A Revolutionary War-Era Diary's Surnames: The Jemima Condict Diary & Her Condict Family

Jemima Condict's Revolutionary War-era journal, housed by the New Jersey Historical Society, reveals Jemima's family surnames  to be spelled just like her's, and not as Condit.

The Jemima Diary talks of colonial life in the 1700's in New Jersey, of the Boston Tea Party, and Jemima Condict's now famous diary that has been referenced by others in recent times to write Revolutionary War era spin-off books with references to Jemima's  life depicted in her 1772 diary, but  the surnames seem to have been overlooked and misspelled, as the diary shows Jemima did possess the same surname as those of her Condict (with the second "c") family Jemima writes about. It is well documented at the New Jersey Historical Society that Jemima Condict's family surname was Condict, and not Condit or Cundict as historical books show, like this one, documenting Jemima's father, Daniel Condict:   https://archive.org/details/documentsrelatin35newj at pages 89-90    documenting Daniel in his will at this source: Documents Relating to the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Post Revolutionary History of the State of New Jersey, Vol 35, (1880).

For those endeared to genealogy, and tracing their ancestors, it is  Jemima's family surnames in her 1772 diary  that perhaps only those of the lines may find important, to ensure the name is historically accurate, and with the true spelling of the surname.
One can find many links referencing the New jersey Historical Society's manuscript and 1930 book transcript of the Jemima Condict diary, and all seem to indicate that Jemima's family surname was Condict, not Condit nor Cundict as some in the Condit lines now state.
We find this link with info from source materials of the New Jersey Historical Society's manuscript and transcription of  the Jemima Diary:  http://njahgp.genealogyvillage.com/death-records-from-an-okd-diary-1772-1778.html


The Condit (without the second "c") reference could be likely confusing,  by the Condit Family Association 1885/1916 genealogy books by its two Condit authors, Eben and Jotham Condit, who indexed nearly all descendants in the tree as Condit. The books' indexing of descendants occurred even though the first and foremost historical family cenotaph and memorial was  erected some 50 years earlier by the ancestor John's great, great grandson, the Honorable Silas Condict, and named the first three generations (Jemima's great, great grandfather and great grandfather and grandfather), as Condict.
 Apparently no Condicts were involved with the Condit written genealogy books design, even though the Condit authors seem to allude  that all accepted the Condit surname used in the genealogy books, and that those with the Condict surname were actually descendants of Peter, John's son.

The Condit books have since been used as source material by genealogists who may have overlooked the authors' book introductions noting the Condict surname, and the authors' Condit descendant indexing system.  Perhaps the confusion of the early generations of the family tree of Condits and Condicts began with the Condit family genealogy authors who stated:  " To preserve uniformity in the work, we have adopted the generally accepted form of spelling the name, believing that it will meet with approval."  And, that would seem approval of the Condit Family Association of which all appear as Condits in the Condit written and researched books.Their work goes one to mention the Condict name confusing it in the same sentence with references to the surname Cundict.
In the 1885 and 1916 Condit Family Association's genealogy books, there is also the two Condit authors' mention of Samuel's (Jemima's grandfather)gravestone inscribed as Conduit, along with his son, Samuel, Jr.'s headstone as Conduit, whether or not some of the lineage today claim the name was Cundict, yet since around 1885 have claimed Condit for the early generations.

There are many others (not family) in history who appear to have likely not written the true surname, and instead guessed at it based upon pronunciation, and therefore misspelled the surname. This seems demonstrated by the contradictory names for John the Norman ancestor, and his son Peter (Jemima's great, great grand father and great grandfather Peter, respectively), in their 1700's wills and land deeds. Here it seems highly illogical a father and son would have different surnames where the names ranged from Cundit, Cundict, Conduit, and to Condit-- a name many descendants later would use.  A logical person might conclude John did not understand English,  even after being in America since 1678. The Condit genealogy books show an excerpt of John's 1709 will. Ironically, John signed with his "mark", NOT a signature showing  a surname of Cunditt for himself, and Cundit for his son Peter and John's seven grandchildren :  Samuel (Jemima's great, great grandfather),  Peter, John, Nathaniel, Mary (Gould?),Philip & Isaac)  all as Cundit-- a name that appears briefly in some church records but then disappears in other records of marriage and burials, and shows up as Condict for the early generations when recorded by family members, but as Condit, Cundit, Cunditt, Conduitt, & Cundict when written by others.
Yet another surname surfaces with the Condit genealogy books' excerpt of Peter's will (Jemima's great grandfather),  before his 1714 death, showing Peter named, in 1709, as Cundit in his father John's will, but  named as Cundict in Peter's will (1714).  Yet, ironically, the books authors seem to have little or no mention of the Condict cenotaph and memorial erected 50 years earlier by the Honorable Silas Condict that the authors likely knew about.

 Jemima documents her family surname as Condict, and other family members did as well, as noted at the first and foremost historical cenotaph and memorial for the Norman ancestor, John, and his son Peter, who arrived from Wales 1678 to Newark, NJ noted here:  http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12179447
 The Honorable Silas Condict erected, early1800's cenotaph for John and Peter, also memorializes the first three generations and beyond as Condict, with last name being Anna Byram, great, great granddaughter of Priscilla Mullins and John Alden.  The Alden/ Condict lines are made direct descendants three times via John Alden's great daughter, Abigail Alden Byram's (Ebenezer) daughters Huldah (Col. Ebenezer), Anna (Peter Condict), and Abigail (Silas Condict).

http://www.jerseyhistory.org/findingaid.php?aid=0108