Benjamin Hathaway is regarded to be the donor of the land on which the original Presbyterian Church in Morristown was built in 1742. In 1816 the Church donated part of the land to the town for what is now the town square.
In addition to Benjamin Hathaway, there are nine other Hathaways buried in the grave yard of the Presbyterian Church. See the Who's Who in the grave yard based on church records.

Morristown PC Graveyard map

Benjamin Hathaway was the first President of the Board of Trustees when the church was incorporated in 1756. He is referred to as a neighbor of Reverend Timothy Johnes. On Erskine's map, Reverend Timothy Johnes's house is located on the present site of the Mid-Town Shopping Plaza at the corner of Morris and Spring Streets. Based on the monograph, Benjamin Hathaway's house would be the one across Morris Street about on the present site of Cutter's Grill

The monograph makes reference to Benjamin Hathaway being a Physician and Innkeeper. However, the church records (i.e., The Combined Registers at Page 101) show a Dr. Benjamin Hathaway with no date of death. The church records (Ibid) show the Benjamin Hathaway, who was the church Trustee, as Captain Benjamin Hathaway (died 21 Apr 1762, age 63). I think the writer of the monograph was in error in believing that the Physician and the Captain were one and the same.

Benjamin Hathaway Headstone Epitaph:

   In Memory of Benjamen [sic]
    Harthaway [sic] Esqr. Aged
    63 years Dead Apr 21 1762
Here sey Remains of him that was a Esq.
may Rest with Kings & Princesley Dust
Until ye World Desolves In Flameing Fire
At ye Last Resurrection of ye Just
When ye arch Angels trumpets Sound
Arise ye Dead appear before ye Lord.
when christ will meet ye Righsous In Cload
& Crowns of Glory will be their Reward

There is a Marker on the Green across the street from the Church, crediting Benjamin Hathaway for donating the land.

Source Historical Markers database

There is a Hathaway Rd. named after the family in Morris Plains, NJ

Early 19th Century Map

> 12 Benjamin HATHAWAY (b. 1699 Taunton, Bristol, MA; d. 21 Apr 1762 Morristown, NJ)
. 11 Benjamin HATHAWAY Jr. (b. Abt 1728 Hanover, Morris, NJ; d.Aft 1797, Morris, NJ)
+Mary FAIRCHILD (b. ABT. 1725 Morristown, NJ;
m. 12 NOV 1746 Morristown, NJ;d. 18 MAR 1750/51 Morristown, NJ)
.. 10 Sarah HATHAWAY (1748 Of Morristown, NJ; d. 1810); d. 1800-1810 Uniontown, Fayette Co., PA)
. +Jacob Gard (b. 1750 Morristown, NJ; d. 1815, Fayette, PA)
... 9 Noah Gard (b. ABT. 1774 Morris Co., NJ; d. 18 SEP 1838 Preble Co., OH)
.... 8 Mahala Gard (b. 17 Dec 1803 Fayette Co., PA; d. AFTER 1887 Lake Cty, CA)
.... + Jeremiah Gard (b. 1804 Hamilton Co. OH; d. 1861, San Andreas, Calavaras Co. CA)
..... 7 Charles GARD (b. 6 FEB 1824 Dixon, OH ; m. 26 OCT 1854 CA ; d. 1878 Morgan Valley, Kelseyville, Lake Co., CA)
..... + Nancy Jane WEBB (b. 16 Sep 1835 Mcminnville, Tenn; d. 3 Sep 1925 Kelseyville, CA)
...... 6 Susan Frances "Fanny" Gard (b. Mar 1863, Stockton, CA; Married: 28 Dec 1884, Kelseyville, CA; d. 2 Dec 1939, Finley, CA)
...... + Benton Lewis Thomas (b. 04 May 1866, Missouri; d. 11 Oct 1938, Kelseyville, CA)
....... 5 Clara Edna Thomas (b. 11 May 1889, Kelseyville, CA; d. 19 Oct 1966, Davis, CA)
....... +Alivn Sikes (b. 5 Feb 1880- Tremont, Solano Co, CA; m. 18 Oct 1914, Kelseyville; d. 28 Jul 1960- Davis, CA)

Pedigree Chart, Nicholas Hathaway Family Tree.
Fairchild Tree
Benjamin Hathaway Note at GardLine.
Benjamin Hathaway page at Jones site and Auston Ancestry site.

Benjamin Hathaway and Benjamin HATHAWAY, JR. pages at GardLine

John Hathaway (1629-1705)

The John Hathaway (1629-1705) entry at Calistri-Yeh Genealogy says:

"In 1676 John Hathaway was elected constable." Of this position in Colonial history says, 'the office of constable was one of great responsibility & power, as representing the civil government & being the chief exponent of law."

"In 1680 he was elected a deputy to Plymouth General Court, & served for 5 successive years; & in 1681 he was chosen one of the 'selectmen to order town affairs,' in which capacity he served 4 years."

"In 1687 he was recorded as giving 10 acres of land in part payment for the support of the minister, Rev. Samuel Dansforth."

His home was in that part of Berkley known as "The Farms." The House was situated towards the North. The land 'abuts' the Great River. This is designated by an iron tablet erected there in 1889, by the Old Colony Historical Society.

SEE: John Hathaway entry at Barbara Hathaway's site, Nicholas and John Hathaway page at the Hathaway Family Assn. site,
Nicholas Hathaway Family Tree at Barbara Hathaway's My Family page and here.

John Hathaway genealogy at GuardLine and Austin genealogy and Sandy Feller's Genelaogh on RootsWeb and the Hathaway Page at William Worths' King Family site.

Fairchild

There are eleven Fairchilds buried in the grave yard of the Presbyterian Church including Deborah the wife of Zachariah. Her headstone reads "Dabriat." There are a page and a half of descendants of Zachariah and Deborah listed in the church records (i.e., The Combined Registers at Pages 67 & 70).

Zachariah Fairchild was the First Leading Elder of The Presbyterian Church In Morristown after it split off from the Hanover Presbyterian Church in 1737. Cam Cavenaugh, Op. Cit., at Page 89, talks about the Vails of Speedwell and states, "The Whippany River narrowed and deepened in its flow from Speedwell Lake into Pocohontas Lake, creating a natural source of water power that had been harnessed there since colonial days. Zachariah Fairchild operated a sawmill there in 1767 and John Johnson, Jr., had a forge "adjoining Zachariah Fairchild's pond" which appears on Revolutionary War maps." I haven't come across the maps or maps she refers to, but it may be part of the Erskine series which hasn't had the circulation that the more famous one referred to above which depicts the center of Morristown. There is every reason to believe that much of the land that makes up what is now known as the Fairchild Section of Morris Township was part of the original Fairchild spread.

Although there are twenty nine Gards (or Guards) listed in the chur h records (i.e., at Page 83) none show up in the burying ground. Both Phebe and Esther are among those listed in the records.

_
See the Mary FAIRCHILD Zachariah FAIRCHILD, JR., Deborah FAIRCHILD pages at GardLine.

Source: Scott Shepherd

See Also:
Hathaway Family Association
  Origins of the Hathaway Surname, by Clyde Hathaway