Genealogies of the First Settlers
of Passaic Valley
John Littell, 1851
Roll Family Records

This image is from a later edition.

Littell's book is one of the early and classic New Jersey regional genealogies for Essex and Morris Counties. Genealogies or genealogical information, one to five pages each, include these family names: Allen, Alward, Badgley, Bailey, Baker, Baldwin, Ball, Beach, Bebout, Bedell, Bedford, Bonnel, Boyle, Brittin, Broadwell, Brown, Burrows, Byram, VanCampen, Carle, Cauldwell or Colwell, Clark, Cole, Conklin, Connet, Cooper, Coriell, Corwin, Cory, Craig, Crane, Davis, Day, Dickerson, Dodd, Doty, Drake, Dunham, Elmer, Finley, Flinn, Frazee, French, Griffin, Hall, Hallock, Halsey, Hand, Hart, Heath, Hedges, High, Hill, Hole, Hurin, Jennings, Johnson, Jones, Kirkpatrick, Lacy, Lamb, Lambert, Line, Little, Littell, Long, Ludlow, Ludlum, Lum, Lyon, Marshall, Martin, Maxwell, Meeker, Miller, Morehouse, Mulford, Noe, Oakley, Osborn, Parker, Parrot, Parsons, Petit, Potter, Price, Raddin, Randolph, Riggs, Robison, Roff, Roll, Ross, Ruckman, Runyon, Rutan, Samson, Sayre, Scudder, Shipman, Shotwell, Van Sickle, Terry, Simpson, Smalley, Smith, Spencer, Squier, Stelle, Stewart, Stites, Terril, Thomas, Thompson, Tilyou, Titus, Totten, Townley, Tucker, Vail, Valentine, Walker, Ward, Whitaker, Williams, and Willcox. Family names are in alphabetical order.

PREFACE.
from the 1852 edition

It is an interesting object of curiosity to most men to search into the origin of their own families, to trace their descents, and to collect the history of the individuals who compose them. However remote in time or consanguinity, it is natural to believe that we inherit from our fathers their mental and physical peculiarities, though modified by circumstances. We enter affectionately into their concerns, and rejoice in their honors or prosperity, and are personally grieved by their misconduct or misfortunes.

These sentiments are undoubtedly founded in the innate and best feelings of the human heart, which delights in multiplying and extending the ties that bind us to our fellow creatures. The love of our kindred is the first degree of expansion of the heart in its progress towards universal benevolence. The history of states is but a history of families.

To satisfy this curiosity, in some measure, has been my aim in collecting the materials for the genealogies in this publication. Much pains have been taken to obtain correct information respecting families. Wherever family records could be obtained, they have been used; but in most cases no such record could be had. I therefore had to depend on the memory of some one or more of the family, and in consequence, no doubt, many errors may be found; but I hope for the most part the names are correct. With the exception of one or two, every family may be traced back to some branch that lived in Passaic Valley previous to the year 1800.

I have now submitted to the public, and especially those whose families or ancestors are named, the labors of some seven years, hoping that some, at least, will be pleased to learn something more of their ancestors and connections than they would otherwise have known.

JOHN LITTELL. 
Passaic Valley, New Providence, April, 1852.

349

JOHN ROLL.

JOHN ROLL, (called in German Johonis Mongle,) came from Germany and settled between Springfield and Westfield, near the mountain, and had children:

1. Isaac, who married Sarah Cauldwell, daughter of James, of Long Hill. [page 68 -whr]

2. John married, 1st, Rachel, who died 21st May, 1768, aged 30 years, and he married, 2d, Edith Wick, in 1769.

3. Abraham married, 1st, Mary Brooks, 2d, Caty Vreeland.

4. Molly, who married Mr. Woolley.

5. Jane, who married Thomas Cory, son of Elnathan. [See Cory.] [p. 96 -whr]

ISAAC ROLL, (son of John 1st.) and Sarah Cauldwell, lived and kept a tavern, in Springfield, many years; they had children: (2d Gen.) [page 68 -whr]

1. John, born 28th August, 1765, married, 13th December, 1785, Mary Earl, who was born 21st August, 1768, daughter of John Earl, near Middleville.

2. Mary, baptized 14th June, 1767, and died young.

3. James, who married, 1st, Joanna Earl, sister of John's wife; 2d, Abby Meeker, daughter of Benjamin Meeker.

4. Elizabeth, baptized 21st July, 1771, and died young.

5. Abraham, who went to the west and died there.

6. Jacob married Sarah Pierson, daughter of Samuel Pierson, of Springfield, and went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and had an only child, Pierson Roll.

7. Catherine married Abner Woodruff, of Springfield, and removed to Redstone, Pennsylvania. He was brother of Caty Woodruff, the wife of Col. Abraham Woolley, of Springfield.

8. Abigail.

9. Betsey married Daniel Ayers, of Springfield, son of Benjamin Ayers, of Long Island.

10. Sally married Jacob Thompson.

JOHN ROLL, (son of Isaac Roll, son of John,) and Mary Earl had children: (3d Gen.)

1. William, who was born 16th October, 1786, and married Mary Eddy, daughter of William Eddy, of Green Village.

2. Nancy, born 10th March, 1788, and married William Robison, son of William, of New Providence, and died 9th May, 1819. [See Robison.] [p. 344 -whr]

3. James, born 10th October, 1789, married, 1st, Mary Clark, daughter of Abraham; 2d, Julia Shipman, daughter of Jacob, son of Abraham, of Monroe, Morris connty; 3d, Charity Hedges, by whom he had no children.

349

350

4. Isaac, born 14th October, 1791, and married 1st, Rebecca Higgins, daughter of James; 2d, Mary Clark, widow of Henry Stites, of Scotch Plains, and by her had no children. [Stites, p. 410 -whr]

5. John, born 14th October, 1793, and died 2d April, 1794.

6 John 2d, born 11th July, 1795, and married, 20th May, 1818, Phebe Sutton, daughter of Joseph Sutton, of Hacketstown; lived in Newark.

7. Luther, born 29th July, 1797, married, 1st, Susan _____; she died, and he married, 2d, Elizabeth Brant, and removed to Georgia.

8. Charles, born 5th May, 1799, married, 1st, Phebe Terril, daughter of Enoch; 2d, Nancy Cory, daughter of Andrew, of Westfield.

9. Wesley, born 10th October, 1801, married Anne Smith, born 6th December, 1802, daughter of Jonathan Smith, of Scotch Plains.

10. Mary, born 21st January, 1804, married, 1st. David Camp; 2d, Charles Roll, son of Peter, son of Abraham Roll.

11. Jacob, born 11th January, 1808, went to Georgia, and married three times, but had no children.


WILLIAM ROLL, (son of John, son of Isaac, son of John 1st,) and Mary Eddy had children: (he removed to Illinois) (4th Gen.)

1. Mary Anne;

2. John;

3. Phebe;

4. Caroline;

5. Elizabeth;

6. William died young;

7. Sarah, twin to William;

8. James;

9. Nancy;

10. Alfred.


JAMES ROLL, (3d child of John, son of Isaac Roll,) by his 1st wife Mary, had a son:

1. John, who died at about 22 or 23 years. And by his 2d wife, Julia Shipman, had other children:

2. James Madison, who was drowned on his way to Illinois, aged 21 years.

3. Stephen Buckley, who married _____.

4. Chancellor Livingston.

5. Philetta Hicks, (twin to Chancellor,) married William _____, of Plainfield.

6. Henrietta.

7. Manning Rutan.


ISAAC ROLL, (4th child of John, son of Isaac,) and Rebecca Higgins had children:

1. Hannah Eliza, who married David J. Crane, son of Benjamin 3d. [See Crane.] [p. 105 -whr]

2. James Higgins married Hannah Mariah Smith, daughter of Joseph, of Springfield.

3. Mary Earl married, 1st, Oliver DeCamp; 2d, Philemon Dickerson, son of Philemon Dickerson, Esq., of Springfield. [pp. 123-124 -whr]

4. Ellen married John Dickerson, also son of Philemon Dickerson, Esq. [pp. 123-124 -whr]

5. John married Elizabeth Bond, daughter of Elihu Bond, brother of the Rev. Lewis Bond, of Plainfield.

350

351

6. Nancy Jane married Isaac Brokaw, son of Caleb, of Bound Brook.

7. David Elmer.


JOHN ROLL, (6th child of John, son of Isaac,) and Phebe Sutton had children:

1. Jacob;

2. Joseph;

3. Luther;

4. Archibald;

5. George Van;

6. Albert.


LUTHER ROLL, (7th child of John, son of Isaac,) and Susan _____ had children:

1. William;

2. Mary Frances;

3. Luther;

4. _____, who was drowned.

5. Sarah Anne;

6. Robert.

His wife Susan then died, and he married Elizabeth Brant, and removed to Georgia.


CHARLES ROLL, (8th child of John, son of Isaac,) and Phebe Terril had children:

1. Albert;

2. James Hervy, who died at about 6 years.

3. Anne Eliza;

4. Cecelia.

And by his 2d wife, Nancy Cory, had other children:

5. Parkhurst Cory; 6. Lucy Jane.

7. A son, who died in infancy.


WESLEY ROLL, (9th child of John, son of Isaac,) and Anne Smith had children:

1. Eliza Jane, who married Edward Tailor, son of James, of Springfield, and had children: 1. James Maro Tailor; 2. Wilber Denman Tailor. 2. Martin Luther; 3. Jonathan Smith; 4. Mary Louisa. 5. William Henry; 6. Eccell Anne; 7. Susan Almira. 8. Jacob Earl; 9. Sarah Emily; 10. John James. 11. Josephine, who died at 2 1/2 year's; 12. Charles Wesley. 13. Anna Elizabeth.

MARY ROLL, (10th child of John, son of Isaac,) and David Camp had children:

1. David Wheeler Camp;

2. Caroline Camp, who died at 6 yrs.

And by Charles Roll had children:

3. Mary Augusta Roll;

4. Caroline Virginia Roll.

5. Charles Roll;

6. Sidney Roll.

351

352

JAMES ROLL.

JAMES ROLL, (son of Isaac, son of John 1st,) and Joanna Earl had an only daughter: (3d Gen.)

1. Joanna, who married George Frazee, son of George Frazee, of Westfield.
And by his 2d wife, Abby Meeker, had other children:
2. Phebe, who married Clark Baldwin, son of Stephen, of Cheapside, and had children: 1. Sarah Baldwin; 2. Emily Baldwin; 3. Mariah Baldwin; 4. Abby Baldwin; 5. Stephen Baldwin.

3. Sally married Walter Smith, son of William, of Springfield, and had children: 1. Mary A. Smith; 2. Abby L. Smith; 3. Edward C. Smith; 4. Albert Smith; 5. Ellen Smith.


BETSEY ROLL, (daughter of Isaac, son of John 1st,) and Daniel Ayers had children: (3d Gen.)

1. James Ayers, who went to Cincinnati, and married.

2. Isaac Ayers married Elsie Allen, of Millville, and went to Michigan.

Betsey Roll then died, and Daniel Ayers married Abby Denman, (daughter of Jacob Denman, by a first wife,) and had other children:

3. Jacob Denman Ayers, who married Mary Anne Denfer, daughter of Stephen Denfer, from France.

4. William Ayers married Phebe Bedell, of New Vernon.

5. Eliza Ayers, born 1803, married Samuel C. Smith, a tailor, son of Moses Smith, of Springfield, and had children: 1. Mary Elizabeth Smith, who married William Wade. 2. Emma Smith; 3. Henry C. Smith.

6. Phebe Ayers, married Jacob Thompson, son of Moses, son of Hezekiah Thompson. [See Jacob Thompson.] [p. 419 -whr]

7. Daniel Ayers, who died at 9 years.

8. Mariah Ayers married Nathan Robbins, and went to Oswego, New York.

9. Benjamin Ayers, who died in youth.

NOTE--Jacob Denman's 2d wife, was Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Cauldwell. [See Cauldwell.] [p. 72 -whr]


JOHN ROLL, son of John, and brother of Isaac, lived on the north side of Long Hill; sold his farm to John Williams, and went to Ohio; he had children:

1. Matthias, who married, 7th April, 1785, Mary Rutan, daughter of Abraham, and went to Ohio. [p. 366 -whr]

2. John, Jun., who married Patty Force, fo Horse Neck, Cauldwell Township, Essex county.

3. Abraham married Patty Vance, of Mendham.

4 Isaac, who died 11th March, 1787, aged 21 years.

5. Isaac 2d, who married Prudence Vance, of Mendham. sister of Abraham's wife.

352

353

6. Abigail, who married, 7th April, 1785, Samuel Miller, grandson of James Cauldwell 1st. [probably p. 68, son of Jennet Cauldwell and Mr. Miller -whr]

And by his 2d wife, Edith Wick, John Roll had children:

7. Wick, who died 8th January, 1790, aged 20 years.

8. Jacob, who was killed by lightning, 14th August, 1793, near the house, at about 18 years.

9. Edward.


MATTHIAS ROLL, (1st child of John Roll, son of John,) and Mary Rutan, had children: (3d Gen.)

1. Charity, who married, 1st, Samuel Trousdale, and had children: 1. Jane Trousdale; 2. Polly Trousdale; 3. Lydia Trousdale. Charity married, 2d, John Ayers.

2. Joseph married Rebecca.

3. Abigail married Reuben Blackford.

4. Rachel married William Stewart.

5. Isaac married Hannah De Camp.

6. Anna married Christopher Lintner.

7. John married _____.

8. Israel married _____.

9. Polly married David Baker.

10. Matthias married _____.

11. Samuel married _____.

12. Silas was a physician, and married _____.

353

354

ABRAHAM ROLL.

ABRAHAM ROLL, (son of John 1st,) was born 29th Aug. 1739, and died 20th October, 1813. He married, 1st, Mary Brooks, born 5th February, 1742; 2d, Caty Vreeland, sister of Daniel. She was daughter of Jacob Brooks, who lived on the Coriell place, in Westfield. He became blind before he died. By his first wife he had children: (2d Gen.)

1. Elizabeth, born 29th August, 1759, and died 26th September, 1850. She married Isaac Sayre, son of Isaac, from New England. [See Sayre.] [p. 370 -whr]

2. Jacob, born 8th November, 1761, and married Betsey Mills. He owned the grist mill in New Providence several years, and sold out, and went to Ohio. They had children: 1. Sally; 2. Mary; 3. Philemon; 4. Moses; 5. Abraham.

3. Brooks, born 9th February, 1763, married Phebe Ross, daughter of James, a shoemaker, of Westfield.

4. Hannah, born 2d September, 1766, married Moses Parmalee, of Westfield.

5. Baltus, born 3d May, 1769, married Susan Jennings, of Elizabethtown; had no children. He lived on the top of the first mountain in Westfield, and was murderea in his own house about 1833, by some per ons unknown.

6. Peter, born 7th May, 1773, married Polly Belton, of Short Hills.

7. Jephtha, born 3d Dec. 1776, married Abby Brookfield, of Rahway..

8. Abraham, born 28th Sept. 1779, married Betsey Dunham, daughter of David; had two daughters, and removed to Ohio.

9. Mary, born 12th March, 1783, married Abner Smalley, son of James, [See Smalley.] [p. 387 -whr]

And by his 2d wife, Caty Vreeland, Abraham Roll had children:

10. Isaac, who married Susan _____; lives in Rahway.

11. Abby married Mr. Trembly.

12. David.

13. Jane married _____.


BROOKS ROLL, (son of Abraham,) and Phebe Ross, had children:

1. Abby, who married a son of John Dunham.

2. Mary married Isaac Baldwin, son of David, of Canoe Brook. [See Baldwin.] [p. 27 -whr]

3. Sally married Aaron Bailey, son of Samuel, of Springfield.

354

355

4. James married Caty Dunham, daughter of David, and half sister of his uncle Abraham Roll's wife.

Mr. Brooks Roll died 19th Jan. 1833.


HANNAH ROLL, (4th child of Abraham,) and Moses Parmalee, had children:

1. Mary Parmalee.

2. Betsey Parmalee married Henry Howard, of N. York.

3. Abby Parmalee married Aura Wilson, as his 2d wife, near Poughkeepsie.

4. Rebecca Parmalee married, 1st, Mr. Manning, of Plainfield; 2d, Aaron Coe, Esq., of Westfield.

5. Brooks Parmalee married Miss Wilson, daughter of Aura Wilson, by his 1st wife.

6. Nancy Parmalee died unmarried.

7. Lockey Parmalee married James Stafford, and went west, where he died, and she returned with 3 children, Isaac, Abby, and James Stafford.

8. Sally married Mr. Parmalee, a distant relation.


PETER ROLL, (6th child of Abraham,) and Polly Belton, had children:

1. Charles, who married his second cousin, Mary Roll, 10th child of of John, son of Isaac Roll, and had children: 1. Mary Augusta; 2. Caroline Virginia; 3. Charles; 4. Sidney.

2. Baltus.

3. A daughter.


JEPHTHA ROLL, (7th child of Abraham,) and Abby Brookfield had children:

1. Sarah, who married Thomas J. Blanck; lives in New York.

2. William married Susan _____.


ISAAC ROLL, (10th child of Abraham,) had children:

1. George Washington, who married Sally Wood, daughter of John, son of John Wood.

2. Samuel Oliver married _____, a sister of Caroline's husband.

3. Catherine married, 1st, Mr. Shotwell, 2d, John Wilson.

4. Caroline married _____, a brother of Samuel's wife.

5. Isaac Clawson.

6. Sanford Vreeland.

7. William Stone.

8. Johila Marsh.

355

_____
Family Records or Genealogies of the First Settlers of Passaic Valley (and Vicinity) Above Chatham. Feltville, NJ: Stationers' Hall Press, 1851. First Edition. Octavo.

Littell, John. "First Settlers of Passaic Valley." Originally published in 1852. Westminster, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1997.

Family Records or Genealogies of the First Settlers
of Passaic Valley
Morris County NJGenWeb, Brianne Kelly-Bly, Coordinator
John Littell's book, published in 1851, is online at Morris County NJGenWeb, where a variety of resources for the Morris county researcher can be found.