Our Family Connection to the Salem Witch Trails of 1962

Our family connection to The Salem Witch Trails is on my 5th great-grandmother, Eleanor Garrison’s line, Eleanor is the wife of John Griner of Cumberland County, NJ. And a 3rd great-grandniece of Elizabeth Proctor of the Salem Witch Trails. Sarah Elwell (nee Basett) and Elizabeth Proctor (nee Bassett) were sisters, their parents were Capt. William Bassett Sr. of Lynn, Mass. and Sarah Burt, daugher of Hugh Burt.

Eleanor’s father was Cornelius Garrison, who was born c. 1760 in Pittsgrove, Salem County, New Jersey according to the genealogy research notes of Charles E. Sheppard Esq. in reference to Anna Tullis’s family records.

We already know that Eleanor’s father Cornelius died in December of 1794, and according to Charles Sheppard’s notes Cornelius parents were Daniel Garrison (c. 1724 – December of 1799) and Phebe (surname unknown). Daniel was born c. 1724 in Pittsgrove, Salem County, New Jersey. Also, according to the inventory records of Cornelius Garrison’s. (see Anna Tullis)  there is another Garrison relative mentioned on that inventory and his name is David Garrison, he is a brother of Cornelius Garrison and a brother-in-law to Anna Tullis.

When I first noticed the name David Garrison, I went on ancestry.com  to see if there a will for a Daniel Garrison living between 1730 to  about 1799, in Salem, New Jersey at  the time when my 6th great-grandfather had passed away. I found it.

New Jersey, Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817,Volume XXXVIII, Abstracts of Wills, 1796-1800 (Ancestry.com database)

In Daniel’s will it mentioned a David Garrison, now I know that this will is the correct one because 1) Daniel was living in Deerfield, Cumberland County, New Jersey at the time when his son Cornelius Garrison has passed away in December of 1794 and Daniel was also mentioned in Cornelius’s inventory record. 2) David Garrison is his father’s will and also on Cornelius’s inventory record. 3) Cornelius, the son of Daniel Garrison, wouldn’t be mentioned in his father will because he was already deceased. This shed more light on the connection between Cornelis, David and Daniel Garrison.

Since we now know that Daniel Garrison is a grandfather in this will, which makes his birth year between c. 1724-1730. I also just finally found out the actual death date for Daniel Garrison, he died on December 9th 1799 as recorded at Deerfield Presbyterian Church, so he actually he made his final will 5 days before his passing (source in referenceThe Early Records of Cumberland County, New Jersey. Compiled by: Charlotte D. Meldrum, pg # 27.) Not all of his children and grandchildren are mentioned in this will, this is because it’s probably a last minute thing for Daniel to do.

According to the New Jersey Genesis, Daniel is the son of Jacob Garrison Jr. (1678-1750) and his 2nd wife Mary Walling. I know this because according to Charles Sheppard research notes, and the New Jersey Genesis, that this has all indicates that Jacob Garrison Jr and his large family had lived on a farm in Cumberland County, New Jersey. Jacob Jr, had a total of 15 children and the youngest of his 7 children that is all underage is descended from his 3rd wife Elizabeth. 

In Jacob Garrison’s will the children that is mention are NOT in order of age. See Jacob Garrison’s will:

New Jersey, Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817 Volume XXXII, Abstracts of Wills, 1751-1760

Since we now know that Daniel Garrison was born about c.1724, so by the time his father’s Jacob Jr death in 1750 at the age of 72, Daniel Garrison was about 26 years old and in 1799, Daniel was about 75 years old when he passed away. This makes sense that Daniel is a descendant of Jacob Jr’s 2nd wife Mary Walling, the daughter of Thomas Walling II and Sarah Elwell. 

Mary Walling, the 2nd wife of Jacob Garrison Jr was born on September 8th 1703 in Salem County, New Jersey, according to the Rhode Island Vital Extracts record for the years,1636-1899 (ancestry.com database). Also there is another reference that my cousin late Beverly McNally made, she a posting on Ancestry.com in 1999 about her connection to a Mary Wallen? She is correct.

Mary Walling’s  parents Thomas Walling, II and and Sarah Elwell, the eldest daughter of Thomas Elwell and Sarah Bassett, of Lynn, Mass. were married on May 20th 1695 in East Greenwich, near Providence Rhode Island. Thomas Walling II was 26 and Sarah Bassett was 19. This is the family that has connection to The Salem Witch Trails of 1692. (see Capt. William Bassett Sr. of Lynn, Mass.)

Mary Walling’s Birth registration
Wallin, Carolyn D. Elisha Wallen: the Longhunter. Overmountain Press, 1990. P. 48-49.

When I found the marriage record of Mary Walling/Wallen and a Jacob Garrison Jr. I knew right away that this Mary Walling is the daughter of Thomas Walling and Sarah Elwell, because Jacob Garrison Jr and his his 2nd wife Mary was living in the same area of Salem County, New Jersey when they met. Jacob Jr. and Mary was married at Christ Church in Philadelphia, PA on February 4th 1720, then about 4 years later Daniel Garrison (my 7th great-grandfather) was born. The distance between Christ Church in Philadelphia, Pa to Salem County, NJ is about an hour drive, however during the period of the 18th – century, the travel period would have been much longer by horse. Mary Walling was 17 years old, when she married Jacob Garrison Jr, who was, then 42. When Daniel Garrison was born in about c. 1724, his parents Mary was 21 years old and Jacob Garrison Jr, was 46 year old. Jacob Garrison Jr. the father of Daniel Garrison died in July of 1750, (see his will above) Jacob Garrison Jr. was 72 years old.

Another evidence that proves my research is that there are some of the Ancestry DNA matches with other Walling cousins, who has the same Walling ancestry (see the birth registration of the Walling siblings posted above.) (these two matches are on my uncle’s dna list) See the generational records of family records of Capt. William Bassett Sr. of Lynn, Massachusetts to my late mother.

* Generational of Family Records of Capt. William Bassett of Lynn, Massachusetts in pictures.


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