Burlington County NJ Archives Biographies.....John Stockton IRICK, 1811 - 1894
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 10, 2008, 12:31 am

Author: Mary Depue Ogden, Editor  (1917)

IRICK, Gen. John S.,
Soldier, Public Official.

  The progenitor of the Irick family in America was Johan Eyrich, of Palatina,
Holland, who landed at Philadelphia with his brother William about A. D. 1750-60.

  (I) John Irick (Johan Eyrich) came to Pemberton, New Jersey, and lived with
Dr. William Budd, a large owner of proprietory lands, and at his death John
Irick remained with the widow for some years, becoming interested in purchasing
large tracts of lands, by which he laid the foundation of the future wealth of
the family. We have not been able to establish the fact that he must have been
possessed of a competency upon his arrival in this country, but it is believed
that he was so possessed, for he could not in such short time have amassed the
large estate of which he died possessed. He with others was naturalized by the
provincial legislature in 1770, his name being anglicized to John Irick. The
record of his marriage shows that General Elias Boudinot became the bondsman in
five hundred pounds at that time, which fact indicates that he was not yet
twenty-one years old. Besides being a man of large means, he was a strong
churchman, and for many years was prominently identified with St. Mary's Church
(Episcopal) of Burlington. Among his possessions was a large estate between
Burlington and Mt. Holly, and there he spent the greater part of his life,
engaged in agricultural pursuits. He married, 2 mo. 28, 1761, Mary Sailer, and
(second) 2 mo. 26, 1781, Mary Shinn. He died in 1826, aged about eighty-six
years. His children, William and John, were by the first wife, Mary Sailer.

  (II) General William Irick, elder son of John and Mary (Sailer) Irick, was
born near Burlington, New Jersey, in 1767, died January 26, 1832. Immediately
after his marriage he removed from his father's homestead on the road from Mt.
Holly to Burlington, to Vincentown, New Jersey, and settled on the farm now
owned and occupied by his grandson, Henry J. Irick. He received his education in
the academic schools of Burlington, and after leaving school took up surveying
and conveyancing in connection with his extensive farming operations. His public
documents, deeds, articles of agreement, etc., are well and accurately written,
and still serve very well as models from which to copy. He early became
interested in public affairs, and filled many positions of trust and honor; was
a member of the House of Assembly in 1804, and again from 1811 to 1814,
inclusive, and member of the Governor's Council from 1815 to 1817. During the
second war with the mother country he was in command of the State militia at
Billings-port, and thus acquired the military title by which he was ever
afterward known and addressed. In politics General Irick was a staunch Whig. His
death was much lamented by a wide circle of devoted friends, chief among whom
was Chief Justice Ewing, with whom he always maintained an intimate friendship.
He married Margaret, daughter of Job and Anne (Munro) Stockton; children: i.
Anne, married Colonel Thomas Fox Budd, of Vincentown. 2. Mary, married Marzilla
Coat, also of Burlington county. 3. William, see post. 4. Job, see post. 5. John
Stockton, see post.

  (III) General William (2) Irick, son of General William (1) and Margaret
(Stockton) Irick, was born on the Irick homestead, near Vincentown, Burlington
county, New Jersey, December 20, 1799, died August 17, 1864. He followed in the
footsteps of his father as a surveyor and business man, and always lived in
Vincentown. He also was honored by his fellow townsmen with many public offices
and was the last member of the old council of New Jersey from Burlington county
under the continental constitution. His acts of charity and benevolence were
unbounded, and he always was ready to lend a helping hand to his neighbor. He
was a man of fine stature, standing full six feet tall, weighing two hundred and
twenty-five pounds, energetic and painstaking in all of his business
transactions. He took great interest in military affairs, and he and his staff
were a soldierly looking body of men. In his magisterial capacity of justice of
the peace he married many of the very first people of his and the adjoining
counties. At the outbreak of the Civil War, notwithstanding his physical
infirmities, General Irick tendered his services to Governor Olden, but under a
reorganization of the State militia about that time he was legislated out of his
military office. He did the next best thing, however, in aiding the government
by pledging his ample fortune through Jay Cooke & Company in support of the
Union cause. General Irick married (first) Sarah, daughter of Amos and Lydia
Heulings, of Evesham township, Burlington county. She died in 1852, and he
married (second) Mrs. Sarah Eayre. He had five children—all daughters—by the
first wife, and one child by his second wife: 1. Lydia H., married Franklin
Hilliard, of Burlington county. 2. Margaret, married David B. Peacock, of
Philadelphia. 3-4. Eliza Ann and Mary Ann, twins; Eliza Ann died in early
womanhood; Mary married Benjamin F. Champion, of Camden county. 5. Cornelia,
married John W. Brown, Esq., of Burlington county. 6. William John, now
president of the First National Bank of Vincentown, and whose home is near the
paternal home in Southampton township.

  (III) Job, second son of General William (1) and Margaret (Stockton) Irick,
was a land surveyor and successful farmer, but he died early in August, 1830, at
the age of thirty-seven years. He married Matilda Burr, and lived and died in
Southampton township. He had one son, William H. Irick (father of Mary Irick
Drexel), and two daughters, both of whom married and lived in Philadelphia.

  (III) General John Stockton, third son of General William (1) and Margaret
(Stockton) Irick, was born on the old homestead in Southampton township, August
4, 1811, died August 4, 1894. In May, 1832, he married and being so nearly of
age at that time, his brothers, William and Job, executors of his father's will,
permitted him to occupy his inheritance at once, and took him into partnership
in working off and marketing the timber growing on the broad acres devised to
them jointly. Both he and his wife having a handsome landed estate, their way in
the world was successful from the beginning, until along in the fifties, when he
joined with nine other men in the iron foundry business at Lumberton, as
partners, without being incorporated, each member being personally responsible
for all its obligations, and trusting to the management of two of the partners,
at the end of a very few years the concern became heavily involved, and he
realized the fact that he was held responsible for $250,000, all that he was
worth at that time. But with the same energy that always characterized his
actions, he took hold of the concern, came to the aid of the bankrupt cities,
built their gas and water works and financed them, and soon paid off the
indebtedness and saved a handsome profit while the others stood off without
offering any material aid. The war of the rebellion broke out at about this
time, and under the reorganization of the State militia he, with three others,
was appointed by Governor Olden to organize and command it, with the rank of
major-general. Upon the election of Governor Parker, he was continued and gave
his time and services throughout the war. He, like his brother William, tendered
through Jay Cooke his fortune in defence of the Union. He was a member of the
New Jersey House of Assembly, 1847-48-49, and never lost his interest in public
affairs, always taking an active part in politics as an ardent Whig and
Republican. His only other public office was that of freeholder, serving as
director of the board during his three years' term. It was largely through his
efforts that the first railroads in Burlington county were built and he was a
director in all of them. He also was instrumental in organizing the First
National Bank of Vincentown, being its president until his death, when William
John Irick succeeded him. He died August 4, 1894, upon his eighty-third
birthday, leaving a large circle of acquaintances and friends. General Irick
married, May 17,1832, Emeline S. Bishop, a Quakeress, daughter of Japheth and
Rachel Bishop. She was born in Vincentown in 1814, died April 2, 1895; children:
1. Henry J. 2. Rachel B., September 9, 1835; married Charles Sailer. 3. Samuel
S., August 30, 1838; married Susan Butterworth. 4. Margaret A., January 1, 1841;
married Henry B. Burr. 5. Job, August 8, 1844; died young. 6. John B. 7.
Emeline, 1848; died young. 8. Robert H., June 30, 1851; died young.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

MEMORIAL CYCLOPEDIA OF NEW JERSEY

UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF MARY DEPUE OGDEN

VOLUME III
MEMORIAL HISTORY COMPANY NEWARK,  NEW JERSEY
1917


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