Abraham Garrison Sr

This excerpt from The American Genealogist, Volume 74, was shared on Findagrave by Sue McDuffe:

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Abraham Garrison was the youngest son of Jacob Garrison, an early settler of South Jersey, and grandson of Garret Janszen Van Oldenburg. As Abraham was not of age when Jacob bequeathed him the plantation by his will of 1705, he must have been born in 1684 or later. In 1715 Abraham was in Captain Joseph Seeley's company of militia on the south side of the Cohansey River. He was an overseer of roads in 1719, 1734 and 1737, constable in 1721, and on the grand jury in 1728 and 1738.

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Abraham was apparently married twice as he and Katherine "Garrotson" witnessed the will of Ephraim Seeley of Fairfield in March 1722/3 and he named wife Marcy in his will. There appears to be a large gap between the birth of his fifth and sixth children, and we suggest that the second marriage occurred during that time. He distributed most of his estate to the youngest children while making only nominal bequests to the oldest who had probably already received their portions.

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On 19 August 1765, Abraham Garrison made his Will and it was proved on 22 October 1766. He provided for his wife Marcy and named his children in apparent birth order: Christian, wife of Joseph Chamblis (crossed out as she had died); Rachel, wife of Hance Wolson; Isaac; Joseph; Samuel; Levi; Elizabeth, wife of "Christafor" Foster; and Abraham, who was under the age of 21 years. The five older children were left 5s. each, while the two youngest sons received his land. The remainder of his estate was to be sold and the proceeds divided equally among the three youngest children, Levi, Elizabeth Foster and Abraham.