!Biography Family: Gen. Mag. of New Jersey Vol. 5 p. 16.
Cemetery: Grave Stone inscriptions.
Family: Gen. Mag. of NJ Vol. 7 p. 68.
Family: Film # 849581.
Occupation: John was a member of congress
Mayor of the Borough of Elizabethtown in 1756

Scotch Plains Baptist Church was constituted Sptember 8, 1747, by fifteen members from the Piscataqua Church. A building had been erected five years earlier, which was enlarged in 1759. The Rev. Benjamin Miller was the pastor from February 13, 1748, until his death, November 14, 1781. He was succeeded by the Rev William Vanhorn, in 1785. The early records of the church are quite imperfect. (Perth Amboy).

John Stites, eldest son of William, was an Alderman of the borough of Elizabeth lefed near Scudder’s Mills on Rathway river. He married Miss Rushmore, of Long Island, a sister of the wife of Thomas Thompson, Sen.

A John Stites was an Alderman of Elizabethtown and on April 23 1764, the following ensued:
We hear from Elizabeth-Town, that on Monday last, Alderman Stites of that place, a gentleman generally esteem’d, being about to straighten a road, of which he was overseer, by the removal of a fence, belonging to one Sears, which was an encroachment upon it -- Sears having before heard of his design, declared if he attempted it he would shoot him, and accordingly loaded his gun with powder and shot. When Mr. Stites, with his labourers on the high way, approach’d the fence, he saw Sears with his gun, ask’d him where he was going with it. He replied, “I’ll tell you, damn ye”, and immediately fired at him, lodging the shot in his side and bely. Sears was, after some resistance secured and sent to goal. It is thought Mr. Stites cannot recover, though it is not certain whether the shot have penetrated his bowels, several have been extracted, but he had a high fever, and was in exquisite pain, though still alive on Wednesday morning last.


Elizabethtown:
Philip Carteret, cousin several times removed of Sir George Carteret, was commissioned Governor of New Jersey. Headquarters were established on a commanding plot of ground back of "Achter Koll," as the narrow body of water separating Staten Island from the mainland was named by the Dutch. Four families were living near the site when Governor Carteret and retinue of thirty persons arrived in August, 1664. The settlement was named Elizabeth Town, in honor of Lady Elizabeth, wife of Sir George Carteret.

Stites, John, of Essex co., will of:
Wife Margaret, use of my farm and 1/3 of the household goods. Son Hezekiah, 1/2 of 25 acres of salt marsh. Son, John 5 shillings. Grandson, John Stites, son of my son, John, the land that i bought of Moses Thompson, on the south side of my homestead, and contains 50 acres; also 1/2 of the salt meadow; but if he die, I give the same to the daughters of my son John. To said Grandson, John Stites, the land I bought of John Clawson and Daniel Marsh, that formerly belonged to George Mitchell of 25 acres. To the children of my daughter, Mary Woodruff, deceased, 1/7 of all my estate. Son, Hezekiah, 1/7. Daughter, Sarah Gano, 1/7. Daughter, Margaret Manning, 1/7. Daughter, Abigail Woodruff, 1/7. Grandson Richard Stites 1/7. My son-in-law, Rev. James Manning, to be Gardian of my grandson, Richard Stites. Executors - wife, Margaret, and friends, Samuel Brooks and Johnathan L. Dayton. Witnesses - Abraham Hampton, Susanna Hampton, Dayton Woodruff. Proved April 27, 1782.