John Snowden, William Snowden's son and heir. Born near Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England, circa 1632, died May 1736 near Philadelphia, PA.

     He and his first wife Anne Barrett married April 13, 1682, not known when she was born, but two sources say she died sometime in 1688.       

      John remarried a second time to Elizabeth Swift in 1715. Elizabeth was born 1636 in Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England. Elizabeth was from Pennypack Creek. She was probably related to John Swift, a noted settler from Bucks County, who for almost forty years represented first Bucks County, and then later, Philadelphia in the Provincial Assembly in Pennsylvania. Elizabeth died in 1736 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  

       As for the five children John had I am not sure which child has which mother. The only concrete evidence I have is a search at Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints databases. They list William as being born in 1689/91 to John and Elizabeth (Swift) Snowden.     

        Johns will dated March 3, 1736, was proved June 1, 1736. He names there in his five children and mentions grandchildren and great children, without naming them 

        Johns had 3 daughters and two sons. Of the three daughters, Anne probably died single. Margaret married, January 5, 1813/14 to John Priestly. Mary married Benjamin Wright on August 3, 1736.

       Of Johns two sons, he had John Jr. and William. William was probably the younger of the two sons. He went on to marry Abigal Wooley on April, 12, 1711. William is our direct descendant, and will further talk about him in Generation Five.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

                                  The Concessions and Agreements

       John Snowden came to West New Jersey about the time of the purchase in 1677, of the West New Jersey land by his father. John signed The Concessions and Agreements, as a proprietor of West New Jersey, in 1676. When William Penn and company bought West Jersey, there were already settlers in the area, one of whom being John Snowden. There was some question as to whether these settlers would recognize the new proprietors and subject themselves to their government. Accordingly, The Concessions and Agreements of the Proprietors, Freeholders was drawn up in England. The new proprietors signed it. Settlers about to sail for West New Jersey signed it. Finally it was circulated in West Jersey and was signed by many of the settlers there, including Dutch and Swedes. Of course, John Snowden, who was already there, signed also.

        You can view the Concessions and Agreements at the two following links, and you will see our ancestor John Snowdens name on both of these documents,http://archive.pym.org/exhibit/archives/ancestory.html and http://westjersey.org/ca77.htm The Gloucester County and Cultural & Heritage Commission can be reached at (856- 384-6889). The West Jersey Proprietors have the original copy. They can be reached at West Jersey Proprietors, 230 High Street, P. O. Box 158, Burlington, N.J. 08106. The N.J. State Archives has a copy of the original. They will make copies of it for you at $1.00 per page. Their address is N.J. State Archives, 225 W. State St., P.O. Box 307, Trenton, N.J. 08625-0307

           Excerpts of the following taken from The North American Philadelphia, Sunday July 14, 1912. They talk about history from the era of John Snowden, Old Philadelphia Families, John the Assembly Man, Justice of the Peace, John founding father of the first Presbyterian Church of Philiadelphia, and landholder.

        John evidently didnt stay long in West Jersey.  On March 13, 1678/79 he received a grant of one hundred acres on the other side of the Delaware, as we learn from the records of Upland Court. 

       The government at Upland may be stated that it was the seat of government of that portion of the territory under the jurisdiction of the Duke Of York, subsequently in 1681 granted to William Penn, was at Upland, and at the modern city of Chester was then denominated. When John Snowden arrived therein is not known. Possibly it was within the limits of the present city of Philadelphia, among the Swedes, as by deed dated April 26,1681. Lawrence Cook and John Snowden conveyed to Alexander Bankson a tract in Passyunk, in the territory occupied by the Swedes; both L. Cook, and Bankson having been prominent representatives of the early Swede colonists, who preceded Penn's coming to the Delaware by two score years.          

                     If, as has been suggested, he had been living, in the meanwhile, within the limits of what was soon to become the Province of Pennsylvania, he (John Snowden), returned to Burlington County, West New Jersey, shortly before the above-mentioned conveyance to Bankson, as in Revell's "Book of Surveys" we find too "return to survey" both dated November 16, 1680 to John Snowden, covering property in Burlington County' on survey embracing 100 acres " at the hilltop" on "Delaware River", on the road between land already belonging to Snowden, on the one hand, and John Hooton and William Beard, on the other hand; the second survey comprising four acres of "hard land" in a swamp, and six acres of meadow on the marsh of Crossiwick Creek.  In the following year October 21, 1681, John Snowden, purchased of George Hutcheson one-thirty second share in the First Tenth, excepting there out certain "town lots" on Burlington Island. A year later, by deed dated August 28, 1682, he bought John Hooton a tract embracing one half one sixteenth of a share which the latter August, 12, 1678 had purchased of George Hutceson, One hundred acres of this latter tract, John Snowden, by deed bearing date October 17/18,1683, sold to Henry Stacy.

                       John Snowdens place of residence we find definitely stated in a "return of survey" of June 1684, of one hundred and twelve acres adjoining his one hundred acre lot, "whereon he now dwells". Some years after this-just when we do not know- he again moved across the Delaware, settling in Bucks County, as we find him set down as a resident of that county in a deed of December 9, 1696 wherein he conveys to Richard Allison a plantation of 210 acres, called "White Hill" on the Delaware, above the surpassing inland, including the tracts of 6 and 4 acres respectively, mentioned in one of the surveys November 16, 1980 referred to above.       

                  He is likewise spoken of as a resident of Bucks County in a deed of September 26, 1698 wherein he conveys to Robert Pearson two tracts, one of 302 acres in Yorkshire Tenth, Burlington County, and the other of 10 1/2 acres, near the larger tract. His holdings in Bucks County included also a property comprising 416 2/3 acres, which he had bought March 9, 1697.

                    From the various citations given, it is clear that John Snowden was an extensive landowner, and per consequence, a man of substance and influence in the several communities in which he resided.

                    As a signer of the "Concessions" which heretofore mentioned, and his ownership of certain shares or property interests in the Province, John Snowden was on the "Proprietors of West New Jersey", whose organization, two plus centuries old is still in existence.

                     John Snowden was even more prominent in Pennsylvania than in New Jersey.  In  1712 he was chosen as a member of the Assembly for Bucks County, PA. , And was commissioned a Justice of the Peace December 15, 1715, again September 10,1717, and once more, September 6, 1718.

                   Shortly prior to his last commission as Justice he removed to Philadelphia, where he was admitted freeman May 27,1717.

                   He had been one of the founders of the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, the first of this denomination in Pennsylvania-whose original edifice was built in 1704/5 on the south side of High or Market Street, between Second and Third Streets. This meetinghouse, surrounded by some fine sycamore trees, was styled the "Buttonwood Church". Of this John Snowden was one of three Elders chosen. He was also a member of the Presbyterian Synod for the years 1717-27.   

                  Originally, before becoming a Presbyterian, John Snowden had been a Quaker, and as such participated in the strenuous Keithian controversy of 1692 and thereafter John Snowden attended the yearly meeting at Burlington. September 4-7, 1692 and was one of those who signed a vigorous proclamation issued by that body upon the subject indicated.

                  Like nearly all his contemporaries John Snowden had been a husbandman, scarcely any other occupation being open to the pioneer of that or any other period. Furthermore, he had felled timber utilizing a portion of it in the construction of his various farmhouses, and auxiliary buildings, while the surplus he had disposed of to such of his neighbors as had been less fortunate in the extent of their holdings of timber-land. In addition, he had conducted extensive tanneries in Bucks County, PA, which, aside, from his other sources of revenue, had brought him large returns. Thus, at that time of his decease, he was possessed of a considerable estate.                                

                    The founder of the Snowden family of the Americas died May 1736 in Philadelphia. What his exact age is we do not know, 104 yrs according to some, who give 1632 at his birth.  

Family genalogy search at Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints CLICK THIS LINK TO SEARCH

JOHNS FIRST MARRIAGE TO ANNE BARRETT AND  THEIR INFO   JOHNS SECOND MARRIAGE TO ELIZABETH SWIFT AND THEIR INFO AND THEIR CHILD (THIS CHILD WILLIAM AND MOTHER OF WILLIAM; ELIZABETH, WOULD BE OUR DIRECT DESCENDANT)    (Interesting, it shows Anne and he as having no children, and Elizabeth and he only having the one child, William) Once again, not clear who the other 4 children went to, but I suspect they were Anne's and his. Also you will note that their are two different data's on he and Anne, showing them married in Massachusetts and then New Jersey)  FIRST DATA OF JOHN AND ANNE ( MASSACHUSETTS MARRIAGE) HUSBAND John Snowden   Birth:  1632  Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England Christening:    Marriage:  18 APR 1682  Burlington, Middlesex, Massachusetts Death:  03 MAY 1736  Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Burial:    Wife Ann Barrett   Birth:    Christening:    Marriage:  18 APR 1682  Burlington, Middlesex, Massachusetts Death:  1688  , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Burial:    Children   None     THIS SHOWS JOHN AND ANNE BEING MARRIED IN INEW JERSEY Husband JOHN SNOWDEN   Birth:    Christening:    Marriage:  13 APR 1682  Burlington, Burlington, New Jersey Death:    Burial:    Wife ANNE BARRETT   Birth:    Christening:    Marriage:  13 APR 1682  Burlington, Burlington, New Jersey Death:    Burial:    Children   None   INFO ON JOHN AND ELIZABETH SWIFT SNOWDEN, JOHNS SECOND MARRIAGE, AND THEIR SON WILLIAM , WHO IS OUR DIRECT DESCENDANT OF THE FOLLOWING GENERATION THREE  John SNOWDEN (AFN: STH5-SW) Sex:  M   Event(s): Birth:  Abt 1632 Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England Death:  1736 Philadelphia, , Pa Parents: Father:  William Snowden (AFN: STH5-PD)   Mother:  Unknown (AFN: STH5-QK) Marriage(s): Spouse: Elizabeth Swift (AFN:STH5-T3) Born:  about 1636     Place: Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England Died:            1736     Place: Philadelphia, PA Married:        1715    CHILDREN 1.  Sex  Name   M: William Snowden (AFN:STH5-WF)   Born:  Abt 1689/1691 Place:  Trenton, , N.j. Died:  1763 Place:  Trenton, , New Jersey