Condits and Cousins

Volume 1 History and Biography

Chapter 5, Other Early Cundict's

John Cundict Jr., son of the Ancestor and Half-Brother of Peter

The will of John Cundict, the Ancestor, was written in 1710, three years before his death, and was proved in 1713, so evidently there was no later will or codicil written. John bequeathed to his son, John, virtually all his property, to be claimed at the age of twenty one years. That son would have been at least three years old in 1713 and even could have reached his majority. In the absence of any mention of John outside his father's will, it has been assumed that he died a minor, in which event his inheritance should have passed, under the terms of the will of John Cundict Sr. to Philip Cundict. The question of what became of the younger John is more than academic. We can only assume that he lived with his mother, Deborah, in their home on the Passaic River, and probably they had less incentive than Mary and her children to remove to the Mountain. The first mention of a Cundict after 1714 in the Newark town records is found in 1744, when "John Cundit" was elected one of the Surveyors of the Highways, two years later was elected a Freeholder, and held other offices of trust through 1762. Could that have been Deborah's son? Peter's third son was also named John, and it seems more likely that it was he who is named in the town records of Newark, but it would be reassuring to find convincing evidence one way or the other.

Gravestones and burial records must be resorted to at times, if they can be found, and what they lack in other virtues they make up for in the finality of their message. Someday it may be learned that John Cundict, the Ancestor, was buried either on his own property or in a churchyard in Newark, and at the same time it may be found that, buried nearby are the bodies of his sons, wife and daughter-in-law.

Captain Jonathan Condit, Great Grandson of the Ancestor, Grandson of Peter, Son of Samuel

The 1885 "Genealogy of the Condit Family," Jotham H. Condit and Eben Condit, pub. Newark, NJ listed the following children of Captain Jonathan Condit

Isaac Condit, b Jul 19, 1759
Simon Condit, b. Oct 18, 1761
Ruth Condit, b. May 18, 1764
Jeptha Condit, b. 1767/68
Jonathan Condit, b. Apr 5, 1769
Electa Condit, b. Oct 21, 1771, d. Sep 10, 1776 aged 4.11.21
Phebe Condit, b. Apr 29, 1774, d. Sep 4, 1776 aged 2.4.6

This list matches the list of children in Jotham Condit's hardbound draft of the Condit Genealogy. By the 1916 Revision by the Condit Family Association a change had been made in the entry for Phebe Condit.

Isaac Condit, b Jul 19, 1759
Simon Condit, b. Oct 18, 1761
Ruth Condit, b. May 18, 1764
Jeptha Condit, b. 1767/68
Jonathan Condit, b. Apr 5, 1769
Electa Condit, b. Oct 21, 1771, d. Sep 10, 1776 aged 4.11.21
Phebe Condit, b. Aug 7, 1776

And additional entries had been made for Phebe's marriage to Abram/Abraham Noe Jr and their eight children. The only real difficulty with changing the information is that in the Old Burying Grounds of the First Presbyterian Church, Orange, Essex Co., New Jersey were these two headstones:

Jonathan Cundit, wife Jemima, daughter Electa, d. Sept. 10, 1776, aged 4.11.21.
Jonathan Cundit, wife Jemima, daughter Phebe, d. Sept. 4, 1776, aged 2.4.6.

The two deaths were also mentioned in the "Diary of Jemima Condit" on pages 80 and 81. So there was a documented death and burial of Phebe, b. Apr 29, 1774, d. Sept 4, 1776 and there was no doubt of the living, breathing Phebe Condit, b. Aug 7, 1776 who married Abram Noe Jr and had eight children. So it seems that Captain Jonathan and Jemima Condit had eight children:

Isaac Condit, b Jul 19, 1759
Simon Condit, b. Oct 18, 1761
Ruth Condit, b. May 18, 1764
Jeptha Condit, b. 1767/68
Jonathan Condit, b. Apr 5, 1769
Electa Condit, b. Oct 21, 1771, d. Sep 10, 1776 aged 4.11.21
Phebe Condit, b. Apr 29, 1774, d. Sep 4, 1776 aged 2.4.6
Phebe Condit (2nd), b. Aug 7, 1776

Here it may have remained except for the the viewing and transcription of the will of Jonathan Condit. Captain Jonathan wrote and and signed his will on Jun 12, 1805 naming his eight living children; daughters Jane, Ruth, Rachel, and Phebe; and his sons Isaac, Simon, Jonathan, and Jeptha. Two unknown living daughters mentioned, Jane and Rachel. Captain Jonathan added a codicil on Jun 17, 1812 mentioning his four sons but not any daughters so it is assumed they all were living at the time. Based on the naming of the daughters it is though they were named oldest to youngest as maybe the sons were named. This provides the most complete list of known children of Captain Jonathan and Jemima Condit.

Isaac Condit, b Jul 19, 1759
Simon Condit, b. Oct 18, 1761
Jane Condit, probably b. late 1762 or early 1763
Ruth Condit, b. May 18, 1764
Rachel Condit, probably b. 1766 or 1767
Jonathan Condit, b. Apr 5, 1769
Jeptha Condit, based on the will probably b. 1770 instead of b. 1767/68
Electa Condit, b. Oct 21, 1771, d. Sep 10, 1776 aged 4.11.21
Phebe Condit, b. Apr 29, 1774, d. Sep 4, 1776 aged 2.4.6
Phebe Condit (2nd), b. Aug 7, 1776

It is known that when Captain Jonathan's will was proven on Sep 10, 1823 his son Jeptha had died and his daughter Phebe (Condit) Noe had died but no mention is made of this when the will was proven. It may be that Jane and Rachel died before the will was proven but no record has been found of these two children after their mention in the will.

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