John Mayberry was born about 1757, place unknown. His wife was Charity Young (d/o Tunis & Christiana Young). John died 19 January 1829 "in his 72nd year". Charity died 5 March 1836 in her 72nd year. Both are buried in the cemetery of the Knowlton Presbyterian Church, near Columbia, New Jersey, along with their children, Christiana, Jacob, Richard and Samuel.

Some researchers have thought that John Mayberry was born in Ireland because of an application for U.S. Citizenship filed on 4 October 1805 in Philadelphia. That application states that John Mayberry was a native of Ireland but was "now of the City of Philadelphia". It also states that the petitioner had resided within the United States "upwards of eight years" and within the State of Pennsylvania, "upwards of six years". However, in light of other evidence below, it seems unlikely that the John Mayberry who petitioned for citizenship in 1805 was the same John Mayberry who lived in Knowlton, New Jersey.

In fact, it is possible that John Mayberry of Knowlton, New Jersey was not an immigrant at all. His son, Richard, was living in Boone County, Illinois at the time of the 1880 census. At that time Richard Mayberry gave his age as 72 and stated that he was born in New Jersey. He also stated that his father and mother were both born in New Jersey.

Descendants believe that John Mayberry served as a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, possibly in the German speaking company of Captain Jacob Ten Eyck's First Battalion from Somerset, New Jersey. The name of John Maybeck appears on that muster roll. Additional evidence for a German origin was found by a professional researcher who concluded that John Mayberry's wife, Charity Young, was the daughter of Tunis Jung and Christiana Winter, both of whom immigrated from Germany. In addition the Knowlton Presbyterian Church was organized about 1775/76 in a community settled by German immigrants and is said to have been composed of Presbyterians, Anglicans and German Reformed (Calvinist) families.

We have recently received a DNA sample from one of John Mayberry's descendants. It clearly matches the DNA signature of the English Mayburys. As we look at the DNA of additional Mayburys and extend those to additional markers, it may be possible to identify John Mayberry with a particular branch of the Maybury family. One think is already clear. He does not descend from the family of Frederick Mayberry who was born in Germany.

While we may not have a complete list of the children of John and Charity Mayberry, the following nine are listed in John's will which was written on 18 October 1818:


Descendants of John and Charity Mayberry

1. John Mayberry, Jr. b ca 1785; d 1803
2. William Mayberry b ca 1787; m 10 Jan 1811 Eliza Vaniveir in Sussex Co NJ
3. Elizabeth Mayberry b 1789; m ?Jacob Fenton
4. Anna Mayberry b ca 1791; 17 Mar 1810 John Snyder in Sussex Co NJ. Later lived in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania.
5. Catherine Mayberry b ca 1793; m 18 Jul 1814 Isaac Vanroy in Susex Co NJ
6. Christiana Mayberry b ca 1795; d 11 Mar 1819
7. Jacob Mayberry b ca 1797; m Eliza Matilda Pearson (1805-1843) ; living in Warren Co NJ in 1850 (1805-1843); living in Warren Co NJ in 1850
1. Phoebe L. Mayberry b ca 1831 NJ
2. Amanda Mayberry b ca 1833 NJ
3. Catherine L. Mayberry b ca 1834 NJ
4. Margaret A. Mayberry b ca 1836 NJ
5. Roxanna Mayberry d 22 Sep 1837, aged 11 mos, 20 dys
6. John C. Mayberry b ca 1839 NJ
7. Sarah C. Mayberry b ca 1841 NJ
8. Emma R. Mayberry b ca 1843 NJ
8. Samuel Mayberry b ca 1798; m1 Abigail Hunt (1804-1825); m2 Nancy _____ (1800-1838); m3 Mrs. Margaret Gaston Hunt; the "History of Warren County New Jersey" by George Wyckoff Cummins (pub. 1911), lists Samuel Mayberry as a New Jersey State Assemblyman from 1847-1849.
1. ?Abigail Ann Mayberry
2. ?Phoebe L. Mayberry b ca 1832 NJ
3. Martha C. Mayberry b ca 1835 NJ
4. Lucilla Mayberry b ca 1842 NJ
5. Mary E. Mayberry b ca 1843 NJ
6. John C. Mayberry b ca 1844 NJ
7. Anna E. Mayberry b ca 1848 NJ
9. Richard Mayberry b ca 1808 NJ; m1 Margaret Cooke (1805-1838); m2 Elizabeth Cooke; lived in Ogle Co IL in 1860; buried in Clinton Cemetery, Rock County, WI
1. James C. Mayberry b ca 1829 NJ; m Berma Minerva Roe
1. John Mayberry b ca 1856 IL
2. Phelix Mayberry b ca 1858 IL
3. Elizabeth Delphene Mayberry b 1860 IL; d 1 Dec 1863 (aged 3 yrs, 8 m)
4. Callie M. Mayberry b ca 1862 IL
5. Hal. L. Mayberry b ca 1864 IL
6. Fred E. Mayberry b ca 1868 IL
7. Malcom Mayberry b ca 1876 IL
2. Charity Ann Mayberry b ca 1831 NJ; m E. C. Hayes
1. Mary A Hayes b ca 1850 IL
2. Margaret Delphine Hayes b ca 1852 IL
3. Elizabeth Hayes b ca 1854 IL
4. Franklin Hayes b ca 1855 IL
5. Henry Hayes b ca 1857 IL
6. Mattie L. Hayes b ca 1863 IL
7. Charles E. Hayes b ca 1865 IL
8. Flora Hayes b ca 1870 IL
9. Emery L. Hayes b ca 1873 IL
10. Elsie C. Hayes b ca 1876 IL
3. Mary Almeda Mayberry b 28 Oct 1832 NJ; m Abner J. Bilsborough
1. Delmer Bilsborough b ca 1864 IL
2. Eva Bilsborough b ca 1866 IL
3. Hattie Bilsborough b ca 1868 IL
4. Nellie E. Bilsborough b 11 Aug 1869 IL; d 19 Jan 1877
5. Herbert Bilsborough b ca 1872 IL
6. Almeda Bilsborough b ca 1877 IL
4. Lemuel Mayberry b ca 1834 NJ
5. George N. Mayberry b ca 1836 NJ
6. Lewis C. Mayberry b ca 1839 NJ; m Jennie _____
1. Addie I Mayberry b ca 1867 IL
2. Geneviere Mayberry b ca 1873 IL
7. Charles N. Mayberry b ca 1841 MI
8. Henry C. Mayberry b ca 1843 MI; m Elizabeth _____
1. Herbert Mayberry b Dec 1873 NE
2. Cora E. Mayberry b 29 Oct 1875 NE
3. Margurite E. Mayberry b ca 1878 IL
4. John E. Mayberry b 9 Mar 1880 NE
5. Charles K. Mayberry b Aug 1884 NE
9. Margaret C. Mayberry b ca 1845 MI
10. Eva E. Mayberry b ca 1847 IL
11. Herbert Mayberry b ca 1849 IL
12. Frank P. Mayberry b ca 1851 IL
13. Phoebe L. Mayberry b ca 1854 IL
14. Sarah D. Mayberry b ca 1859 IL
15. Jacob Mayberry b ca 1863 IL

Anyone with addtional information about this family is invited to contact: Kathy Mayberry.




August 2006