Zebulon Heston came to Eastham, Barnstable Co, MA, in 1684, in company with one Benjamin Wiggins, having sailed from Cornwall, England. Wilfred Jordan in his "Colonial and Revolutionary Families of PA", stated that Zebulon came from Heston Parish, Middlesex Co, England, but this has never been substantiated. It is believed that Zebulon was not a Quaker while in England, but converted to Quakerism, as W. W. Davis' History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, states, "His sympathies, which had been aroused for Friends while in New England by the unjust persecution of the Quakers, led to his becoming a member of their Society."

Dorothy Storr Hutchinson, b 1677, Hull, West Riding, Yorkshire, England; d 1746, Middletown MM, Upper Makefield Twp, Bucks Co, PA; dau of Thomas Hutchinson and Dorothy Storr. Thomas Hutchinson, b May 1640, Beverly, Holderness, Yorkshire, England; d 1689, Burlington, Burlington Co, NJ; m 29 3rd mo 1668, Hull MM, Dorothy Storr, b 1648, Owstwick, Yorkshire, England; d@ 1689; dau of Marmaduke Storr of Owstwick and Dorothy ____________. Dorothy, her brothers, Thomas, Ebenezer, and John and her father, Thomas Hutchinson came to America on the Welcome with William Penn in 1682. It is unknown whether her mother and her sister, Hannah, accompanied them or remained in England. William Penn granted Thomas Hutchinson about 600 acres in Burlington Co, NJ to settle on.

In the Women's Minutes, Chesterfield Monthly Meeting, NJ, 03 12th mo 1697, "Also at this meeting, Zebulon Heston, resident of Burlington Co, NJ, late of Newtown, Long Island, NY, and Dorothy Hutchinson, living within the bounds of this meeting, have declared their intentions of marriage, desiring Friends' consent. Whereupon examination, Friends find the thing dubious 'til he, the said Zebulon, produce a certificate from Relations and our Friends' Monthly Meeting in those parts from whence he came, to our satisfaction, so, upon such condition, Friends find meet to order two Friends, (vict), Hannah Overton and Sarah Wheatley, to make enquiry of the young woman's clearness from others on that account and make report to next meeting." This matter is not mentioned again in minutes and no further information is found, so it is indicated that they married outside of meeting shortly after this event, in Hopewell, Burlington Co, NJ.

Author's Note (regarding location of marriage) - Hopewell was in Burlington Co, NJ then and is in Mercer Co, NJ now.

Website Editor's Note (regarding location of marriage) - The following information about the history of Counties in New Jersey is found on pages 268 thru 270 from the Ninth Edition of THE HANDY BOOK FOR GENEALOGISTS (1999) by Everton Publishers, Inc. Burlington County was an original county formed in MAY 1694. Hunterdon County was formed from part of Burlington County in MAR 1714. Mercer County was formed from parts of Hunterdon County, Burlington County, and two other counties in FEB 1838. This information agrees with what is written in the HESTON HISTORIAN, No. 18 (1961) on page 13 in a paragraph with the title of "Early Geographical Divisions" under a map drawn by Paul M. HESTON in SEP 1958 of New Jersey which shows where the Hutchinson Manor was located in Burlington County. This is where Zebulon HESTON and Dorothy HUTCHINSON got married on 3 DEC 1698.

There is evidence that Zebulon Heston, freeholder and Friend, was very active in the building of the first house of public worship in Hopewell Twp., Burlington Co, NJ, near Trenton. According to two deeds dated 20 4th mo 1703, the first being that John Hutchinson (brother of Dorothy), conveyed to Andrew Heath, Richard Eayre, Abiall Davis, and Zebulon Haston, a lot of two acres in trust; and the second and concurrent deed declared the purpose of the trust: Addressed "To All Christian People to whom these presents shall come" and states this trust is "for the inhabitants of the said township of Hopewell and their successors inhabiting and dwelling within the said township forever; for the public and common use and benefit of whole township, for the erection and building of a public meeting house thereon, and also for a place of burial, and for no other uses, intents & purposes whatsoever." This ground is within three miles of Trenton and currently lies just within the rear fencing of the NJ State Insane Asylum. (Author's Note: All that remains are the brick walls of the small cemetery and four tombstones lying within the walls and several outside the walls.) A church was erected on this site "which seems to have become the exclusive property of Episcopalians as that denomination occupied it until St. Michael's Church was built in that town and the congregation sold the ground in 1838, the house having long before disappeared. This house was probably the first in the State that wasn't exclusively for the Quakers."

Zebulon Heston and wife Dorothy, are mentioned in the will of John Hutchinson, Burlington Co, NJ, dated 10 4th mo 1704 and proven 06 6th mo 1704, Zebulon being called a brother-in-law. In 1705, Zebulon is listed as a Constable in Hopewell, and as such, in 1706, Zebulon brought a bill of charges against one Abraham Temple. The bill was allowed by the bench and Abraham Temple was so ordered to pay Zebulon the sum of two pounds, two pence, the remainder of the fees due to him.

It is believed that Zebulon lived in three different places while in NJ: "1703, in Old Hopewell Twp, evidently near Crosswicks or Chesterfield, later in 1703 on Hutchinson's land, then to Isaac Reeder's home in Ewing Twp, and to whom Zebulon sold his land before removing to PA."

Davis' History of Bucks Co, relates: "Zebulon and Dorothy came from New Jersey in the night, not knowing whither they were going, sat down in the woods and presently were joined, much to their surprise, by an old neighbor who had also fled the same night from the wrath of their persecutors, without either having knowledge of the other's intention. In the solitude of the forest where Indians roved at will, where the savage beasts sought their prey, they found that personal security which professing Christians had denied them." The tract of land purchased in Bucks County by Zebulon lay between the Pineville and Windy Branch Roads and was originally laid out to Francis Richardson, comprising about 350 acres. In 1707, Zebulon and Dorothy removed within the limits of Falls Monthly Meeting. On 04 5th mo 1711, they were granted a certificate to Middletown Monthly Meeting, within the limits of Wrightstown. There, in 1716, Zebulon was named an overseer and remained as such until his death. Zebulon's will was dated 20 2nd mo 1720/21 and was proven 04 4th mo 1721 in Wrightstown, Bucks Co, PA. He was buried in the old burying ground on the Penn's Park Road, Wrightstown, PA, which has long since been returned to agricultural purposes.

On 07 5th mo 1722, Dorothy Heston of Wrightstown, widow of Zebulon Heston, yeoman, late of the same place, sold some land to one Jane Proctor of Abington and 224 acres to Samuel Carpenter (one of the commissioners of the Province of PA in 1792), and some land to her son, Zebulon Heston.

In the Fairfield, Iowa Ledger, 01 Aug 1939, it was stated that Zebulon Heston was a blacksmith and set up the first forge in America. (Author's Note: The first forge in America was set up in Eastham, MA and Zebulon was there about that time.)

Dorothy remarried after Zebulon's death as the 3rd wife of Thomas Stackhouse and their second intentions were stated 07 2nd mo 1725. Thomas d@ 1744. The son, Zebulon Heston, denounced his appointment as Administrator of Dorothy Stackhouse's will on 05 4th mo 1746 and her sons, Jacob and Thomas were appointed her Administrators on 07 4th mo 1746.

The children of this union will follow in the next installment. Pat Heston Horn

This page revised FEB 15, 2007 Thursday evening by Martin J. BELLARD, a HESTON Family descendant in the SARAH HESTON AND JOHN BALLARD (or BELLARD) FAMILY CHAPTER, the Association Chief, the Editor of the HESTON FAMILY NEWSLETTER ONLINE AT ROOTSWEB.COM and the SNAIL MAIL VERSION, and the Webmaster of this Website.

Permission to copy for one's own personal use and limited distribution to other HESTON Family descendants for their own personal use. Copyright 2002 - 2007.