We have the will of Marguerite de Normandie and the work of Paul Hopewell to clearly demonstrate that Mary Beckett was the daughter of John and granddaughter of Marguerite.

We know a lot about Mary’s mother’s family and nothing about her father or his family other than his name -- John Beckett.

We know Mary as the wife of Daniel from their marriage record and then her mention in Marguerite’s will. Mary married Jabez Eldridge soon after her husband’s death. She had at least four children to take care of, apparently with little money from Daniel’s estate. Jabez had been previously married and he was a man of considerable means with several young children of his own to care for after his first wife’s death.

After Jabez’ death in 1787, Mary moved to Northumberland where she had one if not two daughters already married to prominent local businessmen and in residence there. She lived the remainder of her life in the Hepburn household in Northumberland.

Proof that Mary Eldridge did in fact come to Northumberland and lived with her daughter Mary and husband James Hepburn comes from the will of James Hepburn, proved 22 January 1817 and from Northumberland Cemetery records. He specifically alloted an annual annuity of $100 to care for his wife Mary’s mother Mary Eldridge — the money to be paid to Mary if her mother continued to reside with her or to whichever of his children deemed to take Mary Eldridge in. Mary actually pre-deceased James by a couple of months, but clearly his will was written before her death.

Her burial place is listed as Riverview Cemetery in a 1937 publication dealing with Northumberland graveyards, the death date being consistent with what is stated above from the Hepburn files. She actually died before Riverview was founded, but there is some evidence that many graves from early Northumberland Quaker and other religious cemeteries nearer downtown were later moved to Riverview. I believe this was the case with Mary (Beckett) (Hopewell) Eldridge.

He was named in his father’s 1744 will, an older child as he was not a minor and he was named as Executor of his mother’s 1748 will.

He died long before any Census was taken.

His marriage is citied in various places: Daniel Hopewell of Burlington married Mary Becket of Burlington 27 Jul 1754.

He is listed in the 1774 Census of Northampton Twp, Burlington Co.

Paul William Hopewell has learned a lot about the life of Daniel Hopewell. He was born a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) but fell from grace. In 1749 he was disowned from the Haddonfield Monthly Meeting for ”disorderly walking” which seems to have meant either too much drinking or betting on the horses or something like that.

He lived at various times in Evesham Township and Mt. Holly in Northampton Township and Ayre’s Town, outside of Mt. Holly — all in Burlington County. He operated a tavern in Mt. Holly circa 1759-1761.

There were any number of court proceedings against him for money he owed to various people, all found in favor of the other party. In April 1766 he put his plantation of 330 acres up for sale, apparently to settle his debts, but he did not successfully sell it. In October 1766, the Sheriff of Burlington County offered it for sale, which sale took place in 1767. The proceeds from the sale did not fully cover what Daniel owed people.

At some time he had come into possession of lands in Virginia and that seemed to be his main asset upon his death.

Many members of Daniel’s family ended up in Northumberland. Two of his daughters each married merchants, in fact business partners, of Northumberland. And we know that Daniel’s widow, Mary, who married second Jabez Eldridge came to live in Northumberland too after Jabez died in 1787. James Hopewell, Daniel’s grandson, appeared in Northumberland by 1821 (I’m sure he actually came earlier, maybe even was born there) and was the progenitor of what now is a large family of that name in that place.

The full story of the relocation of this family to Northumberland is wrapped up with the stories of both John Cowden and James Hepburn -- the two men who married Daniel’s daughters. John and James were not our ancestors, but they were important figures in our family history. They were prosperous merchants, business partners in some ventures and they were also important men in the early history of Northumberland Borough. Their story is told in this chapter.

The will of Daniel Hopewell of Ayres Town, Northampton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey dated 26 Apr 1776 proved 7 Nov 1776 named widow, Mary, administratrix. He gave 2/7 of the proceeds of the sale of his lands in Virginia to his son Beckits and 1/7 each to his wife, his 3 daughters and his ”other son”.

• The most important question for me is who was the unnamed son? I believe he may well have been our ancestor John and that John came with his mother to Northumberland as a young man, married there, had a son James, and died soon thereafter. But that, so far, has been impossible to prove and for now, is based solely on circumstantial and possibly erroneous evidence.

• The other question is why he referred to only three daughters when there is evidence of four? I discuss this point further in the biographical material associated with daughter Sarah.