My nearest Blackwell anscestor that bore that name was Julia Caroline Blackwell, the daughter of Jacob Blackwell and Mary Ann Bayard.
Julia Caroline Blackwell was born in New York City on January 21, 1828. Julia married William Repose Aymar in New York City on March 3, 1846. They were married by Nathaniel Bangs, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Julia and William had several children, one of whom was my great grandmother Emma Louisa Aymar, who was born in New York City on October 25, 1855. Emma Louisa Aymar married Abram Ballard Davis in Jersey City, on September 14, 1882. They were also married by a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Emma Louisa Aymar and Abram Ballard Davis had only two children, Amy Ballard Davis, born in Jersey City, New Jersey on March 4, 1886, and Edwin George Davis, born in Jersey City, New Jersey on December 30, 1897.
On May 2, 1901 Amy Ballard Davis married Emile Bal in Jersey City, New Jersey at the Trinity Baptist Church at 163 Bowers Street by Pastor Johnson. Amy and Emile had nine children, one of whom was my father, Edwin George Bal, who Amy named after her brother.
Edwin George Bal was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on April 14, 1917. Edwin married Anna Maria Falk in Union City, New Jersey on March 16, 1941. Edwin and Anna had only one child, myself, Eric Bal. I was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on January 2, 1949. I grew up in Union City, New Jersey, residing continuously at 2807 Palisade Avenue.
In dedication to my ancestor Julia Caroline Blackwell, and for all her descendants, I have created a Blackwell oasis here, at this remote outpost in cyberspace.
The Blackwells trace their ancestry to the ancient English family of this name, They started in America with the traditional three brothers who came to America early in the 17th century. They were men of high standing and education and graduates of Oxford.
The honorable Robert Blackwell, the oldest of the three brothers, was the founder of the family and a widow with several children. He was owner and proprietor of the famous "Blackwell's Island" in New York. He also owned the estate, in Ravenswood which is now Long Island City. Robert Balckwell died in 1717.
The progenitor of the North Carolina Family was Samuel Blackwell. He located in Caswell County and called his home "Blackwell's". The villiage of Blackwell is named for his estate.
Joseph Blackwell was responsible for the founding fo the Virginia branch which has been distinguished since the earlier days. In the courtroom of Northcumberland County their is a tablet which records the names of some of the members of the family who have rendered conspicuous service to the state and nation.
This story is about the brother Robert Blackwell.
The Manningham family dates far back in English history, appearing as early as 1275.
In the 1500's Thomas Manningham, of Luton, Bedfordshire, and of St. Albans, Hertfordshire, married a girl named Emma and they had chldren, one of whom they named John Manningham. Thomas died in the year 1559. Thomas and Emma's son John Manningham grew to manhood and lived at Baldock, Hertfordshire, and Swavesey, Cambridgshire.
John Manningham married Elizabeth daughter of John Boteler of Waresley, Huntingdonshire, and they had children, one of whom they named Robert Manningham. Their son Robert grew to manhood and lived at Baldock Hertfordshire and at Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire.
Robert Manningham married Joan Fisher, daughter of John, and they had children one of whom they named John Manningham. Robert died and was buried on September 6, 1588 at Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire, England. Robert and Joan's son John Manningham grew to manhood, lived at East Malling, Kent, and married Anne Curle, daughter of William Curle (b. April 16, 1539, d. April 16, 1617) of Hatford, Hertfordshire. John and Anne had children one of whom they named Walter Manningham. John Manningham died and was buried on November 25, 1622 at East Malling, Kent, England. His will devised to his son Walter lands in Detling and Thurnham, Kent.
John and Anne's son Walter Manningham grew to manhood and married Bridget, with whom he had children, one of whom was a daughter that they named Mary Manningham.
Meanwhile, in America, Captain John Manning was an English mariner commanding a trading vessel sailing between New Haven and New York. In 1654 Captain Manning supplied the Dutch with provisions, for which act the Governor and General Court of New Haven, Connecticut, on April 26, 1654, found him guilty of trading with the enemy, for which act Captain Manning's ship and all of his goods were confiscated.
In 1658 Captain John Manning turns up in the Netherlands in Cromwell's army helping to keep the exiled King Charles at bay. On April 27, 1658 Captain John Manning is in Bourbrough, West Flanders in Belgium, where he is with his dying friend, the mortally wounded soldier Walter Manningham, son of Robert Manningham and Joan Fisher. At such time and place the dying Walter Manningham, who refers to John Manning as "his Captain", made and executed his last will, which named Captain John Manning as Executor. Walter died there in Belgium, and his will was later proved in London, England on September 9, 1658. Walter's widow Bridget married her deceased husband's friend Captain John Manning in London in 1664, and traveled to America with him and her children, including her daughter Mary Manningham.
In the East River between the Island of Manhattan and Long Island there is an small thin stretch of an island, today called Rossevalt Island. When the Dutch first settled Manhattan in the early 1600's, this small island was called "Minnahanock" by the aboriginal Indians. On July 16, 1637 the local Dutch Governor, Wouter Van Twiller purchased Minnahanock from the Indians for his own personal estate, and renamed it Varckens Island. Before January 24, 1639, Jan Claessen Alteras, the first Christian inhabitant of Varcken's Island, had farmed part of the island, probably as Governor Twiller's tenant. On August 30, 1642 Jan Claessen Alteras filed a report specifying the improvements he had made on the island ... the construction of a house, goat-pen, sowed garden and fences, ... for which improvements the new local Dutch Governor William Kieft reimbursed Jan the sum of 300 guilders on account of the Dutch West India Company. However a subsequent local Dutch Governor, Peter Stuyvesant, voided the validity of the Indian's conveyance of Varcken's Island to former Governor Twiller's personal estate.
On May 2, 1652, in answer to the petition of Hendrick Frederik Mansvelt for a grant of Varcken's Island for his stepson Francis Fyn, the local Dutch government resolved to authorise the Director and Council of New Netherland to make the grant, if it would cause "no great loss or damage" to the Dutch West India Company. But a few days later, on May 10, 1652, the Council wrote to Director Stuyvesant that they had "obtained some, but no correct information concerning the island", and that they had been told that the island "would be particularly useful for the company in the imminent, or any future, differences with the English", because the island was "adapted for fortifications".
However ... the local Dutch governor Peter Stuyvesant had already granted the island to Francis Fyn, ... by a conveyance dated September 20, 1651.
Francis Fyn leased the island to Pieter Lamberts. In 1662 Mr. Fyn, throug his atorney, Matheus De Vos, filed with the Governor a complaint against defendant Pieter Lamberts, petitioning for relief "concerning the lease of Varcken's Island".
In 1664 an English naval fleet consisting of four war-vessels containing 450 well trained soldiers arrived at New Amsterdam under the command of Colonel Richard Nicolls and seized New Netherlands from the Dutch authorities, renaming New Amsterdam as New York. Captain John Manning was third in command of the English forces. Under the terms of the bloodless surrender, signed August 27, 1664, non-military Dutch residents were allowed to keep their land holdings. However, because Francis Fyn was a Dutch military officer his land holdings were confiscated by the English, ... and Varcken's Island thus passed into the legal possession of the new local English government, by an official act of such new government dated October 10, 1665.
On June 12, 1665 Governor Nicolls incororated the inhabitants of New York under the care of a mayor, five aldermen, and a sheriff.
Varcken's Island was valuable because on it were large formations of stone which could be quarried. On February 3, 1667 the new English Governor of New York, Richard Nicolls, conveyed legal title to Varcken's Island to Captain John Manning. The deed of conveyance described the land conveyed as "Verckens or Hogg Island situate and being neare unto Hellgate". The deed, however, reserved unto the local government "a Liberty of Cutting and Carrying away, of Stone from ye said Island upon Occasion". The Island was then renamed "Manning's Island", and passed into Captain John Manning's possession.
In May 1667 Governor Nicolls was replaced by Governor Francis Lovelace. On July 24, 1667 Governor Lovelace appointed Captain John Manning as Sheriff of New York.
On August 1, 1668 Captain John Manning by deed conveyed title to Manning's Island into a trust. The trustee was Mathias Nicolls. The terms of the trust were that (1) Captain Manning was to have use of Manning's Island during his life, (2) after Captain Manning's death his wife Bridget was to have use of the island during her life, and (3) after the lives of Captain Manning and his wife Bridget, the island belonged to his step daughter Mary Manningham.
On July 20, 1673 Governor Lovelace set out for Hartford, Connecticut to meet with New England Governor Winthrop, leaving his lieutenant governor, Captain John Manning, in command of New York. Governor Lovelace left Captain Manning with only about 80 men in the dilapidated Fort Orange. On August 7, 1673, while Governor Lovelace was away, twenty-three Dutch warships carrying sixteen hundred men, under the command of Cornelis Evertsen and Jacob Binkes, arrived at New York. After Captain Manning spent two days engaging in stalling negotiations with the enemy commanders, the Dutch armada fired a broadside into Fort Orange, killing and wounding several in Captain Manning's garrison, and the fire was returned. Simultaneously 600 Dutch soldiers landed and were rapidly advancing down Broadway toward the Fort. Being hopelessly outmatched, Captain Manning surrendered Manhattan to the Dutch commanders. The day was August 9, 1673. The Dutch immediately renamed New York as New Orange. The Dutch appointed Caotain Anthony Colve as the Governor of New Orange.
In 1673, Shortly after the recapture of New York by the Dutch, Captain Manning and his wife Bridget sailed for England, and during this voyage Bridget died at sea. When Captain Manning arrived in London he was summoned by the King's brother James who was a Duke. After James listened to Captain John Manning's account of the surrender of New York to the Dutch, James censured him severly. The next day Captain Manning was closely examined by King Charles and his brother the Duke, after which King Charles said to James "Brother, the ground could not have been maintained by so few men". Captain Manning was then dismissed without reprimand.
On February 9, 1674 at Westminster, England, as a result of a complicated military and politcal situation in Europe, England and the Netherlands signed a complex peace treaty wherein the Netherlands ceded New York back to the English. The news reached New Netherlands in June 1674. The English King sent sent two frigates, named Diamond and Castle, to New York carrying his gubernatorial party who would retake possession of New York from the Dutch pursuant to the treaty. Captain John Manning returned to New York with Governor Andros on the Diamond. The two ships arrived at New York on October 22, 1674.
Some New York Englishmen that had lost heavily by Captain John Manning's surrender to the Dutch, were disposed to attribute the disaster to Captain Manning. Alderman Derval was very bitter in his denunciations of Captain Manning. Consequently Goveror Andros was compelled to arrest Captain Manning. On February 2, 1675 Captain John Manning was tried by a court martial, composed of the governor and council, Captains Griffith, Burton and Salisbury, and the mayor and aldermen of the city. Six charges were brought against Captain Manning, involving neglect of duty, cowardice and treachery.
A number of witnesses testified against Captain John Manning, and, although he attempted to explain his conduct and indignantly rejected the idea of treachery or cowardice, he threw himself upon the mercy of the court. Captain Manning was found guilty of all save treachery, and pronounced deserving of death. However, as he had seen the King and the Duke since the crime was commited, he was allowed the benefit of the proverb "king's face brings grace", and his life was spared. Captain Manning's sentence was to have his sword broken over his head in front of "City Hall", and to be thereafter forever banned from holding any position of trust or authority. Captain John Manning then retired in exile to Manning's Island.
Captain John Manning's disgrace did not disturb him too much, because while living out the remainder of his life on Manning's Island he frequently entertained guests and was a most facetious and agreeable host. The journal of a Reverend named Charles Wooley records that Captain Manning was condemned to exile "to a small island from his name, called Manning's Island, where I have been several times with the said Captain, whose entertainment was commonly a Bowl of Rum-Punch". The date of Captain John Manning's death is unknown, but he died upon the island. The last mention of Captain John Manning appears in the will of Matthew Taylor, dated February 20, 1687, in which Mr. Taylor bequeaths 20 shillings to "John Manning of Manning's island", and forgives a debt owed to him by Captain Manning, which debt had been secured by a mortgage on the island, which mortgage was thereby cancelled.
In about the year 850 A.D. the Irish sailed west into the Atlantic Ocean, landing on Iceland whereat they established a colony. About 1000 A.D. Eric the Red, a Norse mariner sailed west into the Atlantic, landing on Greenland where he established a colony. About 1003 A.D. Lief, son of Eric the Red, sailed west into the Atlantic, landing on New Foundland where he establisehd a colony. In 1492 the Italian mariner Christopher Columbus, as an agent of Queen Isabella of Spain, sailed west into the Atlantic and discovered America, landing in what today is called Central America.
In 1497 the Venetian mariner John Cabot, commissioned as an agent of English King Henry VII, and financed by a joint-stock company formed by several Bristol merchants, of which the largest stockholder was the High Sheriff of Bristol, Richard Amerycke, sailed west into the Atlantic and landed on New Foundland and then sailed south along the coast of the vast North American continent, sailing down as far as the Carolinas.
In 1607 the English mariner Henry Hudson, commissioned as an agent of the Netherlands and financed by the Dutch East India Comapany, sailed west into the Atlantic and sailed up the river which nows bears his name, the Hudson River. The Dutch were quick to send subsequent ships and establish colonies in what is now the New York, Hudson River region, but which they then called New Netherlands.
England, in its opposition to Dutch colonies in New Netherland, claimed legal title to the land encompassed by New Netherlands, by virtue of John Cabot's 1607 voyage to the area, and by virtue of the Jus Gentium, or Law of Nations, whereby the first discoverer of land is the owner. As Sheriff Richard Amerycke was the largest financier of Cabot's 1607 voyage pursuant to which ownership was obtained, the new continent was called "America".
King Charles II granted a large portion of America, including the whole territory now known as New York and New Jersey, to his brother James, the Duke of York. On June 24, 1664 James, in turn, conveyed the tract of land lying between the Hudson and Delaware rivers, to Lord John Berkley and Sir George Carteret, both members of the King's "Privy Council". This tract of land was called "New Jersey" in honor of Sir George Carteret who was a native of the Isle of Jersey.
Berkley and Carteret invited settlers to their new province. To entice such settlers they formed a constitution or charter document which, besides establishing religious freedom, guaranteed to every every settler who came properly prepared with arms and provisions, one hundred fifty acres of land. Such charter did entice settlers and in 1665 Philip Carteret, brother of Sir George the proprietor, set sail from New England, arriving in New Jersey, as its Governor, with 30 settlers in August 1665. They settled at a spot in New Jersey which at the time of their arrival contained only 4 houses. This spot was named "Elizabeth-town" in honor of Sir George Carteret's wife, Lady Elizabeth Carteret.
Robert Blackwell was the progenitor of the Blackwell family in New York and New Jersey. He was an Englishman of good lineage. The year that Robert Blackwell sailed to America, and the identity of the ship that carried him forth, are unknown. He may have entered America at Sandwich, Massachusetts or at some other New England port. During the mid to late 1660's Robert Blackwell was a freeholder at Newtown, Long Island, and built an historic house at Ravenswood, Long Island.
But shortly after his arrival in Long Island, Robert Blackwell settled amongst the founding settlers at Elizabeth-town, where he bacame a merchant. There is an early deed reference to Robert Blackwell as a merchant from Elizabeth-town. In early 1676 Robert Blackwell left Elizabeth-town and came to New York as a widower with two children whose names were Robert Blackwell, Jr. and Ann Blackwell. There is no record of who Robert Blackwell's wife was, nor any record of the dates or places of birth of these two children Robert and Ann.
Upon his arrival in New York, Robert Blackwell settled, with his two children, in Newtown, Long Island. On March 25, 1676, in contemplation of his marriage to Mary Manningham, daughter of Walter Manningham and step-daughter of Captain John Manning, Robert Blackwell entered a written prenuptual agreement with Mathias Nicolls, the trustee holding title to Manning's Island for Mary Manningham during the life of Captain John Manning. The agreement specified, among other terms, that, in consideration of his marriage to Mary Manningham, Manning's Island would be devised by their wills only to children of Robert and Mary, not to Robert's previous children, and that if Robert and Mary bore no children, title to the island would go to whoever Mary choose, as she would designate in her will.
On April 26, 1676 Robert Blackwell married Mary Manningham and they settled down on Manning's Island, which thereafter was known as Blackwell's Island. Robert and Mary had ten children of their bodies, who they named Bridget, Thomas, Francis, Walter, Henry, Lydia, Sarah, Susannah, Jacob and Mary. Robert Blackwell died in 1717.
Robert Blackwell's oldest daughter, Ann, married Jacob Reeder.
Robert Blackwell's oldest son Robert married Elizabeth Combes, of Newtown, daughter of Francis Combes, a cooper, who died in 1700. Robert removed to Hopewell, New Jersey, where he and Elizabeth raised their seven children named Robert, Francis, Thomas, Jacob, Mary, Ann and Elizabeth. Robert Blackwell died in Hopewell, New Jersey in 1757.
What became of Robert Blackwell and Mary Manningham's daughter Mary is unknown, but of their other four daughters, the following is known:
It is probably that the four oldest sons of Robert Blackwell and Mary Manningham, namely Thomas, Francis, Walter and Henry, did not survive childhood because there is no further record of them.
Jacob Blackwell, the youngest son of Robert Blackwell and Mary Manningham, was born August 4, 1692. He suceeded to the paternal estate, becoming the sole owner of Blackwell's Island.