David Ogden

David Ogden, the middle of the veteran Ogden brothers, was born in 1754, to Samuel Ogden of Hackensack and Phebe Baldwin of Milford Connecticut.

He would have been in his 20s when he became a member of the 2nd regiment of Captain Josiah Pierson's Company, Essex County and Captain Thomas Williams’ company during the Revolutionary War.

It appears that David never married and no descendants could be found.

Tragedy struck the Ogden brothers twice in 1790. Like his younger brother, Simeon, David was struck with some fatal ailment or injury at a young age. David wrote his Will on August 10, 1790, at age 36, described as “weak in body yet sound in understanding and memory”. He passed away only 3 days later.

He left his estate to his brothers, Thomas and Swain and sisters Molly (Mary) Dod, Sarah Edison, Susannah Williams, Hannah Bebout, and Phebe Brundage. He specifically excluded his brother, John, from any share. He doesn’t state the reason for this, but it might have been because John had substantial assets of his own. As an interesting side note, Sarah’s husband, John Edison was a Loyalist, among this family of patriots. Sarah and John emigrated to Nova Scotia with their family in 1783, along with many other New Jersey Tories. They are buried in Bayham, Canada.

David left instructions in his Will that his slave, Harry, have “his absolute and entire freedom at age 21”. Harry must have been young, as the Will expressly charges his brother Thomas with teaching Harry a trade and to read the English language properly.

David was laid to rest beside his brother Simeon in the Old Burying Ground in Caldwell.