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Full text of "Sketch of the early history of Cape May county, to accompany the geological report of the State of New Jersey for said county"

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BY MAURICE BEESLEY, M. D. 



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BY MAURICE MJESLEY, M. D. 



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SKETCH OF THE EARLY HISTORY 



OF THE 



COUNTY OF CAPE MAY 



-*♦«- 



BY MAURICE BEESLEY, II D. 
««. 

The difficulties to be encountered in making a historical sketch 
of the County of Cape May, are perhaps as great, if not greater, 
than will be found in any other county of our State. Isolated as 
it was in early times from the upper districts of the Province, and 
with a sparse population, we find no material to consult, except a 
meagre court record; hence the inquirer is compelled to seek from 
musty manuscripts and books in other places, a goodly portion of 
the little that has escaped oblivion, in the vista of years gone by, 
and that little must necessarily be made up of scraps and fragments 
which owe their interest, if any they have, more to their intrinsic 
worth, than to the skill bestowed upon their arrangement. 

Order cannot come out of chaos ; and any attempt to make a con- 
nected history, with the resources at hand, would end in disappoint- 
ment. Being partially surrounded by water, without a roadstead 
or harbor to invite the hardy pioneers who first visited the Delaware, 
to sojourn and rest upon her shores, she was passed by to more 
inviting regions, on its waters above, where ships could find refuge 
from winds and storms; and man, in his Inherent thirst for dominion 
and power, could secure the virgin soil of the country, in extent 






J CO EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

and proportions, and upon terms so inconsiderable, as to fill up the 
full measure of his desires, and gratify his ambitious and venture- 
some propensities. 

After the most careful investigation and patient research in the 
State and County archives, and the early as well as the more recent 
chronicles of our past history, we find no data to prove that Cape May 
was positively inhabited until the year 1685, when Caleb Carman 
was appointed, by the Legislature, a justice of the peace, and Jona- 
than Pine, constable.* 

These were independent appointments, as Cape May was not 
under the jurisdiction of the Salem Tenth. This simple fact, how- 
ever, that the appointment of a justice and constable for the place, 
was necessary, goes to prove that there were inhabitants here at 
this time ; yet whence they came, in what number, or how long they 
had sojourned, are inquiries that will most probably ever remain in 
mystery and doubt. Fenwick made his entry into " New Salem," 
in 1675, and soon after extinguished the Indian title from the Dela- 
ware to Prince Maurice River, f He made no claim and exercised 
no dominion over Cape May ; and we have nothing to show at the 
time of his arrival, that the country from Salem to the sea-shore 
was other than one primeval and unbroken forest, with ample na- 
tural productions by sea and land, to make it the happy home 
of the red man, where he could roam, free and unmolested, in the 
enjoyment of privileges and blessings, which the strong arm of 
destiny soon usurped and converted to ulterior purposes. 

Gordon, in his history of New Jersey, says : " Emigrants from New 
Haven settled on the left shores of the Delaware so early as 1640, 
some of whose descendants may probably be found in Salem, Cum- 
berland, and Cape May counties." 

As far as regards Cape May, we have no tradition of any such 
settlement. History tells us that Hudson, in the Half-Moon, en- 
tered the Delaware Bay, the 28th August, 1609, "but finding the 

* Learning & Spicer's collection. f Johnson's Salem, p. 13. 



• > i 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY, 161 

water shoal, and the channel impeded by bars of sand, he did not 
venture to explore it." 

On the 5th of May, 1680, " a purchase of sixteen miles square, 
was made at Cape May, for Samuel Godyn and Samuel Bloemart, 
of nine resident Chiefs. This tract was purchased by Peter Heyser, 
Skipper of the ship Whale, and Giles Coster, commissary. It was 
probably the first purchase of the natives within the limits of New 
Jersey ; at least it is the first upon record, and was made for and 
in behalf of the Dutch West India Company."* 

The renowned Capt. Cornelius Jacobese Mey, visited our shores, 
and explored Delaware Bay in 1623, and to him the County of Cape 
May is indebted for a name. He built Fort Nassau, at Timber 
Creek, the site of which is now unknown, f 

David Pieterson de Vries was the next pioneer to the New World. 
He entered Delaware Bay in 1631, and first landed at Hoorekill, 
near Cape Henlopen. He left a colony there; but on his re- 
turn the succeeding year, found they had been massacred by the 
savages. " Finding the whale fishery unsuccessful, he hastened his 
departure, and, with the other colonists, proceeded to Holland by 
the way of Fort Amsterdam," (New York). Thus, says Gordon, " at 
the expiration of twenty years from the discovery of the Delaware 
by Hudson, not a single European remained upon its shores." De 
Vries, in his journal, says, " March 29th, 1633, found that our peo- 
ple has caught seven whales ; we could have done more if we had 
good harpoons, for they had struck seventeen fish and only saved 



seven." 



" An immense flight of wild pigeons in April, obscuring the sky. 
The 14th, sailed over to Cape May, where the coast trended E. N. E. 
and S. W. Came at evening to the mouth of Egg Harbor; found 
between Cape May and Egg Harbor a slight sand beach, full of 
small, low sand hills. Egg Harbor is a little river or kill, and in- 
side the land is broken, and within the bay are several small is- 

* Mulford's N. J. p. oS ; & Gordon. | Miekle's Rewiubeenees. 

11 



162 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUKTY. 

lands. Somewhere further up, in the same direction, is a beautiful 
high wood." This was probably Somer's or Beesley's Point, clothed 
in its primitive growth of timber. 

About 1641, Cape May was again purchased by Swedish agents, 
a short time before the arrival of the Swedish governor, Printz, 
at Tinicum. This conveyance included all lands from Cape May 
to Narriticon, or Kaccoon Creek.* 

Campanius, a Swedish minister, who resided in New Sweden, on 
the banks of the Delaware, from the year 1642 to 48, says, page 46, 
" Cape May lies in latitude 38° 30'. To the south of it, there are 
three sand banks, parallel to each other, and it is not safe to sail 
between them. The safest course is to steer between them and 
Cape May, between Cape May and Cape Henlopen." But for this 
account, these sand-banks could only have existed in the imagina- 
tion, as there have been none there within the memory of man. 

Johnson in his sketch of Salem, says : " The Baptist church at Cape 
May took its origin from a vessel which put in there from England, 
in 1675." He evidently obtained this from "Benedict's History 
of the Baptists," who makes the same assertion, viz : "The founda- 
tion of this church was laid in the year 1675, when a company of 
emigrants arrived from England, some of whom settled at Cape 
May. Amongst these were two Baptists, George Taylor and 
Philip Hill." 

It is most likely, as Mr. Benedict gives us no references for the 
above statements, that an error has been made in tfie date, as no 
record of the church here is to be found prior to 1711 ; and, as 
before stated, no fact to prove that our county was inhabited until 
1685. 

The first will and inventory on file in the Secretary's office, at 
Trenton, from Cape May, is that of John Story, dated the 28th 
of the ninth month, 1687. He was a Friend, and left his personal 
estate, amounting to £110, to his wife, having no heirs. The next 

* Mickle, p. S3. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUXTY. 163 

were those of Abraham Weston, November 24th, 1687, and John 
Briggs, in 1690. In April, May, and June, 1691, John Worlidge 
and John Budd, from Burlington, came down the bay in a vessel,* and 
laid a number of proprietary rights, commencing at Cohansey, and 
so on to Cape May. They set off the larger proportion of this county, 
consisting of 95,000 acres, to Dr. Daniel Coxe, of London, who had 
large proprietary rights in West Jersey. This was the first actual 
proprietary survey made in the county. In the copy of the ori- 
ginal draft of these surveys, and of the county of Cape May, made 
by David Jameison, in 1713, from another made by Lewis Morris, 
in 1706, (which draft is now in my possession, and was presented 
by "William Griffith, Esq., of Burlington, to Thomas Beesley, of 
Cape May, in 1812,) Egg Island, near the mouth of Maurice River, 
is laid off to Thomas Budd, for three hundred acres. Since this 
survey was made, the attrition of the waters has destroyed almost 
every vestige of it — scarcely enough remaining to mark the spot 
of its former magnitude. Upon this map likewise is laid down 
Cape May Town, at Town Bank on the Bay shore, the residence 
of the whalers, consisting of a number of dwellings ; and a short 
distance above it we find Dr. Coxe's Hall, with a spire, on Coxehall 
Creek, a name yet retained by the inhabitants. As no other build- 
ings or improvements are noted upon this map, than those above 
mentioned, it is to be presumed there were but few, if any, existing 
except them, at this day. The only attraction then was the whale 
fishery ; and the small town of fifteen or twenty houses marked upon 
this map, upon the shore of Town Bank in close contiguity, would 
lead us to infer that those adventurous spirits, who came for that 
purpose, preferred in the way of their profession to be near each 
other, and to make common stock in their operations of harpoon- 
ing, in which, according to Thomas and others, they seemed to be 
eminently successful. 

" Dr. Coxe, in his capacity as proprietor, continued to be ac- 

* J. Townsend's Manuscript. 



164 EAELT HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

tively concerned in the management of business anterior to the 
surrender; extensive purchases of land were made by him of the 
natives, and these agreements were assented to by the Council of 
Proprietors. These several purchases of the natives were made 
and dated, respectively, on the 30th March, 30th April, and 16th 
May, 1688. They were laid in the southern part of the province, 
including part of the present counties of Cumberland and Cape 
May. Either disheartened by the difficulties he had experienced, or 
tempted by an offer that would cover the disbursements he had made, 
Coxe resolved upon a sale of the whole of his interest in this province. 
He accordingly made an agreement, in the year 1691, with a body 
composed of forty-eight persons, designated by the name of the 
' West Jersey Society.' To this company, on the 20th January, 
1692, the whole of the claim of Dr. Coxe, both as to government 
and property, was conveyed, he receiving therefor the sum of 
£9000."* This sale opened a new era to the people of Cape May. 
As no land titles had been obtained under the old regime of the 
proprietors, except five conveyances from George Taylor, f as agent 
for Dr. Coxe, the West Jersey Society became a medium through 
which they could select and locate the choice of the lands, at prices 
corresponding with the means and wishes of the purchaser. 

The society, through their agents appointed in the county, con- 
tinued to make sales of land during a period of sixty-four years of 
their having possession ; at the end of which time, in 1756, having 
conveyed a large proportion of their interest, they sold the balance 
to Jacob Spicer the second, for £300. The title is now nearly 
extinct. 

It has been handed down, that Spicer obtained the grant for the 
proprietary right in Cape May, of Dr. Johnson, agent of the So- 
ciety at Perth Amboy, at a time when the influence of the wine 
bottle had usurped the place of reason, or he could not have ob- 
tained it for so inconsiderable a sum as three hundred pounds ; and 

* Mulford, 264, 6. f Cape May Records. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 165 

that the Doctor, sensible he had betrayed the trust reposed in him, 
left the society at his death a thousand pounds as a salvo. 

As history throws no light on the original occupiers of the soil, 
conjecture only can be consulted on the subject. It would seem 
probable, in as much as many of the old Swedish names, as recorded 
in Campanius, from Rudman, are still to be found in Cumberland 
and Cape May, that some of the veritable Swedes of Tinicum or 
Christiana might have strayed, or have been driven to our shores. 
When the Dutch governor, Stuyvesant, ascended the Delaware in 
1654, with his seven ships and seven hundred men, and subjected 
the Swedes to his dominion, it would be easy to imagine, in their 
mortification and chagrin at a defeat so bloodless and unexpected, 
that many of them should fly from the arbitrary sway of their 
rulers, and seek an asylum where they could be free to act for them- 
selves, without restraint or coercion from the stubbornness of myn- 
heer, whose victory, though easily obtained, was permanent, as the 
provincial power of New Sweden had perished for ever. 

Master Evelin's letter in Plantagenet's New Albion,* dated 1618, 
says : " I thought good to write unto you my knowledge, and first 
to describe to you the north side of Delaware unto Hudson's River, 
in Sir Edmund's patent called New Albion, which lieth between 
New England and Maryland, and that ocean sea. I take it to be 
about 160 miles. I find some broken land, isles and inlets, and many 
small isles at Eg Bay ; but going to Delaware Bay by Cape May, 
which is twenty-four miles at most, and is, I understand, very well 
set out and printed in Captain Powell's map of New England, done 
as is told me by a draft I gave to Mr. Daniel, the plotmaster, which 
he Edmund saith you have at home: on that north side (of Cape 
May) about five miles within is a port or rode for any ships, called 
the Nook, and within liveth the king of Kechcmeches, having, as I 
suppose, about fifty men. I do account all these Indians to be 
ei<zht hundred, and arc in several factions and war against the Sar- 

* Philadelphia Library. 



166 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

quehanncoks, and are all ex treame fearful of a gun, naked and un- 
armed against our shot, swords and pikes. I had some bickering 
with some of them, and they are of so little esteem that I durst 
with fifteen men sit down or trade in despite of them. I saw there 
an infinite quantity of bustards, swans, geese and fowl, covering 
the shores, as within the like multitude of pigeons and store of 
turkeys, of which I tried one to weigh forty and six pounds. There 
is much variety and plenty of delicate fresh and sea fish and shell- 
fish, and whales and grampus, elks, deere that bring three young at 
a time." 

He further says, " Twelve hundred Indians under the Raritan 
kings, on the south side next to Hudson's River, and those come 
down to the ocean about Little Eg Bay, and Sandy Barnegate, 
and about the South Cape two small Kings of forty men a piece 
called Tirans and Tiascons." 

It would seem from the above description given by Master Eve- 
lin, that he actually visited this part of the country at that early 
day, and made the circuit of Cape May. 

The name of Egg Bay has been perpetuated with but little vari- 
ation, and the many small isles that he speaks of, yet stand there 
in testimony of his having seen them as stated, in propria persona. 

Now where it was the king of Kechemeches with his fifty men held 
forth, it would be difficult to ascertain : it might have been at Town 
Bank, or Fishing Creek, or further up the cove or "nook," as he 
was pleased to call it. Master Evelin must certainly have the 
credit of being the first white man that explored the interior, as far 
as the seaboard, and his name should be perpetuated as the king 
of pioneers. . . . His account of the great abundance and 
variety of fowl and fish seems within the range of probability, and 
the story of the turkey that weighed forty-six pounds, would have 
less of the " couleur de rose" were it not qualified in the same para- 
graph, with "deere that bring forth three young at a time." And 
what a sight it must have been to see the woods and plains teeming 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE UAY COUNTY. 167 

with wild animals, the shores and waters with fowl in every variety, 
where they had existed unharmed and unmolested through an un- 
known period of years ; and the magnificent forest, the stately and 
towering cedar swamp, untouched by the axe of the despoiler, all 
reveling in the beauties of Nature in her pristine state, the reali- 
ties of which the imagination, only, can convey an impression, or 
give a foretaste of the charms and novelties of those primeval 
times. 

Gabriel Thomas, in his history of West Jersey in 1698, gives us 
the following particulars, viz : " Prince Maurice River is where the 
Swedes used to kill the geese in great numbers for their feathers 
(only), leaving their carcasses behind them. Cohansey River, by 
which they send great store of cedar to Philadelphia city. Great 
Egg Harbor (up which a ship of two or three hundred tons may 
sail), which runs by the back part of the country into the main sea ; 
I call it back, because the first improvements made by the Christians 
was Delaware river-side. This place is noted for good store of corn, 
horses, cows, sheep, hogs ; the lands thereabouts being much im- 
proved and built upon. Little Egg Harbor Creek, which takes their 
names from the great abundance of Eggs which the swans, geese, 
clucks, and other wild fowls of those rivers lay thereabouts. The 
commodities of Cape May County are oyl and whalebone, of which 
they make prodigious quantities every year ; having mightily ad- 
vanced that great fishery, taking great numbers of whales yearly. 
This county, for the general part of it, is extraordinary good and 
proper for the raising of all sorts of cattell, very plentiful here, as 
cows, horses, sheep, and hogs, &c. Likewise, it is well stored with 
fruits which make very good and pleasant liquors, such as neigh- 
bouring country before mentioned affords." 

Oldmixon, 1708, says : " The tract of land between this (Cape 
May) and Little Egg Harbor, which divides East and West New 
Jersey, goes by the name of Cape May County. Here are several 
stragling houses on this neck of land, the chief of which is Cox's 



168 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

Hall ; but there's yet no Town. Most of the inhabitants are fisher- 
men, there being a whalery at the mouth of the Bay, on this as 
well as the opposite shore." 

Cape May County, by an Act of Assembly on the 12th day of 
November, 1692, was instituted as follows, viz : " Whereas, this 
Province hath formerly been divided into three counties for the 
better regulation thereof; and whereas Cape May (being a place 
well situated for trade) begins to increase to a considerable number 
of families ; and there being no greater encouragement to the settle- 
ment of a place than that there be established therein an order by 
government, and justice duly administered : Be it therefore enacted 
by the Governor, Council, and Representatives in this present As- 
sembly met and assembled, and by the authority of the same, that 
from henceforth Cape May shall be, and is hereby appointed a 
County, the bounds whereof to begin at the utmost flowing of the 
tide in Prince Maurice River, being about twenty miles from the 
mouth of said river, and then by a line running easterly to the most 
northerly point of Great Egg Harbor, and from thence southerly 
along by the sea to the point of Cape May ; thence around Cape 
May, and up Maurice River to the first point mentioned ; and that 
there be nominated and appointed such and so many justices and 
other officers, as at present may be necessary for keeping the peace, 
and trying of small causes under forty shillings. In which circum- 
stance the same county shall remain until it shall appear they are 
capable of being erected into a County Court ; and in case of any 
action, whether civil or criminal, the same to be heard and deter- 
mined at the quarterly sessions in Salem County, with liberty for 
the Justices of the County of Cape May, in conjunction with the 
Justices of Salem County, in every such action in judgment to sit, 
and with them to determine the same." 

The time and place of holding the county elections were likewise 
directed, and the number of representatives that each was entitled 
to: Burlington to have 20, Gloucester 20, Salem 10, and Cape 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 169 

May 5 members. Cape May continued to have five members until 
the time of the surrender in 1702, except in the year 1697, when 
she was reduced to one representative. No record, however, of the 
names of the members previous to 1702 has come to light. 

Act of Oct. 3d, 1693 : " Whereas it has been found expedient to 
erect Cape May into a County, the bounds whereof at the last ses- 
sion of this Assembly have been ascertained ; and conceiving it also 
reasonable the inhabitants thereof shall partake of what privilidges 
(under their circumstances) they are capable of, with the rest of the 
counties in this Province, and having (upon enquiry) received satis- 
faction that there is a sufficient number of inhabitants within the 
said county to keep and hold a County Court, in smaller matters 
relating to civil causes : Be it enacted by the Governor, Council, 
and Representatives in Assembly met and assembled, and by au- 
thority thereof, that the inhabitants of the County of Cape May shall 
and may keep and hold four county courts yearly, viz : on the third 
Tuesday of December, 3d March, 3d June, and 3d of September ; 
all which courts the Justices commissioned, and to be commissioned 
in the said county, shall and may hear and try, according to law, all 
civil actions within the said county under the sum of £20." All 
above the sum of £20 were still to be tried at Salem. 

The same Assembly passed the following, viz : 

" Whereas the whaling in Delaware Bay has been in so great a 
measure invaded by strangers and foreigners, that the greatest part 
of oyl and bone received and got by that employ, hath been exported 
out of the Province to the great detriment thereof : Be it enacted, 
that any one killing a whale or whales in Delaware Bay, or on its 
shores, to pay the value of y^ of the oyl to the governor of the 
rovince. 

In 1697 all restriction was removed from the courts in civil cases, 
and the same immunities and privileges were granted as were en- 
joyed by the courts within the several counties of the Province. 

In the same year, May 12, 1697, " An Act for a road to and 
from Cape May" was passed. 



170 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

" Whereas the inhabitants of Cape May County do represent 
themselves as under extreme hardship for want of a road from Cape 
May, through their county to Cohansey, in order to their repair to 
Burlington to attend the public service ; Be it enacted by the 
Governor, &c, that George Taylor and John Crafford, be commis- 
sioners appointed to lay out a road from Cape May the most conve- 
nient to lead to Burlington, between this and the 10th day of Sep- 
tember next." 

It was ordered likewise that the expense be borne by the inhabit- 
ants of Cape May until such time as those lands through which the 
road goes are settled. This road, so important to the convenience 
and travel of the people of the county, was not finished till 1707. 
Prior to this the county was completely isolated from the upper 
districts of the State by the extensive bed of cedar swamps and 
marshes stretching from the head-waters of Cedar Swamp Creek to 
the head-waters of Dennis Creek, and no communication could have 
been held with Cohansey or Burlington except by the waters of 
the Delaware, or by horse-paths through the swamps that consti- 
tuted the barrier. 

By the Act of the 21st January, 1710,* the county of Cape May 
was reduced to its present bounds, viz : " Beginning at the mouth 
of a small creek on the west side of Stipson's Island, called Jecak's 
Creek ; thence up the same as high as the tide floweth ; thence 
along the bounds of Salem County to the southernmost main branch 
of Great Egg Harbor River ; thence down the said river to the sea ; 
thence along the sea- coast to Delaware Bay, and so up the said 
Bay to the place of beginning." 

It seems the inhabitants on the western side of Maurice River, 
the Cape May boundary, were without any legal control until 
1707, f when an act was passed annexing the inhabitants between 
the river Tweed, now Back Creek (being the lower bounds of Salem 
County), and the bounds of Cape May County to Salem County. 

* Patterson's Laws. Smith's N. J. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 171 

putting them under its jurisdiction. The act of 1710 extends 
Salem County, and curtails Cape May County, to Stipson's Island, 
or West Creek. 

The first town meeting for public business was held at the house 
of Benjamin Godfrey, on the 7th of February, 1692.* " The com- 
missions for Justices and Sheriff were proclaimed, and George 
Taylor was appointed clerk." The first suit on record is for 
assault and battery; "Oliver Johnson against John Carman." 
The second, John Jarvis is accused by George Taylor of helping 
the Indians to rum. "William Johnson deposeth and saith, that 
he came into the house of the said Jarvis, and he found Indians 
drinking rum, and one of the said Indians gave of the said rum to 
the said Johnson, and he drank of it with them. The said Jarvis 
refusing to clear himself, was convicted." 

As early as 1692,'j* a ferry was established by law, over Great 
Egg Harbor River, at the place now called Beesley's Point, a proof 
there must have been inhabitants upon both sides of the river, and 
contiguous to it at that period. 

The original settlers, or those who were here previous to the year 
1700, were principally attracted (as the authors heretofore quoted 
sufficiently corroborate) by the inducements held out by the whale 
fishery ; and Long Island supplied the principal proportion of those 
who came prior to that time. The names of those who ivere known 
to be whalers,! were Christopher Leamyeng and his son Thomas, 
Caesar Hoskins, Samuel Matthews, Jonathan Osborne, Xathaniel 
Short, Cornelius Skellinks, Henry Stites, Thomas Hand and his 
sons John and George, John and Caleb Carman, John Shaw, 
Thomas Miller, William Stillwell, Humphrey Ilcwes, William Ma- 
son, John Richardson, Ebenczer Swain, Henry Young; and no 
doubt many others. 

The jaw-bone of a whale, ten feet long, was recently found a few 
rods from the shore at Town Bank, by Thomas P. Hughes, the pro- 

* Capo May Records. f Learning St Spicer*i Collection. 

X Secretary's office, Trenton & Cape May records. 



172 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

prietor, partly imbedded in the sand, which has probably lain there 
since the time of the whalers. 

First Court. 

At a Court held at Portsmouth (supposed to be Town Bank or 
Cape May Town) on the 20th March, 1693, which is the first of 
which we have any record, the following officers were present, 
viz : — Justices — John Wolredge, Jeremiah Bass,* John Jervis, Jo- 
seph Houlden, and Samuel Crowel. Sheriff — Timothy Brandreth. 
Clerk — George Taylor. Grand Jury — Shamgar Hand, Thomas 
Hand, William Goulden, Samuel Matthews, John Townsend, Wil- 
liam Whitlock, Jacob Dayton, Oliver Johnson, Christopher Leayeman, 
Arthur Cresse, Ezekiel Eldreclge, William Jacocks, John Carman, 
Jonathan Pine, Caleb Carman, John Reeves, and Jonathan Foreman. 

" A rule of Court passed, the grand jury shall have their dinner 
allowed them at the county charge ;" a rule that would seem reason- 
able at the present day, when grand jurors have to pay their own 
bills and serve the county gratis. 

" Their charge being given them, the grand jury find it necessary 
that a road be laid out, most convenient for the king and county, 
and so far as one county goeth, we are willing to clear a road for 
travelers to pass." "John Townsend and Arthur Cresse appointed 
Assessors; Timothy Brandreth, Collector; Shamgar Hand, Trea- 
surer; Samuel Matthews and William Johnson, Supervisors of the 
Road ; and John Somers for Egg Harbor. At same Court, John 
Somers was appointed Constable for Great Egg Harbor." " The 
Court likewise orders that no person shall sell liquor without a, 
license, and that £40 be raised by tax to defray expenses, with a 
proviso that produce should be taken at 'money price' in payment." 
The above appointment by the Court of John Somers for Supervisor 

This is supposed to be the same Jeremiah Bass who was agent for the West Jersey 
Society in 1691 and 5, for Cape May, at which time he resided at Cohansey, and next year 
at Burlington ; was appointed governor of the State in 1698, and departed for England 
in 1699. [Mulford, 261.] A Jeremiah Bass figured at Salem from 1710 to 1716, as an 
attorney j and a member of the Legislature from Cape May, from 1717 to 1723 : but whether 
the same, or a relative, is uncertain. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUXTY. 






of the roads and Constable for Great Egg Harbor, confirms the 
opinion advanced by Mickle (page 38) that the County of Glouces- 
ter did not originally reach to the ocean, and that the inhabitants 
of the seaboard, or Great Egg Harbor, were under the jurisdiction 
of Cape May. The act of 1694, however, made them dependent 
upon Gloucester, and that of 1710 extended the County of Glouces- 
ter to the ocean. A passage from Oldmixon, 1708, heretofore 
quoted, that Cape May County extended to Little Egg Harbor at 
that time, is evidently incorrect. 

The following named persons purchased of the Agents of Dr. Cox 
and the West Jersey Society, mostly previous to 1696, some few as 
early as 1689, the number of acres attached to their respective names, 
viz : — * 



Christopher Leamyeng, 204 

"William Jacoks, 340 

Abigail Pine, 200 

Humphrey Hughes, 206 

Samuel Matthews, 175 

Jonathan Osborne, 110 

Nathaniel Short, 200 

Csesar Hoskins, 250 

Shamgar Hand, 700 

^Joseph Weldon, (Whilldin), 150 

Joseph Houlding, 200 

Dorothy Hdwit, 340 

Thomas Hand, 400 

John Taylor, 220 

John CurwiHi, 55 

John Shaw, 2 surveys, 315 

Timothy Brandreth, 110 

J.»hn Crawford, 380 

Ezekiel Eldridge, 00 

Oliver Russel, 170 

Samuel Crowell, 226 

John Carman, 250 

Thomas Gandy, 50 

Caleb Carman, 250 

* Trenton & Capo May Records. 



Acres. Acres. 

"William Mason, 150 

Henry Stites, 200 - 

Cornelius Skellinks, 134 

John Richardson, 124 

Arthur Cresse, 350 

Peter Causon, 400 

John Causon, 300 

John Townsend, 640 

Wm. Golden & Rem Garretson, ..1016 

"William Johnson, 436 

John Page, 125 

John Parsons, 315 

William Smith, 130 

George Taylor, 175 

Dennis Lynch, 300 

William Whitlock, 500 

Jacob Spicer, 2 surveys, 1000 

Benjamin Godfrey, 210 

Randal Ilewit, 140 

Elizabeth Carman, 300 

John Reeves, 100 

Benjamin Hand, 373 

James Stanfield, 100 



174 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUXTY. 



Some few of the above locations were made on the sea-shore ; but 
the larger proportion of them in the lower part of the county. In 
addition to those who located land previous to 1700, on the fore- 
going page, the following-named persons had resided, and were then 
residing in the county, many of whom possessed land by secondary 
purchase.* 



Thomas Leamyeng 
Alexander Humphries 
John Bribers 

DO 

Abraham Hand 

Shamgar Hand, Jr. 

Benjamin Hand, Jr. 

Daniel Johnson 

Oliver Johnson 

"William Harwood 

Jacob Dayton 

Richard Haroo 

Jonathan Crossle 

William Lake 

Theirs Raynor 

Thomas Matthews 

William Stillwell 

John Cresse 

Morris Raynor 

Joshua Howell 
Arthur Cresse, Jr. 

William Blackburry 

Daniel Carman 

Joseph Knight 

John Stillwell 

John Else 

John Steele 



Thomas Hand 

Joseph Ludlam, Sen. 

Anthony Ludlam 

Jonathan Pine 

John Wolredge 

John Jervis 

Jonathan Foreman 

Thomas Goodwin 

Jonathan High 

Edward Howell 

George Crawford 

Joseph Badcock «* 

William Dean 

Richard Jones 

John Howell 

Thomas Stanford 

George Noble 

John Wolly 

Peter Cartwright 
Abraham Smith 

John Hubard 

Thomas Miller 

Robert Crosby 

John Fish 

Lubbart Gilberson 

Edward Marshall 



* State and County Records. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 



175 



James Cresse 
William Simpkins 
Thomas Goodwin 
Thomas Clifton 
Joshua Carman 
William Duboldy 
James Marshall 
John Baily 
William Richardson 
Thomas Foster 
Thomas Hewit 
George Taylor, Jr. 
John Dennis 
Isaac Hand 
Daniel Hand 
Jeremiah Hand 
Joseph Hand 



Thomas Bancroft 
Edward Summis 
Henry Gray 
Abraham Weston 
Thomas Going 
Jonathan Edmunds 
Nicholas Martineau 
John Garlick 
Samuel Matthews, Jr. 
William Shaw 
Robert French 
Jeremiah Miller 
Zebulon Sharp 
William Sharwood 
John Story 
Richard Townsend 
Robert Townsend 



The following is from the manuscript of Thomas Learning, one 
of the early pioneers, who died in 1723, aged 49 years. 

" In July, 1674, I was born in Southampton on Long Island, 
When I was eighteen years of age (1692) I came to Cape May, 
and that winter had a sore fit of the fever and flux. The next summer 
I went to Philadelphia with my father Christopher, who was lame 
with a withered hand, which held him till his death. The winter 
following, I went a whaling, and we got eight whales ; and five of 
them we drove to the Hoarkills, and we went there to cut them up, 
and staid a month. The 1st day of May we came home to Cape 
May, and my father was very sick, and the third day, 1695, de- 
parted this life at the house of Shamgar Hand. Then I went to 
Long Island, staid that summer, and in the winter I went a whaling 
again, and got an old cow and a calf. In 1696, I went to whaling 
again, and made a great voyage; and in 1697, I worked for John 
Reeves all summer, and in the winter, went to whaling again. In 



176 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

1698, worked for John Crawford and on my own land ; and that 
winter had a sore fit of sickness at Henry Stites' ; and in the year 
1700, I lived at my own plantation and worked for Peter Corson. 
I was married in 1701 ; and 1703 I went to Cohansie, and fetched 
brother Aaron. In 1706, I built my house. Samuel Matthews 
took a horse from me worth £7, because I could not train. In 
1707, we made the county road." 

According to the same author, in the winter of 1713-14, the 
county came near being depopulated " by a grievous sickness,*' 
which carried off between forty and fifty of the inhabitants. " The 
disease came on with pain in the side, breast, and sometimes in the 
back, navel, tooth, eye, hand, feet, legs, or ear." Amongst the 
victims were Nicholas Stillwell, Arthur Cresses, Sen. and Jr., Reu- 
ben Swain, Richard Smith, Samuel Garretson, Cornelius Hand, 
Joseph Hewit, William Shaw,* John Reeves, Richard Fortesque, 
John Stillwell, James Garretson, Return Hand, John Foreman, 
Jedediah Hughes, John Matthews, Daniel Wells, and over twenty 
others." It can scarcely be conjectured from the above recital of 
symptoms, what the true character of the disease could have been. 
It was a severe retribution in a population of some two or three 
hundred ; and Providence alone, who saw proper to afflict, can solve 

the mystery. 

From second Aaron Learning's manuscript: — 

" My father's father, Christopher Learning, was an Englishman, 
and came to America in 1670, and landed near or at Boston ; thence 
to East Hampton. There he lived till about the year 1691, and 
then leaving his family at Long Island, he came himself to Cape 
May, which, at that time, was a new county, and beginning to settle 
very fast, and seemed to promise good advantages to the adven- 
turers. Here he went to whaling in the proper season, and at other 
times worked at the cooper's trade, which was his occupation, and 
good at the time by reason of the great number of whales caught in 

* Aaron Learning first, afterward married his widow. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 177 

those days, made the demand and pay for casks certain. He died 
of a pleurisie in 1696. His remains were interred at the place 
called Cape May Town, was situated next above now New England 
Town Creek, and contained about thirteen houses ; but, on the 
failure of the whale fishery in Delaware Bay, it dwindled into com- 
mon farms, and the grave-yard is on the plantation now owned by 
Ebenezer Newton. At the first settlement of the county, the chief 
whaling was in Delaware Bay, and that occasioned the town to be 
built there ; but there has not been one house in that town since 
my remembrance. In 1734 I saw the graves; Samuel Eldredge 
showed them to me. They were then about fifty rods from the 
Bay, and the sand was blown to them. The town was between 
them and the water. There were then some signs of the ruin of 
the houses. I never saw any East India tea till 1735. It was the 
Presbyterian parsons, the followers of Whitefield, that brought it into 
use at Cape May, about the year 1744-5-6; and now it im- 
poverisheth the country." 

" Aaron Learning (the first), of the County of Cape May, departed 
this life at Philadelphia, of a pleurisie, on the 20th June, 1746, 
about five o'clock in the afternoon. He was born at Sag, near East- 
hampton, on Long Island, Oct. 12th, 1687, being the son of Chris- 
topher Leamyeng (as he spelt his name), an Englishman, and Hester 
his wife, whose maiden name was Burnet, and was born in New 
England. Christopher Leamyeng owned a lot at Easthampton, but 
he came to Cape May, being a cooper, and stayed several years and 
worked at his trade; and about 1695-6 he died at Cape May, and 
his land fell to Thomas Leamyeng, his eldest son ; the rest was left 
poor." 

Aaron Learning was bound to Collins, a shoemaker in Connecticut, 
but did not serve his time out, and came into the Jerseys at about 
sixteen years of age, very poor, helpless, and friendless : embraced 
the Quaker religion, lived a time at Salem, came to Cape May while 
yet a boy (in 1703), settled at Goshen, raised cattle, bought a 
12 



178 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

shallop and went by water, gathered a considerable estate, but more 
knowledge than money. The 12th day of October, 1714, married 
Lydia Shaw, widow of William Shaw,* and daughter of John Par- 
sons. By her he had four children, Aaron, Jeremiah, Matthias, and 
Elizabeth. He was first a justice of the peace at Cape May. In 
1723 he was made Clerk of Cape May ; and in October, 1727, he 
was chosen assemblyman, and served in that post till July, 174-i. 
He was universally confessed to have had a superior knowledge ; he 
amassed large possessions, and did more for his children than any 
Cape May man has ever done. He left a clear estate, and wa3 
buried in the church-yard in Philadelphia. At Salem and Alloway's 
Creek he became acquainted with Sarah Hall, an aged Quaker lady, 
mother of Clement Hall. She herself was an eminent lawyer for 
those times, and had a large collection of books, and very rich, and 
took delight in my father on account of his sprightly wit and 
genius, and his uncommon fondness for the law, which he read in 
her library, though a boy, and very small of his age (for he was a 
little man), and could not write ; for the Presbyterians of New 
England had taken no other care of his education than to send him 
to meeting." 

Aaron Learning, the author of the foregoing manuscript relating 
to his father and grandfather, was one of the most prominent and 
influential men the county ever produced. The family lost nothing 
in caste through him. He was a heavy land operator, and a member 
of the Legislature for thirty years. From the manuscript he left 
behind him, which is quite voluminous, it would appear he was" a 
man of great industry and much natural good sense, well educated 
for the times, and withal a little tinged with aristocracy ; a trait 
of character not exceptionable under the royal prerogative. No 
man ever received greater honors from the county, and none, per- 
haps, better deserved them. The Legislature selected him, and 
Jacob Spicer second of our county, to compile the laws of the State, 

* William Shaw died in the epidemic of 1713. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. . 179 

known as " Learning and Spicer's Collection," a trust they executed 
to the satisfaction of the State and the people. He was born in 
171(3, and died in 1780. 

Another of the early settlers was "William Golden. He emigrated 
to Cape May in or about 1691. He was an Irishman, and espoused 
the cause of James against "William and Mary, and fought as an 
officer in the battle of the Boyne, in 1690. As he soon after came 
to America, he was most likely one of those stubborn Jacobite 
Catholics that William, in his clemency, gave permission to flee the 
country, or abide the just indignation of the Protestant authority 
for the part he took in said battle to promote its downfall. He, 
with Rem Garretson, located 1,016 acres of land at Egg Harbor, 
now Beesley's Point. He was one of the justices of the Court, and 
occupied other prominent stations. He died about 1715, leaving 
but few descendants ; one of whom, his great grandson, Rem G. 
Golding, now past eighty years old, lives near the first and original 
location, and has in his possession at the present time the sword 
with which his ancestor fought, and the epaulette which he wore at 
the battle of the Boyne. 

Benedict, in his history of the Baptists, says of Nathaniel Jen- 
kins, who was a Baptist minister, and a member of the Legislature 
from 1723 to 1733, he " became the pastor of the church in Cape 
May in 1712. Mr. Jenkins was a AVelchman, born in Cardigan- 
shire in 1678, arrived in America in 1710, and two years after 
settled at Cape May. He was a man of good parts, and tolerable 
education, and quitted himself with honor in the Loan office whereof 
he was trustee, and also in the Assembly, particularly in 1721 (3?), 
when a bill was brought in to punish such as denied the doctrine of 
the Trinity, the Divinity of Christ, the inspiration of the Holy 
Scriptures, kc. In opposition to which Mr. Jenkins stood up, and 
with the warmth and accent of a Welchnian said : * I believe the 
doctrines in question as much as the promoter of that ill-designed 
bill, but will never consent to oppose the opposers with law, or with 



180 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

any weapon save that of argument.' Accordingly the bill was sup- 
pressed, to the great mortification of those who wanted to raise in 
New Jersey the spirit which so raged in New England." 

Col. Jacob Spicer was in the county as early as 1691. He was a 
member of the Legislature fourteen years, from 1709 to 1723, and 
Surrogate from' 1723 to 1741 ; and for many years a justice of the 
Court. It is believed he came over with William Penn, and settled 
in the upper part of Gloucester a while previous to coming here.* 
Born in 1668 ; died, 1741. 

His son, Jacob Spicer, deserves a more particular notice. He 
was born in 1716. We have nothing to guide us in relation to his 
early days, or until lie became a member of the Legislature in 
1744, which station he occupied for a period of twenty-one years ; 
the first in connection with Henry Young, Esq., and afterwards, 
until his demise, with Aaron Learning (second) Esq. ; being almost a 
moiety of the time he lived. He bore a prominent part in the pro- 
ceedings and business of the House, as the journals of those days 
fully prove, and received the appointment in connection with Aaron 
Learning second to revise the laws of the State ; and " Learning and 

Spicer's Collection," the result of their labor, is well known at this 
day as a faithful exposition of the statutes. f He was a man of 
exemplary habits, strong and vigorous imagination, and strictly 
faithful in his business relations with his fellow-men, being punc- 
tilious to the uttermost farthing, as his diary and accounts fully 
attest. He carried system into all the ramifications of business ; 
nothing too small to escape the scrutiny of his active mind, nothing 
so large that it did not intuitively embrace. He married Judith 
Hughes, daughter of Humphrey Hughes, Esq., who died in 1747 ; 
and in 1751 he married Deborah Learning, widow of Christopher 

* J. Townsend's manuscript. 

f I am more particular to reiterate the fact of his being concerned with Aaron Learning 
in the work of compiling the laws, as Mickle, in his Reminiscences, claims the credit of it 
for Jacob Spicer, of Mullica Hill; which is no doubt an error, as I have the most indubi- 
table evidence to the contrary. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 181 

Learning. The written marriage agreement which he entered into 
with the said Deborah Learning, before consummating matrimony, 
is indicative of much sound sense and discriminating judgment. In 
1756 he purchased the interest of the " West Jersey Society" in 
the County of Cape May, constituting what has since been known 
as the Vacant Right. In 1762 he made his will of thirty-nine 
pages, the most lengthy and elaborate testamentary document on 
record in this or perhaps any other State. He left four children, 
Sarah, Sylvia, Judith, and Jacob; and it would be curious and in- 
teresting to trace their descendants down to the present day, whose 
goodly numbers, on the side of the daughter, are still mostly in the 
home and county of their ancestor; yet, upon the male side, the 
name of Spicer has nearly run out, and will soon, in this county, be 
among the things that were. He died in 1765, aged about forty- 
nine years, and was buried by the side of his father, in his family 
ground at Cold Spring; a spot now overgrown with large forest 
timber. 

Henry Stites, ancestor of all in the county of that name, came to the 
county about or in the year 1691. He located two hundred acres of 
land, including the place now belonging to the heirs of Eli Townsend. 
He made his mark, yet he afterwards acquired the art of writing, 
and was justice of the court for a long series of years, being noted 
such in 1746. He left a son Richard, who resided at Cape Island, 
and he a son John, from whom the Lower Township Stites' have 
descended. His son Isaiah, who died in 1767, and from whom the 
Stites' of the Upper, and part of the Middle Township have de- 
scended, lived on the places now occupied by his grandsons John 
and Townsend Stites, at Beesley's Point. The Middle Township 
Stites', below the Court House, are descendants of Benjamin Stites, 
who was probably a brother of Henry, and was in the county in 

1705. 

Nicholas Stillwcll, who was a member of the Legislature from 
1769 to 1771, was a son of John Stilhvell, of Town Bank. He 



182 EARLY niSTORT OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

purchased, in 1748, of Joseph Golden, the plantation at Beesley's 
Point, now owned by Capt. John S. Chattin. After his death, in 
1772, the place fell to his son, Capt. Nicholas Stillwell, who after- 
wards sold to Thomas Borden, who sold, in 1803, to Thomas Bees- 
ley, who resided on the premises until 1816, and on an adjoining 
property until his death in 1849. 

Capt. Nicholas Stillwell, son of the above, was an efficient officer 
of the Revolution. Capt. Moses Griffing, who married Sarah, a 
sister of Capt. Stillwell, was taken prisoner by the British towards 
the close of the war, and placed in the famous, or rather infamous 
New Jersey prison ship ; that undying stigma upon the name and 
fame of Britain, where the dying, the dead, the famished and famish- 
ing, were promiscuously huddled together. A truthful, yet romantic 
story could be told of his young wife, who, upon hearing of his un- 
fortunate imprisonment, true to her plighted vows, and actuated by 
a heroism which woman's love only can inspire, resolved to visit 
him and solicit his release, though one hundred miles distant 
through woods and wilds, marauders and tories, or die in the attempt. 
She made the camp of Washington in her route, who put under her 
charge a British officer ot equal rank with her husband. She 
reached New York in safety, and after a long and painful suspense 
Sir Henry Clinton yielded to her importunities; her husband was 
exchanged, and both made happy." 

John "Willets was the son of Hope Willets, and was born here in 
1688, married Martha Corson in 1716, left three sons, Isaac, James, 
and Jacob. He was Judge of the Court many years, a member of 
the Legislature in 1743, and was living in 1763. 

Among those who deserve a passing notice as one of Cape May's 
favorite sons, was Nicholas Willets, a grandson of John. In 1802 
he took up the profession of surveying, which he practiced with 
great success, and obtained the confidence and respect of all who 
knew him, by the sprightly and urbane deportment which he ever 

* Letter from Jared Griffing to Dr. R. Willets, 1S34 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 183 

manifested, together "with stern integrity and strict impartiality in 
his various business relations with his fellow man. It will be seen 
he was a member of the Legislature nine years, and closed a life of 
general usefulness in the year 1825, aged about fifty-six years. 

These biographical sketches of the pioneers of Cape May, might 
be extended much further, if the space allotted to the purpose 
would permit. I must therefore close with the following notices : — 

Joseph Ludlam was here in 1692, and made purchases of land on 
the sea-side, at Ludlam's Run, upon which he afterwards resided; 
and likewise purchased, in 1720, of Jacob Spicer, a large tract in 
Dennis's Xeck. He left four sons : Anthony (who settled upon the 
South Dennis property, which is yet owned in part by his descend- 
ants), Joseph, Isaac, and Samuel, from whom all the Ludlams of 
the county have descended. He died in 1761, aged eighty-six years.* 

John and Peter Corson came about the same time, 1692. The 
second generation was Peter, Jr., John, Jr., Christian, and Jacob. 
Peter represented the county in the Assembly in 1707. This 
family, all of whom are descendants of Peter and John, numbered 
in the county, at the census of 1850, 295 souls ; 253 of whom belong 
to the Upper Township. 6 to Dennis, 26 to the Middle, and 10 to 
the Lower Township. 

The Hand family was well represented amongst the early settlers, 
there being eleven persons of that name previous to 1700. 

John Townsend, the ancestor of all of that name now in the 
county, and of many in Philadelphia and elsewhere, came from 
Long Island by way of Egg Harbor, in or previous to 1691. He 
traveled down the sea-shore until he found a spot to suit him, where 
he cleared land, built a cabin and a grist-mill, and in 1096 located 
six hundred and fifty acres of land. Capt. Thompson Yangilder 
now owns the mill site, and a part of the adjacent property, for- 
merly John Townsend's, upon which he resides, lie left three sons, 
Pilchard, Robert, and Sylvanus. lie was sheriff of the county five 

* A. Learning's Memoirs. 



184 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

years, and departed this life in 1722. It will be seen by the county 
records and list of officers, that his descendants have acted a promi- 
nent part in the county, through the several generations that have 
passed away since 1691. 

Henry Young came about the year 1713. He served the county 
as Judge of the Court for many years, and was a member of the 
Legislature ten years. Judge Young was an extensive landholder, 
Deputy Surveyor, and was Judge of the Court from 1722 till his 
death in 1767. He was Surrogate from 1743 to 1768. He was a 
surveyor and scrivener ; and no one, of those times, was more highly 
respected, or acted a more prominent and useful part. All of the 
name now in the county have descended from him. 

Jonathan Swain and Richard Swain, of Long Island, were here 
in 1706, and soon after their father, Ebenezer Swain, came to 
Cape May, and followed whaling; Jonathan being a cooper for 
them. Their immediate descendants were Zebulon, 1721; Elemuel, 
1724 ; Reuben, who died in the epidemic of 1713 ; and Silas, 1733. 
There was a Capt. Silas Swain in 1778, from whom has descended 
Joshua Swain, recently deceased, who held many important trusts 
in the county, as sheriff, member of the Legislature nine years, 
and a member of the convention to draft the new Constitution in 
1844. 

Cape May has never had the honor of but one representative 
in Congress, and he was the Hon. Thomas H. Hughes, from 1829 
to 1833. He was likewise a member of the Legislature nine years. 

In the Upper Township, William Goldens, Sen. and Jr., Rem 
Garretson, John and Peter Corson, John Willets, John Hubbard, 
and soon after Henry Young, were the pioneers, and at a later day 
John Mackey at Tuckahoe, and Abraham and John Yangilder at 
Petersburgh. In Dennis, being a part of the old Upper precinct, 
we find on the seaboard Joseph Ludlam, John Townsend, Robert 
Richards and Sylvanus Townsend, sons of John, Benjamin God- 
frey, and John Reeves, who were among the earliest settlers. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 185 

Dennisville was settled upon the south side of the creek, in or 
about 1726, by Anthony Ludlam, and some few years afterwards 
the north side by his brother Joseph, both being sons of Joseph 
Ludlam, of Ludlam's Run, sea-side. David Johnson was here in 
1765, and owned at the time of his death, in 1805, a large scope 
of land on the north side of Dennis * Creek. James Stephenson 
purchased of Jacob Spicer, in the year 1748, the property now 
owned and occupied by his grandson Enoch, now aged over eighty- 
five years. East and West Creek were settled by Joseph Savage 
and John Goff, the last of whom was here as early as 1710. He 
had a son John, and his numerous descendants now occupy that 
portion of the county. 

In the Middle Township, we may name on the seaboard, in the 
order in which they resided, Thomas Learning, John Reeves, Henry 
Stites, Shamgar Hand, Samuel Matthews, and John Parsons. Wil- 
liam and Benjamin Johnson, Yelverson Crowell, and Aaron Learn- 
ing, first, were first at Goshen, the latter with the ostensible object 
of raisins; stock. 

Cape May Court House has been the county seat since 1745. 
Daniel Hand presented the county with an acre of land, as a site 
for the county buildings erected at that time. But little improve- 
ment was made until within the present century, the last twenty- 
five years having concentrated a sufficiency of inhabitants to build 
up a village of its present extent and proportions, embellished by 
the county, with a new and commodious Court House, and by the 
people, with two beautiful new churches, one for the Baptist and an- 
other for the Methodist persuasion. 

In the Lower Township, the greater proportion of those who lo- 
cated land (see list) were congregated, some at New England, some 
at Town Bank, and others at Cold Spring, and on the sea-shore 
above and below. 

Cape Island was owned previous to 1700 by Thomas Hand, (who 
bought of William Jacocks,) Randal Ilcwit, and Humphrey Hughes. 



186 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

Few settlements, and but little alteration occurred with Cape Island 
until recently. 

Thomas H. Hughes, Jonas Miller, R. S. Ludlam, and the 
Messrs. McMakin, were among the first to venture the experiment 
of erecting large and commodious boarding-houses, who were fol- 
lowed by a host of others, dnd an impetus was given to the enter- 
prise, that has built up a city where a few years ago corn grew and 
verdure flourished. 

As a watering-place it stands among the most favored on the 
coast, and the shore and bathing grounds are perhaps unrivaled. 

In 1689, as noted in deeds to William Jacocks and Humphrey 
Hughes, the distance from the sea across the island to the creek 
was 265 perches. As the deed calls for a line of marked trees, it 
must have been on the upland, at which place the distance has been 
greatly reduced by the inroads of the sea since that time. 

In 1 7 56 Jacob Spicer advertised to barter goods for all kinds 
of produce and commodities, and among the rest particularly de- 
signated wampum. He offered a reward of £5 to the person that 
should manufacture the most wampum ; and advertised, " I design 
to give all due encouragement to the people's industry, not only by 
accepting cattle, sheep, and staple commodities in a course of barter, 
but also a large quantity of mittens will be taken, and indeed a 
clam shell formed in wampum, a yarn-thrum, a goose-quill, a horse 
hair, a hog's bristle, or a grain of mustard seed, if tendered, shall 
not escape my reward, being greatly desirous to encourage industry, 
as it is one of the most principal expedients under the favor of 
Heaven, that can revive our drooping circumstances at this time of 
uncommon, but great and general burden." 

In another place he advertises for a thousand pairs of woolen 
stockings, to supply the army then in war with the French. He 
succeeded in procuring a quantity of the wampum, and before send- 
ing it off to Albany and a market, weighed a shot-bag full of silver 
coin and the same shot-bag full of wampum, and found the latter 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 187 

most valuable by ten per cent. The black wampum was most 
esteemed by the Indians, the white being of little value. 

Thompson, in his history of Long Island, page 60, says : " The 
immense quantity which was manufactured here may account for 
the fact, that in the most extensive shell banks left by the 
Indians, it is rare to find a whole shell ; having all been broken in 
the process of making the wampum." This curious fact applies 
especially to Cape May, where large deposits of shells are to be 
seen, mostly contiguous to the bays and sounds ; yet it is rare to 
see a piece larger than a shilling, and those mostly the white part 
of the shell, the black having been selected for wampum. 

Of the aborigines of Cape May little seems to be known. It 
has been argued they were very inconsiderable at the advent of 
the Europeans." Plantagenet in 1648, "j" speaks of a tribe of 
Indians near Cape May, called Kechemeches, who mustered about 
fifty men. The same author estimates the whole number in West 
Jersey at eight hundred ; and Oldmixon, in 1T08, computes that 
"they had been reduced to one quarter of that number." It can- 
not be denied by any one who will view the seaboard of our county, 
that they were very numerous at one time here, which is evidenced 
by town plats, extensive and numberless shell banks, arrow heads, 
stone hatchets, burying grounds, and other remains existing with us. 
One of those burying grounds is on the farm formerly Joshua Gar- 
retson's, near Beesley's Point, which was first discovered by the 
plowman. The bones (1826) were much decomposed, and some of 
the tibia or leg bones bore unmistakable evidences of syphilis, one 
of the fruits presented them by their Christian civilizers. A skull 
was exhumed which must have belonged to one of great age, as the 
sutures were entirely obliterated, and the tables firmly cemented toge- 
ther. From the superciliary ridges, which were well developed, the 
frontal bone receded almost on a direct line to the place of the occipi- 
tal and parietal sutures, leaving no forehead, and had the appearance 

* Gordon, p. 62 f Master Evelin's Letter. 



188 EARLY HISTORY OF CArE MAY COUNTY. 

of having been done by artificial means, as practiced at present on 
the Columbia among the Flat Heads. A jaw-bone of huge dimen- 
sions was likewise found, which was coveted by the observer ; but 
the superstitions of the owner of the soil believing it was sacrile- 
gious, and that he would be visited by the just indignation of 
Heaven if he suffered any of the teeth to be removed, prevailed on 
us to return it again to its mother earth. 

In 1630, when sixteen miles square was purchased of nine Indian 
chiefs, it would infer their numbers must have been considerable, 
or so numerous a list of chiefs could not have been found on a spot 
so limited. Yet, in 1692, we find them reduced to fractional parts, 
and besotted with rum.* 

A tradition is related by some of the oldest inhabitants, that in 
the early part of the eighteenth century, the remnant of Indians 
remaining in the county, feeling themselves aggrieved in various 
ways by the presence of the whites, held a council in the evening 
in the woods back of Gravelly Run, at which they decided to emi? 
grate ; which determination they carried into effect the same night.- 
Whither they went no one knew, nor were they heard from after- 
wards. In less than fifty years from the first settlement of the 
county, the aborigines had bid a final adieu to their ocean haunts 
and fishing grounds. 

Less than two centuries ago Cape May, as well as most other 
parts of our State, was a wilderness ; her fields and lawns were 
dense and forbidding forests ; the stately Indian roved over her 
domain in his native dignity and grandeur, lord of the soil, and 
master of himself and actions, with few wants and numberless faci- 
lities for supplying them. Civilization, his bane and dire enemy, 
smote him in a vital part ; he dwindled before it as the reed before 
the fiame ; and was soon destroyed by its influences, or compelled to 
emigrate to other regions to prolong for a while the doom affixed to 
his name and nation. 

* Court Records and Proud's Pennsylvania. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 189 

The following (synopsis of an) Indian deed, and believed to be 
the only one that has been handed down, was found among the 
papers of Jacob Spicer, and is now in the possession of Charles 
Ludlam, Esq., of Dennisville. 

It was given January 1st, 1687, by Panktoe to John Dennis, for 
a tract of land near Cape Island, viz. : " Beginning from the creek 
and so running up into the woodland, along by Carman's line to a 
white oak tree, at the head of the swamp, and running with marked 
trees to a white oak by a pond joining to Jonathan Pine's bounds. 
All the land and marsh lying and between the bounds above men- 
tioned and Cape Island." 

The witnesses were Abiah Edwards and John Carman. Pank- 
toe's mark bore a striking resemblance to a Chinese character. 

In 1758, the commissioners appointed by the legislature, of 
whom Jacob Spicer of our county was one, for the purpose of ex- 
tinguishing the Indian title in the State, by special treaty, met at 
Crosswicks, and afterwards at Easton, and among the lists of land 
claimed by the Indians were the following tracts in Cape May and 
Egg Harbor. " One claimed by Isaac Still, from the mouth of the 
Great Egg Harbor River to the head branches thereof, on the east 
side, so to the road that leads to Great Egg Harbor ; so along the 
road to the seaside, except Tuckahoe, and the Somers, Steelman, 
and Scull places." 

" Jacob Mullis claims the pine lands on Edge Pillock Branch 
and Goshen Neck Branch, where Benjamin Springer and George 
Marpole's mill stands, and all the land between the head branches 
of those creeks, to where the waters join or meet." 

" Abraham Logues claims the cedar swamp on the east side of 
Tuckahoe Branch, which John Champion and Peter Campbell have 
or had in possession." 

" Also, Stuypson's island, near Delaware River."* 



*s 



mith's Now Jersey. 



190 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

" At a court of the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, holclen 
at the house of Robert Townsend, on the 2d day of April, 1723 : 

" Justices Present. — Jacob Spicer, (first), Humphrey Hughes, Ro- 
bert Townsend, John Hand, Henry Young, William Smith. 

" The county divided into precincts, excepting the Cedar Swamp ; 
the Lower precinct, being from John Taylor's branch to the middle 
main branch of Fishing Creek, and so down ye said branch and 
creek to the mouth thereof." 

" Middle precinct, to be from the aforesaid John Taylor's branch 
to Thomas Learning's, and from thence to a creek called Dennis 
Creek, and so down the said creek to the bay shore, along the bay 
to Fishing Creek." 

" The Upper precinct, to be the residue of the said county, ex- 
cepting the Cedar Swamp,* which is to be at the general charge of 
the county." 

In the year 1826, Dennis township was set off from the Upper 
township by a line from Ludlam's Run to the county line, near Lud- 
lam's Bridge. 

Previous to the year 1745, the courts were held for the most part 
in private dwellings. At this date, however, a new house had been 
■constructed upon the lot still occupied for the purpose, and the first 
Court held in it ; " On the third Tuesday of May, 1745, the follow- 
ing officers and jurors were present : 

" Justices Present. — Henry Young, Henry Stites, Ebenezer Swain, 
Kathaniel Foster — Jacob Hughes, Sheriff ; Elijah Hughes, Clerk. 

" Grand Jurors. — John Leonard, John Scull, Noah Garrison, 
Peter Corson, Joseph Corson, George Hollingshead, Clement Da- 
niels, Benjamin Johnson, Jeremiah Hand, Thomas Buck, Joseph 
Badcock, Isaiah Stites, Joseph Edwards, James Godfrey, Thomas 

* Meaning the Long Bridge road over the Cedar Swamp, so essential to the people at 
that time as thr only road off the Cape, and was always a county road until 1790., when the 
road over Dennis Creek, which is likewise a county road, was made where it now exists. 

The toll-bridge over Cedar Swamp Creek, at Petersburgh, was built in 1762, which 
opened a more direct communication with the upper part of the county. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE UAY COUNTY, 191 

Smith, Isaac Townsend, Ananias Osborne, Robert Cresse, and 
Thomas Hewitt." 

From Thomas Chalkley's journal, a traveling Friend from Eng- 
land, dated 2nd month, 1726, it appeared to have been a wilderness 
between Cohansey and Cape May. 

" From Cohansey I went through the wilderness over Maurice 
River, accompanied by James Daniel, through a miry, boggy way, 
in which we saw no house for about forty miles, except at the ferry; 
and that night we got to Richard Townsend's, at Cape May. where 
we were kindly received. Next day we had a meeting at Rebecca 
Garretson's, and the day after a pretty large one at Richard Town- 
send's, and then went down to the Cape, and had a meeting at John 
Page's ; and next day another at Aaron Learning's ; and several ex- 
pressed their satisfaction with those meetings, I lodged two nights 
at Jacob Spicer's, my wife's brother. From Cape May, we traveled 
along the sea-coast to Egg Harbor. We swam our horses over Egg 
Harbor River, and went over ourselves in canoes ; and afterward 
had a meeting at Richard Sumers, which was a large one as could 
be expected, considering the people live at such distance from each 
other." 

Jacob Spicer, in his Diary, gives us the following estimate of the 
resources and consumption of the county, in the year 1758. 

" And as my family consists of twelve in number, including my- 
self, it amounts to each individual £1 3s. 8JcZ. annual consumption 
of foreign produce and manufacture. But perhaps the populace in 
general may not live at a proportionate expense with my family, I'll 
only suppose their foreign consumption may stand at c£4 to an indi- 
vidual, as the county consisted of 1100 souls in the year 1746, since 
which time it has increased ; then the consumption of this county 
of foreign manufacture and produce, will stand at £4400 annually, 
near one half of which will be linens. 



192 EARLY HISTORY OP CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

" The Stock article of the county is about £1200 

There is at least ten boats belonging to the county which carry oysters ; 
and admit they make three trips fall and three trips spring, each, and 
carry 100 bushels each trip, that makes 6000 bushels at what they 

neat 2s. per bushel 600 

There is 14 pilots, which at £30 per annum, 420 

Mitten article for the present year, 500 

Cedar posts, 300 

White Cedar lumbar, 500 

Add for boards, 200 

Pork and gammons, 200 

Deer skins and venison hams, 120 

Furs and feathers, 100 

Hides and tallow, 120 

Flax seed, neats', tongues, bees' wax, and myrtle, 80 

Tar, : 60 

Coal, 30 



£4430 



Annual consumption of county, £4400 

Add public taxes, 160 

For a Presbyterian minister, 60 

For a Baptist minister, 40 

Education of youth, 90 

Doctor for man and beast, 100 

4850 

£420 

Id arear £420, to be paid by some uncertain fund, or left as a debt." 

It appears by the above statement, the mitten article of trade 
in 1758 amounted to the sum of £500, which was quite a reward 
to the female industry of the county. The manner in which the 
mitten trade was first established, is related in a letter from Dr. 
Franklin to Benjamin Vaughan, dated Passy, July 26th, 1748, " on 
the benefits and evils of luxurv." 

" The skipper of the shallop employed between Cape May and 
Philadelphia, had done us some service, for which he refused to be 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 193 

paid. My wife, understanding he had a daughter, sent her a pre- 
sent of a new-fashioned cap. Three years afterward, this skipper 
being at my house with an old farmer of Cape May, his passenger, 
he mentioned the cap and how much his daughter had been pleased 
with it ; but, said he, ' it proved a dear cap to our congregation.' 
How so ? 6 When my daughter appeared with it at meeting, it was 
so much admired, that all the girls resolved to get such caps from 
Philadelphia ; and my wife and I computed that the whole would 
not have cost less than one hundred pounds.' ; True,' said the far- 
mer, ' but you do not tell all the story. I think the cap was never- 
theless an advantage to us ; for it was the first thing that put our 
girls upon knitting worsted mittens for sale at Philadelphia, that 
they might have wherewithal to buy caps and ribbons there ; and 
you know that that industry has continued, and is likely to continue 
and increase to a much greater value, and answer better purposes.' 
Upon the whole, I was more reconciled to this little piece of luxury, 
since not only the girls were made happier by having fine caps, bu| 
Philadelphians by the supply of warm mittens."* 

" March 13th, 1761. — The election of Representatives began ; 
and on the 14th, it was ended, when the poll was : — 

"Jacob Spicer, 72; Aaron Learning, 112; Joseph Corson, 41. 
Whole amount of votes polled, 225. Spicer and Learning elected."! 

In the year 1752, an association of a large number of persons 
was formed for the purpose of purchasing of the West Jersey So- 
ciety their interest in the county, having particular regard to the 
Natural Privileges. These privileges, consisting of fishing and 
fowling and all the articles of luxury and use obtained from the 
bays and sounds, were held in high estimation ; and it was difficult 
to name a valuation upon a right so endeared to the people as this. 
This association being slow and cautious in its movements was no 
doubt astounded, in the year 1750, to find that Jacob Spicer, upon 
his own responsibility, had superceded them, and had purchased 

* Frankliu's Works, 2nd Vol., page 577. f A Loauiing's Memoirs. 

13 



194 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

tliD right of the Society, through their acknowledged agent, Dr. 
Johnson, of Perth Amboy, not only in the Natural Privileges, but in 
the unlocated land in the whole county. Spicer, although he did 
not attempt or desire to prevent the people from using and occupy- 
ing these privileges as they had heretofore done, received for his 
share in the transaction a large amount of obloquy and hostile feel- 
ing, which required all the energy and moral courage he possessed 
to encounter. He was publicly arraigned by the people ; the follow- 
ing account being from his own pen. 

"Went to hear myself arraigned by Mr. Aaron Learning and 
others before the Public, at the Presbyterian Meeting-house, for buy- 
ing the Society's Estate at Cape May, and at same time desired to 
know whether I would sell or not. I said not. He then threatened 
me with a suit in chancery to compel me to abide by the first asso- 
ciation, though the people had declined it, and many of the original 
subscribers had dashed out their names. I proposed to abide the 
suit, and told him he might commence it. If I should see a bargain 
to my advantage, then I told the people I should be inclined to sell 
them the natural privileges, if I should advance myself equally 
otherwise ; but upon no other footing whatever, of which I would 
be the judge. "* 

The following is Aaron Learning's version of the affair. 

<; March 26th, 1761. — About forty people met at the Presbyte- 
rian Meeting-house to ask Mr. Spicer if he purchased the Society's 
reversions at Cape May for himself or for the people. He answers 
he bought it for himself; and upon asking him whether he will 
release to the people, he refuses, and openly sets up his claim to the 
oysters, to Basses' titles, and other deficient titles, and to a resurvey, 
whereupon the people broke up in great confusion, as they have been 
for some considerable time past."f 

Jacob Spicer, at his death in 1765, left these privileges which 
eeemed to be so exciting to the people, to his son Jacob, who, about 

* Spicer's Diary. f A Learning's Memoirs. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 19-5 

the year 1795, conveyed by deed to a company or association of 
persons, his entire right to the natural privileges, which were used 
and viewed as a bona fide estate, and the Legislature passed acts 
of incorporation, giving them plenary powers to defend themselves 
from foreign and domestic aggression, thus virtually acknowledging 
the validity of their title. Previous to the year 1840, a suit was 
instituted in East Jersey, the result of which was favorable to the 
proprietors ; but on an appeal to the United States' Supreme Court 
from the Circuit below, the decision was reversed, confirming the 
right of the State to all the immunities and privileges of the water 
thereof, barring out the proprietary claims altogether, and establish- 
ing the principle that the State possessed the right as the guardian 
and for the use of the whole people, in opposition to the claims of 
individuals or associations, however instituted or empowered. 

In June following he offered them his whole landed estate and 
the natural privileges in the county, excepting his farm in Cold 
Spring Neck, and a right for his family in the privileges, for <£7000, 
which offer was declined.* 

He further states : " Mr. James Godfrey, m behalf of the Upper 
Precinct, applied to me to purchase the natural privileges in that 
precinct. I told him I should be glad to gratify that precinct, and 
please myself also ; and could I see a prospect of making a good 
foreign purchase, and thereby exchange a storm for a calm to equal 
advantage to my posterity, I should think it advisable ; and in that 
case, if I sold, I should by all means give the public a preference, 
but at present did not incline to sell. I remarked to him this 
was a delicate affair, that I did not know well how to conduct 
myself, for I was willing to please the people, and at the same 
time to do my posterity justice, and steer clear of reflection. Be- 
collecting that old Mr. George Taylor, to the best of my memory, 
obtained a grant for the Five-Mile Bench and the Two-Mile Beach, 
and, if I mistake not, the cedar-swamps and pines for his own I 

* Spicer's Diary. 



196 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

and his son John Taylor reconveyed it for about £9, to buy his 
wife Margery a calico gown, for which he was derided for his 
simplicity." 

In the contest of our forefathers for independence, nothing praise- 
worthy can be said of the other counties of the State, that would 
not apply to Cape May. She was ever ready to meet the demands 
made upon her by the Legislature and the necessities of the times 
whether that demand was for money or men. Being exposed, in 
having a lengthened water frontier, to the attacks and incursions 
of the enemy, it was necessary to keep in readiness a flotilla of 
boats and privateers, which were owned, manned, and armed by the 
people, and were successful in defending the coast against the 
British as well as refugees. Many prizes and prisoners were taken, 
which stand announced in the papers of the day as creditable to the 
parties concerned.* Acts of valor and daring might be related of 
this band of boatmen, which would not discredit the name of a 
Somers, or brush a laurel from the brow of their compatriots in 
arms. The women were formed into committees, for the purpose 
of preparing clothing for the army ; and acts of chivalry and forti- 
tude were performed by them, which were equally worthy of their 
fame and the cause they served. To record a single deserving 
act, would do injustice to a part ; and to give a place to all who 
signalized themselves, would swell this sketch beyond its prescribed 
limits. 

Of those who served in a civil capacity, no one perhaps deserved 
better of his country than Jesse Hand. He was a member- of the 
Provincial Congress of 1775 and 1776, which, on the 21st of June, 
in the latter year, at Burlington, resolved a new State govern- 
ment should be formed. He was likewise a member of Council 
in '79, '80, '82 and '83. He was selected by the county in con- 
junction with Jacob Eldridge and Matthew Whillden, to meet the 
convention at Trenton, on the second Tuesday of December, 1787, 

* Collins' Gazette, State Library. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 197 

to ratify the Constitution of the tJnited States, which was unani- 
mously adopted on the 19th, when the members went in solemn 
procession to the Court House, where the ratification was publicly 
read to the people, New Jersey being the third State to ratify. He 
was entrusted by the Legislature with another important trust, viz : 
that of a member of the Committee of Public Safety from '77 to '81. 
The duties of this committee were arduous and responsible.* 

He created great astonishment with the people, when he pre- 
sented to their wondering eyes the first top-carriage (an old-fash- 
ioned chair) that was ever brought into the county. The horse- 
cart was the favorite vehicle in those times, whether for family 
visiting, or going-to-meeting purposes ; and any innovation upon 
these usages, or those of their ancestors, was looked upon with 
jealousy and distrust. 

Elijah Hughes was a member of the Provincial Congress in 1776, 
and was one of the committee of ten, appointed on the 24th of June, 
to prepare a Constitution, which was adopted and confirmed on the 
2d day of July, two days before the Declaration of Independence.! 

Those who first located lands in the county, were particular to 
select such portions as were contiguous to the waters of the bay 
or ocean ; hence the sea-shore and bay-shore were first settled upon, 
evidently for the purpose of being within reach of the oysters, fish, 
and clams, abounding in our waters. Thus we find the whole sea- 
shore from Beesley's Point to Cape Island, a continuous line of 
farms and settlements, regardless of the quality of the soil ; whilst 
the interior portion, and considered by some much the better part, 
remains to this day unimproved and uncultivated. 

Between the years of 1740 and '50, the cedar-swamps of the county 
were mostly located ; and the amount of lumber since taken from 
them is incalculable, not only as an article of trade, but to supply 
the home demand for fencing and building materials in the county. 
Large portions of these swamps have been worked a second, and 

* Minutes of Coinuiittco. f Guidon. 



198 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

some a third time, since located. At the present time, there is 
not an acre of original growth of swamp standing, having all passed 
away before the resistless sway of the speculator or the consumer. 
The annual growth is sufficient to fill our wharves yearly with 
many thousands of rails and sawed lumber. 

It was not until recently, within the present century, that cord- 
wood became a staple article of trade. Many thousand cords are 
annually shipped from the county, m return for goods and produce 
of various descriptions, of which flour and corn were formerly the 
most heavy articles. 

The failure in some measure of wood and lumber, and the im- 
provements progressing in all parts of our State in agricultural 
pursuits, have prompted our farmers to keep pace with the era of 
progression, so much so that the corn and wheat now raised in the 
county, fall but little short of a supply; and when the grand desi- 
deratum shall have been achieved, of supplying our own wants in 
the great staple of corn and flour, it will be a proud day for Cape 
May, and her people will be stimulated to greater exertions, from 
which corresponding rewards and benefits may arise. 

Being partially surrounded by water, inducements were extended 
to her sons at an early day to engage in maritime pursuits. As 
early as 1698, Richard Harvo owned a sloop; and in 1705, Gov. 
Cornbury granted a license to Capt. Jacob Spicer, of the sloop 
Adventure, owned by John and Richard Townsend, burden sixteen 
tons. The license privileged her to run between Cape May, Phila- 
delphia, and Burlington ; and in 1706, Dennis Lynch built and 
owned the sloop Necessity. About the year 1760, there were nu- 
merous boats trading from the county to Oyster Bay, L. I., and 
Rhode Island and Connecticut, carrying cedar lumber mostly ; and 
others to Philadelphia, with oysters and produce of various kinds. 
Spicer shipped considerable quantities of corn, which he purchased 
of the people in the way of trade and cash, and forwarded to a 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 



199 



market. He owned a vessel which he occasionally sent to the "West 
Indies.* 

It is supposed at the present time, that about one-fifth of the entire 
male population are engaged in this pursuit ; and a more hardy and 
adventurous band never sailed from any port ; no sea or ocean 
where commerce floats a sail, they do not visit if duty calls. 

The Pilots of Cape Island are likewise renowned for their skill 
and enterprise in the way of their profession. They brave 
the tempest and the storm to relieve the mariner in distress, or to 
conduct the steamer, the ship, or the barque to the haven of her 
destination. There were fourteen pilots at the Cape in 1758 : at 
the present time their numbers are about trebled, being thirty-five 
in 1850. 

The population* of Cape May, at different periods since the year 
1726, was as follows, viz. : 



Tears. 


Population. 


Slaves. 


Free Colored. 


Quakers. 


1726 


668 








1738 


1004 


42 






1745 


1188 






54 


1790 


2571 


141 






1800 


3066 


98 






1810 


3632 


81 






1820 


4265 


28 


205 




1830 


4936 


Q 
O 


225 




1840 


5324 




218 




1850 


6433 




247 




1855 


6935 




297 





The population meets with an unceasing annual drain in the way 
of emigration. Numerous families, every spring and fall, sell off 
their lands and effects to seek a home in the far West. Illinois has 
heretofore been the State that has held out most inducements to 
the emigrant, and there are at present located in the favored county 
of Sangamon, in that State, some sixty or seventy families, which 
have removed from this county within a few years past, most of 

* Spicer's Diary. 

j- Manuscript proceedings of Assembly, State Library, and Census Reports. 



200 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

whom, be it said, are blessed with prosperity and happiness. Many 
of her people are to be found in the other free States of the West. 
Peter Fretwell, the first member from the county after the sur- 
render, and the first on record that ever represented her, belonged 
to Burlington. He was a Friend and a cotemporary of Samuel 
Jennings, as the record of the monthly meeting there attests, and 
came over in the ship Shield, in 1678,* with Mahlon Stacy, Thoma3 
Revel, and others. It is curious that he, a non-resident, should 
have been selected to represent the county in the Assembly for a 
period of twelve years ; yet such is the fact, and I cannot find that 
Jacob Huling, who was a member in 1716, or Jeremiah Bass, from 
1717 to 1723, ever resided permanently here. The balance of the 
list of representatives were all legitimately Cape May men, and 
taken in a body were the bone and sinew of the county. Of some 
of those ancient worthies in the list we know but little, except that 
they held important offices of trust and responsibility. Others 
among them seemed to live more for posterity than themselves, by 
inditing almost daily the passing events of the times, and they are 
consequently better known and appreciated. Their writings at that 
day might have seemed to possess but little attraction, yet they 
have become interesting through age, and valuable as links in the 
chain which connects our early history with the reminiscences and 
associations of times more recent ; and to carry out this con- 
nection, it will be the duty of some faithful chronicler to unite the 
history of those times and the present, which is so rapidly giving 
place to the succeeding generation, by a descriptive and truthful 
account, more full and complete, as the data and material incident 
to later times are more abundant and illustrative. The troubles, 
perplexities, and trials the members of Assembly endured previous 
to the Revolution, in visiting the seat of government at Amboy and 
Burlington, to attend the public service, cannot in this age of rail- 
roads and steam be appreciated or realized. A single illustration 

* Smith's "New Jersey. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 201 

will suffice for all. Aaron Learning gives an account of his journey 
to Amboy in 1759, on horseback, as follows :* 

" March 3d. Set out from home; lodged at Tarkil; arrived at 
Philadelphia on the 5th. On the 6th, rid to Burlington. 7th. 
Extreme cold ; rid to Crosswicks, and joined company with Mr. 
Miller ; rid to Cranberry, where we overtook Messrs. Hancock, 
Smith, and Clement, (of Salem) who had laid up all day by reason 
of the cold. 8th. Got to Amboy. 17th. Had the honor to dine 
with his excellency governor Bernard, with more of the members 
of the house. It was a plentiful table, but nothing very extraor- 
dinary. The cheese he said was a Gloucestershire cheese ; "was a 
present to him, and said that it "weighed 105 pounds when he first 
had it. He says its the collected milk of a whole village that 
makes these cheeses, each one measuring in their milk, and taking 
its value in cheese. 

"19th. Left Amboy for home. 20th. Rid to Cranberry, and 
lodged at Dr. Stites'. 25th. Arrived home." 

In July, 1761, he attended the Assembly at Burlington on the 
6th, and broke up on the 8th, and says : " July 9th. I set out home- 
ward. 11th. Got home, having been extremely unwell, occasioned 
by the excessive heat. Almost ever since I went away, the 5th, 
6th, 7th, and 8th, were the hottest days by abundance that ever I 
was acquainted with." 

" Sept. 3d. A rain fell five inches on a level. The lower end of 
Cape May has been so dry that there will not be but one-third of a 
crop of corn — here it is wet enough the whole season." 

" 14th. "Went a fishing, and caught thirty-nine sheepshead." 

It has not been necessary to enter into any disquisition of the 
soil, productions, geological aspect of the county, or the general 
statistics thereof, which are so ably set forth in the report, to which 
this is but an accompaniment. 

In justice to this sketch of Cape May, in which an attemjt has 

* A. Learning's Memoirs. 



202 EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 

been made to elucidate her early history, by collecting a few relics 
and incidents of men and things, from the scattered fragments that 
have survived oblivion since her first settlement, it will be proper to 
state, the space allotted for the purpose is insufficient to enter into 
a more extended detail, or to embody but a small portion of the 
material that years of inquiry and research have accumulated. 
A history of the rise and progress of the different religious deno- 
minations, and the numerous new and beautiful churches they have 
erected in later years, would of itself form an interesting sketch, 
yet it is necessarily postponed. The author has, therefore, sought 
to give such portions of it, for the most part, as relate to the ear- 
lier times, believing they would be of more particular interest, and 
more gratifying to the generality of readers than those of a more 
recent date. 

As no system, as said before, could be observed in the arrange- 
ment, except in the way of chronology, it is submitted in a form 
imperfect and diversified, which will be better described in the lan- 
guage of the poet : 

" Various ; that the mind 
Of desultory man, studious of change, 
And pleased with novelty, may he indulged." 

Cowper. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 



203 



MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE. 



A List of the 31emhers of the Legislature, from the first record of them 
after the surrender of the Government in Queen Anne's reign in 1702 
to the present time. 



COUNCIL. 


DATE. 




1702 to 1707 




1707 to 1708 




1708 to 1709 




1709 to 1716 




1716 to 1717 




1717 to 1723 




1723 to 1733 




1733 to 1740 




1740 to 1743 




1743 to 1744 




1744 to 1745 




1745 to 1769 




1709 to 1771 




1771 to 1773 




1773 to 1776 


Jonathan Hand, 


1776 to 1775 


Jonathan Jenkins, 


1778 to 1779 


Jesse Hand, 


1-79 to 1780 


Jesse Hand, 


1780 to 1781 


Elijah Hughes, 


1781 to 1782 


Jesse Hand, 


1782 to 1783 


Jesse Hand, 


1783 to 1784 


Jeremiah Eldredge, 


1784 to 1785 


Elijah Hughes, 


1785 to 1786 


Jeremiah Eldredge, 


1786 to 1787 


Jeremiah Eldredge, 


1787 to 1788 


Jeremiah Eldredge, 


1788 to 1789 


Jeremiah Eldredge, 


1789 to 1790 


Jeremiah Eldredge, 


1790 to 1791 


Jeremiah Eldredge, 


1791 to 1792 


Jeremiah Eldredge, 


1792 to 1793 


Jeremiah Eldredge, 


1793 to 1794 


Matthew Whillden, 


1794 to 1795 



ASSEMBLY. 



: Peter Fretwell. 
I Peter Corson. 
lEzekiel Eldredge. 

Jacob Spicer, Peter Fretwell. 

Jacob Spicer, Jacob Huling. 

Jacob Spicer, Jeremiah Ba.-s. 

Humphrey Hughes, Nathaniel Jenkins, 

Aaron Learning 1st, Henry Young. 

Aaron Learning, Aaron Learning, Jun. 

Aaron Learning, John Willets. 

Henry Young, Jacob Spicer 2d. 

Aaron Learning 2d, Jacob Spicer 2d. 

Aaron Learning 2d, Nicholas Still well. 

Aaron Learning 2d, Jonathan Hand. 

Eli Eldredge, Jonathan Hand. 

Eli Eldredge, Joseph Savage, Hugh Hay- 
thorn. 

Eli Eldredge, Richard Townsend. 

Henry Y. Townsend, James Whillden, 
Jonathan Learning. 

Joseph Hildreth, Jeremiah Eldredge, Mat- 
thew Whillden. 

Richard Townsend. 

Matthew Whillden, John Baker, Elijah 
Townsend. 

John Baker, Joseph Hildreth. 

Elijah Townsend, Levi Eldredge. 

Elijah Townsend, John Baker, Nezer Swain. 

Matthew Whillden, John Baker, Elijah 
Townsend. 



Richard Townsend, 
Richard Townsend, 



Matthew Whillden, 
Elijah Townsend. 

Matthew Whillden, 
Elijah Townsend. 

Eli Townsend, Neaei Swain, Elijah Town- 
s' ml. 

Richard Townsend, Xezer Swain, Elijah 
T<> \ asend. 

Richard Townsend, Matthew Whillden, 
Elijah Townsend. 

Matthew Whillden, 

Matthew Whillden, 



Richard Townsend, 



Elijah Townsend. 
Richard Townsend, 

Ebenezer Newton. 
David Johnson, Richard Townsend. 



/ 



204 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 



COUNCIL. 



Matthew Whillden, 

Parmenas Corson, 

Parmenas Corson, 
Parmenas Corson, 
John Townsend, 
Parmenas Corson, 
Ebenezer Newton, 
Parmenas Corson, 
William Eldredge, 
Matthew Whillden', 
Ebenezer Newton, 
Joseph Falkenburge, 
Matthew Whillden, 
Matthew Whillden, 
Nathaniel Holmes, 
Joseph Falkenburge, 
Joseph Falkenburge, 
Furman Learning, 
Joshua Swain, 
Thomas H. Hughes, 
Thomas H. Hughes, 
Thomas H. Hughes, 
Joshua Swain, 
Thomas H. Hughes, 
Joshua Swain, 
Israel Townsend, 
Israel Townsend, 
Joshua Townsend, 
Jeremiah Leming, 
Richard Thompson, 
Amos Corson, 
Thomas P. Hughes, 
Maurice Beesley, 
James L. Smith, 
James L. Smith, 
Enoch Edmunds, 

SENATE. 



DATE. 



Reuben Willets, 
Reuben Willets, 
Jame3 L. Smith, 
James L. Smith, 
Enoch Edmunds, 
Enoch Edmunds, 
Joshua Swain, Jr., 
Joshua Swain, Jr., 
Joshua Swain, Jr., 
Jesse H. Diyerty, 



1795 to 

1796 to 

1797 to 

1798 to 

1799 to 
1801 to 

1803 to 

1804 to 

1805 to 

1806 to 

1807 to 

1808 to 

1809 to 

1810 to 

1811 to 

1812 to 

1813 to 

1814 to 

1815 to 
1819 to 

1821 to 

1822 to 

1823 to 

1824 to 

1825 to 
1827 to 

1830 to 

1831 to 
1834 to 
1836 to 
1838 to 
1840 to 
1842 to 

1846 to 

1847 to 
1849 to 



1796 

1797 

1798 
1799 
1801 
1803 
1804 
1805 
1806 
1807 
1808 
1809 
1810 
1811 
1812 
1813 
1814 
1815 
1819 
1821 
1822 
1823 
1824 
1825 
1827 
1830 
1831 
1834 
1836 
1838 
1840 
1842 
1844 
1847 
1849 
1851 



ASSEMBLY. 



Richard Townsend, Reuben Townsend, 
Eleazer Hand. 

Abijah Smith, Elijah and Richard Town- 
send, 

Persons Learning, (3 members till this year.) 

Elijah Townsend. 

Abijah Smith. 

Persons Learning. 

Joseph Falkenburge 

Matthew Whilldin. 

Thomas Hughes. 

Nicholas "Willets. 

Thomas H. Hughes. 

Nicholas Willets. 

Thomas II. Hughes. 

Joseph Falkenburge. 

Nicholas Willets. 

Thomas II. Hughes. 

Joshua Swain. 

Robert H. Holmes. 

Nicholas Willets. 

Joshua Townsend. 

Nicholas Willets. 

Joshua Townsend. 

Israel Townsend. 

Israel Townsend. 

Israel Townsend. 

;Joshua Townsend. 

Jeremiah Learning. 

Jeremiah Learning. 

Richard Thompson. 

Amos Corson. 

Thomas P. Hughes. 

Maurice Beesley*/ 

Reuben Willets. 

; Richard S. Ludlam. 

Nathaniel Holmes. 

Mackey Williams. 



1844 to 1845 John Stites. 

1845 to 1846 [Samuel Townsend. 

1846 to 1847 (Richard S. Ludlam. 

1847 to 1849 'Nathaniel Holmes, Jr. 

1849 to 1850 Mackey Williams. 

1850 to 1852 Joshua Swain, Jr. 

1852 to 1853 Waters B. Miller. 

1853 to 1854 'Jesse H. Diverty. 

1854 to 1855 Jesse H. Diverty. 

1855 to 1857 |Downs Edmunds, Jr. 



EARLY HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY. 



205 



SHERIFFS, 



A List of the Sheriffs from 

Timothy Brandreth ....1693 to 

John Townsend 1695 to 

Ezekiel Eldredge 1697 to 

Edward Howell 1700 to 

Caesar Hoskins 1701 to 



John Tavlor 1704 to 



Joseph Whilldin 1705 to 

Humphrey Hughes 1708 to 

John Townsend 1711 to 

Richard Downs 1713 to 

Robert Townsend 1715 to 

Richard Townsend 1721 to 

Henry Young 1722 to 

Richard Downs 1723 to 

Constant Hughes 1740 to 

Jacob Hughes 1744 to 

Jeremiah Hand 1745 to 

John Shaw 175 1 to 

Thomas Smith 1754 to 

Jeremiah Hand 1757 to 

Ebenezer Johnson 1760 to 1763 

Henry Hand 1763 to 1765 

Sylvanus Townsend 1765 to 1768 

Danield Hand 1768 to 1771 

Eli Eldredge 1771 to 1774 

Henry Y. Townsend 1774 to 1777 

^Isaiah Stites 1777 to 1780 

Richard Townsend 1780 to 1781 

Nathaniel Hand 1781 to 1782 

Daniel Garretson 1782 to 1783 



1695 
1697 
1700 
1701 
1704 
1705 
1708 
1711 
1713 
1715 
1721 
1722 
1723 
1740 
1744 
1745 
1751 
1754 
1757 
1760 



1693 to the present time. 

Jonathan Hildreth 1783 to 1784 

Benjamin Taylor 1784 to 1787 

Philip Hand 1787 to 1788 

Henry Stites 1788 to 1791 

Eleazer Hand 1791 to 1796 

Jacob Godfrey 1796 to 1798 

Jeremiah Hand'. 1798 to 1801 

Thomas H. Hughes 1801 to 1804 

Joseph Hildreth 1804 to 1807 

Cresse Townsend 1807 to 1808 

Jacob Hughes 1808 to 1809 

Joshua Swain 1809 to 1812 

Aaron Learning.. (3rd). .1812 to 1815 

Spicer Hughes 1815 to 1818 

David Townsend 1818 to 1821 

Spicer Hughes 1821 to 1824 

Swain Townsend 1824 to 1827 

Thomas P. Hughes 1827 to 1830 

Richard Thompson 1830 to 1832? 

Ludlam Pierson 1833 to 183^ 

Joshua Swain, Jr 1834 to 1835 

Samuel Matthews 1835 to 1838 

Samuel Springer 1838 to 1841 

Thomas Vangilder 1841 to 1844 

Enoch Edmunds 1844 to 1847 

Peter Souder 1847 to 1850 

Thomas Hewitt 1850 to 1853 

Elva Corson 1853 to 1856 

William S. Hooper 1856 to 1859 



CLERKS. 

A List of the Clerks from 1693 to the present rime. 



Goorge Taylor 1693 to- 1697 

Timothy Brandreth 1697 to 1705 

John Taylor 1705 to 1730 

Aaron Learning, 1st 1730 to 1740 

Elijah Hughes, Senr. 1740 to 1762 

Elijah Hughes, Jr 1762 to 1768 

Jeremiah Eldredge 1768 to 1777 

Jonathan Jenkins 1777 to 1779 

Eli Eldredge 1779 to 181 '2 



Jeremiah Hand 1802 to 1804 

Abijah Smith 1804 to 1824 

Richard Thompson 1824 to 1829 

Levy Foster 1829 to 1831 

Jonathan Hand, Senr. . .1831 to 1834 

Jacob G. Smith 1834 to LC 

Swain Townsend 1835 to 1840 

Jonathan Hand, Jr 1840 to 1860 



SURROGATES, 

A List of the Surrogates from tin- first appointment, in 1723, to (he 
present time. Previous to this, all business in the r rental iee Court 
was transacted at Burlington. 

Jacob S,,icer, 1st 172:: to 17 11 Ebeneser Newton 1796 to 1802 

Henry Young 1711 to 1768 Aaron Eldredge isirj to 1803 

Elijah Hughes, Jr 17 - I i 1787 Jehu Townsend 1803 to 1831 

J.'s>.> Hand 1787 to 1 - 93 Humphrey Learning — 1831 to 1852 

Jeremiah Eldredge 1693 to 1796 Elijah Townsend, Jr.. . .1852 to 1857 



* 



■ 



Sa 



i : 



1- 



€ 






LETTER OF STATE TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEER. 



■«■••»» 



Toiwgraphical Department of the State Survey, 

May 1st, 1856. 
Br. Wm. Kit che ll, 

Supt. of N. J. State Geol. Survey. 

Dear Sir : 

I transmit herewith, for the purpose of the geological in- 
vestigations, the Topographical Map of the County of Cape May, 
constructed upon a scale of 30000? °r about two inches to the mile, 
which is the scale upon which the field-work is executed. The 
engraved Map will be drawn upon a scale of goioo~> or about one 
inch to the mile. The principles upon which the survey is con- 
ducted, and the details of the field-work, are fully set forth in the 
last annual report of progress. It is proper, however, to state, with 
reference to this Map, that while endeavoring to keep pace with 
the geological investigations, I have failed to complete the triangu- 
lation of the southern portion of the State, for the reason that the 
face of the country is so remarkably uniform, that it would have 
exhausted the greater portion of the funds at my disposal to erect 
the necessary stations for taking observations. The alternative 
therefore presented itself of relying upon such assistance as could 
be derived from the secondary triangulation and plain- table work 
of the Coast Survey, or of deferring for the present the topography 
of that section of the State. The former course has been adopl 
for the obvious reason that, without the topography, the geol 
could not be satisfactorily described. Moreover, the peculiar shape 



208 LETTER TO DR. KETCHELL. 

and geographical position of the county were favorable to such a 
course ; as being long and narrow, and surrounded on three sides 
by water, there was little chance for error in laying down its topo- 
graphy entirely with the plane-table. That portion already sur- 
veyed by the general government, has simply been revised without 
going over all its details. 

It is presumed that the characters used in delineating the topo- 
graphy will be comprehended without explanation. The salt 
meadow can be readily distinguished from the upland ; the culti- 
vated land from the wooded ; and the cedar swamps from the dry 
forest. 

In submitting this Map to the citizens of the county, I beg to 
express the hope that it will meet their expectations ; and I will 
add the conviction that, coupled with Professor Cook's Geological 
Report, it will be of great value not only to them but to every ■ 
citizen of the State. 

Very respectfully, 

Your obedient servant, 

EGBERT L. VIELE. 



JAN 19 Wi5