Name: Richard Betts Scudder Sr
   Born: 1671
  Place: Newtown, NY
   Died: 14 Mar 1754
  Place: Ewing, NJ
 Buried: 
Married: 1691

From Wikipedia:

Origin of Name

The Scudder Falls Bridge derives its name from Richard Betts Scudder, who according to the Long Island Genealogy Surname Database [link], died in 1754 at "Scudders Falls, Hunterdon County" (Mercer County was part of Hunterdon County until 1838). One of Richard Scudder's ancestors from Kent, England was named Henry Skudder. The k in the surname apparently became a c at some point in time, helping to give the falls and modern-day bridge its name. The "falls" (really just an area of rapids) are located about 1/2 mile north of the bridge, and the entrance to the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park just north of the bridge is signed as the "Scudders Falls" unit. The extra s at the end of "Scudders" was dropped to make pronunciation of the bridge's name easier.

The following comes from "History of Burlington and Mercer Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Their Pioneers and Prominent Men" by Major E. M. Woodward & John F. Hageman, 1883.

Richard Scudder, of English descent, came from Long Island in 1704, and established himself on a farm in Ewing, on the bank of the Delaware, and about half a mile from Greensburg, which is still in possession of his lineal descendants. His children were Hannah, Mary, Richard, John, Abigail, Joseph, Samuel, Rebecca, and Joanna. He died March 14, 1754, aged eighty-three.

Will of Richard Betts Scudder Sr

The following transcription, by David Hoffman, appears at the USGenWeb Archives, now located at usgwarchives.net.

Hunterdon-Mercer County NJ Archives Wills.....Scudder, Richard March 2, 1754
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
David Hoffman dvh592341@fastmail.fm October 7, 2006, 2:46 pm

Source: A Hunterdon County Will Book In The New Jersey State Archives
Written: March 2, 1754
Recorded: March 19, 1754

In the Name of God Amen the Second Day of March In the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and fifty four I Richard Scudder of Trenton In the County of Hunterdon and Province of New Jersey Yeoman being an Ancient Man and Labouring Under The Infirmities of Old Age Being Sick in Body But of perfect Mind and Memory Thanks be Given to God for the Same and Duly Considering the Shortness of my Life and Knowing that it Appointed for All Men Once to Die Do Make and ordain this to be My Last Will and Testament that is to say Principally and first of all I Give and Recommend My Soul into the Hands of God who gave and as for My Body I Recommend it to the Earth to be Buried in a Christian Like Manner at the Discretion of my Executors Here in After Named Nothing Doubting But at the General resurrection of the Dead to Recive the Same again This the Mighty power of God and in hope to Recive free Pardon and Remission of all My Sins and to Enjoy Everlasting Happiness in the Heavenly World Through the Infinite Satisfaction and Merit of our Glorious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And as Touching [?] Such Worldly Estate as it Hath Pleased Almighty God to Bless me with in this Life I give Devise and Dispose of the Same in the following Manner and form VIZ.

Imprimis. I Do hereby Order and it is My Will that in the first place all My Just Depts and funeral Charges Shall be Paid and Satisfied.

Item. I Give Devise and Bequeath unto My Loving grandson Daniel Scudder and to His Heirs and Assigns for Every One Equal Half part of My Plantation that I now Dwell on Lying in Trenton Above Said Containing About Two Hundred and Eighty Acres of Land and I Do also Will and order that all the Dwelling houses and Other buildings that are Now on My Said Plantation Shall be included in that Half of My Said Plantation that I Do hereby give unto My Said Grand Son Daniel Scudder. and the Division of My Said Plantation I intend to Make before My decease But In case I should not . . . I Do Here by Implore my Executors here in after Named to Make and Equal Devision There of Provided that my said Grand Son Daniel Scudder Shall Pay Unto His Two Youngest Brothers Jedadiah Scudder and Ephraim Scudder all that I have or part that He the Said Daniel Scudder Shall Recive of the Estate of his father John Scudder Deceased Which When Paid Shall be Equally Divided Between them. But in Case My Said Grand Son Daniel Scudder Shall Refuse to pay to his two Youngest Brothers Above Named that I have or part of his father John Scudders Estate That he Shall Recive Then I Do hereby Give and Devise the above Mentioned one half of my Plantation to my Grand Son Jedidiah Scudder his heirs and Assigns forever and that the sd. Daniel Scudder Shall Nor Enjoy any part of the Said Plantation.

Item. I Give Devise and Bequeath unto My Loving Grand Son named Amos and to his Heairs and Assigns for Ever the Other Equal Half Part of My Plantation to be Devided as Above Said But in Case Both of My Above Said Grand Sons Daniel Scudder and Amos Scudder Shold Die before they Arrive at the age of Twenty one Years and be without Lawfull Issue then I Do here by Give and Devise the Said Daniel Scudders Half Part of my Plantation Abovesd. to my Grand Son Jedidiah Scudder His Heairs and Assigns for Ever And the Said Amos Scudders Half Part of My Said Plantation then I Give and devise unto My Grand Son Ephraim Scudder his heairs and Assigns for Ever. And in Case But One of My Above Said Grand Sons Daniel Scudder and Amos Scudder Shold Die before He Arrives to the Eage of Twenty one Years and without Lawfull Issue then I Give and Devise his Share of my plantation Above Said to My Grand Son Jedidiah Scudder his heiars and assigns for Ever And in Case the Said Jedidiah Scudder Shold also Die within that age and Without Lawfull Issue then I Give and Devise his Share of My Said Plantation to My Grand Son Ephraim Scudder His Heairs and Assigns for Ever.

Item. I Give and Bequeath Unto My Daughter in Law Phebe Scudder one Half of all my Sheep And I Do also give Her the Previledge of Living in one of my Houses on the Above Said Plantation During her Widowhood---it is also My Will and order that She Shall have the Preveledge and Benefit of all my Plantation with the Provisor She Remains of my Son Johns Widow Untill my Grand Son Daniel Scudder Shall Come of Age and after that She is to Have the Preveledge to keep three Cows and one hors and My Said Two Grand Sons Shall Provide for and keep Them Winter and Sommer During Her Said Widow Hood my Said Daughter in Law is to ____ Sow and Plant on Each of My Above Said Grand Sons parts of the Above Said Plantation alike and not to Injure or hurt one part more than the Other and not to Sow the fields more than once in four years.

Item. I Give and Bequeath unto My Loving Daughter Rebecka Scudder all my house Hoold Goods Except my feather bed and furniture and my Loom and Levers Tackling I also Give Her Two Cows My Said Grand Sons are to Provide Paster and ___ for Them and also She is to Have the Medle Room in the House I now Live in and also fire wood During the Time She Shall Remain Unmarried.

Item. I Give and Bequeath unto My Loving Daughter Joannah Pierson one of My Cows and My Loom and ____ and also the Eastermost Room in my House During the Time She Lives Single.

Item: I Give and bequeath unto My Grand Daughter Deborah Hart the Sum of Fifteen Pounds Procklamation Money to Be paid out of My Moveable Estate.

Item: I Give and bequeath unto My Loving Son Joseph Scudder My Walking Cane.

Item. I Give and Bequeath after all my Just Debts funeral and Legacies Above Mentioned are paid and Satisfied all the Remainder of my Moveable Estate unto my five following Grand Children (Being the Children of my Son john Scudder Deceased) To Wit Jedediah Scudder Ephraim Scudder Katurah Scudder Prudence Scudder and Jemima Scudder to be Divided among them in the following Manner Viz. The Remainder of my Moveable Estate as Above Said Shall Be Devided in to Seven Equal parts to My Grand Sons—Jedadiah Scudder and Ephraim Scudder Shall Each of them Have two sevent__ [Transcriber’s note: page torn at this point] other Grand Daughters Viz. Katurah Prudence & Jemima Scudder Shall have Each of them ____ Seventh Parth Apece there of And Lastly I Do nominate Constitute and appoint My Loving Son Joseph Scudder and my frind Arthur Howell to Be Executors of This My Last Will and Testament And Do Hereby Utterly Disallow Revoke and Disannul all and Every Other former Testaments Wills Legacies and Executors by me in any Ways before this time Named Willed and bequeathed and I Do Conform this and no other to be My Last Will and testament: In Witness Whereof I Have herewith Set my Hand and Seal the Day and Year Above___

Sined Sealed Published Renounced and Declared by Said Richard Scudder to Be his Last Will and testament in the Presence of the _____

Richard Scudder
his Mark
Da__ Clark
[Transcriber's note: the other name I'm unable to be read with certainty- but the two names appear to be the same as on the inventory of Richard Scudder's estate, Daniel Clark and Peter Lott]

written 2 Mar 1754
Proved 19 March 1754

Additional Comments:
Richard Scudder is conventionally referred to as Richard Betts Scudder. He was born 1671 Newtown, NY, the son of John Scudder and Joanna Betts. He married Hannah Reeder. He died 14 March 1754.

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