History Short of the Varnum Family of Atco

Rooftree

Explorer
Mar 24, 2017
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Haddon Township
My Great Grandfather (X 9), Ralph Farnham, arrived in Boston in 1635. Shortly after, the family surname got changed to Farnum. Three generations later some Farnum families were some of the first pioneering settlers in what is now known the State of Maine. At the 6th generation, one child at the time of birth, was recorded as a Varnum. He was the only child of 10 that got that last name. It just so happened; I follow that child in the family tree. As the generations pass by, much history was being created by the Farnum/Varnum family. (i.e., being involved in The Salem Witch Trails), for one. I am a 12th generation Farnum/Varnum. Most of my ancestors reside in Maine as of today. The first three generations were in the Boston area.

Fast forward to my Great Grandfather, Job Nelson Varnum. He brought his family down from Bucksport ME to settle in Atco sometime between April 1865 and August 1866. It was on August 7, 1866, that one of his children died at the age 1 1/2 and buried in Atco Cemetery. That was the first record of is family being in NJ. I have 13 family members buried in the oldest section of the Atco Cemetery,

He was a farmer and horticulturist. He died in 1881. A segment of his obituary stated: "Mr. Varnum was its first settler. Coming from Bucksport ME, he, first of all, responded to the call to build up a town in the wilderness, brought his family and reared his rooftree. Each newcomer on his arrival was greeted by his cheerful welcome and no figure stands out more prominently in the recollections of those early days, or calls up so many pleasant reminiscences, as that of the subject of this notice. He was personally assisted in the development of nearly every farm and the construction of almost every building, and he is identified with every movement of purely public nature which has gone forward in this vicinity".

My Grandfather, Clarence, was also a farmer and horticulturist. At one point in time, he became a member during the early stages of the Philadelphia Botanical Club. It was most likely through the Club that he got to know John Harshberger and Joseph Crawford, one of the founders of the Club and its 4th President. I have his field guide, "Gray's New Manual of Botany, published in 1908. In that book were notes from the two noted gentlemen.

Sadly, I didn't get to know him. He died in 1936, before I was born. In his obituary it was stated that he took botany students from the U of Penn on field trip to the Pines. I think of him being the "Bob PBX" of his time.

Maybe more about by Atco Family when I can get to it. What I said above is what is Pinelands related.

Ron (Rooftree)
 

Rooftree

Explorer
Mar 24, 2017
387
613
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Haddon Township
Ron, what country did Ralph Farnham arrive from, did you tell me England?
He and his wife Alice, along with 3 children, one being a Ralph that I follow in the family tree, left England on the ship 'James" on 7/13/1635. They arrived in Boston on 9/16/1635. They settled in Andover, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
 
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WaretownMike

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Jul 16, 2013
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Waretown
My Great Grandfather (X 9), Ralph Farnham, arrived in Boston in 1635. Shortly after, the family surname got changed to Farnum. Three generations later some Farnum families were some of the first pioneering settlers in what is now known the State of Maine. At the 6th generation, one child at the time of birth, was recorded as a Varnum. He was the only child of 10 that got that last name. It just so happened; I follow that child in the family tree. As the generations pass by, much history was being created by the Farnum/Varnum family. (i.e., being involved in The Salem Witch Trails), for one. I am a 12th generation Farnum/Varnum. Most of my ancestors reside in Maine as of today. The first three generations were in the Boston area.

Fast forward to my Great Grandfather, Job Nelson Varnum. He brought his family down from Bucksport ME to settle in Atco sometime between April 1865 and August 1866. It was on August 7, 1866, that one of his children died at the age 1 1/2 and buried in Atco Cemetery. That was the first record of is family being in NJ. I have 13 family members buried in the oldest section of the Atco Cemetery,

He was a farmer and horticulturist. He died in 1881. A segment of his obituary stated: "Mr. Varnum was its first settler. Coming from Bucksport ME, he, first of all, responded to the call to build up a town in the wilderness, brought his family and reared his rooftree. Each newcomer on his arrival was greeted by his cheerful welcome and no figure stands out more prominently in the recollections of those early days, or calls up so many pleasant reminiscences, as that of the subject of this notice. He was personally assisted in the development of nearly every farm and the construction of almost every building, and he is identified with every movement of purely public nature which has gone forward in this vicinity".

My Grandfather, Clarence, was also a farmer and horticulturist. At one point in time, he became a member during the early stages of the Philadelphia Botanical Club. It was most likely through the Club that he got to know John Harshberger and Joseph Crawford, one of the founders of the Club and its 4th President. I have his field guide, "Gray's New Manual of Botany, published in 1908. In that book were notes from the two noted gentlemen.

Sadly, I didn't get to know him. He died in 1936, before I was born. In his obituary it was stated that he took botany students from the U of Penn on field trip to the Pines. I think of him being the "Bob PBX" of his time.

Maybe more about by Atco Family when I can get to it. What I said above is what is Pinelands related.

Ron (Rooftree)
Thank you for sharing this- very interesting
 
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bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,567
4,740
Pines; Bamber area
He and his wife Alice, along with 3 children, one being a Ralph that I follow in the family tree, left England on the ship 'James" on 7/13/1635. They arrived in Boston on 9/16/1635. They settled in Andover, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
I cannot imagine taking 8 weeks to cross the ocean in a (possibly) fetid, pitching boat. I crossed in a troop ship in 1964. Smelled like diesel the entire way. Many bouts with seasickness, but easily nothing your ancestors went through.
 

Rooftree

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Mar 24, 2017
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I cannot imagine taking 8 weeks to cross the ocean in a (possibly) fetid, pitching boat. I crossed in a troop ship in 1964. Smelled like diesel the entire way. Many bouts with seasickness, but easily nothing your ancestors went through.
Bob: Well, it was 387 years ago, and only 15 years after the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth. Reading about the Pilgrims, yes, it wasn't easy. And the Pilgrims had animals onboard. However, Ralph made it over 1 day quicker than the Pilgrims. Not too much improvement over 15 years. Plus, you are talking about over a 3,000 mile trip. Since I mentioned the Pilgrims. Six generations down from Ralph, Thomas Farnum married Margaret Helen Standish in 1825. She was the G,G,G,G,G Granddaughter of Myles Standish. Am I very remotely related to him? In my family tree I followed 4 Ralph's in a row. Ralph IV had a brother Daniel. Thomas follows down from him.
 
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bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,567
4,740
Pines; Bamber area
Hmmm, you learn something new every day. You've got me reading some things, and I'd never heard this before. I paraphrased it:

"Samoset was an Abenaki sagamore and the first Native American to make contact with the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony. He startled the colonists on March 16, 1621, by walking into Plymouth Colony and greeting them in English, saying "Welcome, Englishmen.".

 
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Rooftree

Explorer
Mar 24, 2017
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Haddon Township
Bob: I'm glad you had the interest to further look into early history of New England.

Back in the 1950's when I was a young boy, my parents had close friends living in Chatley MA. They lived in an old farmhouse with wrap around from porch with a goat barn in back. It had the New England style stone fence. around the property. For a good number of years, we would visit them for Thanksgiving and spent a week in the summer. We got to know all their relatives. At the time, it was the best time of my life. The town was so small, that you had to walk down to the Post Office to pick up your mail. I got a big lick out of that doing it each day. And I would fish in Chartley Pond each morning.

Any way, we had visited Plymouth Rock several times back then. To this day, one thing that struck in my head all these years was the stature of Chief Massasoit up on the hill overlooking Plymouth Rock. It must have been the name that fascinated me.

There's a lot of history up there. The reason I know a lot of history my family is that I have two volumes (1643 pages) of my family heritage, and I can get additional information off the Net.
 

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