Notes for: John Bodine

We have gone with the idea now that this John Bodine is the son of Abraham Bodine and Anna Bice. We were thinking this for quite some time. See Ronny Bodine's Notes further below. And he had earlier written this:

Abraham Bodine lived in Somerset County, NJ thru 1791 and appears in Seneca County, NY by 1810. Son John was bapt. 30 Nov 1783 in Somerset Co. This John Bodine, with no known parents, was born in NJ and can be placed 1814 in Sussex County, NJ where his two children were bapt. at the Minisink Valley RDC's Walpeck Congregation. By 1835 he is in Lenawee County, Michigan. I have nothing left to search to try and link these two. The only issue is John, s/o Abraham was born before 30 Nov 1783 and the other John was born 1785-1786. Perhaps close enough to wonder if the second John knew exactly how old he was. If there only were a death record for this John who died between 1873 and 1880, but although there is one for his wife, there is not one for him. And since that of his wife did not name parents I would not hold up hopes that they did for him should one turn up.

This John Bodine and Jane Mapes must be the same as the John Bodine who some say married a Jane Clark. Jane's name is probably either Mapes or Clark and maybe even originally Jane Clark Mapes. One piece of evidence for this is that John Bodine and Jane "Mapes" did have a son Abraham Van Campen Bodine whose baptism date is very close to the supposed birth date of the Abraham Bodine who married Sarah Ayers.

Linda Eppinger posted this at the Bodine Family Forum:

Looking for info on the family of John Bodine and Jane Clark Bodine of Hunterdon Co NJ that move to Livingston County Michigan Jane died 24 Jan 1873 in Handy Twp. Daughter Rachael md. Isaac N. Stout in 1845.

I think John and Jane are probably the parents of the John Bodine who married a Sarah A. Stout. Here is the Census data from the 1850 Census of Lenawee County, Michigan:

Cambridge Township:
Abraham U Bodine, 40, Penn.
Sarah, 22, England
Mary, 1, Mich.

Cambridge Township:
John Bodine, 64, Laborer, NJ
Jane, 56, Penn.
Hirum, 18, Laborer, NJ

Franklin Township:
John Bodine, 30, Laborer, NJ
Sally Ann, 25, NJ
Estella, 3, Mich.

From: Nancy Conod [mailto:nconod at yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, November 05, 2004
Subject: Bodine Association - Minisink Valley Historical Society

Dave,

...

I will check through some of our records for you but it will take me a few weeks to get to it.
I did find in the Minisink Valley Reformed Dutch Church Records, 1716-1830: Baptisms
July 10, 1803 John Phresuer(Frazer) & Lena Bodine - Pheby b. 18 Sept 1802
Sept 10 1809 John Frazer & Lenah Bodine - William b. Nov 22 (no year stated)
Oct 23 1814 John Bodine & Jane Mapes - William b. Jun 15, 1814
Dec 28 1816 John Bodine & Jane Mapes - Abraham Van Campen b. May 6, 1816

...

I'll let you know what I find.

Nancy Conod
Volunteer
Minisink Valley Historical Society

Note from Dave: Minisink, I believe is in or near Orange Co., NY. These records cover several DRC churches in that area.

From Ronny Bodine (August 21, 2020):

It is here assumed that this John Bodine was the same person as John Bodine, baptized as Johannes, son of Abraham Bodiyn and Anne, on 30 Nov 1783, at Harlingen Church, Montgomery Township, Somerset County, New Jersey. This is based upon the fact of not just the closeness of their births 1783 and about 1785 and both being in New Jersey, but also that John Bodine and wife Jane's two children were baptized in 1814 and 1816 at the Walpack Congregation in Sussex County, New Jersey, being the same church where two children of John's paternal aunt, Eleanor (Lena) Bodine Frazer, were baptized in 1803 and 1809. No other Bodines were baptized there.

Baptisms: Harlingen Church, Montgomery Twp., Somerset County, New Jersey.
1783, 30 Nov: Johannes, son of Abraham Bodiyn and Anne.

Minisink Valley Reformed Dutch Church Records: Walpack Congregation, Sussex County, NJ, 1716-1830: Baptisms
Oct 23 1814 John Bodine & Jane Mapes - William b. Jun 15, 1814
Dec 28 1816 John Bodine & Jane Mapes - Abraham Van Campen b. May 6, 1816

On 6 Oct 1835, John Bodine obtained two land patents in Lenawee County at the Monroe Land Office. One was for 80 acres and the other for 40 acres, both located in Section 20, Township 5S, Range 5E.

From Michigan Federal Census Records:
1840 Franklin Twp., Lenawee County: Jno. BODINE males 1(5-9), 1(20-29), 1(50-59); females 1(0-4), 1(5-9), 1(10-14), 1(40-49),

1850 (16 Aug) Cambridge, Lenawee County: John BODINE 64 NJ laborer, Jane 56 PA, Hiram 18 NY.

1860 (30 June) Handy, Livingston County: John BODINE 75 NJ farmer, Jane 67 PA, Hiram 28 NY carp(enter).

1870 (22 June) Handy, Livingston County: John BODINE 84 NJ laborer, Jane 77 PA, Hiram 37 NY carpenter.

The 1840 census provides a good picture of the family. Of the two males, Hiram, born in 1832 fits in as the younger child and John, born in 1820 is an appropriate fit for his age group. There is otherwise no documentary evidence to confirm the relationship between the two Johns other than the fact that the family of the elder John Bodine was the only one living in Lenawee County at that time. The census identifies three girls, born 1826-1830, 1831-1835 and 1836-1840. One of these girls would be Rachel, born in 1830. Created in 1822, Leenawee County marriage records are extant only from 1867 and thus identification of the other two girls through these records is not possible.

Michigan Death Records
Jane Bodine, died 24 Jan 1873 in Handy, Livingston County, aged 81. She was married and worked at housekeeping.

Since Jane was still a married woman in Jan 1873, but John Bodine no longer appears in the 1880 census and that he was already aged 86 at the death of his wife, one may assume his death had occurred in the interim. There is no official county record of his death.