John Champion

John Champion¹

• Birth*: circa 1647¹
• Marriage*: circa 1673; Spouse: Sarah Williams²
• Death*: August 1727; Gloucester Co., New Jersey; probate³

Parents:

Family:

Sarah Williams d. Apr 1718

• Marriage*: circa 1673; Spouse: Sarah Williams²

Children:

Thomas Champion² b. c 1670, d. c 1730
John Champion² b. 1672
Sarah Champion² b. c 1674
Mary Champion² b. c 1676
Elizabeth Champion+ ² b. c 1678, d. b 10 Jan 1737
Hannah Champion² b. c 1680
Robert Champion² b. c 1685, d. 1727
Samuel Champion² b. 1688
Nathaniel Champion² b. c 1690, d. 1748
Phebe Champion² b. c 1694

Notes

• Note*: Evidence that John Champion married Sarah Williams daughter of Robert Williams:
  
  First, evidence comes from the will of Sarah Williams, widow of Robert Williams. It names her five daughters by their married names, including Sarah Champion. (Canfield, p. 132)
  
  Second, Ruth Crawley Champion provides two citations. Her footnotes indicate that these are from the Town Records of Hempstead, Long Island, Vol II. Actually they are found in the Oyster Bay Town Records.
  
  "20 Sept 1674 Robert Williams of Luscum, Oyster Bay, L.I. conveyed 20 acres of wooded land and 20 acres of plains to his son-in-law, John Champion of Westbury." (R.C. Champion, p. 12) The Oyster Bay records simply say "(Cal. Land Papers, p. 6 orig. Liber I, 56); 20 Sept. 1674. Conveyance from Robert Williams to John Champion of 40 acres of land lying in Luscum, near Oyster Bay." (Oyster Bay Town Records, 2:693)
  
  "24 Dec 1697 John Champion deeds to 'my son-in-law, William Eastland of Luscum in Oyster Bay, L.I. and to Sarah, his wife and heirs of her body, 20 acres of Woodland and 20 acres of plains, which was given by my father-in-law, Robert Williams.' 21" (R.C. Champion, p. 15; Oyster Bay Town Records, 2:85-6)
  
  Third, further evidence is provided by H. Clifford Campion: "Will of John Cock of Newton Tp N.J. names cousin Nathaniel Champion dated 1732." (Campion, note 6 on page entitled '3rd Generation' & '#2')
  
  That is:
  1) Sarah Williams married John Champion, and her sister Hester Williams married Thomas Cock/Cox (per Bunker, p. 328-9; Canfield, p. 132).
  2) Thomas & Hester (Williams) Cock had son John & a daughter Charity (Oyster Bay Town Records, 2:82-5).
  3) John Cock married Lydia Cooper in 1714 (per Selby's Index, Haddonfield, p. 73, & Meldrum, p. 65).
  4) John Cock's 1736 will names wife Lydia, cousin Nathanial Champion, and sister Charity Johnson, as well as brother Alexander Morgan and cousin Richard Bushel (NJA 23:102).
  5) John & Sarah Champion had son Nathaniel (per Clement p. 368-9 & R.C. Champion, p. 12).^{4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11}
• Note: Regarding the list of children:
  
  The list of children here is taken from H. Clifford Campion - Collections. Ruth Crawley Champion's book has the same list, except that it is less John.
  
  Clement names those cited in John Champion's will: Thomas, Robert, Nathaniel, Sarah, Mary, Elizabeth and Phebe.^6,4,10
• Note: Hempstead Town Records:
  
  On April 15 1670 John Champion hired grazing rights for the summer on the parsonage meadow (Vol I, p. 268).
  
  On January 16 1672 John Champion was given a home lot and grazing privileges on the commons (Vol I, p. 290).
  
  On March 4 1675/6 John Champion was given 22 acres of land, on condition "that he throws up his lott that was given him at the townd (Vol I, p. 302).
  
  On February 15 1682 Frances Champion, widow of Thomas Champion, sells land at Hempstead originally laid out to him. On January 2 1687/8 John Champin signs "In Confermation of ye premises above sd" (Vol II, p. 40-41).¹²
• Note: "On 13 May, 1700, Henry Franklin conveyed to John Champion of Hempstead, New York, a tract of three hundred and thirty acres on land lying on the north side of Cooper's Creek in Waterford (now Delaware) township, Camden County, New Jersey. Champion removed thence, and his residence was located where one of the roads leading from Burlington to Philadelphia crossed Cooper's Creek, and where travelers had much trouble in crossing the stream. He became ferrymaster at this place."
  
  See also NJA 21:684¹³
• Note: John Clement has a chapter on John Champion and his children.
  
  John Champion is also discussed by Francis Bacon Trowbridge in his 1891 book "The Champion Genealogy; History of the Descendants of Henry Champion of Saybrook and Lyme, Connecticut ..." (p. 395-398). Seversmith notes of Trowbridge "The account is not only incorrect but incomplete."^10,1
• Note: Regarding a second marriage:
  
  Ruth Crawley Champion's book states, without citation, that John Champion married second "Martha Walker, 12 Jan 1719/20 of Woodbridge, N.J., no children" (p. 12). Trowbridge has the same marriage information.
  
  This appears to be a mix-up with another couple. See "Vital Records of Woodbridge, Middlesex Co., NJ; Extracted from The Story of a New Jersey Town by Rev. Joseph W. Dally, New Brunswick, N. J. 1873" URL: dunhamwilcox.net/nj/woodbridge_nj_vrs2.htm⁴
• Note: Will abstract:
  
  "1717 Nov. 11. John Champion, of Waterford, Gloucester Co.; will of. Children - Thomas, Robert, Nathaniel, Sarah, Mary, Elizabeth and Phebe. Land on Cooper's Creek, adjoining John Wright, John Shivers and Henry Jonston. Personal property. Executors - son Robert, and son-in-law john Wright. Witnesses - John Kaighin, John Dole, Eliz Kaighin. Proved August 21, 1727, the witness, Elizabeth Kaighin, now signing as Eliz. Wills. Lib 2, p. 437, and Gloucester Wills"
  1727 Aug 15. Inventory £33.8.7
  1727 Aug 16. John Wright refused.
  
  ¹⁴