A Romance in Real Life - The Isabella Douglas Stories
In the year 1707, as near as can be told, a daughter was born to Sir
Charles and Lady Douglas, in Scotland, who was destined to become the
progenitor of one of the old New Jersey families. As this daughter grew
toward womanhood she evidently was beset with some of the difficulties
that have ever been strewn along the pathway of womankind, for she had a
stern father who thought himself best fitted to chose a life partner for
his daughter, while she, with the individuality born of the Royal blood
that flowed through her veins, disdained to marry aught except from love’s
dictation.
She had a lover whom she loved in return, but Sir Charles would
have none of him for his daughter, but would give her hand to a man higher
in the scale of what he considered to be nobility. Isabella, for this was
the name of the daughter, finally resolved that something would have to be
done if she was to wed according to her own fancy, and after many
conferences with her lover and many sleepless nights it was decided that
they take the matter in their own hands, and what better course could they
pursue than to go together to the ‘’new world, America,” where they could
live in happiness and contentment. A night was appointed when a ship bound
for America was to be lying offshore, and then Isabella and her lover were
to go on board, separately, and join each other when the ship was well
underway. Isabella was true to her purpose, but whether her lover was
finally too faint-hearted to make the attempt, or whether he mistakenly
boarded another ship, was never known, but certain it is that “‘the course
of true love did not run smooth,‘’ even in those days. The ship sailed on;
the sorrow of Isabella now almost an agony, as she had lost both home and
lover; but nothing could change what had been arranged before the
beginning of time.
The ocean was infested at that time with bands of
pirates, who made a practice of overhauling ships and despoiling the
passengers of whatever of value they possessed, and during the passage of
this ship it was unfortunate enough to become the prey of one of these
bands of outlaws, and Isabella Douglas, who had lost so much that was dear
to her, was now to lose everything of value that she had brought with her
to remind her of the home she had left behind, and she was left penniless.
As the ship drew near the landing place, Philadelphia, the passengers were
asked to pay for their passage , but as they had lost their money, and the
fashion was at that time to pay when you disembarked, there was nothing to
do but submit to the laws then in operation, which gave the ships company
the right to sell the passengers time to the highest bidder, that they
might work out the amount of their passage, and those who were passengers
on this trip were duly advertised after the custom of the times. A farmer
named Fortner living in Sussex County, New Jersey, was in need of some
domestic help, attracted by the notice of the sale of the these
passengers, went to Philadelphia to be present, and Isabella Douglas was
bought by him. It was a long drive to his home from Philadelphia, and
during the trip Mr. Fortner became impressed with the fact that his
purchase was no ordinary person, and upon his arrival at his home, when he
was greeted by his son Benjamin, who was a young man, he made a remark ,
‘’Ben, I have brought you home a wife.’‘ This remark, probably made in
jest, proved prophetic, for Ben prevailed upon the mourning Isabella to
let him console her, and she became his wife.
In the course of time ten
children came to this couple, their names being Louis, Andrew, James,
Benjamin, Jonas, Abigail, Sarah, Elizabeth, Francina and George. Abigail
Fortner married William Garrison, probably somewhere about 1770, and it
was he who was the ancestor of the Garrison family who has been well known
in the locality for over one hundred years. William Garrison and Abigail
Fortner had only one child, who was later known as ‘’Major’‘ and whose
remains now lie in the Old School Baptist Graveyard in Hopewell. Major
William Garrison married Ose Roberts, and had five children, John, Ursula,
Abigail, Sarah and Naomi. John Garrison married for his first wife,
Johanna Sutphin, and had six children, Ann, William, Peter, Ose, James,
and Margaret. His second wife was Martha Titus, and the result of this
union was seven children: named Joseph, John, Charles, Ose, Sarah,
Benjamin, and Spencer, all born and have always lived in the western
states. Urusla Garrison married Walter Skillman, and one of her children,
William Garrison Skillman, late of Philadelphia, was well known here.
Andrew Garrison removed to Minnesota and was murdered. Elizabeth married
Samuel French of Chicago, Abigail married John Sorter. Sarah Garrison
married Spencer Stout Weart and lived all of her life at ‘”Hill Top”’
where George A Weart now resides. Of her children, and there were nine,
only four are now living, namely William A. of Blawenburg, George W. of
Ocean County, Mrs. Jonathan H. Blackwell of Trenton, and Mrs A.L. Holcombe
of this place. Naomi Garrison married Robert Phillips and moved to
Algonquin, Ill., and had six children. One Dr. Edward H. Phillips, of Cape
May is still living and is well known here. Peter S. Garrison married
Hannah Boggs and lived at Blawenburg on a farm that was part of a tract
that belonged to Peter Sutphin his grandfather, and this farm is still in
the possession of his son John B. who is a practicing physician in New
York City. James married a Miss Cleve and two of their sons are living,
Benjamin of Philadelphia and Wellington of Trenton. Ose Garrison married
the late John Van Horn Whitlock and lived and died at Blawenburg. Their
son Spencer W. still lives at that place. Margaret married Abner Hageman,
and had one son James G., who is now living at Rocky Hill, N.J.
She
married a second time, Abraham J. Voorhees, and two sons by this marriage
are still living, namely William of Trenton, and Charles of Chicago.
Hopewell N.J. Herald, December 18, 1907
Bloomsfield Herald
Harry H. Garrison, a former resident of town, and his sister Elva F.
Garrison, now residing at Philadelphia, have recently become heirs to a
fortune of $52,000,000. They are direct descendants of the famous House of
Douglas of Scotland and are the children of Samuel W. Garrison, a great,
great grandchild of old Lord Sholto Douglas, according to whose decree
made when his daughter Isabel ran away to America in 1647, the younger
Garrisons, Miss Elva and Mr. Harry, are just in time to receive the
inheritance.
In 1647, according to the story told by the records in
possession of the Garrison family, Lady Isabel Douglas ran away from the
Bonjedward Castle, Scotland, to America because
of her new stepmother, whom she hated. Lady Isabel was only nineteen years
old and was very good looking. That she possessed the fiery spirit of her
war like forefathers was evident when she braved the perils of the ocean
in a sailing ship, without money to pay her passage. "She came over as an
indentured servant and was compelled to work on a farm in upper New
Jersey, then a most unsettled wilderness, to repay the captain of the
ship. "Later she married an Englishman by the name of William Fortner and
to them was born eight children. The oldest of these, Elizabeth Fortner,
married a grandfather of Samuel W. Garrison and Lemuel Garrison, also a
former resident of town having resided on Eighth Street. "Lord Sholto died
in the meanwhile. But just before he expired he heard of his daughter
having ran away to America. He swore then that neither she nor any of her
immediate descendants should touch a penny of his money, but that it would
go undisturbed to the fifth generation. "This brings it directly to Elva
and Harry Garrison." The Morning Press, Bloomsburg, August 13, 1914
Biographical Sketches of Welland County, Ontario Printed
in 1887, page 559
Lady Douglas, the daughter of the Earl of Douglas, fell in love with a
young man whom the Earl forbade her to marry. The couple sailed for
America in separate ships and Lady Douglas arrived safely in New York, but
never heard of her lover again, his ship is supposed to have foundered.
Lady Douglas found herself destitute except for her jewels which she
decided not to sell. She found employment as a servant in the household of
a wealthy New York merchant named Fortner. The Fortners realized that she
was occupying a position subordinate to her birth, and made of her an
equal. She was persuaded to marry the merchant's son and a large family
was born to this couple. The History of Columbia and Montour Counties,
Pennsylvania by JH Battle, 1887
BENJAMIN P. FORTNER, of the town of Catawissa, was born in Locust
Township, Columbia Co., Penn., October 31, 1811, a son of John and Sarah
B. FORTNER. Natives of Pennsylvania, the FORTNER family are of Scotch
descent, being the descendants of Lord Archibald DOUGLAS, of
Bothwell Castle, Scotland, whose
only daughter, Isabella, having a desire to see this continent, prevailed
upon her father to consent to her coming to America, in company with a
lady friend, which they did, and while on the passage the vessel in which
they were was seized by a piratical crew of Algiers and robbed of all
their effects, and they were landed in New York destitute of friends or
the wherewith to support themselves. It happened that a farmer from New
Jersey met them, of whom they inquired what they should do, and he replied
he would take them home with him, which he did. Isabella DOUGLAS resided
with his family and married a man by the name of FORTNER, and resided in
New Jersey until their death. They had twelve children,
Columbia And Montour Counties
Elizabeth Fortner Garrison’s father, was a son of Benjamin Fortner, His
wife Isabelle Douglass, was a daughter of Lord Archibald Douglass (a son
of James Douglass), born in 1691, at Bothwell Castle, Scotland and died in
1781, at Glasgow. Her coming to America and subsequent experiences before
her marriage were very trying. Her father first married Jane Edmunds,
who bore him the following children; Isabelle, James, Sholto, Joseph, Jane
and Charles. When he remarried the stepmother practically made a servant
of Isabelle, who finally decided to leave home. She started for America
with a lady bound for Philadelphia but the vessel was captured by pirates,
who brought the passengers to Philadelphia, but released only those who
could pay ransom. Isabelle was practically sold as a slave, her time being
bought by a man from Amwell Township, Hunterdon Co. N. J. then at
Philadelphia on business. He took her to his home, expecting her to work
out the sum he had paid. There she met Benjamin Fortner, who fell in love
with her, and they worked to accumulate enough money to redeem her. After
their marriage the lived for a number of year in Hunterdon County, N.J.
where nine children were born to them; two more children were born after
their removal to Sussex County NJ where both Mr. and Mrs. Fortner died.
Descendants of James Brown
Isabel quarrelled with her stepmother and ran away from home in the year
1742, and having a desire to see America sailed with a lady friend for
this country, and while on the way over the vessel she was on was seized
by Algerian pirates and they were robbed of all their effects and were
landed in this country destitute of friends or the wherewithal to support
themselves. In the city of Philadelphia they met a farmer by the name of
Amos Thatcher to whom they told their story and he took them to his home
in New Jersey. Isabel resided with him for a long while and married one of
his farm hands by the name of Benjamin Fortner, and they resided in New
Jersey for the balance of their lives. They had twelve children, and
Benjamin the seventh child in order moved to Columbia County,
Pennsylvania, near Mifflinville. He had three sons and four daughters,
George, Andrew, John, Naomi, Frances, and Mercy.
Isabel Douglas's daughter
Elizabeth also came to Columbia County and married Joseph Garrison's
grandfather, 'Mathias Garrison. She is buried in Browns graveyard near Mifflinville, Pa. The father of Isabel Douglas wrote for her to come back
home, but refused to let her bring her husband with her, to this she would
not consent, and upon his death disinherited her, but left 140,000 pounds
sterling on interest, the principal to go to her heirs in the fifth
generation. In a pamphlet on unclaimed money printed by Robert Gun in
London in 1879 appears the name of Lord Archibald Douglas. His brother
James Douglas was a wealthy merchant in Edinburgh, left her also 22,000
pounds sterling upon his death in that city in 1799. In the year 1836
Isabel Fortner's son Andrew Fortner, and Joseph Garrison, the said Joseph
Garrison being a son of Elizabeth Garrison the oldest child of Isabel
Douglas Fortner, sent Clemuel G. Ricketts, Attorney, to Scotland to look
up this estate, I believe on a second trip in 1841 or 1842, but no money
was ever collected from the estate for the heirs. I had with me the
original will of Andrew Fortner, son of Isabel and Benjamin Fortner in
which he speaks of this fortune in Scotland, and his mother's father,
Archibald Douglas, and her brother, James who died in Edinburgh.
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, connection
Janet Garrison Chiocchi of Lincoln, Nebraska is a direct decendant of
Isabella Douglas b 1723 in Scotland and her husband Benjamin Fortner b abt
1720 who lived in New Jersey. She writes: 'Their daughter Elizabeth b 1744
in NJ married Mathias Garrison b abt 1740 in NJ. After her husband died,
Elizabeth moved with her son and other family members to Luzerne County,
PA. Many decendants of this Fortner/Garrison family, including my father,
live in the Luzerne/Columbia County area of PA today (1998)'.
Bonjedward, a village in Jedburgh
parish, Roxburghshire, ¾ mile above the influx of the Jed to the Teviot,
and 2 miles N of Jedburgh. It occupies the site of a Roman station, and
was long a place of some note and strength. Bonjedward House, hard by, was
the dower house of the Dowager Marchioness of Lothian (d. 1877).
See also:
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