Josiah was born in Staffordshire, England, the son of steam power pioneer Joseph Hornblower.
[2] On September 9, 1753, Hornblower was brought to America by the Schuyler family to support their copper mines on New Barbadoes Neck.
[3] There is some dispute about the validity of the project, since he apparently (and illegally) brought two or three sets of critical engine parts with him from England.
[2] From 1781 until 1784, he represented Essex County as a member of the New Jersey Legislative Council, which functioned as an upper house in the legislature.
He remained somewhat active in public life as well, serving as a County Judge from 1790 until 1808, when his failing health forced him to resign.
[citation needed] Josiah died in Newark on January 21, 1809, and is buried in the yard of the Dutch Reformed Church at Belleville.