Notes
Ref#52:
He was from Hartford, Connecticut, 1646, freeman of Conn. 1658, he came
with others from Milford, Conn. and they founded on the Passaic River,
the City of Newark. He held various offices since Newark's incorporation
1666-1713 as follows:
Surveyor and Layer out of Highways - 1670-72, 1674-78, 1684, 1686, 1688
Burner of Woods and Meadows - 1670, 1672-1673
Town Committee - 1674
Town's man - 1674, 1678, 1680-82, 1686, 1687
Wayward?--[can't read] 1673, Warner of Town Military 1673
Grandjuryman - 1676
Name is found in the list of residents who attended the first town
meeting held on Feb. 6, 1667 - at meeting a drawing of home lots was held
- he drew Lot 53.
Ref#98:
Excerpts from "Bloomfield, Old & New"
An Historical Symposium by Several Authors
Published by the Centennial Historical Committee
Bloomfield, New Jersey 1912
DAVIS
Steven Davis of the Milford group was the Davis ancestor. No record
appears concerning any grant to him of land in Bloomfield. There are many
records showing that Thomas Davis, his son, had acquired a number of
tracts in this neighborhood near the Second and Third rivers previous to
1700. A deed in the possession of the Davis family of Bloomfield, dated
November 7, 1711, in the reign of Queen Anne, conveys 111 acres in the
Eastern Division of New Jersey from Thomas Wall of Middletown, Monmouth
Co., to Thomas Davis of Newark. Which descendant of Stephen Davis was the
first to make his home on Watsesson Plain we are unable to state. Caleb,
the father of Deacon Joseph Davis, died in 1783, aged sixty-six years and
his wife, Ruth, in 1793. The Davis line in Bloomfield appears to run as
follows: Stephen, the founder, died in 1691. His sons were John, Thomas
and Jonathan. Thomas (2) who was born in 1660 and died January 26, 1738,
acquired much land in different parts of Essex County, and one of his
deeds for property further away has been mentioned. He had seven
children: Thomas, Jonathan, Stephen, James, Apphia, Sarah Ball, and Mary.
From Thomas (3) descended James (4), whose will in 1748 mentions Thomas
(4), who died in Bloomfield in 1780 and four daughters. It is this Thomas
who gave the lot for the school. From Jonathan (3), who died in 1690,
descended Caleb (4), born 1717 and died in Bloomfield 1783; and Deacon
Joseph (5), born 1753, died June 5, 1827. The children of Deacon Joseph
were Caleb, Charles, Joseph Austin, Henrietta, Abigail, Martha and Mary.
Henrietta was the last of children to occupy the old homestead, and later
a grandson, Charles M., the son of Caleb (6), resided there. Joseph
Austin was the well-known physician, who is still remembered by hundreds
of his former patients. Another line comes from Moses Davis, sons of whom
were John, Joseph and Henry.
Ref#52:
Source: Address of Colonel Jos. Davis Sears - May 11, 1936 on dedication
of the bronze tablet on Davis Homestead, Franklin St., Bloomfield NJ,
attended by the DAR, Mayor and residents, also "My Treasure House" book,
library sources.
Stephen Davis built the lst part of the house in 1676. Family tradition
has said that on the site or nearby, a loghouse or stockade was first
built. Davis family lived for many generations in the house, Charles M.
Davis, my gr-gr grandfather conducted a school in the house for many
years. Deacon Joseph Davis, Esquire was born in 1754 in this house in
that section of Newark which later became Bloomfield. [see map on web
page.] Died here in 1827.Joseph, like his father Caleb, fought in the
Rev. War. The home was a small world unto itself. 95% of the food and
clothing was produced or manufactured on the place by the Davis family
and their slaves. Davis men and men slaves did all the farmwork. The
Davis house served as a church for 3 years until the 3rd Presbyterian
Church in Bloomfield, "Church on the Green" was built. Gov. Bloomfield
was entertained in this house, as well as George Washington. The charter
of Bloomfield was signed in the Davis homestead living room. The Davis
family opened their house often to visitors and loved entertaining
people. In the cellar of the church, although the entrance is now
bricked - exists a long underground tunnel. Family tradition says it
served two purposes: l) Underground Railroad. Slaves were taken through
it at night and another entrance was located on the main street and then
they were taken to the Orange Mountains. [this tunnel exit was exposed
when a workman discovered it in the 1900's] 2) The British often
terrorized families - it was a place of hiding for Davis women &
children. Joseph and Caleb both were Rev. War. soldiers. At one time
Joseph was captured and later released during a prisoner exchange. The
Davis homestead was converted into restaurants and a tea house thru the
years. Today it is called "Bloomfield Steak and Seafood House". In order
to receive a liquor license, the entrance had to be changed because of NJ
state laws stating liquor could not be served facing the entrance of any
building that had been a church at one time. The walls are several feet
thick - used as a fortress against hostile Indians. Tiny windows used to
show through the foundation walls, so a rifle could be shoved through
them during a possible raid. My grandmother, Alma Davis [McDowell] was
the last Davis to be born in this home. Submitted by: Judy Gluck
Ref#52:
Hi Cousins,
As much as I don't believe in Halloween - I just thought you'd enjoy a
ghost story about some of your ancestors. We took a quick vacation day -
in the rain to Bloomfield, New Jersey. It poured & poured - any pictures
I took at the cemetary have big spots of rain drops & that was through
the umbrella. Will be getting back to you more about that later. Well,
we had lunch at the Davis homestead on Franklyn Street. Originally, there
was believed to be a log cabin that the original Davis settlers descended
from Stephen who came with Edward Ball group from Milford, Conn built.
The Davis homestead is several feet thick - used as a barricade for
defense for possible Indian raids. The cellar windows would have tiny
port-hole type windows where a rifle could be poked through. This
historic house is special to me as all my direct descendants starting
with my grandmother and back every generation for over 200 yrs. were born
in this home. Today it is known as the Bloomfield Steak & Seafood House.
We had obtained special permission by the owner to visit the cellar - it
is never open to the public and they do not show it to customers. He led
us down the old stairs & I felt like I was going back to the 16th
century. The beams were so ancient - all original. Definitely, I'm sure
our ancestors must have been much shorter & I'm only 5' 3" myself. There
before us stood an ancient wooden door & we entered the room. If my
memory serves me correct there were 10 to 15 feet of a hidden room - part
of the famous Underground Tunnel. This tunnel was used to hide the
women/children from British terrorists when they arrived in town. Later,
it was used as an underground railroad to transport slaves. Although some
records state it led to the Orange Mntns. - that is impossible. Family
tradition handed-down and other sources say it went to the main street in
town & they would then ferry the slaves to the Orange Mountains. One day
a street worker digging found part of the tunnel on the main street, but
would not go down into it. It was eerie down there in the cellar - the
beginning of the tunnel was actually room-sized - people could
comfortably live there for a short time although I'm sure it would be
stuffy. The entrance was originally hidden - probably by a dresser or
stove pulled in front of it. I also knew that the family did not "discuss
it". As I stepped over the threshold - a large boulder-type stone - I
realized I would never have this opportunity to visit here again in that
cellar.
Then I begged the owner to tell me about the ghost stories of the house.
I knew they existed, but he was most reluctant - possibly because of
business reasons. 10 or 11 years ago a patron came into the entrance [it
looks like a little hallway] and noticed an elderly lady, staring and
rocking in a rocking chair. He thought it strange and entered - puzzled
by her appearance he asked who she was. They looked at him and said that
there was no old lady. When they went back to the spot - she was gone.
The patron was reputable and very puzzled. One week lady another customer
arrived and saw the same woman. He asked "who is that lady and why is she
there" - not knowing what had occurred the week before. Throughout the
years there were other ghosts seen in the house. I found a reference
where the Davis children begged their parents on Saturday nights to go to
the back house to visit the slaves and listen to ghost stories. I
believe the old structure used as storage now in the back was originally
the slave's premises as the location is exact. [in the book: My Treasure
House by Edith [Davis] McDowell Beeken, (my gr-gr-aunt) she refers to
"Anna Dodd Davis sitting in her rocking chair"....
Well, I thought it was different! Your cousin, Judy Gluck
Ref#168:
pg. xxxiv
In the Newark Town Book -- a miscellaneous record, cheifly of the
division of the home lots among the first settlers, later conveyances,
bills of sale, etc., 1689-1728 -- there are nine wills recorded, under
the certificate of John Browne, town clerk, as to their corectness.
The first is that of Richard Lawrence, "belonging to the Towne of Newark
in East Jersey," witnessed by John Ward and ** Steeuen Davis **, and
appended is the certificate of the proof of the instrument: "Witness
sworn before me this 30th of March, 1691. Thomas Johnson, Justice."
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