Descendants of Captain William Dare of NJ and Lyme Regis, England

1. Captain William Dare,¹ ² ³ ⁴ son of Nicholas Dare and Rachel ... Dare, was born before 11/1/1655 in Lyme Regis, Dorset, England,^{¹ ² ³} died bet 3/15 and 21/1719/20 in Nantuxit (Newport) Or Back Neck, Salem County, NJ,^³ and was buried bet 3/15 and 21/1719/20 in Nantuxit (Newport), Salem County, NJ.^³

The progenitor of the Dare family in South Jersey was Capt. William Dare, who emigrated from the county of Dorset or Somerset, in the south of England, to Nantuxit in what is now Cumberland County, NJ.

In 1682 a William Dare built the "Blue Anchor" tavern in Philadelphia, which became the headquarters of William Penn on the occasion of his landing in the New World. There is some debate over whether the owner of the Blue Anchor was our William Dare or another one, and prevailing thought is that it was not our William Dare. Evidence recently brought to light indicates that there were at least two other William Dares living at the same time. One William Dare, Sr. left a will in Cecil Co, MD dated 1719, indicating that Robert Smith and William Dare of West Jersey still owed him money. So this William Dare may have been a cousin to have known him that well from such a distance.

There is a legal document in Philadelphia indicating that all his debts were paid to a William Wright of Boston by the 26^th of June 1693.
Another William Dare from Williamsburg established businesses in Maryland and Delaware, so he may have been the owner of the Blue Anchor Inn.

On Aug. 3, 1695, our Captain William Dare bought one hundred acres of land in Back Neck, Fairfield township, and by March 19, 1696, he had surveyed for him, one hundred acres of cedar swamp on Lebanon Branch, about five miles east of Bridgeton. Cedar was very important for building homes, since it was not subject to the level of infestation or rot as other wood. It was the preferred building material for homes and barns. Today, one can only imagine how great smelling a home completely built of cedar would be. When one thinks of this, it gives new meaning to the phrase "Home, Sweet Home."

He is called "mariner" in some of the early conveyances. He was a man of good education and fine penmanship, and became one of the leading men in this community. He was appointed sheriff of Salem County by Governor Cornbury (first governor of NJ), Dec. 9, 1703, and reappointed Sept. 13, 1704. He was also appointed Ranger for Salem County in 1704, appointed Captain of a company of militia in 1706, and appointed Justice of Salem County Court in 1707. He was reappointed as Justice in 1708 and by the second governor of NJ in 1710.

He was a large land-owner, among his purchases being two hundred acres of land at Autuxit (the region around what is now Newport), where he finally settled, and died there in 1720. He left a widow, Constant Dare, and children, William (II), Benoni (see notice of James Dare), Elizabeth, Constant, Sarah and Robert.
(History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem and Cumberland, New Jersey with Biographical sketches of their Prominent Citizens, Thos. Cushing, M.D. and Charles E. Sheppard, Esq., p. 625)

About 1700 he became owner of two fifty acre tracts composing a part of a farm northeast of Elmer's mill-pond. His grandchildren eventually settled in this area east of Bridgeton that is still today called Indian Fields. The last Dare on this farm was David Dare who died in April 1863. We have some maps that were drawn by early researchers showing where the Dares lived in Indian Fields.

More research needs to be done to see if any of the women they married were indeed Native Americans, as there were many Indian wives married to families in that area.

He is mentioned in another book on Queen Anne's War: "New Jersey In The Colonial Wars" by The Hon. Richard Wayne Parker. Published: The New Jersey Society of Colonial Wars, 1919.

Colonel Daniel Cox of Burlington County, NJ.,Captain William Dare of Salem County, NJ, Captain John Harrison of Piscataway, Major Lockhart of Hunterdon and others participated in Queen Anne's War. This data was taken from the "Book of Commissions, Volume AAA PP.6, 11, 53, 181, et Passim.

In 1683, Captain William Dare sold 50 acres of ground (called "Kuldry") to David Sheppard, Sr. upon his arrival in Cohansey. David Sheppard (Sheepherd) purchased land on the south side of the Cesaria (Cohansey) River, Salem County, West Jersey.

1695 - purchased 100 acres in Back Neck, Fairfield Twp
1695 - 100 acres of Cedar Swamp was surveyed to Captain Dare
1695 - Sale of 100 acres to Joseph Bacon.
1696 - Sold 50 acres to David Sheppard.
1696 - Sold 50 acres to Jame Royley.
1697 March - Sold 90 acres in Lebanon to Leonard Bereman (Berriman).
1697 June - Purchased 100 acres in Back Neck from Leonard Bereman.
1697 - Purchased 800 acres from James Reed (Read), through an attorney.
1697 - Sold 100 acres at the head of river Tweed to Thomas Kyllingworth.
1697 - Purchased 100 acres of cedar swamp from Edward Houloke
1699 - Sold 100 acres to Benjamin Davis.
1699 - Sold additional land to Benjamin Davis.
Purchased land from Samuel Hedge on Back Neck River,
1698 - Sold 100 acres purchased from Bereman near Cohansey River to Edmond (or Edward) Shaw.
1709 - Sold 100 acre Houloke lot to William Dare, Jr.
1710 - witness on the transfer of two deeds to 50 acre lots in Indian Fields from Garrett Garrison to his son William Dare.
1711 - bought 50 acres from John Champney.
220-Q of Wills. Sec. of State, Trenton N.J. Capt. Wm. Dare b. abt. 1655 d. 1719/20

WILL OF WILLIAM DARE
In the name of God, amen.
I, William Dare, of Nantuxit in the County of Salem in ye Province of West Jersey, being in health and perfect memory do make this my last will and testament as followeth, first I give and bequeath my soul to God. Body to be decently buried and after my just debts are paid I give and bequeath unto Constant Dare my ever loving wife during her natural life or widowhood my plantation I now live on with all its appurtances thereunto belonging with all the rest of my personal estate and after her death what is then left to be equally divided between Elizabeth Dare, Constant Dare, Sarah Dare, Robert Dare, they living; a cow and a calf to my granddaughter Constant Dare. Item I also give and bequeath unto my son William Dare all my estate Royall and personal in England in the County of Dorset in Lyme Regis and in the County of Somerset called by the name of Yaul to him and his heirs forever. Item I also give unto my son Benoni Dare my land and marsh in Turkey Point joining to ______ _______ line and fifty acres of cedar swamp on Muskeegut to him and his heirs forever. Item I give unto my son Jeremiah Nixon fifty acres of Beaver Swamp on the upper part of Muskeegut to him and his heirs forever. Item I give unto my son Robert Dare my house and land I now live on with all the appurtenances thereunto belonging after the decease of my wife, to him and his heirs forever, consisting of 100 acres and for the true enforcement of this my last will and testament I do otherwise nominate and appoint my son William Dare and Constant Dare my wife executor and executrix in executing of this my last will and testament as witness my hand and seal this 15th day of March 1719/20.
Stephen Halford
Rob't Hood
James Paget
Item I give and bequeath 50 acres of cedar swamp to John Ponter at Black Water for him and his heirs forever.
Item I give and bequeath to my son Robert Dare and grandson William Dare 50 acres of cedar swamp at Buckshutem to be equally divided at death of my wife between them and to them and their heirs forever.
Signed in the presence of us: Stephen Halford, James Paget, Robert Hood

Isaac Garrison remained in Fairfield Township and left many descendants. Garrett Garrison moved to Deerfield Township by the year 1700, as is shown in an original unrecorded deed in possession of the writer. This deed calls him of "Daresfield near Cohenzy" and is dated September 8, 1700. Garrett then lived on the Indian Fields Tract, just east of and now a part of the city of Bridgeton. This place has long been known as the Dare farm, having been purchased by William Dare from Garrett Garrison on November 18, 1710.

Capt. William Dare, a mariner, bought 800 acres on what was known as Smith Island. Benjamin Davis purchased a 100 acre portion of this land from Capt. William Dare, along the shore at Sea Breeze and the point of land that is now known as Ben Davis Point. On one of the lots in Back Neck, near Sea Breeze, Ben built a three story house in the year 1699. The deed for the property dated May 1, 1699 said that Benjamin was a weaver. Benjamin named his place "Sea Breeze."

• Alt. Death: Alt. Death Nantuxit, Salem County, NJ, Aft 3/15/1719/20. ² ⁴ ⁵

• Notation: Since there are two schools of thought on the exact date of birth and death dates, I thought I would include them both and add sources as I line them up.

• Property: Also had property in Somersetshire according to Clara Dare Ettinger.

• Property: south side of the Cohansey River (Lebanon), Salem County, NJ, 8/3/1695. ⁴

• Property: more land on the south side of the Cohansey River, Salem County, NJ, 1/14/1695/96. ⁴

• Property: land along the Morris (Maurice) River, Salem County, NJ, 3/17/1696/97. ⁴

• Property: more land on the south side of the Cohansey River, Salem County, NJ, 6/17/1697. ⁴

• Property: more land on the south side of the Cohansey River, Salem County, NJ, 9/28/1697. ⁴

• Property: more land on the south side of the Cohansey River, Salem County, NJ, 4/13/1699. ⁴

William married Constant Warwick ³ ⁴ about 1684.³ ⁴ Constant was born about 1660 in , Somerset County, England ^{³ ⁴} and died after 12/1721 in Nantuxit (Newport), Salem County, NJ.^³ Another name for Constant was Constant Warwick Dare.⁴

• Notation: husbands estate probated in Burlington, West Jersey with her name mentioned.

+ 2 M i. William Dare, Jr. ⁴ ⁶ was born about 1686 in Lyme Regis, Dorset, England ^{⁴ ⁶} and died after 2/2/1747/48 in , Salem County, NJ.^{⁴ ⁶}

+ 3 F ii. Hannah Dare ³ ⁴ ⁷ was born in 1688 in Lyme Regis, Dorset, England and died on 1/2/1755 in NJ, USA at age 67.

+ 4 M iii. Captain Benoni Dare ⁴ ⁸ was born about 1695 in , Cumberland, NJ ^{⁴ ⁸} and died before 8/13/1770 in Greenwich Twp, Cumberland, NJ.

+ 6 M v. Robert Dare ⁴ was born in 1702 in , Cumberland, NJ,^⁴ died about 8/21/1772 ^⁴ about age 70, and was buried on 8/22/1772 in Presbyterian Cemetery, Deerfield, Cumberland, NJ.^⁴

Sources

6. Mary Sheppard, Mary Sheppard Tress (material of, Charles, E. Sheppard, originals), 468.

7. Cumberland NJ Genealogy Data (H. Stanley Craig, Gloucester Hist Society, reprint 1981), p201. Repository: Not Given.

8. Roberta June Hitchner, Roberta Hitchner Erichson (Personal Notes, including, DFH), #188.

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Descendants of Captain William Dare of NJ and Lyme Regis, England

First Generation

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