John 3 BIGELOW


The archangel of the Old Whippany Burying Ground gazes from the top of the headstone of John 3 BIGELOW. It is regarded locally as the "chief angel" because of its elaborate design, its size, unique beauty, and its 264 year longevity.(see below)

123     John 3 BIGELOW, second son and third child of Jonathan 2, (John 1), and Rebecca (SHEPARD) BIGELOW, was born circa 1677 in Hartford, Hartford co, CT. He was married 11 January 1710 to Abigail Richards, daughter of John RICHARDS. They lived for a short time in Glastonbury, CT, where he was a large landowner; his name appears on a tax list of 1713. His father gave him 270 acres in Glastonbury on 13 November 1709. A portion of this he sold 22 December 1716, and probably moved that year to Hanover, Hunterdon co, NJ, as his name does not appear on Glastonbury records in 1718. On  08 December 1719 he sold the last of his Glastonbury property and was then "of Hanover, Hunterdon, Providence of West Jersey, and sometime of Glastonbury, CT." There are few further records. In 1723 he was tax-collector in Hanover. A history of New Jersey states he was a farmer and foundryman, having established a bloomary along the Whippany, as did many other early Jersey residents. (Another source claims him as a ship builder.) His biography, written in that volume by Samuel Fowler BIGELOW, states there were "several daughters and sons John, Daniel, Samuel, Jonathan and Joshua." Howe mentions that as early as 1753, an Aaron BIGELOW, presumed to be another son, owned a forge or ironworks with John jr in Hanover.
     Several of the sons and grandsons signed the Pequannoc Remonstrance ( see Encyclopedia and Biographies of NJ). From this we realize that some of the sons left issue, but we have records of the marriages of only three, and less concerning the families. Abigail died 05 September 1749 and is buried in Old Whippany Burying Ground (donated by her father John Richards in 1718; it is northwest New Jersey's first and oldest burial ground. ). John is also buried there, having died 25 October 1733 (stone). (25 Dec 1733; 25 July 1733 are errors) See also early probate and wills of New Jersey, in which a partial listing of valuables is included.

With few facts to substantiate, a possible list below:

123(1-4)   several daughters. (see note)

1235      John, b circa 1720 Hanover, NJ; d Feb 1773 Hanover; m Elizabeth DICKERSON. 9 children (8 listed in Howe).

1236      Aaron, b circa 1722 Hanover, NJ; living 1753. (see note)

1237      Daniel.

1238      Samuel, m 28 July 1767 Elizabeth CONRON, and had issue. Naval Capt. in Rev. War.

1239      Jonathan, m 14 Apr 1752 Sarah LADD.

123A     Joshua.

All the above named sons and some grandsons, are listed as taxpayers of NJ in 1783-1784.(see note)
see Bigelows of New Jersey, some of the Bigelows from that State,
Sources:
Bigelow Family Genealogy, Vol I page 19-20;
Howe, Bigelow Family of America, page 30-31;
Biographies and Encyclopedia of NJ;
several NJ histories;
NJ Archives, early wills and probate;
Early New Jersy marriages;
Bigelow-Clevenger Bible records from NEHG Register, 1961, pp. 310-311.
Forge: The Bigelow Society Quarterly, vol.27, no 1; p.06, Jan 1998.
Forge: The Bigelow Society Quarterly, vol.28, no 1; p.15, Jan 1999:
Article about the burying ground and Richards Family as well as the Bigelow Family.
Descendant note:
I am descended from the NJ Bigelow's and have been working on the family line, ellusive as it is.  A cousin recently discovered some records which shed a little light on this line and conflicts somewhat with that in the Bigelow volumes.  From deed records in OH:  Heirs of Aaron Bigelow: Mary, Jabez, Sarah, Catherine, Daniel, John, Jonathan, William, described as all "brothers and sisters" to Aaron.  Aaron, Jabez, John, Jonathan were also most probably the signers of the Petition in Morris County with the same names listed, they would have been in their mid twentys to mid thirtys at the time of the signing. Aaron's widow is Hannah, the record is not real clear, but indicates "widow Hannah", presumably referring to Aaron who the land records relate to.  By 1817 Aaron, Daniel, John and Jonathan appeared to have died. From these records we also know that sister Mary Bigelow married Isaac Beach who was b. in 1742, Mary b. in 1748; sister Sarah Bigelow m.Samuel Cobb.  Using Mary as a dob guide, her brothers and sisters dob's would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 1735-60.  The information was recently located by Bette Dickover also working on this line with me.  The source: Butler County, OH Land Records, Vol 2:
1816-23, by Shirley Keller Mikesell, printed Heritage Books, Inc, pp 30-33, 52.  As we progress on the line we will update you for those interested in the line.  Any info on the NJ lines from your readers might help clear up muddled information. Particularily, info on the parents of Aaron, et al.  It currently appears that they are descended from  Jonathan 2 and Rebecca (Shepard) Bigelow, seeking confirmation source  James R. Barbour   E-mail  barbour9@pacbell.net in CA with thanks to Bette Dickover.



Forge: The Bigelow Society Quarterly, vol.27, no 1; p.06, Jan 1998.

     The angel decorating the headstone of John 3 Bigelow [123] in the old Whippany burying ground bears the local distinction of "chief angel" of the many gravestone angels in the cemetery. This distinction of "archangel" comes from the uniqueness of the angel design, its unusual beauty and its 264-year longevity. The cherub is the oldest, largest and most elaborate of those decorating dozens of 18th century headstones in the burial ground.
     The Old Whippany Cemetery was founded in 1718 on land donated by John 3 Bigelow's father-in-law, John Richards. It is northwest New Jersey's first and oldest burial ground. John 3 Bigelow, son of Rebecca (Shepard) and Jonathan Bigelow was born circa 1679 in Hartford, CT. He married Abigail Richards on 11 January 1710. John was a large landowner in Glastonbury, CT where his name appears on a tax list of 1713. His father had given him 270 acres in Glastonbury on 13 November 1709. He sold a portion of this land on 22 December 1716 and moved shortly afterwards to Hanover, Hunterdon
County, NJ. He sold the last of his Glastonbury property on 8 December 1719, and land records list him then "of Hanover, Hunterdon, Providence of West Jersey, and sometime of Glastonbury, Conn." In 1723, he was a tax collector in Hanover. A history of New Jersey states he was a farmer and foundryman, having established a bloomary along the Whippany River. Another source claims him a ship builder.
     Several of John's sons and grandsons signed the Pequannoc Remonstrance (see Encyclopedia and Biographies of New Jersey). Howe's Genealogy mentions that as early as 1753, an Aaron Bigelow, believed to be John's son, owned a forge or ironworks with John Jr., his brother, in Hanover.
     Abigail (Richards) Bigelow died 5 September 1749 and is also buried in the Old Whippany Burying Ground. According to his gravestone, John died 25 October  1733;  however,  the Bigelow Family Genealogy, Volume I gives his death date variously as 25 December 1733 and 25 July 1733.
Thanks to Janis Pahnke, Chicago, IL, for submitting headstone photo to Forge.

See "Forge", Vol.28, No.1, Jan 1999, page 15, 16,17 Donald Kiddo states that John Bigelow's tombstone is decorated by a magnificent cherub with a large roundface, largest and most elaborate of cherubs or angels' images on dozens of 18th century gravestones in the cemetery. In respect of its distinction among the flock of beautiful gravestone angels, Bigelow's has been whimsically dubbed the "Archangel of the Whippanong."  It is in good condition with only slight cracking in the carved areas.  It is the finest piece of early Eighteenth Century tombstone art extant in the old burying yard.................A Sibling Archangel Found in Middlesex:  Another example of the same gravestone design has been reported in the burying ground associated with the Dutch Reformed Church at Six Mile Run in Franklin Township of Middlesex Co., NJ, west of New Brunswick. the duplicate stone is for Jacob Wickof who died in1738.  The existence of the second stone with identical design implies that these gravestones were commercially manufactured products during the period 1733-1738.


Modified - 02/20/2007
(c) Copyright 2007 Bigelow Society, Inc. All rights reserved.
Rod  Bigelow - Director
    < rodbigelow@netzero.net >

Rod Bigelow (Roger Jon12 BIGELOW)
Box 13  Chazy Lake
Dannemora, N.Y. 12929
< rodbigelow@netzero.net > 
BACK TO THE BIGELOW SOCIETY PAGE

BACK TO BIGELOW HOME PAGE