John Temple's RevWar Connections

It is said that John Temple, a direct ancestor of Shirley Temple Jameson, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, serving as a Private in Captain John Hunt's Company of the 1st Regiment of the Hunterdon County (New Jersey) Militia.[1]

Although there is clearly a record for a "John Temple" serving in John Hunt's 1st Regiment of the Hunterdon County, New Jersey, during the Revolutionary War, there does not seem to be any clear record of exactly who that John Temple was. Presumably, this would have been a John Temple of (then) Hunterdon (now Mercer) County, given that was where John Hunt's Regiment was formed. There are several problems with figuring this out, including that township and county boundaries, of that time and area, were under constant change in those early days, as were the movements of those who lived in that area. Nevertheless, our understanding of the John Temples of that time, boils down to that there were at least two John Temple possibilities, perhaps more if a wider recruitment happened.

Our John Temple ancestor was one of these possibilities, said to have been born in Ewing area of Hunterdon (now Mercer), County. The other possible John Temple was born in the Hopewell area of Hunterdon (also now Mercer) County, making either of them likely candidates for John Hunt's Militia. However, there doesn't seem to be any real proof and only just a few clues as to which actually served with that Regiment.

Making a case that it was the "John Temple," son of Return and Hannah (Morell) Temple, is NOT made any easier with no direct DAR or SAR applications or records for either known John Temple, nor are there any cemetery mentions or references for either Revolutionary War service.[2] In fact, there are no DAR or SAR records for any other John Temple service of any kind, in New Jersey, or nearby Pennsylvania, at all! Furthermore, there seems to be very little historical accounting of any kind, regarding these John Temples.[1] One possible clue however, is that the somewhat older (about 17 years older) 'other' John Temple was having children, from the late 1760 through the early 1780's, suggesting he was otherwise occupied during that time of the War, rather than serving in Mr. Hunt's Regiment? This and other circumstantial evidence (several close time and place commonalities, including John and Rachel's marriage in Buck's county, PA?), seems to suggest our John (above) is probably, even likely, the correct John Temple to have served in John Hunt's Regiment.

Interestingly and possibly coincidental, is that this John Temple's father-in-Law, Bernard Van Horn, also born in New Jersey, was a recognized Revolutionary War soldier, from Pennsylvania.[3] There may or may not be some Revolutionary War connection between these two, as suggested by old DAR records, for Bernard Van Horn.[3]

Furthermore, even if it cannot be proven that this John Temple was not this Revolutionary War soldier, his direct "Temple" descendants should still qualify (sons and daughters) through the verifiable service of his wife's father, Bernard Van Horn, including those descendants of Shirley Ruth Temple.