Some time ago, I published a family tree for the Fishers of Amwell, because they figured in my article on the Hart-Taylor Cemetery. Then I began researching the area that was taken from Delaware Township and given to East Amwell Township in 1896 (A Shrinking Township, parts 1 and 2), and learned that a large part of that area was owned by the Fisher family.
This prompted me to take another look at the Fishers, and reconsider that original tree. It needed some updating.
Despite new information gained from my research into the owners of that area that went to East Amwell, I still am lacking much information on this very wide-spread family. Just to complicate things a little, the Fishers seemed fond of reusing given names, and they were lax about recording documents.
In order to make it practical to publish a Fisher tree, in the first version I stopped after four generations. This time, I’ve decided to go on to five, but I am not including the children of daughters. That would be too much. Eventually I will add the sixth generation.
Remember, that Fisher being a rather common name, there are several different Fisher Families in Hunterdon County that are quite unrelated. This particular tree concerns the family that settled in East Amwell at a very early date. Some readers may recall that I published a few articles in which one Henry H. Fisher of Sergeantsville figured prominently. He is not a member of this branch of Fishers.
Feel free to offer additions or corrections, but please do it in the comments section below so other readers can share the information.
First Generation:
(1) Johannes Peter Fisher (1698 – 1775) & Anna Maria Young (1701 – 1775)
This is the immigrant couple, who came from the Palatine region of Germany in the 1720s. After a few moves, they settled on land at the village of Rocktown in East Amwell, Hunterdon County, NJ.
Second Generation:
| (2.1) Anthony Tunis Fisher (1725 – 1800) & Margaret Elizabeth Snyder (1731 – 1799)
| (2.2) William/Wilhelm Fisher (c.1727 – 1806) & Charity Youngblood (c.1730 – ?)
| (2.3) Elizabeth Fisher (1729 – 1760) & Jacob B. Snyder (1731 – 1819)
| (2.4) Peter Fisher (c.1730 – 1816) – no further information
| (2.5) Anne Fisher (c.1733 – bef. 1836) & Christopher M. Kuhl (c.1735 – 1827)
| (2.6) Christopher Fisher (c.1730 – 1787)
| | m. 1) Mary Lequear (c.1740 – 1821), d/o Garrardus Lequear & Anetje Cortelyou
| | m. 2) Mary Young (1736 – 1821)
| (2.7) Jacob Fisher Sr. (c.1735 – c.1821)
| | m. 1) Sarah Hoppock (c.1740 – after 1788), d/o Tunis Hoppock & Antje Boss
| | m. 2) Margaret
| (2.8) Mary Fisher (c.1735 – bef. 1810) & Barnet Bellis (c.1730 – c.1810)
| (2.9) John Fisher (c.1737 – 1789) & Frances Kuhl (c.1740 – 1830), d/o Johannes Paul Kuhl & Eva Marya Case; left H.C. after marriage
Third Generation:
| (2.1) Anthony Tunis Fisher & Margaret Elizabeth Snyder
| | (3.1) Joseph Fisher (1750 – 1835) & Rebecca Blum (no further information)
| | (3.2) Mary Fisher (1751 – 1829) & Jacob Housel (1764 – 1825)
| | (3.3) John Fisher (1758 – 1826) & Mary Hoagland (c.1752 – ?)
| | (3.4) Tunis Fisher (1759 – 1832), left H.C.
| | | m. 1) Sarah Meloby (c.1755 – c.1800)
| | | m. 2) Mary Larew (c.1775 – ?)
| | (3.5) Christopher Fisher (1760 – 1804) & Charity Boss (c.1758 – ?)
| | (3.6) Margaret Fisher (1764 – 1820) & __ Stryker, removed to Baltimore
| | (3.7) Jacob Fisher (1768 – 1855) & Ann Wilson (1768 – 1839)
| | (3.8) Elizabeth Fisher (1773 – 1855) & George E. Lott (1773 – 1846)
| (2.2) Wilhelm William Fisher & Charity Youngblood
| | (3.1) Mary Fisher (1753 – 1829) & Sgt. Abraham Adrian Hagaman (1751 – 1836)
| | (3.2) Elizabeth Fisher (c.1755 – 1792)
| | (3.3) Peter Fisher (1758 – 1821) & Alice Johnson (1763 – 1821)
| | (3.4) Sarah Fisher (1767 – 1792) & Lewis Chamberlain (1750 – 1813)
| | (3.5) William Fisher (1768 – 1842) & Lucretia Slack (1771 – 1847)
| | (3.6) Ann Fisher (1769 – 1846)
| | | m. 1) Lewis Chamberlain (1750 – 1813)
| | | m. 2) Jonathan Hoagland (1778 – 1851)
| | (3.7) John Fisher (c.1770 – ?) & Sarah Prall (c.1774 – ?), left H.C.
| | (3.8) Hannah Fisher (c.1770 – ?) & Lewis Ketchum (c.1770 – ?)
| (2.6) Christopher Fisher & 1) Mary Lequear
(I have very little information on the families of Christopher Fisher.)
| | (3.1) Elizabeth Fisher (c.1755 – ?) & Daniel Griggs (c.1750 – ?)
| | (3.2) Mary Fisher (c.1758 – ) & John Hortman (c.1755 – 1820)
| | (3.3) Anne Fisher (1764 – 1856) & William Case (1760 – 1853), left H.C.
| (2.6) Christopher Fisher & 2) Mary Young
| | (3.4) Christopher Fisher Jr. (1779 – 1804) & Jane Stout (c.1780 – ?)
| (2.7) Jacob Fisher Sr. & 1) Sarah Hoppock
| | (3.1) Peter Fisher Esq. (1765 – 1829) & Anna Runk (1764 – 1850)
| | (3.2) Anna Fisher (1767 – 1851) & Caleb Farley (1757 – 1808)
| | (3.3) Tunis Fisher (1769 – ?), left H.C.
| | (3.4) Mary Fisher (1772 – 1852) & Nathaniel Wilson (1767 – 1811)
| | (3.5) Sarah Fisher (1775 – 1831) & Abraham Prall (1770 – 1851)
| | (3.6) Jacob Fisher Jr. (1779 – 1813)
| | | m. 1) Anne Anna Chamberlin (1784 – 1855)
| | | m. 2) Anna __ (1814 – 1885)
| | (3.7) John Fisher (1788 – before 1814)
| (2.9) John Fisher & Frances Kuhl
| | (3.1) Peter Fisher (c.1761 – 1841) & Deborah Warford (c.1765 – ?)
| | (3.2) Mary Fisher (c.1763 – c.1810)
| | (3.3) Paul Fisher (c.1765 – 1793)
| | (3.4) John Fisher (c.1767 – ?)
| | (3.5) Anne Fisher (c.1770 – c.1840) & Abraham Hess
| | (3.6) Margaret Fisher (c.1772 – 1858)
| | (3.7) Jacob Fisher (c.1773 – 1846)
| | (3.8) Ruhamah Fisher (c.1775 – bef. 1820)
Fourth Generation:
| (2.1) Anthony Tunis Fisher & Margaret Elizabeth Snyder
| | (3.3) John Fisher & Mary Hoagland, left H.C.
| | | (4.1) John Fisher (c.1770 – ?) & Anne Leonard (c.1780 – ?), moved west
| | | (4.2) Tunis Fisher (c.1770 – ?) & __ Coogle
| | | (4.3) Joseph Fisher (c.1780 – 1862) & Elizabeth Leonard (c.1788 – 1850, sister of Anne Leonard, above)
| | (3.4) Tunis Fisher & Sarah Meloby, left Hunterdon
| | | (4.1) George Fisher (~1775 – )
| | | (4.2) Henry Fisher (~1775 – )
| | | (4.3) Grace Fisher (~1780 – )
| | | (4.4) James Fisher (~1780 – )
| | | (4.5) Jacob Fisher (~1780 – )
| | | (4.6) Jefferson Fisher (~1785 – )
| | (3.5) Christopher Fisher & Charity Boss
| | | (4.1) Catherine Fisher (c.1774 – 1867) & William Culver (1772 – 1829), left H.C.
| | | (4.2) Joseph Fisher (c.1788 – ?)
| | | (4.3) Peter Fisher (c.1779 – ?)
| | | (4.4) Hannah Fisher (c.1781 – ?)
| | | (4.5) Tunis Fisher (1783 – ?) & Phoebe Everitt (1779 – 1870)
| | | (4.6) Elizabeth Fisher (c.1785 – ?)
| | | (4.7) Charity Fisher (c.1790 – ?)
| | (3.7) Jacob Fisher & Ann Wilson
| | | (4.1) Wilson Fisher (1790 – 1860) & Mary McConnell (1783 – 1865)
| | | (4.2) Charity Fisher (c.1792 – 1873) & Uriah Phillips (c.1782 – 1851)
| | | (4.3) Rebecca Fisher (1794 – 1873) & John Carroll Holcombe (1793 – 1882)
| | | (4.4) Abigail Fisher (c.1798 – 1863) & Hon. John Lambert (1791 – 1882)
| (2.2) Wilhelm William Fisher & Charity Youngblood
| | (3.3) Peter Fisher & Alice Johnson
| | | (4.1) Hon. James J. Fisher (1784 – 1870) & Rebecca Pidcock (1789 – 1854)
| | | (4.2) Elizabeth Fisher (1786 – ?) & Mahlon Wambough (c.1780 – ?)
| | | (4.3) Charity Fisher (1788 – 1878)
| | | (4.4) Ann Anna Fisher (1790 – 1863)
| | | (4.5) William Peter Fisher (1793 – 1876) & Sarah Wilson (1802 – 1845)
| | | (4.6) Cornelius Q. Fisher (1799 – 1887) & Gertrude Young (1803 – 1883)
| | (3.5) William Fisher & Lucretia Slack
| | | (4.1) Amos Fisher (1795 – 1856) & Mary Quick (1796 – 1835)
| | | (4.2) __ Fisher (1797 – 1811)
| | | (4.3) William Fisher (1798 – 1870) & Mary Dilts (1802 – 1881)
| | | (4.4) James Slack Fisher (1800 – 1879) & Catharine Ann Stout (1816 – 1901)
| | | (4.5) Charity Fisher (1803 – 1881) & Judiah Jedediah Higgins (1799 – 1890)
| | | (4.6) Mary Ann Fisher (1808 – 1892) & Capt. Nathan Stout (1812 – 1891)
| (2.6) Christopher Fisher & 2) Mary Young
| | (3.4) Christopher Fisher Jr. & Jane Stout
| | | (4.1) Christopher Fisher (c.1804 – 1879) & Elizabeth Stevenson (1792 – 1875)
| (2.7) Jacob Fisher Sr. & 1) Sarah Hoppock
| | (3.1) Peter Fisher Esq. & Anna Runk
| | | (4.1) Jacob P. Fisher Esq. (1786 – 1845) & Sarah Stevenson (1786 – 1864)
| | | (4.2) Sarah Fisher (1788 – 1859) & John H. Hoffman (1796 – 1868)
| | | (4.3) Ann Nancy Fisher (1790 – 1869) & Thomas T. Holcombe (1795 – 1838)
| | | (4.4) Frances Fisher (1791 – 1865) & Elias Holcombe (1793 – 1865)
| | | (4.5) Rachel Fisher (1794 – 1883) & Jacob Miller Kline (1799 – 1878)
| | | (4.6) John Fisher (1796 – 1833) & Susan Runkle (1796 – 1875)
| | | (4.7) Peter R. Fisher (1798 – ?)
| | | | m. 1) Mary Ann Honeyman (1802 – 1847)
| | | | m. 2) Francenka Lane (1823 – 1874)
| | | (4.8) Hiram Fisher (c.1800 – c.1800)
| | | (4.9) Julia Fisher (1804 – 1871) & Matthias S. Cramer (1800 – 1849)
| | | (4.10) William Fisher (c.1805 – ?)
| | (3.6) Jacob Fisher Jr. & 2) Anne Anna Chamberlin
| | | (4.1) Sarah Fisher (1801 – 1837) & Gideon Quick (1793 – 1872)
| | | (4.2) Maria L. Fisher (1803 – 1886) & John Wilson Larison (1801 – 1889)
| | | (4.3) John Chamberlain Fisher (1806 – 1874)
| | | | m. 1) Cornelia M. Skillman (1809 – 1844)
| | | | m. 2) Adaline (c.1817 – ?)
| | | (4.4) Caleb Farley Fisher (1809 – 1892) & Rebecca Ann Holcombe (1810 – 1883)
| | | (4.5) Lucretia Ann Fisher (1811 – 1813)
Fifth Generation:
| (2.1) Anthony Tunis Fisher & Margaret Elizabeth Snyder
| | (3.3) John Fisher & Mary Hoagland
| | | (4.2) Tunis Fisher & __ Coogle
| | | | (5.1) Peter Fisher
| | | (4.3) Joseph Fisher & Elizabeth Leonard
| | | | (5.1) Wilson Fisher (1807 – 1859) & Ann __
| | | | (5.2) Mahlon Fisher (1810 – 1874) & Mary Ann Stires (1811 – 1873)
| | | | (5.3) Nelson W. Fisher (1815 – 1909) & Rebecca Anderson (1813 – 1880)
| | | | (5.4) Johnson Fisher (c.1816 – 1859) & Anna Gearhart (1822 – 1896)
| | (3.5) Christopher Fisher & Charity Boss
| | | (4.5) Tunis Fisher (1783 – 1862) & Phoebe Everitt (1779 – 1870)
| | (3.7) Jacob Fisher & Ann Wilson
| | | (4.1) Wilson Fisher & Mary McConnell
| | | | (5.1) Jacob Fisher (1811 – 1814)
| | | | (5.2) Marcus A. Fisher (1818 – 1872)
| | | | (5.3) Melissa Fisher (1824 – 1906) & George R. Fox (1819 – 1906)
| (2.2) Wilhelm William Fisher & Charity Youngblood
| | (3.3) Peter Fisher & Alice Johnson
| | | (4.1) Hon. James Johnson Fisher & Rebecca Pidcock
| | | | (5.1) Charles Johnson (1832 – 1890) & Martha Rebecca Fisher (1833 – 1908)
| | | (4.5) William Peter Fisher & Sarah Wilson
| | | | (5.1) Alice Ann Fisher (1823 – 1912) & Isaac W. Matthews Jr. (1818 – 1884)
| | | | (5.2) James Johnson Fisher* (1824 – 1897) & Mary Higgins (1829 – 1871)
| | | | (5.2) James Johnson Fisher* (1824 – 1897) & Sarah E. Sutton (1835 – 1894)
| | | | (5.3) Peter Fisher (1825 – 1883) & Ann Holcombe (1827 – 1919)
| | | | (5.4) Martha W. Fisher (1827 – 1875) & Jordan Matthews (1822 – 1898)
| | | | (5.5) John G. Fisher (1830 – 1920) & Martha H. Fisher (1837 – 1906)
| | | | (5.6) Israel Fisher (1834 – 1892) & Mary Schenck Quick (1837 – 1903)
| | | | (5.7) William P. Fisher Jr. (1837 – 1869) & Elizabeth Manners (1843 – 1903)
| | | | (5.8) Sarah Lucretia Fisher (1844 – 1923) & Aaron Barcroft (1835 – 1880)
| | | (4.6) Cornelius Q. Fisher & Gertrude Young
| | | | (5.1) Maria Fisher (1823 – 1903)
| | | | (5.2) Catharine Fisher (1831 – 1851)
| | | | (5.3) Harriet Fisher (1835 – 1895) & Oliver P. Case (1833 – >1900)
| | | | (5.4) James Q.. Fisher (1840 – 1908)
| | | | | m. 1) Ida Manners (1845 – 1868)
| | | | | m. 2) Catharine A. Skillman (1839 – 1922)
| | (3.5) William Fisher & Lucretia Slack
| | | (4.1) Amos Fisher & Mary Quick
| | | | (5.1) Peter Prall Fisher (c.1815 – 1893)
| | | | | m. 1) Ann Aller (1817 – 1851)
| | | | | m. 2) Ellen __
| | | | (5.2) Fanny Fisher (1820 – 1843)
| | | | (5.3) Catharine Fisher (c.1825 – ?)
| | | | (5.4) Mary Fisher (c.1825 – ?)
| | | (4.3) William Fisher & Mary Dilts
| | | | (5.1) Mary Dilts Fisher (c.1819 – 1844) & Theodore W. Young (c.1815 – ?)
| | | | (5.2) William Fisher (c.1822 – ?)
| | | (4.4) James Slack Fisher & Catharine Ann Stout
| | | | (5.1) Nathan Stout Fisher (1836 – 1836)
| | | | (5.2) William H. Fisher (c.1838 – ?)
| | | | (5.3) James S. Fisher (c.1840 – ?) & S. Jennie Smith
| | | | (5.4) Claudius R. P. Fisher
| | | | (5.5) Ellen S. Fisher
| | | | (5.6) Rebecca S. Fisher (? – 1866)
| | | | (5.7) Caroline Stout Fisher (1841 – 1911)
| | | | (5.9) Emma Z. Fisher (1850 – 1850)
| | | | (5.10) Mary Fisher (1851 – 1863)
| | | | (5.11) Kate Fisher (c.1855 – ?)
| | | | (5.12) Claudine Fisher (c.1857 – ?)
| (2.6) Christopher Fisher & Mary Young
| | (3.4) Christopher Fisher Jr. & Jane Stout
| | | (4.1) Christopher Fisher & Elizabeth Stevenson
| | | | (5.1) Jane Fisher (1829 – 1866) & James W. Hoppock (c.1823 – 1882)
| (2.7) Jacob Fisher Sr. & Sarah Hoppock
| | (3.1) Peter Fisher Esq. & Anna Runk
| | | (4.1) Jacob P. Fisher Esq. & Sarah Stevenson
| | | | (5.1) Mary Ann Fisher (1814 – 1878) & Henry Mathews (1812 – 1886)
| | | (4.6) John Fisher & Susan Runkle
| | | | (5.1) Frances Fisher (1822 – 1870) & Derrick Sutphen (1814 – 1891)
| | | | (5.2) Jacob Runkle Fisher (c.1827 – ?) & Dinah H. Van Doren (1825 – 1890)
| | | | (5.3) William Fisher (1826 – ?) & Mary Elizabeth Sieg (1825 – ?)
| | | (4.7) Peter R. Fisher & Mary Ann Honeyman
| | | | (5.1) Margaret Fisher (c.1820 – 1844) & William Duyckinck (c.1820 – ?)
| | | (4.7) Peter R. Fisher & Francenka Lane
| | | | (5.2) Mary Fisher & Horace Lobb
| | | | (5.3) Kate Fisher & Erwin O. Blair
| | (3.6) Jacob Fisher Jr. & Anne Anna Chamberlin
| | | (4.3) John Chamberlain Fisher & Cornelia M. Skillman
| | | | (5.1) Jacob James Fisher (1828 – 1900) & Louisa Hunt (1837 – 1906)
| | | | (5.2) Anna Mary Fisher (1833 – 1901) & Capt. John Milton Bowne (1831 – 1863)
| | | | (5.3) Martha H. Fisher (1837 – 1906) & John G. Fisher (1830 – 1920)
| | | | (5.4) Thomas S. Fisher (1839 – 1850)
| | | | (5.5) Cornelia Fisher (c.1844 – ?)
| | | (4.3) John Chamberlain Fisher & Adaline __
| | | | (5.6) Jeannie Fisher (c.1849 – ?)
| | | | (5.7) James Oswald Fisher (1852 – 1917)
| | | | (5.8) Charles W. Fisher (1829 – 1857)
| | | (4.4) Caleb Farley Fisher & Rebecca Ann Holcombe
| | | | (5.1) Jacob Farley Fisher (1830 – 1897) & Emma Carver (c.1830 – ?)
| | | | (5.2) Ann Elizabeth Fisher (1831 – 1883) & Wm Frederick Holcombe (1830 – 1919)
| | | | (5.3) Martha Rebecca Fisher (1833 – 1908) & Charles Johnson (1832 – 1890)
| | | | (5.4) James Johnson Fisher (1835 – 1874) & Sarah S. Servis (1842 – 1907)
| | | | (5.5) Sarah Quick Fisher (1837 – 1907) & George Holcombe Larison (1831 – 1892)
| | | | (5.6) Emma Fisher (1839 – 1884) & John N. Golden (c.1835 – ?)
| | | | (5.7) Farley Fisher M.D. (1841 – 1891) & Ann Rebecca Sutphin (c.1848 – ?)
| | | | (5.8) Robert Holcomb Fisher (1843 – 1919) & Cornelia B. Wilson (1847 – 1926)
| | | | (5.9) Lewis Chamberlain Fisher (1845 – ?) & Christiana Nixon (c.1850 – ?)
| | | | (5.10) John Larison Fisher (1847 – 1876)
| | | | (5.11) Alida Fisher (1850 – ?) & Jacob S. Sutphin (1845 – ?)
| | | | (5.12) Maria Lucretia Fisher (1853 – ?) & Reuben Bird (c.1850 – ?)
Tracey Marcelo
May 10, 2019 @ 8:52 pm
Hi Marfy,
I don’t have much to add but I’m interested in the Mary Bellis you’ve listed above.
She married a Richard Clark and I believe she was probably born in the 1750s (not 1775) because she and Richard were already married in 1775 when Mary was named in her grandfather Peter Fisher’s will:
1775, June 19. Fisher, Peter, of Amwell Township, Hunterdon Co.;
will of. Wife, Marey Fisher, to have many goods, and she may
accomodate her children, when they come to see her, without being
interupted by my son, Jacob; and my youngest son, Jacob, is to find
pasture for her cow. My eldest son, Anthony, shall pay his mother
£6 a year, and my son, William, is to pay her £6, and my son,
Christopher, is to pay to his mother, £4. To grandson, Phillip Bellos,
£20. Grandson, Peter Bellos, £30. Mentions also granddaughter,
Mary Clark, the wife of Richard Clark, and her 2 brothers. I give
to Christopher Cool, the husband of my daughter, Anne, £150. Sons,
Anthony, William, Christopher and Jacob, are to see that the
legacies are paid. Executors – sons, Anthony and William. Witnesses
– William Rockafaller, Richard Ketcham, Israel Smith. Proved
Sept. 8, 1775.
1775, Sept. 8. Inventory, £212.1.3, made by William Rockafaller
and Samuel Corwine.
1777, Oct. 7. Account by Executors. Lib. 17, p. 236; Lib. 18, p. 689.
I don’t know what happened to Richard or Mary.
When Mary’s father (Barnet Bellis) wrote his will, in 1806, he said something a bit curious about Mary…
“…My daughter Mary’s share to be held by my son John until my daughter or her heirs call for it, and if never called for then to be divided equally between my three sons. ”
It sounds as if he didn’t know where she or her heirs were or if they’d ever return.
I’d sure love to know where she went and what happened to Richard Clark.
Marfy Goodspeed
May 11, 2019 @ 7:24 am
Thanks for this information. The Bellis family were certainly not the only ones who had no way of knowing where the relatives were who had left for the west.
Lisa Fritts
July 20, 2019 @ 5:32 pm
Hi Marfy! Thank you so much! I have been looking for more information on my 6th great grandmother, Mary Fisher b 1735 who married Barnet Bellis and bingo you have her in this tree! I really do appreciate all your research and sharing of information here! Great talk you gave a few months ago in Lambertville too. The one on researching deeds. I have discovered hundreds of ancestors here in Hunterdon County and it’s even more thrilling to discover the historic homes they built and/or lived in. Keep up the great work! And please do reach out to me if you are interested in doing a story on Fritts masonry. I have some great content I would love to share with you. They built many stone homes and barns in Glen Gardner area in early 1800s.
Barbara McGavock
September 6, 2020 @ 4:56 pm
Barnett and Mary Bellis are my ancestors too.
Philip Bellis and Alse Hummer
Harbert Bellis and Charity Smith
William Vanderbilt and Mary Bellis
Peter Vanderbilt and Mary Cooley
Stanford Vanderbilt and Catherine Warne
Edwin Thomas Roach and Helen “Ada” Vanderbilt
Robert Arnold Davis and Eleanor May Roach
Walter Donald McGavock and Barbara Lynn Davis
Bob Fisher
July 21, 2019 @ 10:27 am
Hello, Marfy,
You are spot-on when you write that there were several prominent Fisher families that settled in Hunterdon in its early years. I am a 7G grandson of The Rev. George Fisher, of Tewksbury, Hunterdon County, NJ. Rev. George Fisher was responsible for introducing the Methodist religion to Hunterdon at the turn of the 19th century, donating the land where one of the first Methodist churches now stand, in Fairmount, NJ. The Rev. George is buried adjacent to that church, with a large part of his family which may include his first wife, Hannah Hiles, and his second wife, Sarah Cooper, who each bore ten children.
I realize that your earlier article about Henry Fisher lists his mother as ” Hannah Hiler” , and that she was mother to nine children, not ten, as I write. A newspaper clipping regarding Rev. George claims that he had twenty children, ten with each of his wives, and, yet, the genealogical bible ‘Early German Settlers of New Jersey’ claims Hannah bore nine children. Whichever number is correct, that’s still a lot of kids! In addition, Hannah’s surname is debatable, as I have not yet had the fortune of finding anything of Hannah’s lineage except that her father may have been John Hiles. But I do believe Hannah is buried in the same plot as Rev. George and Sarah C. Cooper (wife #2)! The gravestone is deteriorated severely, but I recall being able to make-out the inscription back in 1986, though it could be a daughter that predeceased her parents. With regards to researching my heritage, I feel I have better luck than other Fishers may have, as I have been handed-down such things as the Fisher Family Bible (1839), copies of the Rev. George’s will, several deeds of his, along with several writings and old newspaper clippings of my ancestors… and there were many. I certainly discovered a lot about this great-grand uncle of mine from your article that I was not aware of, which tells me that more information regarding my family heritage is out there, waiting to be discovered.
The Rev. George Fisher died in 1846 at the age of 79. I have a photograph of him ( yes! A photograph, along with a ton of other stuff! ) posing with his 2nd wife, Sarah Cooper, and other family members in front of their Germantown home, taken in the mid-1840’s when photography was at its genesis. It never fails to stir-up a lengthy conversation, as you may imagine.
Thanks for a terrific column!
A loyal fan,
Bob Fisher (Robert Manning Fisher, Jr.)
Pittstown
PS: My middle name of ‘Manning’ comes from Manning Fisher, a great-grandson of the Rev. George. Manning was named after a prominent Hunterdon man, The Rev. Manning Force, close friend and colleague of The Rev. George Fisher, or, perhaps, his uncle of the same name.
MICHAEL S FISHER
September 6, 2019 @ 2:09 am
This is for BOB FISHER, Bob have you done your DNA, this could help to clear up some FISHER families. I am the 6th Great Grandson of PETER FISHER (1698-1775) by the way of his son JOHN FISHER (1737-1792) who married FRANCES “FRANKY” KUHL. With DNA I have been able to find some of those “LOST” families. One that comes to mind is TUNIS FISHER (1725-1799) his son JOSEPH FISHER (abt 1749-abt 1835) who married a REBECCA BROOM that you find in a lot of books having them move out “WEST”, which was true back in the mid 1700’s anything over the mountains! I found them in Beaver Co., Pa, near the Ohio state line. What I have is 9 know children. Info on the the two of them. 1.) JESSE FISHER (1774-1850) born and died in Beaver Co., Pa and 2.) JOHN FISHER (abt 1788-1870) born in Beaver Co., Pa and died in Berrien, Berrien Co., Michigan. First John’s family, before moving to Michigan they had a stop over in OHIO and some time after 1827 move on to Michigan (lot more on this family) Now on the JESS FISHER (1774-1850) he and his wife ELIZABETH MARTIN (abt 1776-1841) both died in New Sewickley, Beaver Co., Pa, they had 12 known children. Seems most stayed in the area. But one son, JOSEPH FISHER ( 25 Nov 1801 — 21 Mar 1867) who was born in Ohio Twp., Allegheny Co., Pa and died in East Mill Creek, Salt Lake City, Utah. This Joseph Fisher ended up going into the Morman Faith, one of Joseph Smith’s first followers.
Anyway, I had worked on this family for years and never could get a real connection, but someone from his line out in UTAH had posted their DNA on Ancestry.com, and what had was what he had. Our DNA showed we were cousins 5 cousin some what removed. Just to let you know, working on this family for a while, some had 2 to 4 wives with 22 children and those children had a lot each too.
any way, I have been trying for years to find our who this REV GEORGE FISHER is and how he is connected. Do you know who his father was, you state he died in 1846, this would give him a birth date of about 1767. Is this correct. Also, if not related who is he related to then, there was a famous HENRICK FISHER in the New Brunswick and Bound Brook, NJ, maybe he is from this family.
Mike Fisher meijigeorg@aol.com
Bob Fisher
May 26, 2021 @ 7:07 pm
Mike, I just read your reply, and am sorry for not seeing it earlier.
No, I do not ‘positively’ know who Rev George’s father or mother were, but some things I have come across lead me to believe that his father was also George, a Palatine German who came over from England about 1739, possibly landing in Philadelphia and settling in Changewater, NJ. Now that I’m retired, I plan on going to DC and doing some research into this genealogy. I’ll let you know if I have any success. Good Luck to you.
Bob Fisher