Notes for: Judith Bodine
August 12, 2022: Spurred on by some recent emails from Ann Messecar, it seems like we can tentatively add Judith Bodine as a daughter of John Bodine and Mary Crocheron. She is in the area of this Bodine family where there was no other Bodine family and she was of the age of their children. I don't know who else could have been her parents. Anyway, take this addition with a grain of salt. I think, however, that this is the most likely solution to who this Judith Bodine was. Notice that her brother Abraham Bodine did have a daughter named Judith. And saying she died "after 1753" doesn't narrow things down much.
Many places online say Judith was born in 1686 or about 1686. My guess is that they are looking at the birth of her first children with Jacques and a possible marriage date of 1714 and just extrapolating from that a birth year of 1686. I don't see any clear source for 1686 yet. I have also seen where one says she died at age 67 after 1753 making her birth date maybe about 1686. I don't see any source for that age at death, though.
An item of interest that Ann Messecar found can be seen in images of the signature of "˙an Boidin" in the 1683 Staten Island Deed Book B, page 7 and the mark of his probably daughter, Judith/˙udith in 1733, SI Deed book D, page 20. It is not quite clear in the copy of the original what Judith's mark said, but it might have just been the ˙ in place of her name. This use of a ˙ character would seem more Dutch than French. Just a note of interest.
I see some people give Judith's birth date as July 8, 1693. That is based on the grave of Judith Mersereau in the Woodrow United Methodist Cemetery in Richmond County, NY. Her grave says, "Here lyes the body of Judith wife of Paul Mersereau who departed this life on the 16th day of Sept. 1767, age 74 years, 2 months, 8 days. However, I don't see any good evidence that the Judith that Paul Mersereau married had to be Judith (Bodine) Poillon. Somebody seems to speculating on the maiden name of his wife Judith. In fact, several places say he married her in 1714 in France. That, of course, makes no sense whatsoever.
From the information below, one would need to see Paul's will to see if there is anything in there that shows some link to Judith (Bodine) Poillon. I did find something on his will at:
http://www.oocities.org/gesawyer/mercereau.htm
iii Paul Mercereau #31330 born Abt. 1698, Staten Island, Richmond Co, NY, Occupation: Shipwright, married Judith Bodine #23015, born 8-Jul-1693, died 16-Sep-1767. Paul died 10-Dec-1777, (will proved). Paul's will mentions his cousin, Daniel Mersereau, son of sister, Elizabeth; his brother, David; his cousin, David, son of brother, David; his cousin, Daniel, son of brother David; his cousin Mary La Tourette, daughter of sister, Mary, deceased; his cousin John La Tourette; witness, Henry La Tourette. I don't see anything about Judith at all in his will that would lead me to think she was a Bodine.
According to the info above, Paul was the son of Joshua Mercereau and Marie (Chedaine) Chadeayne.
The following information comes from page 34 of the NYGBR (1980), v. 111. It has some info on this Judith; however, there are no sources:
Posted by: Rae Graham
Date: March 05, 2006
In Reply to: Judith Bodine, b. 1695, Staten Island by Dena Rae Sabin
Judith Bodine b 7/8/1693 France d 9/16/1767 S.I. m James Poillon and then after his death (James Will proved 5/3/1733) m #2 Paul Mercereau b 1691 d 12/10/1777 S.I.
I have a summary of James's Will wherein he names his wife judith and their nine children. I also have Paul's genealogy line (no children) and Will. Judith having died before is not mentioned.Do you have info on Judith's parents?
From: Ann Messecar [annmess28 at yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2022
Subject: Re: Bodines on the SI Census: Judith
Answering piecemeal.
I believe Judith Bodine is a sibling of the other John Bodine of Bethune's children mostly because she is a sponsor for Jacob Bodyn and Lysbeth Sebring's child, Jacob. Baptized 5 April, 1719 at Raritan, Somerset County, NJ. Sponsors Jacob and Judie Poljon. This was right about the time Judith married Jacque and became the stepmother to his 3 daughters by his 1st wife: Mary, Catherine and Hester. (As seen in the Will of Margaret LeCount).
Also, Jacob/Jacque Poillon appears to acquire the property once belonging to John Bodin, listed next to Petrus Tessenmaker. On 22 May 1722, Jacque Poillon says John Bodin's property (applied for 1694 and approved in 1708) is now vested in him (Jacque). Jacque also acquired the Tessenmaker property.
I have seen a date of 8 July 1693 based on a tombstone of a Judith Mercereau, who was said to have married Paul Mersereau after the death of Jacque Poillon. But that has never been confirmed.
It is possible that Judith was so young when her mother died, a neighboring family took her in. Perhaps her possible brother, Abraham Bodin, also remained on Staten Island until 1722 when he purchased 60 acres in Piscataway, NJ from Elizabeth Marlett, widow of Abraham Marlett?
Ann
Judith Bodin is a witness to three baptisms at the Dutch Church of Staten Island:
.....On Sept. 1, 1734 for Marie, the daughter of David La Tourette and Catherine Poillon.
.....On Sept. 8, 1734 for Denys, the son of Denys van Tuyl and Neeltje Croesen
.....On March 26, 1738 for Jaques, the son of Daniel Stilwell and Marie Poillon.