Four Squier Brothers: Soldiers of the Revolution

Jonathan Squier (1693-1789) was one of the earliest known settlers of Livingston, NJ, having purchased lands near the Passaic River from the East Jersey Proprietors in 1744. Jonathan and his second wife, Lydia Camp, had two daughters, Mary and Rachel, and four sons who were Captains in the Revolutionary War, Nathaniel, Zophar, Jonathan, and Elijah.

This plaque hangs in the The Force Home which is maintained by the Livingston Historical Society. 

An abstract of Jonathan Squier's will dated May 18, 1785. It was proved Dec. 14, 1789 two months after the death of his eldest son, Nathaniel.

Nathaniel, Zophar, and Elijah are all buried at the First Presbyterian Church of Hanover, East Hanover, Morris, NJ. 

Nathaniel Squier (1727-1789)

In Memory of

Cap't Nathaniel

Squire Who Died

Oct'r 28, 1789

In the 62 Year of

his age

You living men as ye pass by

 As you are now so once was I

 As I am now you soon must be

 Prepare for death and follow me

 

In Memory of

Nathaniel Squier

Capt Continental Line

Revolutionary War

1727  1787 

Jonathan Squier (- 1800)

 

Jonathan Squier's will was proved Feb. 2, 1800 two months before his brother Zophar's. Brother Elijah was a witness.

Zophar Squier (1731-1800)

 

Zophar Squier's powder horn is in the collection of the Ohio Historical Society. It is inscribed with the English coat of arms and "Zophar Squier, His Horn, August 1756."

 Sacred 

to the Memory 

of 

Zopher Squier

he departed this life 

the 2d day of March A. D. 1800 

Aged Sixty-Eight Years and Seven Months 

and Fourteen Days. 

Our life contains a thousand strings 

and dies if one be gone. 

Strange that a harp of thousand strings 

should keep in tune so long.

An abstract of Zophar Squier's will dated Jan. 6, 1800. The will was proved April 9, 1800. Brother Elijah, along with Joseph T. Hardy (Esq.), were witnesses and inventoried Zophar's estate.

Elijah Squier (1738-1808)

From the Centinel of Freedom, Newark, NJ, March 3, 1846:

"On the 13th Dec. 1780, Captains Isaac Gillam, Isaac Reeves, and Elijah Squier, commanding militia detachments posted at Newark. seized a considerable quantity of goods belonging to the "London Traders."  The seizure was made "at the Newark ferry-house, and Nutman's Barn." . . . The goods seized consisted of tea, pepper, silks, muslin, cambric, linen, and other dry goods. Of tea there must have been from 100 to 150 pounds if not more, valued at 8s. and 8s.6d. per pound.

The Centinenal of Freedom, Newark, NJ, March 26, 1799:

Stolen out of the stable of the subscriber, on the night of the 4th inst. a black MARE, stoutly built and well made, a natural trotter, high carriage and spirits, very ??; she has a star in her forehead, a small white spot on one of her lips, one of her hind feet white, on the bottom of hoof, a small ?? each side of her neck. Any person who will take up said Mare and Thief, shall receive FIFTEEN DOLLARS, or for the Mare only, TEN DOLLARS, and all reasonable charges, paid by ELIJAH SQUIER. 

Springfield, March 11, 1799.

 

The Squier Monument: 

 Capt Elijah Squier
born Nov. 21, 1738 died Sept 6 1808
Elizabeth his wife
born May 26, 1734 died Oct. 27, 1805
Abraham Squier
born Feb. 5, 1774 died Oct. 13, 1805
Clarissa his wife
born April 4, 1776 died April 22, 1847
Julia Ann
daughter of Abraham & Clarissa Squier
died Sept. 3, 1854
Aged 49 years

The Squier House was known to have been built before the Revolution and occupied by Squiers for nine generations. Before the house was demolished in 1977, the oldest section had been dismantled by a local resident. At the time, we were in the process of building new kitchen cabinets so my husband and I took an old painted door (yes, we did!) from the remaining pile of rubble and hung it on one of our cupboards. It is still in our kitchen after all these years and serves as a pleasant reminder of one of Livingston's oldest homes.

You might also be interested in last year's July 4th blog Soldiers of the Revolution. 

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Copyright 2013, Barbara Schaffer

It's Your Day, Dad!

My dear father, Franklin Ralph Davis (1909-1992), was the eldest child of Ralph and Maud (Hankinson) Davis of Palisades Park, NJ, and if you asked him about his ancestors he'd always answer, "I don't know, they came over on one of those early ships." Every once in a while he would tell stories about his grandmother and uncles but he never really knew much about his great-grandparents, Henry Wooden Davis and Eunice Fisk. 

He was a quiet, sincere, and well-mannered man who worked hard all of his life. He made airplane propellers during WWII, worked in a post office when I was in high school and eventually became a plant manager at Paterson Canning Company in Paterson, NJ. He kept our house well-stocked with C & C Super Coola soda :) He loved the outdoors, especially fishing, dabbled in photography, and was an avid reader. He also loved his pipes.

My father (center) with his brother, Alvin, and sister, Margaret, in 1918, the same year that he won First Honors in the Junior Four Minute Men Speaking Contest for The Third Liberty Loan in Palisades Park, NJ.

In 1927 he (3rd from left) earned a 'Varsity L' for being on the basketball team at Leonia High School. According to the year book account of the team's record: "The 1927 basketball season was a rather disastrous and uneventful one. A total of twenty one games was played. The team won seven and lost fourteen. It was the team's first year in the N.N.J. league and it wound up in last place in the league. . . The most impressive and gratifying victory for the team was its victory over Englewood. The score was 22-21. . "

 

After graduating high school in 1927, Dad went west. In 1930 he was living on a date farm outside of Cathedral City, CA.  

At the age of 21 he was a swimming instructor at the newly opened Desert Palms Club in Palms Springs but returned to NJ the following year. 

Lake Mombasha in Orange County, NY, was one of his favorite places to visit. In the winter he and his buddies would drive his Model-A out onto the frozen lake, slam on the brakes and spin around; and during the summer months he'd enjoy some serious freshwater fishing.

A true outdoorsman.

 

On a trip to Washington, D.C. he took this time exposure photograph of a bedroom at Mount Vernon and  won $25.00 in a photo contest.

My parents were married on June 14, 1936 . . .  

 . . . and spent their honeymoon in a cabin on Lake Anasagunticook in Maine. 

 

This is my all-time favorite picture. 

 

When I was growing up, we lived in a little house in Leonia, NJ, that had a brook running through the property. 

I must get my love of reading from my Dad. He belonged to the Book-of-the-Month Club and these are some of his books.

Thanks, Dad, and Happy Father's Day!

__________
Copyright 2013, Barbara Schaffer

Prizewinning Quilts and Beautiful Irises

Quilts and Irises--Perfect Together--at least for today.

The Garden State Quilters' Guild show "Sounds Like New Jersey" was this past weekend at the Mennen Sports Arena in Morristown, NJ. My friend, Rachel, and I had a great time looking at all the beautiful quilts, catching up with long-time friends, and searching for a few items to buy that were on our lists. I took pics of some of the prizewinning quilts and was thrilled to see two ribbons on my quilt, Peto Revisited :) 

One day last week I went to the Presby Iris Gardens in Montclair, NJ, to photograph their beautiful iris gardens. I was about a week too late to catch many of them at their peak but Bed 18 had Millennium Irises from 2000-present and they were gorgeous!

 

Dawn Hayes, "quilter extraordinaire" and a member of Garden State Quilters, won ribbons for each of her quilts. The Cutting Garden won Best of Show and first place in the Pieced Quilt, Hand Quilted category. It is made of silk. 

My Peto Revisited quilt won 2nd Place in the same category and a Judge's Choice Award. It was interesting to see so few reproduction quilts in the show. 

Legacy by Laura Wagner won 3rd place. For those of you who remember Natalie Hart from the Heritage Quilt Project of NJ; and, one of the authors of New Jersey Quilts, Laura is her daughter :) 

Tuscan Sunflower by Ginger Scott also won a 3rd place ribbon in the same Pieced, Hand Quilted category.  Love the soft hues in this quilt!

Blue Birds by Barbie Vanderfleet-Martin won 3rd place in the Appliqued Quilt, Machine Quilted category. Isn't it charming?

Sandy by Dawn Hayes won Best Hand Quilting and 1st Place in the Show Theme - "Sounds Like New Jersey."

 

And, Dawn's lovely quilt, Tropical Fruit, won 1st Place in the Appliqued, Hand Quilted category . . .  Doesn't it remind you of a theorem painting?

Bee Whimsical, by Ginger Scott won 2nd place. The honeycomb quilting design was a perfect choice.

In less than 20 minutes I had taken over 80 photographs at the Presby Iris Gardens and had to restrain myself from taking more. 

There were Antique Historic Irises, Heirloom Irises, Hall of Fame Irises, Japanese and Siberian Irises, and Millennium Irises--my favorites of the day. 
 

How about the striped center in Bronze Peacock (2003)? 

 

Gypsy Lord (2005) was my favorite. 

Indian Sunrise (2004) with its ruffly petals.

 And, here's Lovely Senorita (2002).

 Midnight Treat (2006) . . .

. . . and Got Milk (2002) - love that name!

On my way out I happened to see this Edith Wolford iris in another bed.  

And here it is in the Schaffer Garden :) I never knew the name of our one and only iris.

You can see other iris photos in last year's blog here.

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Copyright 2013, Barbara Schaffer