The name Havens is derived from the place name “haven,” which means “harbor.”

William Havens came from Wales in 1638 and settled at Portsmouth, Rhode Island. His wife was Dennis/Dionis ___________. In 1644 he received a grant of four acres of land. May 23, 1650 the following order was enacted at the General Court, Newport, for the colony of Providence Plantations:

“Captain Richard Morris, George Bliss, James Badcock, Peter Busserole, William Havens and Gabriel Hick, all excuses sett apart, shall mende and make all lockes, stocks and pieces that by order from the Warden of each town shall be from any of the inhabitants thearof presented to them, for just and suitable satisfaction in hand payed.”

William Haven’s will is dated March 24, 1680 and was proved September 25, 1683. His wife died after 1692. [Note: The transcription of the will in The Havens Family in New Jersey lists a date of March 30, 1680.]

John Havens, son of William, married (2nd) Anna Stannard. [On] December 2nd, 1662, John leased his father’s dwelling house for a period of seven years, “with all lands belonging thereto, at £5 yearly, payable March 20th in wheat, pease, indian corn or oats.” Thereafter, he migrated to Navesink, New Jersey, where he took the Oath of Allegiance to England’s king on February 27th, [1667/1668]. His grant of land is set down as one hundred and twenty acres. He died in 1687. [Read his will.]

Daniel Havens, son of John, married Christian __________. He died in 1740. [Read his will.]

John Havens, son of Daniel, married Anna Davis on January 21st, 1745. The New York Gazette or The Weekly Post Boy under the date of May 14th, 1753 lists an interesting bit of news as follows:

“Run away a few days ago, in a small sloop of about six Cord, or drove out to Sea, the two following Persons, viz., One named Thomas Weebley, about 5 feet and a Half High, well-set, freckled and Pock-fretten, with light colour’d Hair: They have a Parcel of Goods to the Value of about One Hundred Pounds, put aboard in New York, by Catherine Griffith, wife of Samuel Griffith, of Manasquan; to which place she was bound: The Vessel I scalled the Charity, John Havens, owner, of Manasquan. Whoever takes up the said Men, or secures the Sloop in any Harbour, so that the Goods may be had again, shall have ten pounds reward, and all reasonable Charges paid, by Samuel Griffith.”

John and Anna Havens had six children: John, born in 1747, Jacob, born in 1750, Jesse, Elizabeth, Moses, who was born in 1758, and Eavis. Moth Moses and Jesse served in New Jersey during the Revolution[ary War].

In the Pennsylvania Packet under the date of September 21st, 1779, nine years before the death of John Havens, the following advertisement appeared:

“To be sold September 27, by Public Vendue -- The Hull of a fine new Brigatine and the hull of a Schooner which was drove ashore near Squan river in the Township of Shrewsbury in Monmouth Co., together with etc., etc. Apply to Richard Whelden and Nicoll Fosdick, residing at Mr. Havens, near the premises.”

A further description of the vessels and contents offered for sale at public vendue at Manasquan on September 27, 1779 reads:

“…together with their spars, sails and rigging, being all new, 4 cables, 4 anchors, 22 pieces of cannon with their carriages, 10 swivels, a quantity of gunpowder, a quantity of round shot, double-head ditto and langridge, rammers, ladles, sponges, crows and hand spikes, 2 boats and oars, a number of small irons and cutlasses, crane and waist irons, a quantity of good duck, &c., &c…”

Nicoll Fisdick was renowned as a brave and skillful privateer, therefore it appears  that John Havens’ ships were privateers for the American colonies.

John Havens died in 1788. [Read his will.]

John Havens, son of John and Anna Havens, was born February 14th, 1747. He married Rebekah Jeffrey, a descendant of Francis Jeffrey—one of the earliest settlers of Monmouth County. They were married January 31st, 1170. (Rebekah was born November 26th, 1752.) Their children are all listed in the Havens Family Bible Records.

In 1796, John Havens, then called “senior,” purchased from James Allen for £1,500 a tract of two hundred and forty acres of farmland, woodland and meadow lying between Metedeconk River and Kettle Creek and bordering on Barnegant Bay. This property remained in possession of the family for over a century. In the deed of purchase a plot of one-half an acre “in the northwest corner of the orchard” is excepted for use as a burying ground. This entire tract of land had formerly belonged to John Allen, father of James Allen, and had been purchased by him from William Bills. At the time of this purchase by John Havens, the latter was about fifty years of age. His wife, Rebecca Jeffrey, had died six years before, leaving a family of four sons and one daughter, the eldest, Samuel, nineteen years of age and the youngest, Abraham, a child of three. Mercy, the daughter was about twelve years old when her mother died.

John Havens married again in 1792. His second wife was Elizabeth Hill, who before her marriage had lived in Hopewell, New Jersey and had been a loyal member of the Baptist Church in that community. Through the instrumentality of this lady, the first Baptist Church in [that] section of the state was established in 1804. She missed the services of the sanctuary and longed for the establishment of a Baptist Church where she could worship.

“She was a devout woman, and prayed earnestly for the spread of Zion. The answer to her prayer came in the summer of 1801. Anna Havens and Samuel Havens, her step-children, were convicted of sin, and brought to a saving knowledge of the truth. Samuel Havens thought of uniting with the Methodist Church, as there was no Baptist Church near, nor the most distant prospect of one being established. He, however, was advised to accompany his step-mother to Hightstown that they might take counsel of the Rev. Peter Wilson, the evening preceding the first Lord’s Day in November 1801, and went direct to Mr. Wilson’s house but Mr. Wilson was sick and confined to his bed; his sickness was so severe that he could not converse with them. They made known, however, he purpose of their visit and Mr. Wilson promised, that should it please God to continue his life and to restore him to health, he would pay them a visit at their own home and preach the Word to them and their neighbors. Mr. Wilson’s life was spared and his health restored and according to the promise given, on the 9th day of December 1801 he paid them a visit and preached in the home of John Havens, Jr., and baptized Samuel Havens in the Metedconk River. In the month of April 1802, Mr. Wilson came again and preached and baptized on his second visit John Havens and Anna, his wife, and Sarah, wife of Samuel Havens. From that time on he continued to visit them about once a month.”

Through the large farm of John Havens, on Metedconk Neck, ran a road in an easterly-westerly direction, dividing the farm into not uneven parts. At the death of their father, the eldest sons, Samuel and John, continued to occupy and farm these portions of the domain. John Havens died October 13th, 1815.

Samuel Havens, son of John and Rebekah (Jeffrey) Havens, was born November 8th, 1771. He married Sarah Schenck who was born March 1st, 1776. Samuel Havens and Sarah Schenck were married on January 23rd, 1794. (See the Havens Family Bible Records for a listing of their children.) Samuel Havens died September 22, 1841 and Sarah, his wife, died July 30th, 1845. [See Samuel’s Last Will & Testament and the September 1841 Inventory of his household goods.]

References:

"Havens Family Bible Records,” New York Genealogical & Biographical Record, Vol. V-XCII, No. 3, 1961.

New Jersey Archives Abstracts of Wills, Vol. 1, p.220; Vol. 2, p.226.

History of New London, Connecticut, Caulkins, p.537.

“Gravestone Inscriptions: Havens and Osborn Cemetery at West Point Pleasant, Ocean County, New Jersey,” Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, Vol. 1, p.22.

Havens Family in New Jersey, Henry C. Havens, 1933.