RUNYAN/RUNYON
OUR HUGUENOT ANCESTOR, VINCENT ROUGNION
(RUNYAN)
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'The
story of Vincent Runyon reflected the historical forces
sweeping both France and England in the seventeenth century.
France had long been beset with religious wars between the
dominant Catholics and the followers of John Calvin, who
became known as Huguenots. The Huguenots were always a
minority in France, but they were a powerful one, and the
focus of their strength lay in the southwestern part of the country. La
Rochelle, a Protestant stronghold, was not far from the province of
Poitou, the home of Rongnion.
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Because of his association with the
Carterets, who lived on the Isle of Jersey, we assume that Runyon
went to the island along with other Huguenots escaping the religious
strife in their native
land.After Charles II
(England) was restored to the throne, he rewarded Lord Carteret, who
had remained loyal to the Stuarts, and in his position as commander
of the forces on the island, had offered refuge to the Prince.
Charles' brother, the Duke of York, gave what is now New Jersey to
Carteret and a fellow loyalist, Lord Berkeley.
Runyon was not among the colonists who
first accompanied Carteret, but the new Governor went back to Europe
in the same year (1665) and returned in 1666, bringing more
immigrants with him. It is possible that Runyon came in 1666 because
of his marriage date in 1668. (Vincent and Ann Martha Boucher were
married on June 28, 1668.)
Runyon, as one of the early settlers in
Elizabethtown, must have prospered as did the village that became the
capital of East Jersey when the province was divided. He was
successful enough so that in 1671 he was able to purchase property.
The following is from that deed of sale: "Francis Barber of
Elizabethtown, planter, sells to Vincent Ronyon, 40 rods long by 16
rods wide, on the south side of the house lot of George Pack,
fronting on the highway... The name had already been anglicized, as
only three years earlier his marriage license had read "Rongnion."
Likewise, he adjusted to the ways of a new land, working as a
carpenter, buying property, and rearing children with his wife, Ann
Martha. '
Documentation of the Runyon
House at East Jersey, Piscataway,
N.J.
Olde Towne - by Laird
Klinger
John RUNYAN - born in 1669, married
Ann Elizabeth Donn (later Dun or Dunn) on July 20, 1692, in Hunterdon
County, New Jersey. He died at Rocky Hill, Somerset County, November
1745. Ann Elizabeth (daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth (Drake)
Donn)was born March 19, 1676.
(Elizabeth Drake was the daughter of Capt. Francis and Mary
Drake.)
Vincent RUNYON born 1671, married Mary,
daughter of Hopewell Hull. Vincent died in March,
1724.
Ann RUNYON born 1673, married Nathaniel
Leonard.
Thomas RUNYAN born 1675, married Martha
Donn, (sister of Ann Elizabeth) about 1698, lived near Hopewell,
Hunterdon County. He died April, 1753. Martha was born July 13,
1681.
Mary RUNYON died July 2,
1677.
Peter RUNYON born July 1, 1680, married
Providence, daughter of Samuel Blackford on October 12, 1704. Peter
died October, 1753.
Jane RUNYON born January 19,
1683.
Sarah RUNYON born
October 30, 1686, married Richard Sutton on January 25,
1702.
ORIGIN OF THE VARIANT SPELLING:
RUNYON/RUNYAN
The two sons, Vincent and Peter, and
their descendants continued to spell their name with an 'o'. John and
Thomas chose to spell it with an 'a'. This same spelling has
continued with the majority of their descendants.
The name, 'Vincent', was given to the
Runyon/Runyan sons many times. This causes confusion in determining
which 'Vincent' is the right one. Our family's Vincent or Vinson
Runyan, descendant of Thomas, came to Ontario County, New York about
1803. His first wife was Elizabeth Wolverton, born June 14, 1765,
daughter of Isaac,Jr., granddaughter of Isaac, Sr., and great-granddaughter of
Charles, who came from England about 1680.
Vincent and Elizabeth had at least four
children, including Aaron, born Dec. 9, 1793. Vincent's wife,
Elizabeth died on April 26, 1813. Vincent later married Vicey
Edington on June 28, 1814. Josiah C. Runyan was born in 1821-22.
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Aaron Runyan married Sarah
(Sally) Silvers on January 14, 1816 in Fayette, Seneca
County, N. Y. Sally, born January 9, 1796, was the daughter
of Benjamin Silvers and Johanna Merril. Aaron died November
28, 1864 and Sally died on January 23, 1883. Both Aaron and
Sally are buried in Burgh (Hoster) Cemetery, Fayette, N.Y.
This writer spent a few days in the beautiful Finger Lakes
area of New York in July, 1996. I drove a rented car down a
long lane filled with ruts, looking for the Burgh Cemetery.I
did find it. How sad to see the old gravestones toppled
over, some leaning on other stones. My ancestor's (Aaron's)
stone was crooked and hidden behind a bramble bush. Other
ancestors' stones were broken and lying on the ground. I
wondered how long it would be before this cemetery would
disappear into the brush.
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Joannah (daughter of Aaron)
married Joseph Hunt Abbott on November 26, 1848. In the
Abbott
Home Page I told
about their move from New York to Michigan. Their daughter,
Sarah Elizabeth Abbott, married J.(oseph)
HarveyHutchingson March 1, 1882. J.
Harvey came from Wilson, New York to Gratiot County,
Michigan, for the marriage. A few years after their marriage
Sarah and J.
Harvey settled in
Bancroft, Michigan, where he was a druggistfor many years.
Sarah and J. Harvey were the parents of two sons,
Myron
Claude and Harvey M.
Hutchings. Harvey M. married Sarah (Sadie) Young in 1914.
Sadie died in 1923. Harvey married Grace
I. Hallman in
Kitchener, Ontario on September 4, 1924. Grace's father,
Rev.
Henry S. Hallman
performed the ceremony.
Harvey
and Grace Hutchings
had four children, Paul Hallman, Elizabeth Hope, who died at
six years of age, Faith Isabell, and Harvey Hallman.
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