Notes for: John Forman Bodine

Ronny Bodine sent me some research on the conflicting information on John Forman's birth and death dates. Sinnott, p. 172 says he was born 27 Oct 1821, but his gravestone in Williamstown Methodist Church Cemetery says 22 Oct 1821. "South Jersey : a history, 1664-1924," New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1924, vol. 3, p. 8 says he died 24 Oct 1883, whereas the same gravestone says 29 Nov 1886. Ronny tends to believe the latter was a misreading of a difficult to decipher inscription as all other references say he died in 1883, though many do not cite the day and month. Ronny had a 23 Nov 1883 date which he may have gotten from another source. As one can see, there are several options. The dates Ronny cited for his two wives match the inscriptions noted for their gravestones.

Sinnott wrote, "Mr. Bodine was elected to the Assembly from Camden County in 1864, and was State Senator from Gloucester County in 1874. Later he was justice of the peace and of the courts" (p. 172). The South Jersey Magazine article says that his widow, Gertrude, and four daughters survived him. This is where the names of the girls and their husbands come from. With his brothers, he purchased a glass factory in Williamstown, New Jersey.

I found this as http://www.jansdigs.com/NewJersey/ under the biographies for Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland Counties:

(Page 278 and 279) The earliest representatives of the Bodine family were among the band of Huguenots who fled to America to escape religious persecution and located at New Rochelle, in Westchester County, N. Y. From thence they emigrated to Staten Island, and later to New Jersey. John Bodine, the grandfather of the subject of this biography was born in Cranberry, Middlesex County, N. J., about the year 1750, from which place he removed when a youth to Burlington County, and engaged in the active pursuits of life. He married and had children, - John, Stacy, Francis, Charles, Joel, Wilson, Jesse, Daniel, Samuel, Budd S., Susan (Mrs. Wright), Mary (Mrs. Moncrief), Abigail (Mrs. Hudson), Sarah (Mrs. Allen), and Lucy (Mrs. Fisher). These children were all born in the Wading River tavern, a popular resort, of which Mr. Bodine was for a period of forty years the respected landlord, and where his death occurred in 1820 or 1821. His son, Joel was born in 1795, and twice married, first to Miss Sarah Gale, to whom was born a son, Samuel, and second to Miss Phebe Forman, whose children were, John F., William H., Isaac E., Charles J., Alfred, Henry C., and one who died in infancy. Three of this number still survive. Mr. Bodine, 1824, made Philadelphia his residence, and in 1826 removed to Millville, Cumberland Co., N. J. In 1834 he repaired to Winslow, Camden Co., N. J., which place was for five years his home, when he chose Williamstown as a more permanent abode. His death occurred in Camden, in his eighty-fourth year. John F., his son, was born October 27, 1821, in Tuckerton, Burlington Co., and spent his youth in active employment when not enjoying the limited advantages of education there afforded. After two and a half years of service in the shop of a blacksmith, he entered a glass-manufacturing establishment, and at the age of seventeen was for three years an apprentice to the art of glass blowing. He then removed to Williamstown, and became assistant to his father, receiving, after attaining his majority, a salary for his services. At the age of twenty-five he had by industry and thrift accumulated the sum of six hundred dollars, with which a partnership was formed with his father and brother. This sum formed the nucleus around, which centered a large and successful business, that of hollow-ware glass manufacturing, with which a general store was connected, and continued until his retirement in 1882. Mr. Bodine was married in 1844 to Miss Martha, daughter of John Swope, of Williamstown, and had children, Emma (Mrs. Atkins), and Phebe (Mrs. Duffel). He married a second time to Miss Gertrude, daughter of Peter Boucher, of Columbia County, N. Y. Their children are Joanna (Mrs. Garwood), and Alice. In politics Mr. Bodine is a strong Republican, and has been actively identified with the political interests of the district and county. He filled offices of superintendent of schools and freeholder each for three years, and was in 1864 elected member of the State Legislature, where he served on the committees on Railroads and Corporations, having been chairman of the latter. He was in 1873 appointed one of the county judges and officiated for five years, after which he was elected to the State Senate for a period of three years, and chairman of the State Prison and Public Grounds Committees, also a member of the committees on Railroads and Canals, Lunatic Asylums, and Industrial School for Girls. Mr. Bodine is actively interested in the advancement of the religious interests of the village, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Williamstown. He is president of the Williamstown Railroad, which he was largely in building and director of the First National Bank of Camden. He is also identified with the Masonic order, and member of Brearley Lodge, No.2, of that order.

Here is a picture of John F. Bodine and maybe his signature that I think comes from the above article. It was sent to me by Jack Jennings:

John Forman Bodine

This image was scanned from the Cornell University copy of the book (between bages 278 & 279) History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, by Thomas Cushing and Charles E. Sheppard. It was published in Philadelphia by Everts & Peck, 1883, Press of J.B. Lippencott & Co. This was republished in 1974.

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H. Keith Bodine read his tombstone as b. 10/22/1821 and d. 11/23/1883. This may have been a misreading.

A History of South Jersey, v. III, (p. 19?), by Hester, says he died on October 24, 1883.

From Ronny Bodine:

From Records of First Methodist Episcopal Church, Camden, New Jersey:
Married in Camden 14 Sept 1844 John F. Bodine and Martha Swope.

John Bodine was elected to the State Legisture from Camden County in 1864 and to the State Senate from Gloucester County in 1874. On 9 May 1870, he was elected President of the Williamstown Railroad Company, served as County Judge 1878 to 1883 and was again elected State Senator in 1883. Martha (Swope) Bodine was the daughter of John Swope. Gertrude (Boucher) Bodine was the daughter of Peter Boucher. John Bodine and his two wives were buried in Williamstown Methodist Church Cemetery, Camden County. See his biography in Thomas Cushing's "History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland, New Jersey : with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens," Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1883, p. 278-279, which includes a portrait of John F. Bodine.

Obituary, Camden Daily Telegram of Tuesday, 4 Jan 1898.
BODINE.---On January 2, 1898, at Williamstown, N. J., Gertrude Bodine, widow of the late John F. Bodine. The relatives and friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend the funeral, on Wednesday morning, January 5, at 10:30 o'clock, from her late residence, Williamstown, N.J.

The death of Gertrude Bodine of heart disease was also reported in the Woodbury "Constitution" of 5 Jan 1898 and the "Gloucester County Democrat" of 6 Jan 1898.

Mary Elizabeth Sinnott, in her "Annals...", p. 172 says he was born 27 Oct 1821, but his gravestone in Williamstown Methodist Church Cemetery says 22 Oct 1821. "South Jersey : a history, 1664-1924," New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1924, vol. 3, p. 8 says he died 24 Oct 1883, whereas the same gravestone supposedly says 29 Nov 1886, clearly an incorrect interpretation as his will was proved 6 Dec 1883.

The will of John F. Bodine, of Williamstown, Gloucester County, was written 28 July 1881 and proved 6 Dec 1883. Therein, he named his wife Gertrude, daughters Emma A. Atkin, Alice L. Bodine, Phebe A. Duffel, Joanna Bodine; grandchildren John F. B. Atkin and Martha L. Duffel; sisters-in-law Sarah Boucher and Joanna Boucher and niece Gracie Bennett, daughter of his deceased sister-in-law Anne E. Bennett. Executors were his wife Gertrude, his brother J. Alfred Bodine and son-in-law, Samuel Garwood. His estate was valued at $123,865. 12 (Gloucester Co. Wills, H: 166, Inventory Book 12: 400, File 6305H). John and Gertrude Bodine were buried in Williamstown Methodist Church Cemetery.