered. Lt. Stillwell’s property on Staten Island, NY In 1664 Lt. Nicholas Stillwell began the divestiture of his holdings on Long Island and ultimately joined his son-in-law (Nathaniel Britton) and daughter Ann and purchased land alongside their holdings on Staten Island (see map above). He lived his remaining years active in the affairs in the town of Dover and died in December, 1671.
The Stillwell legacy lives on in a very physical way on Staten Island even today. The oldest house on Staten Island known as the Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House, now on the National Historic Registry and an official New York City Landmark, once belonged to Captain Thomas Stillwell (son of Lt. Stillwell) who married the daughter of Pierre Billiou, the original owner and builder in 1663. Upon Captain Stillwell’s death @1705, he left the home to his daughters. Eventually, his daughter Rachel and her husband, Colonel Nicholas Britton were owners. The Perines acquired the property in the later half of the 1700’s.
Martha’s Short Life Martha and Edward left Bucks County, PA sometime in the 1760’s (probably after the death of her mother Elizabeth Stillwell and Edward Poe’s parents) and traveled the Great Wagon Trail which began in Philadelphia and ultimately intersected the Great Warrior Trail in modern Virginia. Many of the Pennsylvania Scot-Irish used these two trails to migrate to the Shenandoah, Tennessee and Kentucky to the west and as far south as North and South Carolina. The Poes, however, settled in Virginia’s lower Shenandoah Valley near what is today Martinsburg in Berkeley County, WV. The exact date of their arrival and land they purchased and farmed is unknown. We do know that Martha had four children: Joseph Poe, 1754-1838; John Poe, 1755-1834; Patrick Poe, 1758; Abigail Poe, 1760-1845 (Grandma Smith’s direct ancestor). Ironically, their daughter Abigail married John Day, who was a first cousin of Edward Poe. At some point around 1770, Martha died at their homestead in the lower Shenandoah Valley in Beckley County. There is no record or location for her death and burial. Edward Poe did not remarry until after his service with the Virginia Continental Line ended in 1783. Besides her husband, Edward Poe who served with the Virginia Continental Line from 1776 - 1783, two of her sons also served during the Revolutionary War: Patrick and John. Patrick (b. @1758) volunteered for the Plumstead Militia for at least two years. John Poe (born 1758) enlisted in 1776 with Major Bland’s 1st Continental Light Dragoons first authorized by Virginia Governor Patrick Henry, but by the end of the year at Gen. Washington’s request the VA cavalry was turned over to the Continental Army in late 1776. John Poe fought in many consequential battles including Brandywine, Germantown, Guilford Courthouse, Hanging Rock, and Cowpens. John served until the end of the war in 1783. Some Genealogists Disagree on Martha’s Stillwell Mother Both her Brittain and Stillwell American ancestors were early settlers in New York, having arrived from England in the early 1600’s. These families intermarried on multiple generational levels: her great grandfather, parents, aunts and uncles. Looking at her genealogical history, at least one Stillwell and Britton seemed to be married in each generation after 1650. In recent times one family genealogist suggests that John Britton had multiple wives. Specifically, the Hay Family Genealogy (online) opines it believes Elizabeth Stillwell (daughter of Jeremiah Stillwell of Monmouth County, NJ) and the ‘first’ wife of John Britton may have died @1720 and subsequent Britton children were mothered by another Elizabeth (maybe VanSant whose family had roots in early Long Island). The only documented record of John Britton remarrying was to an Elizabeth Stevens in 1761 when he was 66 years old. Dr. John E. Stillwell, who wrote and published a 4 volume and over 1600 pages of genealogy and primary documents on the Stillwell family history in 1929, does not entertain anything more than the one wife for John’s children. Since records of marriages, deaths, and births were not kept in the same manner as they are today, reading the tea-leaves of who is in what Will, what names were given to the children, and which family member of the parents do they mirror, etc… the one, two, or three wives theory will remain a topic of conjecture for years to come. One conclusion does seem certain regardless of which wife, if any other than Elizabeth Stillwell, was Martha’s mother. Martha Britton, wife of Edward Poe and mother of our ancestors, came from both the English Stillwell and Britton lines, either through her mother and father, or her father alone. A few examples of these marriages follow from the Stillwell family progenitor in America - Lt. Nicholas Stillwell [Nicholas1 Stillwell, born about 1603 in Guilford, Surrey, England; died after 22 and buried after 22 December 1671 in Staten Island, Richmond, New York, son of Nicholas Stillwell . The following are copied from Raymond J. Stillwell’s (2010) redux of Dr. John Stillwell’s work (1929). 2nd Generation • Ann Stillwell [2756], born about 1643 in the Yorktown area of Virginia; died about 1709. She married Nathaniel Brittain • Jeremiah Stillwell (Captain/New Jersey Militia), born before 13 January 1663 in Gravesend, New York, New York; christened 13 January 1663 in New Amsterdam, New York, New York; died after 19 December 1749 in Monmouth County, New Jersey; buried after 19 December 1749 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Father of Elizabeth Stillwell, wife of John Britton. 3rd Generation • William Brittain , born 1685/1686 in Richmond County, New York; died 1762/1766 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; buried 1762/1766 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He married Rachel Stillwell.
• Martha Stillwell, born about 1674 in Dover, Richmond, New York; died before 1705 in Richmond County, New York. She married Benjamin Britton.
•. Frances Stillwell, born 3 March 1681 in Dover, Richmond, New York; christened 31 March 1681/1682 in Richmond County, New York; died 7 May 1748 in Richmond County, New York; buried May 1748 in Richmond County, New York. She married about 1701 in Richmond County, New York Nicholas Brittain (Colonel/Richmond County Militia) [2780] (See No. 39 this volume.), born 1679 in Flatbush, Kings, New York; christened 17 October 1680 in Flatbush, Kings, New York; died 12 January 1740 in Richmond County, New York; buried January 1740 in Richmond County, New York, son of Nathaniel Brittain [2758] and Ann Stillwell.
• Elizabeth Stillwell, born about 1692 in Middletown, Monmouth, New Jersey. She married John Britton.
4th Generation
•. Sarah Stillwell, born before February 1738/1739 in Burlington, Burlington, New Jersey; christened before February 1738/1739 in Burlington, Burlington, New Jersey. She married after 10 June 1757 in Monmouth County, New Jersey Abraham Brittain.
These are but a few examples of the intermarriages between the two families. For further information the sources below were used in researching Martha Britton (Brittain) neé Stillwell.
Research Sources for Britton and Stillwell Families:
The History of Lieutenant Nicholas Stillwell, Progenitor of the Stillwell Family in America, by John E. Stillwell, M.D., 1929, New York City.
The Story and Documentary History of the Perine House, by Charles Gilbert Wine, 1915, Staten Island Antiquarian Society.
The History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, by W.W.H. Davis, 1876, Doylestown, PA.
“Memoranda From The Diary of John Dyer of Plumstead, Bucks Co., PA ”, Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, January, 1906.
The Descendants of Lt. Nicholas Stillwell Through His Seventh Generation Descendants, Volume 1, by Raymond Stillwell, 2009, Sandy, Utah.
History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Edited by J.H. Battle, 1887.
https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~lindas/genealogy/Britton.html
https://haygenealogy.com/hay/sources/britton/bucksparefs.html
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