The
Puritan Migration
in the early 1600's brought some 20,000 immigrants to New England. Displeased
with the English church and desperate to freely practice their religion,
entire families endured the long and dangerous journey to the New World.
Among those immigrants were at least
two of our ancestors.
Eighth Great Grandfather
Jasper Crane
was born in England in 1602 and settled in the area now known as Boston
sometime between 1630 and 1637.
In 1639, Jasper joined a small English
colony in what is now the state of Connecticut. The New Haven Colony was
created in 1637 by a group of London merchants and their families, led by
Puritan minister John Davenport.
In that same year, colonists held a
meeting in
Robert Newman's barn and
crafted the
Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony.
This agreement was an early attempt to
define the organization and laws of a self-governing, religious community.
Jasper Crane
signed
the agreement and took an oath of fidelity on June 4, 1639.
A surveyor by trade, Jasper laid out
the New Haven town plot, located grants and established division lines.
Eighth Great Grandfather
Robert Treat
was born in England in 1624 and came to New England with his family at the age
of six. By 1639 Robert and family were living in the New Haven Colony town of
Milford.
Over the next 10 years, both Jasper
Crane and Robert Treat rose to prominence in their communities; Robert, in the
town of Milford and Jasper in the town of Branford.
But the New Haven Colony faced
significant challenges. The rocky soil made farming difficult, the isolated
location was a barrier to trade, and the colony was under military threat from
the larger, stronger Connecticut Colony.
In 1662, a Royal Charter was issued to
Connecticut and in 1664 New Haven was absorbed into the Connecticut Colony.
Dissatisfied with the union, the
original New Haven colonists resolved to leave.
In the spring of 1666, Robert Treat
along with Jasper's son Azariah, led 41 families to the Province of New Jersey
in search of a new home.
On October 30, 1666 Jasper and his sons
John and Delivered were among those signing an agreement outlining a proposed
new settlement upon the Passiac River.
The preliminary name of the settlement
was "New Milford", but it was later changed to "New Ark", then shortened to
"Newark".
On January 20, 1667 Jasper Crane headed
the list of signers and church members of the first Church at Newark and
became one of the most influential members of the settlement.
An experienced merchant, surveyor and
magistrate, Jasper became the first President of the Newark Town Court and the
first Deputy to the General Assembly of New Jersey.
Also in 1667, Jasper's son and our
Seventh Great Grandfather,
Azariah, was married to Mary, the daughter of Robert Treat. Azariah Crane is also known as
the founder of
Montclair, New Jersey, which was formerly Cranetown.
Jasper Crane died in 1680.
Robert Treat returned to Connecticut in
1671 where he served as governor of the colony from 1683 to 1698. He died in
Milford in 1710.
POSTFACE
Much has been written about both Jasper Crane and Robert Treat.
Here are a few of the publications researched for this brief article:
- Genealogy of the Crane Family
- The Crane Family
- Rockaway Records of Morris County
- Narratives of Newark
- First Church in Newark
- Recalling the Long, Lustrous History of the Old First
- Connecticut Crane Connections
- Montclair History Center: Crane
- Records of the Colony of New Haven
- Papers of the New Haven Historical Society
- History and Genealogy of Westfield, NJ
- Chronicles of America: New Haven
- New Jersey Founders
-
Society of Colonial Wars
Even today, family historians scour newly digitized copies of old library
books, looking for additional details.
Here are a few examples: