Notes for: John Bodine
A possible source for this family is "More Palatine Families," by Jones, H. Z., page 75. A contact for a web site is William L. "Toby" Dills, Jr. at tdills at ici.net. See the Dills site at www.my-ged.com.
I did have that this John Bodine was baptized on January 19, 1754. I found a John Bodine listed in the Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files (v I:A-E, p. 311) who must be this John Bodine. According to the pension file, that John was born on December 20, 1754. He lived in Somerset County, New Jersey at the time of the Revolutionary War. His children are listed as Elshe (Bodine) Cronce, Garret, Frederick, Mary, and Anna. This would match this John Bodine, son of Frederick Bodine and Elsie Bogart, perfectly. The pension file also says that that John Bodine married his wife Mary in the spring of 1776 at the home of a John Bogart. For now, I will assume that these two John Bodines are the same person. More investigation should be done to confirm it, though.
The whole abstract of his pension file says this:
BODINE, John, Mary, W259, NJ Line, wid appl 16 Jun 1843 Warren Cty NJ aged 89 a res of Oxford NJ, sol (soldier) lived in Somerset Cty NJ during the war, m in spring of 1776 at the hom of John Bogart at South Branch in Somerset Cty NJ, sol d 8 Aug 1806, family records, sol was b 20 Dec 1754, children were; Elshe (Bodine) Cronce b 23 Apr 1777 & she signed aff'dt on 2 Jul 1845 a res of Hunterdon Cty NJ, Garret b 6 Sep 1781, Frederick b 17 Oct 1784, Mary b 8 Apr 1754 & m Jacob in Jan 1820 & he was b 25 Oct 1798, Anna b 7 Jun 1798, sol's grandchildren & children of Anna & Jacob Rowan were; Mary Bodine Rowan b 30 Sep 1820, Juliann Rowan b 31 May 1823, John Rowan b 29 Mar 1825 & Betty Rowan b 9 May 1829 also shown was Lorenzo Houseworth b 16 May 1815 but no relationship stated.
The abstracts were compiled by Virgil D. White and published by The National Historical Publishing Company: Waynesboro, TN. 1990.
I later looked at this pension file myself and wrote down some more notes:
PENSION FILE #W.259 Mary Bodine, widow of John Bodine
Item: Declaration of Mary Bodine of Warren County, New Jersey in order to obtain the benefit of the 3rd Section of the Act of Congress of July 4th 1836.
This declaration was written in Warren Co., NJ on June 16, 1843. Mary was eighty-nine years old and a resident of the Township of Oxford in Warren County. She says she is the widow of John Bodine, formerly of Somerset County, more recently of Hunterdon County, deceased. She believes he was a private in the Rev. War, but she can't remember too many details about his service. He lived in Somerset County at the time of the War. She says he was frequently gone due to his tours of duty. When he got back, they would talk about the dangers he had been through while gone. He served in the War from the beginning to end. She goes on to discuss some of the battles he was in. Mary was afraid they might have spelled John's last name incorrectly in the records. She says they had always spelled it "Bodine" and that her Bodine family was the only one that she knew of in Somerset County. Her signature is on this document (as it is on several others).
Item: Page from Family Bible
There are two pages from their family Bible in this file. The following dates are listed:
Births:
John Bodine born 20th Dec. 1754
Garret Bodine was born 6th Sept. 1781
Frederick Bodine was born 17th Oct. 1784
Mary Bodine was born 8th April 1754
Elshe Bodine was born 22nd April 1777
Mary Bodine, daughter of John Bodine, was born 7th Feb. 1787
Anna Bodine was born June 7th 1798
Jacob Rowan was born 12th October 1798
Mary Bodine Rowan was born 30th Sept. 1820
Juliann Rowan was born 31st May 1823
Lorenzo Houseworth was born 16th May 1815 (year is unclear 18_5)
Baty Rowan was born 9th of May 1829
Marriages:
Anna Bodine was married to Jacob Rowan 1st Jan. 1820 (the day is unclear) This letter is from Hunterdon County and was written on July 2, 1845.
Note: It's strange that Mary Bodine is noted as the "daughter of John Bodine." Why would this be noted like that? It made me curious. So I looked in my data for a Mary Bodine born in 1787. There is one. She is Mary Bodine, daughter of John and Lemme Bodine. She was baptized at the Conewago Dutch Colony on March 25, 1787, four months after her father, John, had died. Conewago is in the York/Adams County area of Pennsylvania (south-central region). So Mary, baptized March 25, was probaby born in March or February of that year - about the same time that the Mary in the Bible record was born! Another strange thing is that Mary Bodine (b. 1787) was not even listed in the abstract of the pension file. I wonder if someone else also thought that she might not be John and Mary's daughter. Lemme Bodine eventually worked her way from southern Pennsylvania to New York where she died. Is it possible that Mary Bodine (b. 1787) from the Bible record above somehow went from Pennsylvania back to New Jersey? I'm sure it is. After all, the Conewago Dutch colony originally came from New Jersey. One more note about John Bodine from Conewago. It's possible that he could be the infamous "Col. Bodine" mentioned in some records from the Northumberland County, Pennsylvania area. Here is a note I have on him, "John Bodine was an officer in the 4th Battalion, York County Military. He was a lieutenant in 1779 and a captain in 1784 (see PA Archives, series 11, v. 14, page 517)." He was from Somerset County, New Jersey as is the John Bodine from this pension file. There is probably some family relation. Maybe they are cousins.
Item: This is a letter from Elshe Cronce in regard to her mother's case. This has to do with family records which prove that Mary and John did marry. This seemed to be something Mary had trouble proving to the government. Elshe says she was the oldest child of John Bodine. She says that she had in her possession, and had had for thirty years, a book called "Scott's Essays" which have a record of the ages of her father and mother and all their children. (The word "Essays" is written in over the top of another word "Lessons" which is crossed out.) This correction does appear to be original.
Item: Small slip of paper. This appears to be a receipt with John Bodine's signature on it.
I think it says the following:
"Captain Danike please to let
the bareer (sp?) hereof receive the pay for the
time that I have been under you at bergan
if for doing your will ably (sp?) your frend
......................................................John Bodine
Note: The name "Danike" is probably supposed to be Ten Eyk. I believe John served under a Jacob Ten Eyk.
Item: What appears to be a receipt from the state of New Jersey to "John Bodyne" for military service. The date on this is May 10, 1784. Note the spelling of John's surname.
End of pension file info that I looked at.
From Ronny Bodine:
John Bodine was born 20 Dec 1753 and baptised 19 Jan 1754 at North Branch (now Readington) Dutch Reformed Church, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. His will of 23 July 1806, describing him as a resident of Alexandria, Hunterdon County, was proved 30 Aug 1806. Therein, he named his wife Mary, a daughter Mary, "lately married," and made reference to "sons and daughters." The will was witnessed by Philip Case, Hannah Warne and John Taylor. An inventory of his estate was taken 26 Aug 1806 (New Jersey Archives, Series 1, 40: 35). John Bodine, according to declarations made by his widow, lived during the Revolutionary War in Somerset County, New Jersey where he served in a militia company during the entire war. She reported that he fought at the battles of Trenton (25 Dec 1776), Monmouth (28 June 1778) and Springfield, among others. Married in the spring of 1776, at the house of John Bogart, in North Branch, Somerset County, New Jersey to Mary (Dilts ?). Mary was born 8 April 1754. On 16 June 1843, Mary Bodine, a resident of Oxford Township, Warren County, New Jersey made a declaration in pursuit of a pension based upon her late husband's military service. She did so again on 11 December 1845 in Essex County, New Jersey, and furnished evidence from the family Bible (Revolutionary War Pension Application W. 259). In 1850, Mary Bodine was living with her daughter, Anna Bodine Rowan, in Newark, Essex County. The pension was approved 15 January 1851 to be effective from 4 March 1848 at $20 per year. On 7 Jan 1851, Mary Bodine, age 99, of Newark, Essex County, was administered an oath by Henry Hedden, J.P. to obtain benefits of the Act of Congress of 2 Feb 1848.
[Note from Dave: The executor of John's will was Benjamin Wright, Esq. The will was recorded in Hunterdon County Wills, vol. 1, p. 160.]
From New Jersey Federal Census Records:
1850 (3 Aug) Newark, Essex County: Ann ROWANS 53 NJ, Maria 30 NJ, Beatty 21 NJ, Maria BODINE 98 NJ, 12 others.
Obituary, Newark Daily Advertiser (Newark, N.J.) of 21 April 1851.
GREAT LONGEVITY.--Mrs. Mary Bodine died in this city yesterday, having attained the advanced age within a few months of 100 years. She became a member of the Presbyterian Church of Alexandria, about 70 years ago, and in that and the Church in Belvediere, she regularly communed up to a late period. Her husband, who died some years ago, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and fought in all the principal battles in New Jersey, as well as engagements in other States.
Death Notice, Spectator (New York, N.Y.) of 24 April 1851.
DIED. At Newark, N.J., 20th inst., MARY BODINE, aged 99 years.
PENSION FILE #W.259 Mary Bodine, widow of John Bodine
Item: Declaration of Mary Bodine of Warren County, New Jersey in order to obtain the benefit of the 3rd Section of the Act of Congress of July 4th 1836.
This declaration was written in Warren Co., NJ on June 16, 1843. Mary was eighty-nine years old and a resident of the Township of Oxford in Warren County. She says she is the widow of John Bodine, formerly of Somerset County, more recently of Hunterdon County, deceased. She believes he was a private in the Rev. War, but she can't remember too many details about his service. He lived in Somerset County at the time of the War. She says he was frequently gone due to his tours of duty. When he got back, they would talk about the dangers he had been through while gone. He served in the War from the beginning to end. She goes on to discuss some of the battles he was in. Mary was afraid they might have spelled John's last name incorrectly in the records. She says they had always spelled it "Bodine" and that her Bodine family was the only one that she knew of in Somerset County. Her signature is on this document (as it is on several others).
There are two pages from their family Bible in this file. The following dates are listed:
Births:
John Bodine born 20th Dec. 1754
Garret Bodine was born 6th Sept. 1781
Frederick Bodine was born 17th Oct. 1784
Mary Bodine was born 8th April 1754
Elshe Bodine was born 22nd April 1777
Mary Bodine, daughter of John Bodine, was born 7th Feb. 1787
Anna Bodine was born June 7th 1798
Jacob Rowan was born 12th October 1798
Mary Bodine Rowan was born 30th Sept. 1820
Juliann Rowan was born 31st May 1823
Lorenzo Houseworth was born 16th May 1815 (year is unclear 18_5)
Baty Rowan was born 9th of May 1829
Marriages:
Anna Bodine was married to Jacob Rowan 1st Jan. 1820 (the day is unclear) This letter is from Hunterdon County and was written on July 2, 1845.
Item: This is a letter from Elshe Cronce in regard to her mother's case. This has to do with family records which prove that Mary and John did marry. This seemed to be something Mary had trouble proving to the government. Elshe says she was the oldest child of John Bodine. She says that she had in her possession, and had had for thirty years, a book called "Scott's Essays" which have a record of the ages of her father and mother and all their children. (The word "Essays" is written in over the top of another word "Lessons" which is crossed out.) This correction does appear to be original.
For reference, here is a list of Bodines in Hunterdon Co.,, NJ which Ronny Bodine sent me:
NEW JERSEY MILITIA 1792
By Act approved 30 Nov 1792, "every free and able-bodied white male citizen between the ages of eighteen and forty-five." Thus born 1747-1774.
Alexandria Township: Formed 5 March 1765 from Bethlehem Townshp.
JACOB BODINE (c1767-1801) parents unknown; h/o Mary Pickel. Tax 1789, 1790 (Bordine); Militia 1792.
JOHN BODINE (1754-1806) s/o Frederick Bodine + Elsie Bogart; h/o Mary. Tax 1785, 1786, 1789 \ 1790 (Bordine), 1803 (Bodeyn) 100 acres; Militia 1792.
GARRETT BODINE (1781- ?) s/o John Bodine + Mary. Tax 1803 (Bodeyn) 100 acres.
MARY BODINE. [d/o John Bodine + Mary?] Tax 1803 (Bodeyn) 38 acres.
Amwell Township: Formed 1708.
DAVID BODINE. Tax 1789; Militia 1792.
JOHN BODINE. Tax 1780, 1784, 1786, 1789: 105 acres, 1802; Militia 1792.
JOHN BODINE. Tax 1789: 16 acres.
PETER BODINE (1756-1810) parents unknown; h/o Isabella Ent. Tax 1780, 1784, 1786, 1790, 1802: 16 acres, 1803: 16 acres; Militia 1792.
PETER BODINE (1774-fl. 1850) parents unknown. Militia 1792, 1803; Tax 1802, 1803.
WILLIAM BODINE (?Married 1801 to Catherine Groonindyke). Tax 1802.
JACOB BODINE (1781-?), single man, living with PETER BODINE SR. 1802.
GAB[RIEL] BODINE, single man, living with PETER BODINE JR. 1802. [Brothers?]
Kingwood Township: Formed 1746 from Bethlehem Township.
JOHN BODINE. Father of Jacob Bodine 1806-1867. Tax 1797, 1802, 1803.
JOHN BODINE (1801/10-?): 1830 Census male 1(20-29).
WILLIAM BODINE: 1830 census males 1(20-29), 1(60-69), 1(80-89), 1(90-99); females 1(40-49), 1(70-79).
Lebanon Township: Formed c1731 from Amwell Township.
GILBERT BODINE (1763-1838) s/o Frederick Bodine + Elsie Bogart; h/o Catherine Dean. Tax 1790: 12 acres, 1803: 115 acres; Militia 1792.
Reading Township: Formed 15 July 1730 from Anwell Township.
JOHN BODINE. Militia 1792.
PETER BODINE (d. 1796). h/o Esther (d. 1800). Tax 1778: 310 acres, 1779: 310 acres, 1780: 310 acres, 1781: 310 acres, 1785: 285 acres, 1789: 284 acres, 1790: 284 acres (next 1802-no).