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974.901  '  ' 

n51647  ®^NEALOGY  COLUECTiON 


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3  1833  02246  9792 


THE 


FIRST    CENTURY 


HUNTERDON    COUITY, 


STATE  OF  NEW  JERSEY, 


GEORGE  S.  MOTT,  D.  D- 


Read  before  the  New  Jersey  Historical  Society,    at   Trenton, 
January   17  th,    1878. 


FLEMINGTON,  N.  J. 

E.  VossELLER,  Bookseller  and  Stationer. 

1878. 


HUNTERDON  COUNTY. 

1151647 


In  this  sketch  of  the  "  First  Century  of  Hunterdon   County,"    I 

shall  restrict    myself  to    the    territory    now    comprised    within    the 

-'  boundary  of   the    county.     Because  the    history  of  that    portion    of 

.   .    ^  "Old  Hunterdon,"  which  is  now    included  in    Mercer    County,    has 

\9\  ^een  cared  for  by  others.' 

I       New  Jersey  held   out   two  hands  of  welcome   to  those  of  Europe 
who  were  seeking  an  asylum  from    evils  which  made    their   mother 
•^  country  no  longer  endurable.     The  one   hand  was   Delaware    Bay, 
^   the  other  was  Raritan  Bay.     Through   these    openings    to   the   sea 
<).^ready  access  was  gained  to  the  two  rivers,  which  took   their   names 
^'^  from  these  bays.     These  streams  opened   avenues   for   up   among 
fertile  valleys  until,  in  Hunterdon  County,   they  approached  at  the 
r\  •  nearest  points  within  twenty    miles    of  each    othei',  and   there   the 
^    tributaries  of  each  drain  the    same  hills.     The    mil^i    climate — less 
■    bleak  than    New  England,  not  so  hot   as  Virginia — the   abundance 
of  game,  fish  jind    fruits,'^  won    to  those  shores    the  children  of  the 
y^.   northern  half  of   Europe,  who  were   accustomed   to  the    temperate 
'"'^^^^S^one.     Lord  Berkley  and  Sir  George  Carteret,^  prepared  a  constitu- 
tion, which  was  almost  as    democratic  as  that  which  we   now  enjoy. 
This  assured  civil  and  religious  rights  to  all  the  settlers.     Thus   in- 
vited by  the 'country  and  its  privileges,   emigrants  streamed  in  from 
Europe,  Long  Island  and  New  England. 

'  Dr.  Hale's  History  of  Pennington.  Dr.  Hall's  History  of  Trenton,  and  the 
Histories  of  Princeton  and  the  battle  of  Trenton. 

=  Smith's  History  of  New  Jersey,  pp.  20,  105,  174-177.  He  speaks  of 
peaches,  plums,  and  strawberries  growing  plentifully  in  the  woods. 

'  To  them  the  proprietary  right  of  the  soil  had  been  conveyed  and  they 
divided  the  Province  between  them,  into  East  and  West  Jersey.  Berkley  had 
West  Jersey. 


4  HUNDERDON    COUNTY. 

The  Quakers  in  England  had  become  the  objects  of  suspicion  and 
dislike  to  the  government ;  and  they  were  assailed  by  penalty  and 
persecution,  which  led  them  to  look  over  the  ocean  for  some  spot 
that  should  furnish  the  toleration  they  could  not  secure  in  there 
native  land.  John  Fenwicke  and  Edward  Bjilinge,  both  Quakers, 
bought  out  Berkley's  shares.  But  Byllinge  soon  became  so  em- 
barrassed in  business,  that  he  made  an  assignment  to  Trustees,  of 
whom  "VYilliam  Penn  was  one.  But  before  this  he  had  sold  a  num- 
ber shares.  Thus  Penn  became  one  of  the  proprietors  of  West 
Jersey,  and  the  owner  of  large  tracts  of  land  in  Hunterdon.  Soon 
after  Fenwicke  made  a  similar  assignment.  These  Trustees, 
under  the  pressure  of  circumstances,  sold  shares  to  different  pur- 
chasers. As  these  Trustees  were  Quakers,  the  purchasers  were 
mostly  members  of  that  body.  Two  companies  were  formed  for 
that  purpose  in  1677,  one  in  Yorkshire  and  the  other  in  London. 
Daniel  Coxe  was  connected  with  the  latter,  and  became  the  largest 
holder  of  shares ;  and  by  this  means  he  eventually  possessed  exten- 
sive tracts  of  land  in  Old  Hunterdon.  The  tide  of  immigration  now 
set  in  rapidly.  In  the  same  year  the  companies  were  organized  and 
four  hundred 'caJne  over,  most  of  them  were  persons  of  property. 
Burlington  was  founded,  and  became  the  principal  town.  Here  the 
land  office  for  all  West  Jersey  was  located,  and  deeds  were  re- 
corded. 

In  1696  an  agreement  was  made  between  Barclay  and  the  pro- 
prietors of  East  Jersey,  on  the  one  side,  and  Byllinge  and  the  pro- 
prietors of  West  Jersey  on  the  other,  for  running  the  partition  line 
so  as  to  give  as  equal  a  division  of  the  Province  as  was  practicable 
A  straight  line  was  directed  to  be  surveyed  from  ''  Little  Egg  Har- 
bor, to  the  most  northerly  branch  of  the  Delaware."  The  line  was  ex- 
tended as  far  as  the  south  branch  of  the  Raritan,  at  a  point  just  east  of 
the  Old  York  Road.  This  line  was  run  by  Keith,  Surveyor  General  of 
East  Jersey.  But  it  was  deemed  by  the  West  Jersey  proprietors- 
to  be  too  far  west,  and  thereb}''  encroaching  on  their  territory,  and 
they  objected  to  its  continuance.     On  September  5th,  1688,  Gover-. 


HUNTKRDON    COUNTY  O 

nors  Coxe  and  Barclay,  representing  each  side,  entered  into  an 
agreement  for  terminating  all  differences,  by  stipulating  that  this  line, 
so  far  as  run,  should  be  the  bounds,  and  directing  the  course  by 
which  it  should  be  extended,  viz.  : — "  From  that  point  (where  it 
touched  the  south  branch),  along  the  back  of  the  adjoining  planta- 
tions, until  it  touched  the  noi'th  branch  of  the  Raritan  at  the  falls  of 
the  Allamitung  (now  the  Laniington  Falls),  thence  running  up  that 
stream  northward  to  its  rise  near  Succasunny.  From  that  point,  a 
short  straight  line  was  to  be  run  to  touch  the  nearest  part  of  the 
Passaic  River."  Such  a  line  would  pass  about  five  miles  north  of 
Morristown.  The  course  of  the  Passaic  was  to  be  continued  as  far 
as  the  Paquanick,  and  up  that  branch  to  the  forty-first  degree  north 
latitude ;  and  from  that  point  in  "a  straight  line  due  east  to  the  par- 
tition point  on  Hudson  River,  between  East  Jersey  and  New  York."' 
This  line  gave  to  the  northern  part  of  West  Jersey,  the  present 
counties  of  Warren,  Sussex,  all  of  Morris  north  of  Morristown,  and 
those  portions  of  Passaic  and  Bergen,  which  lie  north  of  Ibrty-first 
parallel.  Though  this  agreement  was  never  carried  into  effect,  this 
division  line  constituted  the  western  boundary  of  Hunterdon,  and  so 
remained  until  Morris  was  set  off  in  1738.  And  then  all  that  port 
of  North  Jersey,  down  as  far  as  Musconetcong,  was  erected  into  the 
new  county. 

The  territory  of  West  Jersey  was  divided  into  one  hundred 
shares  or  proprietarios.  These  were  again  divided  into  lots  of  one 
hundred  each;  the  inhabitants  of  which  elected  commissioners, 
who  were  empowered,  ''  To  set  forth  and  divide  all  the  lands  of  the 
Province  as  were  taken  up,  or  by  themselves  shall  be  taken  u^  and 
contracted  for  with  the  natives,  and  the  said  lands  to  divide  into  one 
hundred  parts,  as  occasion  shall  require."^  The  first  and  second 
division  extended  as  far  as  the  Assanpink  (Trenton). 


'  Smith's  History,  pp.  196-198. 

^  Chap.  1  of  CoQcessioas  of  "  The  Trustees."     Quoted  in   Gordon's    History 
of  New  Jersey,  p.  68. 


b  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

At  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  centurj^,  West  Jersey  is  said  to 
have  contained  8,000  inhabitants.'  These  people  began  to  look 
with  longing  eyes  upon  the  territory  to  the  north,  which  was  yet 
held  by  the  Indians.  So  that  the  proprietors  urged  the  Council  to 
grant  them  a  third  dividend,  or  taking  up  of  land.  In  compliance 
with  this  request  a  committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of  John 
Wills,  Wm.  Biddle,  Jr.,  and  John  Reading,  to  treat  with  the  natives. 
This  committee  reported  at  a  meeting  of  the  Council  held  June 
27th,  1 703,  "  That  they  had  made  a  full  agreement  with  Himhaniraoe, 
for  one  tract  of  land  adjoining  to  the  division  line  (i.  e.,  between 
East  and  West  Jersey)  and  lying  on  both  sides  of  the  Raritan 
river.  *  *  *  And  also  with  Coponnockous  for  another  tract 
of  land,  lying  between  the  purchase  made  by  Adlord  Boude"  and 
the  boundaries  of  the  land  belonging  to  Himhammoe  fronting  on 
the  Delaware."^  This  purchase  was  computed  to  contain  150,000 
acres,  and  the  cost,  with  other  incidental  charges,  was  estimated  at 
£700.  It  was  proposed  to  allow  5,000  acres  for  each  dividend  to  a 
proprietary.*  At  another  meeting  of  the  Conncil,  held  November 
2d,  1703,  the  same  committee  was  sent  to  those  Indians,  and 
particularly  to  Coponnockous,  to  have  the  tract  of  land  lately  pur- 
chased, "  Marked  forth  and  get  them  to  sign  a  deed  for  the  same. 
*  *  *  And  that  they  go  to  Himhammoe's  wigwam  in  order  to 
treat  with  them,  and  to  see  the  bonnds  of  the  land  lately  purchased 
of  him."  This  purchase  covered  the  Old  Amwell  township,  or  the 
present  townships  of  Raritan,  Delaware,  East  and  West  Amwell. 

The  150,000  acres  were  divided  among  the  proprietors.  But  the 
tract  ^hich  extended  north  from  the  Assanpink  and  which  was 
within  the  original  township  of  Hopewell,  belonging  to  the  West 
Jersey   Society,    which    was  a  company   of    proprietors  living    in 


'  Gordon's  History,  p.  57. 

'^  This  Boude  Tract  extended  southward  from  Lambertville. 
'  Smith's  History  of  New  Jersey,  pp.  95,  97. 

^  It  IS  probable  that  tracts  of  land  had   been   bargained   for   previously,    by 
individuals  with  the  Indians. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  I 

England.  To  them  Daniel  Coxe  conveyed  this  tract  in  1691.  He 
obtained  the  title  to  it  in  1685.  He  owned  22  proprietory  shares. 
Among  the  first  who  took  up  land  out  of  this  tract  of  150,000 
acres,  was  the  estate  of  Benjamin  Field. ^  He  had  3,000  acres 
fronting  on  the  riverj  the  southern  border  of  this  touched  the 
Society's  tract.  He  also  had  2,000  acres  near  Ringos.  Robert 
Dinsdale  had  extensive  tracts  beginning  about  Lambertville  and 
embracing  Mt.  Airy.  John  Calow  owned  north  of  the  city,  and 
fronting  on  the  river.  Wm.  Biddle  held  5,000  acres  immediately 
north  of  Calow,  fronting  on  the  river.  John  Reading  took  up  land  in 
the  vicinity  or  Prallsville  and  Barber's  Station.  He  also  owned  land 
about  Centre  Bridge  which  was  called  Reading's  Ferry, 
until  1770,  when  it  went  by  the  nameof  Howell's  Ferry."  Other  own 
ers  of  tracts  were  Gilbert  Wheeler,  Richard  Bull  and  John  Clarke. 
These  large  tracts  soon  passed  into  other  hands.  1705  John  Hoi- 
combe  of  Arlington  of  Pa.,  bought  lands  from  Wheeler  and  Bull, 
and  subsequently  he  made  purchases  out  of  the  Biddle  and  Calow 
tracts.  He  is  the  ancestor  of  the  Holcombe  families  in  Hunterdon 
county.  In  1709  Wm.  Biles  sold  to  Edward  Kemp  of  Buck's 
county,  Pa.,  who  the  next  year  sold  200  acres  to  Ralph  Brock,  a 
millwright.  In  1716  Richard  Mew  sold  one  half  a  tract  to  John 
Mumford  of  Newport,  R.  I.  Joshua  Opdyke  purchased  several 
hundred  acres  of  the  heirs  of  Wm.  Biles.  He  was  the  great-grand- 
father of  Hon.  George  Opdyke,  at  one  time  Mayor  New  York  city. 
In  1714  Wm.  Biles,  son  of  W.  Biles,  Sr.,  who  was  then  deceased, 
sold  1,665  acres  to  Charles  Wolverton.  The  southwest  corner  of 
this  was  on  Reading's  line  ;  284  acres  of  this  was  sold  to  Geo.  Fox, 
who  came  from  England.  In  1729  this  was  conveyed  to  Thomas 
Canby  of  Buck's  county.  In  1735  he  sold  to  Henry  Coat,  and  in 
1741  he  to  Derrick  Hoagland.  Wm.  Rittenhouse  had  a  tract  of 
land  east  this.     Wm.    Biddle   also  sold    1,150   acres  in   1732    to 

'  See   subsequent  page. 

^  For  these  facts  about  Lambertville,  I  am  indebted  to  manuscripts  of  P.  A  . 
Studdiford,  D.  D.  of  Lambertville,  N.  J. 


»  HUNTERDON    COUNTY 

Peter  Eraley  of  Mansfield,  now  Washington,  Warren  count}-.  He 
sold  to  Christopher  Cornelius  in  1750.  And  he  sold  to  Daniel 
Howell,  the  same  year,  400  acres.  This  was  the  Howell  from 
whom  the  Ferry  took  its  name.  His  land  joined  Reading's  at  the 
river.  Howell  conveyed  a  part  of  this  land  in  1Y54  to  Francis 
Tomlinson.  In  1774  this  came  into  possession  of  General  Bray. 
Yet  further  up  the  Delaware,  adventurous  settlers  pressed,  select- 
ing tracts  in  Kingwood,  Franklin  and  Alexandria  townships, 
checked  only  by  the  frowning  hills  of  of  the  Schooley's  range. 
Among  these  we  know  of  Warford,  Bateman,  Ellis,  Gamer,  A.  Hunt, 
Besson.  About  1720'  a  Baptist  Church  was  organized  at  Baptist- 
4own,  known  in  its  earliest  days  as  the  Bethlehem  Baptist  Church. 
The  Dalrymple  family,  numerous  in  Kingwood,  are  of  Scotch  origin. 
There  ancestor  here,  selected  land  by  the  advice  of  James  Alexan-' 
der.  Surveyor  General  of  New  Jersey,  who  was  the  agent  of  Sir 
John  Dalrymple,  to  whom  Robert  Barclay  sold  land  in  East  Jersey. 
Kingwood  became  more  especially  a  Quaker  settlement.  The  old 
records  of  the  Meeting  at  Quakertown  date  back  to  1744,  when  the 
first  monthly  meeting  was  held.  Tn  1767,  the  minutes  show  that 
they  were  busy  building  a  new  meeting  house  of  stone,  39x27. 
This  was  to  take  the  place  of  one  built  of  logs.''^  This  would  indi- 
cate a  settlement  about  1725.'  Among  the  first  of  whom  we  have 
any  knowledge  as  living  in  that  neighborhood  are  King,  Wilson, 
Clifton,  Rockhill,  and  .Stevenson.  They  all  belonged  to  the  Bur- 
lington Quarterly  Meeting.  Later  on,  Thomas  Robeson  settled  in 
that  locality,  the  ancestor  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  during 
President  Grant's  administration  ;  also  Thomas  Schooley  was 
another  settler,  who  became  the  owner  of  large  tracts  of  land  on  the 
mountain,  which  is  called  after  him. 

*  So  it  has  been  stated.  But  I  regard  this  date  as  too  early  by  ten  or  fifteen 
years. 

"^  Kindly  furnished  by  A.  R.  Vail,  clerk  of  the  meeting. 

'  For  further  particulars  respecting  Kingwood  see  quotations  from  old  deeds 
in  a  series  of  articles  ou  "  Traditions  of  our  Ancestors,"  published  in  the 
Hunterdon  Republican,  Fob.  17  and  24,  May  ."5  and  12.  lcS7  0. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  9 

While  the  tide  of  immigration  was  setting  up  the  Delaware,  a 
similar  flow  advanced  along  the  Raritan.  The  persecutions  of  the 
Covenanters  drove  large  numbers  of  them,  in  1638  and  the  following 
years,  to  Bast  Jersey,  many  of  whom  settled  at  Plain  field,  Scotch 
Plains  and  Westfield.  They  were  Presbyterians,  and  men  of  virtue, 
education  and  courage.  The  opposition  of  the  people  and  the 
proprietors  to  any  arbitary  imposition  from  England,  and  freedom 
of  conscience,  allured  these  people  to  New  Jersey.  And,  as  Ban- 
croft says,  they  gave  to  "the  rising  commonwealth  a  character, 
which  a  century  and  a  half  has  not  effaced."  The  Quakers  also  set- 
tled among  them,  through  the  influence  of  Robert  Barclay.  Some 
of  these  settlers,  and  many  of  their  children  found  their  way  to  the 
richer  lands  of  Hunterdon. 

So  early  as  1685,  Dutch  Huguenots  came  to  the  north  branch  of 
the  Raritan.  In  1699  the  Dutch  Church  of  Somerville  was  formed. 
Readington  township,  which  lies  between  the  north  and  south 
branches,  was  taken  up  by  four  proprietors.  George  Willocks  of 
Perth  Amboy,  owned  the  northeast,  i.  e.,  all  northward  of  Holland's 
Brook  and  eastward  of  the  White  House,  to  the  Lamington  river. 
John  Budd  and  James  Logan  held  the  portion  northwest  of  Willocks. 
Joseph  Kirkbride  had  the  southerly  part,  and  Colonel  Daniel  Coxe, 
of  Philadelphia,  the  southwest.  These  two  were  proprietors  of 
West  Jersey.  Their  lines  came  to  the  south  branch.  On  the 
west  of  that  stream  they  both  had  tracts  ;  extending  to  Flemington.' 
They  had  their  lands  surveyed  in  the  year  1712,  in  which  year 
Kirkbride  sold  five  hundred  acres  to  Emanuel  Van  Etta;  having 
previously  disposed  of  two  hundred  acres,  west  of  Van  Etta's  pur- 
chase, to  Daniel  Seabring  and  Jerome  Van  Est.  This  tract  extend- 
ed from  the  south  branch  to  the  road  now  leading  from  Pleasant  run 
to  Branchville.  On  this  tract,  near  (!Jampbell's  Brook,  was  an  In- 
dian village.  Other  settlers  from  1710  to  1720  were  Stoll,  Lott, 
Biggs,  Schoraps,  Smith,  Van  Horn,  Wyckofi",  Cole,  Klein,  Jennings, 
Stevens,  Johnson,  Hoagland,   Fisher,  Probasco,  LeQueer,  Schenck; 

'  See  subsequent  page. 


10  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

Voorhees  ;  some  of  whom  came  from  Long  Island.  Frederick  Van 
Fleet  came  from  Esopus,  New  York,  in  1725,  and  bought  lands  of 
Van  Etta.  He  shortly  after  became  owner  of  manj'  acres  at  Van 
Fleet's  Corner.  His  son,  Thomas,  was  the  great-grandfather  of  A. 
V.  Van  Fleet,  the  present  Vice-Chancellor  of  the  State.  Lord 
Niel  Campbell  had  obtained  a  deed  for  land  at  the  forks  of  the  north 
and  south  branches,  January  9th,  1685.  John  Dobie,  John  Camp- 
bell, John  Drumraond  and  Andrew  Hamilton  purchased  all  south 
of  Holland's  Brook  and  west  of  the  south  branch.  November  9th, 
1685.     Campbell's  Brook  was  named  after  that  John  Campbell.' 

This  district,  lying  between  the  confluence  of  the  branches  of  the 
Raritan  and  the  Delaware  river,  soon  became  known  ;  and  its  natur- 
al advantages  attracted  the  attention  of  both  the  Jerseys.  A  tribe 
of  Indians  living  near  the  site  of  Hartsville,  Pa.,  had  a  path  to  and 
across  the  Delaware  at  Lambertville,  and  thence  to  Newark,  by  way 
of  Mt.  Air}^,  Ringos  and  Reaville.  The  "  Old  York  Road  "  was 
laid  on  the  bed  of  that  path,  or  rather  this  path  became  that  road, 
for  the  road  itself  was  never  surveyed.  In  a  deed  for  land  at  Rin- 
gos, dated  August  25th,  1726,  this  is  described  as  "The  King's 
Highway  that  is  called  the  York  Road."  Another  Indian  came  in 
^rom  the  north,  through  the  valley  at  Clarksville,  the  gateway  for  all 
their  tribes  who  threaded  their  way  down  the  great  valley  of  theWal. 
kill,  or  crossed  over  from  Pennsylvania  at  the  forks  of  the  Delaware. 
This  Indian  highway  led  down  to  the  wigwams  on  the  Assanpink. 
These  roads  crossed  at  Ringos.  This  whole  region  was  heavily 
wooded  with  oak,  hickory,  beach  and  maple.  The  forests  abounded 
with  game.  The  streams  were  alive  with  fish,  and  the  most  deli, 
cious  shad  made  annual  visitations  along  the  borders.  That  fish  was 
caught  higher  up  than  Plemington,  before  mill  dams  obstructed  the 
branch.  The  hauls  of  them  in  the  Delaware  have  been  enormous 
within  the  memory  of  old  people.     Also  the  Indians  were  peaceable 


'  Historical  Appendix  to  the  Dedication  Sermon  of  the  Readmgton  Church, 
by  the  Rev.  John  Van  Liew.     Appendix  by  John  B.  Thompson. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  1  1 

and  friendly.  The  Raritan  was  navigable  up  to  the  union  of  the 
north  and  south  branches.  Long  afterward,  much  of  the  heavy 
produce  was  carried  to  market  on  these  streams,  In  seasons  of 
freshets  the  farmers  up  the  river  conveyed  their  grain  to  New  Bruns- 
wick in  flat  bottomed  boats,  floating  them  down  and  pulling  them 
back.  Old  persons  tell  us  that  fifty  years  ago,  brooks  were  double 
their  present  volume.  No  wonder,  then,  that  East  and  West  Jer- 
sey joined  hands  over  Hunterdon  County,  and  that  their  children 
were  attracted  away  from  their  old  homesteads  at  an  early  day. 
For  that  same  eagerness  to  occupy  the  frontier  and  push  further 
West,  which  has  been  the  ruling  passion  for  the  last  half  century, 
possessed  and  animated  the  sons  of  the  settlers  in  the  seventeenth 
century. 

In  addition,  the  political  institutions  were  so  liberal  in  their  char 
acter,  that  those  who  appreciated  civil  and  religious  liberty  were  at- 
tracted. And  thus  it  came  to  pass,  that  no  count}'-  in  the  State  had 
so  mixed  a  population,  composed,  as  it  was,  of  Huguenots,  Hol- 
lands, Germans,  Scotch,  Irish,  English,  and  native  Americans. 

The  Coxe  estate  extended  to  the  present  village  of  Clinton,  and 
joined  the  Kirkbride  tract,  the  two  covering  an  area  of  four  miles. 
One  of  the  oldest  and  most  distinguished  settlers  in  that  part  of  the 
county  was  Phillip  Grandin,  His  father  emigrated  from  France, 
and  settled  in  Monmontli  County.  Phillip  and  his  brother  John 
bought  one  thousand  acres  on  the  the  south  branch,  including  Hamp- 
ton. He  built  a  grist  mill  and  a  fulling  mill.  Afterward  this  was 
called  Johnston's  Mills.  It  was  in  a  ruined  condition  one  hundred 
years  ago.  Cloth  was  made  there  for  all  this  region.  He  was  the 
grandfather  of  Dr.  John  Grandin,  who  was  the  most  noted  physi- 
cian  of  the  county  in  his  day.' 

On  the  present  site  of  Clinton  were  early  located  mills,  called 
Hunt's  Mills.  During  the  revolution  large  quantities  of  flour  were 
ground  in  them.     Among   the  early    settlers   were   James  Wilson, 


'  For  further,  seo  History  of    the  District  Medical  Society  of  Hunterdon,  by 
John  Blane,  M.  D.,  and  Hunterdon  County  Republic,  March  13st,  1870. 


1*2  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

Hope,  Foster,  Apgar,  Bonnell.  Tlie  most  distinguished  was  Judge 
Johnston,  who  came  about  1740.  He  owned  a  tract  of  one  thous- 
and two  hundred  acres.  His  house  was  the  most  stately  mansion 
in  the  northern  part  of  West  Jersey.-  Being  chief  magistrate  for  this 
section  of  the  county,  on  Monday  of  each  week  court  was  held  in 
his  broad  hall.  His  house  became  the  resort  of  culture  and  talent ; 
and  his  daughter,  who  afterwards  married  Charles  Stewart,  is  said  to 
have  been  the  best  read  woman  in  the  province. 

A  tract  of  five  thousand  and  eighty-eight  acres,  from  Asbury  to 
Hampton  Junction,  was  purchased  by  John  Bowl  by  about  1740. 
When  he  was  running  the  boundaries  of  this  land.  Col.  Daniel  Coxe 
(who  was  the  oldest  son  of  the  proprietor,  deceased  about  1739), 
was  lying  out  a  tract  to  the  east  of  him.  There  was  a  great  strife, 
who  should  get  his  survey  first  on  record,  so  as  to  secure  as  much 
of  the  Musconetcong  Creek  as  possible.  Bowlby  was  successful. 
John  W.  Bray,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  connection 
with  A.  Taylor,  commenced  improving  Clinton  about  the  time  that 
Governor  Clinton  of  New  York  died  ;  and  they  named  the  place 
after  him. 

Returning  now  toward  the  north  branch,  from  a  deed  in  the 
possession  of  A.  E.  Sanderson,  Esq.,  of  Plemington,  it  appears  that 
about  the  year  1711,  the  West  Jersey  Society  had  surveyed  for 
them  a  section  known  as  "  The  Society's  Great  Tract."  Of  this, 
James  Alexander  purchased  ten  thousand  acres  in  1744,  taking  in 
the  whole  of  the  Round  Valley  and  surrounding  mountains,  and  al 
the  land  from  Bray's  hill  on  the  west  nearly  to  the  White  House, 
and  reaching  north  to  the  brow  of  the  hill  north  of  Lambertville. 
The  Lebanon  part  contained  two  thousand  acres,  which  were 
conveyed  to  Anthony  White  by  Alexander's  heirs,  September  7th, 
1782.  This,  however,  had  been  held  in  Trust  by  Alexander  since 
1755.  These  heirs  were  his  son  William  Lord  Sterling,  and  the 
wives  of  Peter  Van  Brug  Livingston  (whose  sister  Sterling  had 
married),   Walter    Rutherford,    John    Stevens,  and   Susanna  Alex- 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  13 

ander,  who  afterwards  married  Col.  Reid.  Walter  Rutherfurd  was 
the  owner  of  large  tracts  of  land  in  Sussex  County.  Livingston 
was  a  son  of  Philip  Livingston  of  Livingston  Manor,  on  the 
Hudson,  and  a  brother  of  Governor  Livingston.  All  these  took  a 
very  active  part  in  the  Revolutionary  struggle.  Lord  Stirling'  was 
the  Colonel  of  the  First  Battalion  formed  in  New  Jersey,  November 
7th,  1775.  The  next  March  (11th),  he  was  made  Brigadier-General 
of  the  Continental  army;  Major-General,  February  19th,  1777. 
He  twice  received  the  thanks  of  Congress,  January  29th,  1776, 
and  September  24th,  1779.  He  died  of  gout  at  Albany,  N.  Y., 
January  15th,  1783,  while  in  command  of  the  Northern  Department. 
Mr.  Livingston  was  a  merchant  in  New  York,  and  contributed 
largely  of  his  money  for  the  service  of  his  country.  The  sisters 
found  the  old  mansion  a  safe  retreat,  when  their  own  houses  were 
no  longer  protected  from  the  incursions  of  the  enemy.  John 
Stevens  settled  in  Round  Valley.  He  was  the  grandfather  of 
Edward,  John,  and  Robert  Livingston  Stevens,  who  became  the 
pioneers  in  the  railroad  and  steamboat  enterprises  of  our  State. 
Robert  when  onlj^  twenty  years  old,  took  the  Phoenix,  a  steamboat 
built  by  his  father^  and  one  of  the  first  ever  constructed,  from  New 
York  around  to  Philadelphia,  by  sea,  which  is  indisputably  the 
first  instance  of  ocean  steam  navigation.  This  was  in  1808. 
Tradition  says  that  Livingston,  the  associate  of  Robert  Fulton,  was 
a  frequent  visitor  at  Round  Valley. 

One  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  neighborhood  of  White  House 
was  Baltes  Pickel,  who  bought  one  thousand  acres  from  the  Budd 
and  Logan  tract,  at  the  foot  of  Cushetunk  Mt.,  now  Pickles  Mt. 
Abram  Van  Horn  came  from  Monmouth  to  White  House  about 
1749,  he  took  up  four  hundred  acres,  south  of  the  railroad  and  on 
both  sides  of  the  creek,  along  the  turnpike.  On  the  stream  he 
built  a  mill.  When  Washington's  army  lay  at  Morristown,  he  was 
appointed  forage  master.  In  his  mill  he  ground  flour  for  the  army 
and  hauled  it  over.     His  barn  was  used  as  a  storehouse  for  forage. 

'  See  life  of  Stirling,  published  by  N.  J.  Historical  Society. 


14  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

In  this  barn,  a  company  of  Hessians,  taken  prisoners  at  Trenton, 
were  lodged  and  fed,  while  on  their  way  to  Easton,  Pa.  This  same 
barn  afterwards  was  used  as  a  house  of  worship  for  fifteen  years,  by 
the  congregation  of  the  Reformed  Church.' 

The  settlement  of  Lebanon,  at  one  time  called  Jacksonville,  and 
Germantown,  is  connected  with  the  settlement  of  German  Valley. 
In  1707  a  number  of  German  Reformed  people,  who  had  been 
driven  by  persecution  to  Rhenish  Prussia,  and  thence  had  gone  to 
Holland,  embarked  for  New  York.  But  adverse  winds  carried 
their  ship  into  Delaware  Bay.  Determined,  however,  to  go  to  the 
place  for  which  they  set  out,  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  they 
started  from  Philadelphia  and  went  up  to  New  Hope  ;  there  crossing 
the  river  they  took  the  Old  York  Road.  Precisely  where  this 
band  came  to  the  mountainous  region  is  not  known.  But  their 
vision  was  charmed  with  the  tempting  nature  of  the  soil,  and  the 
streams.  They  found  this  whole  nigion  astir  with  pioneers,  who 
were  prospecting  and  settling.  Abandoning  therefore  their  original 
intention,  they  resolved  to  establish  themselves  on  the  good  land 
around  them.  From  them  and  their  descendants,  Germantown  and 
German  Valley  derived  their  names.  The  names  of  these  pioneers 
are  yet  found  on  the  church  record  of  Lebanon.  Probably  at  New 
GermantoAvn  a  few  English  people  had  alread}^  settled,  and  this 
was  the  first  point  occupied  in  Tewksbury  township.  Among 
these  names  are  Johnson,  Thompson,  Cole,  Plat,  Ireland,  Carlisle 
and  Smith.  Smith  was  a  large  land  owner,  and  ambitious  of 
founding  a  town.  The  first  street  was  called  Smith's  lane,  and  the 
first  name  by  which  the  settlement  was  known  was  Smithfield. 
About  1753  the  village  began  to  be  called  New  Germantown.  All 
the  land  which  Smith  sold  was  conveyed  in  the  form  of  leases, 
running  for  one  hundred  years.  Most  of  the  land  in  and  around 
the  village,  was  bequeathed   to  Zion's  Church,    and   was  rented  to 


'On  White  House,  see  an  article  by  Rev.  William  Bailey,  in  "  Our  Home," 
magazine  published  in  Somerville,  N.  J.,  in  1873. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  15 

tenants  on  long  leases.  The  greater  part  of  these  were  bought  in, 
fifty  years  ago.  This  is  now  a  Lutheran  Society,  but  the  probability 
is  that  a  religious  organization  of  the  Church  of  England  preceded 
this,  and  at  an  early  date,  probably  under  Lord  Cornbury.  For  in 
1749  an  instrument  conveys  seven  acres  of  ground,  and  the  church 
building  then  erected,  to  the  Trustees  of  the  Lutheran  Society  for  a 
period  of  one  hundred  and  three  years.  But  the  Germans  who 
came  in  before  the  Revolution  predominated.  Among  these  were 
Jacob  Kline,  Mellick,  one  of  whose  sons  went  to  New  York, 
became  a  merchant  and  was  the  first  President  of  the  Chemical 
Bank ;  Honeyman,  John  Bergen,  George  Wilcox,  Adam  Ten  Eyck 
who  owned  a  large  tract  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township.* 
Frederic  Bartles  was  another,  who  was  in  the  cavalry  of  Frederic 
the  Great.  He  was  captured  by  the  French,  but  escaped  to 
Amsterdam.  Thence  he  made  his  way  to  London.  He  came  over 
to  Philadelphia  and  then  to  New  Germantown.  He  was  the  grand- 
father of  Charles  Bartles,  Esq.,  of  Flemington. 

North  of  the  village,  a  large  tract  was  owned  by  James  Parker 
of  Amboy,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  East  Jersey.  The  land  on 
which  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Fairmount  stands,  was  given  by 
him  before  1760,  at  which  date  a  church  edifice  was  on  the  ground. 
The  place  was  originally  called  Parkersville.  It  is  probable  that 
the  first  settlers  came  about  1740.  For  Michael  Schlatter  speaks 
of  preaching  in  the  church  of  Fox  Hill  in  1747.  The  hill  was  then 
called  Foxenburg,  from  a  man  by  the  name  of  Fox,  who  was  a  very 
enterprising  farmer,  and  introduced  a  new  and  superior  kind  of 
wheat.  People  came  from  a  great  distance  to  buy  this  wheat  for 
seed.  In  1768  the  churches  of  Fox  Hill  and  German  Valley,  with 
those  of  Rockaway  and  Alexandria,  were  united  under  one  charge. 
In  1782  Casper  Wack  was  settled  over  Lebanon,  German  Valley, 
Fox  Hill  and  Ringos,^ 


■  An  Article  in  "Our  Home,"  New  Germantown,  March,  1873. 

'History  of  Presbyterian  Church,  Fairmount,  by  Rev.  Wm.  0.  Ruston,  1876. 


16  HUNTERDON    CODNTY. 

As  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  after  the  occupation  of  the  land  on 
the  eastern  and  western  borders^of  the  county,  very  soon  land  was 
taken  up  along  the  great  Indian  paths  already  described,  especially 
on  the  Old  York  road.  From  parchment  deeds  now  in  possession 
of  Mr.  A.  S.  Laning  of  Pennington,  it  appears  that  in  the  year 
1702,  Benjamin  Field,  one  of  the  proprietors  living  in  Burlington, 
agreed  to  sell  to  Nathan  Allen,  of  Allentown,  1,650  acres,  com- 
prising the  land  in  and  around  Ringos.  Field  seems  to  have  died 
suddenly  before  this  was  consummated,  making  his  wife.  Experience, 
his  sole  executrix,  by  a  will  dated  13th  May,  1702.  She  conveyed 
this  tract  to  Allen,  by  deed  dated  May  29th,  1702.  This,  which 
seems  to  have  been  before  the  purchase  from  the  Indians  b}^  the 
Council,  was  probably  allotted  to  Field's  estate  at  the  time  of  the 
dividend  in  1703.  By  a  deed  bearing  date  6th  December,  1721, 
Allen  conveyed  to  Rudolph  Harley,  of  Somerset  county,  for  £75 
New  York  money,  176  acres.  The  deed  conveys  all  the  minerals, 
mines,  fishing,  hunting  and  woods  on  the  tract.  Harley  removed 
from  Somerset  and  settled  here.  On  August  25th,  1726,  he  sold 
25  acres  of  his  tract  to  Theophilus  Ketcham,  innholder,  for  £15 
English.'  May  22d,  1720,  Allen  conveyed  150  acres  to  Philip 
Peter.  This  whole  tract  of  Allen's  in  a  few  years  was  divided  into 
small  portions.  For,  by  a  release  executed  June  26th,  1758,  the  fol- 
lowing persons  are  enumerated  as  being  possessed  of  parts  of  the 
original  tract.  Ichabod  Leigh,  118  acres,  Henry  Landis,  80,  Wm 
Schenck,  280,  Jacob  Sutphin,  150,  Tunis  Hoppock,  100,  Jacob 
Moore,  138,  Obadiah  Howsell,  8,  Justus  Ransel,  30,  Rudolph  Har- 
ley, 142,  John  Howsell,  3,  Gershom  Mott,  2,  Philip  Ringo,  40 
James    Baird,    18,    Anna  Lequear,    80,    George   Thompson,    100, 

Jeremiah  Trout,  3,  Barrack,    100,    George  Trout.    17,    John 

Hoagland,  200,  Derrick  Hoagland,  180,  John  Williamson,  180.  In 
1724  Francis  Moore,  of  Amwell,  bought  100  acres  from  Allen,  which 
afterward  he  conveyed  to  John  Dagworthy,  of  Trenton.  Dagworthy 


'  To  me  the  evidence  favors  the  supposition  that  he  kept  the  first  tavern,  and 
not  Ringo,  as  has  generally  been  held. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  17 

sold,  on  August  6th,  1736,  to  Philip  Ringo,  innholder,  five  acres  for 
£30.  On  this  plot  the  present  tavern  stands.  On  April  18th. 
1744,  he  let  him  have  eight  acres  more  for  £50  of  the  Province, 
Tradition  declares  that  a  log  cabin  was  kept  here,  which  became  a 
famous  stopping  place  known  as  Ringo's  Old  Tavern.  The  son  and 
the  grandson,  John,  continued  the  business  until  his  death  in  1781, 
when  the  property  was  purchased  by  Joseph  Robeson.  For  many 
3'^ears  Ringos  was  the  most  important  village  in  the  whole  Amwell 
valley.  A  store  was  kept  here  to  which  the  Indians  resorted  from 
as  far  as  Somerville.  Here  public  meetings  were  held  to  petition 
the  king  for  the  removal  of  grievances.  Later  on,  celebrations  for 
the  whole  county  centered  at  this  point.  It  was  also  a  place  of  con- 
siderable trade.  Henry  Landis  who  came  in  1737,  carried  on  the 
saddlery  business,  in  which  he  secured  a  reputation  that  extended 
from  Trenton  to  Sussex.  In  the  prosecution  of  this  business  he 
made  money,  and  became  owner  of  several  hundred  acres  of  land. 
In  the  old  stone  house  which  he  built  and  which  is  now  standing,  it 
is  said  that  Lafayette  was  confined  by  sickness  for  more  than  a  week; 
and  that  he  was  attended  by  Dr.  Gershom  Craven,  who  practiced 
more  than  forty  years  in  that  part  of  the  county. 

Land  was  loosely  surveyed.  John  Dagworthy.  of  Trenton,  so 
states  one  of  the  deeds  already  referred  to,  bought  100  acres.  He 
sold  several  portions  of  it,  and  then  suspected  that  his  original 
purchase  was  larger  than  was  stated  ;  so  he  obtained  from  the  Coun- 
cil of  the  Proprietors  of  West  Jersey  a  warrant  of  resurvey,  which 
was  done  b}^  order  of  the  Surveyor-General,  dated  Nov.  10th,  1753. 
It  was  found  to  contain  seventeen  acres  overplus.  To  secure  him- 
self he  purchased  the  right  tothis  overplus,  as  unappropriated  lands, 
from  John  Reading. 

So  early  as  1725  an  Episcopal  church  was  in  existence  at  Ringos. 
It  was  built  of  logs,  and  was  located  just  beyond  the  railroad 
station.  It  was  organized  under  a  charter  from  the  crown,  by  a 
missionary  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in 
Foreign  Parts.     Several  of  these  were  established  about  this  time 


18  HUNTKRDON    COUNTY. 

in  the  Province,  under  the  auspices  of  Queen  Anne,  who  instructed 
Lord  Cornbury  to  see  that  new  churches  were  erected  as  need 
required/  Boss  settled  east  of  Ringos,  and  Howsel  west  by  1725, 
Schenckin  1726.  Other  settlers  were  Jacob  Fisher,  Lumraix,  who 
donated  the  burial  ground  to  the  Episcopal  Church,  Stevenson,  Suy- 
dam,  Dilts,  Shepherd,  Larison,  Wurts.  Peter  Young  settled  at 
Wurtsville  in  1726. 

The  colony  of  Germans  who  passed  over  the  York  Road  in  1707 
was  the  beginning  of  a  large  and  continued  migration.  Some  settled 
at  Mt.  Airy  and  around  Ringos,  others  near  Round  Valley,  some 
at  length  pressed  over  to  Stillwater  and  Newton  in  Sussex  county. 
By  the  year  1 747  a  German  Reformed  congregation  was  worship- 
ping in  a  log  church  which  stood  in  the  old  grave  yard  at  Larison's 
Corner,  a  mile  from  Ringos.  The  first  pastor  was  John  Conrad 
Wurts,  who  for  ten  years,  until  1751.  had  charge  of  that  and  the 
churches  of  Lebanon,  German  Valley  and  Fox  Hill.  He  was 
probably  the  ancester  of  Alexander  "Wurts,  Esq.,  of  Flemington 
One  of  the  first  and  prominent  men  connected  with  that  church  was 
Adam  Bellis,  who  came  from  Holland  about  1740,  and  bought  250 
acres  two  miles  south  of  Flemington,  next  to  the  Kuhls.  This 
was  a  part  of  the  old  Stevenson  tract  of  1,400  acres.  His  descend- 
ants are  yet  numerous  in  and  around  Flemington.  The  mill  which 
stands  on  the  stream,  near  Copper  Hill,  was  built  at  an  earl}^  date  by 
Cornelius  Stout.     The  second  mill  was  built  in  1812. 

At  Flemington  the  tracts  of  three  pro'prietors  touched.  Penn 
had  one  of  5,000  acres,  and' Daniel  Goxe  one  of  4,170,  which  Avere 
surveyed  by  John  Reading  in  1712.  The  dividing  line  ran  from 
east  to  west,  by  the  lamp  post  in  front  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
A  high  stone  just  over  the  brook  east  of  the  South  Branch  Railroad 
is  where  this  line  touched  the  stream.  South  of  this  line  belonged 
to  Penn  ;  north  of  it  to  Coxe.  Coxe's  was  commonly  called  the 
Mt.  Carmel  tract,  and  the  high  hill  on  the  top  of  which  is  Cherry- 


Smith's  N.  J.,  pp.  252-3. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  19 

ville  still  bears  the  name  of  Coxe's  Hill.     On  March  24th,  1712, 
Joseph  Kirkbride  bought  a  quarter  section  or  1,250  acres  from  John 
Budd,  son   and  heir  of  Thomas   Budd  of  Philadelphia,  which  was 
taken  up  as  Budd's  dividend  of  one  quarter  of  a  propriety,  which  he 
purchased  of  Edward  Bj^llinge,    March,  1676.     On  the  same  date 
(1712).  Kirkbride  also  bought  1,250  acres  adjacent  to  this,  belonging 
to  "Wm.   Biddle  of  Mt.   Hope,    Burlington  county,  which  was  his 
dividend  of  a  part  of  a  propriety  purchased  of  Byllinge  in  January, 
1676.     These  two  tracts,  together  2,500  acres,  lay  next  to  Penn's, 
and  extended  west  and  northwest  along  John   Reading's  and  Ed- 
ward Rockhill's  lines ;  eastward  and  north  eastward  to  the  South 
Branch  and,  on^the  southerly  side.  John  Kays  had  a  tract  bordering 
on  Kirkbride's,  and  reaching  to  the  Stevenson  tract  and  John  Woll- 
man's.     November   12th,    1737,   this  tract  was   sold  to   Benjamin 
Stout  for  £90,     Stouf  seems  already  to  have  occupied  894-  acres  of 
this  tract.     His  deed  speaks  of  the  tract  bordering  at  one  part  on 
unappropriated  land.'     From  other  old  deeds  it  appears  that  settlers 
did  not  occupy  land  in  Flemington  earlier  than  1731.''    In  that  vear 
Coxe  sold  to  Wm.  Johnson  210   acres.     He    came   from    Ireland. 
His  son  Samuel   was  a   distinguished  teacher  and    mathematician. 
His  son,  Thomas  Potts,  was  an  eloquent  and  learned  lawyer  of  New 
Jersey.     He  married  a  daughter  of  Robert  Stockton.     His  portrait 
may  now  be  seen  over  the  judge's  chair  in  the  court  room  at  Flem- 
ington.    Other  settlers,  in  and  around  the  village,   were  Johannes 
Bursenbergh,   Philip  Kase,   Robert  Burgess,  Wm.  Norcross,  Johr 
Hairling,   Geo.    Alexander,   Joseph    Smith,    James    Farrar,    Thos. 
Hunt,  Dr.  George  Creed.     Of  Dr.  Creed  nothing  is  known  except 
that  he  was  practicing  at  Flemington  in  1765.     The  early  settlers 
were  German,  Irish  and  English.     In    1756    Samuel    Fleming  pur- 
chased land.     The  old  house  where   he   lived  and  which   was  the 
first  built  in  the  village  is   yet  standing.     Samuel  Southard  owned 


'  In  1736  a  tavern  was  built  at  Cherry  ville,  which  laPt  year  yielded   to  the 
elements  and  fell. 

-  The  above  facts  are  taken  from  old  deeds  held  by  Aaron  Griggs. 


20  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

and  occupied  it  while  he  resided  in  Flemington,  where  he  began  the 
practice  of  law  in  1814,  at  which  time  he  was  an  active  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  congregation.  He  was  the  first  President  of  the 
Hunterdon  County  Bible  Societ}^  Fleming  kept  a  tavern  in  this 
house,  and  as  other  houses  were  built  the  settlement  which  grew  up 
was  called  Flemings — so  it  is  named  on  the  old  maps — and  finally, 
Flemington.^ 

Fleming  brought  with  him  from  Ireland  a  boy,  Thomas  Lowr}^, 
who  afterwards  married  his  daughter  Esther.  Lowry  became  the 
most  prominent  man  of  the  village,  and  acquired  much  propert}^ 
He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  1765.  which 
was  the  first  Baptist  Church  in  Amwell  township.  He  was  a 
shrewd,  sagacious  man,  who  generally  succeeded  in  his  under- 
takings. He  was  a  member  from  Hunterdon  of  the  Provincial 
Congress  in  1775.  After  the  war,  for  several  years,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Legislature.  He  bought  about  1.000  acres  of  land,  taking 
in  nearly  all  the  beautiful  and  fertile  plain  where  Frenchtown  is 
situated.  He  purchased  a  tract  of  the  same  extent  at  Milford. 
This  was  probably  before  the  revolution.  The  Frenchtown  tract  he 
sold  to  Provost  for  £8,000.  Lowry  then  commenced  the  improve- 
ment of  the  Milford  property,  and  put  up  the  old  red  mill  and  the 
saw  mill  at  the  river.  These  were  completed  by  1800.  The  place 
was  first  called  Lowrytown.  Before  the  bridge  was  built  across  the 
Delaware  there  was  a  ferry  above  the  mill,  and  hence  the  name 
Mill-ford.  Lowry  was  the  founder  of  Frenchtown,  where  he 
built  a  house  and  mill,  and  resided  until  his  death  in  1809.  He 
was  buried  in  the  graveyard  of  the  Kingwood  Presbyterian  Church. 
One  of  his  daughters  married  Dr.  Wm.  McGill,  a  prominent  physi- 
cian in  that  part  of  the  county.  Lowry  and  his  wife  were  very 
active  patriots  during  the  revolution.  At  the  first  call  he  enlisted 
in  the  army,  being  appointed  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  Third  Regi- 


'  For  further  information  about  the  settlement  and  history   of   Flemington, 
see  Discourse  b}'  "Rev.  G.  S.  Mott,  1876. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  21 

ment  in  Hunterdon  County,  June,  1776,  of  which  he  afterward  be- 
came Colonel. 

The  territory  extending  from  Three  Bridges,  on  the  south  branch, 
along  the  Old  York  Road  to  Ringos,  was  settled  at  an  early  day  ; 
for  in  1738  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  First  Amwell,  near 
Reaville,  is  found  upon  the  records  of  the  Presbytery  of  New 
Brunswick.  Some  circumstances  lead  to  the  supposition  that  a 
congregation  existed  by  1730.  WhiteHeld  preached  there  in  1739, 
and  says  in  his  diary,  ''  Some  thousands  of  people  had  gathered 
here  by  noon,  expecting  me."  This  was  the  only  Presbyterian 
church  in  the  Amwell  Valley,  from  the  branch  to  the  Delaware. 
In  1753  a  parsonage  was  purchased,  and  the  following  names 
appear  on  the  subscription  list :  John  Smith,  Jacob  Sutphin,  Benja- 
min Howell,  John  Steel,  Jacob  Mattison,  Eliab  Byram  (the  pastor), 
Garret  Schenck,  Abraham  Prall,  Peter  Prall,  Daniel  Larew,  Thomas 
Hardin,  Benjamin  Johnson,  David  Barham,  John  Reading  (Grov.), 
John  Reading,  Jr.,  Jacob  Gray,  Daniel  Reading,  Martin  Ryerson 
(greatgrandfather  of  the  late  Hon.  Martin  Ryerson  of  Newton, 
N.  J.),  Daniel  Griggs,  George  Reading,  James  Stout,  Richard 
Philips,  John  Anderson,  William  Anderson,  Samuel  Carman, 
Samuel  Furman,  Thomas  Hunt,  Jonathan  Hill,  Samuel  Fleming, 
Richard  Reading,  Joseph  Reading,  Samuel  Hill,  Derrick  Sutphen, 
John  Cox,  John  Francis,  William  Davison,  John  Wood,  Henry 
Dildine,  Nathaniel  Bogert,  Abram  Larew. 

In  the  year  1754,  the  population  had  so  increased,  that  Presby- 
tery was  petitioned,  "  by  the  people  bordering  on  the  Delaware,  to 
give  them  the  privilege  of  building  a  meeting-house  of  their  own." 
This  was  granted,  and  the  church  at  Mt.  Airy  was  erected.  The 
frame  of  this  remained  until  1874,  when  a  new  building  was  put 
up. 

In  1732  John  Emanuel  Coryell  came  to  Lambertville.  The 
family  left  France  after  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  and 
settled  near  Plainfield.  John  purchased  a  tract  of  two  hundred 
acres.  In  this  was  the  ferry  lot,  for  which  he  obtained  a  patent, 
January    7th,    1733.     In   this   patent  the   ferry  is  mentioned  as 


22  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

formerly  known  as  Coat's  Ferry.  It  was  more  generally  called 
Wells'  Fony,  down  to  the  year  1770.  It  was  so  named  because  it 
w^s  leased  to  John  Wells  in  1719.  Whether  he  and  Coryell  were 
rival  ferrymen,  or  had  a  joint  interest,  is  not  known.  Wells  bought 
a  tract  of  one  hundred  acres  in  1734,  on  the  Pennsylvania  side, 
near  the  ferry  ;  and  from  him  the  rapids  below  Ijambertville  obtain 
their  name,  "  Wells'  Falls."  Four  brothers,  Lambert,  came  to 
New  Jerse}^  between  1735  and  1746.  Two  of  these,  Gershom  and 
John,  settled  about  three  miles  from  Lambertville,  having  bought 
tracts  of  land  near  each  other.  John  a  son  of  Gershom,  born  1846, 
became  a  prominent  man.  He  was  intelligent,  sagacious  and 
energetic.  For  many  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  State  Council. 
From  1795  to  1800  he  was  Vice-President  of  the  Council.  From 
1800  to  1802  he  was  President.  In  1802  and  1803,  he  was  acting 
Governor  of  New  Jersey.  From  1805  to  1809  he  was  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States.  From  1709  to 
1715  he  represented  this  State  in  the  United  States  Senate.  From 
him  the  town  took  its  name.  His  cousin  Gershom,  a  son  of 
John,  was  an  active  patriot.  He  sent  two  substitutes  to  the  Revo- 
lutionary army.  He  aided  the  American  troops  in  crossing  the 
river  at  Lambertville ;  and  when  the  army  laid  at  Morristown  he 
had  barrels  made  and  carried  them  thither.' 

At  an  early  day,  Allen  and  Turner,  of  Philadelphia,  bought  from 
the  proprietors  ten  thousand  acres  north  and  west  of  Clinton.  The 
tract  extended  from  VanSyckle's  to  German  Valley,  including 
High  Bridge  and  Clarkesville.  Furnaces  were  in  operation  at 
E.xton's,  near  the  High  Bridge ;  these  were  the  most  extensive^ 
Another  was  west  of  VanSyckle's.  The  Cokesburg  furnace  was 
built  in  1754,  as  appears  by  a  stone  upon  the  wall  of  a  part  of  the 
old  building  at  that  place.  There  was  also  the  Hackelbarney  Forge 
near  the  falls  of  Lamington.     These  mines  were  discovered  very 


'  For  these  facts  I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  Studdiford  of  Lambertville,  who 
permitted  me  to  peruse  his  History  of  Lambertville,  now  in  manuscript, 
but  to  be  published.     It  will  be  a  valuable  local  history. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  23 

early  in  the  last  century.  This  led  to  the  settlement  of  this  remote 
part  of  the  countrj^,  and  probably  secured  for  it  gentlemen  like 
Johnston,  Stewart  and  Grandin,  whose  families  became  noted  for 
education,  refinement  and  that  generous  and  charming  hospitality 
which  wealth  and  culture  can  furnish.  Their  mansions  still  tell 
of  the  grandeur  of  the  past.  These  mines  also  determined  the 
character  of  a  large  class  of  settlers,  who  were  hands  employed 
about  the  furnaces  and  forges,  many  of  whom,  as  their  names 
indicate,  were  Welsh,  Germans  and  Irish.  In  1762  Col.  Hackett 
was  the  superintendent  and  Mr.  Taylor,  bookkeeper.  In  1775  the 
superintendent  died,  and  Mr.  Taylor  was  appointed  in  his  place.  He 
remained  all  through  the  Revolution.  At  this  furnace  balls  were 
cast  for  the  use  of  the  army.  Some  of  the  old  moulds  have  been 
dug  up  within  a  few  years.  After  the  war  the  large  tract  was 
sold,  probably  as  confiscated  property, '  and  Mr.  Taylor  was  selected 
as  one  of  the  commissioners  to  divide  the  land.  He  was  allowed 
the  privilege  of  selecting  such  a  portion  as  he  desired  to  buy.  He 
chose  that  around  the  forge.  The  surveyor  asked  him  if  he  should 
include  the  mines.  Mr.  Taylor  replied  he  did  not  care  whether  he 
had  them.  They  were,  however,  included  in  the  survey,  and  the 
price  paid  was  £800  for  three  hundred  and  sixty-six  acres.^  This 
shows  that  little  value  was  attached  to  the  mines.  They  were  not 
worked  again  until  the  Central  Railroad  enabled  the  owners  to 
secure  coal  at  a  reasonable  price. 

Having  taken  this  general  survey  of  the  settlement  of  the 
county,  we  must  now  turn  to  other  portions  of  its  history.  In 
March,  1713,  all  the  territory  of  West  Jersey,  north  of  the  Assan- 
pink,  was  erected  mto  the  county  of  Hunterdon.  This  was 
granted  at  the  request  of  the  inhabitants,  who  stated  in  their 
petition,  that  ''their  frequent  attending  the  several  Courts  of  Bur. 
lington,  being  at  a   very  great  distance  from  their  habitations,  has 


See  subsequent  page. 

For  further;  Hunterdon  Republic,  January  20tb,  1870. 


24  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

been  inconvenient  and  troublesome,  as  well  as  chargeable  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  said  upper  parts  of  the  said  division."  And  yet 
it  seems  that  most  of  the  business  continued  to  be  done  at  Burling- 
ton. So  late  as  1726,  Trenton,  which  was  the  County  seat,  "had 
hardly  more  than  one  house."  In  1748  it  had  only  a  hundred.'  The 
county  was  named  in  honor  of  Brigadier-General  Hunter,  who  at 
that  time  was  Governor  General  of  the  Provinces  of  New  York 
and  New  Jersey,  to  which  he  was  appointed,  June  14th,  1710. 
Gordon  in  his  history  of  New  Jersey,  says  he  "  Was  a  native  of 
Scotland,  and  when  a  boy,  was  put  an  apprentice  to  an  apothecary. 
But  he  deserted  his  master  and  entered  the  army  ;  and  being  a  man  of 
wit  and  personal  beauty,  acquired  the  affections  of  Lady  Hay,  whom 
he  afterwards  married.  He  had  been  nominated  in  the  year  1707 
Lieutenant  Governor  of  Virginia,  under  George,  Earl  of  Orkney ; 
but  having  been  captured  by  the  French,  in  his  voyage  to  that 
colony,  was  carried  into  France.  He  was  unquestionably  a  man  of 
merit,  since  he  enjoyed  the  intimacy  of  Swift,  Addison  and  others, 
distinguished  for  sense  and  learning.  He  mingled  freely  with  the 
world,  and  was  somewhat  tainted  by  its  follies ;  had  engaging 
manners,  blended,  perhaps,  not  unhappily  for  his  success  in  the 
Province,  with  a  dash  of  original  vulgarity.  His  administration, 
of  ten  years'  duration,  was  one  of  almost  unbroken  harmony."  He 
was  the  most  popular  Governor  the  Crown  had  appointed,  and 
hence  the  respect  shown  him,  in  calling  by  his  name  the  only 
county  formed  during  his  administration.  By  1722  the  county  had 
grown  to  five  townships,  of  which  only  one,  Amwell,  was  north  of 
the  Sourland  range  and  within  the  present  bounds  of  the  county. 
In  1726  the  population  was  3,236. 

The  Indians  who  inhabited  this  State  when  it  was  discovered, 
belonged  to  the  Dela wares,  who  were  a  part  of  the  great  Leni 
Lenape  family,  whose  different  branches  roamed  the  country  east  of 
the  Alleghenies.  They  occupied  the  territory  which  extended  from 
the  Hudson  River  to  and  beyond  the  Potomac.     These  Delawares 

'  Gordon's  Gazetteer  of  New  Jersey,  253. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  25 

had  divided  themselves  into  three  tribes,  two  of  these  calling  them- 
selves Menamis  and  Unalachtgo,  or  the  Turtle  and  the  Turkey,  had 
settled  on  those  lands  which  lay  between  the  coast  and  the  moun- 
tains. The  third  tribe,  the  Wolf,  or,  as  they  called  themselves,  the 
Minsi,  orMonseys,  possessed  the  mountains  and  the  land  beyond. 
They  extended  their  settlements  from  the  Minisink,  a  place  where 
they  held  their  councils,  to  the  Hudson  on  the  east,  and  beyond  the 
Susquehanna  on  the  south-west.  They  were  a  very  war-like  race, 
as  their  name  indicated.  Their  southern  boundary,  in  this  direction, 
was  that  range  of  hills  which  stretches  along  the  upper  line  of 
Hunterdon  and  the  branches  of  the  Raritan.  Thus  the  coast-tribes 
and  the  mountaineers  came  together  in  this  county.  Many  families 
of  these  chose  to  live  by  themselves,  fixing  their  abode  in  villages, 
and  taking  a  name  from  their  location.  Each  of  these  had  a  chief, 
who,  however,  was  in  a  measure  subordinate  to  a  head  chief.'  A 
family  was  situated  on  the  Neshanic,  called  the  Neshanic  Indians. 
There  was  another  settlement  a  mile  from  Flemington,  on  a  brook 
called  the  Minisi.  One  was  near  the  Branch  at  Three  Bridges.  There 
they  had  a  burying  ground.  Another,  one  and  a  half  miles  south- 
west from  Ringos,  along  a  creek  on  Jacob  Thatcher's  farm.  Traces 
of  their  village  can  yet  be  seen  there.  Yet  another  was  near  Mt. 
Airy  station  on  the  Alexsocken.  There  was  quite  a  large  settle- 
ment of  them  at  Rocktown.  Indeed,  the  Am  well  Valley  was 
populated  with  them.  As  already  stated,  in  1703  the  proprietors 
purchased  of  Heinhammoo,  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Hunterdon,  lying 
west  of  the  south  branch,  and  they  also  bought  the  title  to  all  other 
lands  of  the  Indians  who  were  supposed  to  have  any  right  to 
them.  These  seem  to  have  been  contented,  and  lived  in  their 
villages  on  the  mostly  friendly  terms  with  the  whites.  But  the 
game  diminished  as  the  country  was  settled,  so  that  the  Indians 
were  constrained  to  resort  to  trade,  in  order  to  procure  the  neces- 
saries of  life.     They  made  wooden  ladles,  bowls,  trays,  etc.,  which 

'  Heckewelder's  Indian  Nations.     Memoirs   of  Historical  Society   of  Penn- 
aylvaiiia,  vol.  12   pp.  48-52. 


26  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

they  exchanged  for  butter,  milk,  chickens  and  meat.  They  soon 
acquired  a  fondness  for  intoxicating  liquors,  and,  when  under  their 
influence,  would  quarrel  and  fight  in  a  terrible  manner.  This 
became  so  great  an  evil,  that  the  Legislature  in  1757,  laid  a  penalty 
upon  persons  selling  strong  drink  to  the  Indians,  so  as  to  intoxicate 
them,  and  declaring  all  Indian  sales  and  pawns  for  drink  void. 

The  defeat  of  General  Braddock  in  the  Summer  of  1775, 
produced  great  consternation  throughout  all  the  colonies,  and  led  to 
disastrous  consequences.  A  hatred  of  the  whites  had  for  years 
been  growing  in  the  hearts  of  the  Indians,  who  saw  themselveg 
becoming  more  and  more  helpless,  under  the  steadily  increasing 
encroachments  of  the  settlers.  The  wrongs  which  were  inflicted 
upon  them,  by  designing  men,  aggravated  their  dislike.  So  that  it 
was  an  easy  matter  for  the  French,  and  the  Indians  already  leagued 
with  them  in  hostilities,  to  persuade  those  tribes  which  had 
remained  nominally  at  peace  with  the  inhabitants,  to  join  them  in 
a  general  uprising  and  onslaught  upon  the  settlers.  The  Shawnees 
and  Delawares  were  drawn  into  this  defection  also  ;  bands  of  Indians 
joined  them,  many  going  from  the  Pines  to  the  Blue  Ridge,  under 
this  impulse.  Niimbers  who  had  roamed  around  the  countrj^, 
much  like  the  tramps  of  to-day,  went  off  to  join  the  Indian  troops 
and  never  returned.  The  people  of  this  section  and  to  the  north, 
were  greatly  alarmed  at  this  state  of  things. 

The  first  inroads  of  the  savages  were  down  the  Susquehanna 
through  Berks  and  Northampton  Counties,  across  the  Delaware 
into  New  Jersey.  Some  of  the  scalping  parties  penetrated 
within  thirty  miles  of  Philadelphia.  A  letter  from  Easton,  dated 
December  25th,  1755,  states  that  the  "country  all  above  this  town 
for  fifty  miles  is  mostly  evacuated  and  ruined.  The  people  have 
mostly    fled    into     the   Jerseys.  *  *         The    enemy 

made  but  few  prisoners,  murdering  almost  all  that  fell  into 
their  hands,  of  all  ages  and  both  sexes."  The  inhabitants  of  New 
Jersey,  roused  by  these  sufferings  of  their  neighbors,  and  fearing 
for  their  own  towns,  prepared  to  resist  the  foe.  Governor  Belcher 
despatched    troops    promptly    from  all  parts  of  the    province,  to 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  21 

the  defence  of  the  western  frontier.  Col.  John  Anderson, 
of  Sussex  County,  collected  four  hundred  men,  and  secured  the 
upper  part  of  the  State.  During  the  winter  of  1755  and  1756 
marauding  parties  of  French  and  Indians  hung  around  this 
western  border.  To  guard  against  their  incursions,  a  chain  of  forts 
and  block  houses  was  erected  along  the  mountain  and  at  favorable 
points  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Delaware.  Although  the  inroads  of 
the  savages  were  infrequent,  and  consisted  of  small  bands,  yet  the 
fear  which  all  felt  that  their  mid-night  slumber  might  be  broken  by 
the  war-whoop,  was  sufficient  to  keep  them  in  a  constant  terror. 
Many  left  their  homes.  ^  A  loud  call  was  made  upon  the  Assembly 
for  increased  means  of  defence.  This  was  done,  and  the  force  was 
placed  under  the  command  of  Col.  DeHart.^ 

As  an  additional  measure  of  protection  a  treaty  was  made  with 
Teedyuscung,  whereby  the  Delaware  and  Shawnees  on  the  Susque- 
hanna were  reconciled.  The  Legislature  appointed  a  committee, 
who  met  the  Indians  of  this  State  at  Crosswicks,  in  the  winter  of 
1756.  Their  grievances  were  heard  patiently,  and  then  reported  to 
the  Legislature,  which  passed  acts  in  1757  to  relieve  them.  One 
of  these  grievances  was,  that  the  Indians  had  not  been  paid  for 
certain  tracts  of  land,  which  had  been  taken  from  them.  The  only 
portion  of  Hunterdon,  which  came  within  these  claims,  was  a  tract 
of  twenty-five  hundred  acres  claimed  by  Teedyuscung  himself, 
"  beginning  at  Ringos,  and  extending  along  the  Brunswick  road  to 
Nesbannock  Creek,  thence  up  the  same  to  George  Hattens,  thence 
in  a  straight  course  to  Petit's  place,  and  so  on  to  a  hill  called 
Paatquacktung,  thence  in  a  straight  line  to  the  place  of  the  begin- 
ing,  which  tract  was  reserved  at  the  sale."  i.  e.,  between  Ringos  and 
Copper  Hill.  The  Legislature  gave  the  commissioners  power  to  appro- 
priate £1,600  to  purchase  a  general  release  of  all  these  claims,  one- 
half  of  which  was  to  be  devoted  to  paying  the  Indians  residing  to  the 


'  Tradition  says  that  people  hid  themselves  in  the  openings  of  the  mines,  at 
Union. 
'  Gordon's  New  Jersey,  pp.  122  and  124. 


28  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

south  of  the  Raritan.  This  offer  was  accepted,  and  a  treaty 
concluded  at  Easton,  October  26th,  1758,  and  thus  ended  all 
difficulties  with  the  Indians  in  New  Jersey.'  This  pacification 
was  greatly  aided  and  quickened  by  an  association  founded  in 
Philadelphia  in  1755,  called  "The  Friendly  Association,  for 
regaining  and  preserving  peace  with  the  Indians  by  pacific  meas- 
ures." Another  cause  which  contributed  to  this  happy  result,  was 
that  Teedyescunk,  who  was  King  of  the  'Delawares  and  a  chief  of 
very  wide  influence,  was  a  Christian.  He  became  such  in  1749,  and 
was  baptized  by  the  name  of  Gideon.'  Also  we  may  suppose  that 
the  influence  of  John  Reading,  from  1757  to  June,  1758,  the  acting 
Cxovernor,  while  most  of  these  negotiations  were  in  progress,  would 
be  exerted  in  behalf  of  liberal  measures  toward  the  Indians,  inas- 
much as  his  early  experience  as  surveyor  in  Hunterdon  County 
when  it  was  yet  a  wilderness,  and  his  subsequent  residence  in  this 
frontier  region,  would  well  qualify  him  to  know  their  wrongs  and 
their  needs,  while  the  piety  which  adorned  his  life,  would  lead  him 
to  that  charity  which  overlooks  ignorance. 

Governor  Reading  had  then  entered  his  seventy-third  year ;  and  the 
fact  that,  at  such  an  advanced  age,  he  occupied  so  important  and  prom  - 
inent  position  is  of  itself  evidence  of  the  estimation  in  which  he  was 
held.  He  was  a  true  Jerseyman,  from  boyhood  identified  with  the 
interests  of  the  State,  and  particularly  with  the  growth  of  Old 
Hunterdon,  by  the  side  of  whose  ancient  thoroughfare,  the  Old 
York  Road,  in  the  graveyard  of  the  old  Amwell  Church,  his  ashes 
lie. 

John  Reading  and  Elizabeth  his  wife,  the  father  and  mother  of 
the  Governor,  emigrated  from  England  with  their  two  children, 
John  and  Elsie.  They  were  Quakers,  and  left  their  country  on 
account  of  the  persecution  to  which  the  Quakers  were  subjected 
They  settled  in  the  town  of  Gloucester,  New  Jersey,  previous    to 

'  Smith's  New  Jersey,  chap.  23,  which  contains  all  the  particulars. 
'  This  fact  of  his  being  a  Christian  is  obtained  from  the  manuscripts  of  Dr. 
Sluddiford,  already  mentioned. 


HUNTKRDON    COUNTY.  29 

the  year  1683,  as  he  was  that  year  a  member  of  the  Council, 
meeting  in  Burlington.  He  was  a  landholder  in  and  about 
Gloucester,  of  which  town  he  was  Recorder  from  1693  to  1701, 
inclusive.  He  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of  West  Jersey  and  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Council,  being  often  appointed  on 
important  coramitteess.  He,  with  William  Biddle,  Jr.,  and  John 
Mills,  was  sent  to  purchase  in  1703,  the  great  tract  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  acres,  between  the  Raritan  and  the  Delaware. 
He  was  a  surveyor  and  appointed  one  of  the  commissioners  to 
define  the  boundary  line  between  New  York  and  North  Jersey,  in 
171 9. J  He  removed  to  his  tract  of  land  above  Larabertville,  where 
he  died,  and  was  buried  in  the  ground  of  the  Buckingham  Meeting 
House  in  Buck's  County,  Pa. 

John,  the  son,  was  born  June  6th,  1686,  and  died  November  7th, 
1767.  He  and  his  sister,  when  children,  were  taken  to  England  by 
their  mother  to  be  educated.  She  remained  w.ith  them  nine  years, 
attending  to  their  education  ;  the  father  living  in  this  country.  On 
the  return  of  the  son,  it  was  found  that  he  had  embraced  the 
doctrines  of  the  Presbyterians,  to  which  he  was  ardently  attached 
all  his  life  ;  and  so  his  descendnnts  have  continued.  He  married 
Mary  Ryerson,  a  sister  of  Col.  P.  Ryerson,  then  in  the  British 
service.  He  succeeded  to  the  greater  part  of  his  father's  estate, 
and  followed  his  father's  occupation.  In  1712  to  1715  he  surveyed 
tracts  for  parties  in  Burlington,  who  were  locating  lands  through 
the  Amwell  Valley,  under  the  grants  of  the  dividend  of  1703.  At 
the  same  time,  with  an  eye  to  a  valuable  purchase,  which  a 
surveyor  would  be  supposed  to  have,  he  secured  for  himself  six 
hundred  acres  along  the  south  branch,  two  miles  from  Flemington; 
where  afterwards,  on  a  beautiful  site,  he  built  the  Reading  home- 
stead, now  occupied  by  Philip  Brown.  He  is  said  to  have  planted 
the  walnut  trees  growing  there.  He  owned  three  mill  properties, 
including  the  farms    now  in  possession  of  Barton,  Stothoff,  Deats, 

'  Smith's  New  Jersey,  p.  412. 


30  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

Ewing,  Clark  and  Brown.  He  was  a  member  of  "  His  Majesty's 
Council,"  from  1728  to  death,  and  Vice  President  for  ten  or  twelve 
years.  On  the  death  of  Governor  Hamilton  in  1747,  the  govern- 
ment devolved  on  him,  until  the  arrival  of  Governor  Belcher,  with 
whom  he  had  the  most  friendly  and  intimate  connection.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  Trustees  of  Princeton  College.  His  name  is  at  the 
head  of  the  list  in  1 748.  On  the  death  of  Governor  Belcher,  in 
August,  1757,  he  succeeded  a  second  time  to  the  administration,  in 
which  he  continued  until  June,  1758,  when  he  was  superseded  by 
the  arrival  of  Governor  Bernard.  His  influence  and  services  and 
money  were  freely  bestowed  to  lay  the  foundation  of  religious 
privileges,  educational  advantages  and  national  freedom,  upon 
which  we  are  now  building.  At  the  ripe  age  of  eighty-one  his 
long,  useful  and  honored  career  ended,  amid  the  quiet  of  that 
beautiful  spot,  which,  under  his  cultivation,  had  emerged  from  a 
forest  into  a  garden. 

He  had  a  large  family  of  seven  sons  and  three  daughters.  Five 
of  the  sons  settled  near  him,  and  perpetuated  the  moral  and 
religious  influences  of  their  sire.  They  were  prominent  in  church 
matters,  and  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  Revolutionary  struggle. 
The  youngest  son,  Thomas,  was  Captain  of  the  6th  Company  of 
the  3d  Battalion  of  the  Jersey  Brigade,  who  were  mustered  in 
during  February,  1774.  He  served  until  the  Battalion  was 
discharged.  A  grandson,  John,  entered  the  companj^  of  his  uncle, 
as  Ensign.  In  January,  1777,  he  was  promoted  to  First  Lieuten- 
ant in  a  Company  of  another  Battalion  in  which  he  continued  uniil 
September,  1780.  Another  grandson,  Samuel,  was  appointed  First 
Lieutenant  in  Captain  Stout's  Company  of  the  "Jersey  Line," 
first  establishment,  December  18th,  1775.  He  was  taken  prisoner 
at  Three  Rivers,  June  8th,  1776.  He  became  Captain,  February 
5th,  1777,  and  Major  of  the  First  Regiment,  December  29th,  1781, 
and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.'     Yet  another,  Charles,  was 

'  Officers  and  Men  of  New  Jersey  in  Revolutionary  "War,  pp.  69,  86,  97. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  31 

Lieutenant  of  the  Third  Regiment,  Hunterdon,  and  afterwards 
Captain. 

The  Governor's  oldest  daughter,  Ann,  married  Rev.  Charles 
Beatty,  one  of  the  first  graduates  of  the  Old  Log  College  of 
Neshaminy,  Pa.  He  was  a  co-worker  with  the  Tennants  in  this 
State,  and  a  prominent  clergyman  all  his  life.  They  were  the 
progenitors  of  a  numerous  line  of  descendants,  some  of  whom 
have  been  conspicuous  in  Church  and  State.  On  the  female  side, 
eight  married  Presbyterian  ministers.  One  of  the  sons.  General 
John  Beatty,  was  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  so  was  his  brother, 
Colonel  Erkuries  Beatty.  For  many  years  John  was  one  of  the 
prominent  citizens  of  Trenton,  being  the  first  President  of  the 
Bridge  Company,  and  of  the  Trenton  Bank.  Elizabeth,  another 
daughter  of  Governor  Reading,  married  John  Hackett,  from  whom 
Hackettstown  derived  its  name. 

By  the  year  1738  the  upper  part  of  the  county  had  become 
so  filled  with  settlers  that  they  petitioned  the  General  Assembly 
to  erect  a  new  county,  because  the  distance  to  Trenton,  where  the 
courts  were  held,  was  inconvenient,  and  to  reach  it,  expensive. 
Yielding  to  this  petition,  a  new  connty  was  set  oft",  comprising  all 
the  upper  part  of  the  old  above  the  present  boundaries  between 
Hunterdon  and  Morris  and  Warren.  The  new  county  was  called 
Morris.  Although  thus  shorn  of  more  than  half  its  territory, 
Hunterdon  soon  became  the  wealthiest  and  most  populous  of  all  the 
counties.  Monmouth  came  next  and  Burlington  third.  Somerset 
was  fourth  and  Middlesex  fifth.  Wheat  was  the  principal  produc- 
tion. The  flour  was  sent  to  Philadelphia  and  New  York.  The 
State  was  remarkable  for  mill-seats  even  at  an  early  day.  And  in 
no  part  were  they  so  numerous  as  in  this  county.  Along  the 
north  and  south  branches,  they  were  situated  only  a  few  miles  apart. 

These  were  of  great  importance  during  the  Revolution,  in 
supplying  with  flour  that  part  of  the  army  which  hovered  between 
New  York  and  Philadelphia.  The  iron  interest  about  Union 
contributed  largely  to  its  prosperity.     The  soil  was   better  adapted 


32  HUNTERDON    CODNTY. 

to  grazing  and  wheat  than  w^as  the  country  to  the  south.  In  1748 
the  Raritan  Landing  was  described  as  a  "  Market  for  the  most 
plentiful  wheat  country  for  its  bigness  in  America."  In  1765  there 
were  within  the  county,  nine  Presbyterian  churches,  Low  Dutch, 
one ;  German,  one ;  Episcopal,  three ;  Quaker,  two ;  Baptist, 
two. 

We  now  approach  the  great  struggle  with  the  mother  country. 
The  Provincial  Congress  of  New  Jersey,  in  August,  1775,  directed 
fifty-four  Companies,  each  of  sixty-four  minute  men,  to  be 
organized,  allotting  to  each  county  a  specific  number.  Hunterdon's 
quota  was  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  per  cent,  above  the  other 
counties.  The  members  of  this  Congress  from  Hunterdon,  were 
Samuel  Tucker,  John  Mehelm  of  New  Germantown,  John  Hart  and 
John  Stout  of  Hopewell,  Jasper  Smith  and  Thomas  Lowry  of 
Flemington,  Charles  Stewart  and  Daniel  Hunt  of  Bethlehem, 
Ralph  Hart,  Jacob  Jennings,  Richard  Stevens  and  John  Stevens, 
Jr.,  of  Round  Valley,  Thomas  Stout,  Thomas  Jones,  and  John 
Bassett. 

Charles  Stewart  resided  at  Landsdown  near  Clinton.  On  his 
return  home,  he  called  a  meeting  at  Abrara  Bonnel's  Tavern,  and  a 
Regiment  of  minute-men  was  raised,  probably  the  first  it  the  State.' 
He  was  a  leading  spirit  in  this  movement,  and  rendered  important 
services,  from  the  commencement  of  the  struggle  to  its  final 
triumph.  Many  distinguished  loyalists  were  among  his  friends, 
who  made  every  effort  to  retain  him  on  the  King's  side,  but  in  vain. 
He  was  Colonel  of  the  First  Regiment  of  minute  men  in  this 
State;  then  Colonel  of  the  Regiment  of  the  line.  By  commission 
from  Congress  in  1776,  he  became  one  of  Washington's  Staff",  as 
Commissary  General,  which  position  he  occupied  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  General  Washington  and  his  wife  were  frequently  at  his 
house.  Flis  grand  daughter;  Mrs.  Bower,  who,  after  the  war,  in 
Philadelphia  , received   marked   attention    from    Mrs.    Washington, 

'  Tlie  first  Company  of  Volunteers  offered  to  the  Governor,  under  the  first 
call  of  President  Lincoln,  was  from  this  county— from  Flemington. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY,  33 

relates  the  following,  respecting  the  economy  practiced  by  Mrs. 
Washington :  "  She  ravelled  a  set  of  old  satin  chair  covers, 
inherited  by  her.  She  had  the  material  carded  and  spun,  and  with 
the  addition  of  cotton  yarn,  woven  in  alternate  broad  and  narrow 
stripes,  the  broad  being  of  white  cotton  and  the  narrow  of  crimson 
silk.  Out  of  this  fabric,  she  had  two  morning  dresses  made  for 
herself."  His  daughter,  Martha,  married  Robert  Wilson,  a  young 
Irishman  of  education,  who  came  to  this  country  and  volunteered  in 
the  continental  army,  soon  after  the  battle  of  Lexington.  He  was 
wounded  and  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Germantown.  Captain 
Wilson  died  at  his  home  in  Hackettstown,  in  1779,  at  the  early 
age  of  twent3''-eight.  Mrs  Wilson  was  distinguished  for  beauty 
and  for  a  brilliant  and  cultured  mind.' 

After  the  war.  General  Stewart  moved  to  Plemington,  where  he 
occupied  a  house  near  the  residence  of  John  C.  Hopewell,  and 
owned  a  large  farm  which  extended  to  Coxe's  Hill.  He  held  a 
leading  position  in  his  adopted  State,  and  was  her  representative  in 
the  Congress  of  1784  and  1785.  After  much  important  public 
service,  he  died  in  Flemington,  June  24th,  1800,  aged  seventy-one 
years.  General  Stewart  was  the  son  of  Robert  Stewart,  and  was 
born  at  Gortlea,  Donegal  County,  Irsland,  in  1729.  His  grandfVither, 
Charles,  was  a  Scotch  Puritan,  and  an  officer  of  dragoons  in  tho 
army  of  William  of  Orange,  and  fought  bravely  at  the  battle  of 
the  Boyne.  for  which  services  he  received  a  handsome  domain  in 
the  north  of  Ireland,  called  Gortlea.  Puritan  ideas  and  a  love  of 
liberty  impelled  the  grandson  to  emigrate  to  America,  before  he 
was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  in  1750.  He  became  a  favorite  at 
the  house  of  Judge  Johnson,  whose  daughter,  Mary,  he  married. 
His  enterprise,  industry  and  education,  enabled  him  to  acquire  a 
large  property ;  and  at  Landsdown,  near  Hampden,  where  the 
south  branch  makes  one  of  its  loveliest  windings,  he  erected  a 
mansion,    which    yet    stands    to    call   forth    the  admiration     of  the 

'  Mrs.  Bllet  in  "  Women  of  the  American  Revolution,"  devotes  a  chapter  to 
Martha  Wilson. 
3 


34  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

traveler.  The  estate  remains  in  the  possession  of  his  descendants. 
He  was  of  medium  height,  spare  in  flesh,  with  a  keen  blue  eye, 
expressing  intelligence,  kindness,  bravery  and  firmness.  His  portrait, 
executed  by  Peale,  is  still  preserved. 

He  became  Surveyor  General  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania. 
At  the  outset  of  the  difficulties  with  the  mother  country,  he 
earnestl}'-  espoused  the  cause  of  the  colonies,  and  took  the  active 
part  already  stated.  He  was  buried  in  the  family  ground  of 
Bethlehem  Presbyterian  Church.  His  life-long  friend,'  Chief 
Justice  Smith  of  Trenton,  wrote  his  epitaph  in  these  lines  : 

HE  WAS  AN   EARLY  AND  DECIDED  FRIEND 

TO  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION 

AND  BORE  THE  IMPORTANT  OFFICE  OF 

COMMISSARY  GENERAL  OF  ISSUES 

TO  UNIVERSAL  ACCEPTANCE. 


HIS  FRIENDSHIPS  WERE  FERVID 

AND  LASTING, 

AND  COMMANDED  BOTH  HIS  PURSK 

AND   HIS    SERVICES. 


HIS  HOSPITALITY 

WAS  EXTENSIVE  AND    BOUNTIFUL  ; 

THE  FRIEND  AND  THE  STRANGER 

WERE  ALMOST  COMPELLED   TO 

COME  IN.' 

Some  of  his  descendants  have  continued  in  the  service  of  their 
country  to  this  day.  One  of  his  grandsons,  Charles  Stewart,  son  of 
Samuel    Stewart,  was  born  in  Flemington,  where    his  father  lived, 

'  For  this  sketch  of  General  Stewart,  I  am  indebted  to  his  grand-daughter, 
Mrs.  Hoyt  of  Landsdown,  widow  of  the  late  Captain  Hoyt.  It  is  taken  from 
a  family  record. 


HUNTERDON  COUNTT.  35 

near  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  was  a  class-mate,  at  Princeton, 
of  Dr.  Hodge  and  Alexander  Wurts,  Esq.,  and  graduated  in  1815. 
He  first  studied  law  and  then  afterwards  theology,  and  went  as  a 
missionary  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  from  which  he  returned  in 
1825,  on  account  of  the  failure  of  his  wife's  health.  In  1828  he 
received  the  appointment  of  Chaplain  in  the  Navy,  in  which  office 
he  continued  until  1862,  visiting  all  parts  of  the  world.  He  wrote 
several  books  on  foreign  travel  which  were  received  with  great 
favor.  He  died  in  1870  at  Cooperstown,  New  York,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five.  A  son  of  his  was  graduated  with  General  McClellan 
at  West  Point.  He  served  the  country  faithfully  during  the  war, 
having  had  charge,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time,  of  the  engineers' 
department  at  Fortress  Monroe,  for  which  important  post  he  was 
selected  on  account  of  his  peculiar  fitness.  Since  the  war,  he  has 
been  put  in  command  of  the  United  States  Engineer  Corps  at  San 
Francisco. 

In  the  work  of  raising  troops,  Colonel  Maxwell  was  also  very 
active  and  efficient.  He  lived  about  a  mile  east  of  Clinton.  After 
the  war  he  removed  to  Warren  County.  He  commanded  the 
battalion  which  was  sent  to  Canada,  and,  witli  Morgan  and  Colonel 
Philip  Johnson,  both  natives  of  this  county,  was  engaged  in  the 
siege  of  Quebec.  He  also  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  battles 
of  Germantown,  Brandywine,  Trenton  and  Monmouth.  As  a 
soldier  and  patriot  he  had  few  superiors.  He  served  his  country 
faithfully  all  through  the  war,  and  died  at  Colonel  Stewart's  house 
at  Landsdown  in  1796,  where  he  was  taken  suddenly  ill,  while  on  a 
visit,  and  expired  in  a  few  hours. 

Another  member  of  this  Provincial  Congress  of  1775,  who 
represented  this  count}^,  and  who  afterwards  took  an  active  part  in 
the  Revolution,  was  John  Mehelm.  '  He  emigrated  to  this 
country  from  Ireland.  We  first  hear  of  him  as  a  schoolmaster  in 
Berk's  County.  Pa.  He  was  a  handsome  writer  and  a  fine  scholar. 
He  purchased  one  hundred  acres  of  land  and  a  mill,  on  the  north 
branch  near  Pluckamin,  since  known  as  Hall's  Mills.     Here  durins 


1151G47 


36  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

the  Eevolutionaiy  war  he  manufactured  flour,  which  was  used  by 
the  army  while  lying  at  Pluckamin,  and  encamped  at  Morristown. 
He  was  Colonel  of  the  Fourth  Regiment,  Hunterdon,  and  was  on 
the  staff  of  Major  General  Dickerson.  He  was  also  Quartermaster 
General  and  continued  a  pure  and  able  patriot.  He  was  often 
associated  with  John  Hart.  He  was  also  the  friend  and  companion 
of  "Washington,  whom  he  often  met  that  winter,  when  Washington 
passed  through  Pluckamin  on  his  way  to  the  headquarters  at  Mor- 
ristown. Colonel  Mehelm  was  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Con- 
gress, which  met  at  Burlington  June  10,  1776.  This  was  a  revolu- 
tionary body,  and  was  in  full  sympathy  with  that  spirit  of  independ- 
ence, which  in  less  than  a  month  renounced  allegiance  to  the  Bricish 
crown.  A  committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of  Livingston, 
Witherspoon,  Mehelm  and  Patterson,  who  boldly  defied  the  Gov- 
ernor, and  summoned  him  to  appear  before  the  Assembly.  For  his 
refusal  to  submit  to  the  orders  of  the  body,  Governor  Franklin  was 
sent  a  prisoner  to  Connecticut,  and  William  Livingston  was  appointed 
in  his  stead,  who  served  the  State  in  that  capacity  from  1776  to 
1790.  By  him  Colonel  Mehelm  was  appointed  Surrogate  for  the 
counties  of  Hunterdon  and  Somerset,  which  office  he  held  until  1801, 
when  he  was  removed.' 

I  think  Hunterdon  county  may  claim  General  Morgan  as  one  of 
her  sons.  Tradition  states  that  he  was  born  on  the  farm  owned  by 
Major  Dusenberry,  near  New  Hampton.  There  are  still  visible  the 
remains  of  an  old  fire  place,  which  is  said  to  belong  to  the  log  house 
in  which  Morgan  was  born.  Dr.  John  Blaine,  of  Perryville,  who 
has  devoted  much  attention  to  the  early  history  of  this  neighbor- 
hood, was  told  this  by  persons  whose  mother  and  aunts  lived  less 
than  a  mile  from  the  residence  of  the  Morgan  family.  They 
further  stated  that  when  he  -became  large  enough  to  drive  a  team  he 
went  to  Pittstown,  where  he  drove  a  pair  of  oxen  for  the  proprietors 

'From  an  article  in  "Our  Home,"  October,  1773,  entitled  "Pluckamin  One 
Hundred  Years  Ago,"  by  A.  W.  McDowell. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  37 

of  a  business  there.  About  1750  he  went  to  Virginia.  Rogers  in 
his  "Heroes  and  Statesmen  of  America,"  puts  his  birthplace  in 
Durham,  Pa.  This  mistake  might  easily  arise  from  the  fact  that  the 
family  appears  to  have  been  connected  with  the  iron  companies  of 
the  day,  and  may  have  lived  for  a  time  in  Durham.  In  Appleton's 
Encyclopaedia,  edition  of  1861,  his  birth  is  stated  to  be  in  New 
Jersey  in  1736.  He  was  in  Braddock's  expedition  in  1755.  At 
the  outbreak  of  the  Revolutioa  he  was  living  in  Frederic,  now 
Clarke  county,  Virginia.  Immediately  he  started  for  Boston,  in 
command  of  a  company  of  riflemen,  all  of  whom,  like  himself,  were 
expert  marksmen.  He  accompanied  the  expedition  of  Arnold  to 
Quebec,  where  he  was  captured.  During  that  captivity  he  declined 
the  oifer  of  a  Colonelcy  in  the  British  army.  On  his  release,  toward 
the  close  of  1776,  he  was  appointed  Colonel  of  a  rifle  regiment 
This  was  just  in  season  for  liim  to  render  those  valuable  services 
during  Washington's  retreat  through  New  Jersey,  which  endeared 
him  to  that  commander.  His  corps  of  riflemen  was  the  terror  of 
the  enemy,  and  the  pride  of  the  Continental  army  all  through  the 
war.  Few  names  are  more  distinguished  during  that  struggle  than 
General  Daniel  Morgan. 

Associated  with  Colonel  Stewart  in  his  patriotic  measures,  and 
conspicuous  too,  was  Colonel  Philip  Johnston,  his  brother-in-law. 
Johnston  was  the  oldest  of  seven  children,  and  was  born  in  1741. 
His  father,  Judge  Samuel  Johnston,  was  a  Colonial  magistrate 
thirty  years  before  the  Revolution.  The  family  were  from  Scot- 
land, and  belonged  to  an  ancient  barony  in  Anandale.  They  were 
a  warlike  clan  and  a  great  terror  to  the  border  thieves.  Philip 
left  his  class  in  Princeton  College  to  serve  in  the  French  war  in 
Canada,  from  which  he  returned  with  military  honor  and  reputation. 
This  fact  drew  many  to  his  standard,  when  he  called  for  volunteers 
in  1776.  He  was  appointed  by  the  Provincial  Congress  of  New 
Jersey  to  the  command  of  the  First  Regiment.  At  the  head  of 
this  regiment  he  went  into  the  battle  of  Long  Island.  He  was  one 
of  the  bravest  in  that  hotly  contested  fight.    Force's  Revolutionary 


38  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

Archives  gives  the  following  extract  from  a  Philadelphia  journal  of 
the  day :  "We  hear  that  in  the  late  action  on  Long  Island,  Col. 
Philip  Johnston,  of  New  Jersey,  behaved  with  remarkable  in- 
trepidity and  fortitude.  By  the  well-directed  tire  of  his  battalion 
the  enemy  were  several  times  repulsed,  and  lanes  were  made 
through  them,  until  he  received  a  ball  in  his  breast,  which  put  an 
end  to  as  brave  an  officer  as  ever  commanded.  General  Sullivan, 
who  was  close  to  him  when  he  fell,  says  that  no  man  could  behave 
with  more  firmness  during  the  whole  action,"  Just  as  he  was 
leaving  home  for  the  seat  of  war,  he  went  into  the  room  where  his 
little  children  were  in  bed,  and,  kissing  them,  he  kneeled  down  and 
commended  his  family  to  God  in  prayer.  One  of  those  three 
daughters,  Mary,  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Scudder,  and  was  the 
mother  of  Dr.  John  Scudder,  the  world-renowned  missionary  to 
India.' 

Another  prominent  patriot  in  that  neighborhood  was  Captain 
Adam  Hope,  who  commanded  a  company  of  New  Jersey  Militia 
(Second  Regiment),  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth.  After  General 
Lee's  capture,  forty  of  his  army  on  their  way  to  Easton  came 
through  Clinton.  They  stopped  at  Captain  Hope's  house  and  his 
wife  got  breakfast  for  them. 

Anoiher  was  Colonel  Bonnell,  who  established  his  tavern  in  1767 
near  Clinton.  It  became  a  centre  for  resort  to  all  that  section. 
The  first  meeting  to  raise  minute-men  was  held  there. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Plemington  was  Colonel  Hugh  Runyon, 
who  was  a  bold  and  fearless  officer,  full  of  energy  and  action  amid 
scenes  of  danger.  Joseph  Capner,  ancestor  of  the  Capners  in 
Flemington,  married  one  of  his  daughters. 

Captain  Joseph  Stout  commanded  a  Company  of  Regulars,  in 
which  Samuel   Reading,   a  grandson  of  the  Governor,  and  Aaron 

'  These  facts  are  taken  from  an  article  in  the  "Christian  Intelligencer,"  by 
Rev.  "Wm.  Hall,  January  25,  1877.  The  correctness  of  them  is  asserted  by 
Mrs.  Hoyt,  grand-daughter  of  Col.  Stewart. 


[UNTKRDON     COUNTY. 


39 


Lane  were  Lieutenants.  Stout  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Brandy- 
wine,  September  11th,  1777.  When  the  men  went  into  service  in 
1776,  we  find  Captain  William  Chamberlain's  Company  from  Am  well. 
Soon  after  this,  he  was  promoted  to  Major,  and  Nathan  Stout  was 
Captain  ;  and  Philip  Service  and  Christopher  Fisher,  Lieutenants. 
Beside  these  two  Stouts,  were  two  other,  James  and  Samuel,  who 
were  Captains.  David  Sehomp  of  Reading,  was  a  Captain  in 
Washington's  Seci^et  Service  for  years,  and  as  such  traversed 
swamp  and  hill,  from  the  Delaware  to  the  Hudson. 

But  the  zealous  proceedings  of  these  patriots  do  not  present  the 
whole  picture.  Public  opinion  was  divided,  especially  among  the 
masses.  When  Lord  Cornwallis  entered  the  Jerseys,  he  issued  a 
proclamation,  offering  protection  to  all  who  would  take  the  oath  of 
allegiance  within  sixty  days,  and  containing  assurances  that  the 
obnoxious  laws  which  had  occasioned  the  war  would  be  revised. 
This  produced  a  wide-spread  dissatisfaction  toward  the  patriots. 
Memorials  came  to  the  Provincial  Congress  from  the  counties  of 
Monmouth,  Hunterdon,  Bergen  and  Sussex,  complaining  of  the 
hostile  intentions  and  proceedings  of  the  disaffected.  "  Authentic 
information  was  received  that  other  disaffected  persons  in  the 
county  of  Hunterdon,  had  confederated  for  the  purpose  of  opposing 
the  measures  of  Congress,  and  had  even  proceeded  to  acts  of  open 
and  daring  violence,  having  plundered  the  house  of  a  Captain 
Jones,  beaten,  wounded  and  otherwise  abused  the  friends  of 
freedom  in  the  county,  and  publicly  declared  that  they  would  take 
up  arms  in  behalf  of  the  King  of  Great  Britain.  In  order  to 
check  a  combination  so  hostile  and  dangerous,  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Abram  Ten  Eick  and  Major  Berry  were  directed,  with  the  militia 
of  Hunterdon  and  Somerset,  to  apprehend  these  insurgents.  On 
the  1st  of  July,  1776,  the  Provincial  Congress  resolved  that  the 
several  colonels  of  the  counties,  should,  without  delay,  proceed  to 
disarm  all  persons  within  their  districts  who  refused  to  bear  arms."' 


Gordon's  New  Jersey,  p.  195. 


40  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

In  October,  1777,  Governor  Livingston  remonstrated  with  the 
President  of  Continental  Congress,  against  the  order  of  the  Board 
of  War,  for  sending.  Governor  Penn  of  Pennsylvania,  and  others 
to  Union  in  Hunterdon  County.  He  says  "  that  region,  has  always 
been  considerably  disaffected,  and  still  continues  so,  notwithstanding 
all  our  efforts ;  owing,  we  imagine,  in  part,  to  the  interest,  connec- 
tions and  influence  of  Mr.  John  Allen,  brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Penn, 
who  is  now  with  the  enemy."  This  Union  was  the  iron  works, 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  home  of  Colonels  Stewart  and  Johnston. 
Near  the  furnaces  was  the  house  occupied  by  Mr.  Taylor,  the 
superintendent.  He  was  a  patriot.  In  this  house,  which  now 
forms  a  part  of  the  residence  of  Lewis  H.  Taylor,  Penn  and  the 
Attorney  General  Chew  were  confined  six  months  as  prison . 
ers  of  war,  in  charge  of  Mr.  Taylor.  Tradition  reports  that 
they  brought  their  servants  with  them,  and  an  Indian  fiddler  to 
beguile  the  hours  of  their  captivity.  Governor  Penn  presented  Mr. 
Taylor  with  a  copy  of  Dalryraple's  Memoirs,  with  his  autograph 
upon  the  title  page. 

At  this  time  the  feeling  between  the  two  sides  was  intense  and 
often  bitter.  Eev.  William  Frazer  was  then  Rector  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church  at  Ringos.  Being  supported  by  a  British  Missionary 
Society,  he  would  not  omit  the  prayers  for  the  royal  family.  This 
rendered  him  obnoxious  to  the  patriots.  One  Sunday,  when  he 
entered  his  church,  a  rope  was  hanging  over  the  pulpit.  Public 
sentiment  grew  so  violent  that  he  was  compelled  to  suspend 
worship  in  his  church.  But  so  prudent  was  his  conduct  and  so 
lovely  his  character,  that  soon  after  peace  was  declared,  he 
re-opened  his  church  and  resumed  his  ministry,  with  general 
acceptance.' 

During  the  war,  large  farms  belonging  to  these  tories  were 
confiscated.  But  they  proved  of  little  value  to  the  public  treasury, 
because  the  sales  were  generally  on  credit;  and  by  the  progressive 


New  Jersey  Rev.  Cor.,  pp.  101  and  102 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY  41 

depreciation  of  money  when  the  time  of  payment  came,  the  real 
value  of  the  money  was  very  small.  Public  notice  was  given, 
February  11th,  1779,  that  two  of  the  Judges  of  Hunterdon  County 
would  attend  at  the  house  of  John  Ringo,  in  Amwell,  "  For  the 
purpose  of  hearing  the  claims  against  the  estate  of  certain  fugitives 
and  offenders."  These  parties  were  a  long  list  of  wealthy  men, 
who  did  not  sympathize  with  the  patriot  cause.  Thousand  of  acres 
were  advertised  for  sale,  under  these  judgments  entered  by  the 
State. 

And  yet  as  a  whole,  Hunterdon  County  was  strong  for  the  war. 
In  March,  1776,  the  Committee  of  Safety,  of  which  Captain 
Mehelm  and  John  Hart  were  members,  resolved  that  three  battal- 
ions of  militia  be  draughted  out  of  the  militia  of  the  State,  for  the 
help  of  New  York.  The  quota  of  Hunterdon  was  four  hundred 
and  forty,  which  was  just  double  that  of  any  other  county.'  Colo- 
nel Frelinghuysen,  of  Raritan,  wrote  to  Governor  Livingston,  August 
15th,  1777  :  "I  must  not  forget  to  congratulate  your  Excellency,  on 
the  great  loyalty  of  Hunterdon  County." 

The  lukewarmness  and  disaffection  already  described,  were 
caused  by  the  uncertainties  of  the  incipient  struggle,  and  the 
disasters  of  the  year  1776.  New  York  was  captured,  and  about 
the  middle  of  November,  Cornwallis  entered  New  Jersey.  Gover- 
nor Livingston  made  the  most  strenuous  exertions  to  have  the  militia 
who  were  in  the  field,  oppose  the  invading  force.  But  the  panic 
which  had  seized  upon  the  mass  of  the  population  could  not  be 
controlled.  The  bare-footed  and  almost  naked  Continental  army, 
scantily  supplied  with  ammunition,  was  retreating  before  the  strong, 
well  equipped  battalions  of  the  enemy.  The  contest  seemed  hope- 
less. Those  who  visited  the  army  brought  home  an  unfavorable 
report.  They  secretly  or  openly  advised  others  to  do  nothing  that 
would  involve  them  in  disloyalty,  and  thus  jeopardized  their 
possessions.  Old  people  tell  us  that  such  was  the  talk  with  many. 
The  Legislature,  itself  defenceless,  had  removed  from  Princeton  to 

'  New  Jersey  Rev.  Cor.,  pp.  5,  95. 


42  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

Burlington,  and  there  on  the  second  of  December  they  adjourned, 
each  man  going  home  to  look  after  his  own  affairs.  Until  the 
battle  of  Trenton,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  that  month,  New  Jersey 
might  have  been  considered  a  conquered  province.  Even  Samuel 
Tucker,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Safety,  Treasurer,  and 
Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  took  a  protection  of  the  British,  and 
thus  renounced  allegiance  to  this  State  and  vacated  his  offices.' 

But  a  reaction,  decided  and  permanent,  was  close  at  hand.  The 
dispiriting  retreat  through  the  State,  was  accomplished,  and 
Washington  was  safely  on  the  other  side  of  the  Delaware.  As  the 
American  rear  guard  crossed  the  river,  the  flags  of  the  British 
danced  in  the  distance.  If  the  enemy  had  brought  boats  with 
them,  as  was  reported,  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  the 
patriots  to  have  hindered  their  passing  over.  This  was  on  the  third 
of  December.  Washington  sent  four  brigades  under  Generals 
Mercer,  Stephens,  DeFermoy  and  Lord  Sterling,  who  were  posted 
from  Yardleys  to  Coryell's  Ferry,  in  such  a  way  as  to  guard  every 
point  of  the  river,  where  a  crossing  might  be  attempted.  General 
Sterling  was  stationed  with  his  troops  opposite  Lambertville,  at 
Beaumont's,  about  three  miles  below  New  Hope.  Redoubts  were 
cast  up,  one  on  the  top  of  the  hill  back  of  the  school  house  at 
New  Hope.  General  Washington  rode  up  to  inspect  these,  prob- 
ably returning  the  same  day.  He  ordered  a  stockade  intrenchment 
to  be  made,  and  batteries  to  be  posted.  As  it  was  important  that 
he  should  have  command  of  all  the  boats  on  the  river,  General 
Green  was  charged  with  the  duty.  He  ordered  General  Ewing  to 
send  sixteen  Durham  boats  and  four  flats  down  to  McKonkey's 
(Washington's  crossing).  These  Durham  boats  were  large,  flat  and 
pointed  at  each  end,  being  used  for  conveying  iron  from  Dunham 
to  Philadelphia.  General  Maxwell  was  directed  to  collect  the  boats 
high  up  the  river,  as  there  was  danger  of  the  enemy  seizing 
them,  and  to  place  them  under  strong  guard.     This    service  was 

'  Gordon's  New  Jersey,  p.  237. 


HUNTKRDON    COUNTY.  43 

assigned  to  Captain  Daniel  Bray,  afterwards  General  Bray,  of  the 
New  Jersey  Militia,  Captain  Jacob  Gearheart  and  Captain  Thomas 
Jones,  who  collected  all  the  boats  on  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Delaware  and  Lehigh,  and  brought  them  down  to  Coryell's  Ferry. 
The  boats  were  hid  behind  Malta  Island,  just  below  what  is  known 
as  "  The  Mills,  "  on  the  Pennsylvania  side.  The  island  was 
densely  wooded,  so  that  the  boats  could  not  be  seen  by  a  reconnoi- 
tering  party  of  the  enemy,  as  it  looked  down  from  the  New  Jersey 
heights.  These  boats  were  thus  secured  for  the  famous  crossing  of 
Christmas  night.^  Captain  Bray  was  a  native  of  Kingwood,  and 
was  familiar  with  every  boat  and  crossin-^  along  the  river.  Captain 
Gerhart  was  from  Flemington.  To  procure  these  boats,  to  conceal 
their  plan  from  the  tories  who  were  lurking  about,  and  who  would 
betray  them  at  the  first  opportunity,  to  cut  out  these  flat  boats  in 
the  darkness  of  those  cold  winter  nights,  to  float  them  down  amid 
the  rocks  and  through  the  rapids,  to  keep  them  from  being  crushed 
or  swamped,  was  a  task  most  difScult  and  hazardous.  But  it  was 
successfully  accomplished.  Cornwallis  was  informed  of  this  enter- 
prise, and  sent  a  detachment  to  seize  these  boats,  but  they  could  not 
find  them,  or  were  afraid  to  venture  across  the  river  in  the  face  of 
those  frowning  batteries. 

Probably  while  engaged  in  this  search  the  British  learned  that  a 
lot  of  guns  was  stored  in  Flemington.  A  part  of  Cornwallis'  army 
was  then  encamped  just  below  Pennington.  Five  hundred  cavalry 
were  detailed  to  seize  these  arras.  At  that  time,  near  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  was  a  long,  low,  frame  building.  For  many  years 
afterward  it  was  a  store,  famous  tliroughout  that  part  of  the  county. 
It  afforded  a  market  for  wheat  to  a  wide  section.  The  store  was 
kept  in  connection  with  a  mill^  on  the  site  of  John  Rockafellow's 
mill.  In  this  building  a  quantity  of  muskets  had  been  stored  by 
the  Continentals.  The  cavalry  reached  the  village  early  in  the 
morning  and  found  in  the  street  a  man  in  a  cart,  whom  they  pressed 

'  Dr.  Studdiford's  Manuscripts.  Also  History  of  Berk's  County,  by  W.  W. 
Davis. 


44 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 


into  their  service.  The  chests,  with  the  guns  packed  in  them,  were 
taken  out  of  the  building  and  put  into  the  cart,  and  then  the  whole 
troop  hastened  away.  But  when  thej  reached  Tattersall's  Lane, 
where  the  tile  kiln  now  is,  they  became  alarmed,  and  concluded  it 
would  be  better  to  destroy  the  muskets  than  attempt  to  carrj^  them 
away.  So  they  broke  the  guns  by  striking  them  upon  the  posts  of 
the  fence.  In  the  meantime  Captain  John  Schenck  had  collected 
a  band  of  men  and  secreted  them  in  a  piece  of  woods  between 
Copper  Hill  and  Larasons.  As  the  horsemen  filed  through  this, 
they  were  fired  upon.  Captain  Geary,  the  commander  of  the 
British,  ordered  his  troops  to  halt  and  face  the  spot  whence  the 
firing  proceeded,  when  he  was  almost  immediately  shot  through  the 
head.  His  men  wheeled  and  fled.  Afraid  that  they  might  meet 
more  opposition  if  they  returned  the  same  road  they  came,  the 
British  turned  and  went  toward  New  Brunswick.  Captain  Geary's 
body  was  buried  in  the  woods. 

This  Captain  Schenck,  afterwards  Colonel,  was  a  brave  officer. 
With  Colonel  Charles  Stewart  he  rallied  the  minute-men  in  1775, 
and  was  active  during  the  whole  conflict,  in  various  ways. 

The  success  of  Washington  at  Trenton  and  Princeton  was  not 
the  only  cause  of  turning  the  tide  toward  the  patriots.  Neither  the 
proclamation  of  Cornwallis  nor  protection  papers  saved  the  people 
from  plunder.  Discontent  and  murmurs  at  the  outrages  perpetrated 
by  British  and  Hessians  increased  on  every  side.  Infants,  children, 
old  men  and  women  were  left  without  a  blanket  to  protect  them- 
selves from  the  inclemency  of  winter.  The  most  brutal  outrages 
were  perpetrated  by  a  licentious  soldiery.  The  whole  country  be- 
came hostile  to  the  invaders.  Suiferers  of  all  parties  arose,  as  with 
one  accord,  to  revenge  their  personal  injuries.' 

'When  General  Washington  was  retreating  through  the  Jerseys 
almost  forsaken  by  all  others,  her  militia  were  at  all  times  obedient 
to  his  orders  ;  and  for  a  considerable  length  of  time  composed  the 
strength  of   his   army.^     And    of   this    praise    Hunterdon    county 

'  Gordon's  American  War,  Vol.  2.,  p.  178,  180 

^  Winterbotham's  History  of  America,  Vol.  2,  p.  303. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  45 

deserves  a  large  share,  because  she   furnished   more  soldiers  than 
any  other  county.     Her  scouts  and  guides  were  of  priceless  value. 

After  the  battle  of  Trenton  the  American  army  went  into  Winter 
quarters,  part  at  Morristown  and  part  at  Valley  Forge.  The  direct  road 
between  these  lay  through  Amwell  Valley  and  over  Coryell's  Ferry. 

The  Spring  of  1777  revealed  this  state  of  things,  for  which 
Washington  must  provide.  General  Burgoyne,  with  a  superior 
force  of  the  British,  was  moving  from  Canada  southward.  General 
Howe  was  at  New  York.  He  would  either  endeavor,  by  moving 
up  the  Hudson,  to  possess  himself  of  the  forts  and  high  grounds 
occupied  by  the  Americans,  and  thus  open  the  southern  part  of  the 
way  to  New  York  for  Burgoyne,  and  separate  New  England  from 
the  rest  of  the  Colonies  ;  or  he  would  attempt  Philadelphia.  Wash- 
ington was  uncertain  which  of  these  courses  would  be  adopted  ; 
hence  he  must  be  prepared  for  both.  To  do  this,  he  determined  to 
occupy  the  high  grounds  of  New  Jersey,  north  of  New  Brunswick. 
About  ten  miles  in  that  direction,  at  Middle  brook,  a  low  range  of 
mountains  forms  the  apex  of  a  triangle,  the  sides  of  which  extend 
toward  the  northeast  and  northwest.  These  heights  could  be 
rendered  almost  impregnable  against  the  enemy,  while  they  would 
serve  as  a  watch-tower  to  command  the  course  of  the  Raritan,  the 
road  to  Philadelphia,  the  hills  about  New  Brunswick,  and  a  con 
siderable  part  of  the  country  between  that  place  and  Amboy,  thus 
affording  a  full  view  of  any  important  movement  on  the  part  of  the 
enemy.  Washington  directed  the  troops  from  Jersey  to  South  Caro- 
lina to  assemble  in  this  State,  and,  breaking  up  his  camp  at  Morris- 
town,  he  made  Middlebrook  his  headquarters,  May  28,  1777.  Gen. 
Howe  was  preparing  to  attack  Philadelphia,  but  first  he  wanted  to 
draw  the  American  General  from  his  strong  position.  Leaving  2,000 
troops  at  Brunswick,  he  advanced,  June  14,  with  two  columns 
from  different  directions,  which  arrived  about  the  same  hour. 
Washington  had  posted  his  army  in  order  of  battle,  on  the 
heights  in  front  of  the  camp,  and  refused  to  come  down.  General 
Howe,  finding  he  could  not  be  drawn  from  his  strong  position, 
retired.     But  this  movement  of  General  Howe  toward  Philadelphia 


46  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

roused  the  militia  of  this  part  of  the  State,  and  with  great  alacrity 
they  took  the  field,  principally  joining  General  vSullivan,  who  had 
retired  from  Princeton  behind  the  southern  hills  towards  Fleming- 
ton,  where  a  considerable  army  was  forming  to  oppose  the  enemy, 
should  he  attempt  to  cross  Coryell's  Perry,  which  seemed  to  be  his 
object.  Influenced,  no  doubt,  by  this  gathering  of  forces,  Howe 
ceased  to  threaten  Philadelphia  by  land,  and  determined  to  embark 
his  troops  for  the  Delaware.  Indeed,  it  would  have  been  an  act  of 
unpardonable  military  recklessness  to  have  proceeded,  when  the 
enemy  was  combining  in  his  front,  and  was  ready  with  an  army  to 
follow  in  his  rear.  By  this  planning,  the  Am  well  Valley  was  saved 
from  the  ravages  of  an  invading  host;  and  also,  perhaps,  lost  the 
glory  of  becoming  one  of  the  famous  battle-fields  of  the  Eevolu- 
tion.  Probably  this  is  the  time  when  the  Baptist  clinrch  at 
Flemington,  was  occupied  as  barracks  by  American  soldiers.  Marks 
of  then-  muskets  were  visible  on  the  floor  of  the  old  church.  A 
panic  prevailed  along  the  Old  York  Road  in  that  region.  Farmers 
drove  their  cattle  to  hiding  places.  Household  valuables  were 
buried,  or  carried  to  the  houses  of  friends  at  a  distance.  The 
women  and  children  were  prepared  to  flee  at  a  moment's  warning. 

The  county  for  several  years  previous  to  the  war,  was  quite  evenly 
populated,  so  that  it  must  have  been  inconvenient  and  expensive  to 
the  many  residing  about  Flemington  and  northward,  to  go  to 
Trenton  for  the  transaction  of  business ;  that  county-seat  being  at 
the  extreme  southern  corner.  The  unsettled  state  of  the  countr\^, 
which  diverted  public  attention  from  local  necessities,  and  the 
general  disturbance  arising  from  the  fact  that  the  county  was  a 
thoroughfare  for  both  armies,  prevented  a  change  in  the  county 
town.  But  we  find  that  in  1785,  two  years  after  the  treaty  of 
peace,  as  soon,  therefore,  as  the  matter  could  be  attended  to,  the 
county-seat  was  removed  to  Flemington,  which  was  nearly  in  the 
centre.  The  village  at  that  time  consisted  of  probably  not  more  than 
twelve  or  fifteen  houses.  For  in  1809,  there  were  only  sixteen 
houses  between  the  Baptist  and  Presbyterian  churches,  which 
comprised  most  of  the  village.     However,    it  was  important  as  a 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  47 

centre  of  trade.  There  was  also  living  there  a  lawyer  and  judge, 
Jasper  Smith,  a  gentleman  of  great  energy  and  public  spirit;  who 
was  afterward  prominent  in  the  formation  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  in  that  village.  Indeed,  he  may  be  called  its  founder,  I 
believe  that  he  had  a  great  deal  to  do  in  securing  the  location  of 
the  county-seat.  Because  two  miles  further  toward  Clinton,  on  the 
south  branch,  was  another  point  called  Readings,  the  focus  of 
several  roads  leading  to  all  parts  of  the  county.  This  also  was  a 
centre  of  trade.  And  there  the  county-seat  should  have  been 
located.  It  is  in  many  respects  a  more  desirable  site.  The  bank 
of  the  Branch  is  high,  the  drainage  would  have  been  excellent 
and  the  land  is  beautifully  situated  for  building  lots.  Besides,  the 
water  power  is  such  that  the  town  by  this  day  would  have  become 
the  seat  of  flourishing  manufactures.  The  Court  House  was  not 
built  until  the  Summer  of  1791.  It  was  on  the  site  of  the  present 
buildings,  and  was  constructed  of  stone  brought  "  from  Large's 
land  in  Kingwocd."  This  edifice  was  destroyed  by  tire  in  February, 
1828.  This  delay  in  building  was  probably  caused  by  the  poverty 
of  the  county,  and  the  fluctuating  value  of  money.  In  1780  a 
continental  paper  dollar  was  worth  one  copper.  In  1779  linen  was 
one  hundred  and  forty  shillings  a  yard,  shoes  one  hundred  and 
twenty  shillings  a  pair,  pocket  handkerchiefs  seventy  shillings  a 
piece.'  All  other  clothing  in  proportion.  After  the  war,  and  even 
to  the  opening  of  the  century,  wages  were  fifty  cents  a  day,  and 
corn  eighty  cents  a  bushel. 

The  Presbyterian  congregations  of  the  two  Am  well  churches, 
finding  that  the  salary  was  insufiScient  on  account  of  the  deprecia- 
tion of  the  paper  money,  a  joint  meeting,  held  January  21st,  1779, 
agreed  that  the  salary  should  be  paid  in  produce  at  the  old  prices, 
or  as  much  money  as  would  purchase  it.  Some  paid  in  money, 
some  in  produce,  some  in  both,  as  the  salar}^  lists  show.  It  was 
determined  to  purchase  a  new  parsonage,   and  a  subscription  was 


'  New  Jersey  Rev.  Cor.,  p.  184. 


48  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

made,  but  when  they  came  to  buy,  the  price  of  land  had  risen 
beyond  the  amount  supposed  to  be  necessary.  And  then  the 
trustees  hired  "  a  plantation  adjoining  the  parsonage  for  one  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds,  in  order  the  better  to  support  the  ministers."  In 
1790  both  paper  money  and  coin  were  in  circulation.  From  an 
old  paper  labelled  "Account  of  Supplies,"  of  the  First  Amwell 
Church,  it  appears  that  the  sum  paid  for  one  Sunday's  services  was 
one  pound  and  ten  shillings ;  for  preaching  and  administrating  the 
Lord's  Supper,  three  pounds.  This  was  the  amount  in  "  hard 
money,"  as  the  account  has  it.  Sometimes  the  supplies  were  paid 
in  paper  money,  sometimes  in  coin  and  sometimes  in  both.  There 
is  this  N.  B. :  "  The  law  is  lately  altered  in  not  making  paper 
money  equal  to  hard  money,  in  hard  money  engagements.  One- 
half  is  now  (1790,  April  4th),  the  current  exchange."  A  collection 
for  a  poor  student  in  divinity  gives  this  amount:  paper  money, 
twenty-five  shillings ;  silver,  seventeen  shillings ;  copper,  twelve 
shillings  and  two  pence. 

According  to  the  census  of  1790,  the  population  of  Hunterdon 
was  twenty  thousand,  one  hundred  and  fifty-three.  This  made  it 
the  first  county  in  numbers  ;  but  close  to  it  pressed  Sussex  with 
nineteen  thousand,  five  hundred  ;  and  Burlington  with  eighteen 
thousand  and  ninety-five.  Then  came  Essex,  Monmouth,  Morris 
and  Middlesex,  each  about  one  thousand  less  in  the  order  named. 
Gloucester,  thirteen  thousand,  three  hundred  and  three ;  Bergen, 
twelve  thousand,  six  hundred  and  one ;  Somerset,  twelve  thousand, 
two  hundred  and  ninety-six ;  Salem,  ten  thousand,  four  hundred 
and  thirty-seven  ;  while  Cumberland  and  Cape  May  came  in  at  the 
foot,  the  former  with  eight  thousand,  two  hundred  and  forty-eight, 
and  the  latter  with  only  two  thousand,  five  hundred  and  seventy-one. 
The  total  population  of  the  State  was  one  hundred  and  eighty-four 
thousand,  one  hundred  and  thirty-nine.  The  population  of  the 
townships  of  Hunterdon  was — Amwell,  five  thousand,  two  hundred 
and  one,  which  was  more  than  double  that  of  any  other  township. 
Kingwood,  two  thousand,  four  hundred  and  forty ;  Hopewell,  two 
thousand,  three  hundred  and  twenty;  Trenton,  one  thousand,  nine 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  49 

hundred  and  forty-six ,  Alexandria,  one  thousand,  five  hundred 
and  three;  Bethlehem,  one  thousand,  three  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  ;  Maidenhead,  one  thousand,  and  thirty-two.  Lebanon,  Reading- 
ton  and  Tewksbury,  are  combined,  four  thousand,  three  hundred  and 
seventy.  The  number  of  slaves,  one  thousand,  three  hundred  and 
one,  and  of  free  blacks,  one  hundred  and  ninety-one.  But  in  the 
next  ten  years  the  increase  was  very  small  in  this  part  of  the  State, 
both  in  Hunterdon  and  Somerset ;  the  former  adding  to  her  popu- 
lation one  thousand  one  hundred  and  eight,  and  the  latter,  five 
hundred  and  nineteen.  The  cause  of  this  was  that  the  young  people 
were  drawn  to  the  great  west  of  that  day — central  New  York 
and  western  Pennsylvania'.  Indeed,  the  whole  State  has  been  a 
hive  of  States — constantly  sending  out  swarms,  whose  labors  have 
tended  to  subdue  and  fertilize  western  wilds — so  that  the  State  is 
remarkable  for  the  paucity  of  the  increase  of  its  population,  until  with- 
in a  recent  period.  In  this  same  decade  of  which  I  am  speaking,  1790 
to  1800,  the  increase  in  the  whole  State  was  only  twenty-seven 
thousand,  eight  hundred  and  ten.  The  ratio  of  increase  from 
1790  to  18*20  was  thirteen  and  a  half  per  cent,  for  each  decennial 
term.  But  in  the  first  half  of  the  last  century,  the  rate  of  increase 
was  about  thirty  per  cent,  in  eight  years.  Hunterdon,  by  the  j^ear 
1800,  had  dropped  down  to  the  fourth  county  in  population  ;  and 
yet  the  difference  between  it  and  Sussex,  which  was  the  highest, 
was  only  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  seventy-three.  In  1810, 
Hunterdon  held  the  same  relative  position  to  the  other  counties, 
but  Essex  had  now  risen  to  the  head,  which  it  has  since  maintained. 
The  population  of  Hunterdon  then  was  twenty-four  thousand,  five 
hundred  and  fifty-six. 

Let  us  recall  the  fact,  that  across  the  present  territory  of  Hun- 
terdon passed  several  important  highways.  One  ran  through  New 
Hampton,  via  Pittstown,  Quakertown,  Ringos  on  to  Pennington  and 

'  An  old  record,  1797,  of  Plemington  Presbyterian  church,  states,  that  collec- 
tions were  made  by  order  of  Presbytery  to  support  missionaries  on  those 
froD  tiers. 


50  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

Trenton.  The  great  east  and  west  line  was  the  Old  York  Road, 
running  the  length  of  the  Amwell  valley,  and  passing  out  of  the 
State  at  Lambertville.  The  third,  of  less  importance  than  the 
other  two,  and  yet  a  great  road  in  its  day,  was  the  Somerville  and 
Easton  Turnpike,  which  entered  the  county  at  Lambertville  and 
passed  out  at  Bloomsbury ;  furnishing  the  outlet  from  the  southern 
part  of  Warren,  and  from  Easton  to  New  York,  via  New  Brunswick 
Although  this  was  not  chartered  as  a  turnpike  until  1812,  the  road 
itself  was  laid  out  prior  to  the  Revolution.  Produce  was  carried 
along  this  road  to  New  Brunswick,  which  at  the  beginning  of  this 
century  was  the  most  thriving  mart  of  trade  in  the  State.  To  the 
same  city  large  wagons  from  Pennsylvania  and  from  the  Amwell 
valley,  drawn  by  six  horses,  heavily  laden  with  flour,  flax-seed, 
flax  and  other  kinds  of  produce,  went  over  the  Old  York  Road. 

The  iron  spring  at  Schooleys  Mt.,  like  most  of  those  of  any 
value  on  the  continent,  was  known  to  the  Indians,  generations 
probably  before  the  European  advent.  It  was  their  tales  of  these 
waters  of  life,  as  they  poetically  called  them,  which  led  to  the  belief 
of  the  "  Fountain  of  Youth,"  which  the  old  Spanish  explorer, 
Ponce  de  Leon,  so  ardently  desired.  Almost  from  the  settlement 
of  the  State,  the  ailing  resorted  to  this  iron  spring.  Its  virtue 
attracted  the  valetudinarian,  while  the  high  altitude,  1,100  feet  above 
the  ocean,  and  the  beauty  of  its  surroundings  rendered  it  a  favorite 
place  of  resort.  Thither  went  for  many  years  after  the  Revolution, 
the  old  aristocracy  of  Philadelphia,  who  traveled  in  their  own 
conveyances,  Avhich  were  large  coaches,  drawn  by  four  or  six  horses 
and  with  the  family  coat  of  arras  emblazoned  on  the  sides.  Their 
route  was  the  first  da}'^  to  New  Hope,  the  second  day  across  the 
river  and  along  the  Old  York  Road  to  Pluckamin,  and  the  third  day 
reaching  the  mountain.  None  of  those  which  came  over  this  route 
attracted  as  much  attention  as  Judge  Coxe.  He  was  a  grandson  of 
Daniel  Coxe,  one  of  the  first  proprietors  of  "West  Jersey,  whose 
large  proprietary  tracts  made  his  descendants  immensely  wealthy.. 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  century,  Charles  Coxe  bought  the  farm 
of  one  thousand    two   hundred   acres  that  was   owned   by  Judge 


HUNTKKDON    COUNTY.  51 

Johnston  at  Sidney,  and  afterwards  the  residence  of  Judge  Wilson. 
In  the  old  mansion  Judge  Coxe  spent  his  Summers,  extending  a 
princely  hospitality  to  the  first  families  of  Philadelphia,  who  were 
his  guests  weeks  at  a  time.'  He  was  a  man  of  enterprise,  and 
sought  to  turn  the  splendid  water  power  on  his  land  to  account,  by 
establishing  a  large  woolen  factory.  He  also  was  impressed  with 
the  unrivalled  advantages  that  region  possessed,  in  its  streams  of 
water,  for  large  manufacturing  enterprises.  For  at  that  day,  before 
the  steam  engine  displaced  the  water  wheel,  capitalists  were  eager 
to  secure  water  power.  About  this  period  it  was,  1793,  that  a 
company  obtained  the  water-rights  at  Paterson.  In  order,  however, 
to  render  the  water  power  of  this  region  available,  better  means  of 
transportation  must  be  obtained  than  was  furnished  by  a  turnpike. 
He  applied,  therefore,  to  the  Legislature  for  a  charter,  to  build  a 
canal  from  the  Delaware  at  Easton,  to  some  point  on  the  south 
branch  above  Clinton,  and  thence  by  the  best  practicable  route  to 
Trenton.  This  was  about  1706.  The  application,  however,  was 
unsuccessful.  Another  project  was  to  make  slack  water  navigation 
up  the  south  branch,  thus  securing  an  outlet  through  the  Raritan. 
At  that  time  these  streams  were  larger  than  they  are  now. 

Winterbotham,  in  1796,  describes  the  people  of  New  Jersey 
thus :  "  The  Presbyterian,  the  Quaker,  the  Episcopalian,  the 
Baptist,  the  German  and  Low  Dutch  Calvinist,  the  Methodist  and 
the  Moravian,  have  each  their  distinguishing  characteristics,  either 
in  their  worship,  their  discipline  or  their  dress.  There  is  still 
another  characteristical  difference,  distinct  from  either  of  the  others, 
which  arises  from  the  intercourse  of  the  inhabitants  with  different 
States.  The  people  in  West  Jersey  trade  to  Philadelphia,  and  of 
course,  imitate  the  fashions  and  imbibe  their  manners.  The  inhab- 
itants  of  East   Jersey,    trade   to    New   York,    and  regulate  their 


'  One  of  his  daughters  married  Lucius  Stockton,  who  was  the  first  clerk  of 
Hunterdon.  He  built  a  part  of  the  house  now  occupied  by  Charles  Bartles, 
Esq.,  iu  Flemington.     There  he  had  his  office. 


52  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

fashions  and  manners  according  to  those  in  New  York ;  so  that  the 
difference  in  fashions  and  manners  between  East  and  West  Jersey, 
is  nearly  as  great  as  between  New  York  and  Philadelphia."  In 
this  county  the  two  influences  were  blended,  because  communication 
was  divided;  the  eastern  part  trading  with  New  Brunswick  and 
New  York,  and  the  western  with  Trenton  and  Philadelphia.  And 
all  the  religious  denominations  mentioned,  except  the  Moravian,  had 
congregations  within  the  bounds  of  Hunterdon. 

Tlie  people  generally  were  distinguished  for  industry.  The 
children  when  not  put  to  trades,  or  not  migrating  to  the  new 
country,  remained  with  their  parents  working  on  the  farm.  This 
was  especially  the  case  with  the  oldest  son.  For  the  European 
idea  of  primogeniture  had  not  yielded  to  the  more  equal  distribution 
of  an  estate.  To  that  son,  the  homestead  was  willed.  When  he 
married,  he  remained  at  home  with  his  parents.  And  an  addition 
was  built  on  the  old  house  for  his  accommodation.  Where  the 
father  owned  several  hundred  acres,  he  set  off  a  portion  to  his 
sons  as  they  married.  This  subdivision  kept  on,  until  the  farms 
reached  their  present  size. 

Religion  generally  had  declined,  during  and  after  the  war.  French 
infidelity  poisoned  the  minds  of  too  many  of  the  prominent  men  of 
the  county ;  and  its  effect  was  felt  upon  the  people.  Intemperance 
prevailed  at  the  opening  of  this  century  to  a  frightful  extent.  The 
early  settlers  in  Hunterdon,  like  all  the  Dutch  and  Germans,  and 
indeed  English  of  that  age,  used  malt  liquors  as  a  beverage.  The 
war  of  the  Revolution  brought  rum  and  whiskey  into  general  use. 
The  use  of  these,  a.cquired  in  the  army,  was  continued  by  the 
soldiers  on  their  return  home.  More  liquor  was  drunk,  per  capita, 
in  this  country  for  the  two  or  three  decades  after  the  war  than  by 
any  other  nation  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  Its  manufacture  made 
extensive  progress  in  the  States.^  Thirteen  hundred  retail  licenses 
were  issued  in  the  year  1800,  and  intemperance  grew,    so  that   we 


'Winterbotham,  Vol.  I,  351. 


HUNTERDON    COUNTY.  53 

were  denominated  over  the  civilized  world  as  a  nation  of  drunkards. 
In  one  township  along  the  Raritan,  at  the  commencement  of  this 
centur}^,  eight  distilleries  were  in  operation.  Custom  required  each 
hand,  in  hay  or  harvest,  to  be  furnished  with  one  pint  of  rum  a  day. 
Almost  every  farmer  had  his  cellar  stocked  with  barrels  of  cider, 
spirits  and  rye  whiskey.  The  county  was  full  of  taverns.  The 
education  of  poor  children  was  neglected.  In  prominent  villages, 
like  Pennington  and  Flemington,  academies  were  established,  which 
were  under  the  care  of  trustees.  There  were  also  private  schools, 
kept  mostly  by  clergymen.  Such  places  were  centres  of  intelli- 
gence and  refinement.  In  1802  several  libraries  were  in  existence. 
At  Trenton,  Elliott  Howell,  Librarian ;  Pennington,  Achilles  Wil- 
son, Librarian ;  Ringos,  David  Bishop,  Librarian ;  Flemington, 
Asher  Atkinson,  Librarian.^ 

The  general  training  days  were  scenes  of  frightful  disorder. 
Fighting,  to  decide  who  was  champion,  or  as  the  result  of  quarrels 
engendered  by  rum,  was  common ;  indeed  it  was  almost  the  neces- 
sary attendant  of  trainings  and  elections. 

There  were  few  wagons.  People  went  to  meeting  afoot  for  four 
to  six  miles,  wearing  thick  shoes,  sometimes  none  at  all,  until  near 
the  church,  and  then  they  put  on  Sunday  shoes.  It  was  common 
for  the  men  to  sit  in  church  without  coats. 

Whipping  was  the  penalty  for  small  offences.  This  seems  to 
have  been  inflicted  upon  the  slaves,  more  frequently  than  on  other 
classes  of  offenders.  A  slave,  if  found  five  miles  from  home  was 
arrested  and  whipped  by  the  constable  ;  for  which  five  shillings 
were  received,  to  be  paid  by  the  master  or  mistress.  The  whip  was 
made  of  thongs  of  raw  hide,  plaited  sometimes  with  fine  wire. 

Only  one  newspaper  was  published  in  the  county.  That  was  a 
weekly  in  Trenton.  The  mails  slowly  proceeded  to  the  principal 
villages,  and  at  intervals  found  their  way  to  remote  parts.  So  late 
as  1822  one  mail  came  up  from  Trenton  to  Flemington  on  Tuesday, 

'From  Collector's  book  of  1802  in  possession  of  Peter  Young  at  Ringos. 


54  HUNTERDON    COUNTY. 

and  thence  to  the  other  parts  of  the  county,  returning  on  Saturday, 
We  speak  of  those  times  as  distinguished  for  simplicity,  good- 
ness, honor — as  better  days  than  our  own.  We  do  "  not  inquire 
wisely  concerning  this."  In  all  that  render  morals,  education  and 
religion,  an  acquaintance  with  current  events,  and  facility  in  travel, 
superior  to  mere  physical  enjoyment,  the  advantage  is  greatly 
with  us.