James Clifford

• General Notes
  • 
    He was married.
    
    "A wife was not mentioned in James's will, written 6 June 1780; but no females were mentioned in his will, and we know he had living daughters at that time. There is this puzzling statement in the Hunterdon Historical Newsletter (New Jersey), Fall 1977, page 6:40 "John Clifford [son of James Clifford] was a twenty-seven year old bachelor managing his widowed mother's farm in Bethlehem Township, Hunterdon County, at the start of the Revolutionary War [1776]." But we know that James was still living in 1780, when he wrote his will.
    
    "Most of the Clifford information of that time, at least in 1700-1782 Hunterdon County, has to do with James's brother George. There are few documents pertaining to James Clifford. Assuming James's son Charles was born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, in 1730, one would expect some early records of James in that county, as we have for George. Did James not live in Hunterdon County for most of this time? I know of no documents mentioning his occupation; presumably he was a farmer.
    
    "I can find no records of James Clifford in New Jersey prior to 1755, when he and apparently his sons George, Charles, James, and Edward were on the Subscribers list, Connecticut land claims in western New Jersey. Our James could have been the James Clifford whose ear mark was recorded in Bethlehem Township (Town meeting Records) in 1771. He was probably the James Clifford mentioned in the accounting and order books of the Grandin Fulling Mill (present-day Clinton Township, Hunterdon County), 7 April 1776 and 9 May 1777; also mentioned were George Clifford (probably #10), 16 November 1781; and Edward Clifford (#13), 8 May 1779 and 14 March 1782.42 In 1778, James's sons George, Edward, and John were taxed in Bethlehem Township, Hunterdon County, but not their father, James.
    
    "James, in his will, did not leave anything to his son Charles. This at first seems odd, but, as pointed out by Charles D. Clifford, James's will was made in 1780, at which time Charles had been in captivity for over a year. Probably no one knew whether Charles was even alive. James did remember son Charles, indirectly, in his will."
    Hugh Clifford
    
    Will of James Clifford, written 6 June 1780, recorded 11 January 1782.45
    
    IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN
    
    I James Clifford of the County of Hunterdon and Township of Bethlehem being very sick and weak in Body but of perfect sound mind and memory thanks be given unto God Calling unto mind the Mortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed once for all men to die do make and ordain this my last will and Testament so that is to say Principally and first of all I give and recommend my Soul unto the hand of Almighty God that gave it and my Body to be Buried in a decent Cristian Burial at the Direction of my Executors nothing doubting but at the General Resurection I Shall Receive the same again by the Almighty Power of God -----
    and as touching such wordly affairs wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this Life I give demise and dispose of in the manner following viz first I order my lawfull debts and burying charges to be paid.
    2-ly I give and bequeath to my son George Clifford the two mares he has had sometime past in use viz ye white and bay mares and there two colts and the cow he has had a year past and six sheep viz four ewes & two weathers
    3-ly I give and bequeath to my Grandson James Clifford son of Charles Clifford one pound hard mony
    4-ly I give and bequeath to my Son John Clifford a milch cow [a comma should be here?] and all ye rest residue and remainder of My Estate viz mony negroes horses cows sheep hogs & all _____ this which belong to me I give & bequeath to my son Edward Cliford to him his heirs and assigns for ever and I constitute and appoint My dutyfull son Edward Sole Executor of this my last will and Testament disalowing and making void all wills or Executors made or appointed by me ratifying and confirming this and no other too be my last will and testament and pronounce publish and declare this to be my last will & testament in presence of
    Elias Wickoff
    Jn Hanna.
    
    June 6, 1780
    mark
    James X Cliford
    his
    
    Elias Wickoff and John Hanna Witnesses to ye wtin Will being duely sworn on ye Evangelist of Almighty God did depose and say yt they saw James Clifford the Testator therein named sigh & seal ye same & heard him publish pronounce & declare ye wtin writing to be his last Will & Testament and yt at ye doing thereof ye sd Testator was of sound & disposing mind and Memory as fare as these deponents know & as they verily believe
    
    Sworn at Alexandria january 11 1782
    before me Jno Hanna Sg