Like the Hunt and Vandolah families, the Butterfoss family was one of the earliest to settle in Hunterdon County. But where they came from or exactly when I cannot say. Butterfoss suggests a German name, but I have found nothing to confirm that. I hope there are some Butterfoss descendants out there who can help out.
family trees
Hunt Family Tree
The Hunt Family was well-known in Hunterdon County from its earliest years, both in the county as it is known today, and in the part of it that was divided off to become Mercer County. For proof of that, just check out the index for Dr. Eli F. Cooley’s Genealogy of Early Settlers in Trenton and Ewing “Old Hunterdon County” New Jersey. You will find Hunt names filling two pages there.
Quinby Family Tree
The first members of the Quinby family to settle in Hunterdon County were Ephraim Quinby and his brother Isaiah.
I have little information on Ephraim Quinby’s family. He went into debt, and his children seem to have left Hunterdon County. His brother Isaiah remained and was farm more successful.
Please add comments, additions and corrections in the Comments section, below.
The Ent Family
Hendrick Endt is said to have traveled from Rotterdam to America in 1733. He was accompanied by Rev. John Naas of the Amwell Brethren Church, his sons Valentine and Daniel, and a Catherine Endt who may have been his daughter. I do not know where he settled or when he died.
Many of the families that the Ents married into have family trees of their own published here, or else they are on my list of trees to publish in the future. I have included the children of female Ents, but not their grandchildren.
The Bodine Family Tree
This is the family tree belonging to a branch of the Bodine family that lived in or near Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, NJ. The reason I specify that is because there are many earlier branches of the family living in other parts of Hunterdon County that I am not familiar with.
As is my practice, I will include the children of female Bodines, but not their grandchildren. I will make an exception to that rule if I have written about the grandchildren in one of my articles.
Sine Family Tree
One of the early settlers in Amwell Township was Nicholas Sayn, who partnered with Johann Peter Sniter to purchase 1300 acres of the old Haddon Tract in 1748. The partners divided the property between them, and Nicholas settled down and raised a family and farmed his large property. But his son William did not wish to carry on the work, so Nicholas bequeathed his from to his nephew Honis.
The Howell Family Tree
A note on the Howell families: there were at least three separate Howell families who show up in early New Jersey records.
There is a Howell family that begins with David Howell (1657-1684) and wife Mary Herick. Their son Daniel Howell (c.1680-1732) and wife Mary Prout lived in Trenton and had nine children, none of whom seem to have established themselves in Hunterdon County, although I have not made certain of that. In any case, that family will not be included here.
The Reading Family Tree
This is an updated version of the Reading Family Tree, which was first published in 2018. It is still incomplete, as is the nature of family trees.
The Hoppock Family Tree
Johann George Hoppough and wife Anna Magdalena came from Seelbach, Germany to Hunterdon County with their six children. They settled in Lebanon Township and worshipped at the Readington Reformed Church. In 1745, “Jurey Happach” became a naturalized New Jersey citizen. The best source for information on this immigrant family is More Palatine Families by Henry Z. Jones.
Like many other family names, this one was spelled in a variety of ways: Habbaugh, Hausbach, Hopbach, Hobbach, Hoppaugh are just a few.
Rittenhouse Family Tree
The Rittenhouse Family in America has been studied at some length and genealogies have been published covering all branches in America. The earliest identified Rittenhouse was Wilhelm (1644-1708) who married Gertrude Pieters (1646-1708) in 1665 at Mulheim, Westphalia, Germany. This couple immigrated to Philadelphia shortly afterwards, where at least two children were born. Their son Garret or Gerard married Mary Shoemaker and had at least two children, one of whom was William, born in 1696, below.