Borton and Mason Families
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HJSTORY OF THE BORTON AND MASON FAMILIES IN EUROPE AND AMERICA. Compiled by FREEMAN C. MASON, M. D. Hillsdale, Mich. Printed b11 H. E. AG'-EW, Dowagiac, Mich. Copyrighted, 1908 by F. C. Mason. "H ii lsdown." INTRODUCTION. The work of cumpiling this book should have been done by other hands in days long past, and we have taken it up simply as a duty and labor of love, and not with hopes of any pecuniary gain. In the main, \vritten records have been relied upon; written statements from in .iividuals have, in some instances, been inserted, and where tradition is given, it is so stated. This work is compiled and published especially for the home circle of the Borton and Mason families, and those who have descended there from; and we hope and desire that it may be received in the same spirit in which it has been written. Some families will not appear owing to a lack of proper data concerning them; but knowing their ancestors for two or three generations, will be able to trace their genealogy and family history back to the progenitors. Much authentic history has been in serted, believing that it will not only add interest to the book, but will help to preserve it for those who may come after us. There will doubtless be mistakes in genealogical data, compilation and construction of this volume; but when we think of the wo/ .'..:, stu pendous in its nature, which has been done during moments of _im_e as. they could be snatched from a busy professional life, and also think of the vast correspondence and research required, we believe that all criti cisms 1,·ill be considerate and charitable. THE COMPILER. EXPLANATORY NOTES. The arrangement of the work is by generations, and the names of the children in each generation who married are carried forward as parent of the following generation. The index includes the eighth and ninth generations, and the numeral placed, in each instance, before the name Borton and Mason can through the above arrangement be readily traced back to the progenitor, assisted by the number of each generation given at the margin of each page. The abbreviations are: b., born; d., died; m., married; gen., gen- eration. These families will be known and spoken of as follows: New Jersey Bortons. Ohio Bortons, descendants of Benjamin, Sr. of the IVth gen., immigrated to Gurnsey Co., Ohio, 1804. Samuel, Sr., of the Vth gen., immigrated to Stark Co., Ohio, 1208. Daniel, Sr., of the Vth gen., immigrated to Stark Co., Ohio, 1810. Josiah, Sr., of the IV th gen., immigrated to Clinton County, Ohio, 1812. Sons of Bethuel, of the Vth gen., immigrated to Fulton County, Ohio, 1836 to 1839. Indiana Bortons, Ira Borton, and Sons of Samuel, Jr., VIth gen., 1·mmigrated from Stark County, Ohio, 1858. Masons, "Evesham" Burlington County, New Jersey. Masons, Ohio branch, descendants of John Mason, of the 5th gen., who immigrated to Fulton County, Ohio, 1839. In preparing this history of the Borton and Mason families, search has been made in Friends Records of monthly meetings in Philadelphia, Pa., and also in Friends Records, London, England, also local church records in that country. A thorough search in the Congressional Library, \Vashington, D. C., also, in Friends Library, Philadelphia, and in the University Library, Urbana, Ill., and all books have been examined that would probably give information with regard to the history or genealogy of these families. We have given the biographies of noted persons in the Mason family, compiled in part by Miss Eleanor Lexing ton, while others have been taken from Encyclopedias and other authen tic sources of information. vVhile the present work has to do with the DORTO,\' Fc\:111 L \ Evesham New Jersey branch of the family, we believe a short history of the family at large will not cause a lack of interest in the work. Fur ther, we wish to acknowledge our obligations to the following named perse,ns, for assistance rendered in securing the required data and for the interest taken in the work. Charles H. Engle, Mount Holly, New Jersey. Richard Haines, Medford, New Jersey. J0hn W. Borton, Cambridge, Ohio. Amelia Eliza Tarr, Manasquan, New Jersey. N er B. Borton, Camden, :New Jersey. S. Eliza Hunt, Camden, New Jersey. George B. Borton, Moorestown, New Jersey. Joel Borton, Woodstown, New Jersey. Anne R. Borton, Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Mary Ellen Borton, Belmar, New Jersey. Amy A. Hendrickson, Haddonfield, N"ew Jersey. Susan V. Borton, Zenia, Ohio. Sarah A. Metzger, Salem, Ohio. Daniel C. Borton, Cleveland, Ohio Paul G. Agnew, Washington, D. C George 0. Borton, Bridgeport, Conn. Katie Borton, New Burlington, Ohio. Daniel J. Prickitt, \Vest Unity, Ohio. Emily A. Town, West Unity, Ohio. Leonidas Hubbard Sr., Rapid City, M Byron Hubbard, Waldron, Mich. Maysie Light, Arapahoe, Nebraska. Mary S. Allen, Philadelphia, Pa. Isaac Sharp, London, England. Louisa A. Borton, Bourbon, Indiana. Cornelia W. Griscorn, Medford, New Jer Lucina J. Rodi, Calumet, Mich. Joseph Borton, Scottsville, Mich. Ann D. Harley, Bedford, Iowa. Lucina Haas, Ithaca, Mich. Sarah Towns, Ludington, Mich. Albert Towns, Bethany, Mo. Amanda Millbern, Mentone, Ind. Marion E. Sparks, Urbana, Illinois. Asa V. Borton, LaFayette, Incl. Daniel Borton Sr., Salem, Ohio. Jesse Leroy Cox. Barrvton. Mich. Mary A. E. Matlack. LaFayette. J nrl. Joseph H. Borton. Atfantic City. New Jer Julia D. M. Walls, Philadelphia, P .. S. F. Rex1;trew, South Bend, Ind. Edmund Darnell, Atlantic City, N. J. Maud W. Gassin, Camden, N. J. David L. Ballinger, Moorestown, N. J. Caroline Borton Zelley, Moorestown, N. J Charles S. French, West Philadelphia, Pa. David T. Ballinger, Marlton, N. J. Thomas Borton, Mullica Hill, N. J. Uriah Borton, Moorestown, N. J. Carl D. Borton, Bowen, Illinois. T. Artemas Borton, Plymouth, Indiana. Josiah B. Borton, Merchantville, N. J. Norman Penney, London, E. C. Thamazine M. Haines, Medford, New Jersey. ::<.ichard A. 'Warrick, Hartford, New Jersey. Vvilliam H. Zelly, Marlton, New Jersey. Amos A. Zelley, Masonville, New Jersey. Levi Ballinger, Moorestown, New Jersey. Lillie I. Rogers, Merchantville, New Jersey. Elmina K. Borton, Moorestown, New Jersey. Ruth Dudley, Richmond, Indiana. John B. Atkinson, Earlington, Kentucky. Mary E. Mason, Marietta, Ohio. Kate Mason Rowland, ·washington, District of ColpmL· .. Leila Ballinger Wythe, St. Joseph, Missouri ·ohn Borton, Cambridge, Ohio, R. F. D. THE BORTONS IN EUROPE. The ending of the name in "ton," and the location of a town named Bourton in Gloucestershire, a county adjoining that of Northampton, would indicate that the ancestors of John, the immigrant to America, were of Norman origin, and were no doubt one of the tribes who came into England at the time of the Conquest in 1o66; and that Bourton in Gloucestershire was their county seat, and which was devised to them by William the Conqueror. Tradition says that the chief of this tribe was John of Bourton, and that later the crest on the arms was a boar's head. \Ve quote the following from Joseph Besse's "Collections of the Sufferings of the People Called Friends for the Testimony of a Good Conscience." Two Vol., London, 1753. "In 1 mo., 1660, John Bett and John Borton, of Aino, Northampton shire, were taken out of their own houses by soldiers, and committed to prison for refusing the oaths. Also, in the year 1665, John Bett, John Borton, Edward Hardley and John Holcroft, (poor laborers) had their goods taken by distress for a fine of four shillings each, imposed for four weeks' absence from their parish church." In the year 1674, Oxfordshire; taken by distress for meetings this year, from John Holcroft, John Borton and Thomas Mercer, 1 pound, 15 shillings. From a search made in Friends' 1<.ecords, London, it is probable that John, the immigrant, with Ann, his wife ,were the only converts to the Friends' faith in the Borton family; and being persecuted not only by the established church of England, but possibly by members of his O\vn family, he sought a home and refuge in the new country. He became a Friend, as shown above, many years prior to immigration; and the dates of births of all of his children except the youngest daughter, who was born in America, are to be found in Friends' Records of Eng land. There are Bortons who still reside at Aynho and vicinity, and all Bortons in America, so far as known, descended from John and Ann; and the ancestry in all cases has so far been traced back to these pro genitors. In Samuel Smith's History of the Colony of New Caesaria, or New BORTON FAMILY Jersey, 1765, page 151-152, "Transactions of the Assembly of \Vest New Jersey, Session 1682, 1st to rrth, 1 mo.," states that John Borton was chosen in connection v,·ith \Villiam Brightwen for constable of London tenth. John Borton in his will left his sons, John Jr. and William, shares which he owned in the above named tenth. Throughout the county of Burlington, a tenth of land was considered as 32,000 acres and the inhabitants thereof were entitled to ten representatives in the General Assembly of \Vest Jersey, which Assembly was empowered to appoint persons to fill all public offices from Counsellors to Constable. We have been able to trace the genealogy of the Borton Family, in America, back to John Borton and Anne, his wife, who came from the Parish of Aynho, Northampton county, England, in the year 1679, in company with several families of Friends. In this company of Colonial Immigrants were the progenitors of the Gardiner, Moore, Prickitt, Evans, Collins, Engle, and Troth families. John Borton, with Anne, his wife, and seYen children, two boys and five girls, settled at Hillsdown, on the Northampton River, now known as Ran cocas Creek, New J ersesy.