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                    JOHN DISBROW

     While we do not know the exact date of John's birth,
it is easy to approximate for he was the oldest of three
children born earlier than Benjamin who first saw the light
of day in 1707.  On July 11th 1723 he witnessed the Will of
Stephen Warne so at that time he was at least twenty-one.
     Neither do we know just when he left the Gravally Ridge
Farm, but, as we shall see in a moment, by 1735 both he and
his two brothers were definitely living in Perth Amboy, John
established in his father's profession of Cordwainer and,
what with one thing and another, well on his way to affluence.
But to all the early colonists land was the real wealth
and measure of worldly success and the records reveal that
our John was not idle in this department.
     A deed of 22nd March 1737, in the 4th Yr of the Reign
of George II - "John Disbrow of County Middlesex, Cordwain-
er, for 100 Pounds Sterling is granted all that tract on
Amboy Bay in County Middlesex containing 150 acres English
measure....Beginning by the Bay at High Water mark at S.E.
of Gabriell Stolles land at Amboy Ferry to a mulberry tree
etc., etc."  Witness - Mary Disbrow & Griffen Disbrow.
     In 1738, the year before his wife Susanna's death,
we find another deed dated August 15th "between John Dis-
brow of the City of Perth Amboy, County Middlesex, Pro-
vince of New Jersey, Yeoman, and Susanna his wife, and
Griffen Disbrow of City, Province and County aforesaid.
Whereas Geo. Soster and Elizabeth his wife, by Deed of
August 18th 1730 did sell to Benj. Disbrow Jr., late of
the City aforesaid, deceased, all that tract upon the
west side of the Raritan River opposite Sandy Point....
Beginning at the meeting of two brooks...etc...and where-
as afterwards the said Benj. Disbrow died intestate and
without issue, whereby his estate in said lands and pre-
mises descended unto the aforesaid John Disbrow, his eld-

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                    JOHN DISBROW

est brother and heir-at-law...Witnesseth that said John
Disbrow and Susanna his wife, for & in consideration of
the natural love and affection which they have unto the
aforesaid Griffen Disbrow, and for the consideration of
40 pounds lawful monies of the Realm, do convey, sell etc."
     One of the lonely little stones over which Cousin
Eloise dropt a quiet tear was that of Benjamin, Jr. who
died in 1735 at the age of 28.  Beside him lies Susanna,
John's first wife, who died in 1739.  Benjamin obviously
was fond of his sister-in-law for although, as we know,
he died intestate, he did make just one request orally as
he lay dying.  He asked that Susanna be given, among oth-
er things, his Bible, a slave girl with her little boy,
and his mare - all personal things that must have meant
something to her.  We are further told that not only did
Benjamin's widow not dispute this bequest but, under date
of 23rd March 1735/6 the New Jersey Archives (Vol. XXX,
pp. 144-5) reveal that Margaret, Benjamin's widow who
had bore him no children, declines to administer the es-
tate, makes out a quit-claim to John, and releases all
rights, property etc. to John Disbrow of Middlesex County,
Cordwainer.  The Archives further reveal that on May 15th
1736 a 500 Pound bond was given by John Disbrow, Joseph
Johnson, and Griffen Disbrow of the City of Perth Amboy
to administer the estate of the late Benjamin Disbrow, Jr.
In it John Disbrow, Brother, is made administrator of
Benj. Disbrow, late of Perth Amboy, who died intestate.
The inventory of the estate runs to nearly 400 pounds,
no mean sum in those days.
     Why did Margaret waive all her rights to so consid-
erable an estate?  Moral indignation, injured pride?  I
can think of no other reasons.  Not that this concerns us
- we are descended from John's second marriage.  But it

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                    JOHN DISBROW

does give one to wonder - to use a Gallicism.
     Meanwhile John continues to increase his land hold-
ings.  "May 12th 1739 between John Robinson of Middle-
town, County Monmouth, Yeoman, and John Disbrow of County
Middlesex, Shoemaker, for 50 Pounds, 150 acres etc....
Beginning at N.E. cor. of Crawford's Farm along Crawford's
line to his Westernmost corner, thence etc. etc. to
Cheesequake Bay...thence along said Bay to where it first
began."
     Tracing further through the records as my friend Major
Bamford so tirelessly did, we find that on January 23rd
1742 was recorded from Jos. Johnson & Wfe to John Disbrow
for land upon Amboy Bay in County Middlesex containing 150
acres.  Again, the following year, appears another deed
dated 19th May from [James?] Buckman to John Disbrow for 90
Pounds for 124 acres, being part of a tract on westerly
side of Cheesequake Bay etc. etc....
     This is a lot of land.  Family legend has it that it
comprised much of the land now known as Sayerville and
stretched to the eastward till it was close to, if it
didn't actually touch the large holdings of the Morgan
family which we know as Morgan and Morganville.
     However, the really important event of this period
in John's life, from the point of view of this chronicle,
was his second marriage on October 6th 1743 to Sarah
Sharpe of Perth Amboy, South Ward (South Amboy today),
for it was from this union that our line was carried for-
ward another step.  John Disbrow and Sarah Sharpe had two
sons, John D. and Elijah.  No one seems to know for what
the "D" stood.  Elijah eventually moved to New York but
that was, of course, after the War and not before he had
served in the Militia and as a Minute Man.  We shall
hear of him briefly a little later.

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                    JOHN DISBROW

     John Disbrow died in 1771.  In his will, dated 21st
July 1770 and probated on July 27th 1771, he states -
     "I, John Disbrow of South Ward of Perth Amboy, Mid-
dlesex County do grant and bequeath to my son John D.
Disbrow, my Plantation in Amboy bounding on the Bay, the
Ferry and where he lives....To my wife Sarah during
her life, the Plantation where I live....To my son
Elijah, after my wife's death, the Plantation where I
live at Roundabout on Raritan Bay....To my daughter, Mary
Disbrow, if she lives to be married, the land at Spots-
wood and all movable property after her mother's death."
Executors - Wife Sarah & son John.  Note the term "Round-
about" which appears nearly a century later in Nicholas
Morgan Disbrow's letter of May 3rd 1842.
     John was buried, not under the apple trees on Grav-
ally Ridge but, beside Sarah, in the graveyard of old St.
Peter's Church where let us leave him while we follow,
as best we may, the life of his eldest son, of County
Monmouth, Province of New Jersey, my great-great-great-
grandfather and the grandson of Benjamin of Gravally
Ridge Farm,

                    JOHN D. DISBROW.

                        43

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