The Ong Family in America - a chronology to 1800

(Last revised: 30 Dec 2020)

Editor's Note:  Genealogists and historians have been reviewing, organizing, publishing or otherwise recording original records from past since the nineteenth century, and these were the key source materials for the many English-language family histories and other published genealogies which started to appear at that time in the English-speaking world.  One was compiled by Dr. Albert R. Ong (1846-1906, one of my great-great grandfather’s older brothers, so my great-great-great-uncle) and published posthumously in 1906 as “The Ong Family of America”.  Like similar genealogies of that time (and since) there was a great focus on the origins and early history of the family, and the presentation of the materials was in the form of a family tree, with, for the early generations especially, a review of key source materials.  Since then there has been (to my knowledge) one other important genealogical study about the early history of the Ongs in America and their English forebears by Ross K. Cook (1885-1970), originally published as “Notes on the Ong/Onge Family” in the New Jersey Historical Proceedings, New Series 16: 207-08 (1931) and expanded and updated as a monograph “The Ong Family”, presented to the Genealogy Society of Pennsylvania in 1964, and in the possession of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.   Cook’s work is also presented in the structure of a family tree, which differs in many key respects to the assumptions made earlier by Dr. Ong.  A third important presentation of early sources about the Ong family at the time of the emigration to America is the entry for “Frances Onge” in Robert Charles Anderson’s “The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633” vol. 2, 1360-63 (1995).

One of the things which becomes clear in reviewing source materials only in this period (the 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th centuries) is that building family trees involves a great amount of guess work.  To help readers understand the degree to which this is case, here I present all the key Ong family source material for this period I am aware of presented in chronological order, and not in a family tree structure.  Each entry consists of “facts” which either quote or are derived from the original records.  My comments and interpretations are written (in italics within parentheses).

The discovery of source material is an ongoing process – in fact publishing this article was prompted by a newly uncovered 17^th century parish register entry sent to me by my English cousin and genealogical friend Les Ong.  So my intention is to update this work as I find new things or consider new interpretations.  How we create the most likely family tree for these early American Ongs can be a discussion topic!

A note about dates:   England and its colonies did not adopt the “New Style” or Gregorian calendar, in use at this time in most of Western Europe, until 1750.  In the “Old Style” calendar, the year changed on March 25 (not January 1), based on the concept that this day, 9 months before Christmas and celebrated liturgically as the Feast of the Annunciation, or colloquially Lady Day, is when the next anno domini should be marked.  (Think about it!)  So dates which fall between Jan. 1 and Mar. 24 will have two years (e.g. 5 Feb 1630/31, the date the Ong family landed in New England), the first being the year recorded at the time, and the second the year we would now consider that date belonging to.  (When the New Style calendar was later adopted, England and its colonies had to skip 11 days to catch up to the rest of Europe, but that’s another story.) 

Market Square, Lavenham, Suffolk.

Edmund & Frances Onge were shopkeepers here, ca.1605-1630.

THE ONG FAMILY IN AMERICA - A timeline of source-based information relating to the early Ongs in North America and their English antecedents: 

1535:  Lavenham, Suffolk (England):  Edmond Onge baptized

(Lavenham is a market town in the West of Suffolk, about 12 miles SSE of Bury St Edmunds and 76 miles NE of London.  At this time the town was one of the wealthiest in England owing to the wool trade and the town’s blue broadcloth having a large export market.  The town’s prosperity is most marked by its magnificent “wool church”, the Church of SS Peter & Paul, completed in 1525, and where three generations of this branch of the Ong family were baptized.  Edmond’s parentage is not to my knowledge in these early records.  Some family trees in the public domain have recorded his father as “Xavier”, but I not seen any source for this.  Earlier records exist place Onge family members in other towns in the West of Suffolk as early as 1280. To place this date in a historical context, in 1535, Henry VIII (House of Tudor) was King of England and Ireland and then married to his second wife, Anne Boleyn (mother of the future Queen Elizabeth), who was convicted of treason and executed in 1536.  While the debate over church reform had certainly begun in England, and the 1534 Act of Supremacy had granted King Henry the status of Head of the Church of England, Edmond Onge would still have been baptized in a Catholic rite, probably the last in his branch of the family for the next 350 years or so.) 

28 Jan 1547: Henry VIII dies and his nine-year old son takes throne as Edward VI.  The Church of England becomes recognizably Protestant, and the English-language Book of Common Prayer is published in 1549.

6 July 1553: Edward VI dies and is succeeded by his oldest half-sister Mary, the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.  Mary marries Philip of Spain (House of Habsburg; becomes King Philip in 1556) and restores Roman Catholicism in England and Ireland.

17 Nov 1558: Queen Mary dies and is succeeded by her half-sister Elizabeth, daughter of Henry and Anne Boleyn, who re-establishes Reformation practices in the Church and its governance. 

11 Jan 1561/62: Lavenham: Edmond Onge (aged ca. 26) and Elizabeth Ladyman are married.  (Queen Elizabeth I has been reigning England for just over a year.)

1562-1573 Children of Edmond (and Elizabeth (Ladyman)) Onge, all baptized in Lavenham:

24 Oct 1562:  Alice Onge (no further records)

13 Jun 1568:  Edmond Onge (see 1602 marriage to Frances Read)

1570:              Anne Onge (see 1611 marriage to George Coseal)

21 Oct 1573:  Clement Onge (note born after death of father)

15 May 1573: Lavenham: Edmond Onge buried (b. 1535, so aged ca. 38)

18 Feb 1573/74: Lavenham: Elizabeth Onge (possibly widow of Edmond Onge) and Thomas Rolfe are married

21 Oct 1591: Lavenham: Clement Onge (aged 17) and William Wode are married

1592-1605: Children of John (and Anne) Onge, all baptized in Hartest, Suffolk. (The burial and probate documents of John Onge of Hartest are the only records for this person.  Ross Cook supposes that this John is probably the brother of both Edmond Onge of Lavenham (1535-1573) above, owing probably to the links between John’s son Francis and Edmond’s son Edmond’s family.  See below):

               

                2 Apr 1592:      John Onge

                1 Jan 1597/98: Edmond Onge (see 1629 re Cambridge University)

                12 May 1605:   Francis Onge (see 1631 re Watertown.)  

8 Apr 1602: Brent Eleigh: Edmond Onge (aged 34, son of Edmond and Elizabeth Onge) and Frances Read (or Reed, aged ca. 19; see death in Watertown in 1638) are married.

1 Jan 1603/4: Wivenhoe, Essex (England):  Jeremy Onge, son of Edmund Onge, baptized. (Wivenhoe is ca. 23 miles south of Lavenham.  This is likely the same Jeremy Onge of Lisbon, Portugal whose probate in Canterbury is dated 10 Jan 1651/52, as there are few birth records for a Jeremy Onge in England in this time period.  The chronology makes it very possible or likely that he is the eldest child of Edmond and Frances Onge of Lavenham.  See also entry for 16 Nov 1646.)

24 Mar 1603: Queen Elizabeth dies after a 45 year reign and is succeeded on the thrones of England and Ireland by King James VI of Scotland (House of Stuart) who becomes James I of England and Ireland.  The Authorized (or King James) Version of the Bible in English is completed in 1611. 

1606-1628: Children of Edmond and Frances (Read) Onge, all baptized in Lavenham:

23 Mar 1605/6: Marie (or Mary) Onge (see 1634 below)

21 Aug 1608:     Edmond Onge  (Buried at Lavenham 5 Jan 1611, aged 2)

14 Oct 1610:      Frances Onge (no further records)

25 Mar 1613:     Edmond Onge (see 1629 re Cambridge University below)

26 Jul 1615:    Thomas Onge  (Buried at Lavenham 27 Jul 1615)

             31 Jun 1616:      Elizabeth Onge  (No further records, but see below re 1636 probable marriage to Justinian Holden in Watertown, Mass.)

             11 Apr 1619:       Symon (or Simon) Onge  (see below)

             11 Apr 1622:     Thomas Onge (no further records)

             7 Nov 1624:       John Onge (no further records)

             1 Jul 1627:         Isaac Onge (see 1670)

             1 Jul 1627:         Rebecca Onge (twin of Isaac) (Buried at Lavenham 28 Jul 1627)
             27 Jul 1628:       Moses Onge (no further records)

             (Note there is no birth record for the Jacob Onge cited as Simon Onge’s brother in later Massachusetts records, unless his name changed or is incorrectly recorded from one of the above (e.g. John or Moses).  See 1678)

28 May 1611: Lavenham:  Anne Onge (sister of Edmond Onge, aged ca. 41) marries George Coxall

27 Mar 1625: King James dies and is succeeded as King of England, Ireland and Scotland by his son, Charles I.

1628: Salem settlement (founded 1626) reinforced by “New England Company for a Plantation in Massachusetts Bay”

Mar 1628/29: Charles I dissolves Parliament; Massachusetts Bay Colony granted Royal Charter

1629: Edmond Onge, of Suffolk, matriculates sizar at Corpus Christi College, Lent term 1629-1630, Cambridge University (Alumni Cantabrigiensis, 3 p 281) (Is this son of Edmond and Frances Onge of Lavenham b. 1613, so aged 16?  Or son of John and Anne Onge of Hartest b. 1598, so aged 29?  Ross Cook assumes the latter but I think the chronology favors the former.  Edmond Onge of Hartest also had three children between 1619 and 1623/4. In either case, there are no other records connected to this person, the first known Ong to attend university.)

Apr 1630: Start of migration of “Winthrop Fleet”, flotilla of carrying ca. 700 colonists, including Massachusetts Bay Governor John Winthrop, arriving first at Salem in June and over course of summer of  1630 colonists found Boston, Charlestown (including Medford), and Watertown.

7 Jun 1630: Lavenham: Edmond Onge buried (just before 52^nd birthday.  His known living Lavenham-born children range from 24 to almost 2 years old.)

14 Jun 1630: Administration on the estate of Edmund Onge was granted to his widow Frances; his inventory totaled L297 4s 9d.  (Source: Archdeaconry of Sudbury, Admon. Act Book 1630-1652, folio 2b)

5 Feb 1630/31: Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor John Winthrop’s Journal:  “The ship Lyon, Mr. William Pierce, Master, arrived at Nantasket.  She brought Mr. Williams (a Godly Minister) with his wife, Mr. Throgmorton, (   ) Perkins,  (    ) Onge and others, with their wives and children, about twenty passengers and about two hundred tons of goods.  She set sail from Bristol, December 1^st.  She had a very tempestuous passage, yet, through God’s Mercy, all her people came safe, except Way, his son, who fell from the spritsail in a tempest and could not be recovered, though he kept in sight near a quarter of an hour.  Her goods also came in good condition.”  (John Winthrop, Journal, Revised Edition, Vol 1, pp 49-50)  (Bristol is a port in the West of England, so the Onge party (as the others) travelled from Suffolk in East Anglia across England to join this voyage, which was the sole winter crossing of 1630-31 to Massachusetts and was largely a relief supply voyage for the large company of colonists who had crossed the previous spring and summer in what is known as “the Winthrop Fleet”, the high point of the “Great Migration”.  Nantasket, incorporated as Hull in 1644, was a village on a peninsula at the SE edge of Boston Harbor, and it is likely the ship was unloaded to Boston from there.  The “Mr. Williams” here is Roger Williams, the subsequent founder of Rhode Island Colony.  It is very likely that the Onge party consisted of Francis Onge of Hartest, then 24 years old, possibly his wife (since his first child was noted “born in New England” when later admitted to grammar school in England), his late cousin Edmond’s widow Frances (Read) Onge of Lavenham, and presumably most of her children, including certainly Simon, then aged 11, and probably Elizabeth, aged 15.  (The eldest daughter Mary crossed later – see 1634 below.)  Francis Onge of Hartest returned to England by 1632 – see below. It is an open question whether Francis intended to emigrate and reversed his decision, or whether the original plan was to accompany his cousin’s family on the crossing and then return.  Given his immediate matriculation to Cambridge University, the latter is likely the case.)

11 Apr 1632: Francis Onge, “son of John Onge of Hartest, Suffolk” (aged almost 26) admitted “pensioner” (classification of student) at St John’s College, Cambridge University.  (Alumni Cantabrigiensis, 3 p 281) (The entry in Alumni Cantabrigiensis says “age 20”, although Ross Cook quoted it as” age 26”.  Since the parentage and domicile are clear in both this record and the baptismal record, there is either a transcription error, or some other unknown explanation.)

30 Apr 1634: “Mary Onge, aged 27” departs Ipswich, Suffolk (England) aboard the ship “Francis” bound for Boston, Mass. (Hotten: List of immigrants, p 279) (Almost certainly the daughter of Frances Onge, then resident in Watertown, Mass.  Same crossing as Hammond family and Justinian Holden, also settling in Watertown.  Mary is also sometimes believed to be the 2^nd wife of Thomas Sherwood (1586-1655).

25 Jul 1636: Watertown, Mass.:  Lot 19 in the fourth division of the “Great Dividend”, thirty acres, granted to “Francis Onge” (WaBOP 5)  (The “Francis Onge” in these initial Watertown land records is usually understood to be referring to Frances Onge, widow of Edmond, since the spelling of Frances vs Francis (and spelling in general) was much looser than today.  However some have noted that was unusual not to have denoted “widow” or other marking of this being a woman as head of household, so we cannot entirely rule out that the cousin Francis Onge of Hartest was initially treated as head of household and proprietary rights holder despite his subsequent return to England.   This and the other land grants below give evidence that Onge held a proprietary share in Watertown, entitling her (him?) to homestead farm, plowlands, and grazing properties in different parts of the town based on family size.  It is therefore likely that she and her family were immediately settled in Watertown upon their arrival in the colony in 1631. In the 1643/4 Watertown land inventories this “Great Dividend” lot was in possession of Justinian Holden so it is possible that he acquired Onge’s proprietary rights sometime between 1638 and 1642.  Holden’s first wife was named Elizabeth, and given the ongoing involvement of Holden in Onge affairs (see Holden Genealogy 58n), it is very likely she was Frances Onge’s daughter Elizabeth b. 1616.)

17 Jan 1636/37: Gov. John Winthrop receives letter from Robert Ryece of Preston, Suffolk (England) about a matter of debt (incurred “4 yeares since”) involving William Hammond, Jr., recently deceased, and Sarah Coppinger of Lavenham.  The letter included a deposition of Thomas Root of Lavenham testifying to William Paine’s public statement of surety of the debt, with the added comment that “And this can the Wydowe Onge now of Watertown in New Englande, but then of Lavenham, in whose presence & in her shoppe wytnes.”  (Winthrop Papers 3:347-48)  (“Four years since” would place Frances Onge back in Lavenham in ca. 1632 which seems unlikely, unless Frances Onge also did the return voyage with Francis Onge but then returned.  More likely is that the memory is faulty.  More significantly this reference confirms the occupation of Frances Onge (and presumably her late husband Edmond Onge) in Lavenham as shopkeeper.)

28 Feb 1636/37: Watertown: Six acres in the “Beaverbrook Plowlands” granted to “Francis Onge"  (By Watertown land distribution policies, this shows that the Onge household was no more than six persons.)  

9 Apr 1638: Watertown: Six acres at the townplot granted to “Francis Onge”

12 Nov 1638: Watertown: “Francis Onge widow” buried “55 years old” (i.e. born ca. 1583, and therefore 19 at marriage to Edmond Onge, 45 at the birth of her last child, and 47 at time of emigration.  At the time of Frances’ death, the age of her children in Massachusetts potentially ranged from 32 (Mary) to ca. 10-11 years old. ) (WaVR 6)

1639: Outbreak of “Bishops’ War” in Scotland.  Growing hostilities in Britain and the hope of Puritan reform in England bring a halt to the “Great Migration” wave of colonization.

1640 Mar-May: “Short Parliament” meets and ends in stalemate with King Charles over his request to finance war against Scottish “Covenanter” army. 

3 Nov 1640: Parliament reconvenes (“Long Parliament”)

23 Oct 1641: Outbreak of Irish Rebellion

1642: Outbreak of English Civil War between Royalist and Parliamentary armies

20 Jul 1643: Watertown: John White gives a mortgage to John Sherman “in behalfe of the children of the late deceased widow Ong of Watertown, to whom he doth owe twenty-five pounds” on a house and six acres in Watertown and a house and seven acres in Cambridge.

1644: Watertown land inventories show Simon Onge (presumably son of Edmond and Frances b. 1619 in Lavenham, so now 25 years old) holding three lots.  (None of these were granted to Simon Onge in the original Watertown land distributions.  Reconstruction shows two of these lots were granted to Henry Dow.  The third may have belonged to Simon’s mother Frances, although this is not proven.)  

16 Nov 1646: Boston: Gov. Winthrop’s Journal: “Here arrived a Dutch Ship of 360 tons with 250 tons of salt sent by Mr. Onge of Lisbon, so (the price of) salt was abated in a few hours from 36 (pence) to 16 a hogshead.”  (This is presumably Jeremy Onge in the English trading community of Lisbon, Portugal (1604?-1652) who may also be the older brother or uncle or other relation of the Onges in Massachusetts.)

20 Feb 1646/7: Watertown: Simon Onge sells his house and ground to Jonas Eaton. (SLR 1:81) (This was the second item in Simon Onge’s holdings in the 1644 inventory.)

1647: Religious Society of Friends (“Quaker”) founder George Fox begins public ministry in England.

1649: Execution of Charles I in London 30 Jan; Monarchy abolished and Commonwealth of England established 19 May.

30 Jun 1653: York County Court (Maine District of Mass): John Burley and "Isacke Onge" acknowledge themselves indebted to the sum of ten pounds to the county.  (Isaac Onge b. 1627?  See also Isaac Onge in 1661 below.)

11 Jul 1656: Quakers Mary Fisher and Ann Austin arrive at Boston from Barbados on the "Swallow" in an attempt to preach in North America. Massachusetts Bay authorities immediately seize them and deport them back to Barbados after 5 week imprisonment. The jailors intended to starve Fisher and Austin while in prison, but a Boston innkeeper (and 1630 immigrant), Nicholas Upsall, bribes their guards in order to keep them fed, thus saving their lives.  Upsall ultimately becomes their sole convert.  

9 Aug 1565: First documented arrival of known Quaker family immigrants into Massachusetts on the "Speedwell." Suspected Quakers are arrested and questioned.

14 Oct 1656: Massachusetts Bay passes law banning Quakers and criminalizing any attempts by others to help or harbor them. Nicholas Upsall is first to be charged and is banished from Massachusetts Bay. Upsall flees to Rhode Island, formally becomes a Friend, then settles in Sandwich in Cape Cod, then part of Plymouth Colony, and is one of the founders of the first North American Quaker Monthly Meeting there in the winter of 1657.

3 Sep 1658: Oliver Cromwell dies, and is succeeded as Lord Protector by son Richard Cromwell.

Oct 1658: Massachusetts Bay institutes death penalty for crime of returning after initial banishment.  Quakers Marmaduke Stephenson, William Robinson (both hanged 1659), Mary Dyer (1660), and William Leddra (1661) are executed under this law and are known as the "Boston Martyrs"

29 May 1660: Charles II arrives in London; monarchy restored in England, Ireland and Scotland.

1661: Jacob Onge cited as an original proprietor in Groton, Mass. with a six acre right.

1661 Jun: Isaac Onge deposes in an Essex County (Mass.) Court case that he is twenty-five years old.  (If correct, this Isaac was born in ca. 1636 and therefore could not be the Isaac, son of Edmond Onge (d. 1630 in Lavenham) and Frances Onge (d. 1638 in Watertown), who was born in Lavenham in 1627.   So the Isaac cited here is either a grandson of Edmond and Frances, or a more distant relative of Edmond, or the court recorder meant to record “thirty-five” and misheard or made a mistake.  See 1678 below.)

16 4^th 1663: Isaac Ong mentioned as “27 years or thereabouts” in Essex County (Mass.) Court abstract.  (This fits the previous record.) 

30 Apr 1663: Selectmen of Ipswich, Mass. (Essex County) complain that Isaac Onge had not removed himself from town after being warned. Court orders he depart to whence he came.

Mar 1664: Province of New York granted to King Charles’ brother the Duke of York, incorporating former Dutch colony of New Netherland.  The Duke of York in turn sells what becomes New Jersey to Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley of Stratton, who become Lords Proprietor of New Jersey.  First Quakers subsequently settle in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

1665: Massachusetts Bay Governor John Endicott dies.  Laws against Quakers are subsequently lifted.

Apr 1665-Feb 1666: Great Plague of London.  Last outbreak of bubonic plague in England results in death of ca. 100,000 people, or 1/4 of the city's population.

2-6 Sep 1666: Great Fire of London consumes 13,200 houses, 87 churches, St. Paul's Cathedral and most of the city's public buildings.

8 Oct 1666: Jonathan Morse, aged twenty-three, deposes in Middlesex County (Mass.) Court that “after a fast day in Watertown about sunset he went to Roger Wellington’s (house) together with Justinian Holden Jr., Jacob Onge, Ephraim Smith, William Sanders, Sarah, Mary, and Jonathan Mason, Benjamin Allen and John Clary. In the space of two hours they together drank a gallon of (hard) cider and a pint of strong waters. Afterwards he was very sick, full of pain and vomited much.”  (One would first guess that this Jacob Onge is presumably a contemporary of Morse and therefore also in his 20s, or born in the 1640’s.  His parentage is unclear, although perhaps he is a son of the Jacob Onge, brother of Simon Onge, whose existence becomes apparent in 1678.  See below.)

1669: New Jersey census cites Isaac Ong living in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey.  (Shrewsbury, founded in 1665 by settlers from Long Island and Rhode Island, was New Jersey's first Quaker community, and oldest rural religious congregation.  The first meetinghouse was built in 1672.)

24 Mar 1670: Shrewsbury, Monmouth Co., New Jersey: Isaac Ong recorded as owner of 45 acres.

18 May 1670: The Records of the Births Deaths and Marriages in Watertown [Mass.]: "Isaack Ong and Mary Underwood joyned in Marryage the 18 of May" (Mary, born 13 Apr 1645 in Watertown, was the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Wilder) Underwood, also of Watertown. The marriage was also recorded in Shrewsbury, Monmouth Co., New Jersey, so the sequence of events suggests that Isaac Ong returned to Watertown to marry, then took his bride back to NJ.  In any event the records clearly link the first NJ Ongs to the Watertown Ongs. If this is the Isaac Onge b.1627 in Lavenham, then he would be almost 43, but as mentioned above there is more than one Isaac Onge in this time period. The American Ongs living today are all presumed to be descended from this marriage (see New Jersey records), and while Dr. A.R. Ong in “The Ong Family of America” (1906) assumed this was the Isaac born in Lavenham, Ross K. Cook assumes he is the son of Jacob Onge and grandson of Edmond and Frances Onge. So there is not consensus about this, and therefore the number of generations of Ongs living in North American since the crossing in 1630-1 is unclear. )

1671-1673: George Fox travels through North American colonies, including a visit to Shrewsbury, New Jersey in 1672..

9 Feb 1671/2: Chelmsford, Mass.: birth of Jacob Ong, son of Jacob Ong (see above re Jacob Onge)

8 Feb 1672: Simon Onge deposes in Middlesex Cty court.  Aged cited as “about 50 years”

1674-1702: Province of New Jersey divided into East Jersey and West Jersey, each with its own Governor.  Although the original Quaker settlement at Shrewsbury is in East Jersey, West Jersey is controlled by Quakers, and Quakers settle there in large numbers beginning in the late 1670's.

1 Dec 1672: Isaac Onge secures a deed from an Indian sachem named Sackaris for a plot land in Shrewsbury, Monmouth Co., East Jersey, near what is now West Long Branch.  

11 Dec 1674: Groton, Mass.: Jacob Onge (presumably brother of Simon Onge – see 1678) granted “30 acres of upland, more or less, envolving his own meadow next to Nicholas Cady within it, bounded east-southwardly with the lands of Joshua Whitney, westerly with the lands of Nicholas Cady and pond, south with the country highway, and northerly with the highway that go to Brownloaf Plain.” (Jacob Onge is cited as a neighbor in various earlier Groton land records throughout the 1660s.)


8 Jan 1674/75: Isaac Onge sells Shrewsbury, Monmouth Co., East Jersey plot purchased from Sackaris to Thomas Potter.

1675-1676: New England colonies ravaged by “King Phillip’s War”, as Indians of southern New England rise up against colonists, and are defeated, although at great cost of life on both sides.

4 Dec 1676: Shrewsbury, Monmouth Co., East Jersey: Warrant for 120 acres and meadowland issued to Isaac Onge "in right of himself and his wife" by East Jersey Proprietors.

8 May 1678: Simon Onge is a signer of a petition from various residents of Cambridge Village to the Massachusetts General Court requesting separation from the Town of Cambridge,

1678: Cambridge Village (now Newton), Mass.: Simon Onge dies intestate (at age 59).

12 Dec 1678: Administration of Simon Onge’s estate granted to “Jacob Ong…his brother”  (Unlike Simon, there is no record of a Jacob Onge’s birth in Lavenham.  There are a few possible explanations:   Perhaps, like Jeremy Onge, he was born elsewhere early in his parents’ marriage between 1602 and sister Mary’s birth in 1605/6.  It is also possible that he was born after brother Moses and after the death of his father Edmond sometime in 1630 while the family was en route to New England, although mother Frances was then 45.  It is also possible that the John Onge baptized in 1624 should really be Jacob.  A legal dispute over the late Simon Onge's property in Cambridge Village/Newton is the subject of a chapter in Roger Thompson's "Cambridge Cameos" (NEHGS, 2005)

3 May 1680: Isaac Onge is mentioned in a deposition in Ipswich (Essex Co.) Mass. court records, thus indicating that this problematic Isaac (b. 1636?) is not the same person as the Isaac Onge who has by this time settled in New Jersey.

29 Nov 1680: Groton: Jacob Onge cited as head of family with 38 acres.

4 Mar 1681: English Quaker William Penn granted proprietary charter to Province of Pennsylvania by King Charles in settlement of a debt to Penn’s father, Admiral Sir William Penn.  

26 Jun 1683: Shrewsbury, East Jersey: Isaac Ong chosen Cryer of the Court.

6 Feb 1684/85: Charles II dies and is succeeded as King of England, Ireland and Scotland by his brother James II (James VII of Scotland), who is Catholic.

18 Jun 1684: Charter of Massachusetts Bay Colony is annulled.

Jun 26 1684: Monmouth County Court, East Jersey: Mary Ong, daughter of Isaac Ong, is defendant with Captain John Slocum in adultery case. Mary had child out of wedlock and named Slocum as father, although Slocum denied. Slocum ordered to pay 50 shillings to Mary's father Isaac Ong. Mary received 5 lashes on bare back.

8 6^th 1685: Isaac Ong of Mansfield Twp. (Burlington County, West Jersey) registers his ear marks at Burlington. (One assumes that the family of Isaac Ong has removed from Shrewsbury in East Jersey to Burlington County in West Jersey. Quakers had begun to settle in Burlington County in about ten years earlier, including the founding of Salem in 1676, Burlington and Rancocas (Northampton) in 1678, and Chesterton (Crosswicks) in 1684. Mansfield Township lies to the east of Burlington and to the west of Chesterton Townships, although its own Friends Meeting was not established until 1731.  

8 Jul 1685: Groton, Mass.: Jacob Ong dies intestate and administration of estate granted at Cambridge to Nathaniel Lawrence. Records cite “widow and hur young child”  (The Jacob Ong Jr. born in Chelmsford in 1671 would be 14 – is that a “young child”?)

6 Oct 1685: At County Court: “Jacob Ong appearing in Court made Choyce of Nathaniel Lawrence sen’r of Groten to be his guardian.  The court do approve thereof.”  (Making a choice of guardian is more consistent with age 14?)

May 1686: Dominion of New England under Governor Joseph Dudley established, combining the colonies of Massachusetts Bay (including Maine), Plymouth, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.  Sir Edmund Andros becomes Governor in December 1686.  Andros institutes many controversial measures to conform colonial administration to English norms, threatening local autonomy.  

Dec 1688: Catholic King James II is overthrown in “Glorious Revolution”.  Dutch “Stadholder” William of Orange, and his wife, James’ sister Anne, become joint monarchs of England, Ireland and Scotland.

1689: Dominion of New England collapses after the fall of James II.

13 June 1689: Will recorded of Isaac Ong of Mansfield, Burlington Co., West Jersey. Wife Sarah is administrix. Children not mentioned by name. Inventory of estate (L 86.19.6) made by Mordecai Andrews and Edward Andrews.

22 Nov 1689: Chelmsford, Mass.: Sarah Onge, widow, marries Abraham Byam (presumably this is the widow of Jacob Ong of Groton MA)

1691: Province of Massachusetts Bay re-chartered, incorporating Plymouth and Maine.

8 Feb 1694/5: Burlington County, West Jersey: "Edward Andrews and Sarah Ong were married at the house of Thomas Revell the eighth day of February, 1694, before Thomas Revell, justice, and in the presence of Sarah Ong, Sr., Mordecai Andrews, Jacob Ong, John Joener, Mathew Forsyth, Eliakim Higgins, Thomas Douglass and Elizabeth Darling." (The Ongs mentioned here are presumably the daughter, widow and son of the late Isaac Ong of Mansfield. The house of Thomas Revell was in Burlington.) (Burlington County records cited in Leah Blackman, "History of Little Egg Harbor Township" (1880) 

3 Jun 1695: Groton, Mass.: Jacob Ong conveys land to Nathaniel Wood (presumably this is Jacob Ong, Jr, no longer a minor)

24 May 1697: East Jersey Deeds, Liber G: Isaac Ong senior, late of Shrewsberry, to John Stewart of the same place, for all his right, title, etc. in an to 44 acres E. Nathaniel Commack, N. a road to Mrs. Sarah Reap's, W. the orphans of Thomas Barnes, dec'd, S. a salt water creek; also in and to the meadows of Shrewsberry and 140 or 240 a. in Monmouth County, not yet surveyed.

21 June 1698: Burlington Court Book of West New Jersey: "Jacob Ong appeared [in Burlington County] court to answer to a complaint against him of riding on gallop in the fair time Betwixt the Market house and the water Side and and affront offered on the Constable wherewith he was charged But no person appearing to prosecute against him he was cleared by the court." (The Burlington Court Book of West New Jersey 1680-1709, Ed. Reed & Miller, Washington, 1944, p. 206)

7 Mar 1698/99: Will proved of Issac Onge of Mansfield Twp, Burlington Co. Mentions wife Sarah and children, but not by name. He willed a plantation in Mansfield Twp and personal property.  Executor was Abraham Brown, and witnesses Elizabeth Darling, Jacob Decow and Jacob Ong.

1699-1724: Children of Jacob & Elizabeth Ong recorded in Little Egg Harbor Meeting (now Tuckerton), Burlington (now Ocean) Co., West Jersey:

                26 2^nd 1699:    Isaac Ong (marries Bathsheba/Barshaby Burdshall, see 1726 below)

                3 3^rd 1703:      Jacob Ong (marries Mary Spragg, see 1723/24 below)

                14 1^st 1704:    Mary Ong (perhaps marries Thomas Ridgeway, Jr., see 1723/24 below)

                10 3^rd 1707:    Sarah Ong (marries Nicholas Delaplain, see 1731 below)

                25 9^th 1709:    Joseph Ong

                23 9^th 1711:    Phebe Ong (marries James Liang of Middletown see below)

                22 9^th 1713:    Mabel Ong (marries Henry Shoemaker, see below)

                19 11^th 1717:  Elisabeth Ong

                1 11^th 1719:    Esther Ong (presumably who married Joseph Duckworth, see 1737 below)

                6 4^th 1722:      Jeremiah Ong

                23 11^th 1724:   Rachel Ong (marries Elias Brass, see 1742 below)

(Jacob Ong is one of the earliest residents of Little Egg Harbor, a Quaker settlement near the Atlantic coast at the other end of Burlington County, whose name was changed to Tuckerton later in the 18th century (and which now lies in Ocean County).  A Friends Meeting was established there by Edward Andrews in 1704, and Jacob is undoubtedly the son of Isaac Ong of Mansfield and brother-in-law to Andrews. The families of his brother-in-law Edward Andrews and Edward's brother, Mordecai Andrews, are also original settlers of Little Egg Harbor. )

14 Nov 1701: Boston, MA: Jacob Ong marries Tamozine Riford (Jacob Ong Jr of Groton?  Officiant was Benjamin Wadsworth (1670-1737), minister of the First Church in Boston and President of Harvard College from 1725 to his death in 1737.)

10 June 1702: West Jersey Records, Liber B, Part II: Deed: Daniel Leeds of Little Egg Harbor, W.J., to Sarah Ong and her son Jacob Ong, for 100 acres in Mansfield Township, Burlington Co., S. Mordecai Andrews, N. John Hooten and Daniel Bacon. 

11 June 1702: West Jersey Records, Liber B, Part II: Release: Sarah Ong of Mansfield Township to her son Jacob of the same place, of all claims &c.

6 Feb 1702/3: West Jersey Records, Liber B, Part II: Deed: Jacob Ong to Abraham Brown, both of Mansfield Township, for a plantation of 100 acres there. S. Mordecai Andrews, N. John Hooten and Daniel Bacon.

4 Sep 1712: Chesterfield Monthly Meeting minutes: "John Higby and Alice Andrews daughter of Mordecai Andrews declared their intentions of taking each other in marriage. This meeting appoints Edward Andrews and Jacob Ong to enquire concerning his clearness from all others on that account and give account to our next Monthly Meeting." (Little Egg Harbor Meeting was subordinate to Chesterfield Monthly Meeting until 1715.) 

14 Jul 1715: Elizabeth Ong (wife of Jacob) named co-overseer of newly established Little Egg Harbor Women's Meeting.

9 Sep 1715: Little Egg Harbor becomes Monthly Meeting and Thomas Ridgeway and Jacob Ong are added as Overseers (with Gervas Pharo and Richard Osborn). (Jacob Ong remained an overseer until his first removal in 1726.)

9 Nov 1715: Inventory of personal estate (L183.19.5) of Isaac Ong, who died intestate.  Brother Jeremiah Ong of Mansfield (Burlington County), NJ, named administrator. Dec 17 Petition states heirs are another brother and two sisters.

9 May 1717: Little Egg Harbor Monthly Meeting minutes: "This meeting appoint Gervas Pharo and Jacob Ong to attend the Quarterly Meeting."

13 Mar 1717/18: Little Egg Harbor minutes: "It is concluded by this meeting that Jacob Ong should look after the grave yard for the ensuing year."

17 May 1718: Malden, Mass.: Tamesin (Tamzen) Ong marries John Upham (widow of Jacob Ong Jr?)

14 May 1719: Little Egg Harbor minutes: "This meeting appoint Jacob Ong and Stephen Burdshall  to attend the quarterly meeting."

12 May 1720: Little Egg Harbor minutes: "This meeting appoint Roger Osborne and Jacob Ong to attend the quarterly meeting."

29 Dec 1721: Malden, Mass.: Joanna Ong marries Richard Pratt (daughter of Jacob & Tamesin Ong?)

9 May 1721: Little Egg Harbor minutes: "This meeting appoint Jacob Ong and Moses Emmory to attend the quarterly meeting."

14 Nov 1723: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "Thomas Ridgway Junior and Mary Ong appeared at this meeting and published their intentions of marriage and Richard Osborne and Jacob Ong are appointed enquirers into their clearness." (Does Jacob's role as enquirer rule out Jacob as Mary's father? Most secondary sources say this Mary is Jacob's daughter born in 1704 cited above, but perhaps it is more likely she is the daughter of Jacob's brother Jeremiah who does not appear directly in Little Egg Harbor Meeting records, but whose 1744 will cites various Ridgeway "grandchildren."  See below.)   

12 Dec 1723: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "Thomas Ridgway Junior and Mary Ong appeared the second time before this meeting and published their intentions of marriage having the consent of their parents and nothing appeared to obstruct they are left to accomplish their marriage according to the good order used amongst friends and RIchard Osborne and Jacob Ong are appointed to see that it is done. 

"Jacob Ong Junior and Mary Spragg and Mordecai Andrews Junior and Mary Taylor published their intentions of marriage before this meeting and Richard Osborne and Thomas Ridgway Senior are appointed enquirers."

9 Feb 1723/24: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: Richard Osborne and Jacob Ong that Thomas Ridgeways marriage was accomplished according to good order.

"Jacob Ong Junior and Mary Spragg; and also Mordecai Andrews and Junior and Mary Taylor appeared the second time before this meeting and published their intentions of marriage and having the consent of parents on all sides and nothing appearing to obstruct as far as we could find, this meeting permits them to accomplish their marriages according to the good order used amongst friends and Gervas Pharo and Joseph Willits are appointed to see that it is done."

14 May 1724: Little Egg Harbor: "This meeting appoint Jacob Ong and James Pharo to attend the quarterly meeting."

1724: Suffolk Co, Mass: Timothy Onge estate probated (son of Jacob Ong Jr of Groton/Boston?)

15 May 1725: Little Egg Harbor Meeting Women’s Minutes: Elizabeth Ong appointed with Elizabeth Willetts to converse with another member about potential removal to Pennsylvania.

13 Jan 1725/26: Little Egg Harbor Monthly Meeting minutes: "Isaac Ong at this meeting desired in order marriage and conversation this meeting appoint Richard Osborne and Richard Willits into his clearness

10 Feb 1725/26: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "The friends appointed to inquire into Isaac Ong's conversation and clearness report that he is of aparently good conversation clear in respect of marriage so far as they can find there, this meeting grant him a certificate.

"Jacob Ong Sen'r desired a certificate for himself and his family in order for his removal into Pennsilvania and the meeting appoint Richard Osborne and Gervas Pharo to enquire into their conversations." (The family of Jacob Sr return in 1728 - see below.)

7 Mar 1725/26: Concord Monthly Women's Meeting, meeting at Chichester, PA: "Isaac Ong and Barshaba Burdshall appeared here and proposed their intentions of marriage it being the first time."

10 Mar 1726: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "The friends appointed to inquire into Jacob Ong's conversation report that they find it have been very orderly therefore this meeting grant him a certificate. At this meeting Nathaniel Burdshall and Jacob Ong Junior delivered a certificate for themself and wife. This meeting appoint Richard Osborne and Gervas Pharo to enquire into their conversations."

14 May 1726: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "The friends appointed to inquire into Nathaniel Burdshall's conversation report that to have been pretty orderly therefore this meeting grant him a certificate, and they report that Jacob Ong Junior's conversation have not been so good as they could have wished for, but he being under the care of this meeting and his marriage passed amongst us and he being diligent in coming to meetings this meeting grant him and his wife a certificate to be under the care of the meeting they go to."

4 Apr 1726: Concord Women's Monthly Meeting minutes: "Isaac Ong and Barshaba Burdshall appeared here and continued their intention of marriage it being the second time nothing appearing to obstruct they are left to their liberty to proceed according to the rules established amongst us."

7 Apr 1726: Concord Monthly Meeting records: Marriage of Isaac Ong to Bathsheba Burdshall (Witness signatures include Jacob Ong but not mother) (Concordville, Chester (now Delaware) County, Pennsylvania - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concord_Friends_Meetinghouse)

12 Sep 1728: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "Jacob Ong Senior brought a certificate for himself and family at his return from Pennsilvania which was accepted of by this meeting."

12 Nov 1729: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "This meeting appoint Jacob Ong and Thomas Ridgeway to attend the quarterly meeting."

10 Jun 1731: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "Nicholas Diliplain and Sara Ong laid their intentions before this meeting for the first time."  (Sarah Ong is the 4th child of Jacob & Elizabeth Ong of Little Egg Harbor.)

8 Jul 1731: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "At this meeting Nicholas Diliplaine and Sary Ong appeared the second time and proposed their intentions of marriage and he producing a certificate with consent of parents and nothing appearing to obstruct, this meeting leaves them to their liberty to accomplish their intentions according to the good order in use amongst friends."

22 Jul 1731: New Jersey State Archives: Phebe Ong of Burlington County marries James Laing of Middlesex County.  (Phebe is 6th child of Jacob & Elizabeth Ong of Little Egg Harbor.)

13 Apr 1732: Little Egg Harbor minutes: "At this meeting Henery Shewmaker and Mabel Ong declared their intentions of marriage the first time."  (Elizabeth Ong is appointed an enquirer by the Women's Meeting, so perhaps it is sometime the case that a parent does this?)

11 May 1732: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "At this meeting Henery Shewmaker and Mabel Ong declared their intentions of marriage the second time and he producing a certificate with consent of parents were left to their liberty to accomplish their intentions according to the good order in use amongst friends. This meeting appoints Gervas Pharo and Samuel Andrews for to see the orderly accomplishment of their marriage and make report to next meeting."

9 Nov 1732: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "This meeting appoints James Willets and Jacob Ong to attend the quarterly meeting."

8 May 1733: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "This meeting appoints Sam'l Andrews and Jacob Ong to attend the quarterly meeting."

1 Jul 1734: Chester Monthly Meeting approves and signs certificate of removal for Isaac Ong. 

14 Nov 1734: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "At this meeting Isaac Ong produced a certificate from Chichester Concord which was read and received."

8 May 1735: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "At this meeting there was a request made for a certificate for Jacob Ong and family to Chesterfield in order for their removal to within the [Verge] of that Meeting." (Leah Blackman in her "History of Little Egg Township" describes this removal as the final departure of Jacob Ong Sr and assumes he died in Pennsylvania. However he and his wife return in 1744. See below.)

14 Aug 1735: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "The friends appointed to inspect into Jacob Ong conversation and family is of aparently orderly conversation and this meeting gives him one [certificate]."

6 Nov 1735: Chesterfield Monthly Meeting minutes: "Jacob Ong brought in a certificate to this Meeting for himself & his wife & two daughters, Elizabeth and Hester, which was read & approved in respect of himself and his wife."  (According to the Little Egg Harbor records, Elizabeth and Hester/Esther are younger daughters of Jacob Sr.) (Chesterfield, now Crosswicks, Meeting in Burlington County, NJ is still in existence: http://www.crosswicksfriendsmeeting.org/)

2 Jun 1737: Chesterfield Women's Monthly Meeting: "Mary Danford is desired to tell Esther Ong if she persists in marrying from amongst us she is liable to be disowned."

1 Aug 1737: Burlington County, New Jersey:  Esther Ong marries Joseph Duckworth (see OFH article on President Jimmy Carter who is descended from this marriage)

4 Aug 1737: Chesterfield Women's Monthly Meeting: "Mary Danford reports she delivered the message to Esther Ong before she was married but she made light of it disregarding advice."

1739: Jacob Ong recorded in Burlington County, NJ election return

24 Jan 1742: New Jersey State Archives: Elias Brass and Rachel Ong, both of Burlington County, marry.

9 Nov 1742: New Jersey State Archives: Thomas Pettit and Susannah Ong, both of Monmouth County, marry

4 Aug 1743: Chesterfield Monthly Meeting minutes: "Jacob Ong requested a certificate for himself & wife to the Monthly Meeting at Egg Harbor."  

2 Aug 1744: Chesterfield Monthly Meeting minutes: "A certificate was signed for Jacob Ong & his wife to the Meeting at Little Egg Harbor."

5 Sep 1744: Will of Jeremiah Ong recorded in Little Egg Harbor, Burlington Co (now Ocean), NJ.  Executor is son-in-law Thomas Ridgeway.  Grandchildren (Ridgeway) are Jeremiah, Ann, Sarah, Thomas, John, and Job, all under age.  Inventory (L309.6.3) recorded by Samuel Andrews and James Bellangee. 

13 Nov 1744: Little Egg Harbor Meeting minutes: "At this meeting Jacob Ong Senior produced a certificate for himself and his wife from Chesterfield Monthly Meeting and it was read and well received."

14 Dec 1749: 1752: Britain and her colonies adopt Gregorian calendar:  Legal new year starts (again) on Jan. 1st (rather than Mar. 25th), and Sept. 2nd, 1752 is followed by Sept. 14th to synchronize with the rest of Western Europe.

21 12th 1753: Philadephia Monthly Meeting records burial of Rebecca Ong, daughter of Joseph Ong
(Presumably this Joseph is the son of Jacob & Elizabeth Ong born in Little Egg Harbor in 1709.)

13 Sep 1755: New Jersey State Archives: Jenston Morgan of Monmouth County marries Ester Ong

1756-1763: Seven Years War (or the French & Indian War) fought between Great Britain and France over various global territorial disputes & ambitions, including control of the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions in North America.

14 Dec 1759:  New Jersey State Archives: David Briggs of Burlington County marries Hannah Ong

1760: North Carolina census cites a male Ong living in Rowan County

24 Apr 1760: New Jersey State Archives: Martin Long of Burlington County marries Mary Ong 

1763: In the wake of victory over France and the subsequent Indian uprising known as Pontiac's Rebellion, Britain closes the area west of the Appalachians to further settlement.

May 1764: Jacob (James) Ong, age n.a., sentenced at Middlesex Quarter Sessions (London) to Transportation to America (Virginia) on the "Justitia" in Sept 1764.  (There are no further records of this person in America.) 

4 Jun 1765: Pheby Ong is married to John Cobin according to records of the officiant, the Rev. John Conrad Bucher, minister in the German Reformed Church in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania

11 Oct 1768: Little Egg Harbor Women's Monthly Meeting: "This meeting gives Isaac Ong and Bethshebe his wife a certificate to the Monthly Meeting at Burlington."

2 Dec 1769: Burlington Monthly Meeting minutes: "Another certificate of removal on behalf of Isaac Ong and his wife Barshaby and Family of children from the Monthly Meeting of Little Eggharbor was now read but some circumstances being mentioned in said certificate Wm Smith and Tanta(?) Earl are appointed to enquire into the case and report thereon."

6 Feb 1769: Burlington Monthly Meeting minutes: "The certificate of Isaac Ong & wife being now again read, and it appearing it is thought to be thirty years or more since he removed from Eggharbour, and hath not conducted like a Friend or brought up his children to attend our meetings - the Meeting thinks it not proper to Receive the Certificate, and appoints Wm Jones & Caleb Carr to inform Eggharbour Friends thereof, and the reasons for not accepting the Certificate."

1770: New Jersey census cites Benjamin Ong, Job Ong, and Nehemiah Ong as single males living in New Hanover Township, Burlington County, New Jersey

1774: Benjamin Ong, Job Ong, and Nehemiah Ong cited on August 1774 Tax List in New Hanover Township, Burlington County, NJ.

1775-1781: American Revolutionary War. In the 1783 Treaty of Paris Britain surrenders its claims west to the Mississippi River to the newly independent United States, while retaining Canada.  Settlement in lands west of the Appalachians accelerates in the 1790s.  The US fights various wars in what becomes Ohio and Indiana against Native American tribes resisting American sovereignty and western settlement.

18 Oct 1775: Zadoc Ong is signatory as witness for two marriage certificates at Middle Creek Preparative Meeting (Arden, Berkeley County, (W)VA, subordinate to Hopewell Monthly Meeting). (As of now there are no other known records of an 18^th century Zadoc Ong, so his relation to Jacob Ong who joins this same meeting in 1786 is unclear.)

11 Apr 1778: Philadelphia Monthly Meeting for the Northern District: Rebecca Ong, aged 54, buried (so born ca 1734). 

7 Nov 1778: Wills proved (separate but same date) of both Joseph Ong and Rebecca Ong, of Waterford, Gloucester [now Camden] County, NJ, widow.  Administrator of both: John Webb. Inventory for Joseph L 931.10.0 and Rebecca L444.13.7 made by Joseph Champion and William Cooper 16 Nov 1778. 

12 Jan 1784: Menallen Women's Monthly Meeting (Menallen Twp, York, now Adams, County, PA) minutes: "Huntingdon Meeting informs that Mary the daughter of Finely [sic] McGrew hath left the parts in a disorderly manner with a young man in the night season which being considered in this meeting it is thought best to appoint a friend to unite with Men friends in writing to some friends of Hopewell Monthly Meeting and endeavour to inform themselves whether or no or in what manner she was married, therefore Alice Hendricks is appointed for that service who is desired to report to a future meeting."
  
12 Jan 1784: Menallen Monthly Meeting minutes: "The Women's Meeting informs this that Mary daughter of Finly McGrew hath left the parts in a disorderly manner with a young man in the night season.  Which being considered in this Meeting wee appoint James Watson and Jonathan Wright to assist them in writing to some friends of Hopewell Monthly Meeting to treat with her on behalf of this meeting and endeavour to inform them selves whether or no or in what manner they were married."  (Based on subsequent entries it appears that Mary McGrew eloped with Jacob Ong and these entries place the couple at the Quaker settlement in the northern Shenandoah Valley centered at Hopewell Meeting in Frederick County, Virginia near the Berkeley County (now WV) line.)

10 May 1784: Menallen Women's Monthly Meeting minutes: "A few lines being produc'd here from some friends of Hopewell Monthly Meeting respecting their visiting Mary Ong formerly McGrew on account of her misconduct whereby they inform that the[y] visited her and were of the mind it would be left to testify against her misconduct which this Meeting having considered concurs with and Ann Pearson & Eliza Pearson are appointed to unite with men Friends in drawing testimony against her and produce it to next meeting."

10 May 1784: Menallen Monthly Meeting minutes: "The Committee appointed to write to some friends of Hopewell Monthly Meeting in the case respecting Mary the daughter of Finly McGrew produced a few lines from the Friends to which they wrote by which this Meeting is informed that she is married, and her case being considered in this Meeting it appears to be the sense thereof to appoint some friends to draw a Testimony against her and report to next Meeting therefore Daniel Griest and Isaac Pearson are appointed for that service."  

14 Jun 1784: Menallen Women's Monthly Meeting minutes: "The testimony against Mary Ong was produc'd to this meeting which was read approved and laid before Men friends in order to be published as usual."

14 Jun 1784: Menallen Monthly Meeting minutes: "The Friends appointed in the case of Mary Ong, formerly McGrew report they performed the service and a testimony was produced to this meeting which was approved and signed being as follow viz Whereas Mary Ong formerly McGrew hath had a birth right amongst us the people called Quakers but hath so far given away to a libertine spirit as to go away in a disorderly manner with a young man in the night season to whom we are since informed she is married contrary to the good order used amongst Friends, for which misconduct we do hereby disown her the said Mary Ong to be any longer a member of our society untill her future conduct recommend her worthy which that it may is our desire for her.  (Assumption is that Jacob Ong while likely born a Quaker was already disowned for having served in the Continental Army (8^th Regt, Pennsylvania Line) during the Revolution.)

26 May 1785: New Jersey State Archives: John Archer of Gloucester County, NJ marries Anne Ong.

4 Apr 1786: Hopewell Monthly Meeting minutes: "Middle Creek Preparative Meeting informs this, that Jacob Ong request to be joined membership with Friends, William Grubb, Daniel Ballanger, Able Walker, and Jonathan Wright are appointed to visit him, judge his sincerety and fitness, and report thereto to next mo[nthly] meeting."

7 Aug 1786: Hopewell Monthly Meeting minutes: "Friends appointed in the case of Jacob Ong report that three of them had an opportunity with him, and are of the mind that it may be right to grant him his request, which upon deliberation in concurred with, & he received into Membership."

14 July 1787: Menallen Women's Monthly Meeting minutes: "Mary Ong (formerly McGrew had a birth right amongst friends but lost it by going out in her marriage) sent a paper of acknowledgement to this meeting condemning her said outgoings and likewise a few lines from some friends of the meeting where she resides expressive of her life & conversation having been in a good degree orderly for some considerable time past and her acknowledgement being read was accepted. Martha Everitt & Ann Pearson are appointed to unite with Men Friends in preparing a Cetificate for her to Hopewell Monthly Meeting and produce it to next meeting."

3 Sep 1787: Hopewell Monthly Meeting minutes: "Mary Ong produced a certificate from Menallen Mo. Meeting, dated the 11th of the 6th mo. 1787 whch was read and accepted."

7 Jul 1788: Jacob Ong "co" of Middle Creek Preparative Meeting (near and subordinate to Hopewell Monthly Meeting, Virginia)

5 Jan 1789: Hopewell Monthly Meeting minutes: "M.C.P.M. [Middle Creek Preparative Meeting] informs, Jacob Ong requests that his two children, viz. Rebecca & Finley, be received as Members, which upon consideration is granted, and they received as such.

2 Jul 1789: Isaac Ong marries Christiana Flieger, daughter of John Flieger, in Augusta County, Virginia.  (The parentage of this Isaac Ong is unclear.  Perhaps son of Isaac & Bathsheba Ong?  Others have speculated that he is a brother to Jacob Ong and the other Pennsylvania Ongs.  This branch of the family survives (and two of its members fought for the Confederacy while living in Cabell County (West) Virginia) but their existence challenges the assumption made by Dr. Ong in the 1906 that all American Ongs are descended from Jeremiah and Christianna Ong. )

9 Jan 1790: Isaac Ong cited as original member of Staunton (Augusta County, Virginia) Fire Company

16 Mar 1791: Isaac Ong cited as arbitrator in Augusta County (Virginia) court records.

2 May 1791: Hopewell Monthly Meeting minutes: "Middle Creek P.M. [Preparative Meeting] informs that Jacob Ong requests a certificate for himself, Mary his wife, and their three children, viz., Rebecca, Finley & Jacob, to Westland Mo. Meeting. (Westland, in the "Redstone Settlement" in the Monongahela valley in SW PA, was established in 1785 as the first monthly meeting west of the Alleghenies.) 

6 Jun 1791: Hopewell Monthly Meeting minutes: "The Friends appointed to provide a certificate for Jacob Ong, wife, and children, produced one wh. was read approved & signed."

25 Oct 1791: Isaac Ong, son of Jacob and Mary Ong, born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania

2 Jun 1792: Jacob Ong warranted ca. 85 acres of land in North Huntingdon Twp (in Sewickley Twp since 1835), Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Cites land improved since 1775. (This property lies just to the east of the site of the Old Quaker Cemetery off Lauffer Lane near the Mars Hill Baptist Church and the Sewickley Twp Maintenance Building, about 1 mile southwest of Rilton, and 1 mile west of Herminie.  The cemetery is adjacent to the site of the Sewickley Meeting House, no longer extant.  Sewickley Meeting for Worship first met in 1789, built its Meeting House in 1800, and it was the last of the old SW Pennsylvania ("Redstone Settlement") Quaker meetings to have survived when it was laid down in 1912.  Jacob Ong's land is part of a larger cluster of land warrants granted to original Quakers settlers in this section of the county.  His immediate original owner-neighbors included his brother-in-law James McGrew and father-in-law Finley McGrew.  See survey here, and a map of the original owners of Sewickley Twp here. )

20 Dec 1794: Isaac Ong, son of Isaac Ong, born Augusta County, Virginia

1792: Edward Ong cited in personal property tax roll for in West District (“Mt Clinton, Muddy Creek, War Branch”), Rockingham County, Virginia.  Had no property, indicating either young man, elderly man, or newly arrived.  (“Tenth Legion Tithables (Rockingham Division) Rockingham County, Virginia, Tithables for 1792”, Compiled by Harry M. Strickler, 1930)

3 Jun 1796: Redstone Monthly Meeting minutes: "Providence Preparative Meeting informs that Elizabeth Ong formerly McGrew hath accomplished her marriage with a man not in membership with Friends, by the assistance of a magistrate. Ebenazer Walker & Samuel Davis are appointed to join Women friends in a visit to her & report their sense of the situation of her mind to next Meeting." 

2 Sep 1796: Redstone Monthly Meeting minutes: "The Committee appointed to attend Women friends in a visit to Elizabeth Ong report that they have had a favourable opportunity with her and were of the mind she was not so fully sensible of her deviation as to condemn it at that time but she now attending with a written acknowledgement which coming weightily before this Meeting. Benjamin Gilbert & Gideon John are appointed to join the former committee in a visit to her [to] feel after the sincerity of her offering and report their sense thereof to next meeting."

30 Sep 1796: Redstone Monthly Meeting minutes: "The Friends in the case of Elizabeth Ong report most of them in company with Women Friends have had a favourable opportunity with her and found her desirous to condemn her outgoings but believing it right to lay another month the same friends are continued to take the necessary care therein & report to next or a future meeting."

25 Mar 1797: Redstone Women's Monthly Meeting minutes: "Elizabeth Ong again attended this meeting with an acknowledgement condemning her outgoing in marriage and disobligeing her parents, which after being read and considered by this meeting was laid before the Men's, who unite in the acceptance of the acknowldgement, desiring that her future conduct may be consistent with the principles we profess." (Elizabeth is the daughter of James A. McGrew, Jr and Mary Jane (McRae) McGrew, and married Jesse Ong.) 

31 Mar 1797: Redstone Monthly Meeting: "Elizabeth Ong attended this meeting with a written acknowledgement condemning her out going in marriage, which coming under consideration, and divers friends expressing their unity therewith it was accepted."

26 Oct 1797: birth of Jane Ong, daughter of Jesse and Elizabeth Ong

29 Dec 1797: Redstone Monthly Meeting minutes: "Jesse Ong attended this meeting and after a time of deliberation his request was granted and he received into membership with desires that his conduct may manifest his sincerity and now at his request his child Jane is received into membership."  

1798: North Huntingdon (now Sewickley) Twp, Westmoreland Co., PA tax rolls include:

                -Jesse Ong, 2 cabins, $20 valuation, saw mill, 70 acres, $500 valuation

                -Jacob Ong, 1 house, $70 valuation, barn, mill, 108 acres, $906 valuation

1800: Ongs in US Federal Census, all in North Huntingdon (now Sewickley) Twp, Westmoreland Co, Pennsylvania:

                -Jesse Ong, 1 M 26-44, 1 F26-44, 2 FU10, 4 total

                -Jacob Ong, 2 M45+, 1 M16-25, 2 M10-15, 3 MU10, 1 F26-44, 1 F16-25, 1 F10-15, 1 F U10, 12 tot.

                -Jeremiah Ong, 1 M16-26

(The two adult males being over age 45 in Jacob Ong's household poses a mystery. One is presumably Jacob, but who is the other? And 45+ does not fit with the usual cited birth date for Jacob of 1760.)

Hopewell Meeting House, Frederick County, Virginia

The 1905 Ong Family Reunion - First Day, Opening Session

As a modest public service, we reproduce over the next few posts the transcript of the great 1905 reunion in its entirety.  The text is taken from pages 120-163 in Dr. Albert R. Ong's 1906 "Ong Family of America" which is in the public domain here.  Editorial comments about the speakers are in italics.)

THE REUNION

_____

16th and 17th August, 1905.

The first reunion ever held by the Ong family in the United States was held on the fair grounds at Smithfield, Ohio, August 16th and 17th, 1905, and was a grand success in every particular.  More than four hundred members of the family were present, and well on to two thousand friends of the family were there to add good cheer to the occasion and extend to the Ong family a friendly greeting.

Representatives of the family were there from Oregon, California, Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and Ohio.

Only those who were there can know of the joy of this meeting.  It is safe to say not one of that large gathering regretted the time and trouble taken to attend.  In the future there should be but few absentees of the family when reunion time rolls around.

The following is a stenographic report of the proceedings of the reunion:

OPENING SESSION

_____

16th August, 1905.

The meeting of the first day of the Ong reunion was called to order at 9:30 a.m. by the President, Dr. Albert R. Ong, of Martins Ferry, Ohio.  The following prayer was offered by Rev. O. B. Ong of Wilson Mills, Ohio.

(Osborn B. Ong (1860-1930), one of Dr. A.R. Ong's younger brothers, was a minister in the Friends' Church in 1902, as was his wife, Mary, nee Thomasson.  Osborn served as a pastor in Wilson Mills, outside of Cleveland, Ohio, and then in various places in California.  Osborn and Mary both died in 1930 from injuries received from being accidentally hit by a car (driven by another clergyman) while they were crossing to a street-car in Oakland, CA.  -Ed.)

"Our dear Heavenly Father, it is with grateful hearts that we bow before Thee at this time with thanksgiving and praise for Thy care and for Thy love extended toward us.  We are so glad in Thee for the privilege that we have of invoking Thy blessings upon this, the opening session of our first reunion.  Oh God, we pray Thee, in Jesus' name, that, in a new sense, we may recognize the divine power over and around our lives, which has enabled us to enjoy this privilege.  Dear Lord, we pray Thee that as we spend the hours of this day and evening, and the ones that shall follow, as we converse with our loved ones, and with those whom we have never seen before, and while our hearts are exultant with praise to Thee for the happy time that is ours, Thou will give us such an appreciation of Thy goodness as we have never had.  Dear Father, we pray Thee that somehow there may be a re-echo in our hearts of the prayers of sainted loved ones who have gone before, that we may live such lives that we may be unbroken families around Thy throne.  We pray Thee, dear Lord, that somehow those of us who have accepted this wonderful salvation, that the Christ-like nature may be so imparted to us, that as we meet the dear ones who are not already saved, that they may be persuaded to accept the same blessed Christ. 

"Oh God in Heaven we pray Thee to save every unsaved relative who has had the privilege of meeting here this morning.  Dear Lord Jesus, we pray Thee that Thou will preside over every exercise, and over every conversation, and that while we are having these happy hours together, we may not forget the loved ones East and West, North and South, whose hearts are directed this way, but who have not been privileged to meet with us on account of circumstances over which they had no control.  Some of these loved ones are in mourning today, and God, we pray that Thou wouldst let the sunlight shine into their lives that they may be comforted.

"Now, dear Father, may these loved ones, these exercises, every feature of the program be under Thy guidance.  We are so glad Thou hast saved us from a life of sin.  May Thy special blessings be upon every one of us, and may we be careful to give Thee praise.  Amen."

Rev. W. P. Ong was then introduced by the President and made the opening address, which follows:

(William Purviance Ong (1853-1932), one of Dr. Ong's first cousins, was also a Friends' minister whose service started in Columbus, Ohio and led his family to Pasadena, CA.)

"In the good providence of God we are privileged to gather here on these grounds, and in this historic village on this most eventful occasion, which has been the dream, the thought, the desire and purpose of many who are here present, but our most sanguine expressions are transformed this morning into a glorious reality, and that which was conceived with uncertainty, looms up before us at this hour a conscious fact.

"We come up to this native soil and home of our illustrious ancestors, after these years of separation and toil, representing states, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and, as we look into your faces we greet you in glad anticipation of the joy and pleasure in reserve for all.

"In the history of our people, this reunion will have the notoriety of being the first gathering of this character, and will stand out in the annals of our race as an event of more than ordinary interest and we trust may prove an inspiration to future generations to come up from the four quarters of the earth on like beneficial and pleasant occasions.

"We are all conversant with the fact that the farm industry in its rugged, rocky and pioneer form, claimed the principal attention of our honored forefathers.  However, in latter years some have diverged from the well beaten path and highway of assiduous toil and prosperity.  The professor, with the air of superior wisdom and knowledge, the M.D. with his pill box, blue pills for pale people and pale pills for blue people, and the hawkeyed attorney with his law book under his arm, all having left the farm to enter other avenues and thoroughfares of life, and the innocent and unsuspecting public are either philosophized by the professor, physicked by the physician, or fooled by the attorney.

"But, ladies and gentlemen, we must hasten on.  In behalf of the assembled relatives and friends, I wish to congratulate and thank your executive board, and thank God for the very appropriate quotation that appears on the first page of our program.  'After God there is nothing, O my friend, so sweet as a friend.'

"Had the coiling serpent of infidelity access to the thoughts and hearts of our departed loved ones, I dare say these inspired words would never have adorned this memorable program.  And as the history of this reunion shall go down to our children, and to the generations that may follow, I pray God that this great truth, as if thrown on a canvas in letters of light, shall make its indelible impress on memory's tablet.  Yea, more, shall we not hope that the heart life shall be Heavenward moved by the thought that we on this occasion recognize God first, giving to the Divine dispenser of all timely and eternal joys his rightful place in the royal palace of thought, in social as well as in religious life.

"Again, 'from our of the mist of years there rushes a host of memories.'  Memories fragrant with the dews and aroma of early childhood and youth; memories of the old homestead on the hillside, or in the valley by the brook, where the faithful ox and old water mill contributed their part to the necessity of home and community; memories sacred of parental sacrifice and love, the ceaseless untiring toil, the burdens they bore, the trials and hardships endured, the life of self denial, which have made it possible for this gathering in 1905.

"Intervening years have not dimmed the vivid coloring with which memory has adorned those by-gone scenes of fond and sad recollections, memories of home life touch every fibre of the soul, and strike every chord of the human heart as with Angelic fingers.  Nothing but death can break the spell.  That home where first we heard the sainted mother pray and read the old tear stained Bible she loved so well.  Those busy hands, and tired weary bodies are resting now.  But mother and father still live and are reaping the reward of the faithful in the Paradise of God, where the music of Angelic choirs fill all Heaven, their eternal home beyond the stars.  While they cannot be present with us today, there is an approaching reunion beyond the mountain peaks and clouds and earthly storms.  Thank God they will be present then.  Shall you, shall I?" 

Following Rev. W. P. Ong's address, Hon. Walter C. Ong moved that suitable resolutions on account of the death of Mrs. Addison Carr, of Salem, Ohio, be prepared, and that a committee be appointed by the chair to draft such resolutions.  The motion was seconded and carried.  The chair then appointed as a committee, Mr. Finley Newlin, of Richmond, Indiana; Rev. O. B. Ong, of Wilson Mills, Ohio; Mr. Joseph Ong, of Columbus, Ohio; F. K. Ong, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Prof. A. C. Ong, of Omaha, Nebraska.

The morning session then closed with the following remarks by the President:

(A profile of Dr. Ong in an earlier post can be found here.)

"Before adjourning this session I have a statement to make and a few announcements.  First:  I want to call your attention to the fact that we are now living at a time and in an age, when every intelligent person is supposed to know something of his family history, and while it is true that our ancestors have not left on record much from which to gather, I can assure you there are monuments enough along the way to carry us, by a careful survey, back to the original source from which every person who carried a drop of Ong blood in his veins in this country must have sprung.

"For twenty years I have given some attention to this kind of a research, and while I am sorry to say such efforts have not been crowned with as much success as I had hoped, yet we have discovered many interesting facts, so that I can assure we are of respectable parentage however far back we may go.  This careful research has not led us back to crowned kings, princes and potentates, but it has led us back to men of force and character, men of moral stamina, and women of sterling force and character, and above all, ancestors who stood for right and justice, their country and their God.  I would rather be a descendant of parents like these than to know there was coursing through my veins today the corrupted blood of lords and nobles.  A family is great not on account of what its ancestors may have been socially and politically, but on account of what it is and what it has been in the generations of which its history may be written.

"Now I propose to put these fact on record by having a book printed, embodying at least 200 pages, embracing the genealogy of the Ong family so far back as it is possible to trace it.  The noble deeds and incidents of the lives of many of those that have passed to the Great Beyond.  War records of those who have done service for their country, many of whom, as you are aware, went down amid din and battle, sealing their fidelity to the cause with their own life blood.  This book can be issues and substantially bound at a cost of $2.00 per volume.  You all understand that to issue so small a number is very expensive.  I am making this announcement at this time that we may be able to learn what the wish of this large family may be.  We have a record book here in which I want every person who has one drop of Ong blood in them to register.  This register is in charge of Nicholas Ong.  When you register I want you to mark after your name the number of volumes that you wish.  Remember there will be but one opportunity , there will be but one issue, and that will be just the number that will be ordered.  You are not expected to pay for this until the manuscript is ready for the press, when you will be notified, but we would like to know, and must know, whether enough of thus family is interested in this book to justify publishing it.  I will promise you that we will give everybody equal showing in this history.  I want your names whether you want a book or not.  In this book will be a cut of the old family clock in which every descendant of this family is interested, and of which I am the happy owner.  For 123 years it has been ticking away the time; five generations have passed away, and the clock today is marking the time as accurately as it could have done one hundred years ago.

"I would ask that you register today as rapidly as possible, register the entire family, this will aid us in making up the work.

"If we have any friends here who are not already provided with lodging places, please report here at the stand, or to Mrs. William Vermillion and Mrs. Charles Blackburn.  Next comes dinner."


The session then adjourned until 2 p.m.

Finley Ong (1839-1864) and letters from the American Civil War

Your Editor inherited his interest in family history from both his father and his grandfather, Louis Brosee Ong (1911-1986), for whom genealogy was an important hobby (the others being music, specifically drumming, and carpentry).  One manifestation of his work was that in the late 1960's he had arranged along the main staircase wall of the family home in Uhrichsville, Ohio a series of photographs of the Ong family members of our line, starting from Jacob Ong (1760-1849) all the way through eight generations to a grade school photo of the Editor at around age 10.  Aside from the direct ancestors, and some photos of old Ong houses and furniture, there were two other photographs of honor, both brothers to the Editor's great-great-grandfather Harlan Ong (1850-1919) likewise sons of Moses Harlan Ong (1810-1890) and Mary Cain Ong (1814-1875): The first was my great-great-great uncle, Dr Albert R. Ong, (1846-1906), the author of "The Ong Family of America" (published posthumously in 1906), and the other was a Civil War-era portrait of their older brother, Finley, in military uniform (above).

The entry for Finley Ong in Dr. Ong's book is as follows:

FINLEY ONG was born on the 2nd day of January, 1839.  He was a soldier in the Civil War, a member of Company H, 126th Regiment, O.V.I.  He was wounded in the battle of the Wilderness on the 26th day of May, 1864, and died on the following day.  He was also a faithful soldier of the Cross, and died with these blessed words on his lips as he sang:

                                           "Jesus, lover of my soul.
                                                Let me to Thy bosom fly;
                                           While the nearer waters roll,
                                                While the tempest still in high.

                                           "Hide me, Oh my Savior, hide,
                                                Till the storm of life is passed;
                                            Safe into the Haven guide,
                                                Oh, receive my soul at last."

He was twenty-five years of age at the time of his death and was unmarried.

--- 

This romanticized account of his passing is undocumented of course, but the date of death here - May 26, 1864 - is problematic as the Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5th through 7th, 1864,  But the date for his death on the side of his family's group tombstone (in Northern Cemetery, Smithfield, Ohio) is given as May 6th, which fits the narrative precisely. 

,

This also matches the relevant entry for "Findley Ong" in John Gibson's "History of the 126th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry" (1883):  "Wounded and captured in battle  Wilderness, May 6, 1864.  Died in hands of enemy from wounds received in battle  Wilderness,  May 6, 1864."

The Editor's branch of the family has preserved a group of letters relating to Finley Ong which makes fascinating reading over 150 years later.  One letter relating the news of Finley's loss to his father gives yet another date for his death.  (All the letters are presented here without any corrections.)

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(Letter from Pvt. J.B. Moore to Moses Harlan Ong)

Spottsylvania Heights

May 17, 1864

Mr. Ong,

Sir with grief I seat myself to give you the sad news of your true son Finly  he is missing from our ranks  He was wounded May 16th  We charge and we were drove he was left on the field consequintly he fell into the hands of the rebles  He was wounded in the hip or the leg we could not tell but he seamed to sufer very much but we are in hopes he aint dead  as fore me to give you any corect account I could not at this time but will at the earliest peariod posible.  I received several letters fore him to day and as I could not send them to you I opened them and found but one of them frome home fore with I enclose with this ---- I also found one with one dolars worth of postage stamps and as the boys wer out I gave them to them and-----worth in money I will be glad to doe anything in the way of information I can for any of you  I was a bunk maitt of Finlyes and I feal it my dieuty to doe what I can in this way  I will close is hast as we have to move  believe me to by your friend

J.B. M(? -illegible)

Company H (126th)

Brig G

Via Washington

G,W Paxson is mising  John Hooper is wounded  William Ford is wounded  I will give you a longer detail 

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Based on the regimental Muster Roll, the author is undoubtedly J.B. Moore, and the events described in the postscript occurred between May 9th and May 12th.  As for May 16th vs May 6th, the two possibilities are that the letter has the date wrong, or Finley was wounded and died in the subsequent engagement at Spotsylvania Court House in which the 126th OVI was also deployed, suffering heavy casualties, and the regimental records confused the facts.  That is understandable given that in these two weeks of battle in early May over half of the regiment was killed, wounded or went missing.

Here is the account of May 6th in Gibson's history:

Here are the other letters in the collection: 

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(Letter from Elthiza M Cuppy to Finley Ong)

Home

September 6th 1863

Mr. Ong

I was very agreeably surprised afew weeks ago on receiving a letter from you  Now I will try to answer but I will not promise you much for I cannot write an interesting letter but perhaps it will serve to amuse you in some of your lonesome moments  We have been having avery hard rain here this eavening it was needed very much for it has been the dryest this summer I ever saw it  I just came home from yearly meeting in time to escape the rain  it was crowded hot and dusty there so you know it would not be very pleasant at least it was not to me  Brother John came home afew weeks ago  he is not well and I am afraid never will be  There was a picnic at the mouth of Piney Fork yesterday I thought it was not going to pay and would not go I am sorry now that I did not for I guess they had a tolerbly good time  But as this is my first letter I will close  I will be pleased to hear from you if you think this worth answering  Excuse all mistakes and poor writing.

Your friend

Elthiza M Cuppy

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Notes: 

Elthiza M. Cuppy (1846-1939) wrote this from Mt Pleasant, Ohio, just before her 17th birthday.  Like many in the Quaker community she was also kin:  Elthiza was the niece by marriage of Finley's great uncle, John McGrew Ong (1799-1877), who married Mary Jane Cuppy (1797-1877).  Elthiza married Marion Strong McGrew (another cousin to the Ongs) in 1875.

"Brother John" was John Worrall Cuppy (1827-1891), who served as a Hospital Steward in the 104th Illinois Infanty

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(Letter from George W. Paxson to Finley Ong)

Sept. 26th 1863

Camp near Culpeper Va.

Mr. Finley Ong

Sir by good luck a detachment of the 110 Ohio camped in and near Camp Tyler started to join their regiment in the army of the Potomac on the 23rd and we were sent with them.  we arived in Washington at midnight  we remained in Washington untill 1 P.M. when we went to Alexandria, where we stayed untill dark when we were put aboard a hay train, and arived in Culpeper about 12 A.M.  slept in a car loaded with oats, untill morning eat a piece of dry bread and balogna for breakfast, slung my knapsack and marched out about two miles to the camp of the 126th where I arrived about 10 A.M.  the regt is very small at present there is 38 men of co H at this place and 35 are reported for duty  a number (including Lieut McKinney) were left at New York, Stonebrook died at that place, a number are also at Alexandria.  Col Smith is in command of our brigade.  The 11 and 12 corps have gone to Tennesse  We keep 8 days rations by us all the time, independent of what we draw for present use  Waddle has been promoted to orderly and Conway to Segeant again.  direct Co. H 126th Ohio 3 Brigade 3 Division 3 Corps  army of the Potomac.  Jos. Deyarmon and Wm Ford are well  Yours.  Geo W. Paxson

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Notes:

The author, George W. Paxson (1840-1864), was a Private in Co. H, 126th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was listed as missing in battle at Spotsylvania Court House May 9, 1864.  The circumstances of this letter are interesting as Finley Ong must not have been in active duty in the regiment in Sept 1863.  The regiment was recruited from Harrison County in the summer of 1862 as a volunteer unit with a three year commitment, so Finley either was a late joiner or was on furlough, the latter being more likely since the writer makes it sound as if Finley knows the various people mentioned.

The detachment to New York refers to the effort by the Union Army to enforce the draft in New York City.  2nd Lt. Thomas W. McKinnie was subsequently wounded at the Wilderness on May 6, 1864.  He re-entered active duty and was eventually promoted to Lt. Colonel of the regiment in Jan. 1865.  Private John Stonebrook died of disease in New York City on Sept 9, 1863.

The regiment's commander, Col. Benjamin F. Smith, was an acting Brigadier General (as referenced in the letter) and had been a Captain in the regular Army.

Benjamin N. Waddle, was promoted to Sergeant on Sept. 1, 1863, captured at the Wilderness on May 6, 1864, and was exchanged and died in January 1865.

Sergeant Moses Conway was killed the Battle of Flint Hill, Sept. 21, 1864.

Private Joseph Deyormond died of disease on Jan. 6, 1864 at Brandy Station, Virginia, the regiment's winter encampment.

Private William Ford was wounded on May 12, 1864 and again on Sept. 19, 1864.  He was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps in March 1865.


*************
(Letter likely from Anna Eliza Ong to Finley Ong)

Direct to Hopedale
Harrison Co
in care of Mr. Hill

Dumphery Hall
Hopedale O.
Nov 25, 1863

Friend Finley,

I intended to have answered your long and interesting letter ere this by I have had so much to busy myself about before coming that I thought I had better wait for a good opportunity than to scrach off something in a hurry.

So I come again to greet you with a kind good evening.  It has been a very gloomy and unpleasant without  But with the curtains drawn in room No. 20 and a cheerful fire and surroundings to muse by we forget the unpleasantness of without in the quiet within  Nature is indeed seldom a sympathizer with our inner life.  It has light heed of human suffering.  But I must give you a few preliminaries of our school.  I have been her 2 weeks and so far I like the school and its several teachers enceeding well it and they are all and even more than expected all that I anticipated has been fully realized.  Mr. Regal the principal is one the nicest men I have ever met in other words he is a gentleman.  There's about 50 studence in attendance and more expected  there are 8 gents boards in the hall including Mr. Brinkerhoff (one of the proff.)  all of the cottages ar taken up with club boarders  the room we are in is capable of accomodating 4 has at present only 2 in persons of humble servant and Corrie Madill we are expecting 2 other ladies next.  There is two good societies call the ?diadark? lions and the percleaians.  both societies are flourishing  I have not united with either.  I shall join the formor the anniversary comes off on the 18.  The members are preparing for a grand time  the members of said societies must perform something every Friday evening the can know what it is by refering to the program which is made out and hung up in the assembly room.  I only have six studies arretrrhmetic Grammar Geography Nat. philosophy elecution orthography an penmanship.  That is as meny as Mr. Regal allows us to have in addition to belonning to a society which is considered equivalent to a study for it is no small task to belong and be a good member.  I have only recited 2 since I cam here for I was ill the first of this week last they did nothing but organize classes.

I had almost given up hop of hearing from you  Ah! like the faint flowers of Sommer which the vanity finger hath plucked friends has gone in natures domain.  Gone foreve like the gorgeous summer we may never welcome again.

Friends has gone from us to strike a blow for the good old starry banner and to die and before it is all over how many will be silent beneath the green grass sleeping the loving sweet sleep of the glorious saints and heroes; these martyrs of holy truth some in the honorable ?scors? some great and glorious all sutfering(?) either from the silent land beyond through the echoing hall of memory or from every place of honor in our land  how great a thing it is to die for freedom  "Oh! God of battles" steel the souldiers heart  I fear I have been talking too serious for you have been joking with your fellow souldiers so much you will like shewghing this around

But I will have to close do excuse this miserable scribling I write.  is great how the boy will soon start to this office  this is Thanksgiving and there is no school

write soon
ever your Annie



*************
(Letter likely from Lemuel W. Ong to Finley Ong)

Richmond Ohio
Dec 1 1863
F. Ong

Cozy Friend

Time with untiring wings in hurrying on to its destined goal.  Eternity's mighty ocean swerving in his path the wrecks of empires the tombs of nations and no chain not even nights deep darkness can bind his rushing pinions.  How time flies.  Nearly one year has rolled away to join the boundless chain in the eternity of the past since last I looked into your eye grasped the hand of friendship and bid you adieu.  Last night autumn died today chilling winter is seated on his icy throne and rules the world.  All nature bears the visage of the cold spring bare and desolate.  the murmuring brook lies hushed in its icy fetter the feathered songsters have gone to carol their melodies in more genial climes.  The gentle breeze shrunk before the northern blast which now is howling dismally around while your friend cozy and comfortable is seated beneath the homestead rook scribing a few thoughts for your edification perhaps and in response to your long-looked-for and very kind epistle which now lays before me.  Fin, why this long silence?  If my memory serves me justly it occurs to me that you promised to open a correspondence with me soon after you returned to the field.

I have been reproved more than once from not writing to you by venerable advisers saying that you are a soldier and hence opportunity don't come on golden wings every day for writing friendships to everyone.  I could not see the philosophy in such an argument acknowledging however that soldiers do battle with many privations but letters from your own hand have been received time and again by others whom perchance you considered more worthy.  But let us drop that and enter upon something more important  "Let the past dead bury its dead and think only of promptness in the future.

I am hearty as usual still able for full rations and hope when this reaches its destination it may find you basking in the sunshine of good health.  Allow me to say that Angel in calico over at the white cottage is in fine spirits and blooming waiting perhaps till this "Cruel War is over" when some one of America's brave sons may take her blushing from the Hymen's altar  Fin, today the storm which drives our ship of state out upon the shoals and quicksands of discussion is not so terrible as in times gone by.  Dare we to hope that the tempest is almost over?  Dare we to say that the Goddess of Liberty bearing in one hand the emblem of peace in the other noble and beautiful "Stars and Bars" is about to emanate from the dark clouds and dispense the gloom?  Hope it may be!  Anna has gone to Salem to school this winter.  Excuse this writing and all errors for I am in a hurry.  Write soon without fail and I will try and be more interesting in my next.

PS Fin get a furlough and come home during the holiday

Yours
Lemm

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Note:
The authors of these two letters - "Lemm" and "Annie" - are not properly identified, but there are enough clues to indicate that these are likely Finley Ong's first cousins, Lemuel W. Ong (1844-1877) and his sister Anna (Annie) E. Ong Simpson (1849-1929), both children of Lewis Ong (1816-1898) and Elmira Purviance Ong (1820-1901).  Lemuel Ong, age 19 at this time, was a student at Richmond College in his hometown of Richmond, Ohio.  He later received a Masters degree from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, and returned to Richmond to take charge of the College and became its President in 1868, an office he held until his death in 1877,  His sister Annie, 14 at the time of this writing, was educated at the Friends School in Salem, Ohio and then Richmond College, and in 1871 she married Prof. Samuel S. Simpson, who was subsequently President of Richmond College from 1878 to 1886.  Their brother, Lindley H. Ong (1841-1862), had already died from illness while serving as a hospital nurse in the 40th Ohio Voluntry Infantry, then posted in Kentucky.

The love interest obliquely referred to in the third paragraph remains a mystery.


*************
(And finally, a letter from Finley himself to one of his several aunts.)


Camp in the Mud
Army of the Potomac 
April 5th 1864

Dear Aunt,

     For the first time and with plascure do I imbrace the over whelming oppertunity of pening afiew simple thoughts for your perusal and perhaps edification  Not being gifted with nack of letter writeing like some others I have alwais failed to interest my my relatives or from there actions I could not come to eney other conclusion.  but I feel that I am now writeing to one who will not look for prafection but will hail with plasure afiew lines pened by unworthey me.

     Aunt I left home on the morn of the 17th October  Landed at my rgt on the eavning of the 23rd distance about 550 miles found the regt encampt nie Brandy station on the Orange and elanandria RR found the boys in good health with one or two excseption.  they wer very snugley fixed in there little log huts which had been built by the rebs.  Ar boys drove them out of there winter quarters.  Steped in took posation whare they have been fairing sumtiousley all winter  I nevor saw ar regt. injoying as good health and looking so well as they ar at presant  But when I come to look round over my Co. meney faces which was familliar and aquaintance dear was missing the pail messenger death had been thair and had sumoned them home.  I could not help but feel bad.  but the words came huring across my mind.  The Lord giveth the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord.  Sweet consolation is it not to those who love his coming.  But I have allmost lost the run of my subject.  I am now one that constitute apart of the galent yet unsucsesfol Army of Potomac.  in a day or two after I arrived ar Brigade was ordered out on Picket  I with the rest of them packed and slung knapsack three days rashions in haversack and away we go it was 8 miles from camp to ar pickt line.  we stayed out three days one of them being easter Sunday on Tuesday 29th we was releaved then had 8 miles to tramp to camp the mud being very deep and rain falling in perfect torants made it rather adisagreeble trip  got to camp found orders awaiting us.  ar new commander and hero of the western Army front is here reorganiseing this Army to suit him self so we was trasfered from the 3rd Corps to the 6th the largest corps in the U S Army the 5 origonal corps has been consolidated in to three.  Namely 2nd 5th and 6th Commandid by the three galent heroes namely Hancock Com. 2nd Warren Com 5th Sedgwick 6th Gen. Grant Commander in Chief  we had to move ar camp.  Marched about 3 miles took the quarters of the 17th Main got as good quarters as we left was it no but better  Aunt we ar exspecting a grand and earley move of this Army and I hope to acheive that which will make eny loyal hart rejoice.  But it has been raining and snowing hear ever since I joined my regt consiquently the roads ar geting very bad and amove at preasant would be out of the question.

     Aunt this mutch nicer country than I excspected to find But bares evry mark of the desolation of war  the once snug little cotage that was once inhabited by perhaps ahappy couple surounded as it may of been by some of earths fair daughters is now deserted  the boken flore split doors and the wind whistling through the broken windows speaks plainley that it has been changed from that what it was built for to the dwelling of some of Uncle Sams Boys  to sum al up in afiew werds the whole country is layed at wast and nothing to be scene or herd but clash of arms and tramp of the war horse.

Finley

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According to the Regiment's records, Finley Ong died of his wounds in Confederate hands 31 days later.

The Editor especially thanks John Doyle Ong for these transcriptions.

More information on Ong family members who served in the Civil War may be found at: http://ongfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2016/01/ongs-in-american-civil-war.html

Jimmy Carter is 1/128th Ong!

The White House portrait of James Earl ("Jimmy") Carter, Jr., 39th President of the United States 

Thanks to an overnight message from our cousin Lois Odatay, the Editor is reminded of the fact that all American Ongs are cousins to the 39th U.S. President, Jimmy Carter.  One of President Carter's 5-great grandmothers was Esther Ong Duckworth (1719/20-1769), the daughter of Jacob (1672-1743) and Elizabeth Ong from the Quaker community of Little Egg Harbor, Burlington County, New Jersey (now Tuckerton in Ocean County), making Jimmy Carter officially 1/128th Ong!  As far as we know all the Ongs in America are descended from Esther's older brother Jacob (1702-1729) and his son Jeremiah Ong (1724-1767?).  Sometime after Esther Ong and Joseph Duckworth were married in Burlington County (on 1 June 1737), they moved to a Quaker settlement in North Carolina, and the next generation of Duckworths moved to Wrightsborough, Georgia on the eve of the Revolution where a daughter married a Carter.  The rest is history....

The descent of President Carter from the Ongs is as follows:

Jacob (1672-1743) & Elizabeth Ong's 9th (of 11) child Esther (1719/20-1769) marries Joseph Duckworth in New Jersey in 1737.
Their 4th (of 6) child Jeremiah Duckworth (1740-1809) marries Christiana Ramsey in North Carolina in 1760.
Their 14th (of 19!) child Eleanor ("Nellie") Duckworth (1780-1820) marries James Carter in Georgia in 1798
Their 1st (of 10) child Wiley Carter (1832-1873) marries Ann Ansley in 1821
Their 5th (of 11) child Littleberry Walker Carter (1832-1873) marries Mary Ann Seals in 1851
Their 3rd (of 4) child William Archibald Carter (1832-1873) marries Nina Pratt in 1885
Their 4th (of 5) child James Earl Carter (1894-1953) marries Bessie Lillian ("Miss Lillian") Gordy in 1923
Their 1st (of 4) child is James Earl ("Jimmy") Carter, b 1924, 39th President of the United States

President Carter's son Jeff Carter has written a very nice account of his family's ancestry, "The Ancestors of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter" (McFarland & Co., 2012) which includes a narrative history of many of the various families from whom the Carters are descended, although Esther Ong's origins are not covered, unlike the Duckworths.

President Carter receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway in 2002.  In the audience was his 6th cousin, 2x removed, John Doyle Ong, US Ambassdor to Norway, 2002-2006

John Nathan Ong, Jr., Ph.D. (27 May 1927 - 6 March 2017)

I am sorry to report the death last month of another of our distinguished cousins.  RIP.

From the Fairfield (IA) Ledger:

FAIRFIELD, Iowa --  Dr. John N. Ong, Jr., age 89, of Fairfield, passed away on Monday, March 6, 2017 at his home.

Memorial services will be held on Tuesday, March 14, 10:30 A.M., at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.

John was born May 27, 1927, in Minas de Rio Tinto, Huelva, Spain to Lucille Bristol and John Ong, Sr.  As a teenager, from 1941 until 1945, he attended Plumtree School in Plumtree, Southern Rhodesia, Africa.  After serving honorably in the United States Army, he attended the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, conferring his Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering (BSChE) in 1952, and his doctorate degree in metallurgy (PhD) in 1955.

John worked at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri from 1956 until 1961, Aerospace Industries from 1961 until 1966, and the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee from 1966 until his retirement in 1990.

He was united in marriage to Dian Whitney Marker on July 27, 1996.

John enjoyed playing bridge, solving puzzles, and studying metaphysics.  He was a member of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Mt. Pleasant.  He was also active in Phi Delta Theta Social Fraternity, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Scholastic Society, Sigma Xi Scientific Scholastic Society, and ISSS (Systems Professional Society).

He is survived by his wife Dian: four daughters: Susan (Douglas) Dapo of Westerville, Ohio; Sarah (John) Schmitkons of Lorain, Ohio; Rachel (Tom) Kilbourn and Ruth McCurdy both of Vacaville, California; step children, Kimberly Marker of Pleasant Valley, New York, and Jason (Sara) Marker of Denver, Colorado; sixteen grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and siblings Polly Ingram of Raleigh, North Carolina, Sandra Ong of Blairstown, Iowa, and Richard Ong of Evanston, Wyoming.

John was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife Elaine Egbert Ong; grandson, Hudson Marker; and son-in-law, Steve McCurdy.

Memorial donations in John's name may be made to Planned Parenthood of Southeast Iowa or The Nature Conservancy of Iowa.

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Here is Dr. Ong's micro-autobiography from "Being Our Own Heroes; Our Stories and Other Myths" by The Timeless and Transcendental (TNT) Bunch (1st World Library: 2003):


MEET JOHN ONG

Residences (in reverse order): Iowa, Wisconsin, California, Missouri, Utah, Military Service, Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), Spain.
Name (Ong): Origin Viking, out of England (means "respected old man" in Chinese).
Dharma: Integration (I want to know everything).
Progeny: Four daughters, fifteen grandchildren.

Cover photo of "The Timeless and Transcendental (TNT) Bunch"