Penelope Van Princis... Mother of New Jersey

Richard Stout 
1615-1705

Penelope Van Princis
1622-1732

10^th Great Grandparents

Richard Stout was born in 1615 in Burton Joyce, Nottingham, in Old England to John and Elsbeth Bee Stout.  When Richard was still rather young he was paying too much attention to a young woman his father did not approve of.  This resulted in an unpleasant confrontation between father and son.  Richard left his father’s house and within a few days was employed on a ship of war.  He served for a period of seven years where upon he was discharged in New Amsterdam, now New York.

About this same time a young couple, John Kent and his new bride Penelope Van Princis boarded an emigration ship in Holland headed for New Amsterdam.  Misfortune would befall this ship of eager passengers.  Upon her approach to the new world a storm arose and blown the ship off course crashing off what is now Sandy Hook, New Jersey.  The passengers disembarked with much difficulty and made their way to shore.  Shortly thereafter they were seized upon by Indians, who butchered and murdered the entire crew and passengers.  After the attack was over the band of Indians took their leave presuming all to be dead.  Penelope lay severely injured next to her dead husband.  One can only imagine the fear and shock this young woman was in as she crawled into the hollow of a nearby tree.  Penelope was partly scalped and her abdomen was sliced open leaving her bowels protruding.  She lay for seven days holding her internal organs in and eating whatever she could find from the mossy growth on the tree.

On the seventh day an old Indian happened upon the deadly sight and his dog took interest in the tree.  Upon further investigation the Indian found the young woman severely bruised and near death.  He took compassion on her and carried her over his shoulder to his wigwam where he sewed her wounds and nursed her back to health.  When Penelope could travel she was taken by canoe and sold to the New Amsterdam Colony.

This is where Penelope met and married Richard Stout.  They returned to the New Jersey coast where Penelope had lost her first husband and through much fortitude and hard work became the founding parents of New Jersey and established a legacy for their posterity.  Penelope bore 10 children and lived to be 110 years old.


Linage...
Sandra Christensen, Albert Christensen, Ellen McAllister, Richard McAllister, Emma Smith Walling, Lydia Crawford, John Crawford, John Crawford, Catherine Bowne, Ann Lippitt, Sarah Throckmorton, Alice Stout, Penelope Van Princis