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1136475
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
Mm
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 02255 4114
WOODBEIDGE
AND
VICINITY.
i m i * III iiiiii tint.
jE'iii'brtiwin'ijj the History of Wood'bridge^ J^is-
Gcitiaway^ Metuehen and <cont%gvLOU3 places,
from the earliest times ; the History of
the different JEcclesiastical JBodles ;
Important Official Ufocwunents
relating to the Township^ etc
BY KEY. JOSEPH W. DALLY^
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.:
A. E. GORDON, No. 22 ALBANY STREET.
1873.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S73,
By JOSEPH W. DALLY,
In the Office of the Librarian at Washington, D. C.
PREFACE.
1130475
It has been the aim of the author of this volume to transfer
and preserve every fact given in the early records of Wood-
bridge Township, and to exhibit an authentic pen-picture of
the ancient hamlet. It was once a much more conspicuous
and important place than it now is, and deserves, therefore,
all the study we have bestowed upon its interesting history.
The proceedings of the town meetings are comprised in three
MS. books, the last of which comes down to our own time in
its dales and facts. The first is rapidly going to pieces; but,
fortunately, it was copied by Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, Jr.
(not the Town Clerk), in 1775, by order of the town meeting,
and as the copy was conscientiously made, being diligently
compared with the original by a committee chosen when it
was completed, I have relied upon it in writing my earlier
pages. This I have been compelled to do because the leaves
of Liber A are, in many places, torn or worn so badly that it
is impossible to read their contents. Many leaves are detached
or very loose, and nearly all are very much faded and soiled.
So that, like the memory of those whose deeds it tells, the old
book is passing away. Liber B is full of loose leaves and is
also soiled — the dark brown leather cover being almost simi-
lar, in color, to the pages within. The last entry in Liber A
is dated March 13, 1716, and the first in Liber B bears date
March 12, 1717. The third book, which begins in 1799, comes
down to our own time.
In the Spring of 1859, a reward was offered for the recovery
of the Freeholders' Book of Records, and the matter was
reely advertised by the town authorities. The book, a large
iv PREFACE.
and valuable MS. volume, dating from May 30, 1707, to a
recent time, was found ; and to this I have had recourse for
many facts.
But it would be a tedious task to indicate, in this place, the
many sources whence we have derived the material of our his-
tory. Reference will be made to them by foot notes. For
valuable aid afforded, I am much indebted to William A.
Whitehead, the eminent New Jersey historian ; to Abel V.
Shotwell, of Rahway ; to T. H. Moiris, Jeremiah Dally, Dr.
E. B. Freeman, and many others, to whom due credit has been
given.
The first three chapters of this volume, as will be observed,
are introductory in character — intended to give a general view
of the early settlement. The subsequent chapters will be more
satistactoi-y to the majority of our readers, because they enter
more minutely into the history of the town.
I submit thesPpages, which represent months of honest and
earnest toil not unmixed with pleasure, to the candid criticisr.i
of those who love to study the ways and doings of the people
of "ye olden time."
J. W. DALLY.
Wood;;ri]jge, N. J., September, 1873.
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
OHAPTEE I.
1665—1666.
Ancient New Jersey — Hunting — Origin of Woodbridge —
Gov. Carteret's Arrival — The Articles of Agree-
ment — PiscATAWAY — Travel — Newark — Elizabeth-
town — Early Romance.
When Capt. Hudson sailed up the North River in 1609,
there was not a single indication, on either side of the bay, 01
the vast population which to-day pours its mighty tide through
the city of New York and thence over all the neighboring
borders of New Jersey. The good ship Half Moon was
the first which had ever appeared in these waters, and the
river was very appropriately named Hudson in honor of the
discoverer. New Jersey was, at that time, without a white
inhabitant. The Indian tribes were few in number and were
widely scattered. So that what is now a garden and a fiwored
place of residence was then a great wilderness almost deserted.
But wild beasts were to be found by the venturesome hunter
in any part of the State.* The shriek of the wild cat, the cry
of the wolf, and the cautious tread of the bear and the panther
were familiar sounds in the ears of the early settlers of New
Jersey. Deer abounded in large numbers and were a favorite
game. Every means was taken to capture the animal by the
v/hite people. One method was to set in the woods a large
iron trap whose huge jaws sprang sharply together when the
unsuspecting deer approached too near, and the cruel teeth
* Smith's Hist, of New Jersey, page 502.
6 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
held him fast until the hunter came. The difficulty attending
the perfect operation of this engine of destruction lay only in
the fact that, as it was concealed, it was as merciless with
human kind as with othej- animals; in consequence of which a
law was passed early in the i8th century forbidding its use —
a law which few regarded. Equally dangerous, and also the
object of legislative enactment, was the trap made with a
loaded gun — as liable to kill a, man who came near it as to
slay the deer.
Besides the animals we have already mentioned, the country
abounded in otter, red and grey foxes, raccoons, squirrels,
mink, rabbits, etc., with a few beavers. It will be seen from
these statements that enough game was at hand to have given
food to a large tribe, or a large number ot tribes, of Indians, if
they had chosen to inhabit this section. It is probable that
fierce wars, of which some tradition was preserved among the
Indians themselves, were the cause of the comparatively sparse
population found by the Europeans who settled New Jersey.
That this was the case was a fortunate circumstance for the
^\^hite people ; otherwise, prolonged and bloody feuds might
have retarded the prosperity of young settlements in this State
as they did in New England, where the red men were numer-
ous and powerful.
But it is not our purpose to write a histoiy of New Jersey,
however alluring such a task might be. We have an humbler
office to pertorm : to tell the simple story of one of its historic
places.
WooDBRiDGE, the name of the village and township concern-
ing which these pages are to be written, was so called in honor
of Rev. John Woodbridge, of Newbury, Mass. We presume
that this distinction was conferred upon him by his friends
and admirers, who came from New England at the solicitation
of Gov. Carteret. In the old manuscript "Records of Deeds
and Surveys in Woodbridge "* we find his name attached to
the acknowledgment of a deed given by Richard Dole to
John Rolf, the date of which is April 27, 1685. The deed
was given for some Woodbridge land. The buyer and seller
* In N. J. Historical Soc. Library, \>. (K.
ORIGIN AND SETTLEMENT. 7
were both Massachusetts men— Rolf, however, removing to
this place after his purchase.* From the manner in which Mr.
Woodbridge's name is attached to this paper, we should infer
that he was an Assistant Justice, such as were annually elected
to the Township Court of Woodbridge in the days of its early
history. This inference is supported by Coffin's extracts from
the old records of Newbury, in which we find that the select-
men of the town were directed to petition the General Court
to make Mr. Woodbridge a magistrate.f As he is subse-
quently spoken of as "John Woodbridge, Esquirc,"t it is
beyond doubt that the Court clothed him with magisterial
powers. He was born in Stanton, Wiltshire, England, in
1613, and emigrated to New England in 1634, settling in New-
bury the following year. He married Mercy Dudley, daugh-
ter of Gov. Thomas Dudley. § He returned to England about
the year 1647; but in i663 came back to Newbury,|| and on
the 26th of July was engaged to assist his uncle, Mr. Parker,
in preaching the Gospel in the quaint town mecting-housc,
receiving, for the first six months, ^30. His death occurred
March i^, 1695— the venerable minister having attained the
age of eighty-two.
" The following (which is copied from the East Jersey
Records, Vol. i. p. 2, in the Secretary of State's office, Tren-
ton, N. J.) will give us some idea of the original ownership
of the soil upon which Woodbridge has been built;
"A contract made by Capt. Philip Carteret, Governor ot
the Province of New Jersey, John Ogden and Luke Watson, of
Elizabethtown, of the first part, and Daniel Pierce, of New-
burv, Massachusetts, and his associates, of the second part.
This article of agreement dated December 11, 1666. Daniel
Pierce paid to the party of the first part the sum of four score
pounds sterling, being in full for said tract of land known by
the name of Arthur Cull, or Amboyle, or any other name it
may be called by. This land was purchased from the natives
or Indians by John Bayly, Daniel Denton, and the said Luke
Watson, as by said bill of sale from the natives, bearing date
the 28th day of October, 1664, will more at large appear;
-Town Book, p. 221. tllUt.ofNewbury. p.135. J Ibid., i-. 149. §322. i:63.
8 woodbrid'ge and vicinity.
which John Bayly and Daniel Denton have made over to the
said Philip Carteret and John Ogden, as will appear b}- the
bill of sale. Daniel Pierce made choice of, as his associates,
Joshua Pierce, John Pike, John Bishop, Henry Jaques, and
Plugh March, of Newbury; Stephen Kent, of Haverhill; Rob-
ert Dennis, of Yarmouth; John Smith, of Barnstable, and in
New England. These writings were signed, sealed and deliv-
ered by Daniel Pierce in Elizabethtown, and it was ordered
to be recorded by Philip Carteret, Governor of the Province
of New Jersey, December 3, 1667."
From this we find that the land was first purchased ot the
Indians by John Bayly, Daniel Denton, and Luke Watson in
1664, and that it was afterward "made over " to Gov. Carteret
and John Ogden ; and then in 1666 the two latter sold it to
Daniel Pierce and others for ^So. Daniel Pierce and his
associates took immediate possession: and what they furtlier
did will be fully detailed in the chapters devoted to the history
of the "Town Meetings."
The first settlers came to Woodbridge in the latter part of
the Summer of 1665, and were a portion of the company of
thirty English people who came to New Jersey with Gov.
Carteret immediately after his commission was given to him
by his brother,* Sir George Carteret, joint proprietor of the
Province with Lord Berkeley. The Governor instantly sum-
moned a council at Elizabethtown, which he so called for
Elizabeth, wife of Sir George, and established his residence
there. With considerable enterprise he published throughout
New England the advaiitasfeous terms offered to land-holders
in his Province, and succeeded in drawing hither a number
of families from that section, some settling at Elizabethtown,
some at Woodbridge, Piscataway, and Newark. The Gov
ernor's ship, the Philip, returned to England at the close of six
months, and the following 5'ear came back to Elizabethtown
with other emigrants' and with implements and seed for tilling
and planting. Other vessels in the meantime arrived at the
Jersey port bringing substantial encouragement from the pro-
prietors ; and the people who came were scattered through
*PliilipiB known as Sir George's brother, but he was really his fourth cousin. — Hatf. Eliz. 110.
3 1833 02255 4114
I-
ORIGIN AND SETTLEMENT. 9
the few towns in East Jersey — Woodbridge, doubtless, receiv-
ing its proportion beciuse of its neighborhood to Elizabeth-
town, the Capital.
"On the 2ist of May, 1666, articles of agreement were signed
between Gov. Carteret, in behalf of the Lords-proprietors, on
the one hand, and John Pike, Daniel Pierce, and Abraham
Tappen in behalf of tliemselves and their associates of Wood-
bridge and Piscataway, on the other. In these articles the
Woodbridge and Piscataway people were to have liberty "to
settle one or two plantations or townships, consisting each of
forty or one hundred families, more or less " [rather precise !]v
"between a creek or river called Rawawak " [or Rahway]
"and Rariton's River, and to begin to settle the same between
this and the month of November." They were to have liberty
to assign to each man the proportion of land due him,
"according to their judgment and discretion." Two lots
were to be laid out in each town for the benefit of the Lords-
proprietors — each lot to contain five hundred acres of upland
and meadow. The towns were to comprise six or eight mile?
square. The proprietors' lots were not to be inhabited by any
to whom the residents made objection. Charters were asked
for both of these towns, in which the residents were to have
the privileges of choosing their own magistrates, their own
ministers, and of nominating their military officers — the mag-
istrates and officers subject to the Governor's approval. The
agreement further empowered them to hold courts for the
trial of all causes actionable within their own jurisdiction,
from the decisions of which no appeal could be made which
involved a sum less than five pounds. Liberty of conscience
in religious worship was to be allowed, and two hundred acres
of land Avere to be set apart for the maintenance of the minis-
try perpetually. Provision was made for a church and
church-yard, to be exempt forever from tax of any kind. The
Governor, Council, and General Assembly were the joint
authority for levying tax, but they w^ere authorized to do it only
tor the public good; and all the freeholders of the Province
were to be permitted free trade with the citizens. The yearly
rent of half-penny per acre to the Lords-proprietors was to
begin March 25, 1670— thus giving the inhabitants nearly four
lO WOODBRIDGE AND VICIMTV.
years of exemption. All land patents were to be recorded
within a year of the time when they were surveyed by the
Surveyor-General. In case of war the Woodbridge and Pis-
cataway men agreed to combine with other towns in the
Province against the common foe. All freeholders were to
have a "free voice " in the election of Deputies to the General
Assembly. They swore allegiance to the King and pledged
their fidelity to the Proprietors. They claimed the privilege
of removing when and where they pleased, and of selling their
land to the best advantage. They were to have the necessary
authority to impose fines upon criminals, and inflict corporal
punishment by " stocking, ducking, pilloring, and whipping"
— the latter, provided the criminal did not merit more than
twenty stripes. Ducking must have been instituted for the
benefit of hot-headed culprits who needed cooling off in the
adjacent mill-ponds. Seven years' possession of the land
was to secure the same to tlie settler, his heirs or assigns for-
ever. The democratic doctrine of a ruling majority is set
forth in the concluding item of this document. The agree-
ment is signed by the parties interested and witnessed by John
Ogden and Thomas Louel. Three months were allowed for
the consideration of the matter, during which the Governor
promised to make no disposition of the lands which were
indicated by the settlers of the proposed towns.
On the nth day of May, 1668, eight new signatures were
added to the instrument — all of them the names of Wood-
bridge and Piscataway men, viz. : John Martin, Hopewell
Hull, Robert Dennis, John Gilman, Benjamin Hull, John
Smith, Charles Gilman, and Hugh Donn. From this circum-
stance it will be seen that the original makers of the agree-
ment on behalf of the settlers failed to meet its requirements
within the time specified; which was no fault of theirs, of
which we may rest assured, because no more liberal terms
were ever offered to any people. It is probable that every
effort was put forth to accomplish the object in view ; but it
was no easy matter to bring into one community forty or
more families in those early days — especially to bring them
into a wilderness such as Woodbridge was at that time.
At the request of Daniel Pierce, the Governor extended the
ORIGIN AND SETTLEMENT. II
time mentioned in tlie agreement ; and subsequently, wiien
the'requisite number of families were settled in Woodbridge,
the Governor generously fulfilled the conditions of the paper.
The early history of Piscataway is very closely interwoven
with that of Woodbridge. Notwithstanding its establishment
as a plantation over two hundred years ago, it is still a small
village — so small as to scarcely merit the name, although it
bids fair to improve rapidly within a few years. Piscataway
is a plaintive Indian word : " It is getting dark." It is supposed
that the tribe which first sought out and named the place
arrived at nightfall or in cloudy weather. The Indians say
but little, ana it is probable that as the company halted here
on the edge of the evening one of the grim travelers ejaculated
the word, which thus became the designation of the place.
Others suppose that the name W'as given by some emigrants
from Maine, who settled the town in part — the section in
Maine from which they came being known as Piscataqua.
However, it had been an Indian village for a great many years
before the white people came into it; and these Indians, if
their traditions are reliable, came from the West. So that
every one is at liberty to determine the matter to his own sat-
isfaction. The preponderance of evidence is in favor of the
second supposition, although we are reluctant to surrender
the beautiful Indian legend.
Piscataway was not erected into a township at the same
time as was Woodbridge (which was contemplated by the in-
habitants when the "agreement" of 1666 was drawn up).
And yet we are told that the Gil/nans had settled there as early
as 1663, two years before Woodbridge was inhabited.* The
slow growth of the population was, of course, the cause of the
delay in making a township of the plantation. This honor
Piscataway realized in 1798, one hundred and thirty-two years
after it was first broached.
Three years after the Gilmans entered the place several
oth-er ftimilies settled there, after which Piscataway was sta-
tionary for a while.
The modes of traveling, in the days of which we are writ-
*.IIistorical Coll. if N. J., p. 323.
12 WOOKIiRIDCF, AND VICIN'ITV.
C
ing, were limited. No roads were vet constructed, and thi
chief method of locomotion was, tiierefore, the primitive on
of walking;. Ridinc^ on horseback was also somewhat if
vofjiic ; hilt si) mucli depended upon a man's being ric
cnoiiqh to own a horse and fortunate enougli to keep one tror
the prowling Indians, that even this means of travel was some
thing of a luxury. The tales, therefore, of the strength an^
hardihood of the men and women of those times may be read
ily accepted. The rough pioneer school in which they learne(
life's lessons must have either killed them or made then
strong.
In December (the 3d) of 1667 the authorities ordered tha
Woodbridge should be laid out — that is, surveyed, and plot:
assigned to the settlers, and roads marked out. In the con
struction of these public highways there was not, in some sec
tions, as much difficulty as might at first be imagined Befon
the English came, the Indians had been accustomed to burr
the woods in order to kill the deer, which had the effect t(
keep the forests very clear of underbrush. This custom o
burning made the task of clearing up the lands and buildins
public roads comparatively easy. Before the latter were laic
out, however, the paths leading from place to place wen
nothing more than "trails," the direction of which wa
indicated by marks on the trees that stood in the course. I
was needful, therefore, that the traveler should exercise great
careMn the prosecution of his journey, else he would be lost
for days in the wilderness around him: not a pleasant
prospect to the most experienced hunter ; for hungry beasts
and lawless Indians were not the most agreeable creatures
for a solitary white man to meet in an unknown wood. Il
he were abundantly provided with ammunition and a gun, his
chances for securing regular meals were good; for wild
pigeons were plentiful a great part of the year— coming in
such immense Hocks sometimes as to darken the sky\nd
break the limbs of the trees upon which they rested in their
flight* Besides, there were pheasants, plovers, wild ducks,
and other birds in large numbers. But the trouble was the
•Smith's New Jersey, p. 511.
i;
ORIGIN AND SETTLEMENT.
13
07C'dcr. Ammunition was very scarce. And it n.ust have
en a source of considerable aggravation for the epicurean
ihabitants to see so many fat dinners flying overhead, with
hope of bringing them down.
As a matter of contemporary history, it may be mentioned
lat Newark was settled about nine months after Wood-
ridge, May 17, 1666, by the Rev. John Pierson. This
lergyman came from Branford, Conn., and brought with
im, to found the new village, thirty families. But for more
lan sixteen years Woodbridge seems to have been ahead of
[ewark in population. It is unnecessary for us to tell
srseymen that this has not always been the case, but that, at
le present time, the figures are out of all proportion in favor
f Newark, tlowever, it is some satisfaction for us to know
lat at one period our own village was the more populous,
he population of Newark is to-day more than double that of
le whole county. of Middlesex, in which county the town of
7oodbridge is situated.
Elizabethtown was the most highly favored of all the
rovincial towns in East Jersey, especially during the admin-
tration of Gov. Carteret, which extended from 1665 to 1682.
was natural that it should be so favored. It became the
;at of government and the residence of all the chief officers
f the Province. It was accessible for vessels of the largest
)nnage which in those days crossed the seas, although it had
natural harbor like that at " Ambo Point " (Perth Amboy).
'oubtless it was the most lively town in this section. Ships
liled back and forth between here and England, bringing
lence friends, letters, and needed supplies. And we can
nagine we see the Woodbridge settler making his way
)wards the port, across ten miles ot almost untrodden path.
le folhnvs the edge of the salt-marsh — a great land-mark
hich has remained unchanged amid many changes. He is
le bearer of exceeding precious messages to those who are
xpected to arrive in the next ship, or to those waiting to
turn to " merrie England." Perhaps it is a love-letter,
diich he is commissioned to forward home by the next vessel
oyaging thither. And it may possibly be that he is
xpecting some dear friend on the inward-bound ship, who is
,4 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
to share with him the toils and pleasures of his pioneer life. ,
How eagerly he asks the stranger whom he may chance to
meet, " Has the ship come in ? " He reaches Rawawak River.
If the tide is out he seeks a shallow place and wades across;
if the stream is full he must either swim to the opposite bank
or sit down in patience until the waters How back to the sea.
When he at last approaches the Capital, he does not come
with nicely-polished boots and a resplendent hat, as the
Elizabethtown beau of the present time enters the presence of
his chosen one. His boots are made of rough skin, and the
only beaver he knows anything about is the one that
builds its daui in the swamp ; for his head is surmounted by a
shao-gy cap. He carries a gun on his shoulder and a powder-
horn dangles by his side.
The Capital is not an imposing city. When Gov. Carteret
arrived there in August of 1665 he found only four buildings
erected, and they were log huts which had probably been
built in the previous year by the emigrants fj-om Long Island
or New England. The government buildings, which were
constructed on the arrival of the Governor, might have been
more pretentious ; but there is no trace of them remaining.
Our traveler sees them, and no doubt is impressed with so
much unwonted grandeur in this new country, and augurs
from it more wonderful things in the future. How surprised
he would be if he could stand in Water street to-day and be-
hold the transformation which two centuries have produced !
The ship is in ! There are tidings from home ! Ah ! there
is Jane, or Mary, or whoever the Woodbridge youth is in
search of. The messages are delivered. How cordial the
greetings are ! People who have never met before shake
hands with each other. " So you have come over to try the
new country, have you ? " " From what part of England did
you come ? " " Did you know the Smiths in Lanca'shire? "
•'How is Betsy.?" "How is the baby ? " These and hun-
dreds of other questions are poured forth by the eager friends
and equally eager passengers. We know these things to be
so, without being eye-witnesses ; because it is human tor
people so to do — and all our fathers and mothers of long ago
were human, Darwin to the contrary notwithstanding.
ORIGIN AND SETTLEMENT. 15
And now we confess to a little perplexity. That young
Woodbridge man has a girl to take home, and there is no way
to get there except on foot, for we forgot to let the fellow
take a horse. How he is going to transport her across
the Rawawak is beyond our imagination, and hence we leave
it to that of our patient reader.
OHAPTEIl II.
1667—1677.
The •^' Town Book." — Randolph's Copy — First Highways
— Dunham's Grist Mill — View oyer the Sound — Old
Dock — The First Mechanics in Woodbridge — And
the First Baby — Old Landings.
The earliest Town Records are the chief sources of inform-
ation concerning tlie first years of this settlement. It is a
gricYOus shame that the old " Town Book " has been
mutilated by the abstraction of the first pages of it. The old
Record ot Surveys, in the possession of the N. J. Historical
Societv, is also half destroyed. Such an outrage as the
destruction of public records for the advantage of some
individual (for this is, no doubt, the cause of the vandalism)
deserves something more than the severest censure.
We have handled the " Town Book " with reverence.
Many of the leaves are loose, and all of them are yellow with
age. A heavy piece of parchment forms the binding. Here
we see the nervous penmanship of Samuel Moore, the second
Town Clerk. It is so faded, in some places, as to be scarcely
decipherable. This Book was copied in 1775-6 by Nathaniel
Fitz Randolph, in a clear, round hand, by order of the
Freeholders; and this well-preserved copy is in the hands of
Mr. T. Harvey Morris, of Woodbridge.
In accordance with the order of December 3, 1667, we find
it recorded, on the <Sth of February, 1668, that several high-
ways had already been opened. The first one mentioned ran
down by the " Kiirk Green/' over the Papiack Creek, into the
upland beyond.
In regard to the size of the streams in Woodbridge a great
â– change is said to have taken place. Papiack Creek ha.s
THE ANCIENT TOWN.
17
dwindled to a brook, compared to its former majestic flood.
\'essels once rode al anchor in the stream by the Salamander
Works, which is now dishonored and forsaken. Nearly two
hundred years have choked it up, and tradition tells us that it
has become only the miniature of what it once was.
It was along the road, over the Papiack, at the first bridge
to which you come afier passing the Presbyterian Church,
tliat Jonathan Dunham built the first grist mill ever erected
in this part of the country, in the year 1670, The town
agreed to give Jonathan ^30 for the improvement and all the
sod out of the meadow' he might need for damming. His toll
was to be one-sixteenth, and tradition gives him credit for
turning out the most beautiful meal ; and we are assured that
his toll was so light that a man who brought a bag of grain to
liim took back two bags of flour. This old mill stood for
many years, grinding for the comfort of several generations,
and the old timbers which once supported it are lying on the
ground and mark the site of the ancient building, on the west
side of the stream. The writer had the satisfaction, recently,
of examining one of the mill-stones which Jonathan used in
his mill. It is still to be seen near the house adjoining the
Trinity Church, which house was once the residence of the
great Woodbridge miller; although, of course, the beautiful
structure now erected there, as the Trinity parsonage, is a
transformation. When Jonathan's house was built it was the
tine house, /t?;- excellence, in Woodbridge. It wa-s standing two
years ago, and looked so weird and strange that some were
glad to see the builders reconstructing it, while others were
sad when they saw the landmark disappear. It was originally
constructed of brick, said to have been brought from Holland
by vessels sailing hither and used as ballast on tlie voyage.
Coming up from Papiack Creek the highway, of which we
iiave been speaking, passed the " meeting house green " (i. e.,
the land appropriated for religious purposes, upon part of
which the Presbyterian Church now stands), and took a
westward course. Another road, laid out at the same time,
crossed the former at nearly right angles, running over the
'• meeting-house green," and having a north and south
direction.
B
l8 WO.)Dl{RIDGi: AND VICINITY.
Another higliway was laid out, running nortli from tlie foot
of Strawberry Hill, or the " Sheep Common," as it was often
called, crossing Manning's Brook and entering the common
land beyond. Another road began at the soutliwest corner of
the same hill and ran in a southerly direction, crossing the
" Spa Spring " Brook, and thence continuing toward Perth
Amboy. Another was surveyed from the west 'side of the
liill, and, after passing through a thick wood, held a crooked
course to Piscataway. Another was laid out, soon after those
above mentioned, which was intended to accommodate
persons who owned meadow adjacent to the upland over-
looking the Sound. It began at the mouth of the Papiack
Creek, in the neighborhood of the spot Avhere Boynton's
factory now stands, and ran northward, nearly parallel with _
the Sound, for a mile or two, and thence continued until
it crossed the road leading up from the meadow where
Jonathan Dunham's mill afterward stood.
Along these highways " house lots " were surveyed for the
freeholders, to each of which a specified amount of" meadow-
land " was added. The house lots were not of the same size.
They varied in this respect very much. John Pike's lot,
which was on the east side of Strawberry Flill, w^as ten acres
in extent. The elder John Martin's, on the north of this hill,
was a lot of eleven acres. Samuel Dennis had twelve acres
for his house ; old Thomas Bloomfield, seventeen and a half;
young Thomas, eleven and a half ; Samuel Moore, sixteen ;
John Dennis, nineteen and a half; Henry Lesenbe, ten ;
Obadiah Ayers, sixteen, etc.
The highway running nortli past the Kirk Green was net
exactly "laid out" as we now find it. It ran behind the
present Presbyterian Church building, instead of passing
before it; and, if it sliould ever be opened again, it would be
found crossing the present highw^a}- at an acute angle in front
of the Trinity Church, the northern branch diverging to the
west and the southern branch tending eastward.-'
The view over the sound on the upland, across the
* Mr. T. H. MorriB, a practical surveyor, gives tliis as his opinion, after a careful st;nly
of the old records.
THE ANCIENT TOWN. Iq
meadows, is a very fine one, and we do not wonder that our
fathers chose it as part of their inheritance. If we blot from
the picture before us the houses on Staten Island, the fences
and dwellings in the Neck on the left, and the sails from the
water we shall have a scene very much, if not entirely, like
that the early settlers looked upon. Not long ago we stood
upon the bluff and tried to imagine that we were livino- two
centuries in the past. Below us stretched the beautiful beach
upon which the Indians used to wander at low tide in search
of oysters. Far to the left the quiet waters of Smith's Creek
were seen, winding this way and that, looking like a
crumpled blue ribbon thrown at random on the o-reen
meadow. Farther still, on the left, appeared the groves and
white farm houses on what was once called " Papiack Neck."
Before us the clear waters of the Sound swept around a
graceful curve, fringed with the tall reeds that grow so
abundantly in our salt marshes. Across the broad expanse
are the highlands of Staten Island, which make a handsome
background for the picture — especially witli the delicate blue
sky of this August afternoon right above it. Pleasure boats
are gaily floating yonder, and in the bend near Rossville we
watch the approaching steamboat bound for New Brunswick.
As she passes us the distant murmur of her paddle-wheels
comes to our ears like the music of an ocean shell ; and so we
note her disappearance far down the Sound. If we lean
forward we may see, on the right, under the bluff, the red
building used for several years as a hay-press establishment ;
and right in front of it the steamboat landing, where, in
modern times, until the railroad was laid through Wood-
bridge, we embarked for New York.
Long ago, we imagine, an August afternoon would have
presented us an Indian canoe on the water, with a swarthy
occupant nonchalantly watching his fishing line. Perhajjs
some settler has parted the bushes and is glancing from this
very bluff over the Summer scene. Farther up a group of
Indians have gathered in the shade of some forest trees, and
are gazing abstractedly at the smouldering fire where oysters
are being roasted in the ashes. And along the beach, the
beautiful sandy beach, there wanders another of the mel-
CO \voudbridc;e and vicinity.
ancholy race, listening to tlic sympathetic voices of the little
•waves that plash upon the shore. Perchance the hungry face
of a wolf peers through the upland thicket, and we almost
expect to hear the sharp crack of the rifle of John Ilsly, the
great Woodbridge wolf hunter.
How rudely is our reverie broken ! Just behind us, on this
•classic highland, is tlic noise of carts coming and going.
There is a railroad in course of construction, and it requires
no prophet to foresee that in time this bluff" will be crowned
with Summer cottages, rivaling in elegance those of some of
the sea-side resorts.
For a sliort distance from its mouth. Smith's Creek keeps
nearly to a north and south line. The first bend is toward
the east. On the west side of this elbow there has evidently
been a dock. The road-tracks are yet to be seen, thougli
thickly overgrown with grass. It is supposed that this is the
site of a very old dock which our fathers used in the
transportation of salt hay.
Ancient Woodbridge seems to have been well supplied
with mechanics. Among them we notice five carpenters,
viz.: John Ilsly, Samuel Hale, John Bishop, Henry Jaquis,
and Hugh Marcli ; one slioemaker, John Watkins; four
blacksmiths, John Crandel, John Robinson, Daniel Pierce,
and John Taylor ; one mason, Benjamin Cromwell ; two
tanners, William Elston and John Mootry ; and three
weavers, Samuel Dennis, John Robeson, and Adam Hude.
John French was a dealer in bricks, and was elected a
Freeholder, on condition that he should furnish the Wood-
bridge men wich bricks in preference to all others. He was
a mason by trade, and no doubt plied his vocation. Good-
natured John Smith was a miilwriglit. There was another
man bearing this name (as there always will be), and the
neighbors tried to keep them unmixed by addressing the
latter as John Smith, Scotchman. Benjamin Parker was a
ioiner. " Benony Blacklich," who came into the settlement in
1671, was a shoemaker. Elisha Parker is mentioned as a
merchant. Two doctors of medicine prescribed for the ailing
— George Lockhart and Peter Dessigny.
About the middle of November, 1667, a sensation was
THK ANCIENT TOWN, 21
created in tlie settlement by the arrival of a baby — the first
white baby born in the place. The town recognized the
event in May (icth), 17 17, after the child had grown to
womanhood and was married, by the following order; " itt
was voatted & allowed yt Caleb Gamble shall Draw a Lott
with use Jn this fourth Division [of] Lotts. Jn Consideration
liis Wife was ye first Christian Child yt was born Jn this
town."* Her name was Mary Compton, daughter of
William and Mary Compton. She married Caleb Campbell,
January ist, 1696. Her grave is still to be seen in the rear of
the Presbyterian Church, marked by a brown stone partly
covered with moss. The inscription reads as follows :
" In memory of Mary, Wife of Caleb Campbell, who died Febry the
15, 1735. Aged G7 years and 3 months. The first Bom child iu Wood-
bridge."
We cannot resist the temptation to muse a little while.
Was Mary pretty ? Was her life a happy one f Could her
friends say of her, as Whittier has done of another:
" The blessing of her quiet life
Fell on us like the dew ;
And good thoughts, where her footsteps pressed,
Like fairy blossoms grew " ?
How much we might learn from her lips if they could be
unsealed and the memory of other days be recalled ! It
seems so strange that in this silent graveyard are hushed
voices which two hundred years ago were familiar sounds in
the settlement. Now, aught of good or evil they cannot tell
us. And two hundred years from to-day — what then } Will
some one be standing over the stone which records your
forgotten name, and wonder about you, as we marvel now
i)ver Mary's tomb 1
" Death comes, life goes ; the asking eye
And ear are answerless ;
The grave is dumb, the hollow sky
Is sad with silentness.
*Freeholder8' Eec.irds, MS., page 30.
22 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
•'But warm, sweet, lender, even yet
A present help is lie ;
And faith has still its Olivet,
And love its Galilee."
It matters little where they laid thee, Mary ; for if thou
hadst faith in Jesus thou shalt rise from this sunken grave to
live with Ilini who saved thee.
Pierce's Landing was a point at which many boats
discharged their cargoes two centuries since It was named
from the Pierces, who lived near by, and was situated at the
mouth of the Papiack Creek (or River, as it was sometimes
called), about where Boynton's dock is now located. It is not
probable that any wharf was built there, but that the cirgo
was landed on the beach, which, tradition tells us, was
beautifully graveled and sloped toward the water. Joshua
Pierce, and Daniel, his father, lived a short distance along the
upland road. Joshua's pasture land was contiguous to the
Landing, and required to be protected by a "good, sufficient
gate" placed in the roadway.
Voquillen's Landing, named for the provincial Surveyor-
General, was nearly opposite Pierce's Landing, and is well
known as the " Old Stone Dock " even at the present. It was
intended to accommodate the inhabitants living on the other
side of the Papiack, or Woodbridge Creek. The road leading
down to it passed through Voquillen's land; and his en-
deavor to shut oif all communication with the dock by the
inhabitants provoked the latter into compelling him to
re-open the highway.
Several other landings were known to the early settlers —
among them Bacon's Landing, Cornfield Landing (now
Cutter's Dock), Cortland's Landing, etc. The last is supposed
to have been located on Smith's Creek, near the property of
Mr. J. Bunn ; and doubtless this is the site of Cortland's saw-
mill — one of the earliest constructed in the Province.
Other localities and points of interest will be designated as
they are found recorded in the Town Book,
CHAPTER Hi.
1667—1677 (Continued).
WoODBRiDGE Charter — Its Confirmation by the Lords-
proprietors — First Legislature of New Jersey — In-
surrection AGAINST GOY. CaRTEREt's GOVERNMENT
Names of Settlers— Samuel Moore — Ouit Rents —
" Amro Point" — Indian Sale — The Old Prison — Odd
Names.
As WAS stated in the preYious chapters, Woodbridge was
ordered to be laid out December 3d, 1667. It is probable that
this order was in process of execution throughout the fol-
lowing year. On the ist of June, 1669, Woodbridge Town-
ship was created, and on the 16th the Charter was granted.
Gordon says, very truly, in his History of Nciu Jcrsc\\ that this
Charter " was one of the most liberal ever given in America."
It was framed in accordance with the "Agreement" of 1666.
Some of the landmarks by which the boundaries were designa-
ted are, of course, unknown ; but a general idea of ancient
Woodbridge may be obtained from this paper.
The line began at the mouth of the Rahway River (called
Rd'iUack) and followed the stream as high as the tide flowed to
a fresh-water brook running west north-west, " where there
stands a beech tree that is marked on the four sides of it."
From this tree the line ran straight west through one large
swamp and two small ones until it reached a walnut stake in
an open field. This stake was marked with two notches and
a cross. The distance from the beech tree to the stake was
five and a half miles. The line turned sharply to the south
from this pcnnt, running through what Avas known as " Dismal
Swamp," and striking the Raritan River at a distance of seven
and a half miles from the walnut stake mentioned above.
The line now comes within ten chains west of two red cliff's
24 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
on the opposite side of the river. On theborder of the meadows
were two black-oak trees, about a rod apart, which were
marked with three notches, breast high, and a notch on the
four sides of each tree on the stump, and a cross upon each
tree above tlie upper notches. There was certainly no danger
of losing those trees, unless some mischievous scamp had
marked neighboring black oaks in the same mysterious
manner. However, no bad boys were in existence at that
time; so no danger was apprehended from this source.
Midway between these two ti^ees there was a stake driven,
over which the township line extended from the point this
side of the red cliffs mentioned before, and tw^o more stakes
indicated the boundary across the meadows.
The Charter then gives the general bounds, thus : " On
the east side by the Arthur Cull River, otherwise called the
Sound, that parts Staten Island from the maine [land] ; on
the north side by the bounds belonging to Elizabethtown,
on the west side by the bounds belonging to New Piscata-
way, and on the south side by the aforesaid Rariton's River."
Allowance being made for waste places and highways, the
township was to contain six miles square, " which amounts
to twenty-three thousand and forty acres, English measure."
The proprietors reserved to themselves half of the gold and
silver found in the New Jersey mines, and this reservation is
mentioned in this Charter ; but no great quantity of either
precious metal was ever found in the township, and then only
as it was brought in by the traders.
The Charter further provided that sixty families at least
should be comprised within the limits of the township, among
whom the upland and meadow should be equally divided by
lot, or in such other manner as they themselves might agree
upon : " provided that Amboy Point be reserved, to be
disposed of, by the Lords-proprietors, tov/ards the thousand
acres of upland and meadow that is reserved by the first
articles made before the settling of the said township." An
official record ot each man's allotment was to be made, which
was to be placed on file in the Secretary's office in Elizabeth.
Two hundred acres of good upland and meadow were to be
laid out for the use of the minister, and one hundred more
EARLY EVENTS. 25
for "the maintenance of a free school." In addition, lands for
building a church thereupon, for use as a church-yard, for the
erection of a school-house, for a market-place, and other
public purposes, were donated to the township, and forever
exempted from taxation. The creation of a township Court,
with the officers necessary for its effective operation, was
authorized in accordance with the provisions of the " Articles
of Agreement." The sections in the Articles in regard to
Free Trade, War, Election of Deputies, Liberty to sell and
remove from the place, were all substantially adopted in this
generous Charter.
The paper concludes with the reservation, to the Lords-
proprietors, of nine hundred acres of upland in and around
Amboy Point, and one hundred acres of meadow " in the most
convenient place adjacent to Amboy Point." This was to be
the tract of one thousand acres, mentioned previously, to be
held exclusively by the Proprietors of the Province.
The document is signed by the Governor, Philip Carteret ;
by his Private Secretary, Jas. Bollen ; and by the Council of
the Province, viz.: Robert Vanquellin, William Pardon)
Robert Bond, Nicholas Ver Lett, Samuel Edsall.
AlthouQ:h the Charter went into effect immediatelv after it
was granted, three years and a half elapsed before it was
confirmed by the English Proprietors. The following is the
Confirmation :*
" We, the Lords-proprietors of the Province of Neii)
Cesarea, or New Jersey, having taken a view of this above
written deed, grant, or charter, made by Capt. Phillip
Carteret, Esq., Governor of our said Province, and his
Councell, bearing date ye first day of June, 1669, whereby he
did enable and give power to ye Justices, Magistrates,
and Freeholders, in the Towne of Woodbridge, in the said
Province forever to become a corporation with generall
limitations, priviledges, Buttalls, and bundalls therein par-
ticularly expressed, Ncno, know ye that wee, the said Lords-
proprietors, at the request of the said Justices, Magistrates,
and Freeholders, and for divers good causes, and considcr-
*East Jersey Eecords, vol. 1st., p. 144.
26 WOOnnRlDGE AND VICINITY.
ations, us there-unto-nioving have ratified and confirmed, and
by tlicsc presents do lor our heirs, successors, and assigns,
for ever Ratifye and confirme unto the said Justices,
Magistrates and Freeholders of Woodbridge, the said grant
and Charter with all and every — the lands and meadows soe
limited butted and bounded and all and singular other
priviledges and immunities therein mentioned and expressed.
Reserving to us, our heirs and successors what else is
therein reserved. Giving order hereby to ye Secretary of oiu-
said province to enter this our confirmation into our Records
there, and to fix to it our province scale, Given under our
hands and Scales at Whitehall, the seventli day of December,
in the year of our Lord God 1672.
Jo. Bkrkeley. Go. Carteret."
With such advantageous terms as were those embraced in
the Charter it would have been strange, indeed, if the town
had not become one of the most prosperous in this section.
The first Legislature of New Jersey met at Elizabeth on
tile 26tii (jf May, 1668 ; the first election for Deputies (of
whom two were to be chosen from each town) being ordered,
by proclamation of the Governor, on the 7th of April
]:)revious. In this session Woodbridge was represented by
Samuel Moore and Robert Dennis, two leading men in the
settlement. The second session was held on the 3d of
November of the same year. Deputies were present from
Newark, Elizabeth, Bergen, Shrewsbury, Woodbridge, and
Middletovvn, at these sessions, which were both short — the
first being four days long, the next three. The latter was by
no means a iiarmonious assemblage, and after its three days'
purposeless discussion it adjourned. The next Legislative
session was not held until seven years afterward.
The year in which the prosperity of Woodbridge was
signalized by the erection of a grist mill came near proving
disastrous to the Province at large. Shrewsbury and
Middlet<nvn had been settled under grants from Gov.
Nichols, of New York, who imagined that his jurisdiction
extended over all the country surrounding Manhattan. The
settlers of these towns had bought their lands from the
Indians, in addition to securing grants from Nichols; so that
EARLY EVENTS. 27
they asserted that they were free from any obligation to pay
the tax upon the land which was demanded by the Pro-
prietors. This annual rent was to begin in 1670; and as the
time drew nigh the malcontents became openly hostile to
Carteret and his government, and resolved to overthrow them.
Deputies were elected in the towns, and met in Elizabeth on
the 14th of May, 1672, claiming to be the legal Legislature of
New Jersey. The Governor went to England, carrying the
news of the outbreak to the Proprietors. The Duke of
York, under whom Gov. Nichols had been appointed, and
under whose authority, therefore, the insurrectionists had set
up their claims, wrote to Governor Lovelace, of New York,
that he would not countenance the NeAV Jersey riot, and he
declared the Nichols grants to be void.
Lord Berkeley had become so disgusted with his N'ova
Ccesarea property tliat he sold out his share for less than
$5,000 to John Fen wick and Edward By Hinge on the 18th of
March, 1673.
To what lengths the people in tiie Province might have
carried their I'evolutionary proceedings, if no interruption to
their designs had occurred, cannot, of course, be easily
conjectured. Proprietary rule seemed on the verge of utter
extinction, when a fleet of Dutch vessels appeared in the
harbor of New York, and. in July, 1673, captured the city, and
with it the whole of New Jersey was subjugated. By a treaty
of peace, in the following year, between Holland and
England the Provinces were restored to English rule.
Edmund Aadross, a fussy, domineering man, was made
Governor of New York, and Philip Carteret was re-appointed
to New Jersey The latter was welcomed back to the
Province, and resumed the reins of Government as though
nothing had interfered with it. The discontented settlers^
wisely refrained from again setting up their exemption
claims — discouraged from it, either by the Duke of York's
emphatic repudiation of the Nichols grants, or by the fear of
coming into collision with the English Government. Then,
too, nobodv would come into the Province to settle while it
was so distracted — hence, self-interest may have influenced
them in this respect. At any rate the storm blew over, and
28
wdonrRinc.K and vicinity
the inhabitants began the payment of tlic land tax of one half-
penny per acre, or one whole penny, if the lands were
valuable; and if liicrc was any grumbling it did not again
result in open rebellion against tlie Cxovernment.
The following list* of Freeholders of Woodbridge is
supposed to comprise actual settlers to whom patents were
granted in 1670, or thereabouts ; with the amount of land each
man received. Xo doubt the land was laid out in plots, and
selection was made by the drawing of lots, as was suggested
in the Charter. The names in sm.\ll capitals are those of
the nine original associates, who were each granted 240 acres
of upland and 40 of meadow, in addition to the regular
allotment. The names in italiis are not found in the list of
land-holders in 1682, these persons having either disposed of
their rights or been admitted as Freeholders subsequently:
ACRES.
John Adams 97
Kpliraiiu Andrews (107-"!) Of^
Thoniiis Auger, or Alger I(i7
Obiidiab Ayers 171
Samuel Baker, or Bacon 170
.Tosli ua Bradley 171
.foiiN Bisiror 470
.lolin Bisiiop, .Tr 77
MaUhew Hunn, "Mariner" 1(55
Thoa. Blomticld ;32G
Thos. Blouifield, Jr 92
John Blomfield 90
.lohn Conser 170
Joli n Croni \v el 1 17:!
Wm. C'oni p ton 1 74
J{oiiT. Dknnis 448
John Denni.s 1(17
Sain'l Dennis 94
John I)illy(lU70) 94
lIu^h Dun 9J
.lonaMian Dunluun (1672) 21^
John French, " Mason " 15
Hehobolh (iiinnil 448
Daniel f i r a s i e 104
Samuel Hale 1(17
.lonalhan Ilaynes (107:5) 97
Klisha llsley 172
JIkNUY jAtiUES, )
Henry Jaques, Jr. )"
ACRE>.
Stephen Kent 24'.»
Stephen Kent, Jr 104
Henry Les«enby 88
George Little 100
Hucli Makcii 32(1
David Makany 1 08
Samuel Moore .'>â– ')()
Matthew Moore 177
Benjamin Parker, "Joiner" 105
Elis'ha Parker (1070) ^i^'Z
.John Puce 308
John Pike, Jr 91
DANUil, PlEKCK 450
JosiruA Pierce oO
Ihtitiel Ilohim 173
Robert liocjerx 91
John Smith, "Millwright"| 513
Samuel Smith (1070) 103
John Smith, Scotchman 170
Isaac 7)ijtj)((n 1 72
Abraham Tappan 951. >'
John Taylor, "Blacksmith" 93
Israel Tliorne (1070) 90
Robert Vanquellin, )
or
LaP
rau'ie.
.175
308
John VVatkins 92
Nathan Webster 93
John Whilaker 91
Richard Worth 172
• Wo Iwvp taken Uiis list from Win. A. ■Whitebe.id's "Contributions to East Jersey His-
l.ry,' p.igo Kid. Sei' alsii olil liccord, Lib. A.
+ Not wheelwright, as 'Whitehead sayf.
EARLV EVENTS.
29
Fifty-seven names — quite a respectable settlement ! The
following additional names are found in the Town Book,
Avithout date:
ACRES. ACUES.
Thos. Adams [Hopewell Hull
John Alleu, "Minister" 97 John Ilsley 97
John AuiiXl John Slarlin, Sr 255
Wm. Bingley 186 Thomas Pike
JoHiithan Bishop John Trewman 97
Capt. Philip Carteret 313 Lords-proprietors 1,000
Jfis. Clawaon, or Clarkson : For the ]\Iinislry 200
Jonatltan Dcnms , Maintenance of School 100
Samuel Moore was one of the most distinguished citizens
of Woodbridge, and wielded considerable influence in the
Province. He came from Massachusetts, and exhibited,
in his new home, much of the enterprise and public spirit
which have made the people of New England famous. He
was very popular — being chosen Deputy to the General
Assembly no less than five times: in 1668 (to the first
Legislature lield in the Province), 1669, '70, '82, '87. In 1672
he was President of the Township Court, of which he was a
subordinate member the previous year. For nearly twenty
years he was the Town Clerk — from 1669 to 1688 — a period ot
official service almost without a parallel in these days of
'• rotation."
On the 7th of December, 1672, the Proprietors sent from
Whitehall a dispatch to the Governor, Council, and Receiver-
General, ordering the payment to Mr. Moore of ^10 annually
for the next seven years, and authorized them to sfive him
sixty acres of upland for each person in his family, in
addition to the land he had already taken up as a settler. A
proportionate amount of meadow-land was also ordered to be
â– d<Dnated to him. No reason for this liberality is given in the
paper, but it was undoubtedly the reward for some public
service. Land was often given by the Proprietors to
stimulate the enterprise of the inhabitants. However this
may be, he grew in favor with the authorities, for, in 1683, he
was appointed High Sheriff of Middlesex County — a position
, of great dignity and responsibility at that time.*
* He seems to have been eminently qualified for such a position, for, in 1672—3, he was Mar-
shal of the Province under Gov. Carteret (see Hatfield's Elizabeth, pp. 143 and 1 IS). He was,
'lor several j-^ears. Treasurer of East Jersey, bein^ elected to that oflSce, Dec. 9, 1675. (See
L^i.ming- <fc Spicer, pp. 101, 129.)
3"
WOOPr.KlIX.I. AND VUINITY,
In the same dispatch which conferred these gifts on Mr,
Moore, the Proprietors gave to the Township of Woodbridge
one-third part of the quit rents., or hand tax, for the next seven
years; at the end of which time (about January, 1680) the
corporaticMi was tf) pay its full proportion, according tr)
agreement.
Tiie devout i)C(iple in the settlement had grown numerous
enough and sufficiently strong to build a meeting-house,
which was done in 1675. Three buildings liave been erecte'd
on the same site. We shall have occasion, in the later pages
of this volume, to recount the history of this church, so
intimately connected with the story of our village.
It was in July of the year 1676 that a great change was
made in the government of New Jersey. Previously, Go\ .
Carteret's government had extended from Staten Island Sound I
to the Delaware River, and from Cape May to the liills of
Bergen. By an agreement between tlie proprietors, the Prov-
ince was divided — forming two Provinces, to be distinguished
as East and West Jersey. East Jersey continued to be gov-
erned b}' Philip Carteret. The line of partition began at
Little Egg Harbor, and was drawn straight across in a north-
west direction, until it touched the Delaware River, in latitude
41 degrees nortli. This, at least, was the general direction
which, it was agreed, the line should take; but it was not sur-
veyed and officially settled until long afterward. Woodbridge,
of course, fell on the east side of the new boundarv, and
remained, therefore, in Carteret's jurisdiction.
The Governor began to think of making a commercial town
of Amboy, and cleared several vessels from the port during
this year, lie was the more zealous to do this because a great
deal of the reserved property of the Proprietors was located
there, and a busy town at this point would enhance the value
ot it. If he had succeeded in this purpose it would have been
the means of making a city of Woodbridge, for they lay but
three miles apart. But New York was a dangerous rival, and,
as will be seen, its authorities exerted themselves to the utmost
to ruin the prospects of Amboy. The harbor of the latter is one
of the finest in the world; and it is a matter of ever-recurring
wonder why it is not one of the chief commercial marts in
America.
EARLY EVENTS. â– >!
It was known among the Indians as Aml>o, the Point, and
was for some time called, tautologically, " Ambo Point " by
the English. Afterwards it was called Perth, in honor of the
Earl of Perth, who became one ot the Proprietors of the
Province. But in 1698 the name by Avhich it is now
designated was officially given to it in a dispatch from the
English authorities.
In 1677 Gov. Carteret made a successful attempt to buy from
the Indians all the unbought lands lying between Woodbridge
and Piscataway. It is the glory of New Jersey that not a rod
of its domain was wrested from the Aborigines by fraud or
violence. Every foot was paid for. The land was purchased
directly from the Indians, at prices that were satisfactor}- to
both parties — a fact of which no other State can boast, not
even that of William Penn. As a consequence the savages
\vere friendly to all the Jersey settlers, except the Dutch, who
did not seem to understand them. It seems singular that the
value which the Indians set upon the lands should have been
so low. Smith, in his History of Neiv Jersey, says they never
asked a high price for anything they had to sell — a degree of
modesty which has vanished with other barbarous peculiar-
ities and usages. To see how cheaply they sold the valuable
tract of country lying between Woodbridge and Piscataway,
we have only to examine the agreement between the Indian
land-holders and the Governor. The owners were three
in number, viz.: Conackamack, Capatamin, and Thingorav\-is ;
and this is the price of the land : one hundred fathoms of
white wampum, six match coats, four blankets, three guns,
six shirts, twenty bars of lead, twenty double hands of
powder, one anker of rum, twelve axes, two half vats of beer,
and six kettles ! That is all ! And yet the natives thought it
was enough and were thoroughly delighted with the bargain.
The sale took place in the presence of Emerus, Sachem of the
Nevesinks, Quermacke, Eramky, and other Indians as wit-
nesses.
But, as this document is a literary curiosity, having never
before been published, we give it to our readers, without
alteration, as it is found in the archives of New Jersey :
" Know all men by these presents that wee Conackamack,
â– .;. WOOniiRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Capatamin, Thingorawis natives and owners of a certain tract
of land lying and being about Woodbridge & Piscataway, have
bargained, alienated and sould unto the Hon. Phillip Carteret
Esq. Governor of the Province of New Jersey for & in the
behalf of the right Honoble Sir George Carteret Kt. & Bar-
onet, Lord Proprietor of the said province, in the presence of
Emerus, Sachem of the Navesinks; Ouermacke, Eramky and
other Indians as witnesses hereunto, for, and in consideration
of these species following, viz— one hundred fathem of white
wampum, six match coates, Foure blankets, three guns, six
shirts, twenty barrs of lead, twenty double hands of powder,
one anker of Rum, twelve axes, two halfe Fatts of beere, and
six kettles; the which said goods wee doe hereby acknowl-
edjje to have received to our content and satisfaction, the
which said tract of Land begins at a place called Macask-
hegen or Kent's Neck upon the Rariton River, from thence
runs up the said river westward to a fresh river called by the
Indians Saconck, from thence, running along the said river as
the river runs downe North, easterly, to a swamp called by
them Maniquescake (and by the English, Dismal) from thence
to a place called Matockshoning where there is a stake
])lanted for Woodbridge — northermosf bounds; from thence
to a Swamp called Tamagues (by the English great Swamp)
and fi'om thence running Southerly to Macaskhegen where it
first began, to have and to hf)ld the said Tract of Land as it
is laid out and bounded, as aforesaid, together with all the
Woods, pastures, meadows, mines, mineralls, Quarryes,
Swamps, rivers, &; Rivulets thereunto belonging, joining and
appertaining to him the said Sr. George Carteret his Heirs or
Assigns forever. Free from any clainie, hindrance, or
incumbrance whatsoever by us or by any of us, or by any ot
our heirs or successors forever, and that wee will for ever
defend the said Sr. George Carteret his Heirs and Assigns for
the quiet and peaceable government and possession of the
premises from and after the date hereof. In witness whereof
wee tlie said natives above mentioned have hereunto sett our
hands & Seales the 14th day of September, 1677."
The signatures of the three owners are attached. Conack-
amark makes a nervous-looking cross ; Capatamin makes a
EARLY EVENTS. 33
mark like the figure 3, which, however, is nearly turned over
on its back ; Thingorawis, for some reason, urged his brother
Conackamack to sign the deed in his behalf, which he did with
a bold X. Four Indian witnesses signed the paper. Emerus,
Sachem of the Nevesinks, was the first, his mark looking very
much like the English capital C. Eramky's very much
resembles an F Clef in a glee-book — from which we argue
that he must have been in high glee — especially in view of
those ten gallons of rum which he, of course, expected to
share with his friends. Ah, how much our fathers were to
blame for introducing this vile beverage among the poor
Indians! Queramack's mark looks something like the
English capital G, and Nameth's signature resembles an A.
Below these are three English names : John Bloomfield,
Claude Valott, Hopewell Hull; and beneath these is the
official sign manual of James Bollen, Secretary of the
Province.
The Indians living in and around Woodbridge when the
first settlers came, and doubtless those from whom the land
in the foregoing deed was bought, were mostly Raritans, or
Raritons. No doubt other tribes frequently visited these
sections, such as the Nevesinks, Minisinks or Muncys
Pomptons, Mantas and Naraticongs ; but the Raritans were
the original owners of the soil along the river that bears their
name. They were not numerous, nor, indeed, were any of
the New Jersey tribes. Smith says that tribes in some
sections were from ten to twenty miles apart. Many of these
Indians came to Ainbo during the fishing season to catch
perch, eels, oysters, clams, and other fish. The oysters to be
found at this place were so good and so plentiful that they
were the subject of many commendations by the delio-hted
Englishmen, one of whom wrote home that he thouo-ht there
were enough oysters at Perth to supply the whole of
England — and they were such "brave oysters ! "
In October, 167 1, a tax was levied by the " Town Meetino- "
to provide for an expedition against the Indians who were
exhibiting signs of dissatisfaction — or, at least, were supposed
to be manifesting an inclination to fight. Ten pounds of
powder and twenty pounds of lead were bought, and then our
34
WOODBRIDGE AND VlCINn V.
forefathers waited for the war-whoop of the savages, prepared
to march among them and annihilate them at the first sound
of hostility. If such a war was actually prosecuted the town-
ship officials must have been very much ashamed of it, for no
record is preserved of the campaign. It is altogether likely
that the suspicions of the people in regard to the Indians
were o-roundless; or it may be that the latter, observing the
war-like preparations, relinquished their murderous designs.
Four years after, in September, 1675, the inhabitants were
ao-ain aeitated on the subject. The Governor and Council
ordered that a stockade should be built around the tow.n
prison, partly as a fortification and partly as a place of refuge
tor the women and children in case of attack. It was built of
lota's at least nine feet in length. The fortification was never
needed, for the anticipated assault was not made.
Tradition informs us that the prison just mentioned stood,
in those days, where Mr. J. Mattison Melick's house now
stands. The author remembers when the old Presbyterian
parsonage (a venerable stone structure) occupied the same
site. This was torn down to make room for the present
tasteful residence, the property having been sold by the
Presbyterians. The "Prison" was also known, so it is said,
as the " Court House."* The Township Court held its ses-
sions in this building, and many criminals found a temporary
resting place within its walls.
Among other difficulties with which our fathers had to
contend, not the least, perhaps, was the manufacture of appro-
priate names for the numerous new localities with which they
found themselves in contact. In some cases they used the
Indian name; but this was not always available, for the very
good reason that their jaws were regarded as of more conse-
quence than the designation of any place could possibly be.
Besides, the Indians, being accustomed to using the nose very
* There is another tradition which seems to indicate that this is incorrect. Mr. T. Harvey
Morris, residing in the immediate vicinity of tlie old " Prison " site, sa<'s tliat an aj,'ed citizeiii
informed liiiii that the "Court House" stood on the spot mentioned above, and that ihe
'• Prison" (a separate biiildint;) was IcicHted some distance in tlie rear of it. This is corrobo-
rat<-d, njipari-ntly, by .«(inu' diggers liiiclins-. a few years aL'o. a subtt-rranean structure resemblinir
a dunneon (in wliich were found balls witli chains attached, etc.), at a considerable distance
Iroui the site of the old Court House.
Klisha Parker, weaver, iiunhased seven acres in Woodbridge, Sept. 7, 1C80, from his
father, Elisha, "lyln^r on the west side of tlie hi)?hw.ay tliat goeth from the prison to the
meetiDj,' liouse." Tids helps to locate the prison on the site indicated as the Court House.
EARLY EVENTS.
1136475 35
largely in pronunciation, producing a heavy nasal sound, our
fathers found it difficult to pronounce some of their words,
unless they were under the influence of a disagreeable catarrh.
Consequently, sundry English words were employed to
distinguish certain places from others; with what success,
may be gathered from the mention of two points of interest in
the town. A little stream near the elder Stephen Kent's
house, as we learn from the manuscript book of surveys of
Woodbridge in the library of the Historical Society of New-
Jersey (page 84), was called " Sling-taile Brook." Just think
of that — " Sling-taile Brook " ! What the name commemo-
rates we are not in a position to tell. Some Kilkenny cat
fio-ht may have originated it — or the windings of the brook
may have given some one the idea that it was very sling-tail
in its character — or some demure domestic animal may have
been switching herself contemplatively, as cows have done
from time immemorial, and in so doing frightened some vil-
lao-e swain who was rambling along the romantic stream, and
he has caused a search after a supposable ghost, which has
resulted in detecting the sedate bovine busily employed in
slino-ing her tail. However interesting the origin of the name,
we cannot give any certain knowledge of it. The little stream
which bore the distinction of " Sling-taile Brook " was that
one in the neighborhood of Ford's Corner, which place was
itself dignified as Slingtail in the memory of some people
now living.
The other name alluded to was equally sentimental. It was
Mutton HoUoiv, situated on the west side of the town, in what
is now known as the Clay Bank Region. Here again we are
at a loss to account for the origin of the appellation. It is a
hoUouf, that much is certain ; but it is the mutton we cannot
explain. Sheep meat is notoriously fat, and it is barely
possible that some settler, noticing the greasy clay which
abounded in the valley, took it for mutton fat. It is by no
means certain that this is the correct history of this locality.
We only suggest it as affording a faint clue to the origin of
the name. It is a more modern name than " Sling-taile
Brook " — the latter having been given some time before the
year 1669.
CHAPTER lY.
1007 — 1077 {Continued).
Joshua Pierce — History of the Early Town Meetings—
The Ilslys — Voquillen — Trouble with Piscataway —
John Smith — The Township Court Difficulty — Re-
ward Offered for the Woodbridge Constable's Head.
The "Town Book" is divided into two parts — tlie first con-
taining grants and surveys, the second recording the pro-
ceedings of the "Town Meetings." The first entry in tlic
latter part is dated January ist, 1669, which sets fortii the fact
that Joshua Pierce, who had been Clerk during 1667, point-
edly refused to give up the record of the surveys and Town
Meetings for that year; in consequence of which the events
of 1667 are nearly a blank in the history of the town. It
seems that this Pierce had kept the writings alluded to on
loose pieces of paper, and wlien Samuel Moore, his successor,
entered upon his duties, he sought to place them on record in
a substantial book. To this Pierce demurred, and the sus-
picion as to the cause, entertained by posterity, is anything
but flattering to the recreant Clerk; for it is supposed that
the production of the records would have revealed dishonest
deeds and purposes to which he was an interested party. It
is possible, liowever, that lie was disappointed in not securing
a re-election to the Clerkship, and refused to surrender the
papers in order to avenge the slight. Whatever may have
been the reason, no means were taken, of which we are
aware, to obtain the missing links; and, while we regret the
loss, we are struck with wonder at the forbearance of our
fathers, and their lofty indifference to the comfort of their
present historian in his researches.
At the first Town Meeting (Jan. i, 1669) of which we have
any account, Robert Dennis and Samuel Moore were chosen
TOWN MEETINGS. 37
" Burgases," or delegates to the Legislature, the latter was
chosen Town Clerk, and John Smith was appointed Con-
stable. It was ordered at this meeting that the Clerk should
give notice of all subsequent meetings, which were to be
opened at ten o'clock in the morning; and a fine of 2^-. was
imposed on all who absented themselves without excuse, and
for leaving the room during sessions i^. was exacted. The
Clerk announced that the laws of the Province had been
publicly read by him, as the law required. Samuel Moore
was selected to "fix the brand marks upon both horses and
cattle."
The Town Meetings were ordered to be held at the house
of John Smith, Constable, until further notice. This Smith
is supposed to have lived on the highway which crossed
Papiack Creek — a convenient point; for many of the early*
settlers lived on the upland along the Sound and could not
reach the other side of the meadow without Sfoins: over this
road. It was built across the meadow at a place where the
marsh was narrowest, and where, therefore, it would cost
least to construct a causeway.
The Town Meeting did not hold regular sessions at this
time — the Clerk, with four others, being empowered to call
the Freeholders together as occasion required. From Jan-
uary I St until February ist no meeting was held, after which
an interval of four months passed before the august assemblage
visited John Smith's house on the west side of Papiack Creek.
In the February meeting it was ordered that nobody should
be allowed to cut down any timber for " pipe staves,
clabords " [clap-boards], or shingles, unless they were
designed for local use. Any violation of this order was
punishable by a 40s. fine for each tree felled.
On the ist of June it was "granted to Elisha II sly to be an
inhabitant and to have accommodations equal with other
inhabitants, he engaging to come and settle by Michaelmas
next, except he be disappointed for want of an opportunity;
if so, then to make use of the first opportunity that shall
present." Elisha was a brother to John Ilsly, both of whom?
according to Whitehead (who refers to Cojfuis Histoj-y of
Newbury), came from Newbury, in Massachusetts. They are
^S WD.iiil'.kllK;!-; AK1> VICINITY.
the ancestors of the Insltrs of the present day* (many of
whom are now living in Woodbridge), as well as of the Ilslys
in different parts of the State. There is a tradition, which
may or may not be true, that they came over in the old ship
Cakthmia^ tiie wreck of which, for many years, was seen on the
shore at Perth Amboy, by some who are yet living. It is
said that, driven by persecution, the Ilslys, with other
dissenters, were compelled to flee from their homes, which
were either in England or in the north of Scotland, and were
allowed by their enemies to depart only because they
embarked on the unseaworthy Caledonia, which was confi-
dently expected to founder at sea and engulf the sturdy
heretics. But, lo ! they came safely into harbor! Before
they landed, however, the Dutch captain proceeded to bind
'them over as servants to the planters in the vicinity, accord-
ing to custom, until certain real or fancied debts in the old
country had been discharged. A Mrs. Ilsly, filled with
indignation, seized a bar of iron and, flourishing it over the
captain's head, declared witli emphasis that she and the rest
had fled from tyranny at home to find quiet in the new land ;
and that she would not submit to slavery right on the borders
of freedom. The doughty captain was cowed by the deter-
mination of the brave woman, and saved his head by landing
his passengers without the indentures having been executed.
At the same Town Meeting in which Elisha Ilsly was
elected a Freeholder "Robert Voquilin" (alias Vocklin, alias
Vanquillen, alias Liprary, alias La Prairie, etc.) was elected
to the same dignity, and was allotted ten acres of upland on
the hill south of the Papiack Creek, near its mouth. The hill
was known as " Voclin's Hill " thereafter. The special reason
for this man having so many names does not appear. His
parents must have made sad havoc with the dictionary when
Robert was christened — although of what language, it is not
so easy to tell; for while Vanquillen has a Dutch tincture,
/(/ Prairie savors strongly of France. It may be that the
maternal parent had occasion to answer the elder Vanquill en,
*For proof of this we rffcr to the Town Records, Liber B, page 117, where a desd for
wrtain hinds is sicncd liy " Willium Insly" and 'Mno. Inslee"'— the two men signing differ-
ently, as is Bln>wn by the (luolalion marks. This iia|)er is very old, being dated 1714; froui
which wo Infer that the name '• Inslee ■' is synonymous with the more ancient " Ilsly."
TOWN MEETINGS. 39
when the question was "popped," in a mixed way — thus:
'' Ich bin Dci/i, man homme chcr^ If so, we have a clue to the
whole difficulty — one was Dutch, the other French.*
This Voquillen (or whatever his name was) being Surveyor-
General of the Province, was employed very much of his time
in lavine out the lands of the inhabitants. The hill on which
his house stood is now the property of Mozart Pinner.
The Town Meeting held July 6th, 1669, sent Lieutenant
John Pike and Samuel Moore to talk to the Governor
concerning a draught of a Charter sent to the Freeholders
of the town. Some things in this first draught were regarded
as objectionable and burdensome. The same committee
with the addition of Thomas Bloomfield, Sr., and Stephen
Kent, Sr., was sent to the town of Piscataway to enquire
what were the grievances of which those in that section
complained. The Piscataway men had endeavored to destroy
the boundary marks set up by the Surveyor-General on the
Governor's warrant, between the two towns, and had so far
succeeded as to have defaced the trees which had been marked
— so that some confusion was likely to ensue if the matter
was not speedily righted. .On the 8th inst., two days after
this committee was appointed, another meeting was held and
it was reported by the committee that the Piscataway people
were very much aggrieved by the boundary line being drawn
so that Woodbridge was in possession of much territory
which ought to belong to themselves. The Woodbridge
people waxed war-like. The minute in the Town Book
reads thus : * * "it was passed by vote that that
bounds that is now sett and laid out by the Surveyor General
by vertue of the Governor's warrant between ye two Towns,
viz. : the towns of Woodbridge and Pascattaway: we conclude
doth of right belong to the freeholders of this town of Wood-
bridge, and that right they will maintain by all such just and
lawfull means as to their judgments may seem best, and this
to be returned to the Inhabitants of Pascattaway as the
answer of the freeholders of Woodbridge to their propositions
made by their messengers."
* Dr. Hatfield says VoquiUen was a French srentleman from the city of Caen, and that he
came over with Gov. Carteret. (History of Ehz.alieth, p. 4S.) He was called for some reason,
"Sieur des Prairie" — Lord of the fields. Perhaps this had reference to his vocation, as he was
a surveyor. There were twenty-two ways of spelling his name ^Hatfield, p. 97. note).
4<) WOODDRIDGE AND VICINITY.
That sounds as thougli our fathers had their tempers
roused.
The next meeting was held on the i6th of August, and the
Freeholders "thankfully accepted " the Charter of the Town.
The Piscataway trouble came up again. The people over
there had been pulling up the stakes and the bounds of the
town were "being demolished." The old committee who
went to see the Governor in regard to the Charter were
commissioned to go again to complain of the Piscataway
men "concerning the injury, abuse and wrong" sustained by
the Freeholders of Woodbridge.
On the 2otli of August the inhabitants were permitted "to
joyn together 4, 5, 6, 8 or ten, more or less," to view " such
parcels of land " as were convenient to that already owned by
tliem, whicli, if the next Town Meeting approved, should be
divided among the company by lot.
On August 27th it was voted that Strawberry Hill should
be patented as a " perpetual Sheep Common" for the inhab-
itants on the west side of Papiack Creek. Lieut. John Pike,
Matthew Bunn, and Samuel Moore were appointed to appor-
tion "the Indian purchase so as To know what is due for each
man to pay towards it."
The next meeting was held September loth, at which John
Smith, the Constable, was elected Moderator, or Chairman,
"until the Inhabitants shall see cause to the contrary."
Daniel Hendricks was permitted to become an inhabitant of
the Piscataway plantation, being the first of four men whom
the Woodbridge authorities had the privilege of settling
there.
September 22d a "good, serviceable, stout bridge" was
ordered to be constructed over the Creek below the " Meeting-
house Green." Thomas Wiatt was elected the second Wood-
bridge man to settle in Piscataway, according to an agree-
ment between the two towns.
In order to make the settlement as compact as possible,
it was ordered on the 9th of October that no large quantities
of land should be taken up within a mile of the body of the
town; "that is to say, a mile or thereabouts from the brook
on the north side of the Meeting-house or Kirk Green, a mile
TOWN MEETINGS. 4I
or thereabouts from Stephen Kent, Senr., his now dwelling
house, and a mile from Strawberry Hill or the Sheep Com-
mon." Where two or more of the companies, mentioned in
the meeting of August 20th, had selected the same plots of
land, or Avhere land was selected which was insufficient in
quantity for supplying a single company, it was ordered that
lots should be cast by the claimants to solve the difficulty.
Samuel Moore and John Smith were appointed to assist the
Surveyor-General in laying out the land ; and those employ-
ing them were required "to give them mete satisfaction in
seasonable help or otherways, that their Domestick afairs
may not too much suffer at home by their owne absence."
The Constable was directed to entertain the Surveyor-
General wnth " meat, drink and lodging " at the charge of the
town.
"Spunk Hill," so called, we presume, because it required
considerable spunk to climb it, was situated on the south side
of the old Piscataway road ; and, according to an entry in the
records, was occupied by David Makany.
At the following meeting, held October 19th, the Township
Court was erected, Lieut. John Pike being chosen Judge and
the senior John Bishop assistant. " Theophilus' house-lot "
was granted to Samuel Bacon. What circumstance gave it
this name we cannot tell. It may have been a dry joke at the
expense of some would be Freeholder whose surname is
forgotten. Under this date an order is recorded granting
\os. for every wolf killed — the animal's head to be taken to the
Constable's house. And this reminds us what a good-natured
man John Smith must have been ! Did the people wish to
attend Town Meeting.' They must go to John Smith's.
Did they want the Surveyor-General to be entertained .' Let
him go to John Smith's. Did they want a place to bring all
the wolves' heads unto .' Take them to John Smith's house.
Clever John Smith ! would that thy hospitality were as fre-
quently met with as thy name !
On the 22d of October, the first Tuesday in every month
was set apart for the Town Meeting day — the session to begin
at ten o'olock in the morning and to close at four o'clock in
the afternoon. Extra meetings were to be called when
4: woonnRiDc.E and vicinity.
necessary. F.ate-comers were to be fined si.\ pence and
absentees two shillings.
In tlie November meeting (ist) a little breeze was occa-
sioned bv some one succeeding in pushing through a town
order for a new election for officers of the Township Court.
Josluia Bradley stoutly protested that the order was illegal —
contending that these officers had already been elected and
recorded. He was followed by eleven others who joined in
the protest. The officers previously chosen were suffered to
remain in the Court, but two additional dignitaries were
elected, viz.: S. Kent, Sr., and S. Moore, Assistants — the latter
being sworn in as Clerk of the Court.
The two Woodbridge Deputies were instructed to consult
with representatives from other towns in the Province (Nov.
22) in order to }:)etition the Governor for an explanation of
the fact that no Legislature had recently been convened; also
to ask why all the laws of the last session had not been
published.
By a minute of the December meeting we perceive that
Samuel Moore has tl:e office of Constable added to his other
honors. But in January, 1670, Richard Worth is the happy (.')
recipient of this position. In the same meeting, held on the
4th, John Smith and Samuel Moore were elected Deputies to
the General Assembly, and the latter was chosen Town Clerk
and Moderator for the year. Three days after, a special
meeting was held to " smouth over" the ruffled feelings of
some of the citizens in regard to the Court elections. Con-
siderable bitterness had been evoked in the meeting of
November ist, when the new election had been under
discussion, and the asperity had increased in the meantime.
The foIloSving is the preamble to a document presented at this
meeting :
" Whereas there hath been and still are many considerable
and uncomfortable dcsircanccs in this Towne, occationed by
the various apprehentions of the Inhabitants and freeholders
of the same, about the erecting of a Court of Judicature and
the prosecution of the same: and the Inhabitants and free-
holders being mett together to compose the same, and in
order thereunto have by a joynt consent made choice of Mr.
TOWN MEETINGS. 43
John Smith and Samuel Moore to consult together and
to draw up some propositions for the considerations of the
Towne, that in their judgments may seem most Rationall for
the uniteing of the freeholders and Inhabitants and for the
composing of the Desireances now in being."
Then follow seven propositions, the first of which reads
thus: ''That the Inhabitants and freeholders may with
suteable purposes resolve and declare each to other that
whatever hath been spoken and acted either in words or
jestures by way of sturing up of strife or exassperating
each other's spirits should be buried in oblivion, and so
recorded."
There is something noble in this language despite the
homely phraseology. It breathes of Christian charity — the
choicest of all virtues.
C The six other propositions retained the officers in the
Court which were originally elected ; provided for an annual
election of such officers ; for the choice of jurymen ; for fees
and salaries and fines; and for four sessions a year. In case
an extra session were called the plaintiff was to be required to
pay the cost of it. It speaks well for the spirit of the meeting
that this paper was adopted unanimously ; and it was ordered,
very properly, to be recorded in the Town Book. And thus
pleasantly ended the Township Court difficulty — the first
which had disturbed the harmony of the people.
At a meeting held February ist, 1670, some old grants were
brought in and recorded. On the ist of March a committee
was appointed to look for a mill-site; and a present of two
hundred and fifty acres of upland and meadow was ordered to
be given to the Governor, Philip Carteret — a township
present.
The meeting on April ist was an unimportant one, and
that of Mav 13th likewise. It will be remarked that the town
order designating the first Tuesday in each month as the
regular Town-Meeting day was •' more honored in the breach
than in the observance." Very few meetings were held on
this day.
A communication was read in the June meeting from the
Governor, in regard to military affairs — urging the appoint-
44 WOODRRIDGE AND VICINITY.
mcnt of a Captain, Lieutenant, and Ensign. Under this date
is recorded the agreement of Jonathan Dunham with the
Town to build a grist mill, concerning whicli we have spoken
elsewhere. Tiiis Dunham was a man of great energy. When
he determined upon an enterprise he pushed it forward to
success with indomitable penBeverance. So many of his
relatives settled north of the Kirk Green that the neighbor-
hood was known as Dunhamtoiun for many years.
The meeting of July 5th refers to the procuring of a
settled Ministry in the Town, to which, with kindred topics,
we have devoted chapter VII. There is only one item
recorded in the August meeting (2d) and that relates to a very
serious affair if it was carried out as it is written. It reads in
Fitz Randolph's copy as follows : " It passed by vote that
there should be twenty shillings paid to any person that kills
a wolf or wolves within the bounds of this corporation, the
party bringing the head of the Constable." We were horror-
struck when we first read this murderous. edict, but we have
been convinced by subsequent investigation that the Con-
stable's head was not at all required. When the wolf was
killed the head was to be brought "/^ the Constable " — i. e.
the head of the wolf.
September 6th the town ordered the erection of fences
around the corn-fields, and a committee of four men were
directed to inspect the fences in the Township, who should
decide whether damages were claimable for the destruction ot
the crop by hogs and cattle. If the fences of the plaintift
were in good condition the claim for indemnify was to be
granted ; but if they were poorly constructed the verdict was
to be, in effect : " Served him right ! "
But we must bring this chapter to a close, promising to
resume the history of the " Town Meetings " in the next.
OHAPTEE T.
166T— 1677 {Continued).
Dissatisfaction with Tax — Cross Letter from the Gov-
ernor — Wolf Pits — First Grand Jury in Woodbridgf,
— The Honest Scotchman — Paying Fees in Pork —
Robert Cuts — Dutch Rule — More Piscataway Trou-
ble — The Pound — Stockade — Magazine — Importing
Paupers — Legislature Meets in Woodbridge — The
Laws it Passed — Second Session in Woodbridge — The
Pikes.
For some time previous io the events recorded in the pre-
ceding chapter, Woodbridge liad been agitated by certain of
the settlers who aimed to set aside the claims of the Lords-
proprietors on the ground that the purchase of the lands was
made from the Indians themselves. It was virtually paying
twice for them if they paid the tax levied by the English pro-
prietors — so they argued. This view of the matter w^as pre-
sented in such a plausible shape that many were inclined to
adopt it. In order to crush this movement the Governor sent
a message to Judge Pike, directing him to notify all parties con-
cerned that those persons who did not conform to the terms of
the Lords-proprietors should be denied the privileges of citi-
zens of the town — not being permitted to vote in the town
meetings or to hold office. Their lands were ordered to be
confiscated. This order was issued October 25th, 1670, and
was read November ist in the town meeting. At the same
meeting Voquillen, the Surveyor-General, presented a crusty
letter from the Governor. Here it is:
" To Mr. Robert Voquillen, alias Laprary — Sir : In answer
to yours of the 3d Instant, I do not understand that the Town
of Woodbridge hath any power to dispose of the Lords-pro-
prietors' lands without their approbation, and contrary both to
^6 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
their laws and to ihcir own articles. When it is theirs accord-
ing to tlieir Charter they may do with it what they please ; till
then it is at the Lords-proprietors' disposing. Therefore
without more ceremony, if there be any so contentious and
will not patent their land, lay it out to them that will, and let
them go and look for land where they can get it. For Amboy, |
I wonder Mr. Pierce should be so unadvised as to speak any |
more concerning it. He knows it was reserved for the Lords |
in lieu of the seventh part, therefore [he] may set his heart at
rest ior that he shall never have; and if he will not patent
that land that is allotted for him, you may lay it out amongst
the rest to those that will — I was absent when several of your
Town brought corn which Champpine did receive, but not
upon the account of Rent due to the Lords. He hath kept an
exact account of what he hath received from every particular
man, which I will [be] accountable for, and Avill give no re-
ceipt to any of them upon the account of rent but those that
have patented their lands ; therefore their policy in that will
fail them. — For the Piscataway men, their dividing their lands
without order will signify nothing for I am about to patent
their land to particular persons which will be glad to have it
upon the same conditions ihry might have had it, and to turn
them out of the country ; and then let them go to England
and dispute it in law with the Lords-proprietors who hath ye
greatest interest. I have not more at present but that I am,
Sir, Your assured friend,
4th of April, 1670. Philip Carteret."
Vocjuillen presented in this meeting another paper — a war-
rant from the Governor for laying out lands regardless of the
interference of the disaffected settlers, who were to be ac-
counted devoid of any right or title to any property in the
Town.
The meeting of November i6th was held to take measures
for securing a Minister of the Gospel. That of December 6th
voted ^8 for the Surveyor as payment for surveying the
bounds of the Township and making a draft of the same.
In the January meeting (3d), 1671, the following officers of
the Township Court were elected :
President: John Pike, Sr.; Assistants: John Smith, John
TOWN JMEETINGS, CONTINUED. 47
Bishop, Sr., John Martin, and Samuel Moore; Marshal:
Samuel Hale; Jurymen: Jonathan Dunham, T. Bloomfield,
Sr., Abraham Tappen, Isaac Tappen, John Bloomfield, Oba-
diah Ayers, John Adams, Samuel Dennis, Benj. Parkis,
Thomas Auger, Ephraim Andrews, and John Smith, "Scotch-
man."
From an entry dated February 7tli we learn that two wolf-
pits had been constructed in different parts of tiie town, and
it was ordered that twenty acres of common land should be
set apart for keeping the pits in repair. It will be seen from
this and previous orders that tliese animals were very numerous
around Woodbridge. Many methods were employed to de-
stroy them, but it was a long time before the settlers were
exempt from their destructive forages. These pits, we pre-
sume, were deep excavations Avith perpendicular sides, the
opening being covered with slender strips, upon which were
scattered leaves so thickly as to close up every crevice and
present the appearance of solid ground. Of course, the
moment the weight of the unsuspecting wolf came upon it
the frail fabric gave way, and the animal found himself a pris-
oner at the mercy of the first hunter that came in that direc-
tion.
The next meeting, March 7th, reveals nothing important in
town affairs. On the 4th of April " all Births, Burials, and
Marriages " were ordered to be recorded thenceforth ; and it
was voted that two Grand Jurymen should annually be chosen
" to take Notice of. Enquire into, and to make Due present-
ment of all or any kind of Misdemeanor in this corporation,
and to have an oath administered to them for that End." The
two chosen for 167 1 were Thos. Bloomfield, Sr., and John
Martin.
Two months after this, on the first Tuesday in June (6th),
the next town meeting assembled and appointed two "Way
wardens " to attend to the mending of the country roads. An
order was passed forbidding the obstruction of the highways
by the felling of timber; a grievance which must have been
common, for the heavy fine of los. was exacted for ever}- tree
felled across the road.
John Smith, Scotchman, was a man of such remarkable
aS WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITV.
integrity of character that tlic July meeting (4th) directed
that his half bushel measure should be the standard by which
all the freeholders should be governed in buying and selling ;
'> and all those that shall sell or buy by any other measures,
until law makes other provision, shall be accounted villianous
to buy or sell by unjust measures." What a tribute to the
Scotchman's honesty !
Nothing noteworthy occurred in the meetings of August
1st and September 5th ; but in that held on the last day of the
latter month a warrant from the Governor was read requir-
ing the immediate election of two Legislative Representatives.
John Smith and Samuel Moore were chosen.
The nieeting of the 30th ot October made the preparations
for the Indian expedition which are alluded to elsewhere.
One thing, however, strikes us as having a ludicrous aspect.
The ammunition for this war was ordered to be paid for "by
the Constable ;'// wheat or pork out of the Treasury^ How
many towns in the State have a pork-barrel for a Treasury ?
And how many government contractors are there to-day who
are content to be paid in spare-rib and pickled pigs' feet for
the supplies they furnish.' "(9 temporal O mores!''' We
almost imagine we see the solemn-looking Constable fishing
in the Treasury for his salary, and the great Justice of the
Township Court carrying his greasy fees to his home at
Strawberry Hill. These were literally /a/ (?^(:^i-.
On the 5th of December the Common Lands within the
bounds of the township were ordered to be patented to the
Freeholders of the town forever, according to an offer of the
proprietors, in consideration of a yearly tax of ^5, to be paid
to the Governor.
The regular January election occurred on the 2d, in the year
1672, Thos. Bloomfield, Sr., being chosen Constable; Samuel
Moore, President of the Court; John Smith and Robert
Dennis, Deputies, etc. The Deputies were allowed ^s. 6p. per
day, during the sessions of the Legislature, o-ut of Avhich they
were expected to pay their expenses.
On the 7th of May the Freeholders agreed to allow Robert
Cuts to build a store-hous3 near the landing, on the east side
of Strawberry Hill (now known as Cutter's Dock), giving
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. 49
him a strip of land for the building 60x25 feet, and a dwelling
house lot at some other place to be selected by himself.
We are compelled to jump from the last date to July 2d,
1674, as only one record of any Town Meeting occurs during
this long interval of two years. It is probable that tlic
possession of New York by the Dutch in 1673, and the
demoralization attendant upon the change of government in
the Province (for the conquerors at New York extended their
doniinion over all the surrounding country), affected Wood-
bridge ; and Town Meetings were, for a time, abandoned.
Besides, Samuel Moore was too loyal to the English Gov-
ernment to exercise any office under the Dutch. Some
conflict occurred between Moore and the government at New
York which nearly resulted in his being imprisoned. It was
in regard to a certain bail-bond held by him, as Marshal
under Carteret,* which he wished to retain ; but John Ogden,
the Sellout^ virtually Governor of East Jersey at this time,
was authorized to arrest him if he refused to deliver the
document into his hands. There is some intimation that
Moore carried the case into court. It is possible that the
petition which he sent to New York in May, 1674, in which he
sets forth that he is "aggrieved " by the "judgment " of the
" Sellout and magistrates of Woodbridge," may have reference
to this case. If so, it is evident that the decision v.-as unfav-
orable to him. His petition was considered on the 26th, by
the Dutcli authorities,! but the matter was referred to the
local judiciary.
Some matters connected with the Dutch rule sliould be
noted in this place. Three days after the country submitted
to the Hollanders, the following appears on the records at
Neiv Orange, which was the name given to New York by the
victors ;
" John Baker, Jacob Melyn, John Ogden, cii//i sociis, Dep-
uties from the village of Elizabethtown, Niew-^^^orke, Wood-
bridge and Piscatteway, situate in the province heretofore
called New Yarsey, praying by petition that they may be
allowed to send some Delegates from their said villao-es to
* llatfleld's Elizabeth, p. 176. t N. Y.'Col. Doc, vol. 2, p. 71-t.
U
5°
WOODP.RinCIK AND VICINITY.
treat with the Admirals and associate Council of war respect-
ing the surrender of tlieir towns under the obedience of their
Ilii^h Mii^htinesses, the Lords States of the United Nether-
lands, and his Serene Highness, the Prince of Orange, and
that no audience be granted to their late Governor, Capt-
John Berry, before and until the same be granted to the said
Delegates, &c."*. Dated August 12th, 1673.!
The next Tuesday morning was appointed for the delegates
to make their appearance at the City Hall in New Orange.
On the Friday ensuing, these towns were accorded all the
privileges enjoyed by the Dutch towns in the Province —
freedom of conscience and the undisturbed possession of their
lands.
On Saturday, the 19th, Deputies were present at the Coun-
cil from Woodbridge, Piscataway, and other towns, who were
ordered to call together tlie inhabitants of their respective
towns for the nomination of Sclicpeus (or Magistrates) and the
election of two delegates from each town, to meet together as
a Board for nominating three persons for Schoitt and three for
Secretary, from which a selection would be made. The nom-
inations were presented in due time. John Ogden was
chosen Schout,j; and Samuel Hopkins, Secretary, over the
six towns of Woodbridge, Piscataway, Newark, Elizabeth-
town, Middletown, and Shrewsbury.
Six names for Schepens were sent to the Council of War at
Fort William Hendrik from the inhabitants of Woodbridge,
and three of them were selected on the 24tli of August, and
were sworn in September 1st, 1673. The fortunate men were
recorded as " Samuel Dennis, Obadiah Hoits and Stephen
Kent. "II The name of "Hoits" was the Dutch rendering of
JIaircs, which was the [equally erroneous rendering by the ;
English settlers at Woodbridge of the good old name of
Ayers. Obadiah Ayers was the man, doubtless, for no
Obadiah Hoits lived in Woodbrido-e.
Captains Knyf and Snell were appointed, September 6tli,
to visit the different towns in " Achter Coll," as this section
was called, to administer the oath of allegiance to the inhab-
uQ r ^.•7,- ^^'•,P.*"^' "^°'- "^-V- ?^l- + HatfleW says "Sept 12"-a mistake. t Called a
Schoat In F. K. s copy or the Records. II N. Y. Col. Doc, Vol. 2, p. 582.
. TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. 5 1
itants. From their reports we are enabled to giv^ethe number
of adult males in Woodbridge and Piscataway. In the
former place there were fifty-five, of whom fifty-four were
sworn on the 14th of September — one only being absent; and
in the latter place there were forty-three, all of whom took
the oath on the same day/"
The Dutch Government did not last long, but during its
continuance it was benignant, and gave satisfaction, except
to such as adhered to the Crown of England. Voquillen was
among the latter, and was tried for sedition and banished.
But we must return to the Woodbridge Town Meetinofs :
We presiune, from a brief minute, dated February 2d, 1674
(see page 189, Town Book), that vSamuel Moore thought his
services were Avorth a salary ; and as none had been paid to
him he refused to spend his time in writing the proceedings.
The town, in the minute alluded to, paid him ^'5 for his past
services, and twenty shillings for the year 1674, after which
Mr. Moore resumed the record.
In the meeting of July 2d, 1674, the Piscataway trouble
came up again. Daniel Denton and John Gilman, in behalf
of that town, had begun a suit against the Woodbridge
settlers in order to obtain the upland and meadow in dispute
between them. The boundary line which separated the one
Township from the other had been drawn by Voquillen, so
that the coveted territory was thrown in the corporation of
Woodbridge. The Piscataway people regarded this as unjust,
and bitter feeling grew up between the sister towns in
consequence, manifesting itself in acts of petty spite — as we
have previously related. This suit was the culmination of
the Piscataway wrath. The Court for the trial was to beheld
at Elizabethtown, on the 7t!i of July, and this special Town
Meeting was occupied in getting ready for it. Capl. John
Pike, Lieut. Samuel Moore, and Jonathan Dunham were
appointed by the Magistrates (and approved by the Free-
holders) to be the attorneys for defending the interests of
Woodbridge. But the trial never came o"ff. The Dutch had
possession of the country when the suit was begun ; but on
* N. Y. Col. Documents, Vol. ?, p. 60T,
52
WOODBRIDGE AND VICIXITV.
the very day the trial was to take place, July 7th, orders were
received from the Board of Admiralty at Amsterdam to
surrender the forts and restore the country to England.* Of
course, all legal processes were abandoned. Under English
rule there was no hope for Piscataway, for Carteret had
frowned upon its aspirations; but, under the Dutch, favor
was expected. The Court was constituted by Deputies from
all the towns in the Province (except those interested in the
case) and three men chosen by the Government, of whom
one, John Lawrence, was made President.f In the New
York Colonial Records the contested lands are mentioned as
", Valleys in dispute," but no other description of them is
given; and they remained in the possession of ihe Wood-
bridge men.
The following is the first entry in the proceedings of the
October meeting (2d) :
" It was passed by vote that there should be a Sufficient
pound Built and Sett up near the Smith's Shop by the Last
Day of Novr. next Ensuing the Date hereof, the persons to
see it done are the Magistrates of the Towne to witt. Capt.
John Pike Left. John Bishop and Insigne Saml. Dennes."
In regard to tlie location of this "pound" we are somewhat
uncertain, but, as it was near a blacksmith shop, we presume it
was situated in the neighborhood of John Taylor's residence,
which was on the corner of the road opposite the late Israel
Rowland's house; and we think so, principally, because John
Taylor was a blacksmith.
October 27th, tlie meeting learnedly discussed architecture ;
and, as a result of their lucubrations, made preparations
for erecting a house of worship thirty feet square — which
shows what an eye for proportion our fathers had.
November 5th, Capt. Pike and Ephraim Andrews were
sent to Bergen to hear the publication of orders from the
Lords-proprietors — the substance of them to be brought back
to the town and verbally re-published to the settlers.
Passing by, for tlie present, the three intermediate
meetings, which chiefly relate to ecclesiastical matters, we
• N. V. Col. Poc, p. 728, vol. 2. t Ibid., pp. 722, 723, vol. 2.
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. 53
come to the 13th of September, 1675. In the meeting held on
this day the question regarding the fortification of the town
was considered, and the result was the building of a stockade
about the prison, as we have already stated. The construc-
tion was to be under the supervision of the military officers,
and the work was to begin the next day. The men were
•divided into four squads to act imder four leaders, viz. :
" Saml. Dennes, Saml. Hale, John lisle, and Thomas Blom-
field, Junr."
How jealous our fathers were of their rights maybe seen
in the appointment of Mr. Moore to address the Governor
and Council with respect to the prerogative of nominating
certain military officers, which, by the Charter, belonged to
the Freeholders of Woodbridge, but had been usurped by the
Governor.
November 3d, 1675, it was ordered that timber on the
common land which was not removed within a month from
the time of felling it might be used by any of the inhabitants,
free of charge.
On the 28th the younger Pike was elected Constable — an
office which nobody seemed to want, for everybody tried to
dodge it. All the Freeholders had a chance, therefore, to enjoy
the honors attached to it, for somebody must be Constable.
The meetings of Janviary loth, 1676, and April 17th are in
jeference to the "Meeting house" affairs. On the 15th of
May a call was made for the " powder and shot " which each
inhabitant was to bring into the Town magazine for purposes
of defense. It was also "voted that all unruly Horses that
keeps about the Towne, and Doth use to get into mens Land
over tolerable fences, that By the owners be Cloged or
fettered."
September 26, 1676, a committee was appointed "to take the
Sub3triptions which are Behind for the Governor's areers,
according to Law." John Bishop was elected a "viewer and
sealer of leather," and a mark was directed to be put upon all
bundles of that material by the packer, which mark was a
"W with an O in the midst." The Town seal for leather was
W with a B adjoined.
It was customary, in those days, for the inhabitants to
54 WOODBRIDGE AND VICIXITV.
entertain tlic po(>r at the houses where the latter happened to
stop (as no almshouse had yet been i)rovided), the expense of
which was paid by the town. This system was much abused,
if we may judge from an order issued by the Freeholders.
All persons were prohibited from bringing in or causing to
be brought in the settlement any individuals who were claim-
ants of the public bounty— from which it appears that some
of the citizens were in the habit of importing paupers and
charo-ins" the town ior their maintenance. The order directed
that upon complaint in such a case, the Constable was
required to warn the parties so offending, and exact security
for the payment of all charges by the offender.
A lapse of nearly three years occurs between the meeting in
which the above matters are detailed and the next recorded
gathering of the Freeholders. The cause for this syncope we
are unable to declare. It is possible that the Town Clerk
found his time occupied with business of a more valuable
character. It is more than likely that the small salary of
20S., which had been appropriated for his services in 1674, was
discontinued subsequently; and hence the record was suffered
to take care of itself.
Tlie General Assembly of the Province met in Woodbridge
on the 5th of October, 1676, lasting four days. Doubtless our
readers would like to know what laws were passed in this
early Legislature. We therefore extract them from " Leam-
ing and Spicer's " collection of early laws (see p. 119). The
first enactment is in regard to the Governor's salary, and
reads thus :
''Be it enacted hy this present Assembly that the Salary for
the Governor, that is assessed to him for this present year
shall be paid in good Merchantable Pease and Wheat, or if
any Town will pay in Tobacco not less than a Hogshead, and
if their Salary amounts to more, the Remainder to be pai^i as
above said, in Wheat and Pease; every Town to be at the
Charge of bringing in the said Payment to the Governor at
Elizabeth-Town, without any Trouble or Charge to the
Governor, at or before the first Day of December next
ensuing the Date hereof. The Price of the aforesaid Species
to be as followeth, Winter Wheat at five Shillings per Bushel.
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. 55
Summer Wheat at four Shillings and six Pence the Bushel.
Pease at three Shillings and Six Pence per Bushel. Good
merchantable Tobacco at three Pence per Pound. The
Constable of each Town to collect this Pay; the said
Constable appointing a Day for the Inhabitants of each Town
to bring it in to him; and if any Person or Persons shall
refuse or neglect the Payment hereof, he or they shall pay
double the Value of his Salary, and the Constable shall have
Power to lay distraint for the same, having a Warrant from a
Justice of the Peace of the Town to which tlie said Constable
belongeth."
We presume the Governor must have shipped his wheat
and peas to England for sale, for no stretch of the imagina-
tion will allow us to suppose that he ate them all.
It was further enacted that any one detected in an attempt
to defraud the Governor of his. "Wheat and Pease " should
forfeit double his rate.
The next Act of the Legislature directed the Treasurer of
the Province to provide a standard for both weights and
•measures, to be preserved for the use oi the Province. A law
was also passed forbidding a Justice of the Peace to exercise
any power as an Attorney under penalty of ten pounds fine
for every default. Another, in regard to meat casks, reads as
followeth :
" Whereas there was an Act made April the 8th, 1676,
touching the Gage of Meat Casks for Sale, that a Barrel
should contain Thirty-two Gallons, but finding by Report of
Coopers, that a Barrel ctmtaining Thirty-one or Thirty-one
and a half Gallons, is merchantable,
" Be it therefore enacted, that all Barrels made for sale, shall
contain Thirty-one Gallons, or between Thirty-one and
Thirty-two Gallons, and such shall pass for merchantable."
It was enacted in regard to the rate for the year that
" Hog's fat " was to be excluded — from which we infer that
the Government was not particularly fond of grease. Grand
Jurymen were ordered to be sworn immediately after their
election. Rates were to be collected by distraint as promptly
as possible. Deputies, who came to tlie Assembly not
properly qualified by the towns they represented, were to be
c;6 WOfDHRIDOE AND VICINITY.
permitted to act with the rest; but the negligent constituents
should be fined £io for eVery such default. A Thanksgiving
IJay is thus promulgated :
" Wherk AS there hath been signal Demonstration of God s
Mercy and Favour towards us in this Colony, in the preserv-
ing and continuing our Peace in the midst of Wars round
about lis, together with many other Mercies which we are
sensible of, which call aloud for our Acknowledgment and
Thanksgiving to tlie Lord, Wherefore be it enacted by
tliis Assembly, that there be a Day of Publick Thanksgiving,
set a Part throughout the whole Province, to give God the
Glory and Praise thereof, and oblige us to live to his Praise,
and in his fear always, which Day shall be the second
Wednesday in November next ensuing."
This good old custom of a November Thanksgiving Day
has not yet grown obsolete and we sincerely hope that it
never will.
A preamble, setting forth that "this Province is yet in its
Minority and Infancy, and that we may be as Provident as
we can for the Ease and Benefit of the same," is succeeded by
an act in which the Governor is allotted 4^. per day, during
the Legislative Session, and 35. each to the Councilmen and
Deputies. Fifty pcmnds were levied upon the Province as
the tax for the year. Inasmuch as, by the terms ot the
Concessions, no law passed by the Assembly could be effective
for a longer period than one year, all the enactments of the
previous year were re-affirmed. An act requiring these laws
just passed to be read in the several towns within a month
was decreed— and thus ended the session, the Assembly
adjourning on the 8th inst.
The next session was held partly in Woodbridge and partly
in Elizabethtown — beginning October lotli, 1677, at the
former place and concluding on the 19th at the latter.
Among tlic enactments we notice one to suppress /)///f, or
the publishing of fixlse reports "with an Intent to deceive
People." The lawyers would grow fat and the Courts would
be overburdened if such a law were][enforced now-a-days.
What our fathers, in their simplicity, thought a crime, has
become a science. No man will endure to be called a har,
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. 57
but he Avill deceive and misrepresent his fellow and gain
advantages by these means, in telling of which he is never
tilled and always boastful. He does not lie — he is sagacious.
Ah, well ! our fathers might have learned something from us !
Rowdies were to be put in the stocks "for two whole hours
without relief" for swearing, quarrelling, drinking liquor,
" Singing any vain Songs or Tunes of the Same," on the
Sabbath. Selling strong drink to the Indians was to be
allowed if great caution should be observed. If danger or
disturbance resulted from it the dispenser of the fire-water
was liable to a fine of twenty shillings. None but keepers of
" ordinaries "* were to sell it.f These men were required to
charge eight pence only for a meal, and six pence a day for
pasturing a horse.
These were the laws passed by the two sessions of the
General Assembly which were held in Woodbridge. It may
be interesting to our readers to look a little further into the
early laws.
Our fathers, with all their good sense, were so tinctured
with the prejudices of the times that on the 9th of December,
1675, a law was passed, requiring that " if any Person be
found to be a Witch, either Male or Female., they shall be put
to Death. "J To have a reputation as a witch was, therefore,
not an enviable notoriety.
In the General Assembly of 1694, which was h^ld in Perth
Amboy on the 2d of October, a law was enacted to relieve
John Pike and his son John from the opprobrium of felony,
with which they had been charged on the i6th of September,
1684. 1 A jury had, at that time, convicted them of stealing,
because the missing goods had been found on their premises.
Subsequently it was proved that the Pikes were ignorant of
the presence of the stolen goods in their house. The object
of this act was to restore the Pikes to their former standing in
Woodbridge and to punish any publication of the unfortunate
affair which might injure the reputation of the family. But
this Avas misconstrued, by some evil-minded persons, as an act
of favor and pardon ; which, of course, would indicate that the
* Taverns. t Learning & Spicer, p. 123. % Learning & Spicer, p. 106. 8 Ibid, p. 389.
5S WOODBRIDGE AND VICIXITV,
parties concerned were guilty. When the Legislature met
at Perth Amboy, in February, 1698, after the elder Pike liad
died, it was enacted that the General Assembly intended by
its former act "to publish and make known to the World, that
the said Captain John Pike deceased, and his Son John Pike,
were innocent, clear, and free of the said Felony in the said
Act mentioned."* How hard it is to right the wrong, even
when wrong is unconsciously done !
* LcamiDg &, Spicer, p. 375.
CHAPTER TI
1686—1750.
The Quakers — Meetings at Amboy — First in Woodbridge
— "G. F." — Building the Woodbridge Meeting-house
— Quaker Books — Plainfield and Rahway Meetings,
Etc.
The history of the Quakers in New Jersey has never been
written, notwithstanding it is a field which presents interest-
ing facts, throwing much light on the times of the settlement
as viewed from the present. It is a well-known fact that the
Friends were much more numerous in the State two hundred
years ago, in proportion to the population, than they are now;
hence their history is no insignificant part of the history of
the State. A great many of them settled in East Jersey ; and
it is with these, especially those of them who came to Wood-
bridge, that we have to do in this chapter.
The first meeting in this section of which we have any
account was held August 3d, 1686. The old book in
which this record is made is a curiosity. It is bound, like
the Woodbridge Town Book, in tliick sheep-skin, and is
written in the quaint chirography of the time. The orthog-
raphy is also unmistakably ancient, but remarkably legible.
With this old book in our hands we seem to be en rapport with
the men and events oi aid d king syne. Its record extends from
1686 to 1750.
The following is the entry under the first date :
" Friends at Ambo)^ agreed to have a Monthly Meeting
their and that upon the second 4th day of each Month, and
the first to begin the second 4th day of the 9th Month 1686."
That is all. The next entry, made on the loth of Septem-
ber, announces that the monthly meeting held at Amboy
6o WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
"agreed" that "all friends" should bring " Minuts of ye
Birtlis & Burials since they first came into this place that they
may be Recorded."
The Monthly Meetings continued to bs held for three years
at Amboy, when a Monthly Meeting was begun at Wood-
bridge. But we will make a few extracts from the Amboy
minutes, inasmuch the Woodbridge Quakers worshiped with
those of that place until the period designated.
On the 8th of October (1686) the Friends " agreed to pay
three pounds Mony of this province for the yearly Rent of the
Meeting Room." "Likwayes finds it necessary that there be
six formes for seats in the Meeting Room the Making of which
John Laing toke into consideration."
The carefulness of the Friends in providing for the needy
among them is seen in the following:
"At the Monthly Meeting held in Amboy the 13th of the
2d Month 16S7 John pearce being present the Meeting told
him that lie had done wrong in sending a paper to the people of
the world (desiring to be suplyd with a cow he being poor)
and not coming to the Monthly Meeting of friends to lay his
necessities before them. And thus left him to considder &
whether he would Redress his fault if he feels it in himself."
On the nth of March of the same year it was directed that
" John Reid or his wife take care that widow Mill do not want
& give Report to the Meeting." Also two Friends were ap-
pointed " to speak to Ayidow Mitchel that shee do not talke of
Peter Sonmans as it seemes shee doth, Rather wish hir to come
to the Meeting and if yr be difference lay it before friends
according to the order of truth."
At the next meeting (April 8th) the " difference " alluded
to was settled by arbitration. The " formes " were reported
as having been paid for.
Where the Meeting Room in Amboy was located is a matter
of much uncertainty. The Friends themselves cannot tell.
John Barclay's house may have been the place,* inasmuch as
Mr. Burclay s residence in Amboy was pr(>b,ii)ly the old brick biiilding, still standing, in
the rear of tlie bouse foi- many years occupied by the Goldins lamily, on Ilitrh street, near
the S'luare.' —Whitehead's Uout. to K. Jersey Hist., p. 43.
THE QUAKERS. 6l
he was a prominent member of the denomination. I judge
this to be the case from another fact, although it is by no
means conclusive; that John Barclay was appointed to
receive the contributions for the payment of the " six formes
for seats" — it being highly probable that the owner of the
house should be entrusted with the funds for its internal
improvenient.
"At the Monthly Meeting held in Amboy the 13th of the
5th Month 16S7 The friends appoynted to speak to Benjamine
Clerk brought his answer, which was, that he would not
come [to meeting] because Governor Lawry called him a
divil (as he sayes) wherewith friends not being satisfied
desires George Keith & John Barclay to speak to him
again." But Mr. Clerk persisted in his charge against the
Governor, after which we find no further reference to the
matter.
On the 14th of "October John Reid, who had hitherto kept
the book, resigned it in consequence of leaving the place;
going to Monmouth County, doubtless, to settle on the tract
on the Hope River which was granted him for services in
drawing maps for the proprietors (Whitehead's Contributions,
p. 45). Benjamin Griffith was appointed to fill the vacancy.
Whitehead mentions this man as arriving at Perth Amboy in
1687, and subsequently, in 1696, becoming a Commissioner of
the Minor Court {Contrib., p'. 44); and yet on the 17th of
August, 1689, a meeting is appointed at his house '^ in JVood-
bridge." From these facts we infer that Griffith moved to
Woodbridge somewhere about 1689. His penmanship is of
an elaborate description, and easily read.
The first Monthly Meeting held in Woodbridge occurred on
the 17th day of August, 1689, as above stated, and is recorded
thus: "At a Monthly meeting in Woodbridge it was agreed
that the monthly meeting should be kept the third Fifth day
in every month, at Benjamin Griffith's in Woodbridge. That
Friends of the Ministry coming to Visit us, should be taken
care of"
The next entry in the record is written in a large, bold
hand, as follows: "The above said Monthly Meeting fell
from ye year 16S9 to ye year 1704 by reason of George Keith's
^3 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Separation which was 15 years and Then was appointed to Be
Kept att Woodbridgc First by a preparative Meeting and abt
2 years after Kept a Monthly Meeting."
The cause of tiiis long interval of fifteen years in the
history of tlic Woodbridge Quakers is well known. George
Keith,* a man eminent among the Friends in Pennsylvania
and New Jersey, began preaching and writing in favor of
plainer garments, "of the abandonment of all forcible
measures to uphold secular or worldly government, and the
emancipation of negroes after a reasonable term of service."
Keith had many followers, causing much bitterness in the
hitherto peaceful denomination. The leader, however, was
unequal to the task of crystallizing the elements he had
disturbed. He became censorious and overbearing, in
consequence of which his influence declined; and in 1694 the
yearly meeting in London divested him of all authority and
his career as a Quaker was ended. In 1702 he visited
Shrewsbury as an Episcopalian missionary and created a
profound sensation.
On the 24th of August, 1704, at a quarterly meeting held in
Shrewsbury, it was "agreed" that "for time to come it [the
meeting] should be kept at Nathaniel Fitz Randolph's house
in Woodbridge every first day of the week until Friends se
kause to alter it." " It was then and there proposed by some
friends in and about Woodbridge, to wit, John Kensy,
Benjamin Griffith, William Sutton and John Laing whether
it might n(jt be konvenient to have a Preparative-meeting
setled there to be held once a month ? the Question was
considered by friends and they answered, that it was their
sence that it might be Serviceable and agreed to it, and left
the appointment of the day when it should be held, to the
friends of Woodbridge meeting."
The Woodbridge meetings, except two,t continued from
this time forward to be held at the house of Fitz Randolph
until the Friends had completed their meeting house, in
which the first session was held September 19th, 17 13. We
cannot tell where Fitz Randolph dwelt; hence we cannot
• Whitehead's Contrlb., p. 16. t These were held at John Klnsey's in November and De-
cember, 1707.
THE QUAKERS. 63
designate the locality where the Quakers met, for so many
years, in harmonious council. Nor are we wiser in regard to
the house of Benjamin Griffith where the first Quaker
meeting in the village was convened. In 1707 we find the
latter spoken of as an inhabitant of Amboy, from which we
infer that he had returned to that place, although he attended
the Woodbridge meetings with unabated interest. It may
not be out of place to state that some well-informed people
believe Nathaniel Fitz Randolph's residence to have occupied
the site of the building which was the property of the late
John Barron, near the depot on Green street.
The Preparative Meeting, which the Shrewsbury Quarterly
Meeting had authorized in Woodbridge at the discretion of
the Quakers at the latter place, was instituted September 9th
of the same year (1704) and appointed to be held every third
Thursday in the month.
We shall not, in the following account of successive events,
make mention of every meeting held, but select such facts and
sentiments as will prove most interesting to the reader.
On the 2 1 St of October, 1704, Benjamin Griffith was
re-elected clerk, and continued to serve in that position until
his death, which occurred in April or May, 1709. December
15th, 1704, a long article, full of good counsel, was read in the
meeting. It was signed " G. F." Who " G. F." may have
been, we can only conjecture. Possibly it was Grace Fitz
Randolph, wife of Nathaniel. It may have been some
Shrewsbury Friend of eminence writing an advisory letter
occasionally to the East Jersey Quakers. The latter seems
the more plausible supposition, from the fact that many of the
things mentioned in the article referred to, pertain to matters
of doctrine and discipline. Two letters, signed " G. F.,"
follow the lengthy document, the first of whicli reads thus :
"Dear Friends Be faithful in ye service of God and mind
ye Lords business, be diligent, and bring ye power of ye Lord
over all those that have gainsaid it; and all you that be
faithful, go to visit them all that have been convinced, from
house to house, that if possible you may not leave a hoofe in
Egypt, and so every one go seek ye lost Sheep, and bring him
home on your back to ye Fold, and there will be more joy of
that one Sheep, than of the Ninety nine in the Fold."
64
WOODBRIDGR AND VICINITY.
From the second kilcr vvc make the following extract:
"And Friends all take heed of sleeping, sotishncss and
dulness in Meetings for it is an illsavory thing to se one sit
nodding in a Meeting, & so U) loose ye sense of ye Lord &
shamefac'dness both; and it grieveth ye upright and watchful,
that wait upon ye Lord, to se such things, and for ye Priests
people and others that come into your Meetings, to se you that
come togetlier to worship God and wait upon him, to have
fellowshrp in His Spirit, for you to sit nodding is a shame &
unseemly thing."
In this December meeting, in the record of which the fore-
o-oing matters are written, a proposition was made for the
purchase of a piece of ground for a meeting house and burial
place. It was not regarded at that time with general favor.
The proposition was renewed at Lhe next meeting, held
]anuary 15th, 1705, with no better result, although considera-
ble "discourse " ensued.
An act having been passed by the Legislature " for the Ease
and Benefit of the People call'd Quakers," the April meeting
(21st), made out a certificate, to be used in case of necessity,
which, under the provisions of the law, secured to the holder
thereof exemption from military duty.
In the meeting of May 19th we catch our first glimpse of
the trouble among the Friends in regard to the giving and
taking of certificates of membership. A small minority
opposed the system as being too much conformed to the ways
of the world ; the majority favored it because it prevented
imposition and established the character of the member
removing, above the reach of suspicion. Two letters were
read from -John Pearce of Elizabethtown, a man of very
excitable temperament, in both of which he reproves the
Woodbridoe Quakers for using the certificates.
The yearly meeting, held at Burlington in July, 1705, issued
a letter to "all Quarterly & Monthly Meetings in East Jersey,
West Jersey & Pennsylvania," wliich is given in extcnso in this
(jld record. It is an ably written paper, occupying eleven
large, closely-written pages. From this we learn that the
Yearly Meeting was the chief authority among the Quakers,
ne>wt to which ranked the Quarterly and then the Monthly
THE QUAKERS. 65
Meetings. Two representatives were chosen in the Wood-
bridge Monthly Meeting four times a year to go to Shrews-
burv, where the Quarterly Meeting was generally held. The
Quarterly in turn sent at least four representatives to the
Yearly Meeting, which was held at different places at the
option of the Meeting itself. The Preparative Meeting is
thus described: '• — ye meeting called ye Preparative-
meeting where they are established by ye monthly-meeting
* * be held at ye breaking up of every weekly-
meeting of worship next before ye monthly-meeting they
belong to, unless ye monthly-meeting se cause to appoint
another day." The Woodbridge meeting was Preparative
from 1704 until October 19th, 1706, when the yearly meeting
established it as a monthly meeting.
The following extract will give modern readers an idea of
the strictness which was enjoined upon Friends in " ye olden
time":
They are not considered good Quakers 'â– If any men or
women friends young or old keep not themselves and children
to plainness of apparrel as becomes our antient Christian
profession. If any men Aveare long lapped sleeves. Coats folded
on the sides. Superfluous Buttons, broad Ribbands about their
Hats, or gaudy flower'd, or striped stuffs, or any sort of
Perriwigs unless necessitated, & if any are necessitated, then
that it be as near ye colour as may be to their own, & in
other respects resembling as much as may be a sufficient
natural head of hair, without the vain custom of being lon^*-
behind, or mounting on the forehead. Also, if any women
yt profess the Truth, wear or suffer their children to wear
their Gowns not plain, or open at the breast with gawdy
stomachers, needless rolls at the sleeves, or line their mantues
or Bonnets with gawdy colours, or cut their hair & leave it
out on ye brow, or dress their heads high, or to wear Hoods
with long laps, or Pinners plaited or gathered on ye brow, or
double hem'd or pinched, or wear long Scarfs open before, or
have their Gowns pinn'd upon heaps, or plaits like the vain
fashons of the world, or if any are found to wear or follow
any other vain and needless fashon & dresses, for as it
hurts their growths, so it also burthens the life in such as are
E
66 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
careful .^ laitliful, it being not agreeable to that shamefaced-
ncss, plainness & modesty which people professing godli-
ness with good works ought to be found in, as the holy
Scriptures testify. That therefore friends be careful as much
as may be not to buy or sell any striped or flowered stuffs
and tliat all Taylers concern'd be advised not to make any
gaudy or superfluous aparrel.
"If there be any superfluous furniture in houses, as double-
curtains and Valiants, great Fringes &c : that they be laid
aside.
" If any accustom themselves or children to call the week
dayes and montlis the names given them by the heathen
in honor of their Gods it being contrary to Scripture and our
antient testimony.
"If any accustom themselves or Children to speak the
corrupt and unscriptural Language ofjou to a single person."
On the iSth of August the building of a Meeting-house was
again discussed, John Kinsy offering a plot of ground for the
purpose. Kinsy's offer was not accepted on account of the
inconvenience of the locality in which his land lay. It was
resolved, however, to select a suitable place. In September
Nathaniel Fitz Randolph reported that no eligible spot had
been heard of; but in October he stated that a man willing to
sell a desirable piece of ground had been found. He was
authorized to effect the purchase of it. On the 21st of
January, 1706, he informed the Friends that the land,
comprising half an acre, could be obtained for six pounds.
The meeting approved the proceedings of Fitz Randolph, and
he was directed to make the purchase in his own name. A
subscription of eleven shillings and six pence Avas paid, which
was swelled at subsequent meetings to the full amount
required. William Sutton, being about to remove from
Piscataway to Burlington, on the 15th of June donated a
year-old steer "towards building [the] Meeting-house." The
animal was taken to be " wintered " for 6^-. by Thomas Sutton,
son of William, by order of the Friends. At this date the
land in question had been laid out by Nathaniel Fitz
Randolph and John Allen ; and a deed was written by the
THE QUAKERS. 6t
Clerk, Benjamin Griffith, by which the land was held in trust
for the Quakers by Fitz Randolph and John Kins}-. John
Allen, formerly minister of the Woodbridge Town Church,
was the man from whom the plot was bought (Quaker
Records, p. 36), the said Allen owning considerable property
about where the Methodist Episcopal Church now stands.
Many of our Woodbridge readers remember the Friends*
burial place, recently occupied by the lecture-room of the
Methodists ; but few, if any, are aware that a Quaker Meetino-
House once stood there. Such is the fact, and the history of
this ancient building, no trace of which is left, is that which
we are now recounting. How soon, alas, perishes all the
handiwork of man ! This house had cost much sacrifice and
toil to complete it, as the records show; but what remains,
except these yellow leaves, to tell us the struggles of thegodly
worshipers? May they sleep the sleep of the just in their
unknown graves, for the story of their toils is known to One
Avho giveth rest to His beloved.
The deed for the land for the Meeting-house and burying-
ground is recorded in full, and the bounds are thus given:
" On the north by a highway, on ye west by land now in the
possession of Benjamin Donham, & on ye south & east by
land of the said John Allen." It is dated "the fourteenth
day of the second month," 1707.
In the meeting of March 15th, 1707, the following minute
occurs : " Agreed That the Land design'd for a Burying-place
be fenced with Posts & Rails, & John Lootbourrow & Joseph
Fitz Randolph were desired to endeavour to git some body to
do it." But this rail fence was not begun until March, 1708,
a year after it was ordered ; so that we regard the order as
quite necessary which w^as passed at the latter date, that Loof-
bourrow and Fitz Randolph "take care to git it finished."
In May, 1708, the first decided movement toward building
the long-talked-of Meeting-house was made. On the 15th a
subscription of ^34 was effected, to which jQ-] 5^-. was added
at the next meeting. That steer which William Sutton
donated in June, 1706, was "wintered" at first for 6^-.; then,
in 1707, for ds. gd.; and in 1708, after vainly trying to sell the
animal, John Laing prevailed on Daniel Sutton to " winter"
f,S WOODBRIDGIC AM) VICINITY.
it for Ss. Gd.y from which wc infer ih.it it was growing fat, and
devoured more provender than in former years.
On the 19th of March, 1709, it was "agreed to build a
Mccting-housc of Timber thirty foot long from out to out,
twcnty^bot broad & twelve foot high between ye cell and
j)late." In May an agreement was made with a carpenter to
make the "outside" for^sy. In August we find that "William
Robinson is appointed to draw ye meeting hous timber to the
place where ye hous is to stand upon. John Kinsy is ordered
to provide for ye raising som victualls & drink it is left to his
discresion how much & what."
The meeting of October 15th was altogether devoted to the
new building project and the fencing of the grave-yard, for
the fence had been only partially built. James Clarkson
offered to carry the posts and rails to the burying-ground on
the following week; but in the November meeting he re-
ported that he could not find the posts and rails, so that he
did not carry them according to promise. Nathaniel Fitz
Randolph was ordered to get "Shingling nayles for ye
mectin"- house & Clabords nayles \_naih'\ against time ye
Carpenter wants them." In October an appeal had been
made to the Shrewsbury Friends for financial aid, which was
responded to — Edward Fitz Randolph, the Quaker financier
of Woodbridge, bringing from Shrewsbury, in Decemberi
^4 155-. 10^/. In February, 17 10, William Robinson "is
ordered to gett bords for ye meeting-house flore & to speak to
ve brik maker lor briks for ye chimney." Robinson seems to
liavc been a stirring man. At the next meeting he reported
that he had spoken to tlie brick-man about the bricks and he
said that " assoon as he hath done burning a kill att Elizabeth
town he will burn Som hear & then we may have Som." In
A]-)ril, John Griffith, Nath. Fitz Randolph and John Kinsy
were appointed to draw stones to the site; and in May they
stated that they had "got som but not enough to make ye
back (jf ye chimney." Three thousand bricks were ordered
for tlic chimney in the following month, and the lime was to
be thus obtained: "John Griffith & John Kinsy is ordered
to gctt wood for a lime Kill to burn lime for ye meeting house
iS: 10 agree with Jolin pike for his oyster shels; James
THE QUAKERS. . 69
Clarkson to gett ye loggs for ye lime kill in readynes to
draw ; 12 foot is concluded to be long enough for ye sd kill "
[i. e. kiln].
On the 19th of August all work on the meeting-house was
directed to be suspended until the following Spring. The
materials, however, were to be collected with all possible
dispatch. John Lufberry reported at the next meeting that
Henry Napp had agreed to furnish three thousand bricks for
/^^, and that Napp would deliver them at Thomas Bloom-
field's landing for 12^-. more. This landing was probably
on Bloom.field's nine-acre meadow on the west side of Papiack
Creek, near the upland. A mason was engaged to "under-
pin ye meeting house and build ye Chimney." John Allen
was requested to keep an eye on the burying-ground to
" take Care that no Creatures be turned In there."
Nothing further was done until February 19th, 171 1, when
the work was pushed forward. In the April meeting the
following bill was presented and ordered to be paid : " i
weeks diett to ye bricklayers, & 4^-. 3^. Jno: Pike for shells, &
5.T. due to Moses Rolph for two dayes work of his negro
tending ye mason, & gd. for watching ye Kiln & i^d. for a
bottle of Rum and 2 shillings for his horse and boy to draw
water for ye bricklayer." A second subscription for the
meeting-house was begun. November 17th, Abram Shotwell
presented his bill for work on the building, amounting to
^9; and John Vail presented his bill of ;!^4 10s. The work
went slowly but surely on. On the 15th- of March, 171 2, this
" minute " occurs ; "This meeting appoints Jno. Griffith and
Jno. Kinsey to gett a gate made to ye meeting house yard
wth a lock and Key to It." In May more oyster shells for
lime were ordered, "to plaister ye meeting house." In
October "John Vail is ordered to Shingle abt ye meeting
house Chimney and make latches and bolts for ye door and
gett ye Chimney hearth fitt to make a fire In & wt other
things are needfuU to be done " — for all of which he was
paid ^i 2s.
By the i6th of February, 17 13, the meeting-house was so
nearly finished that the weekly meeting for worship (which
had been held since March, 1709, at the house of John Kinsy
-o woonimiDGii and vicinitv.
on every fiftli clay of tlic week) was ordered to be held in it
ihcreafter until furiher notice. Eijrhty additional bushels of
oyster shells for lime were procured in March, and seats were
afterwards made for the new structure. We presume that
those who attended the weekly meetings previous to the
making of the seats brought chairs or benches with them.
But at last the meeting-house was completed, and the Monthly
Meeting held its first session in the building on the 19th
of September, 17 13, much to the satisfaction of all the Friends.
As It drew on toward Winter the meeting "taking into
their consideration ye usefuUness of a fire to be kept twice a
week for ye service of this meeting therefore doth conclude to
allow money out of ye monthly Collection to pay for three
Cord of wood for that purpose During this winter weather."
On the iQth of January, 17 13, the meeting offered to
William Sutton and his wife, an aged couple, the privilege of
living up-stairs in the meeting-house. We presume that the
offer was accepted.
On the 20th of November, 17 14, after two months' consider-
ation, it was ordered that a "stable" should be built to
accommodate those coming to meeting with horses — to be 25
leet in length, 16 feet in breadth and " 6 feet between sill and
plate." It was to have a shingled roof — the sides and ends to
be covered with boards. An agreement was accordingly
made with John Vail to put up the building.
Elizabeth Griffith was appointed in August, 17 16, " to look
after the meeting house to sweep it, & to make fire in it when
there might be occasion." In September a new fence was
ordered for the burying-ground ; and "Abraham Shotwell
was appointed to make a table witli a draw & a lock to it for
ye use of ys. meeting." In September, 1717, John Vail was
directed to re-lay the meeting-house hearth.
On August 1 6th, 17 18, Henry Brotherton became janitor of
the meeting-house. In September, 1719, 'John Vail was
ordered to take down the Glass [windows] in the meeting
liouse & alter it, and put up the shutters on ye fore side."
From the record of June i6tli, 1722, we find that the
structure actually had a gallery, as well as comfortable rooms
up-stairs. The stairs and part of the gallery were taken down
f
THE QUAKERS. 7 1
in order to make space for a larger number of seats — an
indication of prosperity and growth. Just two years after,
June 2oth, 1724, John Vail was ordered to wainscot the
building. In 1728 it was in part newly shingled.
In the monthly meeting of September 20th, 1729, the follow-
ing occurs: "This meeting Recommends the oversight of the
burying ground to Danil Shotwell and Desires that friends
or such others as may have leave to bury there be careful for
the future to Dig and Leigh the corps as near to each other as
may be with conveniency."
July 2ist, 1732, ''Thomas Gach is Desired to git the glass
windows of the meeting house mended." In February, 1736,
Thomas Haddon is directed to repair the stable and the fence
of the burial-ground. Twenty-five hundred cedar shingles
were ordered for " covering the meeting house," on the 20th
of the following November. "Shobill " Smith was appointed
to make a new fence around the grave-yard on the 21st of
July, 173S. No improvements are mentioned after this, until
June 2ist, 1746, when Edward Fitz Randolph was "desired "
to repair the meeting-house and " hors stable " ; and on the
1 6th of February, 1747, Jonathan Harned was directed to adjust
the fence.
At the meeting of July 2otli, 1750, a request was directed
to be sent to the Quarterly Meeting at Shrewsbury asking
that two Quarterly Meetings should be held during each year
at Woodbridge. On the 21st of December an answer was
received, in which the Quarterly Meeting agreed to hold one
session annually among the Woodbridge Quakers. This
intelligence was the signal for great preparations. ^70 were
ordered to be raised by subscription for enlarging the little
meeting-house that it might accommodate the large assem-
blaofe of Friends. The work was to be done " with all con-
veniant speed " — for the first meeting of the kind in
Woodbridge was set down by the Shrewsbury Quakers for
the " last second day of the 5th mo."
Here the old record abruptly closes, and we shall be
compelled to search another manuscript volume for the later
facts in the history of the Woodbridge Quaker meetings-
These events we shall reserve for another chapter; but,
72 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
before closing this one, wc will pick up a few threads which
we dropped awhile ago that they might be woven in just here.
As the reader will have observed, Slirewsbury was the
headquarters of the East Jersey Quakers. The Friends were
the first to establish a religious society in that ancient town,
organizing as early as 1672, eight years after the settlement
of the place. In the same year a meeting-house was in course
ot construction,* and the Friends were favored with a visit
from the celebrated George Fox in the Autumn. A monthly
and a quarterly meeting were begun, which, as we have seen,
were destined to a long and useful career.
In the early times of which we have been writing, books
were not numerous, and a good book was highly prized. The
Woodbridge Quakers had a very small circulating library —
the Friends borrowing the volumes of the Monthly meeting.
The most popidar book, if we may judge by the number of
times it was called for, was entitled, " New England Judged."
Besides this, there were "George Fox's Journal," "Robert
Barclay's Apology," " The History of the Christian People
called Quakers," by Win. Sewall, of Holland (toward the
publication of which, in English, the Woodbridge Friends
subscribed in 1721); "Forced Maintenance," by Thomas
Chalkley, and other works.
These authors are alluded to by Whittier, the Quaker poet,
in his Winter Idyl, "Snow-bound." Speaking of his mother,
he says :
" Then, haply, with a look more grave
And soberer tone, some tale she gave
From painful Sewall's ancient tome,
Beloved in every Quaker home,
Of faith fire-winged by martyrdom,
Or Chalkley's Journal, old and ([uaint,
(Jentlest of skippers, rare sea-saint !
Who, when the dreary calms prevailed,
And water-butt and bread-cask failed.
And cruel, hungry eyes pursued
His portly presence, mad for food,
^Vith dark hints muttered under breath
Of casting lots for life or death,
• Barber & Howe's UUt. CoU. of N. J., p. 859.
THE QUAKERS. 73
Offered, if Heaven wihlield supplies,
To be liimself the sacrifice. (?)
Then suddenly, as if to save
The good man from his living grave,
A ripple on the water grew —
A school of porpoise flashed in view.
' Take, eat,' he said, ' and be content ;
These fishes in my stead are sent
By Him who gave the tangled ram
To spare the child of Abraham.' "
The book of Discipline, which was obtained in 1722, was
ordered to be publicly read in the meetings three times a
year.
We find on page 89 the following extract fx'om the Yearly
Meeting's minutes for 1716*, which shows at once the hostility
of the Quakers to the importation of Africans and their " con-
servatism " on the slavery question in general ;
" For the Quarterly Meeting at Shrewsberry — Chester
meeting proposes their concern about the practise of buying
negroes imported. -s * * Urging that former
minuits and orders are not sufficient to discourage their
importation and therefore requests that no friends may buy
any negro for the future. As to the proposal from Chester
meeting about negroes, there being no more in it than was
proposed to the last Yearly meeting this meeting cannot see
any better conclusion than what was the judgment of the
last — and therefore do confirm the same * * and
in condesension to such friends as are streigthened in tlieir
minds against the holding them '•'' "- " it is desired
that friends generally do as much as may be avoid buying
such negroes as shall be hereafter brought in, rather than
offend any friends who are against it '' * Yet this is
only caution not censure."
In the Woodbridge Monthly Meeting of June 17th, 1738,
the following was read, which bears on the same question, and
shows that the conscience of this influential people was not
at rest ;
" Pursuant To a Request in the extracts of the yearly
* Meeting held at Burlington, N. J.
;4 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
niccling minutes at Philadelpliia conscrning the Importation
of negroes & buying thcni after they are Imported friends
liave inquired into it & Do find that four or five years ago Som
liave bin ImjKJrted by a friend and that it hath bin tliree or
four years Since friends have bouglit of them tliat was Im-
ported and not since to their Knowlidg."
A weekly meeting was begun October ]6th, 1725, at John
Laing's, to accommodate the friends who dwelt about him that
were unable to attend the services in the meeting-house on
account of the distance. John Laing lived at or near Plain-
field, and it was certainlv a long distance for him to ride every
"First day." On the 21st of September, 172S, the day of the
Plainfield meeting was changed from the first to the fourth of
the week in order not to afiect the attendance of the Wood-
bridge meeting, which was held on the first day;* and the
residence of the Laings was still the place appointed for ser-
vice, although John, the promoter of it, was dead. He be-
queathed to the Friends a plot of ground on which to build a
meeting-house; and on the 27th of March, 1 731, the Wood-
bridge monthly meeting gave permission for its construction,
directing that it should not exceed in its dimensions 24 feet
square and 14 feet ''between joynts." It was completed
and all accounts settled by the latter part of the year 1736.
In 1744 a " hors stable " was built adjoining the new meeting-
house, toward which, as well as toward the building of the
meeting-house itself, the Woodbridge Friends liberally sub-
scribed.
Another weekly meeting, productive of like good results,
was permitted by the Woodbridge monthly meeting to be held
at the house of Joseph Shotwell, in Rahway, on the i6th of
October, 1742. It was designed to continue for three months,
through the coldest weather only, " on ye first Dayes of the
weak." In August (iSth), 1744, the Rahway Friends asked to
hold their meetings twice a week (on first and fourth days) at
Joseph Shotwell's, from August to the middle of February,
which was granted. In 1745 the same arrangement was
made; but in May of the following year the meeting was
* A nioeting was likewise held in Woodbridge on 5tli days.
THE QUAKERS. 75
ordered to be held on first da)'s at half-past three o'clock in
the afternoon, from the middle of February to the middle of
August ; and at twelve o'clock from the middle of August to
the middle ot February. A fourth-day meeting was also to be
established, to continue from August to February. In 1747
the erection of a meeting-house at Rahway was agitated in the
Woodbridge meetings ; but the subject was regarded unfo-
vorably, and was submitted to the Quarterly Meeting at
Shrewsbury. In the meantime, however, the Woodbridge
Friends made a movement toward dropping the meetings at
Joseph Shotwell's and the occasional meeting at John Shot-
well's — the latter service to be removed to Woodbridsje. This
met with considerable opposition both from Rahway and
Plainfield members. In November it is recorded that
'' Friends in and about Woodbridge are oneasey and applies
to the Quarterly meeting at Shrosbery." This uneasiness did
not arise from purely selfish motives. The general good of
the Society was doubtless a prominent cause of it. It was
evident from the reports of the overseer (a person selected to
give monthly statements of the condition of the Society) that
the Woodbridge meetings for worship were slimly attended
in comparison with those of Rahway and Plainfield; the
building of a meeting-house at Rahway would, therefore,
greatly weaken and perhaps extinguish the organization at
Woodbridge. But the opinion of the Shrewsbury Quarterly
Meeting, which was received in December, settled the matter
for a time; it being recommended to the Rahway Friends "to
"wave the building the meetinghouse untill they are more
unanemous amongst themselves." It was agreed in February,
1748, that the afternoon meetings should be discontinued in
Rahway, but that the meetings on first and fourth days should
be held yearly from the ist of September to the ist of
February. And thus the matter stood for several years.
CHAPTER YIL
1009—1700.
Tin: Town Meetixg-house— The Kirk Green— The First
Minister, Samuel Treat— Benjamin Salsbury— John
Ali-en— The New Meeting-house— Archibald Riddell
—Samuel Shepard— Objection to Taxation for Sup-
porting the Town Minister.
A large proportion of those who settled in Woodbridge
having come from New England, it was but natural that thev^
should introduce their customs in the place. One of these
was the commingling of ecclesiastical matters with those of a
political character. Hence in the old Town Book w^e find
Land Grants, Court business, Calls to clergymen and Plans
for building the Meeting-house, all curiously mingled.
Ten acres of land, known for many years as the "Kirk
Green," were set aside for the erection of a prospective meet-
ing-house. Two hundred acres were, according to the terms
of the Charter, to be devoted to the maintenance of the-
ministry. The management of these two plots of land was
lodged in the hands of the Freeholders in Town Meeting
assembled ; and the retention or dismissal of the clergymen who
might be called to officiate in Woodbridge Avas subject to the
same authority. Tlie " Kirk Green " was the spot upon Avhich
the first ecclesiastical structure in the township was built — the
history of which, with kindred topics, we now propose to give.
The Presbyterian Church and its adjoining burying-ground
covers part of- the "Green," as also does the Protestant
Episcopal Church and its grounds. It is supposed that the
" Green " extended along the brook on the north, across the
highway, comprehending within its bounds the house of the
late James Bloodgood. The meeting-house which was built
on it stood at tlic north-east of the present Presbyterian
Church — the south-west corner of the former impinging on
THE TOWN MEETING-HOUSE. 77
the north-east corner of the latter. This view is the only one
which accords with the descriptions and measurements given
in the records.
It is supposed that the first religious services were held in a
small house, near or upon the Green, which was used until
the meeting-house was constructed.
At an early day a movement was made to secure, if
possible, the services of some clergyman. At a Town Meet-
ing held June 8th, 1669, George Little and Samuel Moore
were directed to go to Newark to interview " young Mr.
Pierson " and " endeavour to get him to Be our Minister." So
confident were the Freeholders that their offer would be
accepted that arrangements were made for his reception —
John Bishop, Sr., and Joshua Pierce being appointed to
entertain the coining man with " meat, drink and lodgings."*
Two meetings were appointed, whether social or religious we
cannot tell, one at Robert Dennis' residence on the east side
ot Papiack Creek and the other at the house of John Smith,
the Constable, on the west. But all this preparation was of
no avail, for Mr. Pierson did not come. Whitehead says that
the advanced age of the elder Pierson, who was pastor of the
Newark congregation, made it necessary for the Freeholders
of that town to choose an assistant, and it was already pro-
posed to secure the son for that position. The ensuing month
found "young Mr. Pierson" duly installed in Newark — an
event which was hastened, doubtless, by the visit of the
Woodbridge committee.
Not discouraged by this signal failure to obtain a minister,
on the 5th of July of the next year it was resolved, by the
Town Meeting, that they "would have a settled Ministry set
lip in this towne." So John Pike and John Bishop were
ordered to go to Elizabethtown to enquire whether it was
likely that Mr. Peck (or Peek) could be prevailed upon to
come to Woodbridge as its preacher. If Mr. Peck was
immovable, the Committee were empowered to "Do the best
of their Endeavours to procure Mr. Saml Treat," to serve at
* Whitehead says that "Robert Djnnis'" was appointed to furnish tie refreshments, etc..
a mistake in conseiiuence, probably, of the bluired condition of the old Town Book. At the
time Whitehead wrote the copy by Fitz Randolph was not known to be in existence. I;s dis-
covery has thrown much light on som3 passages otherwise obscure.
-g WOODBRinOK AND VICINITY,
least six months. Mr. Peck was too much for the Committee,
so they essayed to cflcct a treaty with Mr. Treat. After
thinkini? over the proposition, the latter sent a letter in
November to Capt. Pike, wiio, by virtue of his office as Justice,
convened the Town Meeting " by warrant " on the i6th and
hiid the letter before the Freeholders. After debate, Samuel
Treat was formally tendered twenty-one pounds sterling if he
would come and preacli for the six months ensuing. It is
said that this offer was accepted, althougli no record of it is to
be found.
On the 7th of February, 167 1, it was ordered that a house-
lot and "other accomodations," equal to those of other
inliabitants, should be reserved for the use of a minister.
Permission was given to Jonathan Dunham in June to mow
the grass on the parsonage meadow for four years, provided
he would puc up a good fence to keep the cattle out, and
surrender it if a minister should chance to come — the town
paying for the fence in the latter case.
On the 5th of December a committee of eight was selected
to meet at Robert Dennis' house on the 19th to devise what
should be done to obtain ministerial services. The meeting
occurred and the members thereof passed a resolution that
"there should be a settled Ministry " — a resolution that must
iiave struck them on account of its originality. This was
reported to the Town Meeting of January 2d, 1672, and the
resolution was approved, of course. The same acute com-
mittee was directed to communicate with Mr. Treat, to secure
his services permanently; but the eftbrt was unsuccessful.
On the 2d of October,* 1674, "the Towne Did also unani-
musly agree with Mr. Benjamin Solsbury that he Should
Serve in the place of a minister and preach to us for the Space
of three Months upon trial to See how the Inhabitants did
jthinkj of him, and he of them; his time of Beginning Being
the Lords Day before Micklemast and for his pains that three
Months provided he Did preach twice Every Lords Day the
Town Did Engage to pay him ten pounds in Currant pay of
the contry at contry price, and if he Did continue the vear
• This lg according to the Fitz Randolph copy. Whitehead says "July 2d, 1674," which is
the date of the Town Mooting immediately preceding.
THE TOWN MEETING-HOUSE. ^9
after the Same Rate provided they Did agree for Jiis continu-
ance after his three months was Expired."
But they didn't like him, and were not long in acquainting
him with that fact. On the 27th, not a montli from the time
they had invited him, it was voted " that Mr. Benjamin
Solsbury may Be pleased to take Notice that when his
Quarter is out he is free from any Engagemeot from this
Tovvne that he may Be at Liberty to Dispose of himself as he
Shall See good, and Mr. Robert Dennes, Mr. John Bishop
Senr. and Mr. Samuel Dennis to Deliver this to Mr. Solsbury
as the mind of the Towne." Which all goes to prove that Mr.
Salsbury. or Solsbury, was very unpopular. Notwithstand-
ing the rebuffs which attended all their attempts to establish
religious services, the Freeholders, with the pluck of New
England men, resolved to try again. In order that their
chances for attaining their object might be improved, it was
determined, on this very 27tli of October, to build a meeting-
house thirty feet square "and 15, 16 or 17 foot Between
Joynts." A committee was appointed to make the usual
agreement with a suitable number of carpenters.
On the 30th of November it Avas directed that a room should
be fitted up for the "comfortable entertainment" of the
unknown minister who was confidently expected to make his
appearance in the Spring — this room to be in the house of
either Samuel Hale or Samuel Moore. It was then unani-
mously agreed that a vote should be taken "by papers " (i. e.
by ballot) to designate who should go "to the Northward"
in search of a minister^ and that upon whomsoever the choice
should fall no objection should be made and no excuse should
be taken. The unfortunate victim of this wild-goose chase
was Samuel Dennis Money not being abundant, provision
for the expenses of the said Dennis was made by ordering
three thousand "pipe staves," to be made b}' Samuel Dennis,
John Bloomfield, and John Pike, Jr., (each to make one
thousand), the " Town Ingageing to alow Reasonable wages
for Every Day they are making them." Th.QS>Q pipe staves v;qxq
manufactured in large quantities in Woodbridge, being sold
to coopers in this and adjoining towns for the making of
pipes^ or large barrels. The staves were to be procured with
3o WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
the greatest possible dispatch and taken to a convenient
landing—" tlic Said Samuel Dennis to Dispose of them for the
Best advantage he can, and at the End of his Journey to
Return the overplus to the Town if any be of the product ot
the Said Staves." But, although the staves were taken to the
landing, they were not disposed of until one year afterward,
when they were sold to Samuel Edsall "for twelve pounds of
good powder." We presume from this that Samuel Dennis
did not go "to the Northward; " or, if he did, that he Avas
blown there, for we cannot see how twelve pounds of powder
would afford any other means of transportation. At any rate,
the whole project was a failure — no minister appeared.
In May, 1675, the frame of the meeting-house was erected,
although it was not thirty leet sqAiare as the town had ordered.
We presume that the venturesome builder tried to give it a
slio-htly better shape than the huge equilateral box which was
first designed.
On the lytli of the same month, com.munication with
â– Jeremiah Peck was authorized with a view to securing him
as the Town Minister. This is supposed to be the same Mr.
Peck who declined the position in 1670. If so, the people
were a second time disappointed. In 1676 the town was
assessed to defray the expense of the new meeting-house,
which amount was to be obtained by distraint, if necessary.
In April a letter was sent to Messrs. Richard Dole (Senior
and Junior; living, probably, in Cambridge, Mass.*), asking
tliem to procure a minister for the Woodbridge congregation,
offering to meet all the expense incident to the effort. This
also proved a doleful venture; but in January of the following
vear success seemed imminent. By some means the Free-
holders got on the track of Ezekiel Fogg, and made him a
brilliant offer. They told him they would give him fifty
pounds' worth of wheat, peas, pork, Indian corn and beef if
he would preach for them one year. Besides, he should be
made a Freeholder. It is regarded as certain, since Mr.
Fogg's name does not appear in the list of Freeholders, that
he withstood all the allurements of "peas and pork."
' See MS. Records of Woodbridge Deeds, p. 65, Hist. Soc. of N. J.
THE TOWN MEKTING-HOU3E. 8l
A long- pause followed this disheartening failure — indeed,
our fathers seemed to be he-/o^gcd for a while, reminding one
of the helpless condition of Oloffe, the Dreamer, when his
brain was stupefied with tobacco smoke. On the 15th of July,
1679, they made another effort to procure a pastor, sending to
England for him. Capt. Andrew Bound, a man who is
supposed to have been master of one of the vessels plying
between England and the American Colonies, was commis-
sioned to carry letters to two clergymen on the other side of
the water, viz.: Dr. Ovin and Mr. Richard Baxter, in whicii
letters the condition ot the Woodbridge congregation was, no
doubt, set forth in pathetic terms. Capt. Bound was author-
ized to briqg a man at the expense of the town, in case he was
too poor to pay his passage hither ; and, if he had opportunity,
the Captain himself was requested to treat for a minister,
engaging him in behalf of the Woodbridge men at ^50 per
year, with the use of the two hundred acres of parsonage land,
and possibly other advantages. Whether in consequence of
this or some subsequent arrangement we know not — but in
September, t68o, John Allen became the preacher. It had
been six years, nearly, since the Gospel had been proclaimed
in the town — a serious matter in its effects on the moral
character of its inhabitants. During the entire fifteen years of
the existence of the settlement only nine months of religious
services had been enjoyed. As might have been expected, the
succeeding generation became demoralized, and the vicious
of the preceding one became mucli more so. In 1682, when
the population only comprised one hundred and twenty
families,* the Township Court was appealed to for the
suppression of scandalous disorders in the place. f Nor were
these effects confined to that period. The growth of evil is
much more rapid than its suppression. On the loth of June,
1715, "John Lut"borrow " and Grace Kinsey were directed to
act as a sort of police around the Quaker Meeting-house
during services on Sundays, to prevent interruptions in the
Avorsliip {Quaker Records).
Good John Allen became very popular. On the i6th of
* Smith's N. J. Hist., p. If.S. t Town Book, F. R.'s copy, p. 202.
<!2 woonnRinc.K and vuintiy,
November, i6So, voluntary subscriptions to his salary by all
the inhabitants were agreed to, instead of the arbitrary assess-
ment of the rate-makers. On the ist of January, 1681, the
following complimentary language respecting the new min-
i*;ter appears in the records: " We the freeholders and inhab-
itants of Woodbridge having sent to England to have an
honest, able, godly minister to Come over to vs to preach the
word of God sinserly and faithfully— and Mr. John Alin by
the providence of God being for that End Come amongst vsr
and we having had Sum Experience of his good Abilities : are
willine and doe hereby make Choise of him to be our
Minister and desire to put ourselfs under his ministry Accord-
ing to the Rules of the gospel."
In February it was voted in Town Meeting lliat if Mr,
Allen would consent to remain in tlie place as its clergyman
he should be made a Freeholder. He consented and was
honored accordingly. On the 15th of November ensuing he
Avas presented with a house-lot often acres.
It will be remembered that in May, 1675, the frame of the
Meeting-house had been erected. Well, so swiftly did the
structure approach completion that on the 17th of October,
1681, it was ordered that it should be "plaistered all but the
South Side, upon the Clabords." Why the south side should
escape the " plaistering " does not appear.
The voluntary subscription plan adopted in 1680 was
discarded in the following year — it being ordered that the
preacher's salary should be raised in the same manner as
«)ther taxes. John Allen must have had a good deal ot
patience, for up to September, 1682, the land designed for his
use had not yet been laid out, and certain parties had occupied
parts of it with the evident intention of eventually claiming
it. The public school land was similarly neglected by the
a\ithorities. It was resolved to pro.secute all persons wh(.
refused to quit these lands, and means were taken for their
future securitv.
The Town Meeting of June 23d, 1682, was almost altogether
occupied with meeting-house matters. The building was far
from being finished, and a determined effort was made to
bring about such a desirable result as its completion would
THE TOWN MEETIXO-HOUSK. 85
be. It was ordered that it should be " Lathed and Daubed
Substantially Round within as high as the plates and Beams."
In those days "daubing" was plastering, and " plaistering "
was painting — at least, so we infer from the use of the terms.
For it is improbable that the inside would be plastered twice
within a year, which would be the case if daubing and plaister-
ing both mean plastering, for in October of the preceding year
it was "plaistered." Besides, it is unlikely that the plaster
for a wall would be put upon the clap-boards — yet in that
October it was "plaistered upon the clabords," on "all but
the South Side." The south side being the front, probably,
it was adorned, perhaps, with a brighter paint or wash, as the
custom is, to this day, in some parts of the State. Capt. John
Bishop, Matthew Moore, John Ilsly, and Joshua Bradley were
appointed to oversee the " Daubing [of] the Meeting House."
The entire male population was called out to participate in
the daub, "with such tools as [were thought to be] Suteable."
Two doors were yet to be made, for whicli nails were ordered ;
and the third door, which \vas hanging w^ithout a lock, was to
be supplied with one immediately. Four thousand lath nails
were also bought. And thus all things presaged a speedy
termination ot the struggle with the half-finished meeting-
house.
On the 36th of September, 1682, the townsmen petitioned
the Governor and Council to " Induct " John Allen formally,
as their minister, into his holy office. Capt. Pike bore this
paper to the august assemblage, and was undoubtedly suc-
cessful. Some time previous to January ist, 1686, Mr. Allen's
connection as pastor to the Woodbridge congregation was
severed. The cause can only be conjectured : but it is
probable that the health of the clergyman had suffered some-
what, for he did not go elsewhere to preach. He lived in
Woodbridge until the day of his death, which was January
19th, 17 15. He was married three times. The name of his
last W' ife was Deliverance Potter ; the names of the others are
unknown. It is not certain that he came from England to
this settlement, but it is probable; for Capt. Bound had an
account against the town which was not settled until a year
or more after Mr. Allen's coming :'''' and as the only agree-
* See Town Book, F. E.iiiJ.''s copy, pag-e 210.
8^ WOODBRlUC.li AND VICINITY.
niont with him on the part of the town was in regard to the
transportation of a minister from England in 1679, we pre-
sume that Mr. Allen was that minister, and that the town's
debt to the Captain was incurred in the manner indicated.
January ist, 1686, a committee was appointed to communi-
cate with Mr. Archibald Riddell (or '.' Ruddell ") " to Encour-
age him concerning his Settleing in tliis towne," as its
preacliL-r. Mr. Riddell accepted the call and in the same year
beean his ministrations. On the nth of October he was
granted eiglit acres of land, "adjoyning to the Meetinghouse
Orcen fronting upon the Highway that Runs west into the
woods from the Meeting House Green." He was also
uidmitted as a Freeholder and allowed one hundred and
twentv acres of upland for a farm and ten more "for plant-
ing" — all of which he enjoyed free of tax; but his heirs or
assigns were required to pay a half-penny per acre annually.
His ten acres "for planting" were laid out on the last day of
December, at a place called Bald Hill (a name given, perhaps,
by some wag in town to preserve in memor)^ the Christian
name of Mr. Riddell — Arclii-/';zA/). The eight acres granted
to him were returned to tlie town by the clergyman in Feb-
ruary, 1687, together with the frame of a house which he had
begun to build upon it. This was ordered to be finished, and
•Mr. Riddell to be indemnified for any expense he might have
incurred bv it thus far. The building was rented, as soon as
it was completed, by the year only, and brought a small
revenue into the town treasury.""'
It is supposed that Mr. Riddell ministered to the Wood-
bridge congregation until he left the country in 1689. He was
the brother of Sir John Riddell and seems to have been a
preacher of considerable povver.f Before he came from Scot-
land to New Jersey he was imprisoned at Edinburgh, ostensi-
bly for preaching in tlie open air contrary to law, but really
because he was connected "with tlie rising of Bothwell in
1679." Being finally released by intercessions in his behalf,
he emigrated hither; but, in the unhappy voyage which
befell the Neiirv and Francis, he lost his wife. He came
* Toun Book, -ni. -t See WhitchoaVB Conlr. K. .1. Hist., page 867.
THE TOWN MEETING-HOUSE. 85
to Woodbridge after landing, and settled, becoming the town
minister. Others, who arrived in the same vessel, may have
settled here, likewise; for many of them, it is supposed,
visited the place.* As we have stated, in 1689 he left the
country — designing to return to his native land, now that
political changes had made his residence possible in Scotland,
Setting sail in June with his son, who was but ten years of
age, a French war vessel captured the ship, on the 2d of
August, just off the coast of England, and the passengers were
imprisoned in Rochefort. Mr. Riddell and his son found
their way back to the hills and dales of Scotland after a bitter
experience of two years in the prisons of France. In 1700 he
disposed ot his Woodbridge land to Thomas Gordon. In the
deed he is called " Minister of the Gospel at Kirkaldie, in the
county of Fife." And this is our last glimpse of this heroic
man who once preached to our fathers. After such an event-
ful life, so full of shadow and storm, we cannot but hope that,
when its evening fell, some golden light from heaven broke
over his path, as the sun bursts through a rifted cloud at the
close of a cheerless day.
In Scott's Lay of the List Minstrel Sir William of Deloraine
makes a rapid ride from Branksome Hall to Melrose. A
stanza in Canto First reads thus:
" Unchallenged, thence passed Deloraine
To ancient RkkieWsfair domain,
Where Aill from mountains freeJ
Down from the lakes did raving come ;
Each wave was crested with tawny foam,
Like the mane of a chestnut steed."
The note referring to this verse is as follows : " The Rid-
dells took their name from Ryedale. Tradition carries them
back to 727 and 936, the dates of some stone coffins found
there."
But to return to the Woodbridge meeting-house : On the
last day of May, 1686, the town decreed that the galleries on
the east and west sides of the building "should Be forth with
* Whitehead, p. 82. The " Henry and Francis " brought about 100 prisonera to New
Jersey, who were subject to intense suffering on account of the bad food eaten on the voyage.
Several died before the leaky ship came to land. Thn captain is said to hav« been very cruel to
the IwniBhed company. Riddell and others had embarked voluntarily.
,>(, WOODUkim-K AND VICINITY.
m:ulc uscfiiil and Serviceable, to Be floured [i. e. flooredj and
Seated, and the Stairs made." December loth, 1692, is the
next date at wliich we find the meeting-house mentioned. It
needed shingling; and two men were to sliingle one side and
two others the opposite side of the roof, the town furnishing
ihc nails and allowing the citizens who did the work to deduct
the value of it from tlicir annual tax. The shingles were to
be made of chestnut— " Five Inches in Breadth & at Least half
an Inch in thickness," to be furnished at the rate of 6j-. per
hundred. E/ekiel Bloomfield and Matthew Moore, Jr., were
appointed to cover one side of the roof, and John Pike and
Thomas Pike were selected to repair the other.
No mention is made of any minister being sought, after Mr.
Riddcll left in 1689, until November ist, 1692, when a commit-
tee of eight were directed to write "to some Sutable Man for
the End aforesaid." As an evidence ot a perverted appetite we
notice that it was "Passed by Vote that Mr. Powel Shall
have and enjoy the grass that shall grow on tlie parsonage
Meadow the Ensuing year 1693.''
On the 8th of February, 1693, Ephraim Andrews promised
to go to New England, as a messenger of the town, in search
of a minister on condition that he was furnished " with money
Sufficient for his Journey and a Hors to Ride on." He was
directed to " Do his Beast Endeavour to procure a Sutable
Man." Ten pounds were accordingly raised to meet the
expense. This adventure was as fruitless as Samuel Dennis'
proposed trip "to the Northward" in 1674. Over two years
elapsed before a preacher was settled in the town. On the
ist of October, 1695, Mr. Samuel Shepard was voted ^50 per
annum, or its equivalent in the "current pay of the country,"
which, as our readers are aware, was pork, peas, wheat, etc.
This was to be raised by direct tax upon all the townsmen.
Samuel Dennis and Jonathan Bishop were appointed to
receive it.
On the ground of conscientious scruples William Webster,
a freeman (A the town, objected to the ministerial assessment.
Whereupon Capt. John Bishop assumed his share of the
annual rate during his (Bishop's) life-time. . A " memoran-
dom " in the Town Book sets this forth as follows : " William
THX, TOWN MKl-.TIN'C.-HOUSK. 87
Webster pretending that it was Contrary to his Conscience to
pay anything toward tlic Maintenance of a Minister, Capt.
John Bishop hath Engaged in open Town Meeting to free the
Said Webster from the Said Charge and to pay the Said
websters part so long as the Said Bishop Shall Live." This
was the first decided stand against the tax for the support of
the town minister of which we have an account. The matter
had, doubtless, been the subject of much private discussion,
and was destined to eventuate in the complete separation of
civil and ecclesiastical affairs, the town relinquishing the
I latter, remitting them to a regularly organized church.
In May (19th). 1696, Mr. Shepard for some reason having
determined to go to New England (whence he came to
' Woodbridgc, probablv. the yenv before) the Town Meeting
voted him the building known as the "Town House'' on
condition that he should return. In addition to this house,
thirty acres of land were offered to him on the same condition.
As there was only one suitable building owned by the
corporation, we presume that it was the one promised to Mr.
Shepard. This hcnise, it will be remembered, was built by
Mr. Riddell in part and completed by the town. So anxious
were tlie Fl-eeholders that Mr. Shepard should return that a
delegation of the most distinguished citizens Avas commis-
sioned, on the 28th of July, to wait upon him "to Signify the
Towns mind" that "they did unanimusly Desire that [he]
L Should Return."
We note that on April 19th, 1697, it was ordered that John
Pike should "â– Disbnrst the Money Raised for finishing the
galleries " of the meeting-house. July 15th, 1698, other
improvements were directed to be made. The walls of the
building were to be whitewashed by John Pike, member of
the Assembly and Clerk of the corporation ! Just think of
that, ye modern men of eminence I Ezekiel Bloomfield was to
build a "New Pulpit forth with." Ezekiel was an ex-Assera-
blyman, having held that office in 1687 ; and,
" Alas, how fortune varies I "
' in November, 1692, he became Pound Keeper, receiving, "for
each Beast /<7«/7</(r</," four pence. Men in those days thought
it was no disgrace either to go to the Legislature, impound
88 WOODHRlDClt: AND VICIMIY.
vagrant animals, or to whitewash. Woiihl that all the white-
washings of to-day were as honest and healthy as the coat of it
John Pike bestowed on the mectini^-house walls!
Wiiether Mr. Shepard visited New England or not is a
question ; but if he did, he returned to Woodbridge and
probably lived in the "Town House,"' which had been granted
to him, after the year 1697. During that year we infer, from
two or three facts, that he boarded with Ephraim Andrews.
November iSth the latter was to be paid by the town a certain
amount to "Defray the Charge of Mr. Shepards Diet." This
was re-considcred at the same meeting, and it was voted that
his salary should be increased from ^50 to ^'60 and Mr.
vShepard himself to pay for the past year's " diet." Ills salary
"for the time to Come " was fixed at the same figure — ;^6o
per annum. But to raise this amount was a matter of some
trouble. The Quakers strongly opposed an indiscriminate
assessment as unjust. They were contributing for the support
of their own Society and considered that it was not equitable
to be compelled to pay the tax for the support of a ministry
which they did not and could not enjoy. On the 5th of
February, 1700, we find that a committee, consistin^g of Sam-
uel Dennis, John Pike, and Thomas Pike, " were by Vote
made Choice of: to Discours with our Desenting Neighbours
the Quakers; and the town Do hereby Impower the persons
abovesaid (if they think fitt) to make a final End of the Dif-
ference that hath Been Betwixt us and them Concerning their
paying to the publick Ministry in this Town." In 1699 the
salary had been obtained by public tax, but in 1700 it was
ordered to be raised by subscription — a decided victory for
the anti-tax men.
CHAPTER YIIT.
1678—1683.
Governor Andross — Bridge over the Paptack — Low
Treasury — Township Court Regulations — Deputv-
GOVERNOR RUDYARD — A WOODBRIDGE CiTIZEN'IN DIS-
GRACE.
There is a hiatus in the history of Town Meetings, extend-
ing from September 26th, 1676, to June 24th, 1679. A brief
minute is written under the latter date and pertains to noth-
ing of sufficient importance for us to chronicle. The record
of July 15th is one concerning meeting-house affairs. On the
2d of December a rule was laid down for levying the township
tax for the year, viz. : by the shares of upland appropriated
by each man, accounting sixty acres of upland to a share.
These three meetings are all that are recorded for 1679.
One in 1677 (March 9th), written out of its appropriate place,'"
makes provision for the settlement of the Lords' Ouit Rents.
In 1680 occurred that "little misunderstanding " between
Gov. Andross of New York and Gov. Carteret of East Jersey.
Andross pretended that his authority extended over the
territory adjoining New York, and informed Carteret that he
intended to build a fort at Sandv Hook to enforce his claim.
This was on the i8th of March. On the 20th Carteret wrote
back that he would resist any fort-building or other aggress-
ive acts. But Andross was determined to accomplish his
purpose. On the 7th of April he visited his rival, accom-
panied by several of his officers and principal men, intending
to intimidate him. But Carteret had about one hundred and
fifty soldiers drawn up to receive his hostile guest. He was
entertained with as much show of hospitality as could be
expected. The matters of dispute were debated, but with no
* Town Book, F. R.'s, p. 195.
(JO " WOODURIPGE AND VICIMTV.
jjood result. Andross embarked, after dinner, in his sloop and
set sail lor New York. Notwithstanding that Carteret had
expressed his willingness to abide by the decision of the
ICnglish Government in respect to the impertinent claims of
Andross. the latter proceeded to establish his right to govern
East Jersey by violence. On the last day of April a party ot
soldiers landed at Elizabethtown. and, at dead of night,
marched to the Carteret mansion. A servant of the Governor
having been bribed, led them without delay to his master's
room. Carteret was dragged from iiis bed, brutally kicked,
drawn through a window, and hurried down to the shore
without being permitted to clothe himself. Hastily throwing
him into a canoe, the kidnappers paddled off with their
prisoner. Arriving in New York, he was supplied with
clothing and immediately taken to the fort and imprisoned.
Here he became very sick. Subsequently, in speaking of the
outrage, he says he fears he will " hardly be a perfect man
again."* His trial did not occur until the 27th of May, and
resulte;], on the following day, in his acquittal. Although
pronounced not i^uilty by the jury, Andross would not let him
go until he gave security that he would not resume his office
and authority. Wicii great pomp Carteret was escorted to
Elizabethtown by a distinguished retinue of New Y"ork ladies
and gentlemen. The wily Andross on the 2d of June (before
Carteret was brought home) addressed an Assembly at Eliza-
bethtown, endeavoring to persuade the Deputies that his
cause was just. Hut it was of no avail. They would not
acknowledge his authority. They submitted to the existing
state of things until they were endorsed or repudiated by the
Proprietors in England. Of course, the decision was adverse
to Andross, and Carteret resumed his government in March,
i(3Si.
In the Town Meeting of tlie 24th of July, 1680, a paper was
laid before the Woodbridge Freeholders, signed " Sir Edmund
Andross, Knt., Governor General, &:c.," requiring them to
send to New York three names of "fit persons " for holding
Monthly Courts "and Determining matters Not Exceeding
* I.o.iminj; & S[i!c«r, p. 676.
TOWN MEETINGS — RESUMED. 9 1
torty Shillings." The fussy Governor was reminded that the
Charter oPthe Township permitted the people to settle this
matter themselves; tliat it lodged the ordination of the Court
and the choice of its officers and justices in the liands of the
owners of the soil ; and therefore they saw no reason for
complying with his command. This seems to have irritated
the Sir Knight, for on the 14th of August a more peremptory
summons was sent to the refractor)^ Freeholders. Whether
the doughty Governor frightened our fathers, or whether they
assumed, trom policy, a loyalty they did not feel, does not
appear; but it is certain that they interposed no further
objection, and, on the 31st of August, sent in the following
names of Justices for the Court : Samuel Moore, Ephraim
Andrews, John Ilsley, and John Bishop, Jr.
The meeting of September 17th appointing two "rate-
gathers," Samuel Moore " Ingaged to find House Room to
Receive it," i. e. the rate; for be it known that the taxes were
not in the shape of jingling coin or rustling bank notes, but
in quarters of beef, bushels of grain, or barrels of pork. Mr.
Moore's house must have presented a spectacle, if the tax was
promptly paid, at which Mrs. Moore has stood aghast. Load
after load of sirloin, veal, sausage, liver, wheat, corn, etc.,
strewed upon the floor! How many modern wives would
liave endured such an invasion of domestic comfort .''
Samuel Dennis and Daniel Robins were appointed, Novem-
ber 1 6th, to superintend the construction of a causeway over
the meadow from Dunham's mill to the upland on the other
side the stream — John Bishop, Junr., to build "a good horse
bridge " over the Creek. This order for a " horse bridge "
was made null and void at a subsequent meeting, the universal
desire being expressed for a "good cart bridge " instead of it.
So the plan of the bridge was enlarged to accommodate
vehicles.
If we could have looked in upon the "full town meeting "
ot February 23d, 1681, when the bridge was under discussion
we should doubtless have been much interested. The rude
building in which they met, the sun-browned and rough-clad
farmers who composed the assembly, the solemn earnestness
with which the question was debated, the feverish excitement
92
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
with which some economist opposed the enlargement of the
structure over the Papiack, the dignified aspect of the Town
Clerk, the anxious persistence of the trans-Papiack inhabitants
whom a cart bridge would most benefit, the gravity with
which the vote was taken, the satisfaction of the one party and
the disappointment of the other when the result was
announced — iUi these things combined to make a scene which
would Iiavc been of absorbing interest to us if we could have
looked upon it.
In the same meeting the Clerk was authorized to notify the
inhabitants of future meetings by putting up a paper on the
south side of the building in which they were accustomed to
meet. The order concludes thus : " And all and every indi-
viduall person that shall willingly or wilfully Neglect come-
ing to meet with and assist their Neighbours in Doing towne
Business, Shall forfit to the use of the towne for Every
Neglect, three Shillings, to Be taken By Distress if payment
Be Denyed."
Under date of October 17th some matters pertaining to tlie
mccting-house, which was then in course of construction, were
considered.
On the i5ih of November Capt. John Pike, Capt. John
Bishop, and John Dennis were elected " Rate makers " and
John Pike, Jr., " Rate gatherer" for the ensuing year. All
"out-land" was voted to be rated at s^- ^^ acre. Swine above
a year old were to be rated at los. per head. One of the
Bishops, which one is not stated, protested against the 5^'. tax
on out-land — contending that the vote was illegal on the
ground that a vote had been previously passed in this very
meeting fixing the rate at 4s. In a parliamentary point of
view Bishop was right, but it is no uncommon thing at the
present day for august assemblies to vote twice and differently
on the same question without the formality of a vote of
re-consideration; so that we are constrained to excuse the
VVoodbridge Freeholders.
The last meeting in 1681 was held on the 8th of December,
when Capt. Pike was elected President of the Township Court,
with Ephraim Andrews, Samuel Bacon, John llsly, and Capt.
John Bishop as assistants.
TOWN MEETINGS — RESUMED. 93
Thus we have the recot;d of only five meetings during the
whole of this year. If there were more, no minutes of them
were taken — or, if so, they have been lost.
Here we enter upon the important data of the years 16S2-3.
Two counties were erected in East Jersey in the year 1682 —
Bergen and Middlesex. Monmouth and Essex had been
already constituted (in 1675), although the boundaries of the
four counties were so indistinctly designated that Legislative
enactments were necessary some time subsequently in order
to the settlement of them. Middlesex county was drawn upon
in 1688 for the entire construction of Somerset, which reduced
its area considerably.
The first Town Meeting in Woodbridge in 1682 was held on
Sunday, January ist. Nothing but the election of Samuel
Dennis and Ephraim Andrews as Deputies to the Legislature
was transacted The business was resumed on the followinar
day. The Deputies were voted four shillings per day while
serving the town in the Assembly. The following general
instructions were given to these officers;
"the towne By their Votes Doth Ingage their Deputyes
Now Chosen to act Legally according to the best of their
Judgments, for the good and welfare of the Contry and to
maintain the Contrys previledges By Concession, and to
oppose anything that may Infring any of those previledges,
and the towne will Bear them out in So Doing."
Jonathan Bishop is admitted as a Freeholder and granted a
parcel of common land, in consideration of his building a saw-
mill on it alongside the southern brancli of the Rahawack
(Railway) River. The mill is to be exempt for five years
from town tax. The price of Jonathan's initiation as a Free-
lioider is fixed at ^os. "in good pay."
On the 24th, the following note was sent to Mr. Bollen,
Secretary of the Province :
" Capt : James Bollin, the Inhabitants of this towne Being-
Mett together and they Being Informed that there are Comis-
sions Ready for Court officers, and that your Demands for the
Same is twenty Shillings in good pay : the towne hath made
Choice of Saml. Dennis & Israel Thornill to Come and
^. woo DISH I DC K AND XICINIIV.
ncquaiiu you Uiat the town Doth By these presents Ingage to
Saiisly and pay y(»ii twenty Shillings out of the Next Rate
that is made for this year: for the two Comissions Now in
your hands, Desircing that you would please to Send the Said
Comissions Hv the Bearer hereof, and they Shall rest yours.
" In Behalf of the tovvne & b>' their order
"Saml. Moore — Town Clerk."
From which it appears that the Town treasury had beea
depleted to such an extent that it became necessary for the
town to ask for credit in the small matter of 20s. The '' rate "
on swine above a year old was raised to 15J. per head. Those
in the settlement who had no lands, but plied any trade or
realized profit from any business, were to be assessed accord-
ing t(3 the discretion of the Rate-makers.
Capt. John Pike iiaving objected to his election as Justice
of the Corporation Court, the Town Meeting of February 9th
waived his objection, which w^as raised on some technical
ground, and confirmed him in the office. His fee was fixed at
2s. for any action tried by him, and that of his assistants at is.
At this meeting a committee, consisting of Samuel Moore,
Samuel Dennis, and Samuel Hale, reported the following in
regard to the Court :
That there should be four sessions annually — one to begin
the 2d Tuesday in May, the next to begin the 2d Tuesday in
August, the third the 2d Tuesday in November, and the fourth
the 2d Tuesday in February. Special sessions were recom-
mended in urgent cases, for which double fees for the Court
Clerk should be exacted from the party bringing, the action.
The fees were recommended to be put down at is. per action
for the Justices (except the President, who had been allotted a
double fee) and is. for Jurymen. The Clerk's fees should be
(> pence for entering each action ; is. for writing a declaration;
6 pence for each evidence sworn in Court; for recording a
judgment and jury's verdict, \s. and 6 pence; for writing an
execution, i.v. Gd.; for recording it, 9 pence; for entering or
withdrawing a non-suit, 6 pence. Other writings were to be
charged at the discretion of the Court. The Sergeant's fees
were recommended as follows: for serving a summons, 6
TOWN MEETINGS — RESUMED. 95
pence; if it required a journey of more than hialf a mile for
the service, ly., and for each mile beyond, 6 pence; for sum-
moning a jury, is. 6tf., "to Dito for attending the Court for
Each action Six pence;" for serving an execution, 2y. 6^.;
" for apprisement to have for all Sums under five pounds, ten
pence upon the pound ; for all Sums above five pounds and
under ten pounds eight pence upon the pound; all Sums
above ten pounds and under fifty pounds Six pence upon the
pound ; all Sums above fifty and under one Hundred pounds,
three pence upon the pound; for all Sums above one Hun-
dred pounds, twenty Shillings." Every action committed to
the jury was to pay whole fees; if w'ithdrawn or nonsuited,
to pay half fees — "the Clerk to be accountable for all Court
fees, and to have Every tenth penny for the Same." Each
witness, while in attendance at Court, was recommended to be
allotted IS. 6d. per day. The fee for a Justice's warrant to be
2s. (id.\ for a subpoena for one, 6 pence ; for subpoena for more
than one, 3 pence for each name; for a summons in all civil
actions, \s. All fees and fines were to be collected by dis-
traint, if necessary. The fine for a juryman's non-attendance
to be 5^^. ; for a witness' absence, los.
Appended to this legal paper was a hortatory address to the
Justices to faithfully fulfill the trust reposed in them ; and it
concludes as follows: " In particular that they use their ut-
most Care and Endeavour to Suppres Divers Disorders which
hath Been and Still are amongst us, (the which have been
greatly to the Dishonour of God and the Scandal of thi,;
towne, abroad as well as at home:) by punishing the offend-
er or oftenders according to Law, Espetially the prophanation
of the Saboth or Lords Day."
This document was accepted by the Freeholders in the next
town meeting, April 21st, 1682.
May 25th Samuel Moore being absent, Samuel Dennis, his
brother-in-law, acted as Town Clerk. The Pound was to be
supplied with "a Sutable Lock thereunto and a keeper." In
the meeting of September 1st it was resolved to mark again
the trees forming the boundary between Woodbridge and Pis-
cataway, which, it will be remembered, were defaced by the
Piscataway people. The latter part of November was fixed
for the excursion, which was free for" as many as pleas to go."
96
woonnRii"»OE and vicinity.
On the loih of October every member of the Corporation
was required to give in to the Town Clerk, for public record,
a statement of his amount of land. Capts. Pike and Bishop
acted with Mr. Moore in drawing; off a correct list of the num-
ber of acres to v.liich every Freeholder was entitled (see Chap.
III.)
In November the Rate for "plough land " was declared to
be S.f. per acre ; for pasture land, 4^.; and for "out land " 3.V.
Swine was to be free of tax this year.
During 16S2 some changes occurred in the government of
the Province which ought to be noticed just here. Sir George
Carteret died January i4t]i, 16S0, and his will directed that his
New Jersey property sliould be sold for the benefit of his cred-
itors; but no purchaser appeared until 16S2. In January of
this year twelve men bouglit it, among whom were William
Penn and Thomas Rudyard. Robert 13arclay was made Gov-
ernor with the pri\ilege of non-residence. He appointed
Rudvard as his Deputy, who arrived in Elizabethtown on the
13th of November, superseding Governor Carteret.* Samuel
Groome, of Stepney, near London, and one of the twelve pro-
prietors, in like manner superseded Voquillen as Surveyor-
General. Thus a new regime was established. Governor
Carteret did not long survive his deposition, for in the middle
of December, of the same year, he died.
The Deputy Governor called his Council together by a war-
rant issued on the loth of December, and began overhauling
the papers of Capt. Vickcrs, the ex-Secretary of the Province.
There was the evidence of so much fraud on Vickers' part that
he was prohibited from holding any public office for time to
come.f Voquillen the ex-Surveyor-General, of Woodbridge,
was also arraigned before the Council for collusion, perhaps,
with Vickers. I The latter was required to give security for his
luture good beliavior§ (March 20th), in consequence of some
seditious utterances against the government.! He refused;
whereupon, Samuel Moore, the Woodbridge Town Clerk, was
immediately sworn as High Sheriff of Middlesex County, and
Capt. Vickers was placed in his custody to be " Com'itted to
t!ic Com'on Goale att Woodbridge."*^ It will be seen from
• HatfleM'8 KlizBbcth, p. 2U. + Governor & Council of E. J. p. 15. 1 Ibid. 1?. S Ibid. 2G.
I GoTiTDor &. Council, p. 25. 1 Ihirt. G.
TOWN MEETINGS RESUMED. 97
this and other facts, to be detailed hereafter, that County pris-
oners and some Provincial prisoners were honored with lodg-
''^â– gs in this Woodbridge common jail.
A serious charge was brought against Robert Voquillen (or
I VauqucUin, as the name is spelled in the " Record of the
Governor & Council of East Jersie ") — being to this effect,
that he had made his surveys without reference to the " Con-
cessions " ot the proprietors ; that many were without dates
I or any warrant from the proper authorities. Being sum-
moned to answer, he refused to appear. Accordingly, on the
::st of March, 16S3, the High Sheriff of Middlesex was
: ordered to " forthwth repaire to the house of the said Robert
I vauquillin & him bring before the Governor and Councill."
he Sheriff was also directed to seaixh his house and bring
[ any records or surveys which he might find. The ex-Sur-
[ veyor-General was present on the 23d, but denied having any
' papers in his possession which concerned the public. A bill
was brougiit in on the 26lh from the House of Deputies which
f was designed to " disenable " both Voquillen and Samuel Edsall
.'rom holding office thereafter. What Edsall's crime was, does
not distinctly appear; but perhaps it was the destruction of a
warrant for laying out certain lands.* The bill was signed
by the Deputy Governor on tlie same day.f
* Gov. & tJounc, p. ?t. t Ibid., ST.
CHAPTER IX.
1083—1690.
Moore and Dennis— The Sheriffalty— First Tavern in
WooDDRiD.GE— More of the Piscataway Trouble —
The Deputy Governors — Quit Rent Agitation —
Highways — Pound — Obadiah Ayers — Vigilance Com-
mittee — Landings — Second Division of Land — Death
OF Samuel Moore— ok Israel Thornell — First Side-
walk.
We continue our history of the Town Meetings, beginning
with that of January ist, 1683. An election was held, as
usual, for the choice of officers for the Corporation. Samue!
Dennis and Samuel Moore were, just at this time, the two
most popular men in the township. The latter was a remark-
able man, as the observant reader has already discovered
Perhaps there was no man in the Province better known than
he, nor one more implicitly trusted. For many years he had
held some of the most important positions, and yet no
diminution of his reputation or influence had occurred. If
any envied him, as no doubt some did, they were unable to
sully his fair fame, or win the proud place he occupied in tlie
licarts of tiie people.
In this meeting, Dennis and Moore were elected Deputies,
to the (ieneral Assembly. As an evidence of the popularity
of these two men we find that both were in nomination for
the Presidency of the Township Court, and the vote stood
thus: Moore, 12; Dennis, 10. The Freeholders, doubtless,
voted for others; but these stood highest when the ballots
were counted. Instead of discriminating between them, the
town sent the two names to Deputy Governor Rudjan'.
(whose prerogative it was to confirm all fnominations of
Justices) that he might choose one of them. Rudyard, takint^
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. gg
into consideration the manifold duties already imposed on
Mr. Moore, decided in favor of Samuel Dennis.* During this
year Mr." Moore held the offices of High Sheriff of Middlesex
County, Deputy to the Assembly, Messenger of the House of
Deputies,! Town Clerk of Woodbridge and Tax Collector for
the township! Besides, he administered (Nathaniel Fitz
Randolph assisting) the estate of Capt. James Bollen, late
Secretary of the Province, who died intestate ;J and did a great
deal of township business as member of different committees,
and opened a tavern.
On the 23d of February an arbitrary order was passed. If
any Freeholder was elected by a majority vote (subject, of
course, to the Governor's approval) as a Justice of the Peace,
and refused to serve, he was required to pay a fine for such
refusal ranging from 20s. to 40:.-. This is something like the
bill which the Deputies sent up for the concurrence of the
Governor and Council on the 26th of May of this same year
(1683), for punishing those who refused to serve as Sheriffs
when they had been commissioned. § Inasmuch as there was
no salary attached to the Sheriffalty, the Council opposed the
bill as unjust and having a tendency to bring tlie office into
contempt.
The case of Barent vs. Wandle, cited by Knickerbocker, in
evidence of the sagacity of Wouter Van Twiller as a magis-
trate, may not be an exaggeration after all, in view of the laws
just mentioned. Our readers will remember, in the case
referred to, that Gov. Van Twiller counted the leaves of the
account books and weighed them carefully in his hands and
decided that as one was as thick and heavy as the other that
they were balanced, and that Barent should give Wandle a
receipt and Wandle should give Barent a receipt, and f/iaf the
Constable should pay the costs! Knickerbocker remarks that
" the office of Constable fell into such decay that there was
not one of those losel scouts known in the province for many
years." If New Amsterdam had passed a law like those
above-mentioned, the Constable would not only have been
compelled to pay the costs in Barent vs. Wandle, but also to
pay a fine for refusing to serve.
* Gov. & Council, p. 42. + Ibid., 52. $ Ibid., 43. § Gov. & Council, p. 74. Const*-
Wes who refused the office were to be floed iA. Learning & Spicer, p. 858.
JOO WOODDRIDGK AND VICINITV.
Apropos to this, we find the following entry in the minutes
of the Governor and Council (p. 71), under date of May 23,
1683:
"The pctic'on of Samll Moore late p'vost Marshall of this
l)'vince now high Shcrift'c of the County of Middx and the
keeper of the Com'on Goalc for this p'vincc being read,
therein setting forth his former great Cost and Charge in
keeping and mainetaining the prisoners wthout any allow-
ance for the same wch charge is yet Continued upon him
there being noc p'vission to this. Day made for him, It is the
sence of this board as well his former as his latter Charge
expended is p'vinciall and ought to be borne by the Country
for wose service it is, Therefore it is ordered that his Case
bee recommended to the Deputyes now assembled that they
may Consider of some effectual way for his redresse, And
it's further p'posed that the petic'oner, being in a p'ticular of
his Charge that some Due Course may be taken to settle by
Act of Assembly or otherwise such a Sallery on that office or
otlier p'vision that the office wch is so necessary may not
unely be borne wthout Cost or Charge to the officer but a due
Encouragemt. for such who undertake the same, it's ordered
that Captn Berry and Capt. Palmer carry up our sence to the
Deputyes."
Rather cool! Fining a man if he refuses to serve (or
threatening so to do), and yet requiring him to bear all thf
expenses of his office 7vithout a salary ! Shade of Van T wilier !
Sherifi's fees were not granted until 1686 (Leaming and
Spicer, p. 300). Jailers' fees were then also allowed : "Turn-
ing the Key in and out," 8.f. ; affixing the seal of the Province
tt) documents, 5^.
On the 18th of April Samuel Moore and Samuel Dennis
were appointed to petition the new proprietors to confirm the
Town Charter, wliich met, doubtless, with a favorable re-
sp»jnse, but the confirmation was not given.
In June the Corporation Court was directed to hold
sessions on the first Tuesdays in May, August, November and
February annually. At this meeting Samuel Moore was
" Hy a unanimojs Vote Made Choice of to keep ordinary
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. lOI
[i, e. an inn] for this Towne, and whilst Rum is to Be had
from the Merchant at three Shillings or two Shillings and
Six pence for [a] Galln he is to aford it for Money at 3 pence
for [a] gill, Six pence the half pint, and Eighteen pence the
Quart; if he gives more, then to Raise the price." Rum-sell-
ing was regarded as a respectable business in those days,
much as we wonder at it. Moore's was the first tavern set up
in the place, and probably occupied the site upon which Dr.
Samuel E. Freeman's drug store now stands, as that is the
spot which both the record and tradition assign as his
residence.
In the meeting of October ist, three men, Samuel Moore,
John Bloomfield, and Jonathan Bishop, were appointed to
meet with a committee from Elizabethtown to consult con-
cerning the best route for a highway between that place and
Woodbridge — their decision to be laid before the next
Assembly for final disposition. This road was eventually
opened; whether in consequence of these, or subsequent
negotiations, we cannot tell.
The bridge and causeway over the Papiack Creek and
meadow were ordered to be repaired.
In November a committee, headed by the Woodbridge
military chieftain, Capt. John Bishop, Avas directed to exam-
ine the magazine and report the " Town's Stock of Powder
and Shot." If the report was ever made no record of it has
been preserved. The amount of war material was, doubtless?
inconsiderable; and a contest with an enemy would have
found the settlers illy prepared to cope with him successfully.
Notwithstanding that the Woodbridge men had intended in
the latter part of November, 1682, to fix the boundary between
their own land and that of the Piscataway men, we find that
as late as February, 1684, it had not been done. A committee
of six engaged to do it, at a Town Meeting of the latter date,
and to complete it by the last day of the following April for
the sum of thirty-eight shillings. The money was ordered to
be raised and the Piscataway people to be notified, but
whether the boundary line was run or not belongs to res
incognitae; for the committee never thought it was worth while
to report. In all probability Piscataway objected to the
I02 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
proposed line and the matter was indefinitely postponed.
The Piscataway Deputies had presented a petition to the
Council of the Province in May, 1683. The memorial,
"Desircing a grant of all the lands -wtlun the Indian purchase
for ffourtcen pounds p. Ann: was here read — and Edw. Slater
and John Gilman being then p'sent, they were Answered that
their request was not intelligeable, the quantity of Lands
wthin those bounds being uncertain." So the paper was
dismissed.* This was designed to overthrow the Woodbridgc
claim, and would have had the intended effect if it had been
acceded to; for its very indefiniteness would have given the
Piscataway men unlimited authority over the disputed ter-
ritory.
On the 28th day of February, 1684, another change in the
Provincial government took place. f Gov. Barclay sent over
a Deputy to supersede Thomas Rudyard, who, on the day
designated, called his new Council together, assigning to his
predecessor, Rudyard, the position of Secretary. In the new
Council we find the name of Samuel Dennis, of Woodbridge,
who served through the administration with great fidelity, as
the records show. The new Deputy Governor was Gawen
Lawrie, who held the office until October, 1686, when Lord
Neill Campbell was commissioned by Barclay as the chief
officer of the Province Both Rudyard and Lawrie had failed
to give satisfaction to the Proprietors because the taxes were
not collected with sufficient promptness, the dividends coming
in very slowly; besides, they were more anxious to secure
large tracts of land for themselves than urge the interests of
those whom they were appointed to serve.t The Council
held at Perth Amboy on the 28th of December, 1686, was the
last at which Gov. Campbell presided; for, hearing that
James II. was becoming tolerant to Protestants, he, who had
fled for his life for daring to be one, hastened back to England
to greet his wife and children again,§ leaving his honors in
the hands of one of his Couucilmen, Andrew Hamilton, of
Amboy. Hamilton's commission was officially read March
1 2th, 1687. During his term of service we note that two
Slb'd'^m*' ^'"""''''' ^- '■*• ^^"^^ * Council, p. 100. t Hatfield's Elizabeth, p. 231.
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. IO3
Woodbiidge men were chosen among his Councillors — John
Bishop and Samuel Dennis.
To return to the Town Meeting of February 25th, 1684;
A committee of three was appointed to " Meet with the
Governor or proprietors at Amboy to treat with them or with
whome they appoint for the Renewing of the bounds accord-
ing to the first Survey between amboy and our towne of
Woodbridge." What resulted from this conference we cannot
tell.
Robert Wright, in asking for a certain tract of land,
formerly the property of John Trueman, was granted posses-
sion of it on condition that he should settle on it and work at
his trades. He was a tanner and shoemaker, and came from
Staten Island.
John Allen, the popular preacher of Woodbridge, was
now actively engaged- in agricultural and kindred pursuits.
'vt this meeting he was chosen meat packer for the town. The
vxportation of meat had grown to be a lucrative traffic among
lie settlers; and, to foster it, they threw around it the safe-
iiard of public inspection by an honest and capable officer. ^
On the loth of April, Capt. John Pike and his son John
nd Capt. John Bishop were chosen to discuss the Quit Rents
nd other matters with the Governor and Proprietors. Dis-
affected parties throughout the Province were endeavoring to
make it appear that land bought from the Indians should be
exempt from tax, except that which they levied upon them-
selves. So specious were the arguments advanced that the
Woodbridge men. in their desire to be loyal, appealed to the
Proprietors for some conclusive evidence against the Indian-
:itle theory. They were manifestly non-plussed. The town
rder is thus stated :
"That which the towne Desires should be Debated with the
governor and present proprioters is as followeth; Viz: first
how it may apear, that the Gentlemen that Now Claims the
proprioty of this province of East Jersey: have So Real an
Jnterest, that they have Reason, Justice and Law on their
Sides to Demand Ouitrents from the Inhabitants of East
Jersey, and that the Jnhabitants may Safely pay it to them as
Not [to] be Questioned for the Same in time to Come by any
,04 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Others. 2dly to Desire of these present propriotors, the Con-
firmation of our Cliarter and General patten for Commons.
3dly the Confirmation of our particular pattens."
The committee reported to the ineeting of May 22d that the
items specified had been discussed. It was recommended that
a petition should be presented to the Governor and Proprie-
tors asking for the confirmation of the Woodbridgc Charter
and the patents just mentioned. In regard to the debate on
the Quit Rent question nothing was reported at this time.
On that point we imagine that the Freeholders were dissatis-
fied; for, as late as January ist, 1685, we find a " difference "
between them and the Proprietors on this subject. However,
four of the chief men of the town were empowered to settle
the difficulty, which was amicably done; and subsequently the
following minute appeared in the record: "At a Publick
Towne Meeting the 226. Day of September 1685: it is Deter-
mined By the Jnhabitants that the Quitrents aught to be paid,
and that to the present Goverment; and Every person to take
Care to Discharge their parts of the Quitrents with what
^ Convenient Speed they Can." Thus did the Woodbridge
Freeholders commit themselves to the payment of this land
tax, concerning which so much controversy has arisen and
such diverse views have been held. The celebrated Elizabeth-
town Bill in Chancery grew out of the discussion of this
question. A large and influential party sought to throw off
what to them appeared to be a dreadful incubus, by contesting
the case in the courts. The bill was drawn in 1746, but was
never decided by process of law.
Deputy-Governor Lawrie- sent a message to Woodbridge.
which was read in the Town Meeting of June 30th, 1684, in
which he requested the gift, for the Proprietors, of five
hundred acres of land, to be included within the bounds of
Amboy. This was unanimously and decidedly refused by the
Freeholders.
In October it was resolved to repair the highways. Capt.
Bishop was appointed to look after the Rahway roads;
Samuel Smith was assigned to the same duty "for the Middle
part of the towne"; Ephraim Andrews for the road leading
from Capt. Pike's (at Strawberry Hill) to the Amboy line;
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. 1 05
and Israel Thornell for the highway from the Amboy line to
the Piscata way road; — "and all the Jnhabitants ai-e obliged
to appeare at the Several places appointed By the Several
overseers, and to Be Ready to go to work By Sun an hour
High or Else the overseers may Refuse them."
The old pound, having been neglected, was in such a state
of dilapidation that in September, 16S5, John Pike was
engaged to make a new one on the old site; "to be of the
Same Length and Breadth with the old povvnd, to be made
with good Square posts, and five good faire Rails & a good
Substatial Cooping, Rails wellfixed to the heads of the posts."
For which Pike was to receive ;^3.
On the common land much timber was cut and used ille-
gally by certain persons who sought thus to enrich themselves
at the expense of the town. Eight men were chosen, who
lived in as many different localities, to guard the common
property. John Conger and Noah Bishop were chosen for
Rahawack [Rah way] and parts adjacent ; Samuel Dennis and
Israel Thornell for the west side of the Papiack Creek ; Mat-
thew Moore and Isaac Tappen for the east side; John Dennis
and John Bloomfield for "the out plantations near Piscata-
way."
In January, 1686, two Constables were chosen instead of
one, as heretofore — " Nathaniel Randolf & Obediah Hayers,"
as the transcriber puts it. Some of our acute readers will
recognize Obadiah, in spite of the picturesque spelling, as a
member of the "Ayres" or " Ayers " family. He was often
almost indistinguishable as Haires. His name is spelt Ayers
in a record of the year 1695, so that there is no doubt of his
identity.
In this January meeting (ist) John Bishop " Ingaged to
make a Sufficient Bridge over the Brook Called the Mill
Brook in the Country Highway Leading to Elizabeth towne."
This is the stream in Lower Rahway (or Leesville) which is
now spanned by a bridge, as in those days, and probably at
the same place.
At the Town Meeting of the 31st of May the following order
passed unanimously: "that if at any time it Shall So hapen
that any person or persons whatsoever whether Neighbors or
,o6 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
St[r]nngers Shall act any Manner of trcspas against, Jnfringe,
Intrench or Jncroach upon the Rights, Libertys or previledges
of this townc or Corporation of Woodbridge; or act any way
against the Prudential orders of the Same: that then all aud
Every Jncroachmcnt Trespas or act: with the Name of the
person or persons by whome it is Done, Shall forth with be
given into the Conimitty Made Choice of by the tovvne for
that pi:rpose, or to one or two of them, to the End the Matter
be forth with Jmparted or Communicated to the Rest, which
Comitte hereafter Nominated are hereby Jmpowered to take
Cognizance of Consult about, and Determin as the Major
part of them Shall agree upon Conclution of any Such Matter
or thing, and to appoint one, two or three more or Less of
themselves, or any other according to their Discretions in the
townes Behalf, as the Matter Shall Require, to Summons,
arest. Enter plea action or Declaration against, and in Course
of Law, amply and fully to procicute to the full all Jntents
and purposes any action or plea So Entered, and also to
Defend any action and answer any plea that may Be Entered
or made against the towne By any person or persons whatso-
ever, or that may be Entered or .Comenced against any
particular person or persons, wherein the Right, title, prev-
iledge or Interest of the Town or Corporation may Be
Directly Concerned, taking profit or Loss, with the Standing
or falling of Such Case or Cases So Commenced, or plea or
pleas Entered: the towne holding for good what from time to
time the Said Comitte Now, or hereafter By them to Be
Chosen Shall Lawfully Do or Cause to be Done, in or about
the Before mentioned premises Defending and Maintaining
them in the Same."
This looks a great deal like a Vigilance Committee, and we
can imagine only two reasons for its existence: either the
Piscataway men were contemplating another raid on the
Woodbridge boundary, and this was intended to intimidate
them; or dishonesty and rascality were so prevalent that such
a measure as this was necessary for public security. We
have stated, in a previous chapter, that the tone of society in
general was very low in the settlement in consequence of the
lack of moral and religious influences; so that it is not
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. I07
improbable that out of this fact grew the necessity ot this
committee. Jonathan Dunham, Robert MacCleland, Capt.
Pike, Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, and Samuel Moore were
elected under the provisions of the town order.
Nothing occurred worthy of note between that May Town
Meeting in 1686 and the one in January of the next year,
except certain ecclesiastical matters which are chronicled
elsewhere.
A highway was laid'out on the 8th of January, 16S7, for the
Rahway settlers, beginning at Robert Wright's landing (at
William Edgar's corner, just as you enter Rahway from the
Woodbridge road), and extending thence easterly down to
^'John Codington's point" into the meadows. The landing
here mentioned was reserved, by town order, for a public
dock perpetually — as also was the landing at Capt. John
Bishop's on the same stream, east of the Captain's grist-mill.
These docks were first built for the transportation of hay;
but, although that continued for many years to be one of the
principal articles of export, an extensive trade gradually
developed in breadstulFs, etc., which rendered the landings
well-known and important points. Their names were as
familiar as household words in those early days; but the
advent of steam, superseding the oar and sail in commerce,
has nearly obliterated them from the memory of man. Of
the many landings all along our creeks, only four or five are
known to the present generation. One Autumn day we
started in search of an old-time dock on Smith's Creek, and,
after hunting diligently along its margin, we found it at the
end of a lane, leading out of the main road, the ruts of which
were filled with tangled grass. The wharf is very old, but its
appearance indicates that it is substantial even yet. This is
supposed to be the once well-known Cortland's Landing (see
Chapter II.), now seldom used and its history involved in
obscurity.
John Conger and Noah Bisliop, Avho, in 1685, were
appointed to prosecute any one in Rahway or adjacent places
who illegally cut the timber on the common land, were the
victims ot a suit, brought against them by Thomas Thorp in
1687, for removing from the commons some of Thorp's dressed
j08 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
trees— by mistake, doubtless. The costs fell upon the town,
of course, as Conger and Bishop were acting as its agents in
the matter; and to prevent further litigation the meeting of
February 14th sent a committee to the victorious Thomas to
ask for a cessation of hostilities.
This meeting being occupied, till late in the afternoon, with
ecclesiastical business, it adjourned until eight o'clock the
next morning; at which time there was, probably, a large
attendance, for the second division of land was to be con-
sidered. The quantity ot land in the first division is found
approximately indicated in Chapter III., in the list of original
land-holders. The second division was to comprise sixty acres
cyf upland for each Freeholder . We transcribe the order for the
survey :
"Jt also passed By Vote that the Divisions of Land Now to
Be Laid out Shall Begin a little to the westward of the High-
way that Runs to Elizabeth Towne upon the west line
Betwixt Elizabeth towne and Woodbridge and So to Extend
westward So far as the towne Bounds Extends, and from
thence upon the South line untill they Come to the Heads of
the farms already Laid out, and if in that Circate [circuit] there
Be Not land Enough then to Begin at the Rear of the Lots
abovementioned, and to Run the Same way that the first
Range Did Runn, and to Continue the Same Manner rill the
Compliment of Lotts Be all Laid out if there Be Land
Enough: and for the Efecting the Leying out of the Said
Land, the towne hath appointed ten Men for that End, which
Men or the major part of them hath full power (if any Now
Nominated Do fail going) to make Choice of any other
person or persons in their Rooms, provided that Mr. Lipray,*
Jonathan Dunham or Saml. Moore Be one of the Major part,
they Being the three principle persons we would and Do
hereby oblige them with the Rest that Shall assist them to use
the Best of their Discretion to Ley out Each Division of Land
Eaqually as May Be & if it So falls out that one Lott of Land
be like to Be Better than the other, then to add So much in
Quantity to the Bad Lott that may Countervail the Goodness
• Anolbor pcrverttion of Gen. Voquillen's name.
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. IO9
of another, and Exactly to mark out Each Lott and to Num-
ber them as they are Laid out : and that the Said ten Men or
the Major part of them Shall Ley out the Said Lotts as Con-
veniently as they Can upon good Land: and if there be any
Low Barrin or Swampy Land Not fitt for Service or Jmprove-
ment, to Leave that out according to their Discretion : the
ten Men appointed for this Service are Viz: Mr. Robert
Voquillin, Jonathan Dunham, Saml. Moore, Saml. Smith,
John Blomfild, Ezekiel Blomfild, John Pike, Matthew
Moors, John Conger, Jonathan Bishop, and it is Desired that
these ten Men would make their Business forth with to Ley
out the Said Divisions of Land; Six hands to be Each Day
about the Said work and to have for their pains three Shill-
ings per Day."
The parcels of land were drawn by lot after they were laid
out and numbered — the numbers being written on slips of
paper and thrown promiscuously into a bag, from which they
were drawn by one the Freeholders appointed for that pur-
pose.*
January ist, i68S, being Sunda3% the meeting was adjourned
to assemble on Monday, alter electing two Deputies to the
Legislature. But nothing of any importance occurred be-
tween this date and June 15th, when the long period of Mr.
Moore's official life is seen to have come to an end. It was
during this year (May 27th) that he died, and Samuel Dennis
was elected Town Clerk in his stead, in the June meeting.
We have elsewhere alluded to the varied and efficient public
services of Mr. Moore. Matthew, his brother, is frequently
mentioned in the old Town Book ; but he did not attain to
the distinguished position of Samuel. Tlie latter seems to
have been a capable, faithful, and honest servant of the town-
ship and province; and, as such, he will ever be held in honor
— and it is no small part of our purpose to rescue from
obscurity the names of those who have done well in '' ye days
of yore."' Samuel married, in New England, Hannah
Plumer, who died, eighteen months afterward, in December,
:654.. In September, 1656, he married again — Mary Ilsley
becoming his wife and removing with him to Woodbridge.
• Freeholders' Eecords, r- ^^-
j,0 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Hy her he had six children — four sons and two daughters.
Whitehead considers it probable that "he was married a third
lime (Dec, 1678) to Ann Jaques." This is possibly correct.
His wife Mary was living in June, 1678, as we learn from the
Birth Record, in which her name occurs in connection with a
ihubly interesting event ;* but it would seem scarcely probable
that he married in December, even if his former wife died in
June, which is not chronicled. But he did marry a third
time; and by Ann he had one child, Sarah, who was born
September i6th, 1681. This daughter died in January of the
same year her father was buried — a little more than four
months intervening.
So in June, 1688, Samuel Dennis became Town Clerk ; and
in October following he was elected Moderator, to serve
"dureing the towns plasure." John Dennis, on the 29th of
the latter month, was appointed to superintend the making of
a bridge near his house over the brook which runs across the
road on the west of Alexander Edgar's residence. Dennis
lived on the east side of the highway, about where Edmund
Ayers now lives.
The death of Israel Thornell, the '-rate-gatherer" for 1688,
seems to have made a great deal of trouble. He died, prob-
ably, in September or October, after some of the taxes had
been paid; but left his accounts in an unsettled condition
Evidence and personal oaths Avere required to settle the ques-
tion of payment in many cases. Not that Thornell was
dishonest; but being stricken down suddenly, he had no time
to adjust his business with the town. A^ receipts were not
given by the Collector the inhabitants were liable to be visited
a second time for the same year's tax. John Ilsley acceptably
filled out the unexpired term of Mr. Thornell.
The first sidewalk we read of was ordered to be made ou
the 24th of October, 1689 — to follow the highway leading to
Thomas Pike's house, in the direction of Rahway. We need
not assure the reader that the sidewalk was not flag:sred or laid
a la Asphaltum. Very likely the blackberry vines and young-
sassafras trees were cut down on the side of the road and
then — the path was done !
» Twins.
CHAPTER X.
1C90— 1700.
The Rangers — Geese Troubles — Town in Debt — The
Courts — Another Town Clerk — Indian War — A Sick
Man in Town — New Bridge — Walker's Experience —
Too Much Talk in Meeting — The Freemen — A Model
Compact — Riot in Woodbridge.
An alarm was created in the Province, in the Spring of
1690, by the report of the approach of hostile French and
Indians. Elizabethtown sent the note of warning, suggesting
that Woodbridge, as other towns were doing, should employ
an able man to range the woods, in company with the rest)
"above the towns," in order that they might not be surprised
and butchered by the foe. But no tomahawk was lifted, nor
did a Frenchman make his appearance in the hamlet. Mr.
T.yon, the Ranger, put up his gun and brought in his bill for
;£i e^s., after tramping in the woods for a little more than a
week.
The geese began to be troublesome on Strawberry Hili,
This classic spot was set apart for sheep alone; but the geese,
in^defiance of the Town Meeting, invaded it and ate the tender
grass with keen relish, thus depriving the sheep of their means
of sustenance. In September the geese came near being
•'dealt with according to law';" but the settlers never fell
over each other through excessive haste, so the matter was
postponed. On the 30th of March of the next year the fol-
lowing order removed all hope from any Woodbridge goose's
breast of again enjoying the timothy and red-top on Straw-
berry Hill ;
" It passed By Vote that from and after ye fifteenth Day of
May Next Coming after the Date hereof, that Neither the
freeholders or Jnhabitants of this towne and Corporation Shall
Suffer any of their Geese or ganders to go and feed on any
,12 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
the usual Sheep Commons or feeding ground within the said
Corporation." And if any goose or gander was so unfor-
tunate as to be caught taking a sly nibble in the forbidden
places the fowl was to be killed forthwith. From all of
which we conclude that the settlers were " sound on the goose
question."
The sheep of the settlers were distinguished by certain
marks and ran together in large flocks ; but between the 20th
of July and the loth of November yearly, after 1691, the
rams were taken from the rest and housed by the respective
owners. Tliey occupied the commons, especially congregat-
ing in large numbers on Strawberry Hill, which is hence often
spoken of in the records as the Shci'p Common.
In November, 1691, we find the town's credit impaired. A
third part of all its former debts was to be "abated," by the
consent of the several creditors. The following debts for
1690-91 were provided for by special tax in the Town Meet-
insr of December loth :
•' For five wolfs, £^i. 6j-. 8^. to Mr. Lyon ^i. 55. to Jonathan
Bishop £^\. to Samuel Dennis for Clerkship £^\. to Rate
gatherer 15 Shillings: for the Covering the Meeting House
^8." None of this was to be paid in cash, but in produce.
During the ne.xt year great attention was given to the
improvement of the highways. Edward Hains was granted
\ permission to put up a blacksmith shop on the cast side of
the road, adjoining Samuel Smith's. This is near the spot
occupied by Mr. Lorraine Freeman's residence.
In November liberty was given to any inhabitant of the
town "to plant or Jmprove by Sowing" any of the common
land for six years, provided no more than six acres were
taken by any individual, and that the land should be restored
to the town " well cleared of trees."
In the meeting of January 2d, 1693, the Monthly Court
(Otherwise called the "Court of Small Causes," was estab-
lished in the township. Tiiis Court was authorized by Act
of Assembly in 1675, for the trial of cases involving 40.T. or
less,* to relieve the calendar of the County and Corporation
• Learning & Spieer, 99.
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. II3
Courts, and to afford relief to the poorer classes, who, by-
reason of the expense attending a suit in the upper Courts,
were unable to recover their small amounts by action at law.
It was required to meet on the first Wednesday of every
month, and was to comprise three persons only (without a
jury""), one of whom was to be a Justice of the Peace. Execu-
tion, in due process, might issue from this tribunal ; and even
a jury might be summoned, if either plaintiff or defendant
demanded it. A Clerk and a Messenger were its officers.
The County Courts, or "Courts of Sessions," were author-
ized in the same year (1675), as also was the Province Court,
or "Court of Assize," which was ordered to meet yearly at
Woodbridge on the first Tuesday in October.f The Middle-
sex County Court held two sessions annually, at first — one at
Woodbridge on the third Tuesday in March, and the other at
Piscataway on the second Tuesday in September.^ These
two towns comprehended the county then, as the enactment
declares. Later (in 1682), Middlesex is thus described:
" Middlesex County, to begin from the parting Line, between
Essex County and Woodbridge Line, containing Woodbridge
and Piscataway, and all the Plantations on both ^des the
Rariton River> as far as Chesquake Harbor Eastward, extend-
ing South-West to the Division Line of the Province, and
North-West to the utmost Bounds of the Province."||
In this year (1682) the sessions of the County Court were
increased to four, as follows : " The third Tuesday in March
yearly, in the publick Meeting House, in Woodbridge. The
third Tuesday in June, in the publick Meeting House in
Piscataway. The third Tuesday in September in the publick
Meeting House at Woodbridge. And the third Tuesday in
December, in the publick Meeting House, at Piscataway. "§
Criminal and civil causes were tried by this Court, the Judges
of which were the Justices in the County. Three of them, at
least, were required to occupy the bench in all trials — a jury
of twelve men rendering the verdict. In Woodbridge for
several years the jury was chosen annually for the Township
Court, just as were the other town officials.
* Learning & Spicer, 229. t Ibid., 97. * Ibid., 93. l Ibid., 229. § Ibid., 231.
H
114 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
The Court of Common Right, or Supreme Court, was
established in 16S2, and lield four sessions yearly at Eliza-
betht(Mvn. Its members might number from six to twelve,
none of wliom were permitted to belong to the High Court of
Chancery."
The town of Amboy Perth, as it was then called, was not of
sufficient importance until 1686 to establish a Court there. In
that year the Middlesex Court sessions were thus arranged:
The third Tuesday in December at Amboy Perth; in March,
at Piscataway; in June, at Woodbridge ; in Septemberj'at
Amboy Perth again; "and so to go circularly and successively
round."!
Another Town Clerk was sworn into office in January,
1693. Samuel Dennis had become tired ot it, besides being
burdened with a multitude of other public cares. His suc-
cessor, the fourth Clerk of the Corporation, was Thomas Pike,
son of the distinguished Capt. John Pike. For some cause
not now kno\Yn, Dennis was chosen Town Clerk instead of
Pike on the nth of April, 1694, and was required to appear to
take the usual oath. Richard Powell, Daniel Robins, and
Obadiah Ayers. Senior, were sent to bring him to the meeting
for that purpose ; but he stubbornly refused to come. Pike
was, therefore, re-elected, and held the office until 17 11 — a
^Qviod. o^ eighteen years. Between 1707 and 17 11 his time was
largely occupied in laying out lots for the Freeholders, and
recording them.
But to return to 1693 :
On the 2d of February it is recorded that John J^ioomfield
and Jonathan Bishop should each receive 12^-. for '"going up
to the Jndians this Last Spring." It is likely that they went
to the north to treat with the savage tribes and secure their
friendship. At tliis time the Indians were in alliance with the
French and were disturbing the frontier. The war between
England and France was raging, and the emissaries of the
latter were plotting the destruction of the English colonies.
All means were employed to propitiate the red men, and the
Jersey settlers generally were secure from their fury. Gov-
* Learning & Spicer, 370. + Ibid., 296.
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. II r
ernor Hamilton, in October of this year, called for men and
money to forward to New York for the defence of that
Province from the allied forces/'' The Deputies agreed to
send fifteen men to Albany to protect that point. The Gov-
ernor was indignant. Fie wanted thirty men, at least. They
said they had five more, making twenty, who might go. The
Governor told them that it "seemed very strange that they
should bargaine as if they were buying or selling a horse or a
Cow, when their own seafty & Credit Lyes at stake. "f But
the Deputies would only send twenty men, arguing that they
v\"ere too poor to pay the expenses ofa larger number. They
were poor, doubtless; but their generosity was not remark-
able.
In April the Tovv'n was unwillingly the nurse ofa sick man
— a stranger, named John Taggett. He had come into the
place and fallen ill. The Freeholders -were much distressed
thereat. Thomas Svran was paid 5.^. a vv-eek to keep the poor
fellow, and Samuel Hale promised to receive the pork and
wheat, etc., to dispense to the tender-hearted" Swan as the 5^.
worth of them fell due. A committee was appointed to warn
all strangers to leave the place if they seemed to be poor and
likely to be sick. They were permitted to stay by giving
security that they would behave and free the town from all
expense in case of sickness or other misfortune.
Two men, Ephraim Andrews and John Pike, were appointed
in November to meet the Justices at the next session of the
County Court to make some provision for its expenses.
Andrews was also enipowered "to Clear the waj' Between
Amboy Bounds and Pascataway path," over v.-hicli some trees
had been felled.
A committee of four was sent in January, 1694, to look at
the Papiack Creek, near Jonathan Dunham's mill, to consider
how best to construct a cart bridge over it. The old bridge
was either worn out or had been swept away b}^ a high tide.
The new one was to be built immediately.
The Town ^.leeting met in the meeting-house, as usual, on
the 22d; but it was cold in there, and they hastily adjourned
* Gov. & Council, lo9. t Ibid., 161.
Il6 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
to " Samuel More liis liouse." We presume this " More " was
the eldest son of Samuel Moore, the late Town Clerk, and
that he had succeeded to his father's business as inn-keeper.
He was only twenty-four years of age at this date. At the
two subsequent meetings during th« Winter the Freeholders
adjourned to Richard Powell's house, which was nearer,
probably, than Moore's; but nothing of special note is re-
corded in these gatherings, except some ecclesiastical and
educational matters referred to, in the proper places, in this
volume.
In the Autumn, the bridge over the Papiack was pushed
forward to completion, under the supervision of Matthew
Moore.
In January, 1695, the standard prices of certain products, by
which the annual taxes were gauged, were as follows : Indian
corn, per bushel, 2s. dd. ; Rye, 3^. ; Wheat, 4i\ ; and Oats,
\s. dd. On the 1st of February the Freeholders beat a retreat
from their cheerless meeting-house to the hospitable home of
Richard Powell to hold their Town Meeting. Stoves were
not dreamed of in those days, and a fire-place in a meeting-
house was sacrilegious and ridiculous. So our fathers shiv-
ered all through the sermon, and our mothers sat patiently
anticipating Summer, while the good man told, perchance, ot
the land over which blow " no chilling winds " — into which,
doubtless, they have since entered.
A committee of five was appointed, consisting ot Messrs. S.
Dennis, S. Hale, E. Andrews, E. Bloomfield, and J. Pike, to
call Town Meetings by written notices sent by Francis
Walker throughout the region round about. Walker prom-
ised to do this as long as he remained in the place; he was to
receive 3^. for every meeting, going to each man's house to
give the notice. His first and last experience was in March.
He retired from the position iu disgust. To travel from
Ra,hway to the verge of Piscataway and from Amboy through
the settlement to the Rahway River on the north, was not an
easy task — especially in the unpropitious month of March,
concerning which Byron was not iar wrong in describing its
coming —
"With storms of wind and chano-ina; skies."
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. II7
After Walker's defection the two Constables were empow-
ered to carry the notices through the township, receiving ^s.
each for every " warning," as it was called. To secure punc-
tuality the Freeholders were not permitted to vote on any
question which had been settled by a majority vote previous
to their arrival at the meeting.
The meeting of the 25th of March, which w^as the one called
at the expense of the boots and patience of Francis Walker,
found it necessary to check the volubility of its members. It
was ordered " that No person Shall (in our meetings) Speak
to any Towne Business, Except he Shall first obtain leave
from the Moderator So to Do, who having Spoke his Mind
Shall Be Silent and give place to others; and when Every
man have had free Liberty to Speak, then to Jssue the Same
By a Vote."
The order of 1672, requiring the vote of every Freeholder
present to make valid an appropriation of common land to an
applicant, was now repealed. Such an appropriation might
be made hereafter by the consent ot the majority.
Several /;-6V///r/^ having been accepted by the town, it was
considered necessary to define the privileges and responsibil-
ities of this class of people. Hence the following appears on
the record :
" T/ie Terms /or Admiting free Men and Disposcing of Land.
" March ye 25th, 1695, Jt passed By a free Vote of the
freeholders of the towne and Corporation of woodbridge, that
whomesoEver Shall Be admited a freeman of this Corpora-
tion, Shall By Virtue of Said admition have Liberty of graz-
ing or feeding (according to proportion) on the Commons?
fire wood, fenceing and timber for their use upon their planta-
tions, and for this they Shall Be obliged to pay Down or
within three Months after their admition twenty Shillings for
the Townes use: and also to Bear their Eaqual proportion of
the five pounds per annum for our Commons; 2dly that
whomesoever Shall have any Land granted out of our
Commons, Shall pay twelve pence per acre at the Delivery
of the Said Land; and Shall pay one half penny er acre
Sterling Money to the use of the Towne yearly for Ever; and
also they are to pay twenty Shillings for their freedom as
llS WOODBRIDCE AND VICINITY.
aforesaid, unci lo Boar Eaqual proportion of the Common
Rent as abovesaid from llic time of their Being So admited."
The following paper was signed by thirty-four of the best
citizens. Why sucli an excellent agreement was not more
generally favored is not apparent. We have modernized the
spelling:
"Corporation of Woodbridge, April the 17th, 1695 —
"The engagement of all freeholders by original rights, and
all free men winch have been, are, or shall be so admitted in
this town and Corporation — viz : As a good and useful mem-
ber of this entire body, in government and guidance I will be
subject to all the lawful and regular motions thereof, and to
the utmost of my skill and ability I will move and act with
it so as may most directly tend to its peace and prosperity.
Its nakedness I will cover; its secrets I will not discover;
but its weakness I will support. And finally, in word and
deed, according to my ability and its occasions, at all times I
will endeavor to prevent the evil and to promote the good and
just interest of this body and each member thereof, on penalty
of correction or expulsion, as default may require. In
testimony hereof, we, underwritten, have subscribed our
names."
During the remainder of this, and all of the following year,
nothing more intcrestinGf than routine business was done in
the Town Meetings. January ist, 1697, Town Meetings were
directed to be "warned" by "a paper Set up on the Meeting
House Doore Six Days Before the Meeting; " from which it
is is evident that the Constables i-elished the task of carrying
the news through the township as little as did Mr. Walker.
Wolves must have become troublesome again, for on the
13th of March 2^s. were offered for every one killed before
January ist, ensuing.
At this meeting an order was passed to prohibit the waste
of timber on the common land. Certain individuals would
go on the commons and cut down the finest trees, which they
would sell or export to adjacent towns by boats. This order
required that, unless authoritative consent was obtained, no
such privilege should be permitted. A license committee.
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. 119
consisting of Messrs. S. Dennis, S. Hale, E. Andrews, E.
Bloomfield, and Thos. t'ike, was directed to attend to this
matter.
April 19th, the meeting was largely taken up with orders
regulating the feeding of swine and " Jadges " on the common
land. Xovv, what iba"jadge.'" Whitehead asks the same
question in his sketch of Woodbridge, except that he calls
them Fudges. But Judges is the way it is written. They
were animals, that much is certain ; but whether they were
jack-asses or goats, or both, we cannot tell. The swine were
to be "yoaked and ringed " before March ist annually.
The order of May 31st, 1686 (see Chapter IX.), is again
unanimously passed on the loth of June, 169S. The com-
mittee to carrv out its provisions is changed — Capt. Bishop,
Justice Hale, Justice Dennis, Jonathan Dunham, and John
Pike being elected.
John Crandal, blacksmith, was granted two aci'es of upland
on the 15th of July, 1698, provided he would settle in Wood-
bridge and follow his trade. This he agreed to do and set vip
a shop accordingly.
The wolves must have been brought into the village in too
great numbers for the condition of the treasury; for in
September the price fixed for each one slain was X2s. — a
reduction of it,s.
It will be remembered that in March, 1695, the Freeholders
passed a resolution requiring each other to be silent after
speaking on any question before the Town Meeting — thus
preventing interruptions and giving all a chance to express
an opinion. It became necessary to reiterate the resolution
on the 2d of January, 1699; and, as a penalty for its violation,
it was distinctly declared that the obnoxious Freeholder
should " pay down nine pence in money" (not \n peas and pork
this time) — and if he refused he was to be unceremoniously
"turned out of the Meeting House." The Tow^n Meetings
were all held in the meeting-house, except in the coldest
weather, when an adjournment to a neighboring dwelling was
speedily effected. Indeed, this very January meeting, after
re-affirming the resolution of 1695, just referred to, found it so
cold in the meeting-house that the residence of Samuel Smith
I20 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
across the road, was invaded by its half-frozen members, and
the remainder of its business was transacted there. Among
other things Samuel Dennis was directed to consult an "able
Counseler" in regard to defending the common land from
intruders and false claimants.
For a few years past considerable excitement had arisen
whenever Proprietary rule was discussed in the Province.
It had reached a degree of violence in 1699 which was fright-
ful. The people denied that the Proprietors had any right to
rule, and desired to be brought directly under the Crown.
Consequently the authority of the officers of the Proprietors
was set at naught. Indeed, they were beaten, and prisoners
in their charge were rescued, jails being broken open to effect
the release of criminals. As the Woodbridge jail was the one
in which were incarcerated the provincial prisoners, it was
attacked and emptied by a crowd of desperate men. On the
i6th of May the government records contain the following
item: "Ordered that a writ of Inquiry be Issued out to the
Sherriff of the County of Monmouth to return a Jury upon
he riot comitted at Woodbridge. "^^
Nathaniel Fitz Randolph was High Sheriff of Middlesex,
out had shown such contempt for the existing government!
that the case was not given into his hands.
The disorders reached their culmination in 1701. Disorders
prevailed throughout both East and West Jersey to such an
extent that the Proprietors, wearied of the struggle, surren-
dered the government in the following year — Queen Anne
accepting it on the 17th of April, 1702. Henceforth East and
West Jersey were known as one province which was called
New Jersey, Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury, being the first
Governor under the new regime — his dominion extending also
over New York.
* Gov. and Council, p. 223. t Ibid., 227.
CHAPTEE XI.
1702—1872.
The Episcopal Congregation — George Keith — Edward
Vaughan — Halliday — First Church — Piscataway
Church — Shutting out Halliday — Skinner — Chand-
ler — McKean — Parker — Preston — The War — Church
Officers.
Although no congregation of Episcopalians was formed
previous to 171 1, yet, as early as 1702, George Keith, the dis-
affected Quaker, having been sent out as a missionary by the
" Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts "
(an English Episcopal organization), arrived in Woodbridge
on a mission of propagandism. This was a work for which
/he was well qualified, and his labors, in some parts of the
State, were attended Avith much success. In his Journal" he
mentions his visit to Woodbridge thus : " On Thursday, De-
cember 30, 1702, preached in Woodbridge at the Independent
Meeting House, at the desire of Mr. Sheplierd and some others
there, on i Tim. 3, 16. After sermon Mr. Shepard kindly
entertained us at his house."
These were acts of Christian courtesy, on the part of Mr.
Shepard, which present his character in an attractive light.
He was the town preacher, and therefore liable to the preju-
dice and jealousy which existed, to some extent, in every
denomination at that time. It is pleasant to find that he, with
some others in his congregation, rose superior to such narrow
sentiments.
Keith preached on the same day in Piscataway.f In 1704
Mr. John Brook preached at Piscataway, Rahway, Amboy,
and other places until 1707, when he was lost at sea; but
Woodbridge had no Episcopal missionary in the town until
* â– Whitehead, H. Contr. p. 8S9. t Whitehead, p. 212, note.
i22
woonRRinoE and vicinity.
Rev. Edward Vaughan (an able man who was sent to Eliza-
betbtown in 1709, by the " Society for the Propagation of the
Gospel ") responded to an invitation from several men who
were dissatisfied witii Rev. Nathaniel Wade, the town preach-
er, and began to visit and minister here in 17 11. At first he
held service in a house offered for that purpose by Benjamin
Dunham. Rev. Thomas Ilalliday, who came to Amboy in
17 1 1, subsequently assisted Mr. Vaughan at Woodbridge.
I am indebted to the Hon. W. A. Whitehead, the historian,
for the privilege of making the extracts, which follow, from
the letters of Vaughan, Ilalliday, and others, to the " Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel." The original MSS. are
now in the possession of Rev. Francis L. Hawks, D. D., who
intends publishing them, together with other documents of
the Society.
On the 5th of August, 171 1. the Rev. Mr. Halliday writes
to the Secretary of the Society that he is officiating at two
places, Amboy and Piscataway. Concerning the latter place
he says :
" Piscatoqua makes a much greater congregation, and there
are some pious and well-disposed people among them. Some
come from good distances to this meeting, but there is noth-
ing among us like the face ol a Church of .England, no sur-
plice, no bible, no communion Table, an old broken house
insufficient to keep us from injuries of the weather, and where
likewise the anabaptists which swarm in the place and do
sometimes preach and we cannot hinder, the house belonging
to the Town."
From a letter written by Rev. Mr. Vaughan to the Secre-
tary, bearing date February 28th, 1712, we learn that his labors
had been divided between Elizabeth and Rahway after Mr.
Halliday had arrived to assist him. He says that he delivers
a monthly lecture at Rahway and catechizes the children
there; that he has complied with a request from some individ-
uals in Woodbridge to officiate in that town, it being " so evi-
dent a demonstration of their good disposition to receive the
doctrine of the gospel from my mouth." He says further that
a project is on foot to build an Episcopal Church in Wood-
bridge; and that it is his intention to officiate there once a
THE EPISCOPALIANS. 1 23
fortnight during the Summer, and in the Winter to visit
Woodbridge and Elizabethtown alternately.*
On the 24th of December, 1714, a letter was sent to the Sec-
retary by the Church at Piscataway, making a report of their
circumstances. It is signed by the two Church Wardens,
Thomas Wetherel and John Barrow, and ten others. It sets
forth that a man bv the name of Barron had as^reed to " build
a timber Church fioor'd and plaistered and furnished with a
decent communion table and pulpit;" for which he was to re-
ceive ^100. But some desired a brick Church ; so the agree-
ment was broken. The brick Church was designed to be 87
feet in length, 23 feet wide, and the height of the side walls 13
feet, p^ioo had been subscribed. Mr. Barron had already
delivered to them stone, brick, and lime to the value of ^80,
of which only about one-half had been paid. The letter con-
cludes thus :
" We are a people who are only the first beginnings of a
Country ; the whole Township which is 10 Miles broad and 10
Miles long contain but about 100 families, and not many more
than 10 of those truly affected to the Church, or who live a
convenient distance for giving constant attendance on the
Lord's Day."
Rev. Mr. Vaughan writes to the Society under date of Sep-
tember 2Sth, 1 7 16, concerning the Elizabethtown and Wood-
bridge Churches. In respect to the claims of the latter, on
the attention and support of the Society, he says that the in-
habitants of the town are " chiefly of English and Scotch ex-
traction, born in New England and Scotland, and bred in both
places in the greatest prejudice and opposition to the estab-
lished Church of England;" that up to 1711 they had wor-
shiped after the manner of the Independents and Quakers;
but at that time some of them " being deeply scandalized and
much offended with the irregular life and conversation of Mr.
Nathaniel Wade their then congregational teacher " (this is
Mr. Vaughan's language), they sent him the following invita-
tion :
* Hatfield's Elizabeth, p. 357.
124 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY. i
"Sir the unhappy difference between Mr. Wade and the
people of Woodbridge, is grown to that height, that we cannot
joyn with liini in tlic worship of God as Xtians ought to do,
it is the desire of some people here that if you think it may
be for the Glory of God, and no damage to other Churches,
that you would be pleased to afford us your help sometimes
on the Sabbath days, according as you shall think convenient ;
we do it not with any interrt to augment the difference among
us, but rather hope that with the blessing of God, it may be a
means for our better Joyning together in setting up the true
worship of our Lord Jesus Christ, here amongst a poor delu-
ded people, this is the desire of your humble servants,
"Rich. Smith, John Ashton, Benj. Dunham,
" Amos Goodwin, Gershom Higgins, Henry Rolph,
"John Bishop, Will'm Bingle, George Eubancks,
" Robert Wright."
Mr. Vaughan quotes this invitation entire in the report to
the Secretary of the Society in England, September 28th, 1716.
From 171 1 until about 17 16 services were sometimes held by
him in a house offered by Benjamin Dunham, and sometimes in
the new Church, which he almost immediately began to build.
This Ciuirch was never finished, but services w^ere neverthe-
less held in it when the weather would permit. Vaughan
says of it that it is " probably the smallest you have ever seen,
but amply sufficient for the congregation at this day." Where
the building stood which Benjamin Dunham offered for
religious worship we cannot tell, but probably it was situated
somewhere within the precincts oi DunJiamtoinn, just north of
the Meeting-house Green. The little Church stood on the
Green, north of the Meeting-house, occupying a lot granted,
by general consent, to the Episcopalians.
Mr. Vaughan continues his letter by stating that he sent to
the Governor of the Province [Hunter] soon after the above
invitation reached him, for a license to build a Church at
Woodbridge, and that the Governor had graciously given it
and subscribed ^5 toward the enterprise. Of the location of
the new Church, Vaughan says, it is situated " upon a piece
or lot of ground appropriated in the first settlement of the
THE EPISCOPALIANS.
125
town for that use and purpose by the prudent and pious care of
Philip Carteret, Esqr. and the Governor of the Province of
New Jersey under the then Lds Proprietors, John Ld Barclay
and Sir George Carteret." The death of Benjamin Dunham
is spoken of as having a depressing effect upon the congre-
gation, the completion of the Church being prevented by the
sad event. Benjamin was the son of Jonathan Dunliam, the
Woodbridge miller, and was a man of considerable wealth
and influence. His demise was, therefore, a misfortune to
the struggling Church from which they did not speedily
recover.
Under date of July Sth, 1717, Mr. Vaughan w^rites to
England that no Church has yet been built at Piscataway.
He says he now lives there, having removed from Amboy.
Rev. Mr. Halliday, in a letter written on the 9th ot October
following, states that he has agreed with Mr. Vaughan to
attend, jointly with him, Elizabethtown, Piscataway, Wood-
bridge, Amboy, and Freehold.
On the ist of August ensuing Mr. Hallida}'- reports to the
Society as follows: " In Woodbridge there is a timber Frame
clap boarded without either floor or glass ; it was built by a
subscription procured by Mr. Vaughan which was near a
^100 — money very well laid out though there is but a small
congregation belongs to it. The ground on which it stands
was given by Governor Cartwright [Carteret] to the Church
for Parsonage, &c., on which land there is no considerable
improvements, new brick buildings, &c., and I'll procure a
copy of the Deed and send it to your Secretary."
It is probable that the plural, " buildings," is a mistake.
The " new brick building" may be the Dunham mansion on
the edge of the Meeting-house Green. This building is now
Episcopalian property, which was not the case when Halliday
wrote; so that he was, doubtless, referring to the improve-
ments on the Church-land and the contiguous property, to
indicate its value.
Some, who have thought it improbable that a building was
erected by the Episcopalian Church at that earl}^ period, will
undoubtedly be convinced, by the foregoing testimony, that
it was actually constructed. To "make assurance doubly
,26 WOODBRIDGli AND VICINITY.
sure" we subjoin an extract from a letter, dated September
22d, 1764, written by James Parker, the printer, than wliom
no more honorable man is mentioned in these pages. He
lived in Woodbridge at this time and held the office of Justice
of the Peace. He says: " I remember a very small Church or
building was standing in this village about forty-five years
afro, and divine service was sometimes performed in it; but
the number of members were so few, and these but poor, the
building fell to the ground."
As Parker was a member of the Episcopal Churcli, acting
occasionally as lay-reader in tlie Woodbridge congregation,
and as the letter from which this extract is taken was sent to
the authorities ot that Church in England, no doubt can exist
that the building he refers to was the first Episcopal Church
in this place.
Mr. Halliday mentions, in the same letter which we Vv'ere
considering before this digression, that a frame structure had
been put up at Piscataway, but the congregation worshiped
in a "country house." He says that there is no glebe or
parsonage house in the Province for the Episcopal clergy,
nor any local support, pecuniarily, except at Elizabethtown,
where a salary of ^30 annually is paid. He complains that
Mr. Vauijhan had been the cause of the agreement being
broken between the Piscataway congregation and Mr Barron
for the building of a wooden church. Mr. Vaughan wanted
a brick church, Avliich was never erected, and his breaking the
agreement had retarded the buildina^ of the other.
No very friendly feeling existed between these men, Hal-
liday and Vaughan. They both, however, did a great deal
of good in the communities where they ministered which
will never be forgotten. While we state unpleasant facts
without color, we cast the broad mantle of Christian charity
over tliem. If we consider the asperities of a missionary life
in that early time, the long years bringing more shadow than
sunshine, the multiplied annoyances, the successive disap-
pointments, the bitter cup of poverty pressed to the lips as
age and feebleness came on, the long rides to service, the care
of dependent ones — ah, well ! it does not behoove us to sit in
judgment on such men as these. It would make your heart
THE EPISCOPALIANS.
127
throb with pity to read some of the letters of the missionaries.
The Church doors were closed against Mr. Hallidav in
Woodbridge and Amboy at the instigation, so it was asserted, of
Mr. Vaughan and Mr. Talbot, the latter also a missionary.
The truth of the matter is, that Mr. Halliday had espoused
certain political sentiments, having for their object the
supremacy of the Church of England in the Colonial Gov-
ernment and the repression of the Quakers, who were rising
in power;* and this gave great offence to the Woodbridge
and Amboy congregations. George Willocks, at Aniboy,
was the leader of this opposition, whom Mr. Halliday de-
nounced publicly — asserting that he had dishonestly used
certain funds which had been collected for buildins: a Church.
The people who had hitherto borne with him were filled with
indignation. He became unpopular. Gov. Hunter speaks of
him, in a letter to Willocks, as ''that wretch," and Avishes
'' the countrey could get ridd ot him at any rate."t Hence the
Church doors in Woodbridge and Amboy were shut against
him. Mr. Vaughan expresses his regret at this proceeding,
in a letter to England dated November 4th, 17 18. He re-
grets, also, that it should have been said that it was done
by the express order of himself and John Talbot; but he
thinks the punishment well deserved for "his base and bar-
barous treatment of Mr. Willocks."
Mr. Halliday continued to officiate at Piscataway.;}; His
rupture with the two Churches, related above, occurred in
the Summer of 17 13, and he remained in the Province until
about 1 7 18.
Rev. William Skinner was sent, by the "Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel," and arrived at Perth Amboy
in 1722. Under date of March 7th he writes to the Secretary
that " the congregation at Piscatoqvia also grows daily, and
they are now building a Church there, and in all probability
will be as numerous a congregation as any in these parts.
* "^ I have preached but once at Woodbridge, for
the Church there, being made up of Clapboards nailed
together in a very sorry manner, and nothing done to the
* Whitehead's Hist. Contr., p. 216. t Wlii:ehe.ad, p. 2IT. i it.ia.
12$ WOODDRIDGE AND VICINITY.
inside, one can hardly be in it any space of time in the winter
without imminent danger. Those that raised that Church
are dead some years and the place being within four miles of
Amboy, those of tlie Church of England which are there
but three attend here [at Amboy] but so soon as the season
will permit I design, God willing, that Sunday I preach at
Amboy to preach at Woodbridge in the afternoon, hoping
some people at Amboy will be so religiously disposed as to
accompany me till such time as, by the blessing of God, I
can o-lean a congregation there; and though I have but little
hope of finding acceptance with a New England people, by
which that place is chiefly settled, yet I am resolved to try,
trusting in Providence for success."
This is additional evidence of the existence of an ancient
Episcopal Church — although Mr. Skinner's description of it
is anything but flattering.
On the 22d of May, 1724, he writes to the Secretary that he
still preaches at Woodbridge. There is a "handsome chapel "
at Piscataway Vv^iere the number of communicants is eighteen
or nineteen. On the 7th of October following he writes that
he has a congregation of "about 50" at Woodbridge, but
"almost all dissenters and violently attached to the New
England scheme." He says he lived at first in Amboy, but
had removed to the other side of the river.
In a letter written July 5th, 1749, he states that the Church
at Piscataway is crowded with antipedobaptists. He must
have been highly appreciated by the Baptists, as Avell as by
his own people, for in May, 1741, he reported that he preached
every third Sunday in the Piscataway chapel, and his congre-
gation numbered from 200 to 300 persons.
Mr. Skinner died, aged 70, in 1758. For thirty-five years he
had been rector of St. Peter's Church at Ambo}'', serving the
Woodbridge and Piscataway congregations also, as we have
seen. There was another place at which he ministered dur-
ing the Summer of 1749, and perhaps subsequently, of which
he thus speaks ;
"Now is my time of trial. In this extraordinary dry and
hot summer, hitherto, since Whitsuntide, I have gone, and to
the end of October must go, to South River every Sunday.
THE EPISCOPALIANS. I20
In doing which I must cross a river almost two miles broad,
and that done, ride twelve miles in the sand, equally scorch-
ing with those of Arabia, and not a house by the way except-
ing one by a saw-mill, and that good for nothing. This
is hard service at the present time of day with me, for I am
old and also much worn out."
He left five children. Gertrude, the only daughter, became
the wife of James Parker. Cortland, his eldest son, was
made a British General during the Revolution. The venera-
ble clergyman was buried in the shadow of old vSt. Peter's
Church, but the precise place of his rest is unknown.
Rev. Thomas B. Chandler, of Elizabethtown, began his
missionary labors here in 1752 — six years before Mr. Skinnex
died The latter, however, had grown too old to supply
Woodbridge — which, indeed, neither he nor any other Episco-
pal clergyman had done for twenty years previous to Mr
Chandler's arrival.
Mr. Vaughan, rector of St. John's Church at Elizabethtown
having died in October, 1747, left that Church without a
pastor until 1751, when Mr. Chandler arrived from England
with the necessary credentials. From 1747 until 1751 Chan-
dler had held the position of catechist, or lay-i-eader, in St.
John's Church, being called to it froni Woodstock, Conn.,
where he had been teaching scliool. In 1766 Oxford con-
ferred the dignity of D. D. upon him. He is represented as
•'a large, portly man, of fine personal appearance," and as
possessing "an uncommonly blue eye." He had a "strong
commanding voice " and " fine powers of conversation.'"'-
He ministered monthlv at Woodbridge. He wrote to the
Society in 1752 that the place " has not been visited by any of
our clergy for upwards of twenty years." During this time some
of the congregation had attended Mr. Skinner's Church at
Amboy, and others had joined dissenting bodies. He speaks
encouragingly of the future and says that he has seldom less
than two hundred hearers at Woodbridge, and that the
number of Episcopalian families there is fifteen.
His time being more occupied in a few years, Mr. Chandler's
* natfl Id's Elizabeth, p. 551.
I
I30
WOODHKIIXJE AND VICINTJ Y.
visits were made once in six weeks. In the interim James
Parker acted as lay-reader on tlie Sabbath.
In 1754 a new Cliiirch was built, supposed to be on the site
of the first, which stood for over a hundred years, an honored
temple. It was destroyed by fire in 1858. Fortunately, Mr.
Whitehead made a sketch of it several years before the
building was burned, whicii, through his kindness, we pre-
sent to 01 M" readers.
'* — ^!r^-^i.KW.'\%'i%-^ "*.
It was a plain, unpretending structure which m.xny of our
citizens have seen — a number of whom have a tender rec-
ollection of it as their early sanctuary. But it has gone like
many other pleasant things we knew and loved in childhood,
reminding us that the true temple is "eternal in tiie heavens;"
that we may bear our worship thitlier, to the " iiouse not made
with hands."
In 1764 Rev. Rfjbert McKean, the missionary at Amboy,
was appointed to take charge of the Woodbridge congrega-
tion. Mr. Chandler continued his labors in Elizabethtown,
but brought much misery upon himself as well as general
unpopularity by his Tory sentiments during the Revolution.
THE EPISCOPALIANS. I^I
He fled to England. After the war was over he returned to
his parish; but, being feeble, he did not long minister to his
people. He died June lyih, 1790, aged sixty-four.*
Mr. McKean wrote to the Society April i6th, 1764, that he
devoted one-third of his ministerial services to Woodbridge.
He reports twelve families, comprising fifty persons, as his
congregation, and fourteen communicants.
He died October 17th, 1767, having officiated at Amboy for
four years and at Woodbridge for three. He was highly
esteemed. His brother. Gov. McKean, of Pennsylvania, raised
a monument over his grave.
The Woodbridge congregation was materially affected, some
time previous to this (in 1760), by that malignant visitant, the
small-pox. It was a time of deep affliction, for many estima-
ble citizens fell under t!ie dreadful scourge. Mr. Chandler
was a victim, and, although it did not prove fatal in his case,
he bore the marks of the disease until death.
James Parker had officiated as lay-reader in the Wood-
bridge Church for several years. He wrote a letter to the
Society, dated September 22d, 1764. six years before his death,
in which he complains of the liostility of the "dissenters"
toward the Episcopal Church. Tiiere was hostility on both
sides — of that there can be no doubt. Speaking of his services
as lay-reader Mr. Parker writes thus pleasantly:
"It pleased Providence to have given me abilitv to perform
the service. I freely undertook it, and, as I supposed, to the
general satisfaction of the congregation. I have continued
it as well as my poor ability would permit to the present
lime, and I can say for myself it has been a real pleasure to
me to see any of my endeavors acceptable or any way ap-
parently useful in propagating true religion and piety. I
neither wish nor hope for any other reward in this life, as it
will be more than a compensation if I meet with any in the
next — for though I can trust to the promises of the blessed
Jesus, yet I at best fall far short of my duty. It hath pleased
God to gather and increase the Church here a little, though
the chief of us being old can't hope long to continue: not-
\
* Hatfield, 550.
1^2 WOODIIRIDGK A N n VUINIIV.
withstanding, our children, wc hope, are growing up in the
same path."
What a delightful Christian spirit breathes through these
lines !
Rev. John Preston succeeded Mr. McKean at Amboy and
^YoodbriJge— Mr. Bingley serving as lay-reader at tlie latter
place, in the absence of the minister. On the 6th of Decem-
ber, 1769, the Church Charter was granted, in which are
named as Wardens, Samuel Jaques and Samuel Tingley; as
Vestrymen, David Alston, Thomas Hadden, Joseph Donham,
and Ebenezer Forster.
In 1770 much ill-feeling was exhibited between the Episco-
pal and Presbyterian congregations. The Episcopalians made
an effort to obtain possession ot more of the land which had
been set apart lor the support of the Ministry in the settle-
ment of Woodbridge than they at present enjoyed. Mr
Preston did not favor tlie movement just then; so the matter
remained (luiescent until 1774, when a vigorous prosecution
against the Presbyterians in the Courts was inaugurated.
The Revolution, however, checked all legal proceedings.
During the stormy scenes of the war services in the Episco-
pal Church at tliis place were abandoned. Rev. Abraham
Beach was missionary at Piscataway, and complained in 1777
that his Churcli was used as a soldiers' barrack, part of a
regiment occupying it. lie was dreadfully annoyed (so he
writes to the Society) by his horses, sheep, and cattle being
driven off. Under date of May ist, 1777, Mr. Preston writes
to England that his Woodbridge flock is scattered b}' the war,
and he tiiinks tlie mission there is destroyed.
Very little was done toward restoring the services until
iSic. Missionaries occasionally visited the parish, but they
were irregular and infrequent in tlicir visits. In tiic year just
mentioned repairs to the amount of $500 were made to tiie
Church, mostly by contributions from other places. The
Wardens were Daniel Terrill and David Bunn; the Vestry-
men, Barry Strangman, Wm. P. Terrill, Elias Marsh, John
Jaques, James Smith, Alston Bishop, and Edward Mundv.
Thomas Barron was Clerk.* From 1810 to 1830 Rev. James
• Trinity Church Kecord, p. 1
THE EPISCOPALIANS. j-j-,
Chapman, of Perth Amboy, sometimes officiated. Rev.
Fraocis H. Cuming served the parish during 1818 and 1819.
In 1830 the Wardens were William Taylor and Henry Mun-
dy ; the Vestrymen, Geo. A. Hollister, Dr. Matthias Freeman.
Samuel Barron, John Barron, Daniel Terrill. From i8:'o to
1838 Rev. AVm. Douglas ministered at St. James', Piscataway,
and at Trinity, Woodbridge. In 1838 Rev. Frederick Ogilby
was at Trinity, having accepted the Rectorship December 22d
of that year. He continued the pastor until January ist, 1842.
On the 1 2th of January the Rev. Hamble J. Leacock was
called, and he accepted the charge. He served one year.
From 1843 to 1857 the Rev. James Chapman performed mis-
sioraary service in the parish. From 1858 to 1S62 Rev, E. A.
. Hoffman ministered here. Rev. Mr. Chapman died in 1857,
when Rev. Mr. Pierce, rector of St. Paul's Church at Rah-
way, performed an afternoon service at Woodbridge, assisted
by Rev. Wm. R. Earle, at that time a lay-reader, until Mr.
Hoffman came. In 1862 Rev. P. L. Jaques became pastor;
in 1869 Rev. R. C. Mcllvaine succeeded; in 1872 Rev. J. A-
Penniman followed ; in October of the same year Rev. T-
Lewis Banister, the present rector, assumed the pastorate.
In 1836 the Church was whitewashed on the outside and
repaired. Trees were planted in the yard, to beautifv it, in
1839, and a bass viol and a new stove were procured. In the
Summer and Fall of 1842 the building was' "thoroughly
repaired," new seats added and a Vestry-room built.
The burning of the old Church on Sabbath, March 7th,
1858, was followed by a vigorous effort to re-build. The old
timbers were drawn out of the ruins and sold, contributions
were solicited from all quarters, a pastoral letter urging the
need of assistance for the stricken congregation was issued by
Bishop Doane — and all things presaged a speedy resurrection
of Trinity Church. Some wished to have the old site as a
burial-ground /// pcrpetuo^ and to build in the heart of the
village. This was strongly opposed, and, after some discus-
sion, was voted down. On the same site, therefore, rose the
third Episcopal Chvirch, tlie corner-stone of Avhich was laid
July 7th, i860, with appropriate ceremonies. It was fully
completed and duly consecrated on Whitsun-^Monday, May
1^4 wooiM'.Kinc.r. and vkinmiy.
20tii, iS6i. by the Rt. Rev. W. II. Odenheimer, Bishop of the
Diocese of New Jersey. The Revs. Dr. Ogilby, Hoffman,
Pound, Ilomans, Crews, and Dunn particij)ated. It is a
brick, Gotliic edifice of moderate dimcTisions.
On tiic day of consecration a beautifid paten was presented
to the Churcli, thus inscribed : "The Gift of Christ Church,
Elizabctli, X. J., to Trinity Cliurch, Woodbridge, N. J., Whit-
sun-Monday, i86r."
In 1869, it being one hundred years from the date of the
Church Cliarter, a centennial service was held, on whicli
occasion an elegant cup was given, bearing the following
inscription: "In memoriani. Revo C. Hance to Trinity
Church, Woodbridge, N. J., December 6, 1869." An old cup
is still in possession of the parish authorities, on which is
engraved: ''The Gift of Mary Dennis, Widow, to Trinity
Church in Woodbridge, December ye 25th, 1760."
The following is a correct list of the Wardens and Vestry-
men from 1810 to 1862, the dash between the years indicating
the time of their continuance in office;
WARDENS :
Daniel Terrill, 1810-14; ^^^-^9', ^835-38.
David Bunn, 1810-11. Nathan Bunn. 1812-14.
Wm. P. Terrill, 1S15-18. Elias Marsh, 1815-16.
John Langstaff, 1819. Geo. A. Hollister, 1820-26; '35.
Jas. Jaques, 1827-29. Wm. Taylor, 1830-34; 1839-44.
Henry Mundy, 1830.
Edward Mundy, 1831-34; 1836-38; 1845-49.
Henry Campbell, 1836-37. Rene Pardepus, 1839-42.
Alanson Newton, 1842-58. Charles B. Reed, 1850.
Jotham Coddington, 185 1-6 _^ L^orrain^ Freeman, 1859-62.
VKSTRYMEN ;
Barry Strangman, 1810-13. Wm. P. Terrill, 1810-14.
Elias Marsh, 1810-14. John Jaques, 1810-13.
James Smith, 1810-22. Alston Bishop, t8io-i6.
Edward Mundy, 1810-29. Wm. Hanliam, 1814-17.
James Parker, 1814-15. Thomas Barron, 1814-18.
Frederick Hufrmaster,i8i5-i6. George Bradshaw, 1816-20.
Daniel Terrill, 1816-18. Elias Marsh, 1817-18.
IHE KPISCOPALIANS
135
James E. Parker, 1817-22.
William Herrod, 181 7-18.
Barry Strangman, 1819-21.
William Taylor, 1820-30.
Abel Clarkson, 1821-23.
James M. Brewster, 1823-24.
John Brentnall, 1824.
During 1825 and 1826 no el
Nathan Harned, 1827-29.
- Dr. Matthias Freen^an, 18 27-3 1
John Barron, 1829-31.
Samuel Barron, [830.
Robert Lee, 1830.
James Clarkson, 1831.
Wm. Taylor, 1832.
Joseph Barron, 1835-37.
William Taylor, 1835-38.
James Parker, 1835.
Andrew Bell, 1835.
Geo. A. Hollister, 1836.
John Zellar, 1836.
William E. Fink, 1836.
Rene Pardepus, 1837-38.
Alanson Newton, 1S37-42.
James Jones, 1838.
Geo. A. Hollister, 1838-46.
John M Tufts, 1839-41.
Wm. H. Benton, 1839-54.
Jotham Randolph, 1839-40.
Dennis Mawbey, 1842-50.
Frederick Smith, 1843-52.
Charles B. Reed, 1847-49.
Wm. W. MawT)ey,T85 1-58.
Charles B. Reed, 1852.
James Luckhurst, 1853-55.
John Manning, 1856.
J. H. Campbell, Jr., 1857.
Henry Mawbey, 1858.
William-
1858.
Capt. Forbes, 1817-18.
Wm. P. Terrill, 1817-24.
>lelanj:tl22-" F ree man, 1 819-24.
Samuel Barron, 1820-28.
Charles Young, 1822-23.
David E. Paton, 1823-24.
Wm. HarritJt. 1824.
ections are recorded.
Josiah Dunham, 1827-28.
. James Bunn, 1827.
Geo A. Hollister, 1830-34.
Daniel Terrill, 1830.
Orry Rifle, 1831.
H. Barkaloo, 1832-34.
H. ElUvcll, 1832.
Henry Campbell, 1835-39.
Robert Lee, 1835-36.
Joseph Marsh, 1S35.
C. A. Forbes, 1835.
Edward Mundy, 1836-37.
George Jones, 1836-37.
Joseph Marsh, 1837.
Thomas Marsh, 1837.
LeClair, 1837-38.
Isaac Jones, Miller^ 1838-46.]
Frederick Smith, 1839-40.
Capt. C. A. Forbes, 1 839-43. 1
P. B. Pope, 1839-40.
William E. Fink, 1840-58.
John M. Tufts, 1843-44.
Clark, 1843.
Jotham Coddington, 1850.
William Bedman, 1851.
George Lasslett, 1853-62.
Wm. Bedman, 1855.
George Hollister, 1856-58.
Henry W. Holton, 1858.
Milton Arrowsmith, 1858-62.
AVilliam H. Benton, 1859-61.
J2(5 WOODBRIDGK AND VICINITY.
,.n,cs Uloodgood, ,859^-'. Samuel A Meeker .86c-6,
George C. lUnce, .86,-6.. Daniel bhaw, i86,-62.
And here wc close llie story of this useful body of Chns-
tians, earnestly praying that a period of greater sp.r.tual
riunphs and mueh larger financial prosperity may mark the
future career than they have ever enjoyed " m the days wh.eh
are gone."
CHAPTER XIL
Township Officers from 1668 to 1700 — Deputies — Town
Clerks — Constables — Court Officers— Military Of-
ficers — Overseers of Highways — Rate-makers — Rate-
gatherers — Other Officers.
Before entering upon the general history of the town again,
we give lists of the officers from the year 1668 to 1700. These
tables have been taken very carefully from the records. In
what they differ from previous tables Ave are ready to show
good authority.
I. Deputies to the General Assembly.
1669 Robert Dennis — Samuel Moore.
1670-1 John Smith — Samuel Moore.
1672 John Smith — Robert Dennis.
1673 No election.
1674 John Pike — Ephraim Andrews.
1675 Samuel Dennis — Thos. Bloomfield, Jr.
1676 Matthew Bunn — Ephraim Andrews.
1677-79 No elections on record.
1680 Samuel Dennis — John Ilsly.
1681 No election.
1682 Samuel Dennis — Ephraim Andrews.
1683 Samuel Dennis — Samuel Moore.
1684 John Ilsly — John Pike, Jr.
1685 John Ilsly — Capt. J. Bishop.
1686 John Ilsly — Ephraim Andrews.
1687 Ephraim Andrews — Ezekiel Bloomfield.
1688 Samuel Dennis — Samuel Moore.
1689-91 No elections recorded.
1692 Ephraim Andrews — John Ilsly.
1693-4 Thomas Thorp — John Pike.
1695 John Ilsly — Nathaniel Fitz Randolph.
1696-7 John Ilsly — John Pike.
'J
S W03DBR1D0E AM) VICINITV.
169S-9 Samuel Dennis— John Pike.
1700 John Worth — Tliomas Pike.
II. Town Clerks.
-1668 Joshua Pierce.
1669-1688 Samuel Moore.
1688-1692 Samuel Dennis.
1693-1711 Thomas Pike.
III. CoNSr.ADLES.
In the years left blank we find no elections recorded.
669 John Smith.
670 Richard Worth.
671
672 Thomas Bloomfield, Sr.
673-4
675 John Pike, Jr.
676-7
678 Samuel Bacon (see Records, p, 214).
679
680 Samuel Hale.
68t Israel Thornell.
682 Matthew Moore.
683 Isaac Tappen.
684 Samuel Smith.
685 Ezekiel Bloomfield.
686 Nath'l P^itz Randolph— Obadiah Ayers.
687 John Warlock— John Allen.
688 Daniel Robins — Franci:, Walker.
689 Elisha Parker — Robert Wright.
690 Thonuas Thorp — Thomas Pike.
691 John Conger —Gawen Lockhart.
692 Matthew Moore, Jr. — John Coddington.
693 Samuel Moore — Noah Bishop.
694 Daniel Thorp — William Ellison.
695 John Robison — Jose])h Rolf.
696 Thomas Collier — Richard vSkinner.
697 John Mores — John Compton — Stephen Tuttle.
69S Joseph Thorp — John Ilsly, Jr.
699 William Mores — Obadiah Ayers.
700 Peter Elstone — Samuel Dennis, Jr.
TOWNSHIP OFFICERS. r^9
IV". Township CouRr.
1 . Presidents :
1669-71 John Pike.
1672-74 Samuel Moore.
1675-85 John Pike.
1686-7 Samuel Dennis.*
1688 -1700 Capt. John Bishop.
2. Assistant Justices.
1669-70 John Bishop, Sr, — Stephen Kent, Sr. — S. Moore.
167 1 John Smith — J. Bishop, Sr. — J. Martin — S. Moore.
1672 John Smith — John Pike — John Bishop, Sr,
1673-4 No record; the Justices of 1672 doubtless served.
1675 J. Bishop, Sr. — Thos. Bloomfield, Sr. — S. Kent, Sr.
— Samuel Moore.
1676-9 No record.
16S0 Ephraim Andrews — John Ilsly — J. Bishop, Jr.
168 1 Samuel Moore.
1682 E. Andrews — Sam'l Bacon — J. Ilsly — J. Bishop, Sr.
1683 Capt. John Bishop — Sam'l Dennis — Sam'l Hale.
1684-6 No record.
1687 Capt. J. Bishop — S. Hale — E. Andrews. .
168S John Ilsly— Nath'l Fitz Randolph.
1689-91 No record.
1692 N. Fitz Randolph — J. Ilsly — Samuel Hale — S.
Dennis.
1693 J. Ilsly — E. Andrews — N. Fitz Randolph.
1694-1700 No record.
3. Marshals or Sergeants of the Court.
1670 Richard Worth.
167 1-2 Samuel Hale. /
i673~5 ^^o record.
1676 Samuel Moore — Samuel Dennis. f
1677-S1 No record.
16S2-S5 Joshua Bradley.
* We are not positive that Mr. Dennis held this position in 16SG-T, but judge so from tli9
minutes of the " Governor and Council," p. 143.
t In 1676 Samuel Moore was chosen Marshal, and, shortly after, Mr. Dennis was elected Ser
geant. The latter title was ustd ever after.
I40
W(JODl!RIDGE AND VICINITY.
1686 No record.
1687 Thomas Collier.
1688-91 No record.
1692 Samuel Mors — Daniel Robbins.*
1693 Thomas Collier.
1693-4 John Bloomfield.
1695 Isaac Tappen, or Toppan.
xdcft-i Abraham Tappen, or Toppan.
1697 William Stone.
1698-1700 No record.
4. Clerks of tJie Court.
1672-5 Jonathan Dunham.
1676-87 Samuel Moore.
1688-92 Samuel Dennis.
1693 Thomas Pike.
V. Military Officers.
Lieutenants .
Samuel Moore.
John Bishop.
Ensigns.
John Bishop.
Jonathan Bishop.
Captains.
1675 John Pike.
1676 John Pike.
1677-81 John Pike.
1682-97 John Bishopjr. Samuel Hale.
The Sergeant was one of the military officers, but as he
served the Township Court as its Marshal, we have placed
him in the list of Court officials.
VI. Overseers of the Highways.
1699 Robert Dennis, Thos. Bloomfield, Sr., Joshua Pierce,
Samuel Moore.
1670 R. Dennis, T. Bloomfield, Sr., S. Moore, J. Martin.
167 1 Jonathan Dunham, Thos. Bloomfield, Jr.
1672-9 No record. *
1680 Samuel Dennis, Daniel Robbins.
1681 '3 No record.
1682 Israel Thornell, Ezekiel Bloomfield, Isaac Tappen,
Marmaduke Potter.
1684 Capt. Bishop, Sam'l Smith, Eph.Andrews, I. Thornell.
* Mors served till March, when Eobbins was appointed.
TOWNSHIP OFFICERS. I^I
16S5-7 No record.
16S8 John Dennis, Matthew Moore, Samuel Smith.
1689 Capt. Bishop, Ezekiel Bloomfield, E. Andrews.
1690 Nath'l Fitz Randolph, D. Robbins, E. Andrews,
Samuel Dennis.
i69i,'3, '5 No record.
1692 Capt. Bishop, Isaac Tappen, Jos. Bloomfield.
1694 Gawen Lockhart, Thomas Pike.
1696 Capt. Bishop, M. Moore, G. Lockhart, J. Dennis.
1697 '9 No record.
1695 N. Fitz Randolph, G. Lockhart, Noah Bishop, Jo!in
Compton.
1700 Jonathan Bishop, I. Tappen, J. Compton, Wm. Elli-
son, John Ilsly, Jr.
VII. Rate Makers {Assessors).
The years omitted in the table are years in wliich we have
found no elections recorded.
1672 John Smith, Robert Dennis, Samuel Moore.
1674 Jonatlian Dunham, R. Dennis, S. Moore.
1675 John Bishop, Sr., R. Dennis, S. Moore.
1679-S0 Capt. Pike, John Bishop, S. Moore.
1681 Capt. Pike, Capt. Bishop, Jolin Dennis.
1682 Capt. Pike, John Bishop, S. Moore.
1683 J. Pike, Capt. Bishop, Nath'l Fitz Randolph.
1684-5 Sam'l Dennis, J. Pike, Jr., S. Moore.
1685 S. Moore, S. Dennis, Israel Thornell.
16S6 S, Moore, J. Bishop, Ezekiel Bloomfield.
1687 S. Dennis, John Bishop, S. Moore.
1688 Capt. Bishop, S. Dennis, N. Fitz Randolph.
1689 J. Pike, Jr., John Rolf, N. Fitz Randolph.
1691 Capt. Bishop, J. Pike, S. Dennis, Thos. Pike.*'
^^693 John Bishop, S. Dennis, T. Pike.
1694 Jonathan Dunham, E. Andrews, Jonathan Bishop.
1695 Thomas Pike, Benjamin Cromwell.
1696 S. Dennis, B. Cromwell, T. Pike.
1697 B. Cromwell, T. Pike.
1698 B. Cromwell, S. Dennis, T. Pike.
1700 Elisha Parker, Thos. Pike.
* See Records, Fitz E., p. 244.
1^2 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
VIII. Rate Gatherers {Tax CoIIeiiors),
1670-1 John Bishop, Sr.
1675-9 Samuel Moore.
1680 Israel Thornell, Isaac Tappen.
1681 John Pike, Jr.
1683 S. Moore.
1684 Samuel Hale.
1685 I. Thornell.
1685-6 Ezekiel Bloomfield.
1687 I. Thornell, John Ilsly.
1688 Daniel Robbins.
1689 E. Bloomfield.
1691 Samuel Dennis.
1693-4 E. Bloomfield.
In the year 1695 the Contables were appointed to collect
{.j-jg tax — an arrangement which continued until 1700. The
salary of a Rate Gatherer was 27 shillings in 1684; 15 shil-
lings in 1693; and 30 shillings in 1697.
There were other officers, such as Meat packers, Allowers of
the Town debts, Fence-viewers, Lot-layers, Rangers, etc.
Grand Jurymen were first appointed in Town Meeting April
4th, 167 1. Thomas Bloomfield, Sr., and John Martin were
selected for that year. No other appointments appear to have
been made until 1676, when John Ilsly and Abraham Toppan
were chosen. In 1680 John Pike (Sr.) and Matthew Moore
filled the Grand Jurors' chairs, after which no further mention
of the Grand Jury occurs.
We presume that Ezekiel Bloomfield was keeper of the
Pound for many years, for we read of animals being im-
pounded very often: but up to 1700, Ezekiel, who was elected
to that distinguished position in 1692, is the only man whose
name is used in connection with the office.
Overseers of the Poor were first chosen in 1682. Samuel
Moore and Samuel Dennis were elected at that time, and no
successors were appointed for many years.
CHAPTER XIII.
1700—1707.
Provincial Difficulties — Cornfield Landing — Metuchex
— Pound at Rahway — Dividing the Commons — Bound-
ary BETWEEN WoODBRIDGE AND AmBOY ARREARS IN
Taxes — Fulling Mill — First Town Committee — Park-
er's Grist Mill — John Pike Swindled — The Eight
Divisions of Land — Ancient Woodbridge Described.
The year 1700 was an eventful one in East Jersey. The
authority of the Governor was set at naught, as was shown in
a previous chapter, and tumult prevailed. The Assemblv
which met in May was almost immediately dissolved because
the Deputies demanded that Gov. Hamilton should present
credentials from the King of England But his commission
was given by the Pi-oprietors. As the m:ijority of the people
were dissatisfied with Proprietary rule, the Deputies refused
to acknowledge Hamilton's authority from any such source >
The following minute shows tliat the Governor was popular
in this town :
"At a Publick Town Meeting May ye 6th 1700. By a free
Vote of the freeholders freemen and Jnhabitants of this town,
and corporation of Woodbridge, (three persons only Ex-
cepted) it was given in Charge to our Representatives that
they Do in General Assembly, who are to Sett the Last thirs-
day of this Jnstant May, acknowledge Coll: Hamilton to Be
our present Lawful! Governor."
But the May Assembly broke up in disorder. Riots were
general. As we have elsewhere stated, the Woodbridge jail
was violently opened during the previous year ; besides the
" King's Store," in the same place, was pillaged.* We pre-
sume this "store" was the magazine — the mob, doubtless,
Gov. and Council, •>. 227.
1^4 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
replenishing their powder-horns and pouches with the stolen
treasure. The Government threatened tlie rioters with dire-
ful penalties; but it was too weak to inflict much punishment,
for it was not respected.
Notwithstanding the commotions whicli preva"iled, the
Woodbridge people continued to devote themselves to the
improvement of the town. In the same meeting in which the
Deputies v/ere instructed to adhere to Gov. Hamilton, an
order was issued for laying out a " Convenient Highway to
the Cornfield Landing." It was ''to Run on the Southward
of John Pike his Now Dwelling House and So to Extend
Westward to the Road that Leadeth to Piscataway." The
Cornfield Landing, as bur readers are aware, is to-day v/ell
known as Cutter's Dock.
Metuchen begins to figure in the record in 1701. John
Compton was chosen Surveyor of the Highways in " Ma-
tuching " for that year. Metucheon, an Indian chief, tradition
declares to have inhabited that section between 1650 and 1700.
It is asserted that the v,'arrior is buried on a farm near the
village. Metuchen is, therefore, of Indian etymology, the
meaning of which is "high hill;" and local authority says
that it was a descriptive name given by the tribe of Raritans
because of the undulating character of the country. Hence
the chief who held sway there was called Metucheon, chief of
the rolling land.'--
In the January meeting of the town in 1701, Rahway was
granted the privilege of building a pound. It would seem
singular if the good people of that thriving city should still
be dependent on the fiat of the Woodbridge Town Meeting
for the construction of a pound.
A division of the common land was publicly discussed
during the year, preparatory to which the parsonage and free-
school lands were ordered to be laid out, the committee to do
it being empowered to " Ley out the Same in Such place or
places as they in their Discression Shall Judge Best, Most
Convenient, and Beneficiale for the town in General."
On the loth of March it was voted that the division of the
* See Dr. E. M. Ilunfs pamphlet, " Metuchen,'' p. S.
TOWN MEETINGS. I45
commons should be but sixty acres of good land to each
Freeholder. The Piscataway line was ordered to 'be "re-
newed," from which it would seem that it had at last been
settled by the two corporations, and the long quarrel was
ended. The renewal of the line was rendered necessary by the
transient character of the landmarks. Notched trees, stakes,
and equally unreliable means ot indicating tlie boundary were
largely employed in those days. The renewed line was
doubtless drawn, with the concurrence of both towns, on the
24th of March, the time appointed for the purpose. It was
felt to be a necessity that this should be done betore the
contemplated division of the common land was effected.
Throughout 1702 the matter of division was but little agitated.
Indeed, the Freeholders did not seem to desire any further
movement in that direction until the convulsions in the
provincial government were allayed.
In the meeting of January 29th, 1703, it was resolved that
no land in the commons should be laid out to any person on
any pretence, except a grant was first obtained from the town,
within the following bounds : Along the Rahway River from
its mouth to Jonathan Bishop's saw-mill, down the south
branch of the river to Trout Brook, and from thence in a
straight line to the west side of Stephen Kent's farm on the
Raritan River.
A new pound was among the things determined upon
September 29th, the "old stuff" being condemned to be sold
to help pay for the improved structure. Pounds, it will be
observed, received a large share of the public attention. Ani-
mals were not allowed to walk around tlie village with
impunity.
The boundary line between Amboy- and Woodbridge was
ordered, on the same day, to be definitely fixed; and a com-
mittee, consisting of John Bloomfield, John Pike, and Thomas
Pike, was appointed to execute the will of the people, giving
due notice thereof to the neighboring town.
On the ist of November the Freeholders met in the meet-
ing-house. But it was so cold that, having chosen Capt.
Bishop (the young John) Moderator for the day, they hastened
over to Samuel Smith's house to warm themselves by his
J
146 M"OODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
blazing fire and discuss the business before them. It is no
difficult thing- to imagine the company gathered about the
wide and cheerful hearth, and the November Avind blowing
shrilly out-of-doors. Fancy you see, behind the kitchen-
table, the military man of the town, Capt. Bishop, calling the
meeting to order. Beside him sits the Town Clerk with this
very book, bound in sheep-skin as we see it now, laid carefully
under his hand. There are Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, John
Pike, Jr., Jonathan Bishop, Elisha Parker, and Adam Hude
among those present. Here, also, is Matthew Moore, so
highly complimented, as a cautious and capable man, by
Gov. Hamilton in a letter to the Governor of New York
during the Indian troubles on the frontier.* A very interest-
ing group was that assembled in Mr. Smith's house on this
November morning.
Fifteen pounds were ordered to be levied in the township —
^5 for the local government and ^/^lo^for tlie " Countreys
Concerns." To raise this amount 35-. were assessed to every
man in the corporation. Town rates had not heretofore been
very promptly paid. In some cases years were suffered to
intervene before payment was made by the delinquents; and
in many instances it was postponed to that mythic period in
the future which has not yet arrived — the convenient season.
To stir up such laggards this Town Meeting empowered
Elisha Parker and Jonathan Bishop as attorneys, with power
to prosecute and arrest all who were in arrears. These
attorneys began to work up sundry bad cases. Among others,
we find that Benjamia Cromwell was a victim to their zeal.
On the ist ot January, 1704, he paid to them ^\ for his
admission as a Freeman of the corporation; 10s. for ten acres
of land granted to him at the Wolf Swamp in 1696, for the
rent of which, during the seven years, he was required to pay
•^s. Sd. additional.
More strict resolutions were passed February 8th, 1704, for
punishing trespass and unlicensed felling of trees on the
public lands. Elisha Parker w"as chosen Corporation Treas-
urer. John Cleak was granted twenty acres of land on
* N. y. Col. Docs. vol. 4, p. 199.
I TOWN MEETINGS. j^y
condition tliat he put up his contemplated "fulling-mill" on
the south branch of the Rahway River. Mr. Cleak, Clake, or
Clark (poor fellow ! he is spelt several ways) agreed to this,
and the land was laid out March ist, with the further under-
standing that if he removed or gave up the fulling business
the twenty acres reverted to the Freeliolders. They began to
grow more chary in bestowing real estate.
jfr. From this date the minutes of the Town Meetings are less
full and circumstantial. The years tlit by more rapidly as we
turn the pages of the record. As we grow older Time passes
with swifter feet ; and thus it seems to be with corporations
— the Aveight of age gives them momentum onward which
permits them to note but little in the vanishina: years
The first Tow/i Committee was chosen March 30th, 1705, and
seven men composed it. They were Capt. John Bishop, Capt.
Elisha Parker, John Ilsly, Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, John
Pike, Joseph Rolph, and Thomas Pike. They were chosen
for one year, to act for the town in all matters relating to its
welfare except the disposition of land and the raising of
money.
At this meeting permission was given to Elisha Parker to
build a '"good Grist Mill" on the Papiack Creek, with a
grant of a piece of land about forty feet square. It was to be
built as near the bridge as possible. This may have been the
laiill which once stood on the stream just back of Jaques
Venet's present residence. It has long ago disappeared.
William Coddington, recently deceased, informed the writer
that he remembered the old mill that occupied this site — that
he had, in boyhood, carried grain there to be ground.
The Town Committee were empowered, on the 24th of
October, to divide the commons according to their discretion.
A certain section of this land was to be laid out in equal plots,
except where the land was poor, when a larger quantity of
it Avas expected to offset the more favored places; and at a
set time lots were to be drawn, with numbers to designate
the parcels of land correspondingly marked. Sixty acres of
good land were assigned to each plot.
A committee was instructed to present certain grievances
of the town to the next Assemblv, in the meeting of March
148 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
28th, 1706. The Assembly was then expected to begin its
sessions in the following October ; but the mem)Ders refusing to
respond to Gov. Cornbury's proclamation, no sitting of this
august body occurred in 1706.* These grievances were consid-
ered in the Assembly of 1707. A Capt. Bown had made false
representations in the Province, asserting that he was a sort
of financial agent for the Government, by which means he
privately obtained the i^romise of large sums of money-
John Pike had agreed to furnish him witii ,-/?2of through his
(Bown's) accomplice, Richard Saltar. Others had also been
victimized by the imposture. These were indignant that the
government resorted to such means of replenishing its
treasury, not suspecting that the authorities knew nothing
about it. Their complaints elicited the truth; and Bown, a
member of the House of Representatives, was put on trial.
Samuel Dennis and John Pike were the witnesses irom Wood-
bridge. J; The Mouse voted to imprison Bown temporarily for
contempt in refusing to depose as to the disposition of the
money he had collected — Elisha Parker, one of the Wood-
bridge Representatives, being the only dissentient. Bown
was finally expelled from the House in disgrace, April 30th,
Tlie first division of land so-called, tliough really the sec-
ond (sec p. 108) was made on the 14th of October, 1706, in
accordance with the previous arrangements. The number of
lots drawn was sixty-eight, representing the sixty-eight orig-
inal Freeholders.
The second division, >j comprising twenty-two and a half
acres to each original Freeholder, was made some time in
June, 1707. The number of acres was at first limited to 20;
but for some unknown reason two and a half were subse-
quently added. In this division the Strawberry Hill Common
and certain other sections were to remain unmolested. Straw-
berry Hill, Papiack Neck, the Parsonage and School lands
w^ere laid out in "common fields " to be planted with corn.
The third division of land'^ was allotted in July, 1715, and
each plot embraced ten acres; the fourth division* (eight
* Journal Houie of Reii., [i- "'-i- Smith, p. 284. t Journal House of Ef p., p. 99. } Ibid.,
95. I Ibid., 00. ^ Freeholders" Book, fol. 1. ^ Ibid., fol. 19, 2S. * Ibid., 80.
TOWN MEETINGS. I^O
acres) was made May 8th, 1717; the fifth":^ was drawn April
4th, 1720, the dimensions of each plot being about sixteen
chains long by eight rods broad. The sixth division was not
drawn by lot, but each representative ot the original Free-
holders was allowed to take a portion of land not exceeding
£iS in value, such land to lie in his own neigliborhood.
This allotmentf was ordered January i6th, 1721. The seventh
division]: was drawn by lot, in May, 1734, but the amount of
the allotment is uncertain. Another division,! the last of
which any account is preserved, was resolved upon in March,
1758, the details of which have not been recorded.
We have, in previous pages, designated localities occupied
by the first settlers in Woodbridge; but we now propose
making the picture of the settlement more complete by
grouping our facts together. Suppose we take our position
at the Kirk Green. The queer-looking meeting-house stands
on the left; the "town house" (used as a parsonage) is seen
at the right, a short distance along the western road; Dun-
ham's house stands on that knoll, north of the green ; down
near the creek is John Smith's house, and close to this is the
grist-mill with its big wheel moving slowly round dripping
with the water; before us, opposite the green, on the south-
east corner of the road, is Samuel Smith's house; near to that
is Edward Haine's blacksmith shop, from the rude chimney
of which do we not see the smoke curling.' Still further on
is the residence of John Dennis. Across the road (about
where J. M. Melick's house now stands) is Elisha Parker's
dwelling, and perhaps if we listen we will hear the noise of
his shuttle — for he is a weaver. A little to the south of
Parker's is the prison, a gloomy-looking structure with a
stockade built around it. Henry Lesenbe lived on the corner
(where Alex. Edgar now resides), and Samuel Moore kept a
tavern in the old house which stood where Dr. Freeman 's .
drug-store is located. Let us walk along this "back road"
leading to Uniontown. After passing Mr. Moore's we come
to Samuel Hale's; Judge Hale, they call him. Then comes
John Smith, the Scotchman; then Wm. Compton, the proud
* Freeholders' Book, fol. 85. t Ibid., 95. * Ibid., 93. Ilbid., 94.
150 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
father of the first white child born in the town; then young
Thomas Bloomfield. Their houses seem to have been built
on the south side of the highway. Now we are at the corner
of the road. We will turn to the left presently and cross the
brook (Manning's), but let us glance around before going
further.
On the north-east corner is the elder Kent's house ;'^' on the
north-west is the pound, with squealing pigs, obstinate
"jadges," and hissing geese; on the south-west is John
Taylor's blacksmith shop. The other corner, as we have seen,
is occupied by young Bloomfield, whose father owns a house-
lot just west of the pound, on the north side of the road. On.
the south side, a short distance beyond Taylor's shop (and
somewhere near William Edgar's house), is to be seen Samuel
Dennis' house-lot, which adjoins the "Molden Men's lots.''
Joshua Bradley's lies west of these, on the same side of the
highway.
Who were the " Molden Men"? Gentle reader (that is the
way authors begin when they get into a " fix "), we cannot
tell. But we always could give a theory for anything we ever
heard of, and we are not much nonplussed by our ignorance
on this subject. Our theory is that these fellows made l>n'c/is\
— humble predecessors of Wm. H. Berry ,r/ al.; that, in fact,
they were motdding men. The probability is that these lots
were given to induce them to remain in Woodbridge and ply
their trade. Whether they discovered and made use of the
rich clay beds of Woodbridge are matters unknown; but such
may have been the case.
We turn to the left and go down to the brook. Behind
Taylor's shop is Hugh Dunn's lot, then Charles Oilman's.
Crossing the stream, we find Hopewell Hull's lot on the
corner (long known as Hollister's Corner). These three
lots lie on the west of the road. It is probable that Hull did
not occupy his land very long, and perhaps. he did not build
upon it at all; for he sold it not a great while after it came
into his possession to Rehoboth Gannit.
♦Stephen Ksnt, Sr , certainly had a house here; but it is said that he lived at Ford's
Corner. No doubt he hart propertj' in both p'aces. Perhaps youn? Stephen hved at Ford's
Corner and old Ste^)hen at Woodbridge in 16fi9. (See pp. 35 and 41 of this volume.)
t The opinion, also, of T. H. Morris and .Jeremiah Dally.
TOWN MEETINGS. 151
Strolling along toward Strawberry Hill we sec vacant lots
on both sides of the highway. The rising ground on the
right of us is crowned with large torest trees. The low
ground on the left is the paradise of frogs, which croak
melodiously among the tall calamus blades that nod grace-
fully in the wind. Along here are the house-lots of Israel
Thornell, Obadiah Ayers, and John Adams. Richard Worth's
house stood somewhere near the present residence of Capt.
Isaac Inslee. South of his lot a little stream made its way,
coming frDm a spring on Strawberry Hill. A narrow cart-
way was laid out to skirt Worth's land on the south — in-
tended, doubtless, to accommodate Adams and Ayers, who
lived east of the main highway.
Now, following the road, we begin to ascend the hill. On
the east is John Pike's residence; on the west is the ground
allotted to Jedediah Andrews. Two hundred and forty acres
to tlie south of us are the property of John Pike. Crossing
"Spa Spring Brook " we soon stand upon the knoll and look
in the direction of Perth Amboy. The land immediately
below us is known among the settlers as Pike's Neck. It is
that region south ot the well-known "Benton place."
Let us now retrace our steps. It is September, and the
Aveather invites us to ramble; but we have taken along walk
and we need a little repose. Shall we sit down under this
tall wild cherry tree for a tew moments.' Across the way we
see the bright crimson torch of the sumach and the pale
3'ellow flower of tlie wild flax below it. The early frost has
changed the sober green of the sassafras yonder to a brilliant
yellow. The untrained vine that clambers over the fence
proudly flutters its carnelian hues, and ambitiously stretches
upward, with uncertain motion, one slender branch. Small
purplish flowers nestle in shady places, and tufted yellow
stalks dance in the sunshine.
But we resume our walk and arrive at " H^llister's corner."
We turn to the east. North of the spot where T. J. & G, W.
Daily's store now stands were the house-lots of Robert
Rogers, John Ilsly, and young John Pike. Henry Jaques,
Thomas Pike, the Bishops, and some others lived in the
direction of Rahway. Daniel Grasie (or Gresy) and William
152 WOODKRIDGE AND VICINITY,
Elstone I'esided somewliere in the neighborhood of the Kirk
Green — perhaps to the south or south-west of it. John Dilly
and the two Pierces, with several others, occupied lots across
the Papiack, on the upland beyond the meadows.
At the point where we started forth to ramble through the
ancient town wc now arrive. The beautiful green spreads its
carpet around us and the level acres are dotted with lowing
cattle and bleating sheep. Yonder, perhaps, wander arm-in-
arm through the field, two who are oblivious to all bvit
themselves; and if the eight o'clock bell is in use here as it is
in New England, an anonymous poet well describes the scene,
and gives the loving twain a song:
" Here, where those low lush meadows lie,
We wandered in the Autumn weather,
AVhen earth and air and arching sky
Blazed grandly, goldenly together.
And oft, in that same Autumn time.
We sought and roamed these self-same meadows,
When evening brought the curfew chime.
And peopled field and fold with shadows."
CHAPTER XIY.
1709—1720.
The Pound Again — Pike vs. Sonmans— Pike & Cutter's
Mill — Freeholders' Book — Judge Hude — Moses R®lph
— Strawberry Hill — The Commons — Second Town
Book — Fourth Division Lots — Ear-marks — Death of
old Samuel Dennis.
It will be observed that there is a void of two years in our
history — from 1707 to 1709 no record being given except that
of the lot-layers, Avho were busy surveying- and assigning the
land embraced in the two divisions already made.
At a Town Meeting, held July 14th, 1709, ^^25 for the relief
of the poor were levied. Thomas Davis was made pound-
keeper, on condition he "forth with Build a Sufficient
Pownd," with the following fees ; For impounding a horse,
ijT. ; neat cattle, per head, 9c/.; a hog, 3c/.; a sheep, 2d.\ a goose,
\d. We fancy Davis must have considered it worth all of one
penny to drive a goose a mile or two to the pound; and an
equally pleasant and profitable undertaking it must have been
to escort thither "a pig for three pence — though it is barely
possible that these domestic favorites were not afflicted with
the obstinate wandering propensities which distinguish their
descendants. Notwithstanding, wc are not prepared to say
that the office of pound-keeper was a sinecure in those halcyon
days, nor can we imagine how Mr. Davis could see his way
clear to build a pound for nothing with such miserable
inducements. However, il is none of our business, and pos-
sibly he became rich in
'Pounding tlie geese
At a penny apiece.
Peter Sonmans, a quarrelsom.e citizen of Perth Amboy^
having laid claim to several acres of common land in Wood-
154 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
bridge, was sued for its recovery by John Pike in behalf of
the Freeholders. It proved to be a long and tedious litigation
— the case not being removed from the Courts until the latter
part of I737/''' after Sonmans was dead. The name ot" Peteri
his son, appears in the place of his father's at the close of the
suit. It was ended in the Supreme Coiu-t, the decision being
rendered, in default, against the claim of Sonmans. In this
July meeting a committee was appointed to raise money to
pay John Pike's expenses incurred bv the suit thus far.
At the same time John Pike and Richard Cutter were per-
mitted to build a grist-mill "on the North Side of the Ditch
at the South Side of the Cornfield Landing, and to have So
Much Land adjoining to the Said Ditcli and the ]Main Creek
as Shall be for the Convenience of Said Mill vSo it Doth not
Prejudice the Said Landing." In Nov^ember these two men
entered into equal partnership, and in the following year (1710)
the mill was built. It has long since fallen, and has been
forgotten.
Richard Cutter (or Cotter, as it is sometimes spelt) was, no
doubt, the progenitor of the family of that name now living
in Woodbridge. He married Mary Pike, August 2otl], 1706.
Jennet Cotter, a widow, was living in this place in 1689, so
that it is probable there were others here bearing the name, at
a period even more remote.
In the Town Meeting of October 2otii, 17 10, twent}' acres
of common land were allotted for sale to defray tlie cost of the
law-suit pending between Pike and Sonmans. Pike and
Cutter, the millers, were granted a piece of ground in the
vicinitv of the new mill — the plot not to exceed an acre.
Richard Soper applied for and obtained permission to put up
a srrist-mill on Kent's Creek.
During the years 171 1 and '12 nothing of note is mentioned
and bvit little recorded. On the 6th of May, 17 13, three
Sheep-masters were appointed to protect the flocks from
wolves and dogs, and to prevent the destruction, by the
sheep, of the growing corn and the grass in the pasture lands.
With this brief item we pass to the year 17 14.
* Freeholders' Book, folios 93 and 94.
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. 155
T!ie January meeting (28th) was called "by virtue of a
warrant from two of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace, viz.
John Pike and Moses Rolph, Esqs." Rolphwas now serving
as Town Clerk, having been elected in the room of Thomas
Pike on the 3d of March, 1712. "The weather being uncom-
fortable," says the record, "the meeting was, by a unanimous
vote, adjourned to the house of Joseph Oilman." This
indicates that fires were not yet introduced in the old meet-
ing-house. We do not know where Joseph Oilman resided,
but we presume that his dwelling was near at hand. Charles
Oilman, one of the early settlers in Woodbridge, and one ot
Joseph's kindred, lived on the west side of the road, near
Manning's Brook, midway between Ensign & Commoss' store
and Rowland's corner. Possibly Joseph dwelt there in 17 14,
and the Town Meeting adjourned to that place; but we are
inclined to tiiink his residence was not so far from the meet-
ing-house.
Ensconcing themselves comfortably by Mr.' Oilman's fire-
place, the Freeholders leisurely proceeded to business, which
was chieflv the appointment of a committee of four to take
" special care " of the School Land ; and the gift of two acres
of land near Richard Skinner's, at Rahway, for building
a school-house.
March ist, 17 14, ^"15 were appropriated, partly for the pur-
chase of a_^' town book " and partly for the relief of the poor.
This Book was bought, and is known as the Freeholders' Book.
It was re-bound in October, 1S68, by order of the Town
Committee, and is, therefore, in a good state of preservation.
The first pages are occupied with surveys of the Second
Division lots, laid out in 1707, which, of course, were copied
in the book seven or eight years subsequent to the dates
attached to them. The contents throughout are principally
made up of surveys, but occasionally we find the minutes ot
a Freeholders' meeting.
In the Town Meeting of March 22d, 17 14, John Bishop, Jr.,
John Pike, Jr., James Clarkson, and John Kinsey protested
against making any further division of the public land until
the land already divided was properly assigned.
John Kinsev and John Moore were chosen, pursuant to an
15^ W<30DBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
act of the General Assembly, to consult and co-operate with
the Justices in respect to the building of a "gaol" and a
Court-house. In the meeting of March 13th, 17 16 (which is
the latest one recorded in the first Town Book), Samuel
Dennis, Jr., and Daniel Britton were appointed to meet the
Justices to choose "managers" to "carry on the work of
building a Prison and Court-House." No traces of these
buildings now remain, except the obscure ones designated in
Chapter III. And yet they must have been important features
in the legal economy of the township in its early days.
Here we close the first Town Book and open the second—
^dividing our attention, however, between the latter and the
Freeholders' Book, because in some particulars they are
cotemporary. The Freeholders' Book has the minutes of
several meetings which should have been in the first Town
Book. One of these, dated May 3d, 1714, was in regard to a
plot of ground of one acre and a half granted to Robert
Grove. The land was on Reed Brook, "a little below David
Donham's barn." A committee was also appointed, at this
meeting, to advise with some legal gentleman as to how the
Freeholders could release each other in the division of the
commons. The same committee was authorized to " run the
line between Amboy and our town."
Adam Hude, Justice, presided on this occasion, a man of
eminent judicial qualities and inllexible integrity. He was
one of the passengers on the notorious vessel, Henry and
Francis. He resided at first on Staten Island, but in 1695 he
came to Woodbridge and became one of its honored citizens.
He built a dwelling about a mile north of the meeting-house
and resided there. He and his wife lie buried in the Presby-
terian graveyard. In '1718 Mr. Hude became one of the
Judges of the Middlesex Court of Common Pleas, soon
became Presiding Judge, which position he held until 1733,
and was Master in Chancery at one time, and a member of the
General Assembly in 1701. He died June 27th, 1746, in the
eighty-fifth year of his age, leaving two sons and one daugh-
ter. Robert and James, the sons, lived in New Brunswick
and became distinguished men. Of the daughter, Agnes,
little is known.*
Whitehead's Contrib. to E. J. Hist., p. 8TS.
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. j^^
ree-
e
o
At noon on the X7th of May, 1714, a meeting of the Free
ho ders was held at Moses Rolph's house. Rolph was Free
holders Clerk, and had also been made Town Clerk H
held the latter position about nineteen vears-from 171. t
1731- ' '
The persons present appointed a committee to draw up
bonds tor the signature of all," by which they entered into
ODhgations to stand together for mutual protection in case ot
suits at law involving their rights as Freeholders Seven
men were empowered to lay out -portions of land in different
parts of the town tor commons perpetuallv, and to devise a
plan tor dividing the rest of the unappropriated ground
equitably between those holding original claims. Col Elishx
Parker, the Township Treasurer, was ordered to pav to
'• Master Will: Rodgers," a boy who wielded, perhaps, a ready
pen, SIX shillings for writing a letter of Attornev and a bond
Good for Master Rodgers !
On the Sth of March, 1715, Papiack Neck and Strawberrv
Hill were decided to be no longer common land, but eli-iblc
lor division lots to be distributed among the Freeholders
Ihis action was not popular, however ; and on tlie mh of
July the town order in regard to it was formally repealed
Alter voting for a third division of common land to comprise
ten acres in each plot, the citizens proceeded to exempt the
following pieces of ground: Strawberry Hilf Papiack Neck
the Meeting-house Green, the green before Moses Rolph's'
door (this consisted of two acres*), the plot between ''Doctor
Wade-s door " and Stephen Tuttle's land, a lane leading to
Bloomtield's Spring behind Langstaffs Hill, a plot between
Justice Hude's and Robert Gilchrist's, "and along by Georo-e
Brown's to a place called ye watering-place, allso a piece tf
land In wch is a Spring Lying North of a place known by
the name of David Ileslee'sgirdled trees;" and a plot between
Peter Elston's, John Skinner's, Joseph Gray's, and Benjamin
Rolph's' lands.
Thomas Pike was appointed Lot-layer for the third division
of commons, with four assistants, viz. : George Brown, Ben-
* Freeholders' Book, folio 26.
158 WOODBRIDCE AND VICINITV.
jamin Donliam, Willi^am Ilslee, and John Jaquish, These were
directed to re-survey the Parsonage and Scliool Lands, in
addition to their other duties.
The following item is an extract from the minutes of the
first recorded meeting in the second Town Book, dated March
12th, 1717 : "The overseers of ye Pore shall pay. the clerk ye
sum of fifteen shillings or theire aboughts to ennable him to by
a town book." The Town Clerk evinced considerable insrenu-
ity in spelling thercalw.tts as our readers will perceive This
order for purchasing a Town Book was only a reiteration of a
vote passed March ist, 1714. The fifteen shillings "or theire
aboughts" were not forthcoming until 17 18, four A-ears after
the first order. Verily, public affairs moved slowly in ye days
lang syne. A special tax Avas levied to buy the book, and a
board of Assessors elected, comprising Samuel Dennis, Ichabod
Smith, Jr., and Moses Rolph. An elegant volume would
naturally be expected as the product of all this excitement
and din of preparation ; but this plain, dark leather-covered
book, an inch and a quarter thick, with the faded words,
"Z/Z-. j5.Woodbridg," on the outside, is the result <:)f four years'
lucubrations.
On the 19th of March, 17 17, all preliminaries were arranged
for the fourth division of the public land, and special pains
were taken to niake the disposition of plots as fair and equal
as possible. We find a more minute and satisfactory account
of this division than of any other, so we shall give the details
substantially as we read them in the Freeholders' Book (folio
3°)-
May 8tli was the day for the drawing of the lots. It is not
difficult for VIS to imagine the impatience with which certain
necessary business matters were disposed- of. Caleb Campbell
was permitted to draw a lot in consideration of the fact that
his wife was the first Christian child born in Woodbridge.
Robert Gilchrist was Moderator for the day. John Parker
was elected to draw the lots. It was agreed tiiat each Free-
holder should pay down to Daniel Britton, the town treasurer,
six shillings and six pence for expenses, immediately on
drawing his lot. The plots had all been marked out and
numbered beforehand. Tlie modus operandi is fully explained
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED.
15
by this resolution, to wit: " Itt was voated & agree! yt ye
ffreholders should prosede to Draw there sd fourth Division
Lots: (& accordingly they Did) they being Numbered on
Little pices of Paper & putt Jnto a bagg & Drawn by John
Parker according [to] ye fore going voatc: ve sd Lotts beino-
Drawn Jn ye Names of ye originall freeholder's." Eio-ht
acres of good land were to be represented by each slio of
paper.
The first lot taken out was in the right of Daniel Pierce.
It was number nineteen. Mow many jokes were perpetrated,
or astute prognostications derived from this initiatory draft
cannot be conjectured. Parker again plunged his hand into
the bag, this time in the right of Joshua Pierce. A moment-
ary rustling of fugitive bits of paper is succeeded by a jerk
upward, and, amid the profound silence of the group, Parker
calls out: "No. 42!" Caleb Campbell, who had been so
fortunate as to marry the first-born native of Woodbridge,
drew No. 35, which proved to be a plot on the road to
Piscataway. It may be interesting to our readers, so v.-e
transcribe the list of drawings:
Daniel Pierce 19 1 Obadiab Ayers ' 5(J
Joshua Pierce 43
John Martin, Sr 18
Hopewell Hull 22
Hugh Dun 20
Charles Gilman 8
Matthew Moore 4.j
John Smith, Scotchman 1
Matthew Buun 14
John lleslee 53
Abraham Tappeu 01
Isaac Tappeu 59
Robert Dennes : 38
John Dennes 16
Samuel Denues 49
Thomas Bloomfield, Sr 47
John Bloomfield 2
Nathan Webster 13
George March 51
Thomas Alger 07
Robert Rogers 62
"William Comptou 25
J ohn Watkins 65
Thomas Bloomfield 3
Samuel Moore 7
John Smith 28
Samuel Smith 27
Elisha Parker 58
Henry Jaques 54
Hugh March 5
SamuelHale 21
Henry Leseube 39
John Adams 32
Henry Jaques, Jr 12 i Benjamin Parkes 9
Stephen Kent ^...10 Jedediah Andrews 28
S. Kent, Jr 03
Daniel Gresey 50
Richard Vrorth 29
John Pike, Jr —
Jonathan Haines •. 6
John Witclier 57
George Little 36
Elisha lleslee 23
Enhraim Andrews 4
JolmDille C9
Daniel Robins 44
John Crounvell 24
John Conger. 15
Samuel Bacon ^^
Mr. Le Prairie 'â– 31
John Trueman 00
l6o WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Jonathan Dunham 38
David McKeuney 52
Joshua Bradley 34
Philip " Cartwright."* 40
John Allen 06
Jonathan Bishop 41
Thomas Adams 64
John Everit 46
James CI arkson 43
Thomas Pike 30
Caleb Campbell 35
Job n Bishoj), Sr 68
John Bishop, Jr 17
John Tailor 37
It was now nearly fifty years since the first of these original
Freeholders had come to Woodbridge. Some of them had
died, others had moved away. Some had sold their rights, as
had John Dilly, whose claim was owned by Robert Gilchrist ;
the children of others had inherited their fathers' rights, as
had the younger Samuel Moore. Of the^men who drew in
their own right as original Freeholders five certainly were
present on this occasion, viz. : John Bloomfield, John Bishop,
Jr., Samuel Smith, Thomas Pike, and Stephen Kent, Jr.
Possibly a few others were there, but it is doubtful. These
five were all old men; and not many years after, their familiar
faces were missed from their accustomed haunts in tlie village,
and others occupied the homesteads they had built.
" Thus star by star declines,
Till all are passed away."
The minutes recorded in the second Town Book embrace
the period from 1717 to 1799. One meeting a year, for the
election of officers, is all we find, except in a few instances.
A large part of the volume is taken up with the designation
of the ear-marks put upon cattle to indicate the ownership of
them. This peculiar record extends from 1720 to 1809, and is
a good means of showing the number of well-to-do families
in Woodbridge. Here is an entry in the year 1766 :
" May ye 2d Azel Roe, ye minister, made Entryey of his Ear
mark which is a Swallow fork in ye Left ear and two halfe
penneys under ye Right."
A rouo^h sketch of the ears is made in each case, with the
marks plainly drawn on them. A " Swallow fork " is simply
made by cutting a piece out of the ear in the shape of an acute
triangle, the acute angle extending inward. A "half penny "
is a piece cut out about the size indicated by the term.
* Carteret.
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. ^ r6i
Leonard Melick records his ear-mark in 1790, and Peter
Melick enters his in 1802. We find William Berry's entered
in 1731; Joseph Alwood's* in 1738; Jonathan Harned's in
1732; Zebulon Pike's in 1732; Jonathan Ilslee's (son of John)
in 1726; Joseph Oilman's in 1720; John Heard's in 1720;
Abraham Tappen's in 1721; J onathan Freeman's in 1723';
Peter Noe's in 1727; William Bloodgood's in 1728; Thomas
Hadden's in 1729; Richard Coddington's in 1730; Samuel
Barron's in 1735; J'^hn Morris, Jr.'s, in i739_and many
others might be named in this connection if our space would
permit. One man, unknown to fame, is written down by the
Town Clerk as " Joshaway Rickhow ! " U fos/iaway had been
looking over the scribe's shoulder while this fearful spellino-
was being done, he might have put an ear-mark on the Clerk's
ear — a regular "swallow fork" — without the least injury to
his intellect.
Turning from the barren records of Liber B, we open the
Freeholders' Book, and find that, in a meeting of April 7th,
1719, another division of the public land was under discus-
sion. This was the fifth division, which was made April 4th,
1720 — just a year after the meeting alluded to.
We are reminded in a minute of the meeting of March 25th,
i72o.f of the death of the venerable Samuel Dennis, who has
figured conspicuously in the preceding pages. He died,
probably, some time between March, i7r5, and the following
August. Our reasons for supposing this to be the date are
that, as one of the division lot-layers, his name is attached to
a survey of a lot March 12th, 1715, and is omitted in the next,
made in August ;J and that in May, 17 17, he is spoken of as
deceased,'^ his son Samuel drawing the fourth division lot in
his name. As he never resumed his duties as lot-layer we
take it as strong presumptive evidence that he died in 17 15 —
and certainly his death occurred previous to May, 17 17.
He was a prominent public man ; and, as such, it is fitting
that we pause in our narrative to do him honor. He cam.e from
New England, probably, with Robert and John, his brothers.
* This is often spelt " Alward "— see Lib. B., folio 63. t Frtth. Booi, Tol. 81. } Freoli.
Book, rol. 63. § Ibid., foL 72.
l62 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
By reference to the lists of tOAvnship officers in Chapter XII.
it will be seen that he filled many important ])ositions. He
was Deputy to the General Assembly in 1675, 1680 to 'S3,
1688, and '98-99. In 1699 he was appointed by Jeremiah
Basse one of the Governor's Council, a post which he held
with honor for several years. From .1688 to 1692 he was
Town Clerk of Woodbridge. He was elected to the same
position in April, 1694, but refused to serve in spite of the
earnest solicitation of his friends. In the years 1683 and 1692
we find his name in the list of Assistant Justices of the
Township Court. It would appear, from the minutes of the
Governor and Coienci/- {p'p. 143-4), that he was President of the
Court in 1686-7. "While in the performance ot his duties in
the last-mentioned office in 1686, he was arrested, at the
instance of the Governor, Lord Campbell, for an alleged
violation of the laAV in holding a session of his Court in
Piscataway on the third Tuesday of December. The minutes
of the Governor's Council, held at Amboy on the 27th of
December, 1686, contain the following facts in regard to this
matter. We quote :
*' My Lord gave this Board an Accompt of the Transactions
of the Justices of the County of Middx in holding a Court att
the Towne of piscataway the 3d Tuesday in this Instant
month of December, Contrary to Act of General Assembly
and the Governors p'ticular proclamation — Whereupon it's
Agreed and ordered that a warrt bee issued out to the High
Sherifife of the County of Middx, Im'ediately to bring before
this Councill on tomorrow morneing by Eight of the Clocke,
the boddy of Mr. Samll Dennes of Woodbridge, who was
prsident of that Court, to answer to prmisses," &c. j
The next day the officer appeared before the august tribunal
with the prisoner. He was examined as to his offense. He
admitted that at the time specified he had held a Court at
Piscataway; but declared distinctly that he had not acted
contrary to law. He was given a week to find security in
;^3oo to appear at the next session oi the Court of Common
Right at Amboy in May to answer the charge; in default of
which he was to be " Close Com'itted to the Gaole of wood-
TOWN MEETINGS, CONTINUED. 163
bridge." It is likely that the Governor found out his mistake
and discharged the Judge. By the law of 1675 (see Learning
and Spicer, p. 96), the Governor was right; but by the law of
16S2 (L. and S., p. 229), w^hich virtually annulled the former,
the Judge was right. (See page 113 of this volume.) The
third Tuesday in December was, in 1682, set down for the
holding of the County Court at Piscataway.
In the House of Deputies on the i6th of March, 1698, Mr.
Dennis was elected to the Speaker's chair, a post which he
worthily and honorably filled for a year, when he was taken
into the Council by the Governor.
He went down to the grave full of honors, and amid the
profound regrets of the people he was buried.
CHAPTER XY.
1700—1760.
The Town Meeting-House and the Presbyterian Congre-
gation — Samuel Shepard— His Wife's Decision — Na-
thaniel Wade — Presbyterianism — The Secession — Sur-
veys OF Parsonage Land and 'The Meeting-House
Green — Rev. John Piers®n — Rev. Nathaniel Whita-
KER.
The thread of our narrative concerning the old Town
Meeting-house was broken off in the midst of the pastoral
labors of the Rev. Samuel Shepard (see Chap. VH.). Every-
thing seemed to be favorable to the prolongation of Mr.
Shepard's ministry. He was popular, having received many
proofs of the esteem of his Woodbridge friends. In a short
time, however, one little circumstance was destined to change
the whole aspect of affairs. On Thursday morning, April
loth, 1 70 1, the Town Meeting passed a resolution directing
that Mr. Shepard sliould be ordained as the Woodbridge
minister; and the following influential men were delegated to
talk with him on the subject and obtain his consent, viz.:
Samuel Dennis, Samuel Hale, John Ilsley, Adam Hude, Wm.
Stone, Gawen Lockhart, John Pike, Jonathan Dunham, Jon-
athan Bishop, Joseph Rolph, and George Brown, These men
represented the wealth and intelligence of the town. They
waited upon Mr. Shepard and urged him to consent to ordina-
tion as the village minister on the ground of mutual benefit.
But ordination meant a settlement for life; or, at least, for a
longer period of service than Mrs. Shepard, the clergyman's
wife, desired. The committee, therefore, reported that ordina-
tion could not be thought of, as the lady in question positively
obiected to it.
Further action was deferred until June 24th, when Messrs.
Hale, Andrews, and Lockhart were commissioned to hold
THE PRESBYTERIANS. 165
another conference with the preacher, and to present to the
next Town Meeting a full report of the result. On the 14th
of the next month a notice was conspicuously posted," calling
a meeting on the 23d to hear the report and take further
action. Accordingly, at noon on Wednesday, the 23d of July,
the grave men of Woodbridge assembled in the Meeting-
house. The report of the latter committee was embodied in
that of the former. Being called upon, the eleven men ap-
pointed on the loth of April presented substantially the same
report as was given by them to the meeting of June 24th.
They said that they had been several times in conference with
the reverend gentleman on the subject of ordination, but that
his invariable answer was, that "though he is otherwise will-
ing to be ordained, he cannot admit of ordination to settle as
a minister in this town," because " his wife is so adverse to
his settling here." The committee hinted that " his wife, upon
second thoughts, might be persuaded." Mr. Shepard replied:
" There is no hope of my wife's compliance with my settling
here; and therefore I would advise you to look out for
another."
"It will be more difficult," said the committee, "to get and
settle another minister than it hath been formerly upon
several accounts, one of which is your being on the most
convenient place for a minister's dwelling, by the Meeting-
house." (Mr. Shepard's land lay on the north of the Kirk
Green and his house was, doubtless, the Town House, voted
to him in May, 1696. That stood on the west side of the
Green.)
"That shall be no hindrance," responded the clergyman,
" to the settling another minister; for let the town but pay me
my disbursements laid out on the place [where] I live, and
[they may] settle another on it as soon as they please."
The other committee said that they had called on Mr.
Shepard to see if his wife's mind had not undergone a change.
Vain hope !
" When a woman says she will, she will, you miiy tlepehd on't,
And when she says she won't, she worCt, and there's the end on't."
1 66 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY,
Juvenal, horrid fellow ! says that "few disputes exist which
have not had their origin in woman." However, we confess
to a liking for Mr. Shepard, because of his abnegation. His
wife, Alice, did not wish to live in Woodbridge all her days;
her husband, surrendering his own inclinations for her sake,
abandoned all his advantages as a settled pastor. Worldly
wisdom may say it was foolish ; but we say it speaks well for
his heart, and that it is a good exposition of the text; "Hus-
bands, love your wives ! " The preacher informed the per-
sistent committee that his wife was " utterly adverse to his
settline here." He savs *' he concludes she will so remain"
if they should "still wait longer for a change of her mind."
"He therefore adviseth us," says the committee, "to have no
further dependence on him, but look out for another."
Considerable debate, doubtless, followed the presentation of
these facts. The general feeling was one of disappointment.
It is altogether probable that Mrs. Shepard was unsparingly
condemned, and that her husband was spoken of as- "tied to
his wife's apron-string."
The Freeholders proceeded to declare themselves "absolutely
free from any and all former engagements by them made "
with the minister. A committee was sent to him with this
information. This committee was also empowered to procure
a successor to Mr. Shepard "with all convenient speed," and
close all business relations with the late pastor. Notice was
sent to liim that all improvements hereafter made to the place
on which he lived should be at his own expense.
In December of 1702 Mr. Shepard was still in Woodbridge,
preaching in the old Meeting-house. His salary was paid out
of the town rates, as of yore, in spite of the protests of the
Quakers. The following minute appears on the record under
date of January 3d, 1703 :
V
" It Passed By Vote that Mr. Sliepard Should Be Desired
to Preach in this Town upon the Saboth Days untill we Can
Supply ourselves with another Minister." From which it
appears that the usual fortune befell the Woodbridge men in
their hunt after a preacher. So that Mr. Shepard continued
to minister to them in holy things until as late as 1705-6,*
* Hatfield's Elizabeth, p. 29T
THE PRESBYTERIANS. 1 67
perhaps even later. He removed from the place in 1707,
probably ; for his name does not occur, after that date, in the
records. One child, Joanna, was born to him in Woodbridge,
December 20th, 1701, After his removal v/e lose all trace of
him. Whitehead says he died in 1722 or 1723;* and here the
curtain falls over the life-story of another historic character
conspicuous in our village annals. f
Samuel Hale and Adam Hude were appointed, on the 29th
of September, 1703, to " Repair the Meeting House and Hang
the gates of the Burying Place." In October, 1705, ;^3o wei-e
levied by the Town Meeting, parti}' for the relief of the Poor
and partly for repairing the meeting-house and the grave-yard
fence. In the "March meeting of the ensuing year this sum
was devoted entire to the Poor, and the dilapidated fence was
left to its own resources.
In 1707 the " minister's land and meadow'- were rented.
During this year Nathaniel Wade came to Woodbridge and
began his ministry. He was ordained and installed in Janu-
ary, 1708. The first entry in the Church records, written by
Mr. Wade himself, is in relation to this fact, and reads thus:
"January 29th, 1707-8, Was gathered the Church of Christ
in Woodbridge by Nath. Wade, Pastor. Present there were
as Messengers, two from ye Church of Newark, and one from
the (Church of Elizabethtown ; Tlieophilus Pierson, Jonahs
Wood, Benjamin Price. The foundation of ye Church was
laid first upon three persons who had been Communicants in
other churches, viz; Sam'l Hail, John Pike, and Noah
Bishop."
Here follows a list of the members of the church during
Mr. Wade's pastorate We give their names below with the
dates of their admission to the communion;
1707-8,
Jan. 29lh — Samuel Hail, Assistant.
John Pike,
Noah Bishop,
Jan. 20th— Stephen Tiittle.
" John Ford, Deacon.
Feb. 28th— Eobert Groves.
" Thomas Pike, Deacon.
♦Hist. C ntr., p. -386.
+ In tlie list of Marriages we find that Elizeus Barron ancl Mary Andrews were married
by Mr. Shepard Dec. 'iT. 1705, and he signs himself " Saml. Sliepird, Jmtice " We inf^r from
this that he still lived in Woudbriiljre and was an officer. lat.T, Timothy Bloomfield aad Rose
Hijgins viere married by him, April 2, HOT.
i68
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Feb. 28th— John Ayers, Ass<istant.
" Richard Skinnor.
June 6th, 1708.
" Joseph Gray.
" Lydia Bishop.
" Francis Skiner.
" 20th— Mattliew Fors.
Aug, 15lh — Joseph Thorp.
" Daniel Britton.
" Richard Cutter.
Warah Pike.
" Elizabeth Britton.
Sarah Fors.
Elizabeth Gray.
" Lydia Pangborn.
" 20th— Sarah Holland.
John Ilsley.
" John Jaques.
" John Skiner.
" Nathaniel Pike.
" Mary Groves.
*' Ann Skiner.
Elizabeth Ilsly.
" Mary Cutter.
Mercy Pike.
Mary Stilhvell.
'" Susannah Jaques.
Desire Walker.
" ]\Iehitable Butler.
V " Hannah Freeman.
Mary Wade.
" Joannnh Dunham.
Ester Bloomfield.
Oct. 31st— John Chaplin.
" Benjamin Jones.
*' John Robinson.
" Daniel Dane.
" Mary Curtis.
" Elizabeth Thorp.
" Phebe Ayers.
Dec. 26th, 1708.
Nathaniel Dunham.
Mary Ayers.
Sarah Congor.
Jan. 2d, 1709.
William Thorp.
" Mary Tliorp.
Feb. 27th— Moses Rolph.
" Hopewell Bloomfield.
May 12th— John Conger.
" Edward Wilkinson.
Thomas Collier.
Mary Rolpli.
" Mary Conger.
"May 12th— Anna Thorp.
" Samufcl Butler.
June 26th.— John DilJe.
Elias Foard.
11
June 26th— Ruth Dille.
" Joanna Paogborn.
" Hannah Crowd.
" Susannah Shippy.
" Penelope Titus.
" Rebecca Phylips.
" Obadiah Avers.
Jan. 1st, 1710.
" Peter Pain.
" Joanna Ayers.
" Hannah Right.
June 25th — Benjamin Thorp.
" John Scudder.
Sept. 10th — Hannah Colliar.
" Rebecca Mills.
Oct. 3d — Joanna Jones.
" John Ayers, Jun.
Wife of Daniel Thorp.
Wife of Benj. Fors.
" Wife of Elip't Phillips.
Charles Fold.
' ' Jonathan Dennis & Wife.
" Samuel Rolph.
" Esther Borroughs.
Ezekiel Thorp.
Wife of Benj. Thorp.
" Thomas -Edgar.
" Obadiah Ayers.
" V Joseph Bonny & Wife.
" David Dunham & Wife.
.Joseph Bloomfield & Wf .
" Samuel Jaques & Wife.
" Eph. Lockhart & Wife.
Wife of John Moores.
Ocilla Hoviof.
" Rebecca Stone.
Wife of Peter Pain.
' ' Wife of Samuel Freeman.
" u John Campbell.
" ^ Mrs. Heard.
David Chimbcl.
Rachel Chimbel.
" Stephen Pangbouru.
"â– Jonathan Chimbel.
" Abrahnm Tappen.
" Anne Moores.
" Sarah Rennols.
Samuel Moffet.
" Mary Coddington.
Wm. Ford & Wife.
" Mary Ayers.
" Abigail Loufberry.
" Mary Wilkinson.
Wife of Capt. Cutter.
Oct. 1710— Judge Hude.
" George Brown & Wife.
" Widow Lockhart.
" Wife of Thomas Ayers.
THE PRESBYTERIANS. 169
Oct. 1710— Wife of Robert Ayers.
" Jcjnathan Frazee.
" Hannah Perkins.
Oct. 1710— James Rosse.
Elizabeth Miller.
The year 1707 has generally been regarded as the date of
the establishment of Presbyterianism in Woodbridge — a
theory open to some dispute. In the first place the ordination
and installation of Mr. Wade were performed in January,
1708, in accordance with the time-honored customs of the
New England Independent Church ; that is, with an ordain-
ing council of" messengers " and clergymen from neighboring
Independent Churches. In the second place, the Newark and
Elizabethtown Churches, represented by " messengers " at
Woodbridge on this occasion, were both Independent at that
time. Thirdly, Messrs. Hale, Pike, and Bishop, spoken of as
having been "communicants in other Churches," had come
from the Independent Church in New England; and yet they
officiated in these ceremonies — something they would have
been incompetent to do if it were a Presbyterian ordination.
Lastly, the " Records of the Presbyterian Churches in the
United States" assign the year 1710 as the period when the
Rev. Mr. Wade and his congregation joined the Presbytery of
Philadelphia.* The Independent Church of Elizabeth became
connected with this Presbytery six years afterward. Indeed,
Presbyterianism became popular among the New England-
bred people throughout the Province, although they at first
treated it with great caution.
The evidence that the Woodbridge Congregation became
Presbyterian in 17 10 is corroborated by an entry in the
Church Book, in which the officers of a Presbyterian form of
government are mentioned for the first time. Here it is :
"March 2Sth, 1710. At a Church meeting, chosen: John
Foard, John Pike and Thomas Pike for Euli/ig Elders in the
Church of Christ in Woodbridge."
In 1711, as will be seen by reference to Chapter XI, a
serious difference between Mr. Wade and certain of his people
caused a secession from the Presbyterian Church. An invita-
tion was sent, by the recusant members, to Rev. Edward
* See Hatfield's Elizabeth, p. 330. Hodge's Pres. G. S3.
lyo WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Vaughan, Episcopalian missionary at Elizabetiitown, to estab-
lish services in Woodbridge after tlie manner of the Church
of England — an opportunity which Mr. Vaughan was
not slow to improve. Now, what was the cause of this differ-
ence? Mr. Vaughan, in speaking of it, says it was Mr.
Wade's "irregular life and conversation." This, however,
being cx-parte evidence, Avould not weigh much with any
reader unless supported by incontestable proof. Intimations
of such proof we find in Dr. Charles Hodge's History of the
Presbyteria7i Church in the Ujiited States, the very best authority
on questions relating to that communion. He takes his facts
from the official records. He tells us that at the date of his
ordination many were opposed to Wade. That was in 1708.
The difficulty became so great that, as a propitiation to the
disaffected parties, Rev. John Boyd, of Freehold, was induced
to preach in the Woodbridge meeting-house, in 1708, every
third Sabbath.'" This did not have the intended soothing
effect. The congregation divided into two parties — one fav-
oring Mr. Wade and the other denouncing him. The cause
of this opposition was, perhaps, two-fold: Mr. Wade's per-
sonal unpopularity being one element of it, and the desire of
some for Presbyterianism and of the rest for Independency
being the other element. The preacher, doubtless, favored the
proposed change of ecclesiastical government, for he entered
the Presbytery of Philadelphia, with his congregation, in 17 10.
It is altogether probable that his action in this matter was
offensive to some of his parishioners and was the cause of the
secession of Benjamin Dunham and his adherents to the Episco-
pal body. Mr. Wade seems to have been a man of dogmatic
temperament, very much bent upon having his own way. The
early congregations of the Independents were famous for their
obstinacy. So Greek met Greek, and then came the " tug of
war." Dr. Hodge, speaking of this unlovely strife, says that
the Woodbridge Church "gave the Presbytery more trouble
than all the rest put together" — not a very complimentary
remark, but a true one, as the general records attest.
In 17 1 1, the members of the Presbytery say, " diverses of
* Dr. Hodge's History, p. 83.
^THE PRESBYTERIANS. 171
the people of Wobdbridge appeared, some for and some
against him [Mr. Wade], against which he made the best
vindication he could, but not so good but^that we thought it
convenient to advise him to demit his pastoral relations to the
whole people of Woodbridge."* The Town Meeting, acting
on the supposition that Mr. Wade would heed this advice
appointed a committee on the 6th of December, 1711, " to look
out for a minister " — from which it appears that the town still
manifested an active interest in the ecclesiastical matters they
had controlled so long. /This committee consisted of Capt.
Elisha Parker, John Fc/rd, Samuel Dennis, George Brown,
and Thomas Pike.
yir. Boyd, the Freeliold minister, did not long supply the
Woodbridge pulpit, nor did Mr. Wade leave his charge as the
Presbyter}'- had advised ; so that things remained tn statu quo
until the following year. The Presbytery then authoritatively
dismissed Mr. Wade and appointed a Rev. Mr. GillLspie in his
place. This displeased Mr. Wade very much. He appealed
to Dr. Cotton Mather, going to Boston to confer with him'.
The eminent divine, doubtless misunderstanding the case, sent
Mr. Wiswall to Woodbridge in company with Mr. Wade,
recommending him as a suitable minister for the people at
that place. In the meantime, Mr. Gillispie was preaching
acceptably in the little meeting-house. The arrival of Mr.
Wiswall and his unpopular escort led to more tumult, in the
midst of which Gillispie left. Mr. Wiswall did not long
remain here. So Mr. Wade again became the preaclier, as is
proven by the following minute of the Town Meeting held
Januaiy 28th, 17 14:
"Granted to Mr. Wade to have the use of the Parsonage
meadow so long as he shall continue our minister."
The Parsonage Land is mentioned so frequently in this
volume that it is only proper that we should give a few facts
concerning it before proceeding further.
As is well known, this land was granted b)' the Lords-
proprietors for the support of the ministry in the town. In
* Dr. Hodge, p. 87.
172 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
1682 (October loth), it was decided by the Town Meeting
that twenty-four acres of it should be " meadow or marsh ; " the
remaining one hundred and seventy-six acres to be upland.
At various times it was rented, and sometimes it was planted
with corn for the benefit of the public treasury. The follow-
ing is a correct transcript of the survey of this land, made
March 12th, 17 16. (See Freeholders' Book, folio 84.)
"Then Layd out by us vnder named two Hundred acors of
land Given by Lord John Barkley & Sr. George Carteret, ye
former proprietors of ye province of new jersy, to ward ye
Charge of maintaining a gospell minister in this town, wch
shall be Called & seatled amongst us by ye mejority of ye
hinhabitance in ye town of woodbridge ; ye sd. Land Lying &
being att a place known by ye name of trout Brook neck:
Begining att ye south west Corner of ye School Land, from
thence runing north & by west twenty two Chaine to a
maple tree markt on four sides, standing in ye line of ye sd.
School land; thence west south west seven Chaine to ye
south East]Corner of John Edde ['s] land; thence south west
in ye line of sd. Eddes. So Extending on ye same Course forty
one Chaine to ye north East Corner of Jchabod Smith ['s] third
devision lott; thence southerly on ye sd Smith ['s] line of sd.
lott ten Chaine to his south east Corner; thence south south
east twenty one Chaine to a stake planted six rod east ward of
ye northeast Corner of william Ilslee['s] addition; so Extend-
ing from thence to matuching [i. e. Metuchen] Road, leaving
a highway between ye sd. addition & sd. ministers [land];
from thence Easterly on sd. Road thirty five Chaine to a large
white oak markt on four sides standing by ye sd. road; thence
north & by -west forty seven Chaine to a beech tree markt on
four sides standing four rod west ward of ye great spring &
from thence East four rod to ye place where it began,
by ye appointment of ye town.
Thos. pike, lott Layer,
â– John Jaques,
George Brown,"
It will be considered appropriate for us to introduce just
here the survey of the " Meeting-house Green," entered in the
Freeholders' Book, folio 134:
THE PRESBYTERIANS. I73
"Surveyed the 28th of the 8th month, called August, 1784,
at request of Doctor Moses Bloomfield and Jonathan Bloom-
field, Esq. (at the same time were present Samuel Barron,
Esq., William Smith, John Noe, John Barron, and Charles
Jackson), a lot of land, lying in the Town Spot of Woodbridge,
whereon is erected the Presbyterian Meeting-house and a
building commonly called a Church, which said lot of land
is called the Meeting-house Green: Beginning at the North-
west corner of the home lot of land, formerly laid out foV
Samuel Smith, now belonging to William Smith; from said
beginning running N. 11° 46', E. 20 chains, 55 links, to a
gray rock, now within Samuel Barron's enclosure; thence
with the line of the said Samuel Barron S. 18° and 25 minutes
— E. 19 chains, 90 links, to a stone planted and shown by
Samuel Barron for the South-west corner of his land; then
S. 15° 20', W. 2 chains, 61 links, to a stake; then S. S° 40',
E. 5 chains, 97 links to a stake now standing within William
Smith's enclosure ; then with the said William Smith's line N.
80° 30', W. 8 chains, 93 links, to the beginning — containing
eleven acres and three-tenths of an acre, as per the Plan
delineated by a scale of 4 chains to an inch."
To resume our story :
The ReV:,^jQh2.^Jerson succeeded to the pastorate of the
Woodbridge Church in 17 14. He was the son of Rev. Abra-
ham Pierson, of Killingworth, Conn., the first President of
Yale College. John was only about twenty-eight years ojd
when he came to this place. It is supposed that Rev. Jonathan
Dickinson, the talented and celebrated Independent preacher
at Elizabethtown, introduced young Pierson to the notice of
the people here. Dickinson had been educated by the elder
Pierson, and an attachment had grown up between the hoys,
thus associated, which continued throughout life.
John Pierson was ordained, as the Woodbridge minister,
April 29th, 1717 — his friend, Dickinson, participating in the
services.* The Presbytery of Philadelphia met, on this
occasion, in the quaint meeting-house here, and Mr. Dickin-
son was enrolled among its members for the first time.
* Hatfield's Elizabeth, p. 830.
174
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
From a letter written by Rev. Thomas Halliday, November
8th, 1 716, we judge that Mr. Pierson's salary was about ;^8o
per annum, raised, of course, by private subscriptions. Speak-
ing of Newark, Elizabethtown, and Woodbridge, he says : " In
each of those towns there is a large Independent congregation
who support their preachers with the allowance of ;^8o per
annum, besides House, Glebe, and perquisites of Marriages."*
The Woodbridge congregation was not then Independent, but
of this he may not have been aware; or, it may be, that he
preferred using the old term to prevent riiisunderstanding.
Nothing of . importance occurred during Mr. Pierson's
ministry, which continued for thirty-eight years. The
" Church enjoyed great peace and quietness, gradually increas-
ing; there being no remarkable revival of religion in his day.
Its number was small, at no time exceeding thirty."f
In the Town Meeting of October 29th, 1722, this minute is
recorded : " Mr. John Peirson our present minister Shall have
the whole use of the Land Layd out for the use of the person-
age dureing the time he continues minister of the Gospel Jn
this town, Giving him here by full power to Take Care to
preserve the timber from being destroyed or taken away by
any person or persons whatsoEver."
March 12th, of the ensuing year, the Town Meeting agreed
" that mr. John Person our present minister shall have power
to make what Jmprovement ; he pleas on ye personage Land
by Letting of it out or other wise as he Shall Se meet for the
further Jmprovement thereof."
In 1732 Mr.Pierson was deprived, by death, of the compan-
ionship of his wife. Her epitaph on the tombstone in the old
grave-yard at Woodbridge represents her as being remarkable
for meekness, prudence, and piety — shining qualities in a
minister's wife. The following is the chief inscription on the
old slab :
" Here is interred the precious remains of Mrs. Ruth
Pierson, wife of the Rev. Mr. John Pierson, and daughter of
the Rev. Timothy Woodbridge of Hartford, in New England,
who fell asleep in Jesus 7th of January, 1732, aetatis 38."
* Hatfield's Elizabeth, p. 829. t Rev. Azel Eoe's M9. History.
THE PRESBYTERIANS.
175
At the Town Meeting held on the second Tuesday in March,
1745, we find the next and last mention of the minister in the
township records. We transcribe the " minute ";
"It also passed by a major vote that Robart Hude Esqr.,
James Smith, Esqr., John Moores, Esqr., Mr. William Stone
& Mr. Joseph Blobmfield shall be a Commetie (any three of /
them to have power to act) to Joyn with the presbyterian '
minister of this town for the time being to manage ye parson-
age Land by Leseing of it out or otherways as ye sd. minister
& ye major part of ye sd. commetie or their sucsessors shall
Judge most advantagidus for and towards the Suport of
a presbyterian minister in this town."
Edward Crowell, the Town Clerk, says, in regard to this
action, that " this was done as I was informed at the request of
Mr. John Pierson our present minister." In March, 1748,
Abraham Tappen and Joseph Freeman were added to the
committee "to manage ye parsonage Land."
In 1740 the eloquent Methodist divine, George Whitefield,
preached in Mr. Pierson's Church. The congregation was
very large. The sermon was preached on Monday morning
at ten o'clock, April 28th. The distinguished clergyman
dined, with the fi'iends who accompanied him, at Mr. Pierson's
house; and then hastened to Elizabethtown where an audience
of 2,000 souls were assembled to hear him in Jonathan Dick-
inson's house of worship.*
The brilliant Dickinson died October 7th, 1747, of 'pleurisy,
in the 60th year of his age. Mr. Pierson, his life-long friend,
preached the funeral sermon at Elizabethtown on the 9th.
This sermon was subsequently printed. Fifteen years before,
Mr. Dickinson had performed the sad service over his friend's
wife, Ru,th Pierson ; and now that friend was pronouncing a
long farewell to his much-beloved Jonathan. Twentv-three
years after, the three met in the Kingdom,
" To be parted nevermore. "
Mr. Pierson died at Hanover, N. J., in 1770, in the Sist
year of his age, having preached the Gospel for fifty-six years.
* Hatfield's EUzabeth, p. 341.
176 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY, .
In 1752 he was dismissed from Woodbridge at his own'request
in consequence of " some dispute or difference arising betwixt
him and his people."" He was, however, dismissed " w ithout
the least censure or imputation upon his character or con-
duct. He was justly reputed and esteemed a worthy and able
minister of the New Testament, sound in the faith. Of
exemplary conversation and candor, he well supported the
dignity of his office, and had but few equals in his day in
theological knowledge."! He was one of the first Board
of Trustees of the College of f^ew Jersey, of which the
lamented Dickinson was the first E^?5ident.
Rev. Nathaniel Whitaker, a licentiate of the Presbytery of
New York, svicceeded Mr, Pierson. He was ordained and
duly installed December loth, 1755. There is very little
known of this clergyman. He remained in Woodbridge five
years, and was then dismissed at his own request. A disturb-
ance in his Church, fi-om some trivial cause, occurred during
his ministry, producing, to use Rev. Mr. Roe's language, "a
small rent."
In 1756 the Presbyterian Church at Woodbridge secured a
royal charter incorporating it as the " First Presbyterian
Church " of this town. It was given by Gov. Jonathan
Belcher, and is dated September 8th.
The Rev. Azel Roe succeeded Mr. Whitaker; but we
reserve for a future chapter the history of this distinguished
man.
viV
• Church Ilistory \>j Her. A. Roo. t Ibid.
CHAPTER X:VL
1669—1793.
Educational — Thp; Free School Land — First Scih^ol-
Teacher — John Browne — John Beacher— Survey ok
THE School Land — Rahway School Matters — Straw-
berry Hill — George Eubanks — School Fund — The Old
Academy.
Provision for the education of children was made by the
township of Woodbridge in the days of the settlement. A
school v.'as regarded, by the villagers, as indispensable, and
was named in the Charter, in 1669, as an object for the appro-
priation of public land. The general location of this land was
agreed, upon, but it was not at first surveyed. In conse-
quence, some ungenerous persons sought to occupy the
chosen ground and obtained patents for it. This aroused tlie
indignation of their fellow-citizens. In September, 16S2,
resolutions were passed in a Town Meeting strongly con-
demnatory of the men holding the free school tract, declaring
their patents to be illegal. It was determined to complain to
the authorities that the grievance might be redressed. In case
this should prove ineffective, the law was to be invoked to
secure the ejectment of the intruders. Capt. Pike, John
Bishop, Sr., Thomas Bloomfield, and Samuel Moore were
appointed a committee to enforce the sentiments and deter-
mination of the town. The committee did as they v/ere
instructed. The land was recovered for school purposes
alone. It consisted of one hundred acres, twelve of which, by
a town order of October loth, 1682, were to be marsh and the
remaining eighty-eight to be upland.
The first school-teacher in Woodbridge was James Fuller-
ton, Avho was elected to that dignity on the 3rd of March, 16S9.
The following is the minute in regard to the matter:
"Jt also passed By Vote that they were generally willing
L
lyS WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
that James Fullerton Shall Be Entertained in this towne as a
School Master, and to be Encouraged by Such as See cause to
Employ him."
Mr. Fullerton, with his brothers, Thomas and Robert, came
into the Province in 16S4. James settled on Cedar Brook, on
land claimed by Jeffrey Jones. In 1693 Jones ousted Fuller-
ton, who, in September, brought a suit against Jones for the
recovery of the property. The trial was held in May, 1695,
before the Court of Common Pleas at Perth Amboy, and
Fullerton was restored to the ownership of the disputed
territory. Jones appealed to the King of England, who, after
a re-hearing of the case, reversed the judgment of the Court,
and Fullerton was finally dispossessed.*
It is probable that he faught the Woodbridge school until
1691,
In January, 1694, Nathaniel Fitz Randolph and John
Bloomfield were sent "to Discourse with John Browne of
Amboy or any other person that May Be Sutable," to secure
his services as teacher. On the 27th of February, " Jt Passed
By Vote that John Brown of Amboy Should have twenty-
four pounds a yeare alowed him for keeping a free School in
this towne this next yeare." John Conger protested against
this vote, on what ground does not appear. He demanded
that his protest be recorded, which was done. Doubtless he
thought ;£24. too lavish an expenditure for teaching one year.
His views of a liberal educational policy were well illustrated
in the signature he attached to an important township paper
a year after — subscribing his name with the cabalistic X — "his
mark."
Previous to Mr. Brown's advent we must place John
Beacher, who was offered ^13 to teach six months on trial.
The offer was extended to Beacher December loth, 1691, with
this proviso : " that he Shall be constant & faithfull in that
employ as a School Master aught to Be, and that he Shall Be
Jngaged to attend the School this winter time untill Nine
oclock at Night."
* Hatfield's Elizabeth, p. 241.
TOWN SCHOOLS. I^g
Whether John was a progenitor of the distinguished Brook-
lyn orator, Henry Ward Beecher, we are not assured.^'
On the 1 2th of June, 1695, a tax was ordered to be levied
forthwith to make up the School Master's salary, which was
largely in arrears. John Browne, of Amboy, who was teach-
ing the village school at this time, could not have been very
much fascinated with his professional prospects in view of
this state of things.
In the Town Meeting of January 29th, 1701, it was decided
that no division of the common land should be made until the
" Free School land " was laid out. A committee was appointed
to make the survey, and to lay out the land " in such place or
places as they in their discretion should judge best." This
survey was ordered to be recorded, which was done. The
property is situated not far from the Uniontown station on the
Pennsylvania Railroad, and is now better known as the Poor
House Farm, the township having hired the land from the
trustees for the benefit of its homeless poor. The followino-
is a copy of the survey alluded to, taken from the Town Book
(see Randolph's copy, page 124). It will be seen that it is all
upland, instead of part marsh as was first intended:
"December ye nth, 1701. Then Laid out by us here under
Named, one Hundred acres of upland, which was granted to
the Town of Woodbridge by the proprietors of New Jersey
for a free school : begining at a maple tree marked on all four
sides Standing on a point on the west Side of the mouth of a
fresh brook, known by the Name of trought brook : from
thence Running Southerly as the said brook Runs forty
Chains to a bending white oake marked on all four Sides,
Standing by the Said brook ; from thence west and by South
twenty five Chaine to a beach tree — marked on four Sides
Standing about two Rod Eastward from a Spring known by
the Name of the great Spring, from thence North and by west
fourty Chaine through a great Swamp known by the Name of
* It Vvill be observed t]aat Mr. Whitehead calls this mau "John Boael;er," iustead cf
" Beacher." Randolph's copy spells it as we have done. Notwithstanding, Mr. Whitehead's
rendering is possibly correct. It must be borne in mind, however, that the original To\Mi
Book is badly blurred, and Randolph copied it when it was more legible. A discrepancy in
the date of the school-teacher's arrival will, also, be noted. The dale we give is plainly writ-
ten in RandoliJh's copy.
iSo WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Rahawack Swamp to a Beach tree marked on all four Sides,
Standing Near to the Northwest branch; from thence East
twenty two Chaine to Rahawack River where Standeth a
Swamp oak tree marked on all four Sides: and from thence as
the Said River Runs to the maple tree where it first began :
in the aforesaid Land there is alowance for a Highway if there
be occation for it : —
Samuel Dennis, John Bishop,
Samuel Hale, John Bloomfield,
Jonathan Dunham, Thomas Pike."
We find a call for a Town Meeting in the old records bear-
ing date July 14th, 1701 — tlie Freeholders to assemble in the
Meeting-house on the 23d, at 12 o'clock, to consider, among
other things, the project for erecting a school-house. The
meeting v/as held at the time specified, but the ordination of
Rev. Mr. Shepard was the exciting topic of discussion, and the
school-house is not even mentioned in the minutes. Never-
theless, it is not improbable that it was under consideration;
for Railway was not as large a settlement as Woodbridge, and
yet in the following December ten rods of land were set apart
there by the township Freeholders "to build a School-house
on." This land lay " between John Robinson Tailers House
and the House of John Alstone." If the Woodbridge Town
Meeting should thus make provision for primary education in
Railway it is reasonable to suppose that it would early make
the same in this more populous section. The famous Straw-
berry Hill school-house is supposed to have been built during
this year. Before that structure was completed it is likely
that the village school held its sessions in the Meeting-house;
and that, as little boys, our fathers sported on the Meeting-
House Green. Wild boys they were, too, if we may credit
contemporaneous records.
In 1707 the town voted to lay out the School Land and
Strawberry Hill in common fields for raising corn.
On the 28th of January, 17 14, it was unanimously voted that
John Kinsey, James Clarkson, Henry Rolph, and Samuel
Ayers should be appointed to the " special care of the School
Land in that manner as shall to them seem most advantageous
TOWN SCHOOLS. igj
for the end it Avas laid out for; and also to agree with those
that have now got timber cut upon it."
The next teacher after John Browne's departure, the next
of whom we have any account, was George Eubanks, a man
of some ability. He began teaching in Woodbridge some
time during 171 1, probably ; for in that year we find a grant
of ten acres to him on Red Brook (or Reed Brook) for his
"encouragemenc " as school teacher. The land was eiven, as
the deed stipulates, on condition "that the sd. George
Ewbancke do remain, abide and teach School In woodbridg-e
aforesd. In ye Publick School house now built for yt purpose,
during his natural life, or as long as he shall be capable.
Provided always yt the Inhabitants of ye sd. Town, satisfying
and paying unto the said Geo. Ewbancke for his Teaching of
their Children, yearly & every year. So Long as he shall be
capable of Teaching of School, anything aforesd. to the con-
trary notwithstanding, that then [the] present relase [release]
Shall Stand In full force."
How long Mr. Eubanks taught the "young idea how to
shoot" on Strawberry Hill, for here, doubtless, was the scene
of his toils, is not known. As the ten acres were made over
to him, it is most probable that he filled the conditions of the
grant, and remained in the tov/n, spending a laborious, useful
and honored life among the youth of that time. He was a
member of the Episcopal Church ; and it was he,"perhaps, who
penned the invitation to Mr, Vaughan by which the latter
v.^as induced to come to Woodbridge to establish Episcopal
services, for his name comes last on the paper.
The following survey* shows that Rahway school interests
were not neglected :
" March )'e 2Sth, 17 16. Then Lay'd outt by us under written
(Pursuant to a town Grant to the Inhabitants of Rahawack)
two acres of School Land Begining att a white oak tree
Markt on four sides, standing by the Rode wch Run's by ye
widow Jones house; thence Runing South west & be west
twenty eight Rod to another white oak markt on four Sides;
' Freeholders' Book, folio 25.
1 82 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
thenc south south east twenty Rod to a small white oak markt
on four sides: thence North East & by East sixteen Rod to a
Wallnutt tree markt on four sides: and from thence on a
straight Line to ye Place where Jtt began :
Thos Pike, Lott layer.
John Jaqves )
George Brown [ Comitte.
Will: Ileslee )
Just one year previous to this survey it was proposed at a
public meeting to divide Strawberry Hill into equal parts for
the benefit of the Freeholders, notwithstanding a town order
of long standing making it a perpetual common. The land
was becoming valuable, and some of the more avaricious
desired to add portions of it to their already large possessions.
A vote was taken, March Sth, 17 15, by which this measure was
authorized.*
After the meeting adjourned, if not before, considerable
opposition was manifested; and in the succeeding meeting
July i2th, the subject was re-considered, and Strawberry Hill^
with some other commons, was excepted from the contem-
plated division of land. At this time it was also determined
to re-survey the School Land.
The Freeholders resolved to sell the one hundred acres
appropriated for schools, but found that an order from the
General Assembly would be essential to make the sale valid.
Accordingly, on the 3d of January, 17 17, this minute appears
on the record :
" Itt also pased by a free voatt yt where as ye freeholders &
Inhabitants of this town Conceive itt will be More Conven-
ient & advantagious to sell ye School land : & being nott able
to give a title wth outt ye assisstance of ye Generall Assem-
bly : they do hereby appoint Jno. Kinsey and Moses Rolph to
petition ye sd assembly to pass [an act] to enable us to do )'C
same."
This action, hovv'ever, was never carried out. The land was
not sold. The town Avas wise in retaining it and is reaping
the fruits of that wisdom to-day.
* FreeholderB' Look, fol. 28.
TOWN SCHOOLS. 1 83
Afraid, perhaps, that another effort would be made to divide
Strawberry Hill into house lots, the Freeholders, on the 9th
of January, 1724, decreed that "a piece on the End of Stra-
berrey Hill Next the town Between tlie Road that Leads to
Amboy and the Dwelling house of Ephrim Andrews Deceassed
Shall Ly perpetually Comon.''-" It was to be used only for a
school-house, market place, or a similar public service.
The management of the school land was given, from year to
year, into the hands of committees appointed by the annual
Town Meeting. The following table shows how the fund>
arising from the rent of this property, increased in value from
the year 1764. The principal was ^361. los. gd. at that date,
and the interest accruing amounted to ^72. 17^-., making a
total of ^434. 7.y. 9//.:
1764
484.
.s.
i .
5.
8.
d.
U.
3.
1 77'^^
1765
1766
465.
CO'.*
1773
1774
1767-9
1770
1775
1776
740
1771
7U4.
£.
s.
d.
850.
—
—
900.
—
—
985.
4.
10.
1,063.
14.
11.
1,163.
12.
6.
Then came the dreadful days of war when this amount was
reduced to a low figure for carrying forward the military
operations. It is supposed that the money was absorbed for
such purposes, but no account of the expenditure is to be
found. The following entry in Liber B (folio 25), explains
itself: "March nth, 1783, at a general town meeting the
trustees for the free School Land of the Township of Wood-
bridg do Report that there acounts on tlie furst of march was
as follows, viz. Due on Bonds Bills and Notes together with
money due on the Land, ^477. Z^- 5^- Cash in hand, ;£;^. ys.;
total amount, ^480. io.r. ^d."
Whitehead, in commenting on this exhibit, seems to regard
the ^480, etc., as the total fund. But is not that view a
mistaken one.'' The interest on the bonds, notes, etc., is all
that the ^480 represents ; the paper representing the princi-
pal. That is the way we look at it, but others must judge for
themselves.
On the nth of March, 1766, the question of applying the
* Freeholders' Bjok, foiio 32.
1S4 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
interest of the School Fund for the "schooling of poor peo-
ple's children " was raised in the Town Meeting, but it was
voted down. In 1789, the inhabitants, as Whitehead sayS)
•'appear to have learned something from experience; " for they
not only used the interest of this fund, but also the tax on dogs,
for educating these children.
In 1793 svibscriptions were obtained for money to build the
far-famed Woodbridge Academy. It was built by Jonathan
Freeman at a total cost of ^342. 2^. ^d. The site is now
occupied by the down-town District School house which was
erected in the Fall ol 1851. The old Academy was not
destroyed, but was sold and removed to a lot immediately
adjoining Mr. George Lasslett's residence, where it stands to
this day. It no longer resounds with the yells of refractory
pupils and the hum of the multiplication table, but it has
become an unassuming dwelling.
CHAPTER XYII.
1790—1737.
Slavery — Market-Place — Encroachments— Roads Made
Narrow — The Sonmans-Stelle Difficulty — John
Kixsey's Shrewdness — Lists of Town and Freehold-
ers' Clerks — The Seventh Division of Land — Last of
the Sonmans-Stelle Law-suit.
We again turn our attention to tl:e general history of the
town.
It is uncertain \vhether shaves were brought from Europe
with the first settlers of the Province, but the traffic in human
souls began at a very early period. In i6So there were 120
negroes in bondage in the Province, which in 1737 had
increased to 3,071 ;- in 1790 the State (the two provinces being-
united, of course) had within its limits 11,423 slaves; in 1800
it had 12,422; after which the number rapidly declined, until
in 1850 there were only 236 in Nevv^ Jersey. In 1810 Wood-
bridge contained 230 slaves. During the century, between
1700 and 1800, the traffic was largely carried on in this State,
and Wood bridge was greatly interested in it. Records of the
sale of Africans are frequently found in MSS. relating to the
town. The following, bearing date June 3d, 17 17, is written
in Liber B, folio 100:
"Know all men by these presents, yt J, Shoball Smiili, of
Woodbridge, Jn ye County of Middx Jn ye provence New
East Jersey, for and Jn Consideration of ye sum of fifty pound
Currant Silver money, of ye sd provence, to me Jn hand paid
by Samuel Smith of ye Same place, yeoman of ye town and
provence aforesd — do bargain, sell, allineat and Deliver one
Neero woman Named Phebe to sd Samll Smith, for him, his
heirs and assigns," etc.
' Gordon's N. J., p. 29. (Gazetteer.)
l86 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
In the Freeholders' meeting of January 9th, 1724, Justice
Hude presiding, it was voted that certain pieces of land should'
lie perpetually common, among which were these : A plot at
Metuchen, adjoining the south-west corner of Israel Thornell's
land; one lying before Moses Rolph's door (John Allen's
house-lot forming the rear boundary); and one, as the Clerk
describes it, "on the End of Straberrey Hill, Next the town,
Between tlie Road that Leads to Amboy and the Dwelling
house of Ephrim Andrewes, Deceassed." These commons
were to be devoted to "publique uses" only, such as "the
building School houses, Market places, &c."
Public market-places were, in those times, regardeti as
essential to the well-being of any town ; and provision was
made, therefore, for the erection of a market here. Perth
Amboy was favored with such a building,* which was
destroyed, in 1842, by the owner, into whose possession it
came in that year. Whetiier one was built in Woodbridge is
unknown ; but it is improbable, inasmuch as no mention is
made of it. Nor can avc find any survey locating a plot for
that purpose. However, sucli a survey may have been made
and tlie record of it may be lost. A tradition, regarded
as reliable, assigns as the Woodbridge market-place the
ground upon which the village hotel (the Pike House) now
stands. Mrs. David Paton has told me that three acres in that
locality were set apart for the purpose indicated — her grand-
mother, who remembered the matter distinctly, having so
informed her. Little by little individuals owning land adja-
cent to it absorbed the greater part of it, and thus it became
private property.
Mrs. Paton's grandmother, Mrs. Campyon, resided in the
building now occupied as a drug-store by Dr. Samuel E,
Freeman. She is authority for a story of an amusing contest
between two neighbors living near the market-place. One of
these, whose land bordered the public property aforesaid,
found it necessary to build a new fence, and, surmising that
what belonged to everybody belonged to nobody in particular,
built it several feet beyond his own line. This roused the ire
* Whitehead's Ccntritutious, p. 255.
TOWN MEETINGS, RESUMED. 1 87
of a lady near by, who instituted measures for circumventing
the avaricious man. In the morning after the construction of
his fence he was astonished to find it lying flat on the ground,
having been demolished during the night. The posts were
re-set and the reconstruction completed, when the same mis-
fortune befell the structure. It was found prostrated through
some unknown agency. Filled with wrath, the man openly
attributed the mischief to the lady living near, who offered no
denial, but coolly informed him that he might put up the fence
as often as he pleased and he would find it taken down just as
often. "A pint of rum will do it!" she exclaimed tri-
umphantly. Finding hiniself discomfited and unable to satisfy
his avarice at the public expense, the encroacher abandoned
the disputed territory, baffled by the spirit and prompt action
of a courageous woman.
The dishonest practice of absorbing public land by fencing
it and attaching it to private property was very common.
The town authorities were constantly passing resolutions
denouncing it ; in spite of which, however, whole acres were
appropriated by unscrupulous persons. The public School
Land came near being entirely lost to the township at one
time by false claimants. It is only necessary to look at the
public highways to see the frauds which private owners have
perpetrated. Very few roads in the township are as wide as
they should be. Those which the surveyors determined
should be six rods in width have been, in many instances,
reduced to four; and the tour- rod roads have become, in some
cas-es, narrow lanes, through the cupidity of certain land-
holders. As an illustration, take the six-rod road laid out
September 15th, 1704, "all along by the River."* Who can
find a highway of that width "along by the river".' The
thoroughfare known as the King's Highiuay, which ran through
Woodbridge, was, when first laid out, a great deal wider
in many places than it now is. The same is true of nearly
everv other road in the township. A man would build a
fence, putting it out far enough in the road to make the extra
land pay for the improvement. His next-door neighbor did
To\vu Records, A., p. 87.
iSS WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
likewise — for it would look odd if his fence stood back several
feet from the line of the other. Thus the narrowing of the
highways became general. So it came to pass that some that
were intended to be spacious were contracted and barely
passable for two vehicles side by side.
The Freeholders of Woodbridge held a meeting on the 24th
of March, 1727, to consider the claims of Peter Sonmans, of
Perth Amboy, a matter destined to give the people of this
town considerable trouble. We h.ave already alluded to it.
(See page 153.) ^ Gabriel Stelle was another claimant. These
claims related to land on the boundary line between Amboy
and Woodbridge. The Woodbridge men held that the land
was on this side of the line and had nsver bsen granted
or otherwise bestowed upon the claimants. Both Sonmans
and Stelle were prominent men in Amboy, the latter having
founded a ferry, in 1728, between South Amboy and Staten
Island, stopping at Perth Amboy en route.*
In the March meeting just referred to, John Kinsey, Jr., a
shrewd man, well versed in the intricacies of law, was made a
sort of counselor to a committee of investigation, appointed to
look into the Sonmans-Stelle claims. The committee consisted
of Adam Hude, John Kinsey, Benjamin Force, Daniel Britton,
Wm. Bunn, James Thomson, Shobei Smith, Moses Rolph.
On the 15th of December following, another meeting
occurred, Benjamin Force, Moderator. The minutes read
thus :
" Mr. John Kinsey Came Jnto ye meeting and Satisfied the
Freeholders Jn those matters and things the above Comitte
was ordered to confer wth him about — and then it was voated
that sd. INIr. Kinsey should be added to sd. Comittef and 3't
they should take ye first oppertunity to Discourse wth Mr.
Sonmans Jn Relation to Som Lands he claimes on amboy
Line, and also to Endevoure if it be practible to Se if the
freeholders Can purchase Such a Right of Quit Rents as may
Enable them to Discount wth the propriotors tor the Quit
Rent due on our Generall patten."
* Whitehead, p. 272. t The Jolin Kiueey already on the Committee was probably his
father.
TOWN MEETINGS, RESUMED. igo
The committee were authorized to give public notice when
they were ready to report.* The next meeting recorded was
not held until January 9th, 1730, when Capt. Matthew Moore,
John Veali [Vail] and Moses Rolph were chosen a committee
to report what was best to be done at the present juncture of
the Sonmans-Stelie affair. The Freeholders then adjourned
to the 26th. At ten o'clock on the morning designated thev
met again and the committee last appointed reported as
follows : .
"The Said Comjtte first do think it proper and absolutely
nessary that money be forth [with] Raised to Defray the
Charges of Runing and assertaining the bounds between us
and at our neighbouring towns, Especially the bounds between
us and amboy wch we think ought forth v/th to be don as
Soue as possible; and if any have wthjn the Limation [i. e
limitation] of ye Law before or Shall hereafter offer to
Trespass wth Jn our bounds, that they be forth wth pros-
ecuted. — 2ndly, we think it Just there should be no more
Land Layd out to any person whatsoever wth Jn our bounds
but to those who have not had there ten pound Rights Layd
out to them. Exclusive of what is Called the five pound Right,
Except it be Layd on Land yt is not Liable to be any ways
controverted between us and our Pseighbours, ril our bounds
are assertained. — 3dly We tliink it proper to Qviet the minds
of all and to prevent jelousies Jn Som Jn Relation to yc
Raiseing money for the Ends and purposes afore sd. that there
be a Comitte apointed by the Freeholders and Jmpowered
by them to take a Count of our atturneys (to whom they sd
atturneys shal be acountable) for what money comes Jn to
there hands."
This report was received with much favor, and the money
was at once called for. The attorneys alluded to were John
Kinsey, Henry Freeman, and Moses Rolph, who were ap-
pointed in the meeting of March 25th, 1720. It was now
required that each Freeholder should pay, nolens volens, ten
shillimrs for contestins: the claims of the Ambov men. The
* If the Committee did rejjort at any public mectirg it is evident that it amounted lo
uot! iafir. SouniaLS was in:movable.
igo WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
committee, whose propositions had proved so acceptable,
were continued as an advisory cabinet to whom the attorneys
miffht resort for consultation. By the way, John Veall, one of
them, will be more readily recognized as Jo/in Vail. As
we have before intimated, our fathers had a frightful way of
writing their names. John's name is spelt Vcall in several
places and Vaiic in another, in such a way that his identity is
preserved, so that we know the same man is meant in every
instance. The Veall being thus disposed of, revenoiis a nos
moutons :
The meeting, which we presume was a lengthy one, ad-
journed in time, perhaps, for a late dinner. kf' On the 5th of
February it re-assembled at ten o'clock in the morning, as
before. John Kinsey, the elder, was chosen Moderator, as the
Chairmen of these early town gatherings were called. He
presented a paper written by the younger John Kinsey,
"shewing his opinjon what was best to be don by the Free-
holders to put them Jn away to opose and Defend themselves
ao-ainst those who had or should Trespase wth Jn there
bounds."
This document, which was a shrewd plan for proceeding in
the disputed case, was unanimously approved. We give it in
full :
"Jn order to determine the Controversey Relating to ye
Lands claimed by Gabriell Stelle ard others and Jn the mean-
time to preserve ye timber Growing there on J propose —
That the Freeholders of Woodbridge (or at Least so many of
them as may be procured) make a Realase [release] of the
Land Jn Controversey to some person Jn trust and Grant also
the timber growing thereon, the Lease to Continue for seven
years, and a proviso therejn to be Conteined that if the said
Freeholders or the Greater nuni^ber of them or any other
person by there order or the order of the Greater number of
them shal at any time there after tender one Shiling To the
Lessee, his heirs, Exr. admrs. or assigns, that then the Sd.
Lease to be void, by this Lease ye person trusted may have it
Jn his power to punish Tresepasers and become plaintive or
defendent Jn order to trie the title : and Jn case of danger of
TOWN MEETINGS, RESUMED. I(jl
betraying his trust the Freeholders always have it Jn there
power to put a period to his Claime by virtue of the Lease on
the Tender of one Shiling. Jf the Freeholders think lit to do
this, the Lessee may Enter upon the premises Jn the presents
of-witneses, upon whom Gabriell Stelle may ReEnter and
turn him out, for wch an action may be brought that will
trie the title. II^^And note, where any of those have Free-
hold rights [who] are under age, there guardians must Leas
for them ; not a guardian apointed by the Governour, for such
have no power Jn the Case; but either the person to whom
the Father by deed or Last wil Jn his Life time had Comitted
the Custody of Jnfant to ; or where there is no such appoint-
ment, by such person whome the Law C/omitts the Guardian
ship of the child to ; that is to say, to the next of kin to whome
the Jnheritance can't desend. John Kinsey, Junr."
From this it will be seen that John knew what he was
doing. A Philadelphia lawyer could not have proposed a
better plan. As mig\it have been expected, John himself was
nominated and elected the " Lessee " mentioned in the paper
— " nemone contradicenfe," as the Clerk pompously put it.
As the year 1731 has been reached in our narrative, we
pause in the history of the litigation to note the advent ot a
new Town Clerk, Edward Crowell. He served in this office
from 1 73 1 to 1756 — a period of twenty-five years ! His is the
longest term of service in this position in the township, ^ye
ofive a table of the Town Clerks down to 1800 :
-166S, Joshua Pierce.
1 669-1 688, Samuel Moore.
1688-1692, Samuel Dennis,
1693-1711, Thomas Pike.
1712-1731, Moses Rolph.
1731-1756, Edward Crowell.
1757-1769, Nathaniel Fitz Randolph.
1769-1773, Daniel Moore.
1773-1783, Robert Fitz Randolph.
1783-1784, David Frazee.
1784- , Charles Jackson.
1788-1794, James Paton.
192
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
s/
1794-1795, Robert Ross, Jr.
1795- , Ichabod Potter.
They were usually elected ia the Spring of each year. The
Freeholders began to hold meetings by themselves in the year
1707. At first the Town Clerk was also Freeholders' Clerk.
Thomas Pike and Moses Rolph served in both clerkships —
but, although Rolph was succeeded by Edward Crowell as
Town Clerk, he was succeeded by Thomas Gach as Clerk of
the Freeholders. Plere is a list of the latter Clerks down to
1S15:
1 707-1 7 1 1, Thomas Pike.
1712-1731, Moses Rolph.
173.2-1770, Thomas Gach.
1770-1773, Nathaniel Fitz Randolph.
1773-17S4, Di"- Moses Bloomfield.
1784-1790,
1791-1815, Jonathan Bloomfield.
Nothing more is recorded in the minutes concerning the
Sonmans-Stelle affair until 1734. A meeting was held March
29th, 1732, but only to elect a Clerk and appoint a committee
to adjust certain inequalities in the division of the public land.
On the 4th of February, 1734, we observe that John Kinsey
and Moses Rolph are superseded by Ezekiel Bloomfield and
Shobal Smith in the management of the law-suits. The 12th
of March was set down for the next meeting. A ntunber inQi
in the appointed place on that day; but they immediately
adjourned to the ist of April, when Richard Cutter was
chosen Moderator and a tax of seven shillings was levied on
each Freehold for carrying on the law-suit against Sonmans
and Stelle.
The new Clerk did not improve, in the matter of spelling,
upon the efforts of his predecessors. A vendue becomes a
"vandew" under his magic quill; Papiack Neck becomes
" papioc nack." In speaking of the disbursement of money to
Moses Rolph, he says (Oh, shade of Noah Webster!) that it
was '•• Dis busted" to him ! We can faintly imagine the fright-
ened look Moses had when his money " cut up " in that way.
If he was ai fond of the shillings as the people of to-day, he
TOWN MEETINGS, RESUMED.
193
held on in spite of the "busting," When our Clerk wants to
tell us that certain lands are held by the Freeholders, we are
shocked to read that these places are " hell " by them ! Not
pleasant localities, we should say.
On the first Monday in May, 1734, the Freeholders deter-
mined to lay out all the land claimed by Sonmans and Stelle
and divide it by lot— this allotment to be known as the
seventh division of the Woodbridge commons. As the law-
suit w^as still in progress, an assessment of 14^-. on each Free-
hold was made to meet the expense. Though the seventh
division was made, according to resolution, yet it is certain
that the Freeholders never entered into permanent possession
of it; for Peter Sonman, Sr., having died in March, 1734,
young Peter, his son, and Samuel and John Nevill, his broth-
ers-in-law, made an offer in 1737 for the land in dispute, which
was wisely accepted by the Woodbridge men. The case,
which was in the Supreme Court, was, previous to this offer,
allowed to go by default against the Sonmans party (and this
involved the failure of Stelle's claim also), and the lon<y
struggle of twenty-eight years was ended.
It is worthy of note that John Kinsey's plan was in opera-
tion to the last — Henry Freeman being the lessee at the time
harmony was restored between the litigants.
The offer made by the Sonmans party was very favorable to
Woodbridge. It was this: If the Freeholders would give the
Sonmans party a clear and perfect title to the land (120 acres
within the Woodbridge bounds on the Amboy line), they
would give the Freeholders, as compensation, perpetual
exemption from all quit-rents past, present, or future, by
surrendering to them three and a quarter proprietary rights
forever. The Freeholders did well to accept this; for since
John Pike, in 1709, began the legal battle, no benefit of any
consequence had accrued to them from the territory — and no
greater benefit could be desired than was offered in 1737.
On the 17th of May, 1737, the Freeholders met and voted
that the land recovered from Col. Gabriel Stelle should be
sold to as great advantage as possible, and the proceeds be
devoted to paying such as had advanced money for carrying
forward the law-suits, etc. Mr. Kearney (Philip, doubtless, of
M
194 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Perth Amboy), who was the lawyer employed, was voted a
suitable fee out of the forthcoming sale. This was to occur on
the third Tuesday in June at twelve o'clock. The surplus
proceeds (i. e., the money in excess of the objects named
above) were to be divided among the Freeholders equally.
On the day ^designated for the sale a goodly number undoubt-
edly assembled at John Ileard's house, the place appointed,
but we do not find that any one purchased the land.
Turning to the Town Book for a moment, we observe that
nothing has occurred, in the annual Town Meetings, of
unusual interest. The election 'of officers and the regular
taxes comprise nearly all the matter on record. The meeting
of March nth, 1735, varied the monotony a little by resolving
to lease the School Land for a term of years not exceeding
ten. After this gleam of intelligence we are again left in the
dark. It we felt inclined to -pun we should say the Town
Clerk was both Crowell and cruel.
CHAPTER XV HI.
1738— 177G.
England and France at War — The Sixth Division Dif-
ficulties — The Eighth Division — Woodbridge in 1748
— An Old House — James Parker, the Printer — First
Printing-Press in New Jersey Located at Wocdd-
bridge — Incidental Matters.
The land that was recovered from Gabriel Stelle was not
sold, if we may judge by the proceedings of the meetino- of
Freeholders held on the 28th of March, 173S; for a committee
was appointed to prosecute individuals who were guilty of
taking timber from it. Three years intervene before another
record is made. The gathering alluded to (March 30th, 1741)
was of little consequence — an order for the survey of the
common land being the only subject of interest under dis-
cussion. In fact, the meetings of the Freeholders began to
grow uninteresting and infrequent. It may be that the dis-
turbed condition of the Province had something to do with
their indifference. Lewis Morris had been appointed Royal
Governor of New Jersey in 1738 and continued in office until
his death, in 1746; during which time unseemly quarrels
between him and the Assembly prevented the transaction of
any public business. Added to this was the fact that a war
was brewing between England and France, which broke out
in 1744; and soon the smoke of the conflict arose over the
American colonies. In 1748 the two great powers entered
into treaty relations and the contest ended. Peace did not
endure a great while. France pressed her claim for the
territory in the northwest in 1749. Another war was begun
in 1754, known as the French atid Indian War, which was
concluded so gloriously for England in 1763. For a long time
during these distracting events the British ministry was so
feeble in its policy and efforts with respect to the colonies that
196 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
it was feared that the French and their subtle Indian allies
would overrun the settlers. It is, therefore, not a marvel that
our fathers grew careless of their records; for if the tide of
fortune sliould set against them and they were driven from
their homes, of what benefit would be their divisions and
surve3'S and grants of land?
Two years elapsed since their last meeting. March 2 8th^
1743, they met again, to consider certain claims to the sixth
division lots, which had been authorized over twenty-two
years ago.
They assembled next on the 20th of April, 1744, when
a standing committee, for hearing complaints and correcting
mistakes growing out of the division of the commons, was
appointed. This committee consisted of Robert Hude, James
Smith, Richard Carman, and David Donham. The quit-rents
due to the Freeholders were ordered to be collected, by virtue
of the proprietary rights obtained of young Sonmans and the
Nevills.
A long interval ensues. On the 19th of June, 1749, after
five years of inactivity, a brief session was held. Samuel
Moore, Shobal Smith, and James Brown were added to the
standing committee, elected in the last meeting, for adjusting
matters relating to divisions of public land.
The errors in some of these divisions, especially in the
sixth, must have been very gross. Indeed, almost all the
trouble grew out of the sixth series of lots. Benjamin Par-
cost's assigns complain, in this very meeting, that "by reason
of sum mistack," they cannot enjoy the land they should have
had. The cause of these mistakes is not difficult to discover
The sixth division was ordered January i6th, 1721 — each Free-
holdc)- to have any itnappropriated land he chose in his immediate
neighborhood to the value 0/ jQi^. This plan was a great blun-
der. Two neighbors may select the same field, which may be
contiguous to both; and because both cannot own it, jealousy,
bitterness and strife are engendered, life-long enmities created
and numberless obstacles placed in the path of local improve-
ment. In some cases the most valuable lands would be
within the reach of the few, and this would lead to conten-
ions ; and disputes would arise as to how much more valua-
TOWN MEETINGS, AGAIN.
197
ble this meadow was than that, and how many acres /"n;
ought to purchase in the different localities. It was now
twenty-eight years since the sixth division was authorized,
and yet the difficulties attending its settlement were, appar-
ently, as insurmountable as ever. We find but few of the lots
recorded. Those surveyed in the right of Samuel Smith,
George March, Jonathan Don ham, and William Compton
were located in 1721. Ten shilliugs' worth of land in Jona-
than Donham's right in the sixth division was not laid out
until 1763; eighteen shillings' worth in John Insley's right
was not surveyed and allotted until 1758; etc. It will be
seen, therefore, that a generation, at least, passed away before
this allotment was adjusted. It is doubtful whether it ever
was satisfactorily settled.
Another long period of silence occurs in our Freeholders'
affairs. Nine years have nearly passed when, on the 14th of
March, 1758, they meet again. Perhaps they assembled rather
to discuss the French and Indian War, then in progress, than
to do any serious business; for they adjourned to the 20th
without passing a single resolution. New Jersey raised 1,000
men for this war during 1757-8, and every hamlet in the
province was, therefore, interested as to the issue.
On the 20th, Shobal Smith was chosen Moderator, and then
was discussed another division of the public domain — the
eighth. William Kent was elected Sui'veyor, to lay out the
remainder of the town commons. We have been unable to
discover any further facts relating to the eighth division.
The next record of a meeting is made in 1774 by Dr. Moses
Bloomfield, Freeholders' Clerk. During the long interval of
sixteen years the proceedings of these men are involved in
profound mystery. We shall revert to Dr. Bloomfield's clerk-
ship by and by.
It may be interesting to our readers to know what was the
general aspect of the town at the period of which we have been
writing in this chapter. Thanks to Prof Peter Kalm, the
Swedish botanist, who traveled through this section in October,
1748, we have a brief, but very interesting description of its ap-
pearance. (See Kalm's Travels in N. Amer.^ I., p. 181."") Here
it is :
• Hatfield's Eliz., p. 374.
198 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
"Wood-bridge is a small village in a plain, consisting of a
few houses; "\ve stopped here to rest our horses a little. The
houses were most of them built of boards ; the walls had a
covering of shingles on the outside; these shingles were round
at one end and all of a length in each row ; some of the houses
had an Italian roof, but the greatest part had roofs with
pediments; most of them were covered with shingles. In
most places we met with wells, and buckets to draw up the
water."
It is evident from this that the houses were well-built, and
rather fashionable for that time. The pediment roof was very
much in vogue, although it is seldom met wilh now\ The
shingles w^ere carefully cut round on the bottom like the
scallops on a lady's garment. It is manifest that our fathers
were a little proud in building their houses.
One of the oldest wooden buildings now standing in Wood-
bridge is, doubtless, that belonging to Mr. William Inslee,
near his residence, and now used by him as a sort of repair-
shop. It is said to be of a date long anterior to the Revolu-
tion, and possibly belongs to the period of Prof. Kalm's visit.
It is a one-story building and shingled on the out-side, where
from old age the shingles have not rotted from the nails and
fallen off.
The door is double, after the ancient style — the upper part
swinging open while the lower remains shut. There are two
rooms below with a small addition at the rear, and an attic
above reached by a flight of stairs. The ceiling is low, and
the heavy timbers overhead make it seem still more so. The
great wide fire-place, suggestive of a sparkling blaze from
huge logs and of a Winter evening's comfort, occupies a
goodly proportion of the eastern side of the building. Two
windows to the west and one to the south afforded the inmates
a view of the public highway leading to Amboy and of the
hills of Staten Island.
Standing on the threshold we almost persuade ourselves
we hear the noise of the spinning-wheel, and the voice of the
spinner singing the psalm that was sung last Sabbath at
Parson Roe's meeting-house. Perhaps it is -Doddridge's
hymn, written in 1740:
TOWN MEETINGS, AGAIN. 1 99
"And Thou, mj-- God ! whose picrciag eye
Distinct surveys each deep recess,
In these abstracted hours draw nigh,
And with Thy presence fill the place."
Now evening comes; and from the distant field tlie husband
and his stalwart sons draw near to greet the quiet little woman
who lovingly watches their approach leaning upon the lower
half of the door. She turns occasionally to see that the
roasting venison over the hickory fire is not over-done. The
cows come leisurely homeward, a little in advance of the men.
The breeze lightly stirs the branches of the venerable trees
near tlie house, the swallows twitter delightedly as they circle
round and round, and the large red sun sinks slowly down
behind the great forest across the road. Perhaps in the
twalight, as the old gentleman sits outside the door enjoying
the Summer evening, the parson, returning from some pastoral
visit, stops to chat a few minutes. The time of the Revolution
is near at hand, and possibly the aggressions of England are
the topic of conversation. If so, it is no fanc}- of ours that
invests Parson Roe's figure with so much dignity. His
pleasant face becomes stern as he denounces British tyranny.
Possibly they discuss tlie cruelty of the commander of the
English ship Greyhound^ who fired into the little boat of Col.
Rickets, of Elizabethtown, on Thursday, the yth of June,
1750, killing one of the party.'" This circumstance occasioned
a great excitement among the people of New Jersey, and there
was much indignation manifested against the British. Such
oppressive acts as these caused the anger of the colonists to
wax hot against the government that pretended to protect
them.
At the rear of Mr. T. H. Morris' residence in Woodbridge is
a part of a building that is very old. It is shingled on the
side with the round-bottomed shingles described by Prof
Kalm in 1748, and was probably constructed somewhere about
that time. It is a part of the old Elm Tree Tavern, which
stood near the spot it now occupies; and it is not unlikely
that Kalm's party stopped at this very place to rest their
• Hatfield's Eliz., p. 375.
200 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
horses. The tavern received its name from the fact that a very-
large elm stood in front of it for many years. When the tree
was cut down in 1837, its destruciion being rendered necessary
by its decayed condition, the circumference of it was thirty-
two feet. It was averred that fifteen men could stand upright
together within its hollow trunk. It w^as evidently a tree
which would have proudly vied with some in the far-famed
Yosemite Valley. The memory of it still lingers around the
locality; and the writer hereof looks back with pleasure to the
hours he passed in the Elm Tree Institute^ which was for him
truly an alma mater.
It is fitting that we refer, in this place, to the distinguished
James Parker, printer, a native and for many years a resident
of Woodbridge. He was born in 17 14. His father, Samuel
(born June ist, 1674), was the son of Elisha Parker who
removed to Woodbridge from Staten Island about the year
1675-
James was apprenticed to William Bradford, the first printer
in New York, in 1725. Bradford was then publishing the
New York Gazette. In May, 1733, Parker ran away and his
employer advertised him on the 21st of that month. The
cause of Parker's absconding is not known, nor is it known
w^here he betook himself for nearly nine years. The New
York Gazette being discontinued by Mr. Bradford, young
Parker began the publication of the Weekly Post Boy in 1742-3,
in New York ; and this is the first that we hear of him since
he ran away. The Post Boy was published by him for several
years. It was printed on large foolscap, one sheet of Avhich
was used for each copy. Few copies are now extant, and
these are, of course, very valuable.
It was in 175 1 that Mr. Parker established his press in
Woodbridge — the first printing-press in New Jersey. It is
supposed, with very good reason, that his office was located
on the lot adjoining and north of the present residence of Mr.
David Demarest, about where Dr. Samuel P. Harned lives.
Not only is this supposition supported by tradition, but also
by the fact that individuals employed in cultivating land near
this spot have plowed up metal types at different times. Mr.
Robert Coddington says that wlien he was a boy, he, in
TOWN MEETINGS, AGAIN.
201
company With others, was accustomed to go to this locust
grove and search for these types ; and many were found
Mr. Parker printed, on his Woodbridge press, the Legis-
lative proceedings and many public documents. He still
bZI T^ 7 """'^ ^''' ^^^' '"^ ^^ ^^^^^^^ - Woodbridge.
Bradford, his former employer, died in 1752, aged 92, to whom
he wrote and published an excellent tribute. He enterS
into partnership, with respect to his New York business, with
Wilham Weyman in the beginning of the year 1753, which
was dissolved in January, X759. In the previous^^ear he
began to publish at Woodbridge the JVe^a American Magazine.
This was the first periodical published in the State. Each
number contained forty pages octavo, and was filled with
a variety of entertaining and instructive matter. The mac^a-
zine was issued monthly until March, 1760, edited by Samuel
Nevill, of Perth Ambo)^ who wrote under the nam deplume of
Sylvanus Americanus." In 1755 Parker and John Holt
became partners, the latter taking charge of the New York
branch of the business after Weyman left it. Parker and Holt
established a press at New Haven, and printed the ConncctiaU
G^.^.//. there, the first newspaper in Connecticut. In 1762 Mr
Holt leased Mr. Parker's New York press until 1766, when
the latter resumed possession of it. He and his son, Samuel
^. Parker, continued from this time to carry on the business
until within a short time of the father's death, w-hich occurred
on the 2d of July, 1770.
Ini76i the elder Parker printed, on his Woodbridge press,
the second volume of Nevill's Laws of New Jersey; and in
1764 he printed a " Conductor Generalis," intended as a guide
to Justices of the Peace. The latter publication was sug-
gested, doubtless, by his own experience, for he was holding
the office of Justice at this time. In 1765 he transported hi"^
press from Woodbridge to Burlington to accommodate Mr.
Samuel Smith, the historian, in the issue oi\\is History of Netu
Jersey. The manuscript of this valuable work is preserved in
the library of the Historical Society at Newark. It makes a
book of 574 pages, printed in excellent style. Wm. A. White-
head, to whom we are indebted for many of these facts
concerning Mr. Parker, says of him, very justly, that "he was
202 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
a correct and neat printer, understanding las business per-
fectly."
After this important work was completed he removed his
press to Woodbridge.
He was a very busy man. The position of postmaster in
New York was held by him for several years. At the time of
his death he was Comptroller and Secretary of the postal
department for the Northern District of the British Colonies.
It is not improbable that his intense application to business
made of him an invalid. He died at Burlington, v\^hither he
had gone to regain the health he had lost. He was brought
to Woodbridge for burial. A number of the citizens of
Burlington followed the funeral cortege for five miles out of
town ; and a similar delegation from Perth Amboy met the
sad procession near that place and attended it to the Parker
residence in Woodbridge. The body was buried about six
o'clock in the evening, in the Meeting-house yard, the last
rites being performed by Rev. Mr. Preston, the Episcopalian
clergyman. To this day no stone marks his place ot rest — a
melancholy comiPiCnt on the popular forgetfulness of the truly
great and good.
Janet Parker, only daughter of the distinguished printer,
was married to Gov. Gunning Bedford, of Delaware, in 1796.
Samuel F. Parker, the son, sold the press in Woodbridge soon
after his father died, and leased the New York office. The
Woodbridge printing-office was burned to the ground by a
band of tories during the Revolution.*
We now find ourselves on the threshold of that stirring
period in American history — the Revolution. Before enter-
ing it we return to the Freeholders' Book to note the last
meetings therein recorded. Dr. Moses Bloomfield, an excel-
lent penman, Avas chosen Clerk in the meeting of April nth,
1774, which w^as held at the house of Charles Jackson.
In a short preface to his regular minutes the Doctor tells us
that Thomas Gage (or Gach) continued to act as Clerk until
his death; after which James Eddy, his executor, delivered
the books to the Freeholders on the 2d of April, 1770, when
* So Robert Coddington says— and others.
TOWN MEETINGS, AGAIN. 203
Nathaniel Fitz Randolph was chosen to the vacant office-
Fitz Randolph died in 1773, and tlie official books were
surrendered by the administrator of his estate in 1774, and
then Dr. Bloomfield was charged with the safe keeping of
them. These books were two in number — one was a small
volume containing the sixth division surveys; the other, the
portly book now open before me. The former has been lost.
No business was done on the nth of April beyond the
election of Dr. Bloomfield as Clerk and James Eddy as
Moderator. On Monday, the 25th, the Freeholders met again.
Cortlandt Skinner was " unanimously chosen Moderator till
another be chosen in his room." The meeting deprecated the
" disorder'd unsetled situation " ot affairs — referring not to the
state of the country, but to the management of the public
lands of the tov/nship, etc. Resolutions were passed favoring
the appointment of a committee to investigate the right of
suffrage among those who claimed the privilege of voting;
directing stated meetings to be held, either quarterly or half-
5'early; and constituting Reuben Evans Surveyor for the
town. The committee just mentioned consisted of Samuel
Barron, William Stone, Joseph Shotvvell, "of Perrytown,"
Samuel Jaquish, and David Kent. The general records were
represented as being in a "very bad plight." The committee
was therefore required to make out a new list of the present
Freeholders, with a statement showing their rights and from
whom they were obtained.
Seven meetings were called subsequently, which were all
compelled to adjourn because so few attended that it was
impossible legally to transact business. The last of these
seven was on the iSth of April, 1775; but the minds of the
citizens vcere now filled with excitement, and prosaic Free-
holders' meetings were out of the question. On the next day
after the date just mentioned the first blood of the Revolution
was shed at Lexington. No other attempts were made to hold
meetino-s. The smouldering fires of the war were tairly aflame
and all private interests were, for a while, forgotten.
We close the Freeholders' Book with a sigh ; for we have
reached the last entry, save one brief record which is found in
folio 108, and belongs to the year 1791. It seems as though
204 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
we are shutting out the face of a friend when we turn these
yellow leaves in farewell ; for we have spent long hours
together in faithful converse. Doubtless the old book will
survive many years him who now smooths its antique
pages, as it has survived the many whose names are written in
it. Reverently, therefore, we close the volume.
Retracing our steps a little, we search the meager records of
Liber B, and find a few items of interest. In the Town
Meeting of March 8th, 1764, William Thorn reported that as
Collector he had collected the dog-tax. The Town Clerk
adds: "But ye meeting got into Confewsion and so Broke
up." The reason is not given. Maybe some of the people
objected to the dog-tax.
In the meeting of March loth, 1767, the old Overseers
of the Poor, having failed to make up their accounts, were
required to meet the ncAv Overseers at the house of Nathaniel
Heard on Thursday, the 19th. Heard's residence was situated
about where William Harned's dwelling now stands. The
old homestead of the Heard family is now in possession
of Oliver Martin.*
Many, if not all, the public meetings of the town Avere held,
during this period, at the village tavern, kept by Charles
Jackson. After his death, his widow performed the duties of
landlady and entertained the annual Town Meeting for
several years.
The following "minute," under date of March 13th, 1771,
seems curious : " That the Poor of this Town Shall be Sold at
Publik vaitdue immediately after the buisness of the day is over
next general meeting, & so to continue yearly & every year
untill it Shall be alterd by vote again." The idea is, of
course, that the lowest bidder should take care of the poor for
the amount of his bid, to be paid by the town.
In 1709 the amount raised for the poor was ^25. The tax
was never so low, subsequently, but twice: in 1714, when it
was ;^i5, and in 1730, when it was ;^2o. Previous to 1764
the highest assessment had been ^100. This was in 1755. In
1763 it was ;^6o. The following year it jumped to ^200, and
* So we are informed by A. V. Shotwell.
TOWN MEETINGS, AGAIN. 205
the same tax was maintained the year after. A large influx of
paupers must have contributed to increase the tax to this hio-h
figure. In 1766 it fell to ^^140; in 1769 it was at the moderate
sum of £60. But in 1773 the poor claimed the unprecedented
outlay of ^213. There is no account of a poor-tax levied
previous to 1705, when £^0 were assessed.
In the meeting ot March 14th, 1775, it was "Voted That the
Town Book [s] or one of them Be by Nathl. fitz Randolph
Junr Coppyd in a good Bound Book by thee Next Town
Meeting which will Be in thee year 1776 — & if t-'d. Nathel f:
Randolph Cannot attend, for thee Town Clark to Endevour to
git Sombody Else to Do it as it is in a Dangerous Setuation
by Reason of its being old & mutch to Peases." On the 15th
of November ^220 were appropriated for the poor and the
copying of the old book. Dr. Moses Bloomfield and Samuel
F. Parker were appointed to examine and compare the copy
with the original. In the March meeting (12th), 1776, Daniel
Moore was chosen in the place of Mr. Parker to make the
examination alluded to. It was resolved that Fitz Randolph,
the copyist, should have the "priviledge to chuse John Smith
of Amboy to Inspect sd. book in behalf of himself." And this
is the manner in which we were favored with Fitz Randolph's
excellent copy of the old town records.
After the town gathering of March 12th, 1776, in the
minutes of which there is not the remotest allusion to the war,
no other meeting was held until 1783 — at least, none of which
any account is preserved.
We append the following, in reference to an old bridge,
which appeared in a Perth Amboy journal* recently, entitled,
" A Relic of the Past " :
"A friend in Woodbridge sends the following copy of
a document, the original of which was found by a gentleman
of Philadelphia, among the papers of one of the old Wood-
bridge families, the Fitz Randolphs, and appears to contain
not only the names of those who did subscribe towards
building the Bridge, but also those in the neighborhood whom
the promoters hoped would do so :
* Middlesex Co. Democrat, March, 1871.
r WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
200
'"Woodbridee June nth 1757- , -i ^
Proposals bring made for building a good stone bndge
.cross the great brook adjoining to Thomas Lewis now
across '!"= S nrooertyl in order to encourage it, the follow-
JacquesVenetspropertyJ ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ .^ ^^
rrrtrtrei:°na=mes,on condition titat said bridge
is actually built directly. Viz:
Tames Parker (subscription illegible).
' Alexander Edgar, five load of Stone.
tSL Gach^Esq. Six load of Stone & load ot wood.
Tohn Bloomfield, three load of Stone.
Jonathan Inslee, five load of Stone & load ot wood.
James Pike, four load of Stone.
Tohn Conway, 14 Shillings.
Benjamin Bloomfield, 10 Shillings.
^:wrB^re°:;';:d:;"-Sana.oBus.re,sofShe..s.
James Osborne, four days work.
Thomas Lewis, twenty Shillings.
Arthur Adlington, five Shillings.
Thomas Hadden, two loads of Oyster Shells.
Joseph Bloomfield, five load of tStone.
William Thorne, ten Shillings.
Marv Jackson, Seven Shillings.
Daniel Noe, (if sent for) one load of oyster shells.
Annanias Lewis, four Shillings
Toseph Shotwell, Jun., Seven Shillings.
Daniel Shotwell, Seven, Shillings
Jonathan Kinsey, one load of Shells.
David Evens, two load of Stone.
William Frazee, five shillings.
Tohn Thaxter, two days work.
lames C^rowell, three Shillings and Six pence.
Tames Walker, Seven Shillings.
Kaniel Fitz-Randolph (uncle) two days work.
Seriah Bunn, Seven Shillings.
Nathaniel Heard.
Tohn Heard.
William Kent, Cash 14 Shillings.
TOWN MEETINGS, AGAIN, 207
Isaac Tappen.
Joseph Cutter.
William Cutter, 3 loads of Stone.
Richard Cutter, 3 load of Stone.
Daniel Ayers.
Nathaniel Pike, 2 days work.
William Pike.
Richard Wright, 10 Shillings.
William Smith.
Shobal Smith.
Robert Stone, four load of Stone.
Samuel Barnes (or Barron).
William Stone.
David Harriot, 4 load of Stone & one ot wood.
George Harriot.
Benjamin Alford, 3 days work.
David Perkins.
James Jones, three load of Stone.
Jonathan Harned.
Doctor Moses Bloomfield.
Francis Compton.
Jacob Fitz-Randolph.
Joseph Havilan.
Joseph Thorne.
Samuel Jaques.
Rev. Mr. Nathaniel Whitaker.
Henrys Freema n, 3 Shill ings and 6 pence. '^
Isaac Freeman, 5 load of Stones.
Alexander Freeman.
John Freeman.]
Esseck Fitz Randolph, 5 Shillings.
John Barron, 10 bushels of Shells and 4 days work.
Isaac Fitz Randolph.
Reuben Fitz Randolph.
Thomas Thorp.
Henry Martin.
James Smith.
David Dunham.
James Brown.
2o8 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
'4
George Brown.
Thomas Brown.
John Brown.
\Vm. Smith.
John Moore, 3 Shillings and 6 pence.
Joseph Moore, 8 Shillings and 8 pence.
James Kelly, one load of Stone if he can.
Wm. Walker, 4 load of stones.
Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, Blacksmith, 40 bushels of lime.
Samuel Fourd, 2 load ot Stones.
John Kent, i Shilling and 9 pence.
Samuel Moore, Shoemaker 2 shillings and it pence.
John Geddis.
Andrew Brown, 3 days work. •
Robert Fitz Randolph.
Jacob Fitz Randolph.
\/ Henry Freeman Junr.
John Kelly, Jun. 10 Shillings.'"
OHAPTEE XIX.
1T51— 1788.
The Quakers — Grave-stones Taken Down— First Quar-
terly Meeting in Woodbridge — The Draft— Mend-
ham Quakers— Rahway— Ministerial Friends— War
Troubles — Rapid Decline in Woodbridge — The Rev-
olution.
We resume the history of the Woodbridge Quakers b}-
opening the second book of records, which is a well-kept and
very legible volume." Much of it is of a private character.
We shall spread before our readers only such facts as are of a
public nature.
At the monthly meeting held in Woodbridge on the iSth of
February, 1751, we find it stated that "Some friends hauino-
been Consernd in Seting up grave Stones in our Buryino-
ground, John Vail and Joseph Shotwell are desired to Treat
with them and to desire them to haue them Remoued." On
the 2 1 St of April a report was rendered that some had taken
the stones down, but had laid them on the graves. Qthers
had not done even that — the stones remaining in their orio-inal
positions. Qn the i8th of the next month, however it was
reported that all the stones were taken down.
The last Monday in May was a day long remembered
among the Quakers in Woodbridge. . The Quarterly Mectinf>-
assembled for the first time in the village. Heretofore this
important body had met in Shrewsbur}-. It was with much
gratification that the Friends at this place entertained those
from abroad, arrangements for which had been in progress for
along time. John Shotwell and Edward Fitz Randolph were
the representatives from the Woodbridge Monthly Meeting.
The Quarterly Meeting, as our readers will remember, was to
' The prerious Chapter on the "Quakers" is the VI;h, p. 59.
N
2IO WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
be held henceforward once, at least, during the year at this
place; but a communication from Shrewsbury asked that the
time of holding it might be changed — May being regarded as
an unpi'opitious part of the season. The traveling during the
Spring must have been decidedly wretched ; for with all the
modern improvements the region around Woodbridge is even
at the present day the muddiest of the muddy in the Spring-
time. A native never comprehends these lines, or anything
like them :
"Oh, how I love the Spring-time,
When "Winter's reign is o'er!"
He regards such sentiments as so many heartless jokes
intended to recall the unhappy time when his Avagon stuck
fast in the road, and the wicked school-boys on Strawberry
Hill bellowed out in a chorus: "Mister, your wheel is turning
'round ! "
The Quarterly Meeting referred the matter of changing the
time to the Woodbridge Friends, who, after mature reflec-
tion, decided that the month of May was the " moste suitable,"
and they desired its adoption as the season of the regular
meeting. The Shrewsbury Quakers objected, but the first
Quarterly Meeting in 1752 sustained the Woodbridge Friends.
On the 15th of October one of the members here sent in a
letter to the Monthly Meeting condemnatory of himself for
attending the marriage of a Friend who wedded a person not
a Quaker. It illustrates the strictness with which these men
of old endeavored to fulfill every duty enjoined upon them :
"Wharas I haue had my conuersation amongst the people
called quakers and for Avant of a close walking up to the
measur of grace Receiued haue gon to a marriage of a friend
who married out of friends vnity for which I am Trewley
sorrey for it and hartily condem my Self and desire friends to
pass it by."
Shobel Smith and Nathaniel Fitz Randolph were appointed
on the i8th of June, 1752, to take care of the burying ground.
The Monthly Meeting of February 15th, 1753, was held on a
stormy day. Friends who had been to Shrewsbury were
present, however, and had brought from thence a package of
ten new books, all copies of a work entitled " Memories of the
QUAKER HISTORY CONCLUDED.
211
Life of John Roberts," by Daniel Roberts. We may imagine
the eagerness with which these volumes were read by'^the
Friends. Frequently such were the gifts brought from
Shrewsbury; so it is probable that the return of die repre-
sentatives from that town was an event of some importance
to their constituents.
For some reason the Quarterly Meeting of ]May, 1753, was
held at Shrewsbury instead of being convened at Woodbridcre.
Small-pox prevailed at the former place, which intimidared
two of the representatives from this town, but the third
attended the meeting notwithstanding the contagion. It
would appear from the minutes of July 19th that the protest
of the Shrewsbury Quakers against the holding of the Quar-
terly Meeting at Woodbridge in the Spring had at last proved
effectual ; for the Summer session was held in the latter place.
This was the season, for many years subsequently, in which
the Friends met hei-e in Quarterly Meeting-.
From the minutes of the Monthly Meeting, assembled on
the 17th of July, 1755, we learn that legacies had been
bequeathed, at different times, to the Woodbridge Month])'
Meeting, amounting to ^100; besides the half-acre given bv
John Laing for building the Meeting-house at Plainfield.
In the same meeting the question "respecting a man's
marrying his wife's first cousin " was considez-ed, and it was
decided that it was a difficult matter to determine. Neverthe-
less, the prohibition of such marriages, heretofore existino-
among the Friends, was re-affirmed as the wisest and safest
plan to be adopted.
On the 19th of November, in accordance with the recom-
mendation of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, a Ministcis' and
Elders'" meeting was established in Railway, to gather monthly
at the house of John Vail, "on the third 2d day of the weak at
Eleven oclock."
A member of the fraternity living at Metuchen was reported
as being addicted to intoxicating beverages, and he was, ot
course, called to account. His excuse was that he took the
dra\ight as a remedy. In December he " acknowledges lie has
Sundery times Taken more iiquour then was Servissable but
not to be disguised thereby Except once when under a fit ot
212 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
the cholick he took the Liqueur for a Remedy." But on
investigation this statement was found to be a slight deviation
from the truth. Either the colic was very bad or the man
thought it would be; for he took his remedy very industri-
ously, the effects of which were visible. He was, therefore,
publicly disowned by the Friends at Woodbridge.
During the year 1756 a draft was made to fill the quota
Irom this State of the soldiers required in the war against
France. This contest was, of course, discountenanced by the
Quakers, quarrels and warfare being contrary to their cherished
principles. Stephen Vail's son was among the drafted men.
On the 19th of February this appears on the record: ''Com-
plaint is made that Stephen vail Imployed a person in the
place of his Son who was prest to go to ye fruntears in order
to .build block houses." In other words a substitute Avas
procured, which was regarded as abetting the evil. Jon-
athan Kinsey was also complained of for attempting " to
Raise a number of men in order to Transporte prouisions
to the armey Intended to attack the Subjects of the King of
france." Several Mendham Quakers suffered some animad-
version for redeeming their goods from the authorities which
had been taken from them for refusing to " train " with the
militia. A committee of enquiry, consisting of John Web-
ster, Abner Hampton, William Morris, Jacob and Joseph
Shotwell, was instructed to go to Mendham and notify the
culpable parties of the dissatisfaction of the Woodbridge
Quakers. In August the offending members, seven in num-
ber, acknowledged tliat they had done wrong and were peni-
tent.
At Mendham a fifth-day Weekly Meeting was authorized by
the Monthly Meeting of this place (for the Friends at that
town were subordinate to the Woodbridge society), and a
Preparative Meeting was also established there, to be con-
vened once in three months.
This entry, January ist, 1757, indicates that Rahway mem-
bers were growing restive :
" Friends at Rahway haue Repeatedly made application to
the monthly meeting for' leave to build a meeting house at
that place which friends at Woodbridge are oneasey with, Jind
QUAKER HISTORY CONCLUDED. 213
to put an end thereto it is Refered to the Consideration of the
Quarterly meeting."
-r The representatives brought word from that body, the sub-
stance of which was that, in regard to the matter in question,
it was "the Solid Sence of that meeting that a meeting house
aught to be built at Rah way." Without further opposition
the project was pushed forward. During February and
March much was done toward the new enterprise. Solomon
Hunt, Samuel Marsh, Abraham Shotwell,* and Benjamin
Shotwell were appointed to purchase a suitable lot. Francis
Bloodgood, Abner Hampton, and Robert Willis were ap-
pointed to assist in selecting the ground and determining the
size of the plot. It was decided that the new building should
be thirty-four feet long and thirty feet wide. Meetings for
worsliip were established on " first days " at Rahway, to begin
at four o'clock in the afternoon — the vote for this innovation
having passed on the 21st of April. The effect of it was no
doubt apparent in a short time in the diminished attendance
at the Woodbridge assemblies, a result long foreseen by the
Quakers residing here.
The use of odd names in the designation of different locali-
ties is frequently illustrated in these as well as other ancient
records. We read of a Quakeress who came from " Gun-
powder " to visit those of her laith in this village. In 1758
Abner Hampton made a journey to "the Oblong," in New
York State, bearing the greetings of the Friends at home. It
is possible that the shape of the meeting-house at the
"Oblong" accounts for the name — this being given to dis-
tinguish it from the square structures which almost universally
prevailed.
On the TQth of April, 1758, arrangements were made for
building a house of worship at Mendham, to be built on land
belonging to Robert Schooley. The size of it was at length
determined to be "26 foot wide & 25 long "—a queer-looking
piece of architecture to modern eyes. Its estimated cost was
^73-
In December Abner Hampton informed the Friends that he
He lived at Rahwsy. Another Abraham lived at Metuchen.
214 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
was "under a consern To vissit the Isle of Berbados and
perhaps Sum of the adjacent Islands, and Requests friends
consideration thereon, and a Certificate if they are Easey
therewith." The certificate was given to him, but a general
objection to his making such a long journey appears to have
prevented his departure. The Quarterly Meeting discussed
the matter and doubtless influenced Hampton's friends to
keep him at home.
At this time Thomas Lewis had the care of the Woodbridge
Meeting-house, George Parker had in charge the one at
Plainfield, Cowperthwait Copeland that at Rahway.
Robert Willis was one of the most active ministers of the
sect in this part of the country. He often made journeys to
other places to the edification of those among whom he
sojourned. On the 17th of April, 1760, he informs the Wood-
bridge Friends that "he has been under an Ingagement of
minde for sum time to Vissit the meetings of friends in the
Southeron Provinses." His proposed trip was approved, and
a commendatory certificate was given to Jiim. The record
says: " He being under low Circumstances, Joseph & Abra-
ham Shotwell are appinted to provide a liors & to furnish him
with necessarys of all kindes Suitable for that Jarney."
Sarah Shotwell was also well known as a speaker, and
a pattern of humility and faithfulness. After her death a
memorial was written by 'a committee, John Webster and
Abner Hampton, whicli was adopted in the June Monthly
Meeting.
The senior John Vail (there were three Johns) had some
eminence, several years before, as an instructive teacher of the
truth. Likewise was William Morris at one time an honored
and useful minister who " went about doing- o-ood."
In July of this )'ear (1760) it was decided that Mendham
should pay one-fourth of the money required for the treasury
of the Woodbridge Monthly Meeting. A proposition was
made in the following month to remove the Plainfield Meet-
ing-house, which was rejected in September. Where it was
proposed to move it, and why it was considered necessary to
do so, are not stated.
Robert Willis returned from the South in October, with
QUAKER HISTORY CONCLUDED. 215
pleasant testimonials of his useful ministry in and about
"West River" in Maryland, which were a source of much
satisfaction to the Woodbridge Quakers.
The minutes of the October Monthly Meeting are largely
occupied with the report of the sufferings of those who refused
to bear arms or train with the militia, between 1757 and 1760.
From the list given we learn that twenty-three experienced
the penalty of the law — the laeaviest fine being imposed on
Hartshorn Randolph. He valued the goods taken from him
at jQt,, i6s. AVhen Jacob Laing, who was fined ^3, was
brought before the officer, Col. Jacob Ford, he was asked what
reasons he could give for refusing to accompany the expedi-
tion against the French. He answered that " he was princi-
pled against bearing arms against his fellow creatures." After
several hours' detention lie was oermitted to s:o liome — a
distance of twelve miles.
In 1758 Hugh Webster was drafted and taken three miles
from his dwelling. Capt. Benjamin Stites, before whom lie
was taken, demanded that he should go into the service him-
self or furnish a substitute. Hugh positively refused to do
either; so he was led away eight miles further to a spot where
the guard expected to find the company assembled. The
soldiers, however, had marched away. He was left to take
care of himself, and returned to his residence, stopping at Capt.
Stites' house to inform him that his men had set him free.
Several soldiers under C3ol. Samuel Hunt seized the horses
and wagon of Abner Hampton on the 24th of May, 1760, as he
was driving leisurely along the road, nine miles from home.
They wanted the team for the transportation of their baggage
a distance of twelve miles. They endeavored to persuade
Abner to drive for them or procure a teamster, promising
a generous remuneration. He declared that conscientious
scruples forbade either his performing the task or receiving
any reward therefor. The wagon was laden and the soldiers
disappeared with it, the worthy Quaker pursuing his lonely
way homeward on foot, Avith no very bright hope of seeing his
horses again. But on the 27th who should drive up to Abner's
door but Azariah Dunham with the team all safe and sound !
Such instances of devotion to tlieir time-honored anti-war
2l6 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
principles served to strengthen the Friends in Woodbridge
and its vicinity.
In the early part of 1761 Robert Willis made a tour, in his
ministerial capacity, to South River, " Isle White," Cider
Creek, and Fredericksburg. In the same year Abner Hamp-
ton and Joseph Shotwell (who was, for many years, the
excellent Clerk of the Woodbridge Monthly Meeting) made a
fraternal visit to West Jersey and Pennsylvania. These
journeys seem to have been the cause of much congratulation
among all the parties concerned. Willis went to New York
and New England in the Summer. He was apparently inde-
fatigable in his ministrations abroad.
On the 20th of August, 1761, three Preparative Meetings
were established: one at Plainfield on the last week-day
meeting preceding the monthly ; one at Woodbridge at the
same time before the Monthly Meeting there ; and one at
Rahway under similar circumstances.
The trouble with Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, which began in
January, 1759, threatened at one time very serious conse-
quences to Quakerism in this place. Fitz Randolph became
offended at certain utterances of two prominent members of
the Society. Efforts were made to bring about a reconcilia-
tion; but as Fitz Randolph would retract nothing and the
accused members were proven to be guiltless, not much
satisfaction resulted. The matter was not settled until 1762.
The Monthly Meeting pviblicly disoAvned the refractory mem-
ber; whereupon he appealed to the Quarterly Meeting, which,
after a patient hearing of the case, referred it to the Wood-
bridge Friends for re-consideration, b}' whom the sentence
was confirmed. As Fitz Randolph belonged to an old and
influential family these proceedings created considerable ex-
citement. â–
During July, 1762, the question of holding several Monthly
Meetings at Plainfield, instead of confining them to Wood-
bridge, was mooted. The arrangement was altered so far as
to include Rahway in the plan, when it was submitted (in
1763) to the Quarterly Meeting. In May the programme was
published, according to orders received from the Quarterly
Meeting. The Monthly Meeting was to be held thereafter at
QUAKER HISTORY CONCLUDED. 217
each place four times a year, as follows: At Woodbridge on
the 3d fourth day of April, May, July, and August; at Plain-
field on the 3d fourth- day of March, June, September, and
December; at Rahway on the same day in January, February,
October, and November. This arrangement went into effect
immediately.
That the Society began to wane in Woodbridge and grow
in the other towns, is sufficiently evident in the minutes of a
Rahway meeting in February, 1766, where it is recommended
that the Rahway and Plainfield meetings should, "from time
to time," appoint some of their members to visit those at this
place. In May it is recommended that "as friends Feel a
spring of Love in them selves they chearfully Give up to Go
& partake with thir Brethren at woodbridge."
Three years after this the Woodbridge Preparative Meeting
was removed to Rahway, and the Monthly Meeting held its
last session in Woodbridge on the 19th of April, 1769. Hence-
forth it alternated between Rahway and Plainfield, in which
towns tlie Quakers still have their strongholds. The Guar-
terly Meeting, which, up to this time, had assembled a large
number of Friends once a year in our village, was requested
to be held hereafter at Rahway. At an expense of about ^161
the meeting-house there was enlarged for the reception of the
delegates who met in it for the first time in August, 1769.
In 1770 Robert Willis left his friends to go to Europe to
preach the truth, intending to spend a portion of his time in
Ireland.
In October of this )-ear the Weekly Meetings here were so
thinly attended that it was seriously proposed to drop them
altogether. A Quaker who had come from a distance to
worship at the old-fashioned meeting-house found that the
service for that day was entirely abandoned. The " sclackness
and Indifferency " of the Woodbridge members were freely
discussed in the November meeting at Rahway.
On the 20th of February, 1771, a committee was sent to
enquire into the dereliction of duty, viz: Samuel and Benja-
min Shotwell, James Haydock, and Solomon Hunt. They
found that no meetings had been held during the Winter, but
a feeble effort was being put forth to recover the lost priv-
ileges.
2lS WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
$
In the July meeting of 1773, held at Rahway, \vc find that
complaints were lodged against several Friends for " giving
Avay to drowsiness." The overseers reported that they had
"treated" with some of them with a view to keeping them
awake during public service. Truly, sleeping in church has
antiquity in its favor, though it has not devotion.
At a Rahway meeting on the i8th of May in the following
year, we see that the treasurer was ordered "to pay Cow-
perthvvaite Copland 26s. gd. it being for Phisick for John
Thorn his apprentice." We do feel sorry for John. Twenty-
six shillings' worth oi physic ' Whew!
For several years the question of holding negroes in bond-
age had agitated the Society. A report to the Monthly
Meeting at Plainfield in August, 1774, shows that at this time
cmly one negro "fit for freedom," within the jurisdiction of
the Society, remained a slave.
Robert Willis returned in September Irom Europe, having
visited the Quakers in England, Ireland, and Scotland. He
brought certificates from Dublin and London expressive of
the great satisfaction his sojourn had given to his foreign
Friends.
Meetings in Woodbridge for worship were not yet altogether
abandoned. The hour of service was fixed, in February, 1775,
at II o'clock in the forenoon for the "first day" meeting — the
only one held here. In the Spring Jonathan liarned, Jr.,
fenced the meeting-house yard.
We now begin to catch occasional glimpses of the difiicul-
lics surrounding the Quakers through the protracted struggle
of the Revolution. Twenty pounds, proclamation money,
were subscribed by tlie Rahway meeting of July 19th, 1775, for
the relief of the New England Friends who were suffering by
the war. Under date of June 19th, 1776, the following appears
on the record :
" This [Plainfield] Meeting is informed that Benjamin Har-
riss has signed a paper for independency, and has suffered his
apprentice to go in the army and has received His Wages."
vSeveral Friends tried to show Benjamin the error of his ways,
but he refused to give them any "satisfaction for his Miscon-
duct." He was, therefore, cut off from their communion.
QUAKER HISTORY CONCLUDED.
219
The Quaker meeting-house here was occupied, during a
part of 1776, by soldiers, as will be seen by these extracts:
[Plainfield, August 21st]— "This Meeting is informed that a
Number of Soldiers have enterd some time ago, & still abide
in the meetinghouse in Woodbridge. Joseph Shotwell, Ben^
jamin Shotwell, Abraham Shotwell, John Haydock, John &
Hugh Webster are appointed to enquire in what manner they
have taken possession thereof, and whether they obstruct
Friends from meeting quietly therein, & to visit that IMeeting
at times while they remain there," [Rahway. Sept. iSth].
'' The Friends appointed to visit the meeting at Woodbridge
& enquire how the Soldiers came posess'd of tlie Meeting
house, report they took Posession of it without leave from anv
Friends ; they at times continue thci^e yet, but dont much
interrupt Friends in time of Meeting."
The \Vinter Quarterly Meeting of 1776-7 at Shrewsbury
was very slimly attended. The representatives from this
section did not go, giving as the reason that they were " pre-
vented by an Apprehension of great difficulty attending their
passing through the contending Armies of Soldiers."
The Quakers in this vicinity during the first six months of
1777 were mulcted in the sum of ;^252, 5^-. 10.'/., for refusing to
bear arms or to pay the war tax.
Jonathan Harned having died in 1776, a bequei~t in his last
will of ;/^2o for the poor of the Society was put out at inter-
est. In May, 1788, this legacy had been reduced to ,-/^ii, 17^-.
2d. — the remainder having been lost through the "old paper
emission of the province," as the record expresses it. Jon-
athan Harned was a good mam A little while before his
death he manumitted Mary, his old colored servant; but
promised, nevertheless, to supply all her wants until she
should need them supplied no longer.
Robert Willis, who might rightly be called the Quaker
Missionary, had some idea of visiting the South in 1778; but
"great commotions" in Plainfield, "occationed by War,"
prevented his contemplated journey. He was loth to leave
his Friends in the midst of so much distress. A committee
for the relief of sufferers was formed this year, consisting of
Abraham Shotwell, Wm. Smith, Hugh Webster, John Vail,
V
220 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY,
Wm, Thorne, and Elijah Pound. Subsequently Thorne re-
signed and Edward Moore was chosen in his place. Thorne
said, in the November meeting at Railway, that he was
compelled to affirm his allegiance to the Continental Congress
several months before — having no choice except to do that or
be thrown into prison. Elijah Pound did the same thing, and
was, therefore, relieved of his position on the committee just
mentioned, being allowed to resign. Under similar circum-
stances and at the same time, probably, another Quaker
living in this section got into difficulty. He says:
"Whereas I, Marmaduke Hunt, was coming home, was
taken by a Party ot light horse and Carried to Morris Town
Goal where T was confind in a Nausious room to the Injury
of my health, and Deprived of the Necessaries of life to that
degree that I could procv.re no more for my support but one
meal for seven days; in this distress liberty was offered me on
condition of my taking the affirmation of fidelity to the States,
which, through unwatchfulness, I submitted to."
John Laing tells the same stoiy. He, also, was taken to
Morristown and locked up for several days in what he
describes as a " very Loathsome goal," being liberated only on
making affirmation of allegiance.
Several tables appear on the record showing the articles
confiscated for taxes and fines. The officers took all sorts of
things: chairs, Bibles, shovel-and-tongs, andirons, spoons,
kettles, bedding, cows, horses, oxen, hogs, basins, watches,
corn, guns, pails, bellows, hay, sheep, tubs, overcoats, etc. On
a warrant issued by Henry Freeiuan, Justice , Edward Moore
was visited three times during 1780 by Daniel Compton, the
Constable, for the collection of a tax of £,2(), and a fine of
p^5oo. Two tables were taken at the first visit, February
28th. The second call of the Constable, July 29th, resulted in
a deficit of two calves, an iron pot, a hand saw, an auger, a
square and compass, broad-ax, drawing-knife, hammer, grind-
stone, spade, and a hand-saw file. On the 9th of August the
Constable came again. He only wanted Moore's cow this
time.
In the same year Jonathan Harned, Jr., of Woodbridge, was
QUAKER HISTORY CONCLUDED.
221
called on, first by Constable Compton, then by Constable
Peter Harpendine, on warrants issued by David Crow and
Jeremiah Manning, Justices. These visits cost Harned "3
Sydes [of] Leather." Some time in February Compton car-
ried off Mary Dunham's tea table for unpaid war tax. Harned
was subsequently called on for more leather, from which we
judge that he was a tanner. Edward Fitz Randolph was
compelled, in 1781, to surrender four and a half bushels
of wheat. Amon^ other things taken from James Haydock
we notice " 13 chizzles " and a " mouse trap."
Among the officers, civil and military, who were conspicu-
ous in enforcing the existing laws against non-combatants,
were James Edgar, David Dunham, David Crow, and David
Crowell, Col. John Webster, Col. Moses Jaques,'Sergt. James
Bishop, Sergt. Benjamin Sears, Sergt. James DeCamp, Col.
John French, Capt. John Paine, Sergt Joseph Marsh, Sergt.
Abraham Morris, Col. John Hart, Samuel Fitz Randolph and
H enry Free rnap, Justices.
But we must bring this chapter to a close by mentioning
briefly several relevant matters.
At a meeting held at Rahway, July 15th, 1784, the Friends
determined to sell the meeting-house at Woodbridge. An
unknown person offered to buy it, but tlie negotiations were
broken off; for a w^hile, at least. The old building has long
since been demolished, and the ancient burying-ground is now
the property of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Quakers began to build a school-house at Rahway, in
1785, on the meeting-house lot. It was constructed to front
the road, was twenty feet by thirty, and Vv^its one story in
height.
A new meeting-house was built in Plainfield during 1787-8.
The plans were settled on the 15th of November, 1787. The
dimensions of the building were to be thirty-four by forty-
eight feet. A passenger on the New Jersey Central Railroad
will observe the modest structure on the right as the train
approaches the Plainfield depot from New York. It is
substantially the same as when it was erected eighty-five
years ago. A recent fire injured the southern part of it, but it
was repaired in a style similar to the unburnt portion. This
222 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
meeting-house does not stand on the site of the old one, but
was built on ground situated near the house of " John Web-
ster the third " — so called to distinguish him from two other
Johns. May it long remain as a memento of that time long-
past, of which all our dreams are poetic, but, which, alas !
was a time to many of bitter griefs and scalding tears.
CHAPTER XX.
17G1_1873.
The Presbyterians — Rev. Azel Roe — The Metuchen
Church— The New Woodbridge Church — Rev. Messrs.
Mills, Barton, Martin, and Lucas — The Old Burv-
ing-Ground.
In a preceding chapter (XV.) we brought the history of the
Presbyterians down to the time of Rev. Azel Roe. In the
present chapter we shall conclude our investigations with
respect to this ancient Christian body.
One year after Mr. Whitaker's removal from the Wood-
bridge pulpit, in 1761, Mr. Roe, a licentiate of the New York
Presbytery, was invited to preach on trial at this place. In
response to a call tendered him he was installed and regu-
larly ordained pastor of the Woodbridge Church in the
Autumn of 1763.
Mr. Roe was born at Setauket, L. I., on the 20th of March,
1738," and continued to preach at Woodbridge until the year
ot his death, 1815. His style of preaching is represented as
argumentative and very effective. He was a man of excellent
address and commanding presence. His memory is precious
to many who have never seen him, simply because of the
heroic traditions that embalm his name.
He was a zealous man. He rode frequently o\-er to
Metuchen on horseback in order to hold meetings at private
houses. Thus he won the affections of the people throughout
all this region.
The Metuchen Presbyterians had, for several years prior to
this, effected some sort of an organization, holding meetings
for religious worship by the courtesy and with the assistance
of neighboring ministers. It is said that a rude structure
served, during the early years, as a cliurch — the one standing
Hunt's Hist. Metuchen— quoting Sprague'a Annalp.
224 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
during the Revolution being the second which had occupied
the same site.* The old one had originally been a barn, if
tradition is reliable. On ^the 5th of August, 1767, the Me-
tuchen congregation united with that of Woodbridge,f by
which arrangement Mr. Roe's services were to be divided
eqvially between them — preaching on alternate Sabbaths at
the two places. In Mr. Roe's MS. church history we find it
stated that " these churches were to be considered as one in all
things of an ecclesiastical nature; in their government and
discipline to have but one Session ; but separate and distinct
in their temporalities." Until 1793 the Metuchen society was
known, after the union, as the " 2d Presbyterian Church of
Woodbridge ;" frequently it was distinguished as the "upper
congregation."
An unfortunate dispute arose in regard to the disposition
of the 200 acres of land left for the maintenance of the
ministry of the township by the charter of Woodbridge. For
several years the " lower congregation " had enjoyed it exclu-
sively. Later, the " upper congregation " was permitted a
share of one-third of the rent of it (^20). Still later, the
Metuchen people asked for an equal share in the property as a
right guaranteed to them under the township charter, contend-
ing that, as Metuchen was within the township limits, and six
or more of the original settlers were members of the " upper
conereofation," the grant was intended as much for their
benefit as for the emolument of Woodbridge. This was
denied by the latter ; hence the dispute. The Woodbridge
Church authorities say that "in or about the year 1768 they
[the Metuchen Church] separated from us," and were re-united
with the the lower congregation in 177 1 at the i-equest of the
Metuchen Presbyterians. J Now, neither Mr. Roe, in his MS.
history, nor the historian of the Metuchen Church, makes an)'
reference to any separation in 1768 or a re-union in 177 1.
Indeed, Mr. Roe says, after speaking of the original union of
the two societies, "it pleased God, in the course of a feiv years,
to visit this ttnifcd church with the more than ordinary influ-
ence of his Spirit." But if the separation took place in 1768,
one year after the union, and lasted nearly or quite three
* Hunt's Metuchen, p. 29. t Ibid. X Brief statement, etc., by the Trustees.
THE PRESBYTERIANS, CONCLUDED. 225
years, why is no allusion made to it by Mr. Roe.' And vet
such an episode may have occurred. We are searching for
facts : not to establish any rival claim, but to make our story
complete.
In 1780 the Metuchen society paid Mr. Roe ^70 — one-half
of his salary. In 1787 (October), it was incorporated as tlie
2d Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge ; and the first Trustees,
Benjamin Manning, John Conger, John Ross, Ebenezer Ford,
Ellis Ayers, Timothy Bloomfield, and Robert Ross, were
elected on the 5th of April of the same year.*
In 1783 this Church was allowed one-third of the rent of the
parsonage land, and in several succeeding years one-half of
the rent was granted.! ^^ '^19- the edifice at Metuchen was
enlarged fifteen feet in depth, chimneys built and stoves put
up for the first time — foot-stoves having been the limited
means of warmth heretofore indulged. The buiidintJ: was
now about thirty-six by forty. In this partial reconstruction
application was made to the Woodbridge Church for permis-
sion to procure the required timber from the "Great Parson-
age," as it was called. The request, so the Metuchen people
say, was evaded; and, instead of an answer, the lower congre-
gation asked that the two churches should "jointly apply to
Presbytery " for an assistant minister. Metuchen not acced-
ing, Woodbridge alone applied for a separation in October,
1792, but without success. The Presbytery of New York met
at Orange, N. J., on the 9th of May, 1793, when the applica-
tion was renewed by the Woodbridge Presbyterians for a
separation from the Metuchen Church, which was granted.
In 1794 (April 22d) a call was given to Rev. Henry Cook,
of Morris county, who on the ist of May became tlie pastor at
Metuchen, receiving a salary of ^^120.
The law-suit between the two churches in regard to the
parsonage land was begun in 1795 and was prosecuted by the
Metuchen congregation with great vigor until 1800, when the
Court of Errors, to which the case had come up from Chan-
cery, confirmed the previous decision in favor of the Wood-
bridge people by a vote of eight to five.
Dr. Hunt's Metuchen, p. 32. t Ibid., p. 30.
O
225 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
It is eminently proper that the matter in^dispute should be
impartially stated. We shall make the statement succinctly
without comment : Metuchen claimed the land in part because
the errant was asserted to be for the maintenance of the
ministry of the town of which Metuchen was^a part, some of
its residents being among the earliest settlers. To this Wood-
bridge responds : It was intended for the town ministers, but
for the ministers in succession, not for those of different congre-
gations ; besides, Metuchen has no title to this property, while
Woodbridge /^^zi- a title to it of excellent character. If there
were any doubt in regard to the purpose for which the land
was appropriated, is not that doubt solved by the uniform
action of the Freeholders in permitting its use for the succes-
sive ministers of the Woodbridge Church only 1 To which,
in effect, Metuchen makes answer: For many years we were
parl^nd parcel of that Church, and we did not sun-ender our
right to the land when we separated from it. As there was
no other congregation but the one at Woodbridge for a long
time, no occasion was given for any deviation from the
uniform action of the Freeholders. Their action would have
sanctioned a division of the land had they foreseen a division
of the Church. Woodbridge replies: If all the churches in
the township were to share in the property it would necessi-
tate endless divisions and sub-divisions, and defeat the very
purpose for which it was granted. Hence it is improbable
that the property was left in such uncertain tenure.
This, we believe, is the substance of the arguments pro and
con.
At the age of fifty-five Mr. Cook died (in 1824), having
spent thirty years among the people of Metuchen as their
pastor."" He married twice, and the four daughters who
survived him are now dead. He is spoken of as an ordinary
man physically, but as an exceptionally good preacher.
What consolation there is in that fact for a homely clergy-
man ! Mi\ Cook was a good man and his death was lamented
by a large circle of affectionate friends. In 1818, during his
ministry, a revival resulted in the addition of one hundred and
* Hunt's Metuchen, p. 37.
THE PRESBYTERIANS, CONCLUDED. 227
seventeen to his own, and a number to the neighboring church
(Baptist), at Piscataway. This gracious event greatly invio-.
orated the membership, and much of its fruit was gathered
" after many days."
A small house and a lot were purchased in 1795 for ^200,
which were known for a long time as the Metuchen parson-
age property. Ellis F. Ayers now occupies the premises. A
small lot was added to the parsonage land in 1807.
Mr. Cook's successor was Rev. Michael Osborn, who was
installed February 23d, 1825, at a salary of ||oo per year. He
was born on the 21st of March, 1796, and died at Farmville,
Va., July 3d, 1S63. His ministerial life was largely spent in
the South. After a little more than two years he severed his
connection with the Metuchen Church, and went to Schraal-
enburg, N. J., as pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church at that
place. ^'
Rev. Holloway Whitfield Hunt, son of Rev. Gardiner A.
Hunt, was the next preacher at Metuchen. He was born at
Kingwood, X. J., March 31st, 1800. His installation occurred
on the 29th of April, 1828, and his pastorate continued about
eighteen years.
A new church was proposed in 1834 and was completed and
dedicated January 30th, 1836, The dimensions of this build-
ing were forty by sixty feet.
After Mr. Hunt's resignation, Rev. Peter H. Burghardt
became pastor November 30th, 1847, and resigned June 5th,
1850. He was born at West Stockbridge, Mass. Rev. Robert
J. Finley was the successor of Mr, Burghardt, and was
installed November 14, 1850. He remained in Metuchen until
October, 1857, when he went to Talladega, Ala., where he died
in i860.
Rev. Gardiner S. Plumley, the present able pastor of the
Metuchen Church, succeeded Mr. Finley, and was installed
April 28th, 1S58. Mr. Plumley was born at Washington, D.
C. He wields a facile pen and is favorably known as a
lecturer. But there is little need- for us to speak of this
talented preacher in terms of laudation. Is his name not
written in the hearts of his people ?
' Dr. Hxmt's Metuclien, p. 41.
2 28 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
• The spire which adorns tlie Metuchen .Church was con-
structed in 1863, and in June, 1865, a bell was placed in it.*
The number of communicants in 1870 was 250. Soon after
Mr. Finiey's departure, in 1857, about lorty members seceded
and organized a Dutch Reformed Church which is now in a
nourishing condition.
With this brief sketch of the Metuchen Church we return to
the parent congregation at Woodbridge.
Rev. Azel Roe continued to grow in the affections of his
people, and some pleasant things are told of him. He became
prominent as a patriot, warmly aiding the cause of liberty by
voice and action. On one occasion he incited some of his
members to assist a company of Continental troops in attack-
ing some British soldiers near Blazing Star. He was in this
skirmisli, the result of which is unknown. Subsequently he
was taken prisoner and removed to New York, where he was
compelled for a time to accept the dubious hospitality of the
Sugar House prison. On the way the British officer, who had
charge ot him, offered to carry the rather portly and reverend
gentleman across a small ford. With true ministerial regard
for his shoes and stockings, the preacher bestrode the back of
his amiable escort, facetiously remarking: "Well, sir, you can
say after this that you were once priest-ridden. "f
The drinking of intoxicants was universally indulged in at
this time, and the preachers were not at all disgraced by taking
a "wee bit" occasionally, and the excellent Dr. Roe was no
exception to the general rule. Tlie matter was not looked
upon at that period with the reprobation which now attends
it. Dr. Hunt, of Metuchen, tells of an expected visit of the
pastor to Dugald Campbell's house in that place on a cold,
blustering day in March. Henry, tlie son, remembers that his
mother came to the door and called to his father : " Dugal !
Dugal ! Don't you know that Parson Roe is to preach here
to-night, and w^e haven't got a drop of sperits in the house.'* "
And the generous host responded : " Well, then, one of the
boys will have to go and get some." Accordingly, a messen-
ger was dispatched to Bricktown for the liquor.
• Hunt's Metuchen, p. 45. t Hunt's Metuchen, 34, quoting Spragus's Anuals.
THE PRESBYTERIANS, CONCLUDED. 229
From reliable tradition we know that the people regarded
it as a breach of hospitality for them to fail to provide
" sperits " for the honored guest, and we suspect that not a
little was the pastor's popularity enhanced by his hearty
appreciation and acceptance of the " flowing bowl." Not that
he ever drank immoderately. Nor do we, at this late day,
" cast a stone " at those who conformed to the usage of which
we speak, for it is not within our province to sit in judgment
on such cases as these; and, if it were, we should judge
leniently, for how should we dare to stretch forth our hands
" against the Lord's anointed " ? God used these men, and to
Him alone belongs the judgment of them. They were weak
and sometimes sinning — but which of us is strong and wholly
pure.' Will unfriendly hands, in days to come, turn over the
faded leaves of your life's history and find no blot, no mis-
take, no sin .' We make no' apology for wickedness ; it has
our imqualified hatred. But these men of yore were so true
and so good, with all their errors, that we feel like taking the
language from the sacred lips of the Master: "He that is
without sin among you let him first cast a stone."
In April, 1803, "the people set about building them a new
house of worship, their present house being old and going to
decay, having stood for almost a century."- So says Dr-
Roe; but as the ancient building in Woodbridge was erected
in 1675 it must have been more than a century old at the time
the new structure was begun. It was, indeed, one hundred and
twenty-eight years since the frame ot the meeting-house was put
up. The good Doctor (Mr. Roe was honored by Yale College
in 1800 with the degree of D. D.) says that the new building
was undertaken with "great unanimity and spirit," and that it
was "almost finished by the Fall, so that it was opened and
consecrated in the beginning of December." It is described
as "a very decent, convenient house, sufficiently large and
spacious." As the structure still stands, with but slight altera-
tions, on the old " Meeting-house Green," no extended descrip-
tion of it will be necessary. We hope it will be permitted to
remain substantially as we now see it, with its old-fashioned,
• Dr. Roe's MS. Cliureh History.
230
WOODDRIDGE AND VICINITY.
tall, white steeple pointing heavenward for many years after
the present generation has passed away.
It may not be amiss to give a list of the subscriptions toward
the building of the new church. The paper was circulated in
April, 1802, with the understanding that a fourth part of the
amount each man subscribed was to be paid in August; a
fourth in January, 1803; a fourth in July, and the remainder
in January, 1804. The money was to be applied to the erec-
tion of a Presbyterian Church, as the paper states, " nearly
where the old one stands," to be sixty-six by forty-six feet,
Avith posts twenty-four feet high and enclosed with shingles.
Here is the list of subscribers:
Campyon Cutter ^....$250
Timotby Brewster 250
Joseph Barron 250
William Edgar, J r 200
Samuel Harriot, Jr 25
John Brown 100
John Barron 100
David Edgar 100
James Edgar 100
Samuel Brown 40
Robert Moores 50
James Coddington 30
Ephraim Harriot 50
Robert Coddington i'O
Samuel Cutter 40
Philip Brown 80
Israel Dissosway 50
Edward Munday, B. S. work 20
Richard Wright 150
Foreman Brown 60
Ellis Crow 25
Isaac Potter ;]0
-Jonathan Freeman 100
John Conway 100
Crowell Hadden |40
Morris Reed 25
Thomas Jackson 30
Daniel B. Moores 100
Peter W. Gallaudet 20
Joseph Bloomtield 100
Clarkson Edgar 200
Henry Dunham 10
James Smith 200
Thomas Edgar 150
Elias Thonison 20
David Tappeu 20
Ichabod Potter 100
Alexander Edgar 40
James Paton 100
John Manning 00
James Brown, Jr 50
Jotham Coddington 15
Thomas Acken 6
Doct. Jo: Griffith 10
Samuel Jaques 5
William Laing 5
Seth Dimn....r. IG
The following statement of the financial manager,
Edgar, will be interesting to our readers:
Dr. The Parish of Woodbridge in account with David Edgar.
1803 ifc 4.
To Sundry payments to the hands.
$3,522
David
£. s. p.
Receipts for work 712 1
To sundry payments lor
material and receipts... 1,221 3
Commission at 3 per ct... 58
Int. On money advanced. 17
2,008 4
*•.
By moneys collected and
due on the Subscription
for building the Meet-
ing house 1,770 11
By Sales of Sundries at
"Vendue 85 8
B}- Balance due me J43 4
Cr.
2,008 4
THE PRESBYTERIANS, CONCLUDED. 23I
1806.
March 10th, To balance
clue me 143 4 9
Errors excepted.
PaidJohn Kinsey 13
143 16 9
Contra 46 8
By a mistake in adding
the Subscription 40
By Seth Dunn 6 8
46 8
Due David Edgar 97 8 9
March 34th, 1806, the Committee appointed examinxl and certified the
above account and find due David Edgar $343. 60cts.
Copy Signed,
Joseph Crowell
James Paton
James Brown
Joseph Barron
P. S. David Edgar was authorized by a vote of the Parish to assess the
balance due him on the subscribers.
Among other public matters with which Mr. Roe's name is
connected are several installations. On the occasion of Rev.
David Austin's settlement as pastor of the Elizabethtown
Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, September 9th, 1788, Mr.
Roe oreached the sermon, choosinsf for his text Galatians i.
10.^ The building was crowded with a serious and interested
audience. When Rev. John Giles was installed at the same
church on Tuesday, June 24th, iSoo, Mr. Roe delivered the
charge to the people.! He presided at the installation of Rev.
Buckley Carll at Rahway on the 28th of December, 1802 ;l and
at various other official gatherings we find Doctor Roe a
prominent man. He was a trustee of the College of New
Jersey from 1778 until 1807, a member of the First Presby-
terian General Assembly, and Moderator of that distinguished
body in 1802. He was buried in the Presbyterian cemeter}'
at Woodbridge and a suitable monument marks his place of
rest. The following inscription is cut upon the stone:
" Sacred to the memory of the Revd. Dr. Azel Roe, pastor
of the first Presbyterian Church in Woodbridge, who after a
life cheerfully, faithfully and affectionately devoted to the ser-
vice of Jehovah Jesus, his Saviour and his God, and to the
eternal interests of his flock, fell sweetly asleep in the bosom
* Hatfield'3 EUzabeth, p. 597, t Ibid., 607. t Ibid., 633.
232 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
of that Saviour, the 2d day of December, 1815, in the 77th year
of his age and the 53d of his ministry."
He was twice married. His first wife, Mary Rebecca, who
died on the ist of September, 1794, at the age of fifty-five, was
the daughter of Dr. Isaac Foot, of Branford, Conn. Hannah,
his second wife, was the daughter of a New York clergyman.
Rev. David Bostwick.* Slie is spoken of as an eminently
pious woman, and she died, "with a song of triumph " on her
lips, November 28th, 1815 — only four days before her hus-
band's death.
As a preacher Dr. Roe is said to have been an able man, but
not brilliant. He relied more upon the power of the simple
words of the Gospel than upon the arts- of an address. Not
with enticing words of man's wisdom, "but in demonstration
of the Spirit ; " so he preached the glorious truths of salvation
to the men and women of his day, the impress of which will not
be lost, though the memory of the minister may fade in the " dis-
solving view" of rapidly revolving years. Farewell, faithful
man ! and may thy mantle fall on thy successors tlirough many
generations! And, as one by one they fall asleep, may they
have as calm repose as thou, and as honored a resting-place —
for thy parish is buried around thee. Many who heard thy
voice in the church out yonder are waiting in profound still-
ness near their pastor's lowly dwelling for the resurrection he
taught them to look for.
"So Jesus slept; God's dj'ing Son
Passed through the grave aud blest the bed ;
Rest here, blest saint, till from His throne
The Morning break and pierce the shade."
It will not be necessary, in giving an account of Presbyte-
rianism beyond Dr. Roe's time, to dwell upon it at any length.
Four ministers have filled the pulpit of the Woodbridge
Church since his death. Rev. Henry Mills settled here as his
successor in 1816, but left the place in 182 1 ; and in the follow-
ing year Rev. William B. Barton, then twenty-nine years of
age, accepted the pastorate, the duties of which he continued
• He was pastor of the First Presbyterian Chwrch in N. Y. City. See Dr. Stiles' MS.
Inscriptions, 16.
THE PRESBYTERIANS, CONCLUDED. 2'?-?
*" o o
to pciiorm until his death, April 7th, 1S52, at tiie age of fifty-
nine. For nearly thirty years he was the beloved minister of
this parish, and he is remembered by many now living as an
excellent preacher and a godly man. His name is always
spoken with affection by those who were accustomed to
attend his ministrations, and it will never be forgotten bv
those whom he led to the precious Cross of Christ.
His wife, Hannah Maria, was the daughter of Rev. Aaron
Condit. She died in ^1827, aged twenty-three. Harriet B.,
Mr. Barton's second wife, was the daughter of John Stanbery,
and her death occurred in 1843.*
The next minister Avas the Rev. William M. Martin, wlio
accepted the pastorate in 1852 and resigned it in 1863. The
Rev. George C. Lucas began to minister here in the year of
Mr. Martin's departure and continued his connection with the
Church until the Autumn of 1873, when he left the village.
At the present writing the congregation is without a pastor,
but there is a prospect of supplying the pulpit within a short
time.
In 1819, while Rev. Henry Mills was pastor, a large Sabbath-
school was organized by the Presbyterians — said to be tlie first
instituted in New Jersey. The three teachers elected were
Sally Potter, Jane Potter, and Mrs. Harriet Paton. The
school is still in successful operation, doing a good work.
Mr. Mills, the preacher, was the principal, in 1802, of the
Elizabethtown Academy. Subsequently he was connected
with the Auburn (N. Y.) Theological Seminary. He was a
man of scholarly attainments, and the degree of D. D. was
justly bestowed upon him.f
Unfortunately, a part of the official record of the Church is
lost; and, of course, the facts contained in the missing portion
are beyond our reach. But we gather up a few items of public
interest, with which we close the chapter. Tiie parsonage
land of two hundred acres, concerning whicli so much has
been said, was sold by the Presbyterians on the 6th of April>
tS6o, to Elias Dey, Cornelius Wyckoff, and Williani Hutchin-
* Dr. H. R. Stiles' MS. Inscriptions. t Hatfield's Eliz., p. SCO.
234 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
son, for the sum of $6,75o.'^' The following table, compiled by
Whitehead, gives the number of church members at different
periods:
In 1787, 82 members; 1830, 160: 1831, 157; 1832, 170; 1833,
181; 1834, 184; 1835, 211; 1837, 196; 1838, 206; 1839, 198;
1840, 201; 1841, 194; 1843, 242; 1845, 233; 1847,213; 1850,
200; 1853, 163.
In 1S63, as we learn from the Church authorities, the mem-
bership numbered 179; and in 1873, the present year, it num-
bers 125. The Sabbath-school numbers over 100 scholars in
actual attendance.
Messrs. Martin and Lucas are both able ministers of the
Gospel, of whose abilities it would not be delicate for us to
speak at length, as they are still living.
The Presbyterian cemetery at Woodbridge is one of tiie
oldest in the State, and one of the most interesting in the
Union to the lover of local history. In the great congrega-
tion which lies buried here are the remains of distinguished
men and heroic women. We see the graves of such ancient
worthies as the war-like Capt. Matthew Moore, who died, aged
sixty-six, on the 24th of February, 1732; the astute Judge
John Pike, who, having attained the age of seventy-five years,
died in August, 17 14; whether buried near his father, the
distinguished Capt. John, we do not know, as no stone marks
the tomb of the elder Pike. Here, however, is Zebulon's
grave and that of the third John. Zebulon was born in 1692
and lived to be seventy years old. There lies Edward Crowell.
born in 1680 and living for nearly seventy-six years — twenty-
' Deeds, Book 84, p. 613 ; m County Clerk's office.
The following, taken from the laws of New Jersey, 1839, page 282, is the legal permit
to the Woodbridge Presbyterians to sell the Parsonage Laud :
1st. Be it Enacted by "the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey : That
the Trustees of the First Presbyterian Chxirch in the Township of Woodbridge, County of
Middlesex, are hereby authorized and empowered to sell, at public or private sale, all or
any part of those lands, known as the " j)arsouage lands" of the said Church, and which
were conceded by the prox>rietors of East Jersey to John Pierson and others in trust, for the
use of the Minister for the time being ; and to make and execute a good and sufficient deed
or deeds for the same under the corporate seal of said Church ; provided, nevertheless,
that the wi-itteu consent of all the trustees at the time of such conveyance be obtained.
2d. Aud be it enacted. That when such sale or sales shall be made, the proceeds received
therefrom shall be invested in the name of the trustees upon bond and mortgage on unin-
cumbered real estate, worth double the amount of such investment, and the interest
only used toward the yearly expenses of said Church, incurred for the preaching of the
Gospel.
3d. And be it enacted. That this act shall take effect immediately.
Approved March 15th, 1859.
THE PRESBYTERIANS, CONCLUDED. 235
five years the Woodbridge Town Clerk. This is Joseph Gil-
man's grave; he was born in 1688 and died in 1733. And this
is the tomb of Major Richard Cutter, wh© was born in 1682
and died in 1756. David Campbell is interred in this ceme-
tery — born in 1700 and dying within fifteen years of the
Revolution. And here is Jonathan Inslee, who was born in
1686 and was buried in December, 1744. Yonder is the grave
of James Smith, aged seventy-two when he died, who was born
in the year 1700; while Benjamin and Ichabod Smith, born in
the previous century, are resting not far away. Samuel
Parker's wife, Sarah, the daughter of William Ford, lies
buried here, her death being recorded as having occurred in
October, 1768. Peter Pain was entombed, in his seventy-first
year, in 1756. Capt. Daniel Britton, a prominent man in the
township in his day, died in 1733, and his children lie asleep
around him. At the rear of the church, almost within its
afternoon sliadow, is placed to rest the great Woodbridge
Judge, Adam Hude, claruin ct venerabile nomen, in his eighty-
fifth year. He died on the 27th of June, 1746. Near him
reposes his worthy companion, over whose grave are written
these words : " Here Lyes ye Body of Mrs. Marion Hudc,
Wife of Adam Hude, Esqr: For ye Spase of 46 years dearly
beloved in Life, and lamented in death. She lived a Patern
of Piety, Patience, meekness and affability; and, after she had
served her generation in ye love and fear of God, in ye 71st
year of her Age fell asleep in Jesus, Nov. ye 30, 1732." In
this yard we see the burial-place of Henry Freeman, b orn in
1670 and dying in his ninety-fourth year. All around us, as
we stand on the consecrated ground, are the unpretending
memorials of Revolutionary men and women. Here is the
sepulchre of Gen. Nathaniel Heard, who died, aged sixty-two,
October 28th, 1792. Others of the family are grouped in
serene slumber, for
"Life's fitful fever is over."
Capt. Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, the brave and dashing
chieftain ; Capt. David Edgar, the spirited cavalryman; Lieut.
James Paton, the courageous Scotch patriot; Maj. Reuben
Potter, the faithful friend of liberty, and a host of others here
236 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
take tlieir "rest profound." Col. Samuel Crow, Col. Benja-
min Brown, Capt. Ellis Barron, Capt. Abraham Tappen, Gen.
Clarkson Edgar, and Capt. Matthias Sayers, of Revolutionary-
fame, are surrounded by many of the "rank and file;" and
they wait, in the quiet grave-yard, for the grand reveille, when
the army of the Lord shall shine in the clouds of heaven and
the dead in Christ shall awake to swell its numbers and shake
the gates of Death with their martial tread.
How suggestive of other days is the mere mention of the
names of thot^e who have "gone down the valley!" J^idge
Jeremiah Manning, Dr. John G. Wall, Justice Henry Free-
maiij Timothy Brewster, William Jones, Robert Coddington^
Samuel Jaques, Robert Lacky, Thomas Haddon, William
Brown, John Alston, David Harriot — all these, and many
more, are gathered within the hallowed precincts of this
cemetery. It is probable that there are two thousand graves.
The author counted nearly twelve hundred in Dr. H. R. Stiles'
MS. volume of inscriptions; and, doubtless, as many more
are without stones to indicate the lowly dwellers.
And now, as we turn from the church-yard with the October
hues brightly blending with the blue sky, and afar off
"In the listening woods there is not a breath
To shake their gold to the sward beneath ;
And a glow as of snnshine upon them lies,
Though the sun is hid in the shadowed skies" —
we truly feel that, as the unknown poet in Blackwood's J/aga-
zine, just quoted, recently expressed it:
"No sorrow upon the landscape weighs."
A true faith sees no sadness in a grave-yard. The Spring
and Summer of life are gone, to which succeed naturally the
Autumn and Winter. This before us is Death's harvest ; but
will not Spring return ?
" The Spring-time longings aie past and gone,
The passions of Summer no longer are known,
The harvest is gathered, and Autumn stands
Serenely thoughtful with folded hands.
Over all is thrown a m 3m rial hue,
A gltry ideal the real ne'er kntw;
THE PRESBYTERIANS, CONCLUDED. 237
For memory sifts from the past its pain,
And sufiers its Ijcauty alone to remain.
With half a smile and with half a sigh
It ponders the past that has hurried by;
Sees it, and feels it, and loves it all.
Content it has vanished beyond recall.
O glorious Autumn, thus serene,
Thus living and loving all that has been!
Thus calm and contented let me be
When the Autumn of age shall come to me."
Since the foregoing was placed in the printer's hands we
have had access to the Session Book of the Woodbrid"-e
Church, which contains the names of the Elders elected in that
church from 1795 to 1S31. We present the list herewith:
ELDERS :
1795 — George Harriot.
Joseph Crowell.
Campyon Cutter.
Jonathan Bloomtield.
1803— Ephraim Harriot.
— Jonathan Freeman.
Joseph Crowell.
Campyon Cutter.
Jonathan Bloomtield.
1804— The same Elders as in the
previous 5-ear except the last
one — Jonathan Bloomtield.
1812 — Camp3-on Cutter.
Ephraim Harriot.
Jos. Crowell.
— Jonathan Freeman.
Thomas Edgar, Jr.
William Cutter.
1816— The same men re-elected.
1822 — The same men chosen, except
Mr. Edgar, who left the place
in this year.
1823— Lewis Thornell.
Joseph Barron.
Campyon Cutter.
Ephraim Harriot.
Joseph Crowell.
Jonathan Freei^iua. _
William Cutter.
1829-John Drake. •
George Y. Brewster.
Also, the members of 1823.
Thornell went to New York in
1828, but held the office of El-
der in Woodbridge until ]\[arcli,
1829, when he applied for anti
received his certificate of dis-
mission.
1831— Same Elders as in 1839.
In the Session Book from which we gathered the list just
given are a few additional facts in regard to the Rev. Messrs.
Mills and Barton. It seems that on Tuesday, June nth, 1S16,
the Presbytery met in the Woodbridge Church and installed
Mr. Mills; and on his application the pastoral relation was
sundered June 19th, 1S21. The Rev. Mr. Barton was ordained
and installed June 25th, 1822, Dr. Fisher preaching the ser-
mon. Dr. Richardson gave the charge to the minister and
Rev. Mr. Kiggs delivered the charge to the people.
238 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
We find the names of only two Deacons mentioned in
the record referred to — Lewis Thornell and Joseph Barron>
who were elected at the same time to the eldership. Their
election to the diaconate occurred February 8th, 1823. Mr.
Barron died, aged sixty-eight years, on the 4th of July, 1831,
greatly lamented as a citizen [and a useful member of the
Church.
CHAPTER XXL
1775—1783.
The Revolution— Taxation— Tea-Drinking— Old Heroes
— General Heard — Scared by a Swivel — James Paton
—David Edgar— Smith Bloomfield— Samuel Dally
Capt. Nathaniel Fitz Randolph— Timothy Bloom-
field— His Daughter — Dr. Moses Bloomfield — David
AND Robert Coddington — Peter Latourette — The
Inslees — List of Heroes.
The causes which led to the war of the Revokition are so
well known that it would be a wearisome and profitless task
for us to dwell upon them. We shall not largely discuss
them ; nor shall we give any particular account of the pro-
gress of the conflict, having in view only its local aspects.
In 1765 the English Government passed the famous Stamp
Act, by which all deeds, bonds, and other written instruments
were null and void unless executed upon stamped paper for
which a duty Avas exacted.- It was to go into operation on
the first day of November ;f but so violent was the opposition
among the colonists in America, for whom the law was
designed, that no stamp officer felt safe in attempting to
enforce the statute. An organization, called " Sons of Lib-
erty," was effected, which became powerful in its resistance to
British tyranny. The " Sons of Liberty" of Woodbridge and
Piscataway were conspicuous during 1765-6 in their devotion
to the cause of Freedom. They sent word, by a delegation,
to William Coxe, of Philadelphia, that unless his office of
Stamp Distributor for New Jersey were vacated within a
week, they would visit him in force with unpleasant conse-
quences.t Mr. Coxe found it convenient to resign early
in September, 1765.
' Goodrich's U. S., v- 199. t Ibid., 203. t Whiteliead, p. 398.
240 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Tlie Stamp Act was repealed in the Spring of 1766, causing
great rejoicing ; but in the following year tax was imposed on
glass and some other imported articles, which again aroused
the colonists. If they were allowed no representation in
Parliament why should they be taxed.' That was the ques-
tion of the hour. A tax of three pence a pound on tea
was retained, but all other imposts were removed in 1770,
Tlie people resolved to give up the use of tea. Vessels sailing
up the Delaware in 1773, laden with this commodity, were sent
back to England without being permitted to discharge their
cargoes on the Jersey shore.
Speaking of tea reminds me that the first cup of this famous
beverage ever enjoyed in Woodbridge or in the State was
drank by a company of ladies, in the year 1730, in the build-
ino- now occupied as a drug store by Dr. Samuel E. Freeman.
The tea was brought from New York, and was regarded as a
choice article. Mrs. Campyon (a widow, who owned the
house), her daughter, afterward Mrs. Cutter, Mrs. Van Cort-
landt, and others were present. A discussion arose among the
ladies as to the vessel in which it should be prepared. A
tankard was produced and pronounced serviceable. Should
the tea be boiled, brewed or steeped.' Various opinions were
advanced; but the steeping party was in the ascendancy, so
the tea was steeped. When it was ready to be served, it was
poured out into diminutive cups, and the flavor of the draught
was the subject of many comments. Cake was eaten between
the sips, and this, perhaps, contributed toward the favor-
able verdict rendered with regard to the tea *
Now, this nectar was to be banished from the table of the
patriot. The tax on tea made the unoffending beverage itself
obnoxious.
A convention met at New Brunswick on the 21st of July,
1774, made up of delegates from all the counties in the
province, to consider the state of the country. The conven-
tion elected representatives to meet those of other colonies in
Philadelphia on the 5th of September. Thus was constituted
that grand body of men — the Continental Congress.
* Mrs. David Paton (Mrs. Campyon's grand-daugh.ter) tells these interesting facts.
THE REVOLUTION.
'241
On Wednesday, April 19th, 1775, the war fairly began, for
the first patriot blood was shed upon the green at Lexington,
Mass. The excitement occasioned by this wanton massacre
was intense. The feeling was as strong in Woodbridge as
elsewhere. Tories were treated as strangers by those who
hitherto had lived near them as neighbors. People gathered
about the public places to discuss the latest news from Boston.
The village tavern was thronged every evening, and the men
sat late over their rum or cider, eagerly listening to the
nervous recitals of travelers who had stopped for the night
under the whispering boughs of the broad elm tree. There
was a sober cast in many faces, as though the threatening
cloud over the political sky, thick with storm, had left its
shadow there.
Suppose to-night we lean against this ancient tree a little
while and glance in the tavern. The cheerful firelight from
the blazing logs reveals the excited group. "Mine host,"
Charles Jackson, is prominent among his townsmen in the
noisy discussion of British tyranny now going on. There,
too, may be seen Ebenezer Foster, the Justice of the Peace.
Possibly he is .discussing current events with Robert Fitz
Randolph, Jr., the Town Clerk. Is that fine-looking man Dr.
Bloomfield.'' He is talking with Samuel F. Parker, the
printer's son, perchance; and talking wisely, too, for he is a
man of great ability. There is the muscular Nathaniel Fitz
Randolph, destined to become the terror of his enemies. Do
you note the flash of his eye.-* He is not born to be a slave.
They all call him " Natty," in a familiar way. You shall hear
of him again before we close this volume. Near him we
fancy that we behold another distinguished face, that oS.
Nathaniel Heard, afterwards well known as Gen. Heard. Far
in the shadow of the room, deeply engrossed in the conversa-
tion of a belated traveler, stand, like a tableau, the figures of
men whose names are so nearly forgotten that, when we hear
them, they sound like faint echoes from some far-off shore.
They are Robert Clarkson, John Shotwell, Benjamin Thornell,
James Ayers, Samuel Jaquish, Isa^c Freeman, Wm. Moore,
Jr., James Bonny, James Mundy, William Smith, and others.
Committees of Correspondence were organized in many of
p
242 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
the towns. The Woodbridge Committee Avas actively at
work during this year (1775), The Tories in this place were
strong and influential, but the Whigs out-numbered them and
succeeded in over-awing them.
On the 17th of June, 1776, Col. Nathaniel Heard (the
Woodbridge man mentioned above) marched to Amboy,
under orders from Samuel Tucker, President of the Provincial
Congress of New Jersey, to arrest Wm. Franklin, the Gov-
ernor. The Colonel proceeded to Franklin's residence with
a guard of sixty men, surrounded the house and captured
the indignant official. The cause of this arrest was the
Governor's adherence to the English Government. He
would have been released from captivity if he had consented
to give his parole. Refusing to do this, he was committed to
the custody of Gov. Trumbull, of Connecticut, by whom he
was held a prisoner for two years and four months, when he
was exchanged and went to New York to assist the Royalists.
Col. Heard's militia at this time occupied the Amboy
barracks. The Tory element in that place and on Staten
Island was so large that during the Summer of 1776 about a
thousand men were encamped at Blazing Star and Amboy to
prevent open alliance with the Royalist cause. At the latter
place Maj. Duychink arrived on the 5th of July with 450 of
the Middlesex Militia. Rumors were prevalent, immediately
on his arrival, that the British intended to attack him by
crossing from Staten Island. Gen. Heard ordered the Major
to move his troops outside the town, which was done; but the
attack was not made, and on the 6th the Americans re-entered
Amboy.* Washington sent directions to Heard in July to
apprehend any of the Amboy or Staten Island Tories who
made themselves obnoxious to the cause of liberty. f
Gen. Heard's residence was on the corner where William
Harned's house now stands — adjoining Commoss & Ensign's
store. He had three sons and four daughters. John, one of
his sons, was a captain in "Sheldon's Dragoons," a famous
soldiery during the Revolution. Whitehead says he saw
John, "as General Heard, in his continental uniform of blue
• Whitehead's Contrib., p. 330. t Hatfield's EUz., p. 437.
THE REVOLUTION. , , -,
and buflf, at Woodbridge in 1824, when General LaFayette
passed through on his way to Philadelphia from New York."
James and William were the other sons of the old General
The former was a " Cornet " in Lees Legion in 1779, and in the
following year he was commissioned as a lieutenant. He
afterward became a captain.*
The father, Nathaniel Heard, was commissioned as Colonel
of a battalion of " minute men" on the 12th of February, 1776,
In June he headed " Heard's Brigade," a name given in honor
of the brave man ; and he was made, on the 25th, Brip-adier
General Commanding. A commission as Brigadier-General
of Militia was given him February ist, 1777. f
Woodbridge, during 1776, was the scene of the greatest
excitement. Troops were constantly passing and repassino-
through the town. In the latter part of the year the Brit-
ish had collected about 400 head of cattle and 200 sheep
in the place, intending that these should feed their troops
during the cold weather ;| but a company of impudent
American militia entered the town on the night of the nth of
December and quietly drove John Bull's beef and mutton into
the other camp.
According to tradition, Timothy Bloomfield's house, on the
corner of the old' Amboy turnpike (intersecting the Wood-
bridge turnpike near Ford's Corner)§ was a rendezvous for
the "Jersey Blues " in Woodbridge. Here the patriots met
to discuss the progress of the war and propose means for
harassing the enemy. Their meetings were secret, of course,
and were partly composed of young men not yet serving in
the army. One night news was brought to the assembled
"boys" that a British war-vessel had. appeared at Perth
Amboy. Some one proposed that an old swivel cannon in
town should be taken down to Amboy and fired into the ship
with the idea of frightening the enemy out of the harbor.
This plan was enthusiastically applauded. It was yet early
in the evening and it was determined to carry out the project
before daylight. The gun was procured and loaded. It was
taken with all haste to Amboy. Campyon Cutter, then a
* Officers and Men of N. J. in Rev., p. 81. t Ibid., 349. % Hatfield's Elizabeth, p,
451. 5 Mrs. D. K. Patoii.
244 woodbridgp: and vicinity.
Woodbridge young- man, assisted his comrades to plant the
artillery near the Episcopal Church, overlooking the water.
There, sure enough, they saw in mid-stream the dark outlines
of the brig. They knew the moon would rise at ii o'clock,
and they waited patiently until it began to glimmer over the
Island. Aiming their gun with due precision, the touch-hole
was filled with powder, the torch was applied, there was a
heavy detonation, and then all was quiet. With some anxiety
the venturesome gunners "laid low." In a sliort time they
heard the crew raising tlie anchor, and a ball came whizzing
into the grave-yard. Tlie light was so uncertain at this junc-
ture that the British imagined, probably, that they saw a host
on the highland. With jubilation the patriots saw that they
were frightened and were moving off.*
Among the Woodbridge men who distinguished themselves
during the ever-memorable war of the Revolution, we must
mention James Paton, who came from Stirling, North Britain,
in 1774. The two years previous to his departure from Stir-
ling were spent in the service of Alexander Wright, a mer-
chant of that place, who gave him an excellent recommenda-
tion for honesty and faithfulness when he left. He joined the
" Light Dragoons " (2d Regiment, Continental Army), com-
manded by Col. Elisha Sheldon, of Connecticut, when they
were first organized, in 1776, and continued his connection
with them until 1779, at which time he was a " Cornet "f
David Edgar was a captain in this organization. Edgar was
a Woodbridge man, between whom and Paton a warm friend-
ship existed. He (Edgar) became First lieutenant of the
Fourth Battalion, 2d Establishment, on the 28th of November,
1776; then in the following year he held a Captain's commis-
sion in this battalion, which he soon after resigned to take a
lieutenancy in Sheldon's Dragoons. He became a Captain in
this corps November 27th, 1778, and was honorably dis-
charged at the end of the war.J
James Paton was often addressed as Lieutenant by his
friends, the officers of the Dragoons; from which we infer that
* Mrs. David Paton, to whom the author is indebted for this narrative, is the daughter
of Campyon Cutter, oue of the partieipauts in the exploit. t Paton papers. Mr. Paton was
commifesioned as Cornet Jan. 1, 1778. t Gen. Stryker's Official Roster, p. 80.
THE REVOLUTION. 34"
he held such a commission as early as the Summer of 1778.
A certificate from Brigadier-General Samuel H. Parsons,
written August 15th of this year, gives him that title. A letter
written by Paton in 1786 alleges that he held that rank in the
army.
In 1788 he was commissioned, by Gov. Livingston, as a
Captain of the First Battalion of Middlesex Militia. In 1792
Capt. Paton was assigned by Gov. Paterson to the command
of a company of Light Infantry organized in this countv. He
was placed on Gov. Joseph Bloomfield's staff in 181 1, with the
rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, having seven years previously
held a Major's commission in the ist Regiment Middlesex
Militia.
But it is to his services during the Revolution that we call
attention.
In June, 1780, the British opened their campaign in New
Jersey by moving their troops* into the State via Staten
Island and Elizabethtown, with the intention of capturing
Gen. Maxwell's Brigade of Jersey troops and then marching
on to Short Hills, there to await the arrival of reinforcements,
with which a grand movement was to be made on Morris-
town, and Gen. Washington with the whole Continental army
would be nicely bagged. But
" The best laid schemes o' mice and men
Gang oft aglee."
Washington had no special admiration for the plan, and
accordingly he coolly occupied Short Hills with all his forces.
This was naughty of Washington, because the British had
expected to make a camp there and have a general good time
thrashing the Americans in the neighborhood. As it was,
they were compelled to beat a retreat, in the course of whicli
they were harassed by little parties of militia firing upon
them from behind fences, trees, etc., all along the route.
They had entered Elizabethtown on the night of the 6th, on
the 7th they were checked at Connecticut Farms, and 'in the
evening they were hurrying down to the " Point " in a drench-
' About 6,000 well-equipped soldiers.
y
246 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
ing rain to escape the pitiless pursuit of the Jersey soldiers.*
Not a very glorious record for the British, truly.
In the two days' brisk skirmishing (of the 7th and 8th)
parties of militia were collected from all the towns adjacent.
Woodbridge had several representatives in the engagements,
among whom were James Paton,' Jeremiah Clarkson,f Jere-
miah Dally, and a man named Brown. Paton was wounded
on Thursday, the 8th, from the effects of which he never
entirely recovered. In a letter directed to " Captain David
Edgar, 2d Regt. Light Dragoons, at or near Crompond,"
dated at Elizabethtown, June 30th, 1780, Lieut. Paton thus
tells the story :
" Dear Edgar : I am happy to be able once more to
write to an old friend, which is more than I expected
so soon. Must inform you that on Tuesday, the 6th inst., at
night, the British army landed at the Point and marched near
Springfield. On Wednesday [they] burned all the houses and
[the] Church in Connecticut Farms, and in the evening
retreated in a heavy rain to the Point. On Thursday all day
was skirmishing, and unfortunately for me, dear Edgar [I],
received a. very bad wound. The ball entered below my left
temple and came out nearly opposite. I got it near the New
Point and kept my horse until I rode to my uncle's house,];
when I dismounted, hitched my horse and walked in and was
dressed and declared not mortal, but expected to lose the
sight of my right eye. However, thank God, my eye has
come to, remarkably. I am able to walk in the garden. The
wound heals very well. It discharges mostly out of my nose.
I am in hopes it will leave little or no mark in my face. I
have fell away very much. I was wounded on the 8th and
was kept concealed in my uncle's house until the 19th, when
I was made a prisoner and got a parole to return when called
for, I never was visited by a doctor during eleven days.
Miss Aggie dressed me all the time. I am not able to give
you the particulars of the expedition, only tlie brave Capt.
Nathl.' Fitz Randolph was wounded tlie last day the British
• Hatflela's Eli/., p. 486-490. t Clarksou lived where Isaac Thornell resides.
t This uncle's name was Johu Adams. " Aggie," who is meutioned further on, was an
adopted daughter of the Adams family. Miss Aggie Brought was her original name.
THE REVOLUTION. 247
troops marched to and burned all Springfield, and is since
dead and much lamented. Smith Bloomfield is also mortally
wounded and not expected to live, I believe. It is impossible
to describe the distress that prevails in this part of the world.
My head aches with writing: you must excuse me. I believe
all friends are well. My uncle, aunt, and Miss Aggie join in
compliments, and believe me to be, dear Edgar, your sincere
friend, James Paton.
N. B. — Pray, write to me soon. The next opportunity
[I] will write you all the news, for I have a great deal to tell
you. Mr. Brown is well, and behaved very well and gained
great credit. But poor I had it not long in my power to do
anything; and God knows when I shall be exchanged.
J. P."
In this skirmish Lieut. Paton wis acting as an officer
temporarily under the command of Capt. Obadiah Meeker, of
the " Essex Horse," who was executing an order of Lord
Stirling, Major-General of the American forces. Major Wm-
Crane, who commanded the ist Battalion of Essex Militia, and
who was present during the fight, says of Paton : " he behaved
with spirit and bravery through the whole course of the alarm
till wounded and taken."*
This intrepid soldier died November 6th, 1816, in his 58th
year. He was married twice- — to Hannah Edgar, daughter ot
David, who died in 1801 ; and to Mrs. Ann Bloomfield, who
survived him thirty-four years.
Capt. David Edgar, to whom allusion has been made
several times, was another Woodbridge hero. He was a
lieutenant for awhile in Heard's Brigade, but his military
reputation was largely achieved during his connection witli
Sheldon's Dragoons. This regiment was part of the time in
Connecticut, then in New Jersey, and part of the time in
Delaware. Adjutant Hoogland, of this corps, wrote to Lieut.
Paton (then at Westfield), from Bedford, Conn., in 1779, that
in the last week of June the Dragoons had a brush with the
enemy at Lower Wright's Mills, in which it is supposed,
though not positively known, that Capt. Edgar participated.
* Autograph letter among the Paton papers.
248 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
The Yankees were compelled to retire before superior num-
bers.
Capt. Edgar (then Lieutenant) was the leader in a coup de
grace at Marcus Hook in May, 1778, which Brigadier-Gen.
eral Small wood, at that time commanding the Maryland
division of the army, characterised as an act of "extraordinary
gallantry." The facts in the case are these:
A sloop, called the Sally^ had been making trips all Winter
between Duck Creek, Del, and Philadelphia, to supply the
British army, which occupied the latter place, with provisions.
The Duck Creek people were Tories, and obtained considera-
ble money by trading with the English. But poor Sally came
to grief. As she was sailing unsuspiciously past Marcus
Hook on her way to the city of Brotherly Love, Lieut. Edgar
with five Dragoons made an assault upon the vessel and
captured it. It was a novel affair, and compels us to believe
that Capt. Jinks' "boss marines" are not so much of a joke
after all ; for nothing is more astonishing than a naval
engagement by a party of cavalry. The sloop was found to
be loaded with flour, wheat, and bacon, of which the commis-
sary officers took charge. Gen. Smallwood ordered that
Lieut. Edgar and party should be paid just the value of the
captured provisions, and that the sloop with all its appurten-
ances should be delivered to Edgar for the benefit of the
captors. The Sally was drawn up on the shore. The Light
Horse "being under marching orders, to move east, probably
going to Connecticut, Edgar had not time to dispose of his
prize. During his absence an American officer, named Col.
Wade, repaired the sloop and ungenerously used it without
permission for eighteen months. As the Continental army
now occupied Philadelphia, the British having been com-
pelled to evacuate it. Wade doubtless carried on a lucrative
trade, with the stolen vessel, between that city and the lower
counties of New Jersey and Delaware bordering on the river.
Lieut. Edgar appealed to the authorities for redress with
satisfactory results, it is presumed.*
This gallant affair was no doubt the cause of Edgar's pro-
• Many of these facts are taken from the autograph letters of Capt. Edgar and other
officers of the army.
THE REVOLUTION.
249
motion, about six months after, to a captaincy in the regiment.
During the Summer of 1780, Edgar was recruiting in Con-
necticut for Col. Sheldon's Dragoons. On the 8th of June
of this year, when his friend Lieut. Paton was so severely
wounded, he was probably at Windsor, Conn.
Among his papers we find a unique bill presented by a
harness-maker against Capt. Barnet of the Dragoons (the
officer under whom Edgar served while Lieutenant), which is
dated April i8th, 1777. We extract a few items:
£ 8. p.
To a sadel by Isack Mash 10
To a sadel and brid el by John meker was 11
To asadel and bridel and sirsengel by James Patron... 12 12
To a sir singel by wileui panes 16
To a curbbridel by leftenent Etger 2
To mendenasadel by david Ager puten in a nu pad
and anugurt 1
To putenouanupare of bits 1 12
To putenon nu lethr on old parsol bits and stufen a
pad for wilem Conger 1
A little study of this literary puzzle will give us the clue
to the harness-maker's meaning; but we do not very strongly
recommend his style for a model.
Capt. Edgar died September 6th, 1810, in his 60th year,*
and is buried in the Presbyterian burying-ground at Wood-
bridge, not far from the spot where his friend and brother-in-
law, James Paton, lies buried.
His residence is supposed to have been just beyond the
present residence of Mr. Robert Vail, along the Jiighway
westward.
Smith Bloomfield, who participated in the skirmishes at /
Springfield and vicinity in the latter part of June, 1780, and
w^as mortally wounded at that time, was a Woodbridge man.
Unfortunately we know very little about him. He was taken
prisoner by the British January 3d, 1778, and was subse-
quently exchanged.! He died some time in July, 1780,
probably from the effects of his wounds.
Samuel Dally and Jeremiah, his son, were soldiers in the
' Dr. Henry R. Stiles' MS. Churchyard Inscriptions. t Paton papers.
250 WOODBRIDGE AIS^J) VICINITY.
first regiment of Middlesex militia.* Samuel fought, at one
time, under the leadership of Washington. He was one o^
the faithful few who crossed the Delaware in mid-winter to
surprise the Hessians at Trenton ; arid he shared also in the
glory of the battle of Monmouth. His death occurred March
9th, 1784, in the 53d year of his age. Jeremiah ran away
from home when only fourteen or fifteen years old to enter
the service of his country. He was in the engagements at
Connecticut Farms and Springfield in 1780, and perhaps
others. At forty years of age he died, November 7th, 1823.
Modesty forbids the writer to pursue further the history of
these men, from whom he is proud to trace his own lineage;
but, craving the forbearance of his readers, the following
extract from a pamphlet in the possession of the family is
given as a local incident of tlie war of independence :
" Mary Dally,f wife of Samuel, was part of the time left
at home with none to cheer her solitude but the little
ones; for Jeremiah had gone to war, contrary to the wishes
of his parents. He did not relish being left to attend the farm
while the other boys and young men in the neighborhood had
hastened to the field of conflict. In one instance, Mary
narrowly escaped death, while alone with her children. She
was leaning out of an upper window, watching with anxiety
the progress of a skirmish near the house between a body ot
English and a body of American troops. The latter were
victorious. The British turned toward Perth Amboy in re-
treat. In doing this they passed the house where Mary lived !
she had scarcely withdrawn from the window when a ball
from onfe of the retiring party fractured the casement and,
striking the opposite wall, fell to the floor. When some of
the Americans stopped to refresh themselves with a drink ot
buttermilk the patriotic woman handed it to one of them who
promised to send it back among the retreating " Red Coats,"
and he did — but what execution it effected it was impossible
to tell.
Mary lived several years after the war was ended ; and. it is
said, would relate with much animation the story we have
* Stryker's Roster, p. 565. t She Uved in a house, uow destroyed, in the rear of John
Flood's place.
/'
THE REVOLUTION. 25 I
briefly told. On a previous occasion, the marauders had
pillaged her house ; and, among other things, carried off the
family Bible. It is to be hoped that they read it as carefully,
and learned to prize its contents as highly as did the good lady
from whom they stole it."
Among Capt. Edgar's troop we notice several Woodbridge
men. Joseph Oilman,* Jonathan Jaquish, Jedediah Freeman,
and Lewis Dunham were in that company. f Robert Codding-
ton was a fifer in the Middlesex Militia and in the Con-
tinental army. H&nry Freeman was fifer in Capt. Asher F.
Randolph's company of Jersey troops I
One of the most conspicuous men for dash and daring, who
lived in Woodbridge during these stormy times, was Capt.
Nathaniel Fitz Randolph. Authentic tales told of his extra-
ordinary courage recall the days of Roman valor and savor
of the chivalric period of which Virgil wrote : Anna idrumque
cano. His was one of those lives in which grand achieve-
ments are accomplished within brief seasons; for he was
only thirty-two years old when he died. He is described as
"active, bold, and intelligent "; the antithesis, physically and
mentally, ot his brother Ezekiel, who often fell asleep on his
butcher's cart as he made his round in serving his customers.§
Of Nathaniel's intelligence we have a proof in his accurate
copy of the old Town Book.
He was a captain of the Middlesex Militia, at first; and was
elected naval officer for the Eastern District of New Jersey
on the i2th of December, 1778, The day before this election
the ('ouncil ordered that a sword should be purchased for
him as a fitting tribute to " his patriotism, vigilance, and
bravery during the war," which was subsequently presented
to him. II
On the 24th of June, 1778, he made an attack with fourteen
men on the enemy's guard opposite Elizabethport. Ft was
Wednesday night, and the party reached Staten Island in
boats. The Tory account says that two of the guard were
wounded, and that the American party hurried down to their
^-^
» Gen Stryker's Roster, p. 200, t Paton papers. t Stryker's Roster, p. 482.
§ Whitehead's Coutr., p. 95. J Stryker's Kos., 406.
252 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
boats and escaped, being pursued by the British.* But it is
probable that tlie raid was much more effective, for the Tories
distorted facts from motives of policy; so that their state-
ments were notoriously unreliable in many instances.
Some time during the Spring or Summer of this year Fitz
Randolph captured a number of the enemy on Staten Island,
concerning the exchange of whom the Governor communi-
cated with Gen. Washington. f
Capt. Randolph often said that the enemy should never take
him alive; and this declaration would have been verified,
doubtless, if it had depended on his courage to prove it. In a
fair contest he seemed almost invincible, and his name became
a "tower of strength" to the patriot cause in this section.
His conspicuous bravery was the admiration of his friends
and the fear of his adversaries. It is not surprising, therefore,
that the latter made vigorous efforts to capture him. Several
attempts to entrap him signally failed ; but we are told that
he was twice made a prisoner.
Tradition informs us that one night he went home; and
three armed and mounted Tories, who had been watching for
him, saw him enter the house. It was hardly wise for him to
go there; but human nature, long deprived of the home-life,
will sometimes impel a man to enter the jaws of death to enjoy
the fireside chat for one brief hour.
" Why did yon come home. Natty .' " exclaimed his anxious
mother. " You know the Tories are determined to take you,
and three of them have been prowling around the house
to-day ! "
" Ah," said the Captain, pointing significantly to his sword
and pistols, " no three men can take Natty alive ! "
Blankets were hung up at the windows to keep the curious
eyes of the neighbors, or the enemy, from beholding the guest
of the evening. The table was spread, and the warrior almost
forgot the camp and field in the glow and sparkle of the fire
on the hearth and the odor of smoking viands on the table.
After a season of pleasant converse with the family, a noise
of tramping feet was heard, succeeded by a sharp rap on the
♦ Hatfield's Eliz., p. 4G7. t Council of Safety, p. 250.
THE REVOLUTION. ,53
door. One of the inmates expressed the deepest anxiety lest
the Captain should now be subjected to the horrors of a
British prison. Releasing his sword from the bracket on the
wall the soldier replied: "They shall never take Natty
alive ! " Loud calls from without for the surrender of the
sturdy patriot Avere responded to by the Captain himself, who,
flinging open the bolted door, stood upon the threshold with
his drawn weapon in his hand, "/am Natty Randolph ! " he
said, pointing a pistol at the group; "and no three men can
take Natty alive ! The first who dares to stir is a dead man ! "
When Randolph was ready he gave the order for them to
move. The melancholy trio rode down the lane, followed by
the eagle eye of the American. They knew that two deadly
weapons in experienced hands covered them as they departed.
They were, therefore, very circumspect in their deportment
until they were out of range, when they struck spurs into their
horses and scampered away toward Staten Island.
Some of the stories of Randolph's marvellous strength are,
undoubtedly, greatly exaggerated ; but there can be no question
that he was a very muscular man. It is told of him that he
was once crossing Staten Island at the head of his men, when
he came unexpectedly upon a company of Hessians. One of
the latter, a little in advance of the rest, raised his gun and
fired, wounding Fitz Randolph in the left arm. Natty, pre-
tending he had something confidential to communicate, left his
company, approached the audacious soldier, seized him_ and
carried him in triumph under his right arm to the expectant
Americans — the Hessians, in their amazement, making no
attempt to rescue their comrade.*
Natty was very much attached to his company and refused
a Colonel's commission because its acceptance would sever the
relations between him and his men.f It scarcely need be said
that his soldiers were devoted to him.
While at the head of a detachment of them he was once
surrounded by a superior British force. Instead of surren-
dering, the brave fellows stood at bay and fought, under the
inspiring example of their leader, taitil every one of them had
Eahwav Museum and Advocate, Aug. 31, 1822. t Ibid.
254
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
'fallen^ either killed or wounded, on the hotly-contested field;
and Natty alone, with the blood streaming from his own
wounds, stood among his slain companions brandishing a
musket with astonishing effect. The British officer, admiring
his pluck, sought to take him alive; but every hostile approach
met with a stunning blow from the musket. The officer then
begged him to surrender, arguing that it Avas a pity for such
a brave man to die. Finding his strength failing, Natty
exacted a promise of kind treatment and an early exchange,
which being cheerfully accorded, he gave himself up as a
prisoner of war.
The slaughter in this affair is said to have been very great,
for the number engaged, on both sides.* The promise of the
English officer was fulfilled — the American captain was speed-
ily exchanged, every kindness being shown to him in the
meantime. The former declared that Fitz Randolph was the
bravest man he had ever met.
A reliable tradition well illustrates the coolness and daring
of our hero. A baggage-train belonging to the enemy was
progressing toward the inimical camp. Capt. Fitz Randolph
discovering it determined upon its capture. But he was
alone. This, however, did not intimidate hinv Waiting until
nightfall, he fell upon the rear of the train, sword in hand,
shouting at the top of his voice ; " Come on, boys ! Here they
are ! We've got them ! " The teamsters, unable in the dark-
ness to see their unknown assailant, and fearful that they
would be surrounded, were panic-stricken and fled precipi-
tately — the guard also joining iij the inglorious flight. Natty,
exultant, found means to bring his trophies into the American
camp, greatly to the discomfiture of the British and the
merriment of the Whigs.
The Captain, much to his chagrin, was captured in January,
i779)t by a party commanded by Capt. Ryerson. One author-
ity says that he was on Staten Island at the time, conducting a
scouting expedition, and that "the tories dogged him " to the
house in which he entered in the evening; and, after he had
laid aside his arms, they rushed into the room and made him
• See Kahway Mus. & Adv., Aug. 31, 1822. t Gen. Stryker's. Official Koster, p. 406.
Whiteliead says "February" — Contr., p. 95.
THE REVOLUTION. jCt:
a prisoner before he could seize his weapons or effect an
escape.* Another authority informs us that he had retired,
and was taken from his bed by his unwelcome visitors.f He
was conveyed to New York and imprisoned and cruellv
treated, until May 26th, 1780, a period of about a year and
four months ;J at which time he was exchanged; it is sup-
posed, for a Capt. Jones of the British army. This Jones was
seized by some of Fitz Randolph's men, for this very purpose,
at the old stone tavern at Port Richmond, Staten Island.
The story of this capture was told to me by Robert Codding-
ton. WjUjam^Bovy^ipan Sta ten Island , a waterman, used to
tell it also. ~~*
It seems that Peter Latourette, a Woodbridge man, famil-
iarly known as " Pete Tourette,"§ found out that Capt. Jones
was sick at Port Richmond and resolved to secure him as an
exchange for Randolph. Peter was fully equal to the task.
His courage was unquestioned and his strength remarkable-
He stood six feet and two inches in his stockings, and was
stout in proportion. He and three or four kindred spirits, all
Woodbridge men, crossed to Staten Island by daylight, in
citizens' dress, and went to the tavern. The guard, a small
one, supposed the new-comers were private citizens and paid
very little attention to them until they began to wrestle with
each other. This pastime amused the soldiers greatly, and
they became very free in their bearing toward the Jerseymen.
The latter heard the sick officer cough and calculated, from
the direction whence the sound came, just the room in which
he could be found. The guard, unsuspicious of danger,
stacked their guns in the hall and proceeded to the supper-
table, spread in an adjoining room. Latourette did not
intend to execute his plan until after dark; but this chance
was too good to be lost. He seized the guns and armed his
men, and then quickly entered the British Captain's apart-
ment and carried him out of the house, stuffing his handker-
chief into the sick man's mouth to prevent his giving the
* Railway Mus. & Adv., August 31, 1822. t Geu. Stryker's Roster, p. 40G. t Ibid.
5 Peter is disrespectfully called a "thief" and "an infernal tieud" by the Tory papers
in New York. The stories of "his cruelty to the Tories may be true, but we find uo evidence
to support them except in the journals alluded to. See Hatfield's Ehz., p. 507.
2S6
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
alarm. The party hastened to the shore, sprang into a boat
and rowed to Bergen Point witli their prisoner, who was
lodged in the Bergen jail until he was exchanged for Capt.
Fitz Randolph.
No sooner was the gallant Nathaniel released than he
entered the active service again ; but, alas, within two months
the heroic soldier passed away — to the land, we trust, where
the march of hostile battalions and the tumults of war are
unknown. He died of the wounds he received at or near
Springfield, N. J., on the 23d of June — his death occurring
one month afterward, July 23d, 1780.* He was buried in the
Presbyterian Church-yard at Woodbri.lge with the honors of
war. He was once married — to Experience Inslee, afterward
the wife of James Coddington.
Timothy Bloomfield was another patriot of Woodbridge.
It was his house, which was situated on the old Amboy turn-
pike, that was the rendezvous of the whigs, as we have previ-
ously related. He was an outspokan foe to British tyranny,
and was, therefore, the subject of the vindictive malice of the
tories. Made a prisoner during the war, he was incarcerated
part of the time in the Jail at New York, and part of the time
in the notorious Jersey Prison Ship — the victim ot gross in-
dignities and terrible cruelty. For refusing to acknowledge
his allegiance to King George he was twice taken out of Jail
to be hung, being suspended by the neck until life was nearly
extinct. True as steel, with returning consciousness he per-
sisted in his refusal. Nothing but the fear of retaliation pre-
vented his inquisitorial tormentors from taking summary ven-
geance for his obstinacy. f He was finally released. He died
at the age ot 73 years, January i8th, 1813, and was buried in
the old grave-yard at Metuchen.J
His sons (supposed to be Smith and Timothy) were in the
Continental army, so that the farm and the old homestead
were open to the ravages of the predatory parties of the
enemy. Among other things stolen were the family Bible and
* Lieut. Paton, in his letter to Capt. Edgar (already quoted), fixed Fitz Randolph's
death in the latter part of June. As he was a prisoner his information on this point was
limited.
t Eahway Museum, March 22, 1822. t Dr. H. K. Stiles' MS., p. 68.
THE REVOLUTION. 257
a brindle cow. The precious book could not be readily given
up. It was the comfort of the pious household during the
long absence of the men ; to be deprived, therefore, of its
counsels and divine consolation in their hours of anxious
watching and bitter trials was a prospect too melancholy.
But what could be done? Bibles were costly in tli*ose days,
and the family, made poor by the fortunes of war, had not the
means with which to purchase another. Eunice, daughter of
Timothy, concluded at Length to appeal to the British com-
mander on Staten Island for the restoration of the priceless
volume. In company with another girl, residing with the
family, Eunice started from home, walking to the river. It
was a brave deed, for these were troublous times and lawless
bands were abroad. Doubtless the God whom they honored
by seeking for His Word sent flaming spirits to guard them in
their dangerous way. On the shore they were nonplussed.
How should they reacli the other side.^ Not far away they
espied an old scow. Pushing it into the water, they paddled
across, objects of mucli curiosity to groups of red-coated
soldiers on the Island. With deference, the guard on the bank
assisted them in debarking and enquired their business.
They informed him that they wished to see the officer in
command. Very courteously he conducted them to head-
quarters. The commander received the young women with
affability and listened to their story and to their earnest
pleading for the old Bible. They saw the tears gathering in
the officer's eyes, and felt sure their suit was won. So,
indeed, it was. He sent to the ship, riding at anchor some
distance from the shore, to which, it seems, the volume had
been carried It was brought and placed in Eunice Bloom-
field's hands.
Gratefully the young women were about to turn homeward
when the commander kindly enquired if anything else of
value had been taken from them. They replied affirmatively
— that a brindle cow had been driven away by his men. In
adjoining fields large droves were feeding. Leading his
guests to these, he pointed toward the cattle and asked if they
recognized their own spotted animal. A long scrutiny failed
to discover the domestic favorite. As they were about to give
Q
258 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
lip the searcli in despair, the brindle came bounding toward
them with every demonstration of pleasure; and placed her-
self, in a satisfied way, close beside Eunice — as much as to
say: "Come! It is milking time ! " The officer smiled, and
averred that there was no doubt ot the original ownership of
the cow.
A guard ot soldiers escorted the girls across the water with
their regained treasures, and accompanied them for a consid-
erable distance toward home, at which they arrived with hearts
overflowing with thankfulness. The feelings with which they
opened the old Bible that night, who can describe?
On the family record, in this same old Bible, some Tory
liand had written remarks, against one of the boys in particu-
lar, who was afterward killed near Elizabethtown while in
action.*
Dr. Moses Bloomfield, whose acquaintance we have made
already as Clerk of the Freeholders, was a nati/e of Wood-
bridge and a man of more than ordinary culture and ability.
His patriotism was fervent, inducing him to offer his services
to his country at an early period of the war (May 14th, 1777),!
as an army surgeon. In the United States hospitals he held
the position of Senior Surgeon. He was the son of Joseph
and Eunice Bloomfield, and was the father of Gov. Joseph
Bloomfield. It is thought that his residence was the old
Bloomfield homestead, where Mr. George C. Hance now
lives. His body was placed to rest in the VVoodbridge Pres-
byterian yard, and a stone, with the following inscription,
marks the spot :
" Dr. ]SIoses Bloomfield,
40 years Pbysician and Surgeon
in this Town ; senior Phy-
sician and Surgeon in the Hospitals of
the United States ; Representative in
the provincial Congress and Ge-
neral Assembly ; an npright
Magistrate ; Elder of the Pres-
byterian Church, &c. Born
December the 4th, 1729, died Aut.
the 14th, 1791, in his 63d year."
* Our authority for the story of Eunice liloomfield is chiefly Mrs. D. E. raton. Sea
aiso Bahway Museum, etc. t Gen. Strykei's Koster, p. T2.
THE RKVOLUTIOX. 259^
He was in the hospital at Princeton in 1778, as the follow-
ing minute from the session of the Council of Satety'- of Oct.
2d will show: "Agreed that Dr. Moses Bloomfield be re-
quested to attend the Board to-morrow morning at 8 O'clock
with a list of the Physicians, Surgeons and Surgeons' mates,
attending at Princeton & the number of sick in the hospital
there."
A great deal has been written about tlie capture of Col.
Christopher Billop at his residence near Billop's Point, Staten
Island, on the 33d of June, 1779. Some say that Capt. Na-
thaniel Fitz Randolph was the leader in the affair ;f this is
strenuously denied by others who declare that Capt. Fitz Ran-
dolph had nothing to do witli it.+ As Robert Coddington's
father was a participant in the atfair and a relative of Fitz
Randolph (the two being brothers-in-law), I went to see Rob-
ert, the son, one day to enquire whether lie had heard his
father, the elder Robert, mention the matter. He said that he
had heard the story from his father's lips, an 1 that it was an
unaccountable mistake which ascribed the leadershio in this
undertaking to the Captain. David Coddington was the
chief of the daring party who captured the influential Tory.
Four or five comprised the company. David and Robert
Coddington and Peter Latourctte were among them. It is
said that for a long time watchers were stationed in the steeple
of St. Peter's Church, at Perth Amboy, who kept a sharp
look-out on the Billop mansion across the water. At length
the Colonel was discovered walking through his grounds.
They knew, therefore, that he nnght be foiuid at hcmie. The
night of the 23d was very dark, and tiie adventurers launched
their boat in profound silence, rowing across the harbor with
muffled oars. From a black woman they had obtained the
countersign, with which they expected to pass all the guards
in safety. Having landed, they approached the house ia
" Indian file " and entered it without arousing the enemy^
Col. Billop had gone to bed. The party quickly secured him.
and then hastened to the shore, taking the usual precautions-
* Council of Safety of N. J., p. 286. t Whitehead, p. 95. t See N. Y. Evening Post..
Oct. 18th, 1873. Oapt."Fitz llandolph was maAe a piisouer in the January previous, and waa
yet a priBoner.' It is evident, therefore, that hv was not iu this affair.
26o WOODBRIDGE AND VICINIIV.
against an outcry by their prisoner. One of the men iiad
taken the Colonel's horse, a beautiful animal, from the stable.
But the steed refused to enter the water, whereupon the
soldier shot him. Immediately the boat glided from its
covert, for the British were thoroughly alarmed by the start-
ling report of the gun. The audacious Jerseymen were not
discovered, but arrived safely on the opposite shore.
Billop was sent to the Burlington Jail in November, put in
chains and permitted to subsist on bread and water only, in
retaliation for the cruelties imposed by the British on their
American prisoners — especially on John Leshier and Capt.
Fitz Randolph, who were being harshly treated by their jail-
ers at this time. The following note was written by the New
Jersey Commissary of Prisoners to Col. Billop:
" Elizabethtown, Nov. 6, 1779.
"Sir: Sorry am I that I have been put under the disagree-
able necessity of a treatment towards your person that will
prove so irksome to you; but retaliation is directed, and it
will, I most sincerely hope, be in your power to relieve
yourself from the situation by writing to New York to pro-
cure the relaxation of the sufferings of John Leshier and
Captain Nathaniel Randall.* It seems nothing short of
retaliation will teach Britons to act like men of humanity.
" I am, sir, your most obedient servant,
" Elisha Boudinot,
" Com. Pris."
The Tory Colonel remained in custody at Burlington until
December 26tli, when he was exchanged for an American
officer.
On " Hollister's Corner" has lain, for a long wliile, a rusty
old cun made in Queen Anne's tune. It was used for many
years to celebrate the independence of America. Many a
Fourth of July salvo has resounded from the grim mouth of
this dishonored cannon. But how did the town come into
possession of it .^ Well, that is just what we are going to tell.
Some time about the year 1780 a large British vessel, con-
* His name waE often distorted into "Randall."
THE REVOLUTION. • ,6 1
taining a choice cargo of molasses and other provisions, was
boarded at what was known as Great Bend, not fiirfrom Perth
Amboy, by a party of four or five Jerseymen. Capt. Storey
was the leader. Robert Coddington,* Peter Latourette, and
James Bloomfield (a boy at the time), with one other, perhaps,
whose name is forgotten, constituted Capt. Storey's assaulting
party. They were all good boatmen, although none of thenT,
as far as we know, belonged to the naval service, except John
Storey.f Coddington, Latourette, and Bloomfield are re-
corded among the soldiers of the Revolution in the oflScial
roster of New Jersey.
It was a bitter cold night in Winter when the attack was
made. The ice was thick enough along the shore to sustain
a heavy burden. Capt. Storey approached the British vessel
in a gun-boat in a cautious manner, leaped aboard with his
men, spiked the guns and took prisoners the crew thus uncer-
emoniously disarmed. The surprise was complete. The
groceries were subsequently drawn on the ice to Perth Amboy,
after which the boat was burned to prevent its falling into the
hands of the English. This old gun was taken off as a trophy
and brought to Woodbridge. It was in the keeping of Peter
Latourette for several years, who would bring it out on each
Fourth of July to give it voice in the general jubilation.
Peter lived where Daniel Voorhees now resides. He offered
to give the piece to the township if the latter would construct
a gun carriage for it. This was done, and the deep-toned
thunder of the old cannon afterward welcomed the dawn of
many an Independence day. Now, alas, it is flung aside as a
useless thing. True, it is rusted and no longer available as a
weapon of defence; nor is it safe to salute the stars and stripes
with it, for its once smooth bore, worn out by long service
and much neglect, is full of dangerous cavities. But it is a
sad sight to behold it lying here unnoticed. The long grass
that caresses it to-day seems more tender and pitiful to the
prostrate thunderer than all the people in the town out yonder-
How careless they are of thy fallen majesty, O historic
* His Bon Robert, ut.w living in Woodbridge, is our authority for this narrative-
t Gen. Stryker'8 Roster, â– .,. 872.
262 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
treasure! Are they forgetting the men who shed their blood
for freedom in the early days of the Republic, as they have
forgotten thee? Will not some kind hands lift thee up for the
sake of wliat thou hast been, and for the sake of the warriors
who stood around- thee long, long ago? Would that we might
learn that it is dangerous to patriotism to permit its hard-
earned trophies lo lie unhonored in neglected places.
There was an hour a voice of power
Resounded from thy hollow throat ;
Through smoke and flume the message came
To many a heart in rockiiig boat.
Thy word was death, and in a breath
Thy mess ige came of loas and woe ;
And saddened souls since then have told
Of smiUeu ones the waves below.
Now mute thy voice ; and we rejoice
That all tliy deeds of blood are o'er ;
Thy husky throat gives forth no note
To tell of death on ship or shore.
Thy silence cheers the hope of years,
That Christ, the Prince whom we adore,
Will bring the time, Oh, thought sublune !
When nations shall learn war no more.
Several of the Woodbridge family of Inslees distinguished
themselves in the Revolution. John Inslee,* the fother of
Gage, was a soldier in the Continental army, and was made a
prisoner by the Tories and shut up in the old Sugar House at
New York. His farm was devastated and his house burned.
Jonathan Inslee (Robert Coddington's mother's father)
suffered very much for his adherence to the cause of liberty.
Near Isaac Flood's barn, alongside the brook, stood Jonathan's
â– dwelling. From this he was taken a prisoner by the Royal-
ists and conveyed to New Brunswick to be lodged in jail.
He was compelled to wade through the river at a ford; and
then, all wet and sliivering, was thrust into a cold room
without being permitted to dry his clothing or exchange it
for more comfortable raiment. His faithful wife followed the
* John lived in a house in the old "pear tree lot " ou the Gage luslee e-state near Pertii
Amboy.
THE REVOLUTION. 2^
merciless Torie. to New Brunswick u.ul begged the jailers to
liberate her husband. After persistent effort her object was
accomplished, and she took the maltreated man home, only to
see him die; for the cruel exposure caused liis death' Febru-
ary 24th, 1777, in his 6ist year.
His brave wife (whose name was Grace Moore before lier
marriage) died October 3d, 1794, aged 67, and they sleep side
by side in the Presbyterian burial-ground, disturbed no more
by war's alarms,
Elizabeth Inslee, who afterward married Joseph Codding-
tou, once came near being mutilated for life by the brutality
of a British soldier. Large bodies of the enemy's troops were
accustomed to collect on Spunk Hill (right above Isaac
Flood's residence), tor drill and parade, presenting a brilliant
appearance with the long line of bayonets glistening in the
sun and the gaudy uniforms of red and gold. But the com-
munity was generally terror-stricken at their approach, and
the sacredness of home was invaded wherever they stacked
their arms, They would enter the houses near by and take
away any (object that struck their fanc}'. Coming uncere-
m(mious!y into Jonathan Inslee's house one day. a soldier
spied a valuable ring on one of Elizabeth's fingers. He strode
toward her and was about to cut off her finger to obtain the
piece of jewelry when an officer suddenly appeared, sharply
rebuked the inhuman fellow, and sent him back to camp.
In this locality lived William Jones, a tailor, and a soldier
in the Continental army. His house was nearly opposite
Spunk Hill, between the residence of Joel Melick, Jr., and
that of Robert Coddington. It has been destroyed. Mr.
Jones told Abel V. Shotwell, of Rahway, that his first duty»
on entering the army, was to make a coat for (^apt. William
Piatt, who fought under Gen. St. Clair.
We present a list of the Woodbridge ''Continentals" and
militia of the Revolution, so far as we have been able to
gather the names — omitting those already noticed :
Archibald Auger, sf)metimes spelled Eager.
Ellis Barron, a Captain of ist Regiment of Middlesex, com-
missioned January loth, 1776.
264 WOODBRIDGF. AND VICINITY.
Shotwell Bishop, grandfather of Mr. Shotwell B. Frazee.
He lived near James R. Potter's at Short Hills.
James Bloomfield (alluded to on page 261 of this Chapter),
resided in Woodbridge, b'ut died in Milton,
EzEKiEL Bloomfield, father of Wni. Bloomfield, who is still
living in Rahvvay.
Robert Burwell belonged to Capt. Asher Fitz Randolph's
company. His residence was in Rahway Neck, near
George Brown's.
Jonathan Bloomfield.
Nathan Bloomfield resided, probably, near Bonhamtown.
Thomas Bloomfield, Sr., called " Continental Tommy," was
the father of David Bloomfield who lives near Jotham
Coddington's place of residence.
Thomas Bloomfield, Jr., is said to have been imprisoned in
the Jersey Prison Ship on one occasion during the
war. He died where L. M. Perkins now resides.
Benjamin Brown, father of Warren Brown, lived on the
Woodbridge Neck.
Dugald Campbell lived near Oak Tree; died in 1809, aged
77. Buried at Metuchen.
Joseph Crowell.
Kelsy Cutter died in Woodbridge March 7th, 1798, aged 42.
Samuel Cutter was in several of the boat expeditions made
by Capt. John Storey, and was one ot his favorites.*
Stephen Cutter and Ford Cutter, see next Chapter.
Morris De Camp, Sergeant in Sheldon's Light Dragoons.
He was wounded on Staten Island on the 23d of
August, 1777.
Joseph Dunham belonged to Capt. Asher F. Randolph's
company.
James Edgar and William Edgar.
Ambrose Elston lived in Rahway and was a Middlesex
County Judge.
Crowell Evans.
Capt. Asher Fitz Randolph lived at or near the old Blazing
Star. He did effective service with his excellent com-
* See •■Cutter Family," i\ 98.
THE REVOLUTION. 265
pany during the war. At the age of 62 years he died,
April i6th, 1817, and was buried in the Woodbridge
Presbyterian grave-yard. (See Captain Mattheiv Free-
fnan.)
M elanchtOxV Freeman, Surgeon, father of Dr. Matthias
Freeman. His death occurred November iitli, 1806, in
his 60th year, and his grave is in the old Metuchen cem-
etery.
Capt. Matthew Freeman died in 1824, aged about 81 years.
He was made 2d Lieutenant of the ist Regiment Mid-
dlesex Militia in January, 1776, and afterward became
Captain. Asher Fitz Randolph served as Ensign under
Capt. Freeman at the beginning of his career; then
Asher became one of his lieutenants, and subsequently
left Freeman's ^company for a Captaincy in Maj. Hayes'
Battalion. Matthew is buried at Metuchen.
Jonath an Free man.
David Freeman.
Samuel Force resided where Dr. Jaques died.
Hiram Frazee lived where John Lasslett now resides.
Morris Frazee lived between Oak Tree and Plainfield.
" EsiEH " Fitz Randolph, Ezekiel, Malachi, and Michael
belonged to Capt. Asher F. Randolph's company.
The Fitz Randolph family was one of the most patriotic
of the war. Among those going to battle from this
section we find, besides those just mentioned, Barzilla,
Daniel, James, Joseph, Stelle, Phineas, Samuel, Thomas,
Zedekiah, and others.
John and Joseph Gilman belonged to Capt. David Edgar's
Troop of Light Horse.
Charles Gilman.
Thomas Hadden was a Captain of ist Regiment Middlesex
Militia; then Major, and in April, 1778, he was com-
missioned Ueutenant-Colonel, but resigned in Decem-
ber of the same year.
Samuel Jaquish.
James Kinsey, Sr., is thought to be a Woodbridge man; so
is James, Jr., and John (an artilleryman), and Shadrach.
Concerning James, Sr., it is recorded that lie was dis-
266 WOODHRIDGE \ND VICINITY.
charged for disability, Januar}- 3d, 1783, "after seven
years' faithful service " — a brief but satisfactory evidence
of a noble and self-sacrificing devotion to the cause of
liberty.
Aprah.\m Loughberry, or Lufifberry, resided in Rahway,
near the house of Francis Labaw. lie was a Sergeant
in Hazen's Regiment (2d Canadian). His son, the late
Joseph O. Lufbery, was a prominent and highly es-
teemed citizen of Rahway. John H. Lufbery, ex-Mayor
of Rahway, is also his son. The old family name is
spelled Loofbonrroiv. When Gen. Lafayette visited
Rahway, in 1824, Abraham was the chairman of the
committee appointed to receive him ; and it is said that
the French patriot recognized him immediately, not-
withstanding forty years had intervened since they had
parted.
Abr.a,m Laing lived where the late Ctn-nelius \^anderhoven
resided.
Capt. Nathaniel Leonard, who died May 9th, 1803, in his
50th year, and is buried in the old Metuchen cemetery,
has inscribed on his tomb-stone these words : "Served
through the Revolutionary war." He was a Wagon-
master and Captain in the Continental army.
Oliver Martin resided in Rahway and built the house occu-
pied by Jonathan Woodruff, which he called the " Peace
Tavern." Jeremiah C. Force was his ^on-in-law. He
belonged to the 3d Regiment of Militia.
Eliphalet Moore, of the 2d Regiment of Artillery, Conti-
nental Army, lived on the farm in Rahway Neck, lately
owned by Reuben Drake.
Capt. Christopher Marsh belonged to Essex Light Horse;
but he lived on the Kinsev Farm, between Six Roads
and Milton. He was at first a lieutenant in Capt.
Blanchard's Troop. On the 2d of June, 1777, he was
promoted to a captaincy. He was the grandfather of
Rolph M. Crowell. Died in 1810, aged 67 years.
Ralph Marsh, made ist Lieutenant in Capt. Ellis Barron's
company, January loth, 1776.
Merrick Martin'. A number of Martins, residing in this
THE RKVOLUTrON. 267
section, were soldiers in the Revolution. Many of
them lived at or near Metuchen.
Jeremiah Manning, Captain ist Regiment of Militia, died
June loth, 1S03, aged 67. The following is inscribed on
the stone over his grave in the Presbyterian yard at
Woodbridge: "He filled the office of magistrate 26
years, most of which time he Avas also one of the Judges
of this County. At the age of 22 he became a member
of the Baptist Church, and, although interred here,
continued such until his decease, counting all things
but loss, as nothing compared with the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord."
Peter Noe lived at Blazing Star. He was the grandfather of
Joel B. Laing. Several other Noes from this section
fought for freedom. James belonged to A. F. Ran-
dolph's company. Peter died Sept. 2d, 1S19, aged 69.
Capt. Zebulon Pike was a Cornet in Movlan's Regiment of
Continentals in March, 1777; an Adjutant, November
ist; a Lieutenant, March 15th, 1778; then Paymaster;
and finally Captain, December 25th, 1778.
Capt. Robert Ross, of Metuchen, died January 15th, 1822,
aged 73 years, and was buried in the old Metuchen
cemetery. He was a Captain in the ist Regiment of
Middlesex Militia. In June, 1781, he was recruiting
officer for this County.
John Ross is supposed to have lived at Bonhamtown where
Benjamin Tappen resides.
Isaac Sears (or Sayeri) was a fifer in Capt. Ogden's company,
ist Regiment of Militia. His residence stood where
Hazelwood Cemetery is now located.
Thompson Steele was a Captain of Militia and Paymaster.
Possibly he lived at Piscataway. He was a County
Ccmiinissioner (for seizing the effects of disaffected
parties who had gone over to the enemy) until June,
1777, when he was taken prisoner by the British.*
Capt. Richard Skinner, of tlie ist Regiment, Militia, was
killed July ist, 1779, at the Six Roads Tavern— at least
that is supposed to be the place.
• Conncil of Safety of New Jersey, p. 67.
268 WOOniiRlDGE AND VICINITY.
David Stewart, father of Randolph Stewart, lived near the
Dog Tavern.
Benjamin Thorp, of Spencer's Regiment of Continentals,
lived near James Potter's at Short Hills.
Israel Thornell died May 19th, 1819, in his 74th year, and
was buried at Metuchen.
Benjamin Thornell belonged to the ist Regiment of Militia,
and afterward to the Continental Army.
Samuel Willis was one of Capt. A. F. Randolph's company.
He lived between Houghtenville and New Dover.*
There may be soms names omitted in tlie foregoing table ;
but, if so, the omission is unintentional. It is not an easy task
to make a complete statement of this kind; but we flatter
ourselves that we have prepared the best that has been made
to the present date.
* For information in this Ust I am indebted to A. V. Shotwell, Dr. H. R. Stilee, the
"Cutter Book," G-eu. Stryker's Roster, and reliable tradition.
I
CHAPTER XXII.
1775—1783.
The Revolution, Continued— Stirring Times— Spanktown
—Events Between 1776 and 1783 in Chronological
Order — Grace Lacky— Baitle of Ash Swamp — Ezra
Mundy— The Cutters— Clarkson Edgar— The Moores
— Jennet Gage.
The year 1777 was the most exciting- one of the war, proba-
bly, to the inhabitants of Woodbridge. The latter part of the
year before had been very disastrous to the cause of liberty.
The American army had retreated across the State to Penn-
sylvania, passing en route through Bonhamtown and New
Brunswick. In its wake followed the British and Hessian
troops, who, flushed with success, ravaged the countr}', to the
great consternation of the residents They were checked at
Trenton in December (25th), 1776; but through all the suc-
ceeding Spring the enemy despoiled the Eastern part of New
Jersey. There was terror in every patriot household. Camps
of the foe were established at Bonhamtown, Raritan Landing,
and New Brunswick, from which strolling parties in search of
plunder were sent out through all the regions adjacent.
Woodbridge was not neglected by the foragers, as may readily
be imagined. Skirmishes between them and small parties ot
Jersey militia were frequent; but the latter were feeble and
poorly equipped and were in jeopardy every hour. The
condition of the inhabitants was forlorn and defenceless in the
extreme, and Hessians marched through the village with their
huge brass fronted caps, long pig-tails hanging down their
backs, yellow waistcoats and breeches, and blue dress-coats —
tyrants of the hour.
We now propose to give a succinct statement of events
occurring in Woodbridge and vicinity in nearly chronological
order, after which we will resume the biographical narratives
of the preceding chapter.
270 WOODBRIDGK AM) VICINITY.
In July, 1776, the 2d Pennsylvania Battalion of Philadelphia
marched through Woodbridge on the route to Amboy. One
company, Capt. Wilcox's, remained on the Smith Farm in
Woodbridge Neck — for how long a time we do not know.*
In August It was expected that an attack would be made on
Amboy by the enemy. Among other measures for defence,
four hundred men were ordered to be stationed at Woodbridee
After the battle of Trenton the British through this section
made their strongholds at Amboy and New Brunswick.
Piscataway was visited a little while previous to this, and the
houses robbed of bedding, cooking utensils, etc.,f the wives of
predatory soldiers assisting in the robberies.
Soon after the British camp was formed at Bonhamtown a
Mr. Compton, grandfather of Henry Compton, was visited by
the British, who had learned that two of his sons were serving
in the Continental army, and telling him to pack up his bed
and furniture, gave him the old grey horse and a wagon, and
sent him away. They then burned his house and out-build-
ings and stole his six horses, thirty head c^t cattle, and fifty
sheep. J Mr. Compton's dwelling stood by the brook between
Metuchen and Bonhamtown. The camp at the latter place
was composed of five British regiments. The officers occupied
the house now the dwelling of Benjamin Tappen — owned at
that time by the grandfather of Jerome Ross.§
About the 6th of Januar)', 1777, one thousand bushels of
salt were taken from the English at Spanktown (Rahway)
after a sharp encounter in which the Americans were victori-
ous. The conflict lasted two hours. When the British found
themselves being worsted they sent dispatches to Woodbridge
and Amboy for reinforcements. Two regiments hastened to
their relief; but the Hessians encamped at Woodbridge refused
to go, nnagining that the Jersey militia were at Spanktown in
immense numbers. The two regiments arrived there just in
time to save their comrades from total disaster. ||
The reason for calling Rahway by the unprepossessing
name of Spanktown is not obvious. We do not suppose any
more spanking was done in ancient Rahway than usually befalls
' Wbitehead, 331. t Ibid., 339. t Hunt's Metuchen, p. 12. 5 Ibid., p. 11. I Hat-
field, p. 455.
THE REVOLUTION, CONTINUED. 271
the rising generation in any thrifty town. But, taking our
cue from the astute Kniclcerbocker (who began his history of
New York from the creation of the world), we go back to the
old meaning of spank, and find that it means a quick trot. So
we say, "he went along at a spankUig gait," whicli does not
mean that his mother administered castigation as he pro-
ceeded, but that he moved along on his steed at a lively pace.
Now, what is more reasonable than tliat Rahway was so noted
for its fast horses that it became Spanktown on that verv
account? The name is certainly invested with much more
dignity in tlie latter than in the former view of the case,
although we are free to confess that the evidence for the one is
as good as for the other. At any rate, we see one signification
exemplified: Rahway is growing at "x spanking rate; and we
rejoice in its prosperity. As it was once a part of Woodbridge
we feel a sort of motherly pride in its progress. As the child
has grown larger than the parent, it would seem that the
period of correction has passed; the toddler is approaching
maturity, and the days of its castigatory trials are ended.
The river that flows through Rahway was styled Rahwack,
Rawawack, and Rahawack in the early days — so called, it is
thought, in honor of an Indian chief of that name. It has been
rendered more euphonious by the modern residents, who call
it Rahway ; but this name was not given to the town, perma-
nently, until Monday evening, July 29th, 1822. •'■Previous to
that date Bridgetown was its frequent appellation; but at that
time a meeting of prominent citizens at Smith Freeman's
hotel (Richard Marsh, Chairman, and Jos. O. Lufbery, Secre-
tary) settled the matter in designating the town by its present
cognomen.
But to return to Revolutionary matters:
Somewhere about February ist, 1777, an engagement
occurred at Piscataway between one thousand British, with
three heavy guns, and seven hundred Americans, in which the
former were compelled to retreat. But receiving reinforce-
ments and three more guns the enemy drove back the militia,
* Bridgetown Museum and N. J. Advoc, Aug. 3d, 1822.
2y2 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
losing in the attaclvS at least thirty-six, who were killed. Of
the Americans nine were slain and fourteen were wounded.*
The distinofuished British Gen. Howe came near beina:
captured in the neighborhood of Bonhamtown in March of the
same year. He was at tliat place on the 8th attempting to
open communication with New Brunswick, whicli had been
cut off by the Americans; but he failed. In his attempt to
return to Amboy 3,000 men were called out as a guard — sup-
posed to be the entire force in the neighborhood of Bonham-
town. These troops were put in battle array on " Punk Hill,"
as the nearest advantageous point. Is not this locality
"Spunk Hill".'' It would seem so — the Spunk and Punk
being confusedly mixed in the mind of the chronicler. Skir-
mishes occurred between parties of Gen. Maxwell's men and
these British soldiers, one effect of which was to bring on a
serious engagement, resulting in loss on both sides. The
British lost, probably, sixty men killed and wounded, a bag-
gage-wagon and three pieces ot artillery. f If Maxwell's force
had attacked the hostile army on the hill and been successful,
Gen. Howe, probably, would have fallen into the hands of the
Americans.
At Spanktown a severe encounter occurred on the 23d of
February, between Maxwell's troops, stationed there, and the
3d British Brigade from Amboy. The latter made a detour
by way of Spanktown for the purpose of capturing Maxwell ;
but their real destination was New Brunswick, into which
town they intended to bring their prisoners in triumph. Sad
to relate, Maxwell was not accommodating enough to be
captured; but the Americans followed their foes through the
snow all the wa}' back to Amboy, pouring a destructive fire
into their ranks as they proceeded. Their loss, from their own
accounts, was large — four officers and nearly one hundred men
killed and wounded. The Americans set down the British
loss at 500 and their own at 3 killed and 12 wounded \ Such
a great disparity seems almost incredible.
Several American soldiers were made prisoners during
April at or near Woodbridge. Among them we find Patrick
* Whitehead, p. 341. t Whitehead, p. 342. i. Whitehead's Contr., p. 344.
THE REVOLUTION, CONTINUED. 273
McConnally, a Hunterdon County man. He was taken on the
nth* Isaac Cotheal, who was a member of Capt. Marsh's
troop of Essex Light Horse, was wounded and captured near
Woodbridge on the 19th. His wounds must have been severe.
Because of them he was discharged from the service May ist,
1778.1 Cotheal was a guide for the patriot army at the time
of his capture. He was living in 1810, as we learn from a
letter of Lieut. Paton, in whicli it is stated that he was suffer-
ing greatly from his wounds, and an increased pension for
him is mentioned as desirable.
At two o'clock on the morning of April 15th, 1777, a detach-
ment of Col. Cook's i2th Pennsylvania Regiment, under Capt
Alexander Paterson, made a successful attack on the British
picket guard at Bonhamtown. The entire guard (twenty-
five soldiers) were either killed or taken. The main body of
the British forces retired to the intrenchments near at hand.];
Col. Cook's camp was not far from Bonhamtown; and two
other parties from his regiment, on the nights of the 20th and
2ist, harassed the enemy's picket, driving it in on both occa-
sions. Lieut. McCabe made the former attack with only 16
men, killing one and wounding two, Lieut. Lodge made the
latter assault, assisted by McCabe, having 32 men in com-
mand ;§ and the British were in such a state of alarm that' the
entire encampment was kept under arms all night.
On the 23d of April, long after dark, a detachment of 63
men under Capt. Lacy marched through Woodbridge, from
the vicinity of Rahway, on the route to Amboy, to surprise the
Hessian pickets there. But the pickets had been removed;
so that, beyond a little consternation and the killing of one
sentinel and the wounding of another, this adventure was not
remarkable. On the following night another American party
of about thirty attempted to accomplish tlie same purpose,
but the darkness was great and they stumbled right among the
Hessians, who captured every one.^
In May the Royal Highlanders (71st Scotch Regiment) had
posted themselves half way between New Brunswick and
Bonhamtown with six companies of li^ht infantry. On the
* Gen. Stryker's Koster, p. 243. 1 Ibid., pp. 174, 556. t Barber & Howe's His. Coll..
p. 325. 5 Ibid. V Wlaitehead's Contr., p. 344.
B
274 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
loth they were assailed by a part of Gen. Stevens' division
and the battle lasted about an hour and a half. Near Piscata-
way the Highlanders took possession of a wood, but the
Americans drove them out of it. The pickets of the enemy
were also driven into Bonhamtown. Although the Royal
troops were reinforced, such was the vigor of the onslaught of
the Continentals that they again retreated, fighting as they
retired. Another British reinforcement compelled the Amer-
icans to give way. In excellent order they fell back with a
loss of twenty-seven. The Highlanders suffered sevei-ely, but
the loss is not stated.*
The British_army evacuated New Brunswick on the 2 2d of
June, retreating to Perth Amboy. On Thursday morning
(26th) they marched forth under Sir William Howe and Lord
Cornwallis as far as Westfield, intending to annihilate Gen.
Washington, whose camp was now situated in the neighbor-
hood of Plainfield. But the resistance they encountered at
every' stage of their advance was disheartening in the extreme.
Nearly every cross-road had its squad of pugnacious militia
which poured its deadly volleys into the splendid columns of
the w^ell-equipped troops. As they were passing through
Woodbridge they were checked for half an hour by Col.
Daniel Morgan's Rangers. Some sharp skirmishing and
rapid firing resulted in considerable loss of life.
The army moved from Amboy in two columns, one march-
ing by way of Metuchen meeting-house under Howe, and the
other passing through Woodbridge under command of Corn-
wallis. These columns were to form a junction beyond Me-
tuchen ; and then, two miles further on, they were to separate
in order to ffank the Americans at Ouibbletown. Four bat-
talions took up their position at Bonhamtown, with six heavy
guns, in the morning of this eventful day. The right column,
under Cornwallis, was the one that met Morgan's Rangers at
Woodbridge. Lord Howe's official dispatch states that Mor-
gan's force comprised 700 men. Of course, the Rangers were
compelled to give way, for the odds against them were too
heavy.
• Hist. Coll. of N. J., p. 325. Whitehead, p. 344.
THE REVOLUTION, CONTINUED.
275
When Cornwallis entered the road leading to Scotch Plains,
just above the " Metuchen meeting-house," he was checked by
Gen. Stirling's corps of American troops. A general skirmish
ensued. Stirling was well posted in a wood, but he was
compelled to retire after a severe contest, in which he lost
three brass pieces of ordnance, and several men. Lord Howe
admits the British loss to be five killed, thirty wounded, and
thirteen prisoners; but sets down the loss on the other side
at sixty-three killed and over two hundred wounded and
•prisoners— a gross exaggeration if we may believe Gen.
Stirling's report. The enemy's troops in this conflict com-
prised three regiments of Hessian Grenadiers, one of British
Grenadiers, one of Light Infantry, tlie Hessian Chasseurs, and
the Queen's Rangers. Doubtless one cause ot Gen. Stirling's
retreat at Metuchen was the knowledge he must have pos-
sessed that Lord Howe was advancing in the rear of the rio-ht
column and would soon overtake it with a powerful reinforce-
ment.*
After an intensely hot day and a fotiguing march, the Brit-
ish army entered Westfield. Looking toward the hills th§
weary soldiers saw that Washington had made his camp
among them, having forsaken Quibbletown and all the plain.
Every movement was in view of the American commander;
for, taking his position on the bold bluff now so well known
as "Washington's Rock," he was able to distinguisii any
. important manoeuvre the foe might choose to make.
It was three o'clock on Friday afternoon that the English
Generals, seeing Washington's impregnable position, took up
their line of march from Westfield to Amboy, assaulted flank
and rear by Scott's Light Horse and Morgan's Rangers.
They encamped that night at Spanktown. The next day,
harassed as before, they resumed their retreat and arrived at
Amboy, from which, on the last day of June, they departed" —
leaving New Jersey in possession of the American army.
During the remainder of the war the latter held' Amboy, and
the State was never again so completely overrun with
marauders and British troops, altliough many parties entered
it lor pillage from hostile camps in adjoining States.
' Howe's dispatch ; see Wbitehead, p. 346. Also Hatfield, p. 460.
276 WOODRRIDGE AND VICINITY.
While the British cause seemed to be in the ascendency, in
the former part of 1777, the Tories were exultant and assisted
the King's troops in every possible way; but now they were
doomed to severe retribution. Many of them were glad to
escape with their lives to the English lines, leaving their prop-
erty in the hands ot the angry citizens. There were cases of
tarring and feathering, which caused a speedy exit of certain
Royalists to the congenial latitude of Staten Island.
The New Jersey Council of Safety,* which met at Haddon- ^
field on the i6th of August of this year, cited Ichabod Bunn,
Thomas Bioomfield, Sen., Samuel Freeman, Samuel Heard,
Michael Long, John Kinsey, and Samuel Insley to appear as
witnesses in respect, to disaffected parties in this section. As
a result, perhaps, of this citation, we find the following, on the
record of the Council, bearing date Wednesday, August 27th ;
" Ordered the wives and children (under age) ot John Heard,
Ellis Barron, Wm. Smith, Isaac Freeman and Saml. Moores,
late inhabitants of the Township of Woodbridge, but now
with the Enemy, be immediately apprehended & sent over to
Staten Island; & that Col. Fredk. Frelinghuysen be directed
to carry this order into execution."
In the early part of October troops began to assemble at
Woodbridge and Elizabethtown in large numbers, supposed
to be two thousand militia, under Gen. Maxwell. Generals
Heard and Maxwell led a large detachment from these places
on Friday (the 2d) toward Hackensack to attack the British
troops which Avere threatening to invade Bergen County. f
A guard was kept at Rahvvay by the Americans at this time
to prevent incursions from Staten Island; but forays were,
nevertheless, of frequent occurrence. Thirteen mounted
Tories rode into Railway on Sunday evening, January 30th,
1780, and surprised nine soldiers in the company of several
young ladies. The refugees took their prisoners to the Island,
to a social atmosphere by no means as pleasant as that from
which they had been so ruthlessly snatched. J; As this Winter
was very cold the Sound was frozen over, and the Tories and
other inimical marauders were able to cross it at any point
* Minutes of the Couacil, p. 117. t Htitfield's Elizabeth, 469. t Ibid., 483.
THE REVOLUTION, CONTINUED. 277
with horses and vehicles. It was, indeed, a terrible Winter to
all the inhabitants in this section.
But several other matters connected with the year 1777
ought to be mentioned here :
The Council of Safety met at Princeton on the 8th of
December, and a guard from Major Potter at Woodbridge
brought the following prisoners from Middlesex before the
Board: El lenor Worth, Charles Friend, John Willis, Walter
Noakes, Michael Condin, and William Fleming. All but the
two last were taken into custody and detained in Princeton,
Maj. Reuben Potter was 2d Major in the First Regiment of
Middlesex Militia from 1776 to 1778, when he resigned.
TheToITovvrng appears in the minutes of the Council of the
same date: "Agreed that there be paid t o Israel Freeman fo r (
coming with his Waggon & two horses from Woodbridge \
with Guards & five prisoners to the Council of Safety and '
returning to Woodbridge ^4. 11. 6."
On the next' "3ay"(Tu e scTay7 the 9th) the Council "Agreed
that his Excellency [the Governor] direct Col. Seely com-
manding at Elizabethtown to remove the Cattle from Rahway
Neck, and such other places where from tlieir proximity to
the Enemy they may be in danger of being carried off by
tlicm, to places of greater security, (the owners of such cattle
refusing to do it, on notice given to them for that purpose)
and that the removal of such Cattle be Effected with as little
damage to the proprietors as circumstances will allow or the
public service requires."
Col. Seely was directed on the Saturday following to
remove all "sheep and hogs," also "out of the reach of the
enemy."
On the afternoon of the 20th the Council "Ordered That
Majr. Potter be directed to remove to Staten Island, Sarah
Barron, & the wife of William Smith, the wife of John Heard,
& the wife of Samuel Moore, as well as the wives of such
other persons as have returned from the Enemies' lines,
without leave, after having been removed into the same by
order of the Council of Safety; cSc make a return of what he
shall have done in the premises with all convenient speed.
A^^reed that there be paid to Matthew Freeman for himself &
278 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Guard & three prisoners from Woodbridge, wilh a Waggon
& 2 horses and a spare horse, the sum of ^11. o. o."*
A petition was received by the Council on the loth of
January, 1778, from certain of the inhabitants of Woodbridge
asking that Mrs. William Smith might be permitted to remain
in the town, which was granted on condition that she should
remain with her father's family. In the Spring of '78 several
of these wives of disaffected parties were taken by Maj.
Potter from Woodbridge to Elizabethtown, whence they were
sent by a flag of truce to Staten Island. f
On the 5th of June Ebenezer Ford, a Woodbridge man, was
appointed Commissioner for Middlesex to dispose of Tory
property, in place of Capt. Baker, who had resigned. J On
the 17th Gen. Winds was directed to remove all the cattle
from Woodbridge Neck and its vicinity, as they were liable
,to fall into British hands. §
sj On the first Thursday evening in June, 1780, a party of
thirty Tories landed on the Raritan River and proceeded to
Woodbridge, where they captured Tustice Freeman,_ a Mr.
Edgar, six other white persons, and two negroes, all of whom
were taken to New York.^
During 1781 the "Cow Boys" visited the Jersey border,
opposite Staten Island, in frequent forays, plundering and
imprisoning the inhabitants in unprotected localities with
impunity. One Wednesday night in March (21st) a party of
them from the Island entered Rahway and kidnapped nearly
a dozen of its residents, besides stealing all the available
property along the way.||
In 1782, William Clarke, one of these "Cow Boys," was
shot near Woodbridge while making one of his predatory
excursions in this vicinity. It was asserted that he had
carried into the British lines, since the Autumn of 1776, over
one hundred fine horses from this and neighboring counties.
He was a sharp fellow and managed, by disguises, to keep ;
within the American lines a large part of the five years in
which he plied his dangerous vocation, without being de-
tected ; but he was decoyed into an ambuscade by several
* Minutes of Council, p. 177. t Minutes of Coun. of Safety, p. 215. t Ibid.,p. 247.
5 Council of Safety, p. 255. H His. Coll., p. 326. II Hatfield, p. 502.
THE REVOLUTION, CONTINUED.
279
patriots, wlio lured him by a forged letter, purporting to come
from a confederate, in which he was informed that at a certain
place near Woodbridge wpuld be found on a given day two
valuable horses tied to a tree. Tempted by the chance, Clarke
approached the spot only to be slain by a volley of musketry.*
On the nth of April, 1783, Congress proclaimed a cessation
of hostilities, a treaty of peace having been signed between
Great Britain and the United States; and at noon on Satur-
day, the 19th, just eight years after the war began, the
proclamation was officially promulgated to the entire Ameri-
can army, and the independence of the colonies Avas estab-
lished.
We return now to the personal narratives of those who
lived in tlaese stirring times :
James C. Moore resided, during the Revolution, with his
father on the f;i.rm now well known as the Maj. Edgar Home-
stead; and, although he was quite young, he remembered and
would relate, previous to his sickness and death, many inter-
esting incidents connected with tliat heroic period. He said
that on the opposite corner, east of the house, stood a cider-
mill which fronted the dock. Lurking in the neighborhood
was a man from Staten Island who was suspected of being a
Tory and a spy. Knowing these suspicions were aroused the
stranger began to feel uncomfortable, and vet he found it dif-
ficult to get back to the Island because all intercourse there-
with was prohibited and no boats were permitted to cross the
Sound. His situation becoming more critical every day he
grew desperate; and going to the cider-press one dark night
he loosened the large trough, which was used to receive the
crushed apples, and launched it with the ai d of rollers into the
river. A shovel, which he found in the mill, served for a
paddle — and thus he began his novel voyage, which, it is said,
he accomplished in safety. If this was not " paddling his own
canoe" it was as close an imitation of that far-famed operation
as he could achieve with somebody else's craft.
A shrewd lady was Grace Lacky. While Woodbridge was
infested with Hessians they impudently entered the houses of
Historical Coll. of N. J., p. 325.
28o WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
the inhabitants and carried off anything on which they could
lay their hands. Grace did not fancy such visitations and
accordingly devised a plan to prevent them. She inscribed
in large letters on her door the woVd, " Small-pox ! " It is
hardly necessary to say that when the import of the dreadful
term was made known to the redoubtable sons of Hesse they
deserted that part of the village with commendable speed.
Grace was by no means a coward. On or about the 20th
of May, 1777, as she was passing a deserted house in this
village she looked through the window and saw an intoxicated
Hessian soldier lying on the floor. He had evidently strag-
gled from his party and entered here to sleep off" the effect of
his copious potations. What should she do ? There was no
American force nearer than a mile, nor were there any men
of Continental principles anywhere at hand. Should she
consult her own convenience and safety and leave the drunken
fellow? No, that she would not. Going home, she hastily
clothed herself in man's attire and sallied forth again. Enter-
ing the forlorn dwelling in which the soldier was peacefully
snoring, she cautiously took his gun away and then aroused
the sleeper with a demand for his immediate surrender.
Somewhat sobered by the critical situation of affairs, he gazed,
in a muddled sort of way, at his captor, who stood ready to
discharge his musket at his head if he made a hostile demon-"
stration. At Grace's command he staggered to his feet and
walked, with an uncertain gait, out of the house and down the
road toward the American quarters. The patrol guard of a
New Jersey regiment, stationed near Woodbridge, met the
effeminate captor wnth her victim, and the prisoner was placed
in the custody of the soldiers, to the great satisfaction of all
parties, except the Hessian.*
What is known among our oldest citizens as the "battle of
Ash Swamp " was fought in this township. By a recent act
of the State Legislature creating Raritan Township (passed
in March, 1870), the scene of that engagement is no longer
embraced within the limits of Woodbridge, but within those
of Raritan. Its exact locality is a little west of Robert C.
* This is a reliable tradition. For corroboration see Barber & Howe's Hist. Coll., p. 825.
THE REVOLUTION, CONTINUED. 281
Vail's present residence. Robert Coddington was at that
time a boy about sixteen years of age — so his son, Robert,
tells us— and he acted as a guide to the American troops.
The battle probably occurred in the Spring of 1777, and was a
desperate conflict. Previous to the contest the British pre-
pared and ate a repast on the farm of Daniel Moore — for some
of them it was the last meal. No doubt there was ereat
hilarity among the red-coated soldiers as they partook of the
rustic dinner. We imagine we see them scattered in pictur-
esque groups over the wide field, with the blue smoke from
many camp-fires rising in languid spiral columns from the
ashes and embers. There pace the vigilant sentinels ; here
dozes a sleepy teamster; there prance the cavalry horses;
here gleams the burnished steel of a stack of mhskets; there
flutters the bunting of England — the British cross; here
reclines a thoughtful officer in the brilliant uniform of the
Royal Light Horse; there is a busy aid-de-camp hurrying from
company to company ; here is a noisy crowd discussing the
probable issue of the campaign. In graceful attitude stands
not far away the bugler with his higlily polished cornet in his
hand awaiting the word of command. When the clear ring-
ing notes are heard at length the aspect of the whole camp is
changed. The men vault lightly in their saddles, the drums
tremble with the rapid strokes of the loud "call to arms," the
infantry fall into line; and, as if by magic, the hour of uproar
and feasting is succeeded by complete silence of human
voices. The birds sing gaily in adjacent woods, save which
only the heavy tread of the splendid troops is heard as they
move to the tap of the drum.
A volley is heard. There is a halt. A man here and
another there fall wounded in the ranks. There is a hurried
consultation. When the smoke clears away a body of Amer-
ican infantry is descried, opposing the further advance of the
invaders. The latter were ch-efly British Light Horsemen ;
but some of them were foot-soldiers, who, reliable traditions
tell us, covered their musket-balls with verdigris and so
poisoned the Americans, wounded by them, that many died
who otherwise Avould have recovered. The British cavalry
charged upon the sturdy patriots who f.cd before them. It is
282 ' WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
probable that this flight was a ruse ae giirrre, because the
Americans hurriedly retreated into the treacherous swamp.
They were well acquainted with it, but the cavalry men, who
came thundering after them, were not at all informed of its
morasses and fenny recesses. So eager was their pursuit that
they plunged into, the swamp at a swift gallop and soon
discovered their fatal mistake. From behind the large trees
a shower of balls greeted the unfortunate horsemen and many
a steed started riderless away. In vain the spur and rein.
The soft adhesive mud clung to every hoof. The animals,
with trembling limbs, struggled wildly for solid ground, and
the confusion increased momentarily as the unseen foe dimin-
ished the British ranks with terrible precision.
At last the carriage was ended. The Americans were vic-
torious. Those of the British who had not ventured too near
the swamp retreated in safety. Every house in the neighbor-
hood was filled with the wounded, and we may readily believe
that not many inhabitants in that region retired to sleep that
night. What a woful scene must have been presented
" Wlieu the eveniug star went down."
Tiie dead were buried on the farm late Noe Clarkson's.
Noe was a boy at that time, and was employed, with sled
and oxen, in bringing water to the wounded. For many
years the inhabitants told the story of this battle; and as late
as 1 82 2 musket balls were to be found on the ground and
every tree bore marks of the terrible struggle."^
Ezra Mundy, born near Oak Tree, was a chill during the
war. He has told liis descendants that he was once taken by
his mother to an old barn near the school-house while British
troops were passing. His father was in the American army,
so that the family was without a protector. Other women
and children, similarly situated, had sought the same refuge.
As Ezra was playing with some of his companions he heard
one woman say to another: " How little these children know
of our danger ! " As if to emphasize the remark a cannon
ball soon after passed through the barn. But the hiding-place
* I am iudebted for information concerning this engagement to A. V. Shotwell, Robert
Coddington, and the " Bridge-to\vn Museum " of July 27th, 1822.
THE REVOLUTION, CONTINUED. 283
was not further molested and the troops passed out of sight.*
It is supposed that the house now occupied by Benajah
Kelly, not far from Oak Tree, was once a British guard-room.f
Cut into the glass of a window in the east room is the following
inscription : " Capt. Wm. Thompson arrived at this house
from New York loth Day of October 1775 and with sorrow
and harts Distress he many days hear spent much." Over
this is the name of John Cutter, who was, doubtless, another
rebel prisoner.
Speaking of Cutter reminds me that Stephen Cutter, son of
Deacon William, had some Revolutionary experience which
deserves to be remembered. A party of the enemy from
Staten Island once came up the Woodbridge Creek and took
him prisoner. He lived, so it is supposed, in the house now
occupied by Samuel R. Cutter, which is the old homestead
and has been in possession of the family over one hundred
and fifty years. As the house is very near the water it is not
singular that the British visited it, especially as Stephen was
a "rebel." He was taken at night, and in crossing the Sound
his captors commanded him to take the oars to assist in row-
ing, which he refused. They threatened to throw him over-
board, if he did not comply, but they did not execute the threat.
Tabitha Cutter, Stephen's wife, was no friend to the British,
especially after a visit some of them made, when they dam-
aged her furniture and took the dinner-pot from the fire and
spread the contents over the floor. She regarded this as
unpardonable, and what woman would not.' She was the
daughter of Samuel F. Randolph, and died, aged eighty-nine,
in 1841. Her husband lived to be seventy-eight years old,
and died in Woodbridge on the 21st of June, 1823. J
Ford Cutter, son of Richard, was a farmer in this town.
He was born about the year 1757 and died in 1817. In the
battle of Monmouth his. health was badly shattered. The day
was intensely hot and our troops suffered terribly, many of
them dying of thirst. Ford never entirely recovered from the
bodily injuries he received during that notable struggle.
At the time when this part of the country was overrun with
' Dr. E. M. Hunt's Metucfien, p. 11. t Ibid. I " See Cutter Family," p. 93.
2S4 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
British troops, large herds of cattle were kept by them in the
commons around the Strawberry Hill school-house. Among
the animals was a yoke of oxen belonging to Ford. He, of
course, was not consulted when they were driven from his
field, and he felt indignant at the robbery. One night he
quietly entered the enclosure and released the creatures, which
recognized and followed him from the Hill. The rest of the
cattle silently followed Mr. Cutter's oxen until they were all
beyond the soldiers' reach. We do not know whether any of
the animals were re-captured or not.
Ford Cutter in 1797, while living at Elizabethtown, was
interested in a line of stages running from that place to New
Brunswick. This was part of the passenger line from New
York to Philadelphia.*
Clarkson Edgar, sometimes called " General Edgar," is
buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery at Woodbridge. He
died, at the age of sixty, on the 21st of July, 1816. He was
Captain in the ist Regiment of Middlesex, and then First
Major in the same corps. The latter commission was given
to him on the 12th of December, 1778. On the 9th of October,
1779, he was transferred to Col. Holmes' New Jersey Regi-
ment with the rank of Major.f
Britain Moores, son of Daniel, was a sturdy friend of the
American cause and suffered for it. The Tories visited the
house in which he lived in Woodbridge and carried him, a
prisoner, to New York, where he was kept " in durance vile "
for six wrecks. James, his brother, was also abused for his
patriotism. The mother, Mrs. Moores, was very sarcastic in
her conversations with the Tory neighbors and sometimes
openly hostile to them. One of these, Isaac Dunham, would
drop over to see the Moores occasionally, and appeared
covertly pleased with the evidences of misfortune he saw at
the old homestead. He always seemed to know w^hen a raid
had been made and availed himself of' the first opportunity to
call on the afflicted household to rejoice in its sorrows. An
emphatic protest by Mrs. Moores, on one occasion, accom-
panied by vigorous demonstrations with various loose articles
' " Cutter Family," pp. 101, 102. t Geu. Stryker'a Roster, p. 364.
I THE REVOLUTION, CONTINUED. 285
near at hand, caused Isaac to i^"t his long legs in rapid
motion, with a mental resolution never to go near that dan-
gerous woman ar-in- "^i^^ni^^^y as he was kindly informed
H.a.. .1 .-„ ^ame to the Moores place after this his head and its
appurtenances would be laid under contribution by a well-
directed broomstick or some other eflfective appliance. It is
unnecessary to remark that he suspended his neighborly
visits for an indefinite length of time.
Daniel Moores, the father of Britain and James, was a
prominent man in the township. He was an elder in the
Presbyterian Church and led the singing for many years. The
war broke out about seventeen years before his death, which
occurred in his sixt3^-fourth year, on the 28th of April, 1792.
Jennet Gage was another historic character belono-infr to
this period ; but her name is chiefly associated with the
raising of the first "liberty pole," or flag-staff, in Woodbridge.
It was some time after the close of the Avar. Popular excite-
ment ran high for awhile over the joyful result of the pro-
longed struggle. The general enthusiasm manifested itself
in various ways. Jennet was determined to have a pole
erected; so, taking the black man "Joe," and a yoke of oxen,
she went into the woods and selected one of the stateliest and
most symmetrical hickory trees. "Joe" cut it down with
great satisfaction and trimmed it with care. Tiien the oxen
were brought into requisition and the tree was drawn to the
corner of the road opposite Commoss & Ensign's store, where
it was set in the ground by Jennet and " Joe." Here the
"stars and stripes" were unfurled and gracefully saluted tlie
villager's as the rattling halliards bore them to the top of tlie
pole. This staff was standing nearly in front of the old
"Cross Keys' Tavern; " but it became so insecure that it was
taken dow^n.
Jennet was the sister of Zebulon M. Pike's father and was
the mother of Ellis, James, and "Big Philip" Gage. She
lived below Hampton Cutter's present residence— half way
between his house and his clay-bank, along by the brook. It
is not improbable that she found her tall hickory in the woods
near her dwelling. Jennet is represented as being a woman
of enthusiastic temperament and of rather masculine charac-
ter, but of undoubted patriotism.
\
CHAPTER XXII 1.
Conclusion — Town Meetings During the Revolution —
Our Great Men.
We have now brought down the history of Woodbridge and
vicinity to the period we had assigned as the limit of this
volume. But before closing we must gather up several frag-
ments which belong to this portion of the story of our town-
ship.
The following are the minutes of the Town Meetings from
1776 to 1783 inclusive, literally transcribed from Liber B, It
will be seen that between March 12th, 1776, and March nth,
1783, no meetings are recorded; and our readers will not fail
to observe that no allusion is made to the war. These minutes
are valuable, however, because they show who held the town-
ship offices during this memorable time: \
" March ye 12th, 1776 — At a general Town Meeting of thee
Jnhabitants of woodbridge Persuant to an act of General
Assembly it Passed by a general and free voate as followeth —
ist William Smith Shall Be Moderator for thee Preasant
Day-
ad That Robert F. Randolph Shall Be Town Clark ye Jnsu.
year.
3d That John Shotwell Jsaac & Matthew freeman be Over
Seears of the Poor for the Jnsuing year —
4th Benjamin Thornal & Samuel Force be Freeholders for
ye year.
5th That Joseph Shotwell Serve as assesor for ye year
Jnsuing —
6th That Nathl. Heard Serve as Collector to geather ye
taxes ye Jns.
7th That James Bonny & Robt. Clarkson Be Serveyors ye
year Jnsuing.
8th That John Marsh, Marmeduke Hunt, Jsrael freeman,
CONCLUSION.
287
David Kent, Wm. Moore Junr., James Munden, & James
Ayres Be overseears of thee Roads thee year Jnsuing—
9th That Samuel Jaquish, Benjamin Thornal, Moses Bloom-
fielu, Nathaniel Heard, Robert Clarkson & Joseph Shotvvell
be continued as trusteeas to the Scool Land & Money for thee
year Jnsuing. The Report made by thee aforeSd. trustees is
that thee Total, Principal, Jntrest, &c., of Schooal Land
Money amounts to ;^ii62: 12: 6.
loth Voted that Daniel Moores Jnspect thee town Book in
thee Rooam of Samuel Parker & that sd. Moore & Moses
Bloomfield Valine sd. Town Book & give an order on thee
overseears of sd. Poor for thee Sum — and' that Nathl. f. Ran-
dolph shall have the priveledge to chuse John Smith of Amboy
to Jnspect sd. book in behalf of himself
Robt. Randolpli,
Town Clark."
The last minute above has reference to the Fitz Randolph
copy of the old Town Book, as we have shown elsewhere
(see page 205). The item relating to the School Fund, under
the next date, is omitted, as it is embodied in Chapter XVL
" March nth, 1783, at a general town meeting of the inhab-
atants of the township of woodbridg pursuant to a JVac^ of
general assembly it passed by a general and free Voate as fol-
loweth ;
1. that Moses Blumfield be moderator for the preasant
day —
2. that David Frazee shall be town Clark for the year insu-
ing—
3. that Marthe w Freeman and Cornelas Baker be freholders
the year in suing.
4. that Clarkson Edger shall be assesor for the year insu-
ing—
5. that Jeremiah Clarkson and James Manning shall be
Corlectors and over sears of the poor the year insuing—
6. that Henery Marsh, Asher F. Randolph, Jeames Bonney.
Jsreal Thornal Shall be the asestants to the assesor ye insuing
year.
7. that Thomas Edger, John Ross, Cornelas Baker, be Com-
misheners of apeels the year insuing —
v/
28S WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
8. that Benjaman Shotwell and Carlile Brown Shall be the
Survarcs of the Roods the year insuing —
9. that Thomas Eston, Jur., Jsaac Tappen, Thom as Fjree-
ma n, Henery alien, John Brown, John Dobs, John Mursha-
row, Carlile Brown, Benjaman Kelly Shall be ovcrsears of the
Roods for the year insuing —
10. that Jonathan Conger, Danel Compton, Bcnjamen Ford
shall be Constabels for the year insuing —
11. that Jeremiah Clarkson, Jeames Bonney, to joyne the
commitey of the Schoole Land in the Rume of Justice man-
ning and Josiah Freeman —
12. that John Brown call on Robert F. Randolph and get
the town Books that are in his hands —
13. that Clarkson Edger and Jeames Bon_ney agree with
John hampton on tlie best tarmes they can for the town Books
that are in his handi-;.
14. that Jonathan Blumfield, Ilenery Marsli, Clarkson
Edger, John Marsh, Marthew Freem an, for to settel with the
committey of the School Land."
"June nth, 1783, the town meeting apinted to Rase money
for the Relef of the poor is agurnde to tuesday 17th of this
Jnstant [when it is recorded],
1. that it passed by a general and free vot that Moses Blum-
field be moderator for the day —
2. that one hundred pounds be Raised for the Releef of the
poor.
3. that twentey pounds be Raised to Repare bridges of said
town."
There is some frantic spelling in tluse minutes which is not
altogether unintelligible. In the last lecord we are sorry to
spoil such a scholastic invention as agit/nd:; but through pity
lor prevalent ignorance we feel impelled to bring the word
down to the level of ordinary minds. We must translate it.
Malicious whisperers might insinuate that it has something to
do with the Dutchman's " ager fits : " but such souls have no eye
or ear for the beauties of language. Agurnde simply means
adjourned. Could anything be more obscure or more tasteful
than this ingeniously occult term .' It looks like a stately
Latin word, and beside it the common participle sinks into
CONCLUSION.
289
insignificance. There, too, is the word surveyors — how beauti-
fully has the Town Clerk transformed it ! Survares is certainly
as elegant as "agurnde" and shows the fertility of a brain
fully given up to orthograpliy.
The taxes for 1780-81, according to an accor.nt in Liber B,
folios 26 and 27, were paid in Continental paper, State money,
and " hard casli " — the last being rather scarce. ^43,939, 9^/.
is the amount of the year's receipts for taxes; an enormous
sum, apparently, but when we consider that only ^4, 2s. 6d.
out of the ^1,205, 2>s. gd. paid to Thomas Edgar as O/erseer
of the Poor were in "hard cash," we are not greatly aston-
ished at the big figures. Of the round sum (^44,000) it is
highly probable that ;z(,'43,5oo were in paper. To galvanize an
old joke: it required a wagon to take the money to the
butcher and a pocket-book to carry the steak to Mary.
At the close of the war how many firesides were enlivened
by the vivid stories of its actual participants ! Late at night
by the wide chimney, up which the sparks and tobacco smoke
went cheerily together, the names of Natty Randolph, General
Heard, and many others (some, alas, unknown to us) mingled
in the thrillinsf narratives with which the evenina: was whiled
away. Gaping boys and large-eyed girls drank in eagerly
the wonderful reminiscences; and many a hero, over his mug
of cider, recalled the recent scenes of daring encounter to an
admiring group of listeners. Grateful was the patriot to
hearken to the conversation of two old soldiers, suggesting to
each other events familiar to both. And ladies, not yet grown
old, tarried at the table sipping the fragrant tea, and repeating
the startling experiences through which they had lately
passed. A common cause and a common interest had drawn
many people together whom nothing but the same sufferings
and rejoicings would have brought into social relations. So
the war had its beneficent results to offset its record of woe.
The old folks tell us that the pleasant times of the past can
never be repeated — that the people of that period were more
friendly and that the visits of acquaintances were less osten-
tatious than those of to-day. Perhaps things are as they
represent them. Certain it is that the simplicity of former
times has almost departed. We hear very little now of the
290 â– WOODI'.RIDGF, AND VICINITY,
unconventional gatherings tor which that age was distin-
guished. The husking frolics, the apple bees, the quilting
parties, and other simple means of pleasure have given place
to the greatest bore that was ever invented — the modern
dance, at Avhich everybody feels as stiff and constrained as
though he had been doing penance for a week in a refrigera-
tor. Well, we do not wish the old times to come again — we
do not lament that they have gone forever — but we wish the
genial spirit of them might be restored to the people of to-day.
In the haste to get rich many of the finer feelings of the heart
are almost destroyed, as flowers are trampled under hurrying
and careless feet. Were it not for the sweet and elevating in-
fluence of the religion of Jesus, mankind, in its headlong race
after ignoble prizes, would soon plunge back into barbarism.
It is greatly the fashion at this time to laud the native gener-
osity of the human heart ; but the laudation comes from
those who least need assistance and who, therefore, know least
about the subject. The heart grows callous to sympathy
when it is turned in wholly upon itself. Wars in the past
history of this country have had the providential compensa-
tion, apart from the objects aimed at, of bringing the people
closer together. The burst of ]:)atriotism evoked in 1776 has
communicated an electric shock to the nation which tingles
through the encrusted selfishness of 1S73. Selfishness, sajs
one, was surely not manifested when Chicago was burned.
True; tliat was a noble generosity whicii poured its benevo-
lence into that stricken city. But criminal selfishness robbed
Nev/ York and permitted frauds in Philadelphia, Newark, and
other places. Selfishness, tiie hot-bed of aristocracy, the foe
to true republicanism, planned the Credit Mobilier scheme
and scores of comparatively petty thefts upon the public.
Selfishness establishes caste and holds itself an enemy to the
spirit of American institutions. Is there no necessity for
imity — for a' broader political culture — for an enlightened,
unselfish patriotism ? This nation is emphatically a brother-
hood, and its darkest hour will come when the feeling of fra-
ternity dies. That is why the Christian religion is a necessity
to us. It is full of brotherly kindness — the sap of our national
existence. The lack of it has brought disgrace upon us in tlie
recent past.
CONCLUSION.
291
But we did not intend to write a philosophic disquisition.
We merely intend to point out the danger of trifling with the
hard-earned results of the Revolution, and to show that unsel-
fish patriotism should be cultivated if we would remain a true
democracy.
Reviewing the history we have written, we think we must
assign the most prominent place in it, previous to the war of
'76, to Samuel Moore. He was scrupulously exact in all his
transactions with the local and provincial governments, and
was, moreover, a man of great financial and executive ability.
He was, in fact, one of the greatest men of Woodbridge, and
he is the central figure in the days of the settlement. In some
respects the jurist, Samuel Dennis, was the peer of Moore-
and, as we have seen, both men were held in high estimation
by the town-folk. Dennis, however, achieved much of his
popularity after Moore's death — the people regarding him as
the only man qualified to succeed their favorite. Dennis
continued to figure prominently in public affairs until his
decease ; but Judge Pike became a formidable rival before
that event occurred. Pike was a man of considerable judicial
acumen and is the ancestor of some notable men. He seems
to have thrown himself heartily into the township business,
and displayed so much wisdom in his counsels that his fellow
citizens made him a Judge. A son, named John, also, was
conspicuous in our village annals. Dennis outlived Pike
seventeen or eighteen years. Had Pike survived Dennis
there is no question but that he would have been the foremost
man in the community. Pike was for many years the military
chieftain of Woodbridge, and he is often spoken of as "Cap-
tain"; but the village soldiery was of little importance and
not a great deal of real honor was attached to the imposing
army titles. The Bishops had a monopoly of the cheap dis-
tinction at one time — young John glorying for a long time in
the captaincy, old John in the lieutenancy — Jonathan being
ensign. No use being made of these officers, of course we
cannot say just how valiant they were. In civil life the
Bishops were exceedingly useful, and did good service in
their " day and generation " whereof we have reason to be
glad. The most notable man after Dennis and Pike had
292 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
passed away was Judge Hude, although his name does not
occur as often in the records as the names of otliers. After
him arose the distinguished James Parker, the printer. Of no
event ought Woodbridge to be more proud, in its civil
history, than of tlie birth of this remarkably talented and
useful citizen. Many men had labored for the material
advancement of the place — striving to make it a populous and
wealthy town ; but he labored for its mental and moral
improvement. With his types and press he did more for the
elevation of his State than many a more prominent man.
And though in the lapse of years his name has ceased to be
connected with the impulse which he gave to thought and
literature in his time, yet his influence is stirring many hearts
to-day like the subtle force at the pole which produces com-
motion at the equator. Just as, long after the hand of the
musician is withdrawn, the strings ot the lyre continue to
vibrate and give out pleasant sounds ; so, long after a forceful
life is closed, its sweetness and influence are felt even by some
who cannot trace the mysterious power to its author. Park-
er's unrecog-nized influence is felt to-day and will be felt for
many days to come. His was an earnest life and left its
impress — " foot-prints on the sands of time " ;
"Foot-priat3 that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn maui,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again."
The Revolution produced a host of strong characters, as we
have seen; and some of them were our fathers arid mothers.
We do not propose the invidious task of singling from the
noble group any name for special mention; for stars of the
same brilliancy shine best in clusters. We refer, therefore, to
the preceding pages for the names of some of the grandest
patriots known to history. Not that they have ever been
talked of in foreign courts; not that their hices were often
seen among the great and wise; not that they are mentioned
in the volumes that commemorate the spirit of '76 ; but they
were grand patriots because they did their duty bravely, con-
tending even unto death for the freedom we enjoy. In a
speech delivered a number of )^ears ago by Hon. R, M. Crow-
CONCLUSION. 293
ell, well known to Woodbridge people, allusion is made to
the sufferings of our fathers during the trying years of" that
war, especially to the cruelties of the Sugar House and the
Prison Ships. Speaking of these, he says : " We cannot form
the least conception of the misery and wretchedness of those
places. The prisoners were crowded together in the dark
caverns of those dismal ships, almost deprived of air, covered
with vermin, surrounded with filth, and constantly gnawed by
hunger. They were crowded among the sick, the dying, and
the dead. From the Jersey prison ship alone it is computed
that more than 11,000 prisoners paid the debt of nature."
How different is the scene which our village presents to-day
in comparison with that of the long ago which we have en-
deavored to reproduce in these pages ! Taking our position on
Strawberry Hill we glance over a picture which, rising sud-
denly to the vision of Judge Pike two hundred years ago, would
have astonished him. Not that Woodbridge has grown so
large, but that it has such a different population and has such
new elements of growth. Below his whilom dwelling-place,
just skirting the salt meadow, he would have seen the tossing
smoke of the locomotive and the swiftly-passing train of dark
red cars. The weather-beaten telegraph poles supporting the
slender wires would have aroused his curiosity. Across the
meadow he would have observed Phillips' mill — a new object to
him ; and nearer at hand Berry's fire-brick manufactory with its
peculiar chimneys above the kilns. At the left he would liave
seen the graceful spire of the elegant brick Methodist Church ;
and much puzzled he would have been to understand the de-
nominational status and tenets of Methodism, for in his day
it was unknown — it was not even dreamed of The white
spire of the Presbyterian Church would have been a marvel
to him, also ; for he was accustomed to worship in the rude
meeting-house, the history of which we have already given.
The brick Episcopal Church would have attracted his atten-
tion ; and so would the tall flag-staff in front of the Wood-
bridge Hotel. Then the fine residences, so different from the
plain, unpretending buildings of his day, would have made
the good judge open his eyes in bewilderment and ask him-
self, " Is this indeed Woodbridge, where I spent the years of
294 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
my manhood ?" It was a wilderness when Pike came to the
settlement, and he would scarcely recognize at this time a
familiar spot. The Sound, perhaps, would have been a remem-
bered feature of the landscape; but the creek, it is said, has
undergone considerable change. The meadows, with their tall
rushes and thin-bladed salt grass, doubtless present the same
monotonous stretch of level green as they did in John Pike's
time. The former magnate of Woodbridge would have seen,
therefore, very little to remind him of the settlement where
he won a name. The large fire-brick manufactories, the
handsome brick Masonic Hail now in course of construction
near the depot, the improved school buildings, tlie busy clay
wagons passing and repassing all day long between the
" Banks " and the boats, cars, or factories— these would have
been new sights to him.
If we could play Rip Van Winkle and open our e3"es on the
village two hundred years from now, doubtless we should see
more wonderful changes than would have appeared to the
view of John Pike if he had recently revisited his home of two
centuries ago. Our town is near enough to New York to
afford a home for the merchants of that city, and our traffic
and manufactures are rising in importance every year.
In the natural order of things, therefore, our destiny is one of
steady progress. Obstacles may prevent our development,
such as the lack of public spirit among oiu- leading men, a lax
morality, anti-Christian influences, and a degenerate popula-
tion. To some extent these opposing forces are already among
us — especially the lax morality among our young people.
We are not going to croak. We see many bright tints in our
future sky. But we see little clouds there, too. May we not
utter a word of warning before the storm comes and throws
some noble bark upon the strand ?
Growing up among us are many fine-looking young men,
strong, self-reliant, and ambitious. The'late war for the Union
despoiled many homes of the bravest and best, and our public
gatherings were dreary enough for a while, we missed them
so. Some of them returned, and glad we were to see them
back again ; but some sank to the grave on Southern fields,
and unknown hands performed for them the hasty rites of
CONCLUSION. 295
burial. In tlie stillness of deserted wilds and far-away battle-
grounds some of them rest to-day. Tliose were brave youno-
men. Shall the generation which follows them be less so.?
They were animated by high and noble purposes and per-
formed heroic deeds— shall not this generation emulate their
spirit .' The hope for the future is in our young people. Will
they betray it ? It is for them to decide. To love God and
to do good constitute the noblest life that a man can hope for;
and in such a life we invite the young people of Woodbridge
to expend their powers, assuring them that it is the only one
that brings no disappointment.
Another hand before many years will doubtless find mate-
rial enough in the yet unknc)wn and future history of the
town to set it forth before the world. That such a record may
contain honorable mention of many of our young men and
young women is our earnest hope. But, better than any
other record, may their names be written in the Book of Life.
It has been said that a historian should not exhort or render
an opinion as to the relation of the facts which he presents to
his readers. If we are now violating this canon it is in the
interest of sound morality and the public welfare. The dissi-
pation to which many of our young people are giving way
evokes the darkest cloud in our future; and as many young
eyes may glance over these pages we cannot close without
this gently-spoken warning: Beware of ship-iureck .'
Not long since we were looking from the western window
at a gorgeous spectacle. The beams of the setting sun shot
upward in dazzling effulgence ; the stray clouds caught the
light and arrayed themselves in its beauties. Imperceptibly
the scene changed. The azure became a delicate cream color.
Across this background, like floating isles, moved majestically
the most beautiful golden clouds, shining so brightly in the
rays of the already sunken sun that it wearied the eye to
behold them Right above these were clouds that reveled in
the most exquisite carmine, and so full was the sky of this
brilliancy that a tint appeared to be thrown over everything
around us. Like a celestial cascade tiie resplendent hues
seemed to ripple down from the zenith to the f^xr southern
horizon. The wliole west was in a glow ; and ruddy__with
296 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
the reflected light, the neighboring Avindows shone in their
borrowed beauty. We were reminded of the grand apostrophe
of blind Ossian :
"Ob, thou that rollest above,
Round as tlie shield of my fathers! —
Whence are thy beams, O Sun,
Thy everlasting light ?
Thou comest forth in thy awful beauty ;
The stars hide themselves in the sky ;
The moon, cold and pale, sinks in the western wave ; —
But thou thyself movest alone !
Who can be a companion of thy course?
The oaks of, the mountains fall ;
The mountains themselves decay with years;.
The ocean shrinks and grows again ;
The moon herself is lost in heaven ;
But thou art forever the same.
Rejoicing in the brightness of thj'- course-
When the world is dark with tempests.
When thunder rolls and lightning flies.
Thou lookest in thy beauty from the cloud
And laughest at the storm.
But to Ossian thou lookest in vain ; â–
For he beholds thy beams no more,
Whether th}' yellow hair flows on the eastern clouds.
Or thou tremblest at the gates of the West.
But thou art perhaps like me — for a season :
Thy years will have an end.
Thou shall sleep in thy clouds
Careless of the voice of the morning."
Why may not your life be as full of grandeur as the sun
and as glorious in its close as the decline of an October day }
Keep alive every patriotic emotion and worship the God of
your fathers; and thus, if you never live in the hearts of your
countrymen to the degree to whicli your ambition aspires, you
may live in the memory of Him who hath caused it to be said
that "the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance."
Thus ordering your life, the setting sun will be a faint figure
of the glory in reserve for you ; for the time wnll come when
" the sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for bright-
ness shall the moon give light unto thee ; but the Lord shall
be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
CONCLUSION,
297
Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon with-
draw itself; for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and
the days of thy mourning shall be ended."
appe:^dix.
In the following pages we have presented some of the more important
documents relating to the early history of Woodbridge. Besides these, will
be found herein the lists of "Marriages, Deaths, etc.," contained in Libers
A and B. These serve to throw a great deal of light on the genealogies of
many families, affording a clue to somo of them which, if closely pursued,
will lead to valuable results. None of these papere have ever before been
published, and in process of time they would doubtless be lost to history
unless preserved in ttie printed page. They will be valuable for reference
in time to come, as our readers will perceive.
APPENDIX A.
CHARTER GRANTED TO THE TOWNE OF WOODBRIDGE JUNE IST, 1669.
This Deed Bearing date the first day of June in the year of our Lord
1669 and in tlie 21st year of the Reigne of our Sovrn. Lord Charles by the
Grace of God of England, Scotland, France and Ireland King, defender of
the Faith, &c.
Witnesseth of the Charier Granted to the Towne and Freeholders of
Woodbridge, in the province of New Cesarea or New Jersey by Capt.
Phillip Carteret Esqr. Governor of the said Province and his Councell under
the Right Honabl. John Lord Berkley Baron of Stratton and Sr. George
Carteret Knight and Baronet the absolute Lords proprietors of the same,
contayuing the limits and bounds of the jurisdiction of the said Towne
together with the immunities and privilidges thereunto belonging and
appertaining as iolloweth :
1st. Imprimis, the bounds of the aforesaid Towne of Woodl)ridge is to
begin on the East Side from Arthur Cull Rivor otherwise called the Sound,
at the going in to Rawack River, and to go up the said River as bye as the
tyde flows, to a fresh brook that runs West-north west, where there stands
a beach tree that is marked on the four sides of it, from thence it extends
upon a direct west line througii a great Swamp and through two other small
swamps till it comes to a walnut stake that is pitched upon the plaine
marked with two notches and a crosse, which is from the said beach tree
Five miles and a halfe ; From wliieh stake it extends upon a South Lyne
through another great Swamp Called Dismal to the Raratons River ; In
length seaven miles and a halfe. Butting within tenn chains to the westward
of two Red Clifts that stands on ye other side of tlie said River called
turne about, which said lyne comes between two black oakes thai stands at
the entering in of the meadows, within a Rod the one from the other, where
a stake is planted betweenethem, which said oakes are marked upon each of
them with three notches about brest live, and a notcli on all tlie fower
sides of each of the said trees on the lower part of the slump neare the
ground & a cross upon each tree above the uppermost notches. From
which said stake betweene tlie two trees there is two stakes more pitch
in the meadow answermg to the bounds before mentioned on the other
side of the aforesaid River, Being butted and bounded on the East side by
the Artliur Cull River, otherwise called the Sound that parts Staten Island
and the maine. On the North side by the bounds belonging to Elizabeth-
APPENDIX. 299
towne ; on the west side by the bounds belonging to New Piscataway.
And on the South side hy the aforesaid Raratons River, as may more at
large appeare by a draught made by the Surveyor GeueraJl hereunto an-
nexed. The whole said tract of upland & meadow being valewed
and esteemed by the Surveyor General!, Allowance being given for waist
land and hye wayes to contaiue six miles square, which amounts to twenty
three thousand and Fourty acres, English measure.
Which said limits and bounds together with all rivers, ponds, creeks,
Islands, Inlets, Bays, Fishing, Hawking, Hunting and all other appur-
tenances whatsoever thereunto belonging, and appertayning, (The halfe
part Golde and Sdver Mynes and the Royaltie of the Lords proprietors only
excepted) to continue and remalne within the jurisdiction, corporaticu or
Township of the said towne of Woodbridge from the day of tlie date hereof
and for ever ; they submitting themselves to the authority of the Lords
proprietors and the government of the said province. To be holden by
them, the said Corporation or Townsliip their heirs and successors as of the
manner of East Greenwich in free and common socage.
2dly. The said Corporation or township called by the name of AYood-
bridge shall consist of at least sixty families, and as many more as they shall
think lilt, which Families shall be accounted as the associates and Free-
holders of the aforesaid corporation or township, which said Freeholders,
or the major part of them are equally to divide the aforesaid tract of
upland and meadows among themselves by first, second and third lotts, or
as they can otherwise agree upon, Provided that Amboy point be reserved
to be disposed of by the Lords proprietors towifrds tlie thousand acres of
upland and meadow, (that is reserved by the first articles made before the
settling of the said towusuip) to their use, in Lieu of the seventh part
mentioned in the Concessions. And when settled to pay all rates equall
"with other plantations, which Land l)eing so divided and agreed upon hy
all or the major part of the said Freeholders, the same is to be entered upon
Record by the Secretary or Recorder Generall of the province, and also a
Record thereof to be kept in the towne book oi Records together with every
particular man's name, of liis allotment that he is to have; which being
done, the Surveyor Generall is by warrant from the Governor to survey,
butt and bound every particnlarman's alolnunt and to bring the same to
remaiue upon the file in the Becietarie's office, that recourse may be there-
unto had on all occasions And for tlie more securitie of every man's right,
and the Lords proprietors interest, every p.-ulicular man is liereby obliged
to hold his Land by pattent Irom tlie Lords i^roprielors and to pay to tiiem,
their heirs, successors, or assigns, as acknowledgement, or hye Rent yearly,
on every 25th day of March according to the English accompl, the sura of
one halfe penny of good and Liwfidl money of England, or the value
thereof in good and current jniy of the country, for every acre that shall be
so pattented, which said payment is to begin on tlie 25ih day of March 1670 '
and so to continue for ever. Which said rent is to be paid within the
province, to the Receiver Generall without any charge to the Lords.
300 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Always provided that itf tlie aforesiid Freeholders shall â– willfully neglect
to pattent their proportions of Land as aforesaid, then it shall and may be
lawfnll for the said Lords proprietors, their heirs, successors, or assigns to
dispose of the same as they shall think tit. As also ot all such proportions
of land as shall remaine unpatteuted according to the aforesaid survey,
luiless the said corporation or township will answere the Rent as aforesaid
and pattent the same within three years from the day of the dale hereof.
And that all Land? so surveyed, pattented and recorded as aforesaid is to
Remaine to them, th' :ir heirs. Executors administrators or assignes for ever,
And after seven years in the possession the said land is not upon any pre-
tence whatsoever to be resurveyed nor the bounds altered, but to remaine
and continue according to the first survey for ever. And moreover that all
bargains, sales and transports of land, house or houses from one man to
another. And all leases for land, house or houses made or granted to any
tenant for above the space of one yeare shall be acknowledged by the
grantor before the Governor or Justice of peace, or by two sufficient wit-
nesses attested on the; back side of the said Deeds or Leases and so to be
recorded by the Secretary or Recorder Generall as aforesaid to avoid all Con-
troversies in law ; for neglect whereof all such bargains, and sales, trans-
ports or leases are to be void and of no etTect in Law.
IJdly. That the Freeholders aforesaid or the mojor part of them have
power to choose their owne Magistrates to be assistants to the president or
Judge of the court, and for the ordering of all public affairs within the said
jurisdiction, the}^ have power to likewise to nominate their Justice or Justi-
ces of peace and their JVIilitarie ofHcers, Provided that the Justices of the
peace and Military officers are to be approved of, and Commissioaated by
the Governor. They have also power annually on tire first day of January,
or at any other sett tyme to choose one or more Constables for the public
service, all which said officers are to be Sworne in their places and offices.
4lhly. That they have power by the pluralitie of voices of the Freeholders
and freemen of the said corporation to choose their owne minister or minis-
ters for the service of God and the administring of Kls Holy Sacraments,
and being so chosen, inducted and admitted, all persons as well the Free-
holders, as others the freemen and inhabitants admitted in the said corpora-
tion or towneship shall contribute accordmg to their estates for his main-
tenance, towards which charge there shall be two hundred acres of good
upland and meadow laid out, to the use and behoof of the said minister, and
one hundred acres more for the maintenance of a free schoole, which said
Land shall not be allionated, but shall remaine from one incumbant to
another for ever. Which said land togetiier with the land for the building
of a church, church-yard, school-house, market-place and the like shall be
exempted from paying the Lord's Rent of a halfe penny pr. Acre, or any
other rate or taxes whatsoever for ever. Notwithstanding it shall and may
be LawIuU for any of the said Freeholders and inhabitants aforesaid that
are of a different judgment in matters of Religion to maintaine any other
minister or ministers at their own Cost and charges without being molested
or distuibed for the same.
APPENDIX.
301
othly. Thai the said corporation or towneship have power to erect and
ordaine a Court of Judicature within their owne jurisdiction and the limits
thereof for the tryall of all causes actionable betweene party and party from
whence there shall be no appeale, under the sum of live pounds starling
And also for the tryall ol all Crimiualls and Causes of misdemeanor, and to
inflict such fines (not exceeding the sum of tenn pounds) and punishments
as the merit of the Cause shall reqaire, as by imprisonment, stocking, piilor-
ing, ducking, whipping (not exceeding twenty stripes) and the Like. Which
court is to consist of a president (who is to be a Justice of th6 peace) and of
the magistrates or any two of them at the least, A Clarke and such other
officers as they shall appoint. AVhjch said magistrates and Clark arc to be
sworne in their offices. And the Clarke is to be approved of by the
Secretary Generall of the Provmce, whoc is to keep an exact Record of all
actions that shall be brought in and tryed in the said Court, and to give an
accompt thereof Unto him, when there unt<i required by the Governor and
bis Councell. ISTo Freeholder is to be arrested or detayned a prisoner for
debt, unless judgment be passed and execution granted, unless it can be
made appeare that the party has an intent to defraud his creditors, b}' run-
ning out of the Country. That all i)ersons, as well Freeholders as other
inhabitants, in case ot appeale, the appelant shall give in security to
prossocute his appeale or to stand to the judgement of the Court, All causes
according to the laws of England shall be tryed by a jur}^ of six or twelve
men. And whomsoever shall trouble and molest his neighbour, being of the
same corporation bj' aiTcsting of him and going to law in another jurisdic-
tion shall be lyable to a fine according to the discretion of the Court. The
Justice or Justices of the peace being commissionated and sworne, in their
office have power to administer the oath of allegicnce and fidelity and all
other oaths that are retpiired according to Law. And to ishue out in his
maj'ties name, or in whose name or names it shall or may be appointed by
the Laws, their warrants of summons and arrest within the Limitts and
jurisdiction of the said Corporation or towneship. Directing the same to
the Constable, Marshall or to what other officer or officers the said Corpora-
tion shall in their discretion think fitt to appoint for that service; who are
to put the same in execution accordingly. And ako to ishue out their
warrants for the apprehending of all malefactors and Runaways and to
prossecute them by way of Hew and Cry. And to do all such thing and
things by then- authority agreeable to Law and justice as may conduce to
the peace and well-government of the said Corporation or towneship.
Provided that all fines are to be disposed of for charitable or public uses.
6thly. That in matters of Religion and the worship of God there is
liberty of Conscience granted to all persons as well to the Freeholders as to
all others that are or shall be admitted inhabitants within the said Corpora-
tion or Towneship, they taking or subscribing to the oath of alegiance to
the King, and Fidelity to the Lords proprietors. And that no person
whatsoever shall be molested, injured or troubled for his or her difference
in opinion in matters of Religion. Provided that this liberty granted shaU
302 WOODBRIDGK AND VICINITY.
not extend to Licentiousness nor to the disturbance of others and the
public peace.
7thly. That the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the said Corporation or
Towneship, shall have a free trade allowed them, and that no tax of Custome
excise or an)' other imposition whatsoever shall be imposed on them but
such, as shall be levied by the Governor Councell and Geuerall Assembly
for the maiuteuance of the Government and lor the defraying of the public
Charge.
8thly. That in case of invasion or insurrection by ye Indians, or others,
they are mutually to joine with all other townes and plantations within the
said province for the defence and safty of the same. But no warr to be
levied without the consent of the Governor, Councell, and Geuerall
Assembly.
9thl3\ That the Freeholders aforesaid, or the major part of them, are,
upon the Governors summons to make choice of two deputies to joyue with
tlie Geuerall Assembly, f®r the making of Laws & carrying on the public
affairs of the whole province.
lOthly. The Freeholders and inhabitants aforesaid are to submit theih-
selves to the Laws and government of this province, and to sware or sub-
scribe to the oath of allegiance to the King and tidelity to the Lords Pro-
prietors, their heirs, and successors ; and in case they or any of them have
a desire to remove and transplant themselves to any other place, they have
liberty so to do, and to dispose of their lands and estates to their best
advantage.
llthly. And lastly. It is here to be understood that the major part of the
said Freeholders have power to admit of their owne inhabitants, (excepting
the land belonging to the Lords proprietors) and to order and carry on all
other afiairs as may be for the good, advantage, and well-governing of the
said Corporation or towueship. Provided that all things be done according
to equity and justice, and the laws of the province.
Whereas it is said in the second article provided that Amboj' point be
reserved towards the thousand acres of upland and meadow tiiat is
reserved to be disposed of by the Lords proprietors, (in lieu of the seventh
part mentioned in the concessions) It is to be understood and agreed upon
to and with the said Freeholders that the nyne hundred acres of upland is
to be in and about Amboy point, as it is now surveyed by tLie Surveyor
Geuerall ; And for the hundred acres of meadow is to be laid out by the
said Surveyor in the most Convenients place nearest, adjacent to the said
Amboy Point. In Confirmation of all the aforesaid deu>ised premisses, we
the Governor and Councell aforesaid have hereunto subscribed and Hxed
the Scale of tlie Province, the day and yeare first above written.
Ph: Carterett.
Ja Bolleu
Robert Vanquelliu
William Pardon
Robert Bond
Nicolas VerLett
Samuel Edsall
APPENDIX B.
CHARTER OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
On the back of the Charter are these words :
" Let the Great Seal of the Province be hereunto affixed.
To the Secretary of ) y Eelrhpr "
New Jersey, ) ''â– ^e^cher.
The full text of this document is as follows :
GEORGE THE SECOND BY THE GRACE OF GOD OF GREAT
BRITAIN FRANCE AND IRELAND KING, DEFENDER OF THE
FAITH, TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
GREETING. Whereas the advancement of true Religion and virtue is
absolutely necessary for the promotion of peace order and prosperity of the
State, and Whereas it is the Duty of all Christiaa Princes Jk Governors by
the Love of God to do all they can for the Encouragement thereof. And
Whereas Sundry of our Loving Subjects of the Presbyterian Persuasion
Inhabitants of and about the Township of Woodbridge, withiu our Colony
of New Jersey by their Humble Petition Presented to our trusty and well
beloved Jonathan Belcher Esquire, our Captain General and Commander
in Chief of our Province of New Jersey, and Vice Admiral in the Same
Shewing that the Petitions and others of Ihe same Persuation Inhabitants in
and about the Township of Woodbridge aforesaid Do make up a very large
and considerable Congregation. That the most advantageous Support of
Religion among them necessarily requires that some Persons should be
incoi-porated as Trustees for the community that they may take Grants of
Lands and Chatties thereby to enable the Petitioners to erect and repair
Publick Buildings for the worship of God and the use of the 3Iinistry and
School-houses and Alms Houses and Suitably to Support the Ministry and
the Poor of their Church and to do and perform other acts of Piety
and Charity and that the Same Trustees may have power to Lett and
grant the Same under a Publick seal for the uses aforesaid and that the same
Trustees may Plead and be impleaded in any suit touching the Premises
and have perpetual succession, that as the known Loyalty of the Petitioners
and the Presbyterians in General to us their firm alfection to ©ur Persca
and Government, and the Protestant Succession in our Royal House gave
the Petitioners hopes of all Reasonable Indulgcance and Favour within the
Same Colony where the Religious rites of ilaukiud are so happily Preserved,
and where our equil Grace and Bounty to all our Protestant faithful
304 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
subjects however dilieriuaj in opiuioii about lessor matters has hither to been
60 sensibly felt and enjoyed the said Petitioners therefore most humbly
prayed our Grant of an incorporation to the Petitioners by the Name of the
Trustees of the first Presbyterian Church in the township of Woodbridgc
•with all such powers Capacities and Priviliges as might be aficctual in Law
for the purposes aforesaid and that Bicluird Cutter, Edward Groicel, William
Heard, Dneid Bonham, George Brovjn, John Moores and Moses Bloomjidd
might be the first Trustees which Petition signed with the Names of a
Great Number of our faithful and Ijoving Subjects Inhabitants in and about
the said town, we being willing to grant, Know Ye that we of our Special
Grace certain knowledge and meer motion have willed and ordained con-
stituted given and Granted, and for us our Heirs and successors by these
Presents Do will ordain Constitute give and Grant that Richard C alter,
Edward Crowel, William Heard, David Donham, George Brown, John
Moores and Moses Bloomfield from hence forth and their sacces3;)rs forever
hereafter shall be and remain one Body Poletick and Corporate in Deed fact
and Name, by the Name of the Trustees of the first Presbyterian Church in
the township of Woodbridge and them and their successors by the Name of
the Trustees of the first Presbyterian Church in the Township of "Wood-
bridge, one Body Corporate and Politick in Deed Fact and Name, realj'' and
Trully We do for us our Heirs and successors erect make ordain constitute
declare and create by these Presents, And by that Name they Shall and
may have Perpetual Succession. And also that they and their successors
by the Name of the Trustees of the first Presbyterian Church in tlie Town-
ship of Woodbridge, be and forever hereafter shall be Persons able in Law
to Purchase take hold Receive and enjoy any Messuages, Houses, Buildings,
Lands, Tenements, Rents, Assigns and other Hereditaments and Real
Estate in fee Simple or otherwise, so as the yearly clear Value of the Sum
does not Exceed the sum of Two Hundred pounds Sterling the Statute of
MoRTMAiisr, any other Law to the Contrar}' not withstanding and Also
Goods Chatties and all other things of what kind or Quality soever. And
also that they and their Successors by the Name of the Trustees of the first
Presbyterian Chuich in the Township of Woodbridge shall and may Give
Grant and demise assign Sell or otherwise dispose of all or any of their
Messuages, Houses, Lands, Tenements, Rents, Possessions and other
Hereditaments and Real Estate and all their Goods Chatties and other
things aforesaid as to them shall seem meet And also that they, and their
Successors by the name of the IVi/stees of the first Presbyterian Church in
the township of Woodbridge be and forever hereafter shall be persons able
in Law capable to sue and be sued, implead or be impleaded, answer or be
answered, defend or be defended in all courts of judicature whatsoever.
And also that the said Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church in the
Township of Woodbridge for the time being and their Successors shall and
may forever hereafter have and use a common Seal with such device or
devices as they shall think proper for Sealing all and singular Deeds, Grants,
Conveyances, Contracts, Bonds, Articles of Agreement, Assignments,
APPENDIX.
305
Powers, Authorities, and all Singular their affairs and things touching or
concerniQg the said Cor|ooratiou; Anl .4'.w that the said Trustees and their
successors lorever may as oft as they see fit break, change, and new make
the Same or any other their Common Seal ; And Further, We do of our
special Grace, certain knowledge & meer Motion for us our Heirs and Suc-
cessors by these Presents, will, ordain, constitute, give and Grant, that upon
any Vacancy among the Trustees of the said first Presbyterian Cliurch in
the Township of Woodbridge by Death, Removal, or other Incapacity
whatsoever that the Minister or Ministers E'der^ and Deacons for the time
being of the said first Presbyterian Church in th3 Township of Woodbridge,
Shall and may meet together at the Town of Woodbridge, aforesaid, and
then and there elect and choose such Person or Persons out of the Congre-
gation of the said Church, as tlvey think Proper to Supply the Vacancy of
such Trustee, or Tru-taes, cause by Death, Pt -moval, or other Incapacity as
aforesaid. And also that at any and at all times whatsoever when the
Said Minister or Ministers, Elders and Deacons of the Church aforesaid or
the majority of them for the time being, shall and do Judge it proper & for
the benefit of the Said Corporation that any Trustee or Trustees Should be
Removed & Displaced from his, or their office of Trustee, that then and in
such case, the said Minister or Ministers, Elders and Deacons of the Said
Church, or the majority of them Icr the time being, shill and may meet
together at the Town of Woodbridge aforesaid and are hereby Sufficiently
authorized then and there to Displace and remove from the ofllice of
Trustee any such Trustee or Trustees, And in their Room and stead to elect
and choose out of the Congregation of said church, any Person or Persons
to supply the place or places of such Trustee or Trustees So Displaced and
Removed. Provided, always that the Number of the Said Trustees
exceed not Seven, & every Trustee so elected and appointed as aforesaid,
Shall by virtue of these Presents, and of such election & appointment be
vested with all the Powers and Priviledges which any of the other Trustees
has, or Las had. And we do further will and ordain, Give and Grant that
the Trustees of the Said first Presbyterian Church in the Township of
Woodbridge and their successors for the time being, shall from time to
time, have Power to choose their President out of the Trustees for the time
being, who shall have the Custody of the Public Seal of the said Corpora-
tion, and all the books Charters, Deeds, and Writings, anyways belonging
t.) the said Corporation .and shall have Power from time to time and at all
times hereafter as occasion shall i-equire to call meetings of the said
Trustees at Town of Woodbridge aforesaid for the execution of all or of any
of the Powers hereby given and Granted. And in case of Sickness, Absence
or Death of the President, all the Powers by these presents Granted to the
President shall be and remain in the Eldest Trustee upon Rt-corJ, until the
recovery or return of the President, or until a new President be chosen as
aforesaid, And we do further, will, ordain, give and Grant, that all and
every Act, and Order of Five of the Said Trustees (but not of any lesser
number) consented & agreed to at such meeting of the Trustees aforesaid
3o6 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
eliall be good, valid, and eflectual to all intents and purposes, as if the
Tvliole number of the said Trastees had consented and agreed thereto. And
WE do further will and ordain that all the acts ot the said Trustees shall from
time to time be fairly entered in a book or books to be kept for that purpose
by the President of the Trustees for the time being, which Book or Books,
together with the Seal of the said Corporation and all the Charters, Deeds,
and Writings whatsoever belonging anyways to the said Corporation, shall
be delivered over by the former President, to the President of the Said
Trustees newly Elected for the time being as Such President shall hereafter
from time to time Successively bo Chosen. And Lastly We do of our
Special Grace certain knowledge and meer Motion for us, our Heirs and
Successors by these Presents, Give and Grant uuto the said Trustees of the
first Presbyterian Church in the Township of Woodbridge and their Suc-
cessors forever that these our Letters Patent or the Enrollment thereof
Shall be good and Effectual in the Law to all Intents and Purposes against
us our Heirs and Successors without any other Licence, Grant or Confirma-
tion from Us our Heirs and Successors hereafter by Said Trustees of the
first Presbyterian Church in the Township of Woodbridge, to be had or
obtained, notwithstanding the not Reciting or mis-reciting or not Naming
or mis-naming of the aforesaid officers Franchises Previledges immunites
or other the Premises or any of them and notwithstanding a Writ of " Ad
Quod Damnum " hath not issued forth to enquire of the Premises or any of
them before the Ensealing hereof any Statute act ordinance or Provision or
any other matter or thing to the Contrary, Notwithstanding To have Hold &
enjoy all and Singular the Previledges Advantages Liberties Immunities and
all other the Premises, herein and hereby Granted and Given or which are
meant, Mentioned or intended to be herein-given and Granted Unto them
the said Trustees of the first Presbyterian Church in the Township of
Woodbridge and to their Successors forever. In Isdmony whereof we
have caused these our Letters to be made Patent and the Great Seal of our
Said Province of New Jersey to be here unto affixed. Witness our Trusty
and well beloved Jonathan Belciter Esquire Governor & Commander in
Chief of said Province of New Jersey this eighth Day of September in the
Thirtieth year of our Reign, and in the year of our Lord one Thousand
Seven Hundred and Fifty-six &c Charles Read Secretary
I have perused the above Charter tS: find nothing therein contained Incon-
Bistcnt with His Majesty's Honour. Court'd Skinner Atty. Genl.
[L. s ]
The above Charter is Recorded in the Secretary's office at Perth Amboy
in Book C. 3 of Commissions Charters &c Page 5 &c and examined by
Bowes Reed, P. Sec'y,
APPENDIX C.
CHABTER OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH. A VERBATIM ET LITERATIM COPY.
George The Third, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and
Ireland, King Defender of the Failh &c: To all to whom these presents
shall eome Greeting Whereas, Sundry of our loving Subjects Inhabitants of
the Town of Woodbridge in the County of Middlesex in behalf ot them-
selves and others have by their humble petition to our trusty and well
beloved William Franklin Esquire our Captain General Governor and Com-
mander-in-chief of our Province of New Jersey set forth that they have
erected a church in our town of Woodbridge aforesaid for preaching the
Word of God, and administering the holy sacraments according to the
doctrine and liturgy of the Church of England and have therefore prayed to
be incorporated by the name of the Mmister, Church Wardens and Vestry
of Trinity Church in Woodbridge with lull power to receive gifts and dona-
tions to purchase land and houses and to make leases and such rules and
orders for the disposal ot their church affairs as shall be agreeable to the
laws and customs of our Kingdom of Great Britain. Know ye, therefore,
that we, willing to give all due encouragement to the professors of the
churc^ as by law established in that part of Great Britain, called England ;
of our especial grace certain knowledge and mere motion have willed,
ordained, constituted, given and granted and for us, our heirs, and succes-
sors do will, ordain, constitute, give and grant that the Rev. Mr. John
Preston, the present incumbent, Samuel Jaques and Samuel Tingley the
present Church Wardens, David Alston Esq, Thomas Hadden, Joseph
Donham and Ebenczer Forster the present vestrymen of said church and
their successors forever hereafter shall be one body politic and corporate in
deed and in name by the name of the Minister, Church Wardens and Vestry-
men of Trinity Church in tiie Town of Woodbridge and they and tbeir suc-
cessors by the name of the Minister, Church Wardens and Vestry-men ia
the town of Woodbridge one body politic and corporate in deed and in
name really and fully we do by these presents for us our heirs and gucces-
Eore elect, ordain constitute declare and create ; and also that they and tbeir
successors elected and chosen as hereinafter directed by the name aforesaid
be and forever hereafter shall be capable and able in the law to hold, pos-
sess, sue for, recover and enjoy any lands hereditaments or real estate,
already granted or set apart for a glebe to the said church in the said town
of Woodbridge upon the first settlement thereof or at any time since and to
have, take, receive and enjoy to them and their successors other messages,
3o8 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
]ands, tenements, rents, possessions and other hereditaments in fee simple
or for life or lives or years or in any other manner to the value of five hun-
dred pounds sterling by the year and also goods, chattels, and all other
things of what kind or nature soever in fee and perpetuity so as the same
exceed not at any time the sum of ten thousand pounds sterling, money of
Great Britain in the gross, and that they and their successors by the name
aioresaid be and forever hereafter shall be persons able and capable in the
law to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded answer and be answered
unto defend and be defended in all courts and places before us our heirs and
successors and before all and any the judges and justices, officers and minis-
ters of us our heirs and successors in all and all manner of actions, suits,
complaints, pleas, causes, matters and demands of what nature or kind
soever in as full and ample manner as an}' other our subjects can or may
do ; and also that the said minister, churchwardens, and vestry-men of Trin-
ity Church in the town of Woodbridge (or the time being and their succes-
sors shall and may forever hereafter have and use a Common seal with
such device or devices as they shall think proper for sealing all and singular
deeds, leases, grants, Conveyances, Contracts and all and singular other
Instruments, affairs and business anyway touching coHcerning and relating
to the said Corporation and the same to alter, change and new make when
and as often as to thein shall seem meet and convenient. And we do
further of our especial grace Certain knowledge and mere motion for us our
heirs and successors will, ordain, give and grant to the minister or incumbent
of the said Cnurch for the time being or in Case of his absence or death that
the eldest church warden for the time being, shall and may from time to
time Call a meeting of the vestry when as often as it shall be necessary and
they and their successors forever hereafter being so met and assembled* shall
and may constitute ordain and m ike constitutions laws and ordinances for
the good ot governing and ordering of the aftnirs of the said Church, and
the same from time to time repeal as to them or the majority of them, shall
seem convenient, provided always, that the said laws and ordmances so
made be not repugnant to the Constitutions of our said Church of England
as by law established ; and for the better and more regular election of the
church-wardens and vestry-men of the said church forever hereafter, "We
do hereby further Will, ordain, give and grant that the minister or incum-
bent of the said church for the time being together with the church-wardens
and vestry-men of said church for the time being shall assemble and meet
at the said church yearly and every year on Tuesday in Easter week and
then and there by plurality of votes elect and choose two church-wardens
and so many vestry-men as shall to them seem convenient not exceeding ten
in the whole out of the most discreet persons of the congregation of the said
church. And we do further of our especial grace, certain knowledge and
mere motion for us, our heirs and successors, by these presents give and
grant unto the said Minister church-wardens and vestry-men of Trinity
Church in the town of Woodbridge that they and their successors forever
hereafter, all and singular the rights, privileges, powers, capacities and
APPENDIX.
309
ftuthorities herein before raentionecl or intended to be granted shall and raay
have, hold and use without the impeciment of us, our heirs and successors
or of any of our officers or ministers whatsoever of u?, our heirs and successors.
And that these our letters patent or the enrollment tiiereof from time to
time and at all times hereafter be and shall be firm, valid and effectual m
the law toward and against us, our heirs and successors according to the
true intent and meaning hereof and shall at all times be construed and taken
in favor and for the advantage profit and benefit of the minister, church
wardens and vestry-men of Trinity Church in the town of Woodbridge and
their successors forever as well in all courts as elsewhere notwithstanding
any defect, default or imperfection may be found herein or any other cause
or thing whatsoever in testimony v/heveof vie have caused these our letters to
be made patent and the great Seal of our said province of New Jersey to be
hereunto affixed and the same to be entered of record in our Secretary's
ofiice in our said province. Witness our trusty and well beloved Willifim
Franklin esquire, our Captain General, Governor and Commander in Chief
in and over our said province of New .Jersey and territories thereon depend-
ing in America Chancellor and Vice Admiral in the same (fcc : at Burlington
the ssixth day of December in the tenth year of our reign. Anna Domini
One thousand seven hundred and sixty nine. Peitit.
[Seal.]
I have perused the within Charter and find nothing therein contained
inconsistent with his Majesty's Honor or Interest.
5 Deer : 17fi0 Corf Skinner
A-tt'v General.
APPEKDIX D.
CHARTER OF THE FREE SCHOOL LAND IN WOODBKIDGE. VERBATIM BT
LITERATIM.
George the third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France
and Ireland King defender of the faith &c. To all to whom
these presents shall come Greeting. Whereas in and by a
Charter bearing date the first day of June in the year of our
Lord one thousand six hundred and sixty nine Granted by
Phillip Carteret then Governor of the Province of New Jersey
under the Right Honorable John Lord Berkely Barron of
Stratton and Sir George Carterett Knight and Barronet the
then proprietors of the Province of New Jersey to the Town
and Freeholders of Woodbridge among other things it is
100 Acres, therein directed, that one hundred acres of land in the said
Town should be laid out for the maintenance of a free school.
And whereas the Freeholders of the town of woodbridge by
their humble petition presented to our Trusty and well beloved
Charter grant- William Franklin Esqr. Captain General Governor and Corn-
ed by William mander in Chief in and over our province of New Jersey, have
Set forth that in pursuance of the Charter granted as aforesaid
by the said Philip Carterett Esqr one hundred acres of land
hath been laid out for the use of a free School and the rents
thereof received by such oersons as the Freeholdex's of the said
Town at their yearly meetiDgs have from time to time appointed
with intention to make a Capital for the building a School
house or houses and the maintainance of proper and able
teachers ; But that from the want of a proper Charter of incor-
poration the Said Freeholders find themselves unable and
without authority properly to settle the accounts with such
persons as have from time to time been appointed to receive
the rents and issues of the Said one hundred acres of land or to
prosecute such persons as from time to time have committed
waste and trespass on the Same or to build a School house or
to make provision for the maintainance of proper masters and
Teachers and to make and ordain proper laws and instructionu
for the good governing of the Said Schools and have therefore
prayed our Letters Patent under our Great Seal of our said
province of New Jersey to incorporate the said freeholders of
APPENDIX. •jH
the Town of Woodbridge with such Powers, immunities,
priveledges and jurisdictions as may be thought requisite and
necessary for the more efiectual promoting and the better
ordering and governing the said school or schools in the said
Town of "Woodbridge. Know ye therefore the We willing
and desirous to encourage our dutiful and loyal subjects, the
freeholders of the said Town of Woodbridge in their good in-
tentions, of our special grace certain knowledge and mere
motion have named constituted and appointed and by these
presents do name constitute and appoint John Moorcs, and
Nathaniel Heard Esqrs. Moses Bloomlield, Benjamin Tborn- â– ^"''^'â– '"'**'-
hill, Ebenezer Foster, Joseph Sbotwell, and Robert Clarkson,
the present Trustees of the fiee school in the said Town
of Woodbridge which siid Trustees an.l their successors now
are and at all tim3s hereafter shall be one body politic and fn/^co^orata
corp:)rate and shall and mxy have perpetual succession in deed
fact an 1 name to be known and distinguished in all deeds,
grants bargains sales evidences, writings muniments or other
wise whatsoever by the name of "The Trustees of the Free
Titld
Schools of the Town of Woodbridge " and that they and their
successors by the same name of the Trustees of the free schools
of the Towm of Woodbridge be and forever hereafter shall be
persons capable and able in the law to pur<!hass take acquire
, 1 , . . , , Purchase ami
hold receive enjoy have and possess any manors messiages, hoii real an.i
houses buildings, Ian .Is, tenements, rents, possessions, and other pewonaiesute
hereditaments, anl real Estate whatsoever, within our said
province of Xew Jersey, in fee simple or for term of life
or lives, or j'ears, or in any other manual whatsoever to the
Value of live hundred pounds sterling by the year, in tlie clear, Real Estate
X500 sterliiw
and also goods and chatties and all other things of what nature
and kind soever -not exceeding the sum of ten thousand pounds .^^^ exceedin'
sterling in the gross, and also by name aforesaid shall and xio.ooo ster-
may grant bargain demise assign sell and convey or otherwise
dispose of all or any of the mannors, Messuages, houses, build-
ings, lauds, tenements, rents, possessions and other lieredita-
ments, and real Estate, and all their goods and chatties and
other things aforesaid in such manner ^and form as to them
shall seem meet and also that they and their Successors by the
same name of the Trustees of the free Schools of the Town of
Woodbridge be and forever hereafter Shall be persons capable
and able in law to Sue and be Sued implead and be impleaded
appear answer and be answered unto defend and be defended
in any of our Courts of Judicature either in law or Equity in
our Said province of Xew Jersey or elsewhere before us our
heirs and Successors and before all and every the Judges
Justices officers and ministers of us our heirs and Successors in
3^2 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
all manner of actions Suits complaints pleas matters and
demands wl)atsoever and of what nature or kind soever and
also that they and their Successors by the name aforesaid Shall
and may demand receive and take of and from the persons
heretofore appointed by the freeholders ot the Town of Wood-
bridge all Such Sum and Sums of Money by them received
and arising and issuing out of the one hundred acres of land
aforesaid and upon non payment thereof by the name aforesaid
to Sue for and recover the Same for the use of the Schools
May make and aforesaid. And alse that they the Said Trustees of the free
use a sea]. Schools of the Town of Woodbridge aforesaid and their
Successors Shall and may make and forever hereafter use one
common Seal with Such device and devices as to them Shall
Seem proper for the Sealing all and singular Deeds Grants
conveyances contracts and all and Singular other instruments
afifairs and business any way touching coucernina^ and relating
to the Said free Schools and also that they the Said Trustees of
the free Schools of the Town of Woodbridge and the majority
of them Shall and may from time to time make constitute
ordain and confirm by Such name or names as to them Shall
Seem good and likewise to revoke discharge change and alter
as well all and Singular Governors, Masters, Teachers or other
oflicers which Shall be by them or the majority of them,
thought fitt and n^edfnll to be made or used for the govern-
ment of the Said free Schools, and also to make ordain and
establish all such orders laws directions instructions and forms
May make or- fit and necessary for and concerning the government of the
ic'^for^fchoolB Said Schools and the same at all times hereafter to execute
abbrogate revoke or change as they or the Majoity of them
Shall think fittest for the benefit and advantage of the Said
Schools and wee have given and granted and b}^ these presents
do give and grant for us our heirs and Successors to the. free
holders of the Town of Woodbridge full power and authority
to assemble and meet together on the first Tuesday in ^larch
annually at the usual and accustomed place for holding the
Town meetings or at Such other place as they shall think
Com.to inspect Pi'oP^^i' ^"^^ t'i^^i ^"^ ^^^'^ by plurality of Voices to appoint
accounts of gyeh and So many persons as they or the major part of them
Shall think proper to inspect the accounts orders minutes and
transactions of the Said Trustees or their Successors. And in
ase of the death refusal or disability of either or any of the
Said Trustees or they or any of them ceasing to be freeholders
of the Said Town of Woodbridge or resigning the Trust in
incaseof death them reposed then and in Such ca'^e we for us our heirs and
or other vacan- ^ .,, , i.^i^.i jzj.
cy bo-w filled. Successors wdl grant and ordain that other lit person or
persons Freeholders of the Said Town of Woodbridge be by
APPENDIX. -J-
the Said Freeholders of the Said Township of AVoodbridge or
the majority of them nominated elected and chosen in the place
and Stead of him or them so dying refusing or otherwise dis-
abled as aforesaid. And further we have given and granted
and by these presents do give and grant to the Said freeholders
of our Said Town of Woodbridge full power and authority to
assemble and meet together once in three years but not oftener When to meet
on the first Tuesday in March at the usual and accustomed l^s''"^' '^''''*'
place for holding of the Town Meetings or at Such other place
as the majority of them Shall from time to time appoint and
then and there by plurality of voices alter change or continue
all or any of the Said Trustees now appointed or that shall
hereafter be appointed elected or chosen by virtue of these
presents to have and to hold all and Singular the privileges
advantages liberties and all other the premises to them the
Said Trustees of the Iree Schools of the Town of Woodbridge Charter to con-
and their Successors forever yielding rendering and paying ^^^^^ forever,
therefor yearly and every year forever hereafter unto us our
heirs and Successors at Perth Amboy in the County of Middle-
sex unto our receiver General of the Said province on the
Twenty fifth of March one barley corn if the Same be legally
demanded. And lastly our will and pleasure is that these our
letters patent Shall be of full force and elficacy to all intents
and purposes whatsoever as above mentioned expressed and
declared and that the Same or the enrollment thereof Shall in
all comts of law and Equity forever hereafter be construed and couruof Law
taken most favorably and beneficially for the Trustees of the ^^^ Equity,
free Schools of our Town of Woodbridge according to our
royal intention herein before declared not withstanding that
any writ or writs of ad quod damnum hath or have not issued
or is or are not returned before the making these presents.
And notwithstanding the not reciting misreciting or not rightly
or certainly reciting the Said rights privileges powers authori-
ties or any other the premises in and by these presents granted
or meatt mentioned or intended to be granted or any part or
parcel thereof. In testimony whereof we have caused these our
Letters to be made patent and the Great Seal of our Said
Province of New Jersey to be hereto affixed.
,-^'^ — ' — - Witness our trusty and well beloved Wil-
^ r t I li^^^ Franklin Esq our Captain General and
i o i^^f ti ) Governor in Chief in and over our province
j ^^^ ^} ^'^^ } of New Jersey and Territories thereon de-
j Province. ^ pending in America Chancellor and Vice Ad-
-— .^ , — -- miral in the Same &c. At our City of Bur-
lington the Twenty fourth day of June in the ninth year of our
reign Anno Domini 1769
314 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Brought to the office to be recorded -June 13th 1803 and
recorded the 14th following.
Examined and agrees with the original
John Beatty Secy
Liber A. V. Deeds folio 136
Secretary of States office
I
APPENDIX E.
RECORD OK .MA.RRIA.GES, BIRTHS, AND DEATHS, TRAJSTSCRIBED rilTERALLT
PROM LIBER A.
This valuable list will enable our readers to trace several family histories
and glean many local genealogical facts.
A.
Obediali Ayers Son of Obediah Ayers and Hannah his wife was Born ye
20th Octr. 1671.
Joseph Ayers Son Obediah Ayers Born ye 4th of April 1674.
John Adams Son to John Adams and Elizabeth liis wife Born ye 9th of
June 1(374.
Joseph Andrus Son to F^phraim Andrus and Dorcas his wife Born ye SSd
Day of Novr. 1673.
Suzanah Andrus Daughter to Ephraim Andrus and Dorcas his wife Bora
the 10th of January 1675.
Hannah Adams Daughter to John Adams and Elizabeth his wife Born
1676.
Joseph Adams Sou to Thomas Adams and Rebeckah his wife Born ye
27th of January 1676.
Thomas Ayers Sou to Obediah Ayers and Hannah his wife Born ye 17th
Day of December.
Elizabeth Adams Da'ighter to Thomas Adams and Rebeckah his wife
Born March ye 2ud 1678.
John Ayers Son of John Ayers and Mary his wife Born ye 1st of April
1693.
Thomas Ayers Sou of John Ayers and Mary his wife Born ye 2l8t of Jan-
uary 1692.
Ephraim Andreus Son of Ephraim Andreus and Dorcas his wife Born 167S.
These May Certify all persons Concerned that Obediah Ayers was Married
to Joanna Jones. April ye 28th 1694. By 3Ie Samuel Hale.
John Allen Son of John Allen and Susanah his wife Born Feby ye 5tU
1683.
Sarah Allen Daughter of John Allen and Jane his wife Born Feby ye 5th
1689.
Elizabeth Allen Daughter of John Allen and Jane his wife Born January
ye 15th 1691.
Mary Allen Daughter of John Allen and Jane his wife born January yo
1st 1693.
;il6 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
John Adams and Elizabeth Married June ye 1st 1671.
Ephraim Andreus and Dorcas Smith ]\Iarried ye IGth day of November
1671.
William Alger and Rebeckah Avirit was Married ye 13th day of March
1684.
Woodbridge, these May Certify all persons that John Ayers was Married
to Mary Walker February ye 24th 1689. Samuel Hale.
Hannah Ayers Daughter of Obediah Ayers and Joanah his wife Born Jan-
uary ye 18th 1694.
Henry Alward was Married to Judith Hendrickson January ye 36th 1693.
By me David Maudie — Justice.
Suzanah Andrevis Daughter to Ephraim Andreus and Dorcas his wife
Departed this Life February ye 4tli 1675.
John Adams Son to John Adams and Elizabeth his wife Departed this
Life March 25th 1676.
Hannah Adams Daughter to John Adams and Elizabeth his wife Departed
this Life February 17th 1677.
John x\dams Sou to John Adams and Elizabeth his wiie Deceased ye 31st
January 1680.
Thomas Ayers Son of Obediah Ayers and Hannah his wife Deceased ye
13th October 1675.
Sarah Ayers Daughter t® Obediah Ayers and Hannah his wife Deceased
ye 8th day of Novr 1683.
Hannah Ayers wife to Obediah Ayers Deceased the 30th of May 1689.
Obediah Ayers Deceased November ye 14th 1694.
Sarah Ayers Daughter of Obediah Ayers and Joanna his wife Born Janu-
ary ye 8th 1696.
John Alward Son of Henry Alward and Judeth his wife Born March ye
29th 1697.
Mary Ayers Daughter to Obediah Ayers and Joanah his wife Born
Feby ye 23d 1698.
Francis Ayers Son of John Ayers and Mary his wife was Bora March ye
15th 1698.
Rhoda Ayers Daughter of Samuel Ayers and Elizabeth his wife was
Born April 12th 1700.
David Ayers Son ot Samuel Ayers and Elizabeth his wife was Born May
ye 25th 1702.
Phebe Ayers Daughter of Joseph Ayers and Phebe his wife was born
March ye 3d 1699.
Joseph Ayers Son of Joseph Ayers and Phebe his wife was Born March
ye 18th 1701.
These May Certify all persons that Joseph Ayers was married to Phebe
Camp January ye 5th 1698.
Francis Ayers Son of John Ayers and ]\[ary his wife Born March ye 15th
1698.
APPENDIX. ^f
Benjamin Ayers Son of John Ayers and Mary his wife Born June ye 19th
1708.
Dorothy Alstoue Daughter of John Alstone and Mary his wife was Born
May ye 7th about 4 in ye Morning in the year 1698.
Mary Alstone Daughter of John Alstone and Mary his wife was Born
Octr ye 17th 1699, about 7 iu the Morning.
Jonathan Ayeis Sou of Joseph Ayers and Phebe his wife was Born Mav
ye 29th 1704. ^
Sarah Ayers Davighter of Obediah Ayers and Joauah his wile was Born
January ye 8lh 1G96.
Mary Ayers Daughter of Obediah Ayers and Joanah his wife was Born
Feb. ye 23rd 1698.
Rachfil Ayers Daughter of Obediah Ayers aul Joanah his wife was Born
May ye 23rd 1701.
Obediah Ayers and Joannah Ayers Son and Daughter of Obediah Avers
an.1 Joanah his wife was Born December ye 2.jth 1703.
Robert Ayers Son of Obediah Ayers and Joauah his wife was Born July
ye 18th 1706.
David Ayers Sou of Joseph Ayers and Phebe his wife Born January ye
2ud 1707.
Mary Ayers Daughter of Obediah Ayers and Joanah his wife was Born
Sept ye 29th 1708.
Benjamin Ayers Son of Obediah Ayers and Joanah his wife was Born
JSovr ye 17th 1715.
James Ayers Sou of Samuel Ayers and Elizabeth his wife was born May
ye 2nd 1716.
Mary Ayers Daughter of Obediah Ayers and Joanah his wife Deceased
Novr ye loth 170-1
Aaron Ayers Son of John Ayers and Mary his wife was Born Julv ye 14th
1708.
Allison Aide Daughter of John Aide and Elizabeth his wife was born
Augt ye 2nd 1707.
Marien Aide Daughter of John Aide and Elizabeth his wife was Born
January 29 th 1708.*
James Aide Son of John Aide an'd Elizabeth his wife was Born PY'by ye
8th 1710.
Samuel Ayers Son of Samiiel Ayers and Elizabeth his wife was Boru
Octr 25th 1707,
Rachel Ayers Daughter of Samuel Ayers and Elizabeth his wife was Born
June ye 19th 1710.
Jacob Ayers Son of Samuel Ayers and Elizabeth his wife was Born June
ye 19th 1710.
Rebeckah Ayers Daughter of Obediah Ayers and Joanah his wife waa
Born Novr ye 14th 1710.
Benjamin Ayers Son of Samuel Ayers and Elizabeth his wife was Bora
Octr 31st 1712.
3l8 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY,
Zebulon Ayers Son of Joseph Ayers and Phebe his wife was Born August
ye 4th 1708.
John Allen was married to Deliverance Potter October 34lh 1707.
By Nathaniel Wade— Clerk-
Samuel Allen Son of John Allen and Deliverance his wife was Born
August ye 24th 1708.
John Allen Son of John Allen and Deliverance his wife was Born March
ye 6th 1710.
Ocilla Allen Daughter of John Allen and Deliverance his wife was Born
May ye 24th 1714.
Susanah Allen Daughter of John Allen and Deliverance his wife was
Born ye 30th of Novr 1715.
The Said John Allen Died January ye 19th 1715.
Obediah Ayers Jur was Married to Elizabeth Compton February ye 15Lh
1716. By Thomas Pike — Justice of the Peace.
Patience Ayers Daughter of Obediah Ayers and Elizabeth his wife Born
the 10th of December 1717.
Elizabeth Ayers Daughter of Obediah Ayers and Elizabeth his wife was
Born Octr 28th 1720.
B.
Judith Bradly Daughter of Joshua Bradly and Judith his wife Born ye
17th of Feby 1667.
Joshua Bradly Son to Joshua Bradly Sen. and Judith his wife Born ye
15th of June 1671.
"William Biugle Son of William Bingle and Elizabeth his wife Born ye
12th of May 1662. !
Benjamin Bacon Son of Samuel Bacon and Martha his wifeBorn ye 22nd
of December 1670.
Elizabeth Bradly Daughter of Joshua Bradly and Judith his wife Born ye
ISthof August 1673.
Joseph Bacon Son of Samuel Bacon and Martha his wife Born ye 7th of
February 1672.
Jeremiah Bacon Son to Samuel Bacon and Martha his wife Born ye 6th
of April 1675.
Ann Bacon Daughter to Samuel Bacon and Martha his wife Born ye 19th
of April 1677.
Thomas Bloomfield Son of John Bloomfield and Sarah his wife Born
Octr ye 3rd 1679. . .
Sarah Bloomfleld Daughter to John Bloomfield and Sarah his wife Born
March ye 28th 1G81.
Timothy Bloomfield Son to Ezekiel Bloomfield and Hope his wife Born
ye 11th of Febr 1681.
Sarah Bishop Daughter to Noah Bishop and Lydia his wife Born the 10th
of Febr 1684.
Jonathan Bishop Son to Noah Bishop Born ye 9th Day of January 1686.
Ezekiel Bloomfleld Son to Ezekiel Bloomfield Born Novr ye 26th 1683.
APPENDIX. -jQ
Rebeckah Bloomfield Daughter of Ezekiel Bloomfield Born June ve 7th
1686. ^
Nathaniel Bloomfield Son of Ezekiel Bloomfield Born February ye 9th
1688.
Ruth Bloomfield Daughter to John Bloomfield Born ye 28th Day of March
1686.
Phebe Bloomfield Daughter to John Bloomfield Born ye 15th of Noyem-
ber 1688.
Ruth Bishop Daughter to Noah Bishop and Lydia his wife Born ye 9th of
Feb 1690.
Mary Bishop Daughter of Noah Bishop and Lydia his wife Born April ye
r —1693.
Jeremiah Bloomfield Son to Ezekiel Bloomfield and Hope his wife Born
January ye 28th 1693.
George Brown was Married to Annabell Knocks widow February ye 13th
1693. By me Samuel Hale— Justice.
James Brown Son of George Brown and Annabell his wife Born Novr
yc 8th 1693.
Thomas Bloomfield and Elizabeth Dennes Both of this To\vn Married By
Capt John Pilie May ye 10th 1676.
John Bloomfield and Sarah Moore both of this Town Married October 3rd
1676.
John Bloomfield and Elsie Heard widow were Married ye 27th of May
, 1684.
John Bloomfield Son of John Bloomfield and Elsie his wife Born January
ye— 1693.
Joshua Bradly Son of Joshua Bradly and Judith his wife Deceased ye
18th ot April 1669.
Ruth Bloomfield Daughter of Thomas Bloomfield and Mary his wife
Deceased the 9th Day of September 1678.
Thomas Bloomfield Son of Thomas Bloomfield and Mary his wife
Deceased March ye 27th 1679.
Timothy Bloomfield Son of Thomas Bloomfield and Mary his wife
Deceased December ye 28th 1 678.
Sarah Bloomfield wife to John Bloomfield Deceased ye 13th Day of April
1681.
Rebecah Bloomfield Daughter to Ezekiel Bloomfield Deceased ye 2.5 th
December 1688.
Joseph Bloomfield Son of Ezekiel Bloomfield and Hope his wife Born
March ye 21st 1695.
Noah Bishop Son of Noah Bishop and Lydia his wife was Born March ye
8th 1694.
Ann Bishop Daughter of Noah Bishop and Lydia his wife Born March ye
8th 1697.
these May Certify all persons Concerned that William Bingle was Married
to Ann —
320
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Andrew Brown Son of George Biown and Annabell his wife was Born
September ye 3rd 1705.
H.annah Bloomfield Daughter of Ezckiel Bloomfield and Hester his wife
was Born January ye 16lh 1711.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that Timothy Bloomfield was
Married to Rose Higens ye 2nd April 1707. By Samuel Shepard —
Andreus Barron Son of Elizcus Barron and Mary his wife was Born
August ye 12th 1700.
The above said Andreus Departed this Life August ye 29th 1700.
Samuel Burrell Son of Samuel Burrell and Susannah his wife was Bora
May ye 26th 1707.
Rebecah Bloomfield Daughter of Timothy Bloomfield and Rose his wife
was Born June ye 3rd 1700.
Sarah Bloomfield Daughter of Timothy Bloomfield and Rose his wife was
Born August ye 19th 1710.
Benony Bloomfield Son of Thomas Bloomfield and Sarah his wife was
Born March ye 11th 1707.
These may Certify all persons Concerned that Ezekiel Bloomfield of
"VVoodbridge was Married to Hester Dunham December ye 23rd 1706.
by me Moses Rolph Justice
These May Certify all persons Concerned that Elizeus Barron was Mar-
ried to Mary Andreus December ye 27th 170o. By me Samuel Shepard
Justice.
Mary Barron wife to the abcve said Elizeus Barron Departed this Life
August ye 23rd 1706.
Moses Bloomfield Son of Ezekiel Bloomfield and Hester his wife was
Born December ye 8th 1707.
Richard Bloomfield Son of Timothy Bloomfield and Rose his wife was
Born January ye 4th 1707.
These May Certify all persons Concerned that Thomas Bloomfield was
Married to Sarah Moores May ye 1st 1705. â–
Isaac Bloomfield Son of Thomas Bloomfield and Sarah his wife was Born
January ye 22nd 1705.
Judith Bradly wife to Joshua Bradl3' Deceased the 7th Day of December
1682.
Nathaniel Bloomfield the Son of Ezekiel Bloomfield and Hope his wife
Deceased the 15th Day of October 1689.
Nathaniel Bloomfield Deceased May ye"31st 1689.
Ezekiel Bloomfield Deceased February ye 15th 1702.
Amos Butler Son of Samuel Butler and Mehitabell his wife was Born
Novr ye 33rd 1701.
Thomas Brown Son of George Brown and Annabell his wife was born
March ye 2ud 1695.
William Brown Son of George Brown and Annabell his wife was Bora
May ye 11th 1698.
Christian Brown Daughter of George Brown and Annabell his wife born
April ye 26th 1701.
APPKNDIX. J-.I
I
Grier Bidwii Sou of George Brown and Ann:\l:.ell his wife Born Sept ye
3rd ITOo.
Mary Briitain Daughter of Daniel Brittain and Elizabeth his wife was
Born February ye 24th 1700.
C.
Sarah Coniptou Daughter to William Compton and V.nvv his wife Bora
ye 35ih July 1070.
David Compton Son to William Compton an:l Mary his wife Born ye
21sl July 1071.
Sarah Compton Daughter to Williaai Compton and Mary his wife Bora
ye 1st of June 1673.
Jonathan Compton Son to William Compton and Mary his wife Born ye
18th ot December 1074.
Mary Compton Daughter to John Compton and Elizabeth his wife was
Born ye 20th of June 1690.
^ Sarah Conger Daughter to John Conger and Mary his wife Born in
January 1008.
Joanah Conger Daughter to John Conger and ]\Iary his wife Bora
in August 1070.
John Conger Sou to John Conger and Mary Ins wife Born ye 24th Day of
May 1074.
John Coddington S(m to John Coddington and Aunali iiis wife Born ye
8th day of Novr. 1077.
Benjamin Coddingtim Son to John Coddington and Annah Ins wife Born
ye 8th ofOcirl080.
Hannah Coddington Daughter to John Coddington and Annah his wife
Born ye2:th of May 1083.
Elizabetli Conger Daughter to John Conger and ]\Iary his wife Born ye
1st of January 1678.
Ledia'a Conger Daughter to John Conger and Mary his wife Born ye Ist
of January 1070.
Jonathan Conger Son to Jolin Conger and Mary his wife Born ye 2!)th
March 1683.
Jane Codiick Daughter to Hallick (^odrick and Jane his wife Born ye
16th day of Octolxn- 1080.
Saraii Coddington Born ye 28th of March 1687.
Peter Codrick Son of Haliick Codrick Born the 10th of 3Iarch 1688.
Edward Crow Late of New England Deceased the 31 st ot July 1688.
William Compton Son of John Compton and Elizdjviii his wife Bora
May ye 27ih 1693.
John Compton Son of John Compton and Elizabeth his wife Born ye
28th of Fcbr 1091.
Mary Corbit Daughter of John Corbit and 3Iary his wife Born ye 27th of
I March 1690.
1 John Corbit was ^farricd to Eiizabcih Adams Widow ]March ye 27th
1693. By me Samuel Hale Justice.
322 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Moses Collior Son of Thomas Collier and Hannah his wife Born Octr ye
14lh 1695.
John Conipton was Married to Elizabeth jVItinday of Piscataway March
ye 6th 1689. By me Samuel Hale Justice.
Moses Collier Son of Thomas Collier Deeeaaed Octr ye 29th 1605,
To all Persons that may be Concerned Know ye that John Piobeson was
Married to Jennet Cotter widow April ye 2;Jrd 1689. By mc Samuel Hale
Justice.
Doctor Peter Designy Married to Ann Rogers widow of Robert Rogers
Deceased August ye 20th 1685.
Moses Collier Deceased ye ITth Day of jMarch 1684 in ye 59th year of his
age.
Caleb Cambel was Married to Mary Compton January ye 1st 1095.
By me Samuel Hale Justice.
Sarah Compton Daughter to William Compton and Mary his wife
Deceased ye lOlh of September 1670.
Isaac Clark Deceased ye 16 day of July 1689.
Thankful! Crow Daughter to Edward Crow and Mary his wife Deceased
about the Middle of December 1688.
Enos Conger Son of John Conger and Sarah his wife Deceased ye 21st of
November 1689.
Thomas Collier was Married to Hannah Dennes March ye 1st 1693.
By me John Bishop Justice.
Rachel Cambel Daughter of Caleb Cambell and Mary his wife was Born
May ye 20th 1697.
William Cramer Son of William Cramer and Rachel his wife was Bom
June ye 12th 1691.
Abraham Clark Son of Samuel Clark and Mar3'^ his wife was Born
October ye 11th 1699.
Joseph Cromwell Deceased at Philadelphia August ye 16th 1095.
Joseph Cromwell Son of BenJHmin Cromwell and Sarah his M'ife Deceased
Novr ye 6th 1696.
Hannah Cromwell Daughter of Kenjamiu Cromwell and Sarah his wife
Born Novr ye 15th 1696 about five of the Clock in the Morning.
Hannah Collier Daughter of Thomas Collior and Hannah his wife was
Born April ye 10th 1698.
Lydia Conger Daughter of John Conger and Sarah his wife Born April
ye 28th 1698.
Rachel Compton Daughter of John Compton and Elizabetli his wife Born
January ye 17lh 1698.
John Cromwell Son of Benjamin Cromwell and Sarah liis wiie was Born
March ye 19th 1698 at a 11 o'clock in the forenoon.
Ebenezer Alias Benjamin Cromwell Son of Benjamin Cromwell and
Sarah his wile was Born ye 9th Day of December 1700. about 11 of the
Clock in the forenoon.
James Clark son Son of James Clarkson and Christian his wife Born ye
let of Marcli 1687.
APPENDIX. ^22
Joseph Cromwell Son of Benjamin Cromwell and Sarah his wife Rnrn
Octr ye '>7Ui 1094.
Joseph Conger Son of John Conger and Sarah his wife Bora May ye 17th
Job Conger Sou of John Conger and Sarah his wife Born June ve QfJi
1G94. ^
Joseph Coddington Born March ye 22nd lti89.
Eliz-ibeth Compton Daughter ol John Compton and Elizabeth his wife
Born September ye ITth 1695.
Rachel Conger Daughter of John Conger and Sarah his wife Born Mav
ye 12th 169G. ^
Anna Coddiugtoii wife to John Coddington Deceased Septr ye 20th 1690
Sarah Compton Daughter to John Compton and Elizabeth his wife Born
August ye 15th 1697.
David Compton Son of John Compton and Elizabeth his wife Born 3Iay
yelGthl704.
John Coddington was Married to Mary White the first Day of May 1G91.
Zebiah Collier Daughter of Thomas Collier and Hannah his wife was
Born April ye 10th 1701.
Jonathan Compton was Married to Esther Martin Septemberye34ihl701.
By me Samuel Hale Justice.
Moses Collier Son of Thomas Collier and Hannah his wife was Born
P>br ye 26th 1702.
Joseph Catterliu Son of Barn trd Catterlin and Alice his wife was Bora
December ye 22nd 1703.
Nathaniel Catterlin Son of Barn xrd Catterlin and Alice Ins wife was Born
January ye oOth 1704.
Anna Coddington Daughter of Benjamin Coddington and 3Iary his wife
was Born May ye 6th 1705.
Margret Coddington Daughter of Benjamin Coddington and Mar\- his
"wife was Born 5'e 7th Day of May 1706.
John CoJdmgton Son of John Coddington and Elizabeth his wife was
Born March ye 25th 1706.
Sarah Collier Daughter of Thomas Collier and Hannah his wife was Born
Jul}" ye 2a d 1705.
Thomas Collier Son ot Thomas Collier and Hannah his wife was Born
March ye 29th 1707.
Moses Collier Son of Thomas Collier and Hannah his wife was Born
February ye 26th 1702.
Sarah Cutter Daughter of Richard Cutter and Mary his wife was Born
Novr ye Gth 1707.
Rebeckah Cutter Daughter of Richard Cutter aad Mary his wife Bora
April ye 20th 1709.
These may Certify all persons concerned that John Corbit of Woodbridge
was Married to Sarah Pike ye 28th Day of Septr l?0o.
By me Samuel Walker Justice.
334 WOODHKIDGE AND VICINITY.
Jobn Coibit Son of John Corbit and tSanih bis wife was Born April ye
26tb 1704.
These Maj' Certify all persons Concerned tbat Joim Corbit Junr was
Married to Elizabeth Cramer ye '2;ird Day of Oclr 1705.
B}^ me Samuel Hale Justice.
These May Certify all Persons whom it nirtv concern that Richard Cutter
was Married to Mary Pike Au.^nsl ye 30tb 170G.
By me Moses Kolph — Justice.
Jonalluiu Compton Son of Jonathan Complon and Esther bis wife was
Born July ye 13lb 170(i.
John Collier Son of Thomas Collier and Hannah his wife was Born April
ye 16th 170!).
Richard Coddington Son ot John Codding ton and Elizabeth his wife was
Bom May ye 27th 1708.
Hannah Compton Daughter of John Compton and Eliznbelh his wife was
Born January ye 30th in tlie year of our Lord 1708.
Edward Crowell was Married October yc 5th 1707, to Sarah Veal.
By me Nathaniel Wade Clerk.
Elizabeth Crowell Daughter of Edward Crowell and Sarah bis wife was
Born July ye 8th 1708.
John Crowell Son of Edward Crowell and Sarah his wife was Born Octr
ye 35th 1709.
Samuel Crowell Son of Edward Crowell and Sarah his wafe was Born
Julyyeaoth 1711.
Mary Crowell Daughter of Edward Crowell and Sarah his wife was Born
August ye 3rd 1713.
Edward Crowell Son of Edward Crowell and Sarah bis wife was Born ye
8lh of March 1715.
Sarah Crowell Daughter of Edward Crowell and Sarah his wife was Born
Octr ye 17ih 1717.
Joseph Crowell Son of Edward Crowell and Sarah his wife was Born
Sepir ye 24th 1724.
Thomas Crowell Son ot Edward Crowell and Sarah bis wife was Born
March ye 22nd 1726.
Edward Crowell was M'\nied to Elizibetb Pike, November ye 24th 1731.
By me the Reverend Mr. John Pierson.
The Said Elizabeth Departed this Life November ye 20th 1733.
Annabel Crowell Daughter of Edward Crowell and Curistian his wife was
Born, ye 17ih Day of April 1741.
Agness Daughter of Edward and Christian Crowell was Born November
ye 3nd 1743.
Katharine Crowell Dau^ditcr of Edward and Christian Crowell was Boru
January yi' 6th 17;,'6.
James Son of Edward Crowell and Christian bis wife was barn May ye
7th 1739.
Samuel Compton Son of John Compton and Elizabeth his wile was Born
July ye lOtii i:i2.
APPENDIX. 225
James Collier Son of Thomas Collier and Hannah his wife was Born ye
Cth day of July 1711.
David Conger Son of Gershom Conger and Ann his wife was Born March
ye loth 1707.
Phebe Conger D lughter of Gershom Conger and Ann his wife was Born
Septr ye 22nd 1708.
Gershom Conger Son of Gershom Conger and Ana Ids wife was Born
April ye oth 1711.
Yelvei ton Crowell was Married to Hannah Adams October ye 8th 1703.
By Samuel Hale— Justice.
Seth Crowell Son of Yelverton Crowell and Hannah his wife was Born
December ye 2nd 1706.
Yelverton Crowell Son of Yelverton Crowell and Hann iii iiis wife was
Born March ye 31st 1710.
Benjamin Crowell Son of Yelverton Crowell and Hannah his wife was
Born Novr ye 23rd 1715.
Hannah Crowell Daughter of Yelverton Crowell and Hannah his wife was
Born April ye 22ad 1719. at 9 o'clock in the Morning.
Seth Crowell was Married to Mary Crowell Novr 11th 1730
By Joseph Webb Minister.
Hannah Crowell Daughter ot the aforesaid Seth Crowell and Mary his
wife Born September ye 18th 1731.
Enos Crowell Son of Seth Crowell and Mary his wife avis Born Septem-
ber ye 11th 1733.
Sarah Crowell Daughter of Seth Crowell and Miry his wife was Born
April ye 1st 1735.
John Dennes Son of John Donnes and Sarah his wife Born ye 9th of
Septr 1669.
Mary Dunne.^ D.iughter of John Dennes and Sarah his wife Born Decem-
ber ye 7th 1G71.
Sarah Dt-nnes Daugliter of John Dennes and Sarah his wife Born in July
ye 18th 1673.
Elizabeth Dennes Daughter to John Dennes and Sarah his wife Born
February ye 14th 1674.
Suzanah Dilly Daughter to John Dilly and Sarah his wife Born ye 14th
of June 1674
Sarah Dilly Daughter to John Dilly and Sarah his wife Born ye 2Slh of
December 1677.
John Dilly Son to John Dilly and Sarah his wife Born ye 24th of January
1680.
Elizabeth Dennes Daughter to Jonathan Dennes and Richel his wife Born
ye 8th of January 1678.
Mary Denne- Daughter to Jonathan Dennes and Rachel his wife Born ye
7th of April 1(W2.
Rachel Dennis Daughter to Jonathan Dennes and Rachel his wife Born
ye 30th of Octr 1683.
326 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Jonathan Dilly Son to John Dilly and Sarah his wife Born the Last, Day
of September 1C84.
Jonathan Dennes Son to Jonathan Dennes and Rachel his wife Born ye
29th of January 1685.
Joseph Dennes Sou of Jonathan Dennes was born ye 18th day of Febru-
ary 1687.
Hannah Dennes Dau^liter of Jonathan Dennes and Rachel his wife Born
ye 26th of January 1691.
Mary Dennes Daughter of Samuel Dennes and Mary his wife Born
December ye 21st 1698.
John Dennes Son of John Dennes and Rschel his wife was Born January
ye 14ih 1700.
Josepli Decnes Son of Jolin Dennes and Rachel his wife was Born May
ye 8th X697.
John Dennes and Sarah Bioomtield Married December ye IStii 1608.
Doctor Peter Designy Married to Ann Rogers ye 20th of August 168r>.
Samuel Dennes Junr was INIarried to Mary Crowell December ye ord 1695.
This is to Certify all whome it may Concern that Phillip Dodridge and
Frances Moore was Lawf. illy Married October ye loth 1696. Pr Me Sim-
oneni Smith Chaplain to his Majesties Forces in New, York in America-
Rachel Dennes Daughter to John Dennes and Riichel his wife Born May
ye 14ih 1699.
John Dennes was Married to Rachel Hull April ye 8th 1694.
By Samuel Hale Justice.
Charles Dennes and Sarah Dennes Son and Daughter to Jonathan Dennes
and Rachel his wife Born ye 4th of January 1689.
Ann Designy Daughter to Peter Designy and Ann his wife Born August
ye 26th 1686.
Mary Detigny Daughter tf) Ptter Designy and Ann his wife Born Febr
ye 23nd 1688.
Mary Designy Daughter of Peter Designy and Ann his wife Born Ma}'^ ye
19th 1690.
Sarah Dennes Daughter of Samuel Dennes and Mar^-^ his wife was Bora
Septr ye 2rth 1696.
Unis Dennes Daughter of John Deniies and Rachel his wife Born Decem-
ber ye 29th 1694.
Samuel Dennes Son of Sanuiel Dennes and Sarah his wife was Born Septr
ye 17th 1672.
Robert Dennes Son of Samuel Dennes and Sarah his wife Born May ye
17th 1676.
Sarah Dennes Daughter of Samuel Dennes and Sarah his wife Born Feby
ye 17th 1678.
Jonathan Dennes Son of Samuel Dennes and Sarah his wife Born Febru-
ary 1683.
Ann French Daughter of John French and his wife Born ye l.'Jth of
December 1692.
AI'PKNTDIX.
327
Jonathan Dunham the Son of Jonathan Dunham alias Singltary and Mary
his wife and formeily ot Iljiverell in the Missachusetts Gollony wjis Born ye
24th of September Anno 1(573.
David Dunham the Son of the aforesaid Jonathan Dunham and Mary his
wife was Born Marcli ye 10th Anno. 1074.
Nathaniel Dunham the Son of the Said Jonathan and Mary his wife was
Born February ye 8th Anno. I(i77. Deceased May ye 14th Anno. l(i7S.
Nathaniel Dunham ye 2nd, the Son of the aforesaid Jonathan and Mary
his wife Born April ye lOlh anno. 1G79.
Benjamin Dunham the Son of ye aforesaid Jonathan and Alary his wife
Born August ye 23nd Anno. 1681.
Unis Dunham the Daughter of ye aforesaid Jonathan and Mary his wife
Deceased ye 5th of December Anno. 1084, in the 17th year of her age.
JoDalhiin Dennes Son oi Samuel Dennes and Alary his wife Born ye 3nd
Day of Sej)tr U)i)3.
Joseph Dunham Son of David Dunham and Mary his wife was Bora
Octr ye 7ih 1700.
Jonathan Dennes Son to Samuel Dennes, Deceased ye 12th of December
1688.
Sarah Dennes vvife of John Dennes Deceased ye 5th of May 1689.
John Dennes above Mentioned Deceased ye 8th of Afay 168'.).
Mary Dennes Daughter of the above said .John Dennes and Sarah his
wife Deceased October 1681).
these Mi'.y Certify all Persons liuxt .lonathan Dunham was Married to
Easter Rolph the r>th day of February 1601). By me Samuel Hale Justice.
Samuel Dunham Son of Jonathan Dunham and E ister his wife Born
October ye 4lh 1607.
Eunice Dunham Daughter of Jonathan Dunham and Easier his wife was
Born October ye 0th 1G99.
George Darling Son of George Darling and Elizabeth his wife was Born
Novr ye 1st in t!ie j-^ear 1683.
Mary Djnnes D lughler of Saaiucl Dennes Janr an I Miry his wife
Departed this Life March ye 18th 1702.
Robert Dennes Son of S uniiel Dennes and Mary his wife Decea.ied Janu-
ary ye 17th 1702.
Eunice Dunham Daughter of Jonathan Dunham and Easter his wife
Born May yt; 12th 1702.
Mary Dunham Daugiiter of Jonathan Dunham and Easter his wife Born
March ye 8rd 1704.
The above said Jonathan Dunham Departed this Life September yc 6th
1708.
Richard Dunham Son of Benjamin Dunham and Mary his wife was Bora
ye 28th day of >Liy 1707, about a 11 of the Clock in ye Mornin-—
Abigal Dennes Daughter of Phillip Dennes and Mary his wife was Born
April ye 17th 1704.
Daniel Deane was Married to Rebecah Phillips August ye 2nd 1710.
By me Natiianiel Wade— Clerk.
328 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Sanih Deane Daugliter of ye said Daniel Deane and Rebecah bis wife was
Born Slay ye 8th 1711.
William Dean Son of Daniel Dean and Rebecah his wnfe was Born March
ye 1st 1713.
Nalhanid'l Dunham was ^Married to Joannah Thornell ye 20th of October
1703. By Samuel Hale— Justice.
Elizabeth Dunham Daughter of ye above said Nathaniel Dunham and
Joannah his wife was Born Slay ye 10th 1710.
Mary Dennes Daughter of Samuel Deunes and Mary his wife was Bern
January ye 9th 1708.
Samuel Deimes Son of Samuel Dennes Junr and Mary his wife was Born
July ye 8th 1706.
Rebecah Dean Daughter of Daniel Dean and Rebecah his wife was Born
ye 22nd of June 1717.
Benjamin Dunham Son of Benjamin Dunliam and Mary his wife was
Born December 4th 1712.
Katherine Dunham Daughter of Benjamin Dunham and Mary his wife
was Born March ye 12th 1712.
Jouathsn Dunham Sou of Benjamin Dunham and Mary his wife was
Born January ye 7th 1710.
Mary Dennes Daughter of Samuel Deunes and Mary his wife Deceased
October ye 1st 1706.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that Jonathan Deunes was
Married to Agness Sharp }^e 6th Day of February 1710.
By Mr. Wade Minister.
Samuel Dennes Son of Jonathan Dennes and Agness his wife was Born
Octr ye 25th 1711.
Joannah Dunham Daugiiter of Nathaniel Dunham and Joannah his wife
was Born Septr ye 25th 1712.
Jerusha Dunham Daughter of Nathaniel Dunham and Joannah his wife
â– was Born March ye 3rd 1714.
Susannah Dean Daughter of Daniel and Rebecah Dean his wife was Born
May ye olst 1715.
Daniel David was Married to Sfary Man ye 3rd Day of March 1716.
By John Bishop— Justice.
Hester David Daughter of Daniel David and Mary his wife was Born ye
1st of September 1717.
Samuel Dally Son of Charles Dally and Elizabeth his wife was Born in
the year 1732.
E.
Daniel Ervane was Married to Hannah Brooks October ye 22nd 1694.
By me David Madey — Justice.
Enoch Elison Son of William Elison and Mary his wife was Born
December ye 4th 1697.
Abraham E istwood Son of John Eastward and Lydia his wife was Born
Septr ye Stii 1707
«
APPENDIX.
329
John Eddie was Married to Elizabeth Edwards the Last day of March in
ye year 1706. By Samuel Hale— Justice ot Peace.
Elison Eddie Daughter of John Eddie and Elizabeth his wife was Born
August ye 8th 1707.
Meriam Eddie Daughter of John Eddie and Elizabeth his wife was Born
January ye 29lh 1708.
James Eddie Son of John Eddie and Elizabeth his wife was Born
February ye 3;jth 1710.
Jane Eddie Daughter of John Eddie and Elizabeth his wife was Born
December ye 28th 1713.
Elizabeth Eddie Daughter oi John Eddie and Elizabeth his wile Born
FebryeSOth 1715.
Robert Eddie Son of John Eddie and Elizabeth his wife was Born March
ye 8rd 1717.
John Eddie Sou of John Eddie and Elizabeth his wife was Born January
ye 29th 1719.
Gawen Eddie Son of John Eddie and Elizabeth his wife was Born
February ye 17th 1721.
Wdliam Eddie Son of John Eddie and Elizabeth his wife was Born June
ye Gth 1723.
Thomas Eddie Son of John Eddie and Elizabeth iiis wife Born Septr ye
5th 1725.
F.
Martliew Fitz Randolph wife of Isaac Fitz Randolph Deceased August ye
11th 1691.
Christian Fitz Randolph Son to John Fitz Randolph and Martha his wife
Born the 23rd Day of February 1682.
Rose Fitz Randolph Daughter to John Fitz Randolph Born ye 2Sth of
July 1685.
Resier Fitz Randolph Daughter to John Fit/, Randolph and Jlartha his
wife was Born July ye 22nd 1689.
Isaac Fitz Randolph Son of Isaac Fitz Randolph and Ruth his wife Born
April ye IGth 1693.
Mary Fitz Randolph Daughter of Nathaniel Fitz Randolph and Grace
his wife Born April ye 28th 1693.
John Fitz Randolph and Martha Fitz Randolph Son and Daug'.iter of
John Fitz Randolpii and Martha his wife was Born April ye 25th 1693.
William Fitz Randolph Son of Isaac Fitz Randolph and Ruth his wife
was Born October ye 27t]i 1694.
Peter Fitz Randolph Son of John Fitz Rmdolph and Martlia his wife
was Born ye 20th of April 1695.
Isaac Fitz Randolph was Married to HiUh Hiirgins may ye 26th li>92.
By Me Samuel Hale— Justice.
Nathaniel Fitz Randoloh was Married to Grace Hull May ye 26lh 1692.
By Me Samuel Hale— Justice.
Samuel Fitz Randolph Publication for Marrage Dated Sepir ye 28lh 1693-
3S° WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Samuel Filz Randolph was Married to Mary Jones June ye 8tli 1G93.
By me John Bishop— Justice.
Moses Freeman Son of Edward Freeman and Hannah his wile Born
August ye 24th 1700.
Rachel Freeman Daughter of Edward Freeman and Hannah his wife
Born March ye 6th 1701.
Joseph Fitz Randolph Son of John Fitz Randolph and Martha his wife
Deceased ye 4th of Novr 1G91.
Truslrum Fitz Randolph Son of Nathaniel Fitz Randolph and Grace his
wife Born Septr ye 32nd 1694.
Ann Fitz Randolph Daughter of John Fitz Randolph and Martha his
â– wife Born January ye 34th 1694.
John Force 8(m of Mathew Force and Sarah liis wife Born December ye
24th 1697.
Elizabeth Force Daughter of Mathew Force and Sarah his wife was Born
Septr ye 23ud 1699.
John Foord was Married to Elizabeth Freeman December ye 18th 1701.
By Me Samuel Hale — Justice.
Edw^ard Freeman was Married to Hannah Phillips March ye 11th 1096.
By Me Samuei Halo — Justice.
Mathew Force was Married to Sarah Morris January ye 7th 1696.
By Me Samuel Htile — Justice.
John Filz Randolph Junr was Married to Sarah Potter April ye 8th 1703.
By Me John Bishop — Justice.
gamuel Fitz Randolph Son of Samuel Fitz Randolph and ]Mary his wife
was Born ye 16th of December 1094.
Prudence Filz Randolph Daughter of Samuel Fitz Randolph and Mary
bis wife Born August ye 30th 1696.
Susannah Fitz Randolph Daughter of Samuel Fitz Randolph and Mary
his wife was Born December ye oOth 1699.
Experience Fitz Randolph Daughter of Nathaniel Fitz Randolph and
Grace his wife was Born June ye 14th 1696.
Rachel Filz Randolph Daughter of Nathaniel Fitz Randolph and Grace
his wife was Born May ye 15th 169H.
Nathaniel Filz Randolph Son of Nathaniel Fitz Randolph and Grace his
wife was Born January ye olh 1700.
Grace Fitz Randolph Daughter of Christopher Fitz Randolph and Sarah
his wife Born Febr ye 1st 1703.
Mary Foice Daughter of .Alalhew Force and Sarah his wife Born Novr ya
18th 1701.
The Said Mary Force Deceased April ye 17th 170o.
Mary Foreman Daugliter to John Foreman was Born September ye 35th
1697.
Ursula Foreman Daughter to John Ft)reman and Margaret his wife Born
Septr ye 35th 1700.
Isaac Fitz Randolph his Publication for Marriage with Ruth Higgeun
Dated April ye 33rd 1693.
APPENDIX.
SS^
Nathaniel Fitz Randolph his Publication for Marriage with Grace Hull
Date April je 2orcl 1692.
These May Certify whome it May Concern that Isaac Fitz Randolph waa
Married to Martha Bingla ye 18th Day of Septr 1690.
By Me John Bishop
Jacob Foord Son of John Foord and Elizabeth his wife was B'jrn April
ye 12th 1705.
Rachel Freeman Daughter of Edward Freeman and Hannah his wife was
born March ye 29th ITOO.
Benony Freeman Son of Edward Freeman and Hannah his wife Born
March ye 19lh 1709.
These May Certify all Perscms Concerned that John French was Married
to Mary Bonrimy August ye 4th 1705. By Me Samuel Hale— Justice.
Susinnah Frtnch Daughter of John French and Mary his wile was Born
June ye llih 170G.
William French Son of John French and Mary his wife was Born Janu-
ary ye 15th 1707.
Mary French Daughter of John French and Mary his wife was Born June
ye 4th 1710.
Sarah Frencii Daughter of John French and 3Iary his wife was Born
November ye 25th 1712.
Rachel Freeman Daughter to Edward Freeman and Hannah his wife
Deceased October ye ::^rd 1704.
Hannah Freeman Daughter of Edward Freeman and Hannah his wife
Departed this Life October ye 19th 1704.
William Freeman Son of Edward Freeman and Hannah his wife was
Born March ye 18th 1713.
Edward Freeman Son of Edward Freeman and Hannah his wife was
Born ^larch ye 2nd 1714.
Henry Freem a_ n was ^lar xied to Elizabeth Bonne May ye 10th 1695.
'~" By Samu el Hale— Jublic e uf th«i Pence.
Ann Elizabeth Freeman Daughter of Henry Freeman and Eliz ibeth hi.s
wife was Born Februar}-^ ye 16th 1695.
John Freeman Son of Henry Freeman and Elizabeth his wife was Bora
Novr ye 5th 1698.
Jonathan Freeman Son of Henry Freeman and Elizabeth his wife was
Born July ye 13th 1700.
Mary Freeman Daughter of Henry Freeman and Elizabeth his wife was
Born June ye 5th 1702.
S^rah Freeman D.iughter of Henry Freeman and Elizabeth his wife was
Born February ye 1st r70o.
Rachel Freeman Daughter of Henry Freeman and Elizabeth his wile was
Born Jan rye 18th 1705.
Samuel Freeman Son of Henry Freeman and Elizabeth his wife was Born
March ve 31st 1708.
Joseph Freeman Son of Heury Freeman and Elizabeth his wife was Bora
December ye 21st 1709.
332 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Hannah Freeman Daughter of Henry Frcemaa and Elizabeth his w ife
was Born Octr ye 21st 1711.
Benjamin Freeman Son of Hpmy F reeman and Elizabeth his wife was
Born June ye 3rd 1713.
Isaac Freeman Son ot Henry Freeman and Elizabeth his wife was Born
May ye 25th 1715.
Henry Freeman Son of Henry Freeman and Eliz ibeth his wife was Born
March ye 2ord 1717.
_ James Freeman Son of Henry Freeman and Elizabetli his wife was Born
Novrye 1st 1719.
>^ G.
Josiah Grabham alies winter Son of Obediah Grabham alies winter and
Margret his wife Born the 15th day of March 1669.
Hester Grabham Daughter to Obediah Grabham alies winter and I^Iargret
his wife Born ye 10th day of October 1671.
Obediah Grabham Son of Obediah Grabham alies winter and Margret his
wife Born ye 10th of October 1673.
Elizabeth Gray Daughter of Joseph Gray and Elizabeth his wife was Born
Febr ye 25th 1698.
Joseph Gray Son of Joseph Gray and Elizabeth his wife Born Septr ye
22nd 1700.
Benjamin Gray Son of Jose])h Gray and Elizibetli his wife born October
ye 7th 1702.
Richard Gibson was Married to Jemima Collier March ye 1st 1693.
By Me John Bishop —Justice.
Jemima Gibson Daughter of Richard Gibson and Jemima his wife was
Born Febr ye 2nd 1694.
Grace Gibson Daughter of Richard Gibson and Jemima his wife was Born
July ye 7th 1697.
Woodbridge May ye 29lh 1680. These Certify that James Greer was
Married Said Day unto Miriam Cowan. By Me Archd Riddle in Pres-
ence of Samuel Hale
These May Certify that Joseph Gray was Married to Elizabeth Hollon
October ye 13th 1698.
James Goldwell Son of James Goklwell and Mary Hews Born at Wood-
bridge August 31st 1700.
James Gilcrist Son of Robert Gilcrist and Miriam his wife was Born
December ye 20th 1704.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that Robert Groves was Married
to Mary Sanderson .July ye 30th 1705. By Me Samuel Dennes — Justice.
Timothy Goodfel^w Sou of Samuel Goodfelow and Comlort Lis wife was
Born March ve 29lh 1709.
H.
Sarah Hale daughter to Samuel Hale and Sarah his wife Born ye 25th of
October 1675.
Mary Hale Daughter to Samuel Hale and Sai'ah his wife Born ye 28th of
Novr 1078.
1
APPENDIX. ,,,
Aun Hcmiuway Daiigbter of Roberl Heminway and Mary l,is wife wa«
Born March ye 2lst 1698. ' ^ •- wiie was
Perth Amboy ye 24th of Novr 1693.
These are to Testify that I IMarried Edward Hains and Sarah Decent Bv
the Testimony of Samuel Denues Clerk in Woodbridiie, this Day and Date
above written. David Mudie— Justice.
Sarah Hale wile to Samuel Hale Departed this Life ve 16th Day of Janu-
ary 1681.
Samuel Hale Esqr Departed this Life November ye oth 1700. Being Sixty
Nine Years Nine Months and three Days Old. He Dyed of the Smatl Pox.
These 3Iay Certify all Persons Concerned that Francis Hollon was Mar-
ried to Sarah Frost ye 6lh day of February 1701. By 3Ie JoJin Hcrrimaii.
Mahittabell Hollon Daughter of Francis Hollon and Sarah his wife was
Born December ye 20th 1702.
Mary Hollon the Daughter of Francis Hollon and Sirah his wife was
Born March ye ISth in the year 1709.
Tobias Hatch was Married to Sarah Cromwell the Last Day of October
1717.
Joseph Hatch Sou of Tobias Hatch and Sarah his wife Avas Burn Novem-
ber ye 22ud 1718.
John Hude Son ot Adam Hude and Mary his wife Born ye 33rd of July
1687.
Agucss Hude Daughter of Adam Hude and ]\[arv his wife Born Ociober
1689.
Robert Hude Son of Adam Hude and Mary his wife Born Septr ye 5th
1692.
John Hude Son of Adam Hude Deceased Novr 1687.
I ANB J.
John Jaquish Son to Henry Jaquish and Hannah his wife Born ye 2nd ol
August 1674.
Henry Jacjuish Son to Henry Jaquish and Hannah his wife Born ye 12th
of September 1675.
Sarah Jaquish Daughter to Henry Jaquish and Hannak his wife Born yo
12th of Janr 1677.
Jonathan Jaquish Son of Heniy Jaquish and Hannah his wife Born ye
9th day of April 1679.
Rebeckah Ilsly Daughter to John Ilsly and Ann Lis wife Born ye 10th
Day of June 1678.
John Ilsly Son to John Bsly and Aun his wife Born ye 22nd o( May 1675.
David Ilsly Son to John Ilsly and Ann his wife Born ye 3rd Day of
August 1677.
Mary Ilsl^' Daughter to John Ilsly and Ann his wife Born ye 13(h of April
1680. '
David Ilsly Son to John Ilsly and Aun his wife Born Septtuiber yc Oth
1682.
Jonathan Ilsley Son to John Ilsly and Ann his wife Born November ye
19lh 1689.
334
WOODBRIDGF. AND VICINITY.
Joseph Ilsley Son to Jobn Ilsly and Ann bis wife Born April ye 3lHh 1693.
These May Cerlify any person Concerned that John Jaquish was Married
uuto Susannah Meirik widow the Eleventh Day of December 1700.
Before JMe John Bishop— Justice.
John Jaquish Son of John Jaquish and Susannah his wife Born Decem-
ber ye 11th 1701.
Daniel Jones Son of Edward Jones and Hester his wife Born January ye
23rd 1694.
Elipbalet Jones Son of Richard Jones and Sarah his wife Born May ye
31st 1696.
Moses Jones Son of Edward Jones and Hester his wife Born October ye
19th 1696.
Hannah Jones Daughter ot Richard Jones and Sarah his wife was Born
March ye 29th 1699.
These May Certify all persons Concerned that Edward Jones was Married
to Jane Cone April ye 14th 1696. By Me John Bishop— Justice.
Edward Jones Son of Edward Jones and Jane his vfite Born December ye
26th 1697.
Jane Jones Daughter of Edward Jones and Jane his wife was Born May
ye 16th 1699.
Margret Jones Daughter of Edward Jones and Jane his wife Born March
ye 17th 1702.
Sarah Jaquish Died 3^e 12th Day of April 1678.
Henry Jaquish Departed this Life ye 17th Day of April 1679.
David Ilsly Died ye 28th October 1681.
Margret Jones Daughter of Edward Jones and Jane his wife was Born
March ye 18th 1701.
Susanah Jaquish Daughter of Jobn Jaquish and Susanah his wife Born
June ye 4tli 1708.
Mary Jaciuis Daughter of John Jaquis and Susanah his wife was Born
Kovr ye 9th 1710.
John Jaquis was Married to Deliverance Allen widow Novr ye 17th 1716-
Pr Moses Rolph — Justice.
Samuel Jaques was Married to Sarah Cutter Febr the 12th 1730.
Susanah Jaques Daughter of above said Samuel and Sarah Jaques was
Born January ye 17th 1731.
Richard Son of the above said Samuel and Sarah Jaques was Born March
ye 6th 1733.
Mary Daughter of the above said Samuel and Sirah Jaques was Born
March ye 14th 1737.
Samuel Son of the abovo said Samuel and Sarah Jaques was Born April
ye 29th 1739.
Sarah Diughter of the above said Samuel and Saraii Jaques was Born
Septr ye 2nd 1744.
William Son of the above said Samuel and Sarah Jaques was Born June
ye 26Lh 1750.
APPENDIX. 335
K.
Stephen Kent of Woodbndge and Jane Scott were Married ye 2oth Day
oi December 1C83.
Sasanah Kent Dau^jbter to Stephen Kcjut and Jane his wife was Born ye
21st of December 1684.
David Kent Son to Stephen Kent and Jane his wife was Born ye Last
Day of June 168G.
Niigieut Kelly anl Hannah Kelly his wife the Eldest Daughter of Wil-
liam Insley Late of Woodbridge Deceased, was Married on ye 2nd Day of
April 1729.
?]lisha Kelly their Eldest Son Born February ye 6th 1730.
Katharine Kelly Born Autjust ye 31st 1731.
Katharine Kelly died July 30th 1732.
Mary and Elizibeth Kelly Born March the 26th 1734.
William Insley Kelly Born December 2Sth 1735.
Mary Kelly Died Xovember ye 30th 1730.
Richard Kelly Born January ye 29th 1738.
Hannah Kelly Departed this Life October ye 7th 1743.
L.
John Looborrow his Publication for Marriage with Hannah Bunn was
Dated October ye 20th 1688.
John Looborrow his Certilicate Dated Novr ye 22nd 1G88.
To all Persons that are or 'Mslj Be Concerned Know ye that John
Loofborrow was ^larried to Hannah Bunn November ye 22nd 1688.
Before Samuel Hale — Justice.
Entered By Me Samuel Dennes — Clerk.
These ^lay luforme all Persons that 3Iay Be Concerned that Joha
Mathew was Married to Katharine Hume ye 22nd Day of October 1690.
By Me Samuel Hale — Justice.
These May Informe All Persons that ]May Be Concerned that Samuel
Lewis was Married to Su=anah Jones Se])tr ye 29th 1698.
By me Samuel Hale — Justice.
Margret Lockhart Daughter of Gawen Lockhart and Mary his wife Bora
ye 27th of Febr 1688.
Mary Lockhart Daughter of Gawen Lockhart and Mary his wife Born ye
29th of April 1690.
Thomas Loofborrow Son of John Loofborrow and Hannah his wife waa
born June ye 6th 1690.
John Loofborrow Son of John Loofborrow and Hannah his wife waa
Born June ye 6lh 1092.
Mary Loofboirow Daughter of John Loofborrow and Hannah his wife
Born Novr ye oth 1694.
Susanah Lume Deceased ye 16th of January 1669.
Mary ]iOckhart Daughter of Gawen Lockhart and Mary his wife Deceased
ye 21st of Septr 1690.
^^6 WOODBKIDGE AND VICINITY.
Elizibelh Lockhart Daughter of Gowen Lockh:irt and Mary his wife was
Born February ye 24th liii)l.
James Lockhart Sou ot Gowen Lockhart an 1 ]\Iary liis wife was Bora
July ye 17th 1(;93.
Samuel 'Lockhart Sou of Gowen Lockhart and Mary his wife Born April
ye 10th 1700.
Margret Lockliart Daughter of Gowen Lockhard and 3Iary his Avife Born
April ye 22nd 1702.
Ephraim Lockhart Sun of Gowen Lockhart and Mary his wife Born
March je 27th 170o.
Levi Lewis Son of Samuel Lewis and Susannh his wife was Bora Septem-
ber ye 15 ih 1708.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that James Leaith was Married
to Ann French June ye 39th 1711. By Nalhaniyl Wade— Clerk.
Margret Leaith Daughter ot James Leaith and Ann his wife was Bora
Februarv ye 6lh 1713.
M.
Elizalieth Moore Daughter to Samuel jMoore and 3I.iry his wife Born ye
20th July 1858.
Samuel Moore Son of Samuel Moore and Mary his wife Born ye 31st day
of March 1870.
Thomas Moore Son of Samuel J.Ioore and Mary his wife Born 3'e 26th of
July 1872.
JohH Moore Son to Samuel Moore and Mary his wife Born May ye 20th
1674.
James M )ores Son to Mathew ?tIoores and Sarah his wile Born March
1689.
John Moorts Son to ilathew Moorcs and Sarah his wife Born August ye
15th 1871.
Samuel Moores Son to Mathew Moores and. Sarah his wife Born August
ye 8rd 1073.
Mary Morris and Ann Morris Daughters to John Morris and Mar}^ his wife
Born ye 14lh December 1878.
Sarah 3Iorris Daughter to John Morris and ]\Liry his wiie Born ye 5lh
day of August 1678.
John Morris Son to John Morris and ]Mary his wife Born Jur.e ye 24th
1680.
Euock Moore and Frances i\Ioore twins Son and Daughter to Samuel
Moore and Mar}' his wife Born ye 3rd day of June 1678.
Sarah ^loore Daughter lo Samuel Moore and Ann his wife Born }'e l8th
of September 1881.
John Man Son of John Man and Elizabeth his wife Born at Quinanicut
Island the 13th of April 1688.
Edward Man Sou to John Maa and Elizabeth his wife Born January ye
19th 1889.
Sarah Moores Daughter of William ^loorcs and Christian his wife Bora
ye 29ih of August 1691.
APPENDIX.
337
Mathew Moores Son of William Moores and Christian his wife Born ye
30th of Octr 1693.
Mary Moores Daughter to John Moores and Mary his wife Born January
ye 12th 1694.
Henry Man Son of John Man and Elizabeth his wife Born :May ye 8lU
1692.
John Manning Son of John Maning and Elizabeth his wifo Born Decem-
ber ye 25th 1693.
This May Certify all Persons Concerned that Samuel Moore was Married
to Sarah Higgins October ye 26th 1693.
Before Me John Bishop— Justice.
James Moores was Married to Margret Crage, October ye 31st 1693.
By Me Samuel Hale — Justice.
Mathew Moores and Sarah Parker were Married November ye 2.')th 1696.
By Me Samuel Hale— Ju.stice.
Samuel Moores Son of James Moores and Margret his wife was Bora
August ye 29th 1694.
Samuel Moore Son of Samuel jMoore and Sarah his wife was Born August
ye 23rd 1694.
Mathew Moores Sou of William Moores and Christian his Avife Bora
May ye 11th 1694.
James Moores Son of James Moores and Margret his wife Born ye 3rd of
August 1698.
John Morris Married to Mary Small March ye 27th 1676.
Samuel Moore and Ann Jaquish Married December ye 23rd 1678.
This May Certify any whome it May Concern that William Moores was
Married unto Christian AUward ye 24th of July 1690.
Before Me John Bishop
These May Certify any whome it May Concern that John Moores was
Married unto Marj' Wright ye 26th Day of December 1692.
Bj' Me John Bishop
Ann Moores Daughter of William Moores and Christian his wife Born
July ye 26lh 1 696.
Ann Morris Daughter to John Morris and Mary his wife Deceased yc
30th December 1676.
Mary Morris Daughter to John Morris and IMary his wife Dece;ised ye
Last of Febr 1676.
Samuel Moores Deceased ye 27th of May 1688.
Sarah Moores Daughter to Samuel Moores above mentioned Deceased
this Life the 12th Day of January 1688.
Melatiah Moores Daughter of Mathew ^loores and Sarah his wife Born ye
34th of December 1697.
Mary Moore Daughter of Samuel Moore and Sarah his wife Born July yc
17lh 1699.
Priscilla Moores Daughter of William Moores and Christian his wife wa«
Born August ye 29th 1698.
V
338 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Elizabeth Moores Daughter of Moores Born Novr ye 6th31701.
Nehemiah Moores Son of Mathew Moores and Sarah his wife was Born
January ye 8th 1699.
Ann Moores Daughter of William Moores and Christian his wife was
born July ye 26th 1696.
John Moores Son of John Moores and Mary his wife was Born October
ye 28th 1700.
Rachel Moore Daughter to Samuel Moore and Sarah his wife was Born
May ye 26th 1701.
Robert Moores Son of John Moores and Mary his wife Born September
ye 17th 1702.
Thomas Moore was Married to Mary White December ye 25th 1699.
By me John Bishop— Justice.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that John Moore was Married
to Hope Robinds March ye 18lh 1699. By Me John Bishop— Justice.
John Moore Son of John Moore and Hope his wife Born December ye
3rd 1700, in ye Town of Freehold.
Joseph Moore Son of John Moore and Hope his wife was Born October
ye 5th 1703.
Sarah Moore Daughter of Thomas Moore and Mary his wife was Born
March ye 8th 1702.
Michael Moore Son of Thomas Moore and Mary his wife was Born
January ye 28th 1704.
Mary Moore Daughter of Thomas Moore and 3Iary his wife was Born
August ye 8th 1707.
Rachel Moore Daughter ot Thomas Moore and Mary his wife was Born
January ye 7Lh 1709.
Benjamin Moores Son of John Moores and Mary his wife was Born March,
ye 19th day 1704.
Sarah Moores Daughter of John Moores and Mary his wiJe Born January
ye 23rd 1708.
Thomas Moores Son of John Moores and Mary his wife was Born April
ye 10th 1711.
Samuel Moores Son of John Moores and Mary his wife was Born ye 6th
day of August at one of ye Clock in ye Morning Anno: Domi: 1715.
Samuel Moore Sou of Thomas Moore and Mary his wife was Born Septr
ye 1st 1712.
Hannah Moore Daughter of Thomas Moore and Mary his wife was Born
February ye 8th 1710.
Jonathan Moore Son of Thomas Moore and Mary his wife was Born April
ye 1st 1718.
Benjamin Moore Son of John Moore and Hope his wife was Bora
October ye 10th 1705, in Elizabeth Town.
Enoch Moore Son of John Moore and Hope his wife was Born ye 7th of
December 1707.
Samuel Moore Son of John Moore and Hope his wife was Born April ye
iih 1709.
APPENDIX.
339
Daniel Moore Son of John Moore anrl TT«r,» v
ye 24th 1711. ^''^ °^P" ^'' ^'^^ ^^ Born August
Rachel Moore Daughter of John Mnnra ar,ri rr
October ye 15th 1713 ^°^ ^^P*^ ^^ ^^^f^ ^as Bom
John Moore was Married to Mary Oliver Novr ye 21st 1717.
*Mary Moore Daughter of John Moore andlr^t wiffw^^B 0^'^
ary ye 17th 1719. ^ ^"^^ ^^'^^ Ja°u-
William Moore Son of John Moore and Mary his wife was Tinm a
ye 30th 1720. ^ ^*^ ^"â„¢ August
Hannah Moore Daughter of John Moore anrl Aro,.„i •
March ye 31st 1722. ^ ^^^'^ ^'' ^'f« ^«s Born
John Morehouse was Married to Sasanah O-den ve 17th D iv nf r
1717 „ ° "*' ^"^" ^'ly of January
^^.. Moore Son of John Moore .ll ^1^;^ ^IS ^^nZ^;^^,^
MfrfhTe'^st n2?'"=^'"^" "' '°'" ^^^^^ ^'^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ - Bora
Sarah Moore Daughter of John Moore and Mary his wife was Born
December ye 6lh 1728. °^°
P.
Sarah Peirce Daughter of Joshua Peirce and Dorothy his wife Born ve
18th Day of March 1688, the 5th Day of the week about Break of Dav
Joshua Peirce the Son of Joshua Peirce Late Deceased and Dorolhv hi3
wife born ye 14th of January 1670. ^
of mT"^^ ^''''^^' ^'''' ^^ ^^'^^"^ ^"""^^^ ^""^ Elizabeth his wife Born ye 3rd
Mary Parker Daughter to Elisha Parker and Elizabeth his wife Born vo
3rd of December 1672. ^
Samuel Parker Son to Elisha Parker and Elizabeth his wife Born June
ye 1st 1674. ^
John Pike Son to John Pike and Sarah his wife Born ye 9th Day of April
1677. ^
Sarah Pike Daughter to John Pike and Sarah his wife Born ye loth of
January 1679.
Joseph Pike Son to John Pike and Sarah his wife Born October ye 18th
1680.
John Pike Son to John Pike and Sarah his wife born ye 5th day of
December 1681.
Thomas Parker Son of Thomas Parker and Mary his wife Born ye 9th
Day of March 1682.
Joseph Pike Son of John Pike and Sarah his wife Born ye 24th of October
1683.
Elisha Parker Son of Thomas Parker and Mary his wife Born ye 30th
Day of August 1684
Sarah Pike ye 2nd was Born ye 17th of October 1086.
240 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY,
Mary Pike Daughter of John Pike and Sarah his wife Bora ye 9th of
November 1687. _ .o., *
Hannah Pike Daughter of John Pike and Sarah his wife Born ye 18th ot
December 1689.
Thomas Pike Son of Thomas Pike and Hester his wife Born ye 30th of
Septr 1690. ^ , ,,
Daniel Parker Son Thomas Parker and Mary his wife Born ye 1st of May
Joseph Parker Son of Thomas Parker and Mary his wife Born ye 18th of
September 1690. , ^ . .^ „
Elizabeth Parker Daughter of Elisha Parker and Hannah his wife Born
ye 23rd of December 1691.
Nathaniel Pike Son of Thomas Pike and Hester his wife Born ye 29th of
May 1692. . .,
Joseph Pike Son of Thomas Pike and Hester his wife Born April ye 30lh
1694 ' -r .*,
Benjamin Son of Thomas Parker and Mary his wife Born January ye 4th
1692. .^ „ „ .
Henry Potter Son of Marmeduke Potter and Mary his wife Born beptr
ye 30th 1679. , . ., .,
Elizabeth Potter Daughter of Marmeduke Potter and Mary his wife Born
May ye 12th 1682. , . .^ „
Martha Potter Daughter of Marmeduke Potter and Mary his wife Born
June ye 4th 1693.
Mary Potter Daughter of Marmeduke Potter and Mary his wife Born
August ye 10th 1690. .r>.u f
Zebulon Pike Son of John Pike and Sarah his wife was Born ye l<th ot
August 1693. . .^ ^
John Parker Son of Elisha Parker and Hannah his wife was Born
November ye 17th 1693,
John Price Son of Christopher Price and Hannah his wife was Born
August ye 8th 1G98. .„, -r, i
George Parker and Elizabeth Parker Son and Daughter to Thomas Parker
and Mary his wife was Born March ye 30th 1695.
Elizabeth Parker Daughter of Elisha Parker and Ursula his wife was
Born March ye 21?t 1698. .^ „
Mary Parker Daughter of Elifcha Parker and Ursula his wife was Bom
December ye 22nd 1702.
Joseph Pike Son of Thomas Pike and Hester his wife Deceased May ye
11th 1694. , . ., „^„
Ursula Parker Daughter of Elisha Paiker and Ursula his wife was Bora
December ye 21st 1700. t^ . „„
These are to Make Known that there is an Intent of Marrage BelweeD
Thomas Pike and Hester Buna Both of Woodbridge June yc 29th 1689.
To Samuel Dennes Town Clerk of Woodbridge these May Imforme 1 ««
that Thomas Pike and Hester Bunn Came Before Me and were Married
According to Law, August ye 14th 1689. John Bishop-Justice,
APPENDIX. ^.j
Thomas Pike was Married to Elizabeth Parker ye 2oth of January 168G.
By Me Archbald Ridall.
Marmarduke Potter was Married to Mary Blngla November ye 8th 1G77.
Hannah Parker wife to Elisha Parker Departed this Life October ye 14th
1696.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that Elisha Parker was
Married to Ursula Crage the 27th of Septr 1697.
By Me John Bishop— Justice.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that Thomas Pike was aiarried
to Mary Phillips June ye 30th 1699. By Me Samuel Hale— Justice.
Elizabeth Pike wife of Thomas Departed this Life ye l-3th September
1688.
Hester Pike wife to Thomas Pike Deceased December ye 7th 1694.
Samuel Parker Departed this Life ye 27th December 1672.
John Pike Son of John Pike and Sarah his wife Deceased ye 14th Day of
May 1677.
Joseph Pike Son of John Pike and Sarah his wife Deceased the 28th
December 1680.
Sarah Pike Daughter to John Pike and Sarah his wife Deceased ye 17th
Day of December 1681.
Katherine Powell wife to Richard Powell Deceased May ye 16th 1689.
Elizabeth Parker Daughter of Elisha Parker and Hannah his wife Died
March ye 13th 1691.
John Pike and Sarah Stout Married atMlddletown February ye 2nd 1675.
Marmeduke Potter and Mary Bingla Married November ye 2oth 1677.
Richard Powell and Elizabeth Thorp widow and Relick of Thomas
Thorp Deceased Married December ye 4th 1689.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that Elisha Parker was Married
to Hannah Rolph ye 26th Day of March 1691.
By Me Samuel Hale — Justice.
Entered By Me Jany ye 8th 1691.
Samuel Dennes,
Town Clerk.
John Pitney Son of James Pitney and Sarah his wife Born on Saturday
Sun two Hours High in February or March in ye Year 1700.
Jacob Peatt ye Son of Rene Peatt Born ye Last of October 1678.
Elisha Parker Son of Elisha Parker and Ursula his wife was Born
November ye 25th 1704.
John Pangburn Son of Edmund Pangburn and Lydia his wife was Born
Septr ye 25th 1710.
Deborah Perry Daughter of Thomas Perry and Elizabeth his wife was
Born ye 9ih Day of August 1738.
Samuel Pitney Son of James Pitney and Susanah his wife was Born yo
9th of March in the Year 1718.
Jonathan Pitney Son of James Pitney and Susanah his wife was Bom
July ye 17th 1721.
342 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
John Priohed Son of John Priched and Mary his wife was Born January
ye 22nd 1712, in Woodbridge. Entered By Me Moses Rolph— Clerk.
Nathaniel Pike was Married to Grace Turnbull ye 23rd of July 1715.
By Thomas Pike — Justice.
Thomas Pike Son of Nathaniel Pike and Grace his wife was Born July ye
14th 1716.
Mary Pike Daughter of Nathaniel Pike and Grace his wife was Born i
March ye 28th 1718. j
William Pike Son of Nathaniel Pike and Grace his wife was Born Septr
ye 5th 1732.
Nathaniel Pike Son of Nathaniel Pike and Grace his wife was Born July
ye 30th 1725.
Hester Pike Daughter of Nathaniel Pike and Grace his wife was Born
June ye 2nd 1727. \
Joseph Pike was Married to Elizabeth Frazee December ye 27th 1716.
By Moses Rolph — Justice.
John Pike Son of Joseph Pike and Elizabeth his wife was Born January
ye 4th 1718.
Timothy Pike Son of Joseph Pike and Elizabtth his wife was Born April
ye 3rd 1720.
Sarah Pike Daughter of Joseph Pike and Elizabeth his wife was Born
July ye 29th 1722.
Elizabeth Pike Daughter of Joseph Pike and Elizabeth his wife was Born
Born April ye 23rd 1725.
Ichabod Potter and Polly Compyon were Married the 14th of April 1790.
Sally Randolph Potter Daughter of the above Said Ichabod Potter and
Polly his wife was born February the 19th 1791.
Nancy Potter Daughter of the above Said Ichabod and Polly Potter was
Born the 26th of July 1793.
Francis Compyon Potter Son of Ichabod Potter and Polly his wife was
Born the 27th June 1795.
Jane Potter Daughter of Ichabod Potter and Polly his wife was Born the
12th of April 1797. ^
Edward Crowell Potter Son of Ichabod and Polly Potter was Born May
the 26th 1799.
R.
Lydia Robinds Daughter to Danidl Robinds and Hope his wife Born ye
25th of July 1668.
Joseph Robinds Son to Daniel Robinds and Hope his wile Born March ye
27th 1670.
Richard Robinds Son to Daniel Robinds and Hope his wife Born Febru-
ary ye 14th 1673.
Hope Robinds Daughter to Daniel Robinds and Hope his wife Born July
ye 15lh 1674.
Nathaniel Robinds Son of Daniel Robinds and Hope his wife Born ye
22nd of March 1675.
APPENDIX. 24,
Ro\ert Rogers Son to Robert Rogers and Ann his wife Born ye 20lli Day
of November 1676.
Thomas Rogers Son of Robert Rogers and Ann bis wife Born October ye
17th 1677.
Moses Robinds Son to Daniel Robiuds and Hope his wife Born ye 27lh of
March 1679.
Robert Rogers Son to Robert Rogers and Ann his wife Born ye 14th of
February 1679.
Hope Robinds Daughter to Daniel Robinds and Hope his wife Born
December ye 16th 1681.
Aaron Robinds Son to Daniel Robinds and Hope his wife Born 5-e 24th
Day of May 1683.
Benjamin Robinds Son to Daniel Robinds and Hope his wife Born ye 15th
Day of June 1686.
Sarah Rolph Daughter of John Rolph and Sarah his wife Born November
ye 27ih 1689.
John Rolph was Married to Sarah ]Moores July ye 18th 1688.
These May Certify any Concerned that Richard Robinds was Married
unto Hannah IVIoores ye 20th of October 1692. Before 'Me John Bishop.
Robert Rogers and Ann Alward Married ye 28th of November 1675.
November ye 27th 1676.
This May Certify any whome it May Concern that Daniel Robinds was
Married unto Mary Parker ye 27th Day of November 1G91.
Before Me John Bishop
Hope Robinds Daughter to Daniel Robinds and Hope his wife Departed
this Life March ye 3rd 1674.
Robert Rogers Son to Robert Rogers and Ann his wife Deceased Decem-
ber ye 18th 1676.
Robert Rogers Son to Robert Rogers and Ann his wife Died ye 28th
of July 1679.
Sarah Rolph wife to John Rolph December ye 4lh 1689.
Sarah Rolph Daughter to John Rolph and Sarah his wife Deceased
December ye 23rd 1689.
Mary Robinds wife of Daniel Robinds Junr Deceased ye 5lh of October
1692.
Joseph Robinds his Publication for Marriage with Anna Pack Dated
April ye 22nd 1692.
Richard Robinds his Publication for Marriage with Hannah Moores Dated
ye 24th of September 1692.
Joseph Robinds was Married to Anna Pack June ye 8th 1692.
Elizabeth Robison Daughter of John Robison and Susanah his wife waa
Born August ye 1698.
John Robison Son of John Robison and Jennet his wife Born ye 11th of
August 1690.
Daniel Robinds Son of Daniel Robinds and :Mary his wife Born October
ye 5th 1692.
341- WOCDBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
«
Anna Robinds Daughter of Joseph Robinds and Anna his wife Born
February je 8th 1692.
Andrew Robison Son of John Robison and Jennet his wife Born ye 15th
of July 1693.
Jonathan Robinds Son of Daniel Robinds and Mary his wife Born
December ye 23rd 1694.
John Robinds Son of Daniel Robinds and Mary his wife Born February
ye24lh 1695.
Meribah Robinds Daughter of Richard Robinds and Hannah his wife
Born April ye 13th 1693.
John Robison was Married to Susanah Collier November ye 17th 1697.
John Robison Son of John Robison and Susanah his wife was Born June
ye 22nd 1701.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that Moses Rolph was Married
to Mary Iliggeus June ye 4th 1702. By Me John Bishop — Justice. {Note :
This Moses Rolph was a son-in-law of Sam'l. Hale. See Liber A., p. 309.
Mary Higgens was probably a widow.)
Samuel Rolph Son of Moses Rolph and Mary his wife was Born February
ye 13th 1703.
Elizabeth Rolph Daughter of Moses Rolph and Mary his wife was Born
August ye 9th 1705.
Eastei Rolph Daughter of Moses Rolph and Mary his wife was Born
April ye 12th 1707.
Apphiah Rolph Daughter of Moses Rolph and Mary his wife was Born
January ye 6th 1708.
Richard Rolph ye Sou of IMoses Rolph and Mary his wife was Born May
ye 12th 1710.
Richard Rolph Son of Moses Rolph and Mary his wife Died September ye
7th 1711.
Nathaniel Rolph' Son of Moses Rolph and Mary his wife was Born
September ye 15th 1712.
Jonathan Rolph Son of Moses Rolph and Mary his wife was Born August
ye 30th 1714.
Richard Rolph Son of Moses Rolph and Mary his wife was Born August
ye 1st 1717, and Died the 13lh October 1719.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that Benjamin Rolph wgs Mar-
ried to Margret Hollon December ye 2ud 1703.
By Me John Bishop— Justice.
Rebeckah Rolph Daughter to Benjamin Rolph and Margrct his wife was
Born September ye 26th 1704.
Benjamin Rolph Son of Benjamin Rolph and Margret his wife was Born
January ye 1st 1706.
Martha Rumworth Daughter of John Rumworth and Sarah his wife was
Born ye 31st of December 1711.
Mary Rogers Daughter of William Rogers and Elizabeth Rogers his wife
was Born the 12th Day of March 1714.
APPENDIX.
345
Robert Rolph Son of Moses Rolpb and Mary bis wife was Born ye 18th of
May 1719.
Sarah Rolph Daugbter of Moses Rolpb and Maiy bis wife was Born yo
4lb of April Anno. Domi: 1721.
Henry Rolpb Son of Moses Rolpb and Mary bis wife was Born June ye
26lb 1723.
S.
Easter Smitb wife of Samuel Smith Deceased the 14tb Day of Au<nist
1G90.
Mary Smith Daugbter of Richard Smitb and Elizabeth his wife Deceased
December ye 5tb 1690.
Elizabeth Smitb wife to Richard Smitb Junr Deceased January ve 14th
1G90.
William Spence Son of William Spence and Elizabeth his wife was Born
May ye 12th 1703.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that Richard Smith was
Married to Rebeckab Scatown July ye 27th 1G03.
By Me Samuel Hale— Justice.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that William Stone was Married
to Margret Dix August ye 18th 1696.
These May Certify all Persons Concerned that Samuel Smith was Married
to Elizabeth Peirce June ye 8th 1692. By Me Samuel Ilalc -Justice.
Sarah Smitb Daughter of Richard Smith Born September yc 8th 1704.
Moses Smith Son of Thomas Smith and Deborah bis wife was Born
August ye 25tb 1701.
Joanna Shepard Daughter of Mr. Samuel Shepard and Alice his wife was
Born December ye 20th 1701.
Susanab Smitb Daughter of Samuel Smith and Elizabeth bis wife was
Born September ye 27th 1699.
George Speedwell Son of John Speedwell Born January ye 15th 1685.
Hannah Speedwell Daugbter of John Speedwell Born January ye 15tb
1688.
Elizabeth Smith Daugbter of Samuel Smitb and Easter bis wife was Born
ye 15th Day of August 1681.
Samuel Smith Son of Samuel Smitb and Easter bis wife was Born ye 18th
Day of April 1085.
Benjamin Smitb Son of Samuel Smith and Easter bis wife Born ye 28th
of January 1687.
Elizabeth Smitb wife of Richard Smith was Delivered of two Daughters
ye 25th of November 1690, their Names Called Mary and Elizabeth.
William Sharp was Published for Marriage with Mary Smith January ye
23rd 1688.
William Sharp bad his Certif;ycatc for ISIarringe Febr 13th 1688.
Hannah Smith Daugbter of Richard Smith and Rebeckab his wife was
Born November ye 9tb 1697.
Amme Shippie Daughter of John Shippie and Susanab his wife Born May
ye 26tb 1703.
34^ WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Sarah Smith Daughter of Richard Smith and Rebeckah his wife Born
December ye 24th 1693.
Richard Smith Son of Richard Smith and Rebeckah his wife was Born
October ye 4th 1695.
Deborah Smith Daughter of Thomas Smith and Deborah his wife waa
Born ye 27th of August 1695.
Mary Stone Daughter of William Stone and Margret his wife was Born
August ye 6th 1697.
Hannah Smith Daughter of Richard Smith and Rebeclcah bis wife Born
November ye 9th 1697.
Thomas Smith Son of Thomas Smith was Bom ye 17th of November
1697.
Dorothy Smith Daughter of Richard Smith and Rebeckah his wife Born
April ye 13th 1699.
Mary Salyars Daughter of Charles Salyars and Mary his wife Born Octo-
ber ye 17th 1695.
Shubal Smith Son of Samuel Smith and Elizabeth his wife was Born
January ye 2nd 1693.
Joseph Smith Son of Samuel Smith and Elizabeth his wife was Born
March ye 9th 1695.
The Said Joseph Smith Deceased Septr ye 22nd 1704.
Mary Shippey Daughter of John Shippey and Judeth his wife Born
August ye 21st 1697.
Susauah Smith Daughter of Thomas Smith and Deborah bis wife was
Born August ye 25tb 1699.
Susanah Smith Daughter of Ichabod Smith and Hannah his v/ife was
Born March ye 19th 1698.
Nathan Smith Son of Richard Smith and Rebeckah his wife was Born
March ye 18th 1708.
Joseph Salyer Son of Charles Salyer and Rebeckah his wife was Born
January ye 6th 1719.
Johanah Salyer Daughter of Charles Salyer and Rebeckah his wife was
Born in North Carolina January ye 22nd 1724.
Samuel Salyer Son of Charles and Rebeckah Salyer was Born in North
Carolina February ye 23rd 1726.
Zacheriah Salyer Son of Charles Salyer and Rebeckah his wife was Born
Jany ye 24th 1730.
Jeremiah Salyer Son of Charles Salyer and Rebeckah his wife was Born
April ye 6th 1732.
Hugh Hamilton Smith Son of Thomas and Phebe was Born September
4th 1814.
T.
Isaac Tappin Son to Isaac Tappin and Hannah his wife Born ye 20th of
Septr 1673.
Mary Tappin Daughter to Abraham Tappin and Ruth his wife Born ye
26th Day of Octr 1674.
APPENDIX. ^^y
Elizabeth Tappen Daughter of Isaac Tappen and Hannah his wife Born
ye 26th of January 1676.
"William Thornell Son of Israel Thoruell and Annah his wife Born ye 24th
of December 1676.
Mary Taylor Daughter to John Taylor and Sarah his wife Born ye 27th
Day of January 1676.
Elizabeth Thornell Daughter to Israel Thornell and Annah his wife Born
ye 5th Day of March 1678.
Hannah Tappin Daughter to Abraham Tappin and Ruth his wife Born
ye 14th April 1677.
Isaac Tappin Son of Isaac Tappin and Hannah his wife Born ye 12th Day
of June 1678.
Ruth Taylor Daughter to John Taylor and Sarah his wife Born ye 2oth of
December 1678.
Israel Thornell Son to Israel Thornell and Hannah his wife Born ye 3rd
Day ol November 1679.
David Tappin Son to Isaac Tappin and Hannah his wife Born ye 2nd
Day of Xovember 1680.
Elizabeth Thornell Daughter to Israel Thornell and Annah his wife Born
ye oth Day of March 1681.
John Tappin Sou to Isaac Tappen and Hannah his wife Born ye 16th
Day of March 1683.
Joseph Thornell Son of Israel Thornell and Hannah his wife Born ye 16
day of January 1683.
Joannah Thornell Daughter to Israel Thornell and Hannah his wife Bora
ye 25th Day of February 1684.
Hannah Tappin Daughter to Isaac Tappin and Hannah his wife Born ye
23rd Day of December 1686.
Benjamia Thornell Son to Israel Thornell and Hannah his wife Born ye
19th Day of March 1687.
Mary Tappin Daughter of Isaac Tappin and Mary his wife Born Novem-
ber ye 17th 1693.
Abigal Thorpe Daughter of Daniel Thorp and Abigal his wife Born May
ye 20th 1693.
Allice Thorpe Daughter of Daniel Thorpe and Abigal his wife Born April
ye 29 Ih 1694.
Elizabeth Town Septr ye 7th 1692.
These Certify that the Day and Year above said Daniel Thorpe of Wood-
bridge and Abigal Norrige of Elizabeth Town were Joyned together in Holy
Wedlock. Pr Me John Ilarumo.
Stephen Tutle of Woodbridge was Married to Ruth Fitz Randolph of the
Same Town Septr ye 12th 1695. By Me Samuel Hale— Justice.
Rebeckah Thorpe Daughter of William Thorpe and Lydia his wife Born
March the 31st 1688.
Lydia Thorpe Daughter of William Thorpe Born January ye 22nd 1690.
William Thorp Son of William Thorp Born April ye 25lh 1692.
348 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Isaac Tappin Married to Hannah Kent ye 29th September 1GG9.
Abraham Tappin and Ruth Pike Married ye 9th Day of November 1670.
Isaac Tappin was Married to Mary March ye 37th of March 1691.
By Me Samuel Hale.
To all Persons that May Be Concerned Know ye that Johu Tailler was
Married to Mary Murlet widow December ye 7th 1685.
By Me Samuel Hale
• Elizabeth Thornell Daughter to Israel Thornell and Hannah his wife
Deceased ye 23rd of Septr 1681.
Benjamin Tappin Son of Isaac Tappin and Mary his wife Born ye 33rd of
July and Deceased ye 14th of August 1693.
Hannah Tappin wife to Isaac Tappin Died ye lOlh of December 1689.
Abraham Tappin Son of Isaac Tappin and Mary his wife Born ye 18th of
May 1695.
Timothy Tutle Son of Stephen Tutle and Ruth his wife was Born
October ye 16th 1696.
Thomas Thorp Son of William Thorp and Lydia his wife Born October
ye 18lh 1695.
Daniel Thorp Son of Daniel Thorp and Abigal his wife was Born Febru-
ary ye 1st 1703.
Paul Thorp Son of Joseph Thorp and Hannah his wife was Born April
ye 4lh 1704.
Mary Thorp Daughter of Joseph Thorp and Hannah his wife Born April
ye 6th 1706.
Caleb Thorp Son of Joseph Thorp and Hannah his wife was Born April
ye 25th 1711.
William Thornell Son of Israel Thornell Deceased Octr ye 31st 1702.
Rebeckah Thorp Daughter of Daniel Thorp and Abigal Born July ye 9th
1704.
Zebulou Thorp Son of Joseph Thorp and Hannah his wife was Born ye
25th of August 1707.
Jonathan Thorp Son of Joseph Thorp and Hannah his wife was Born in
June ye 9lh Day in ye Year 1717.
Caleb Thorp Sou of Joseph Thorp and Hannah his wife Departed this
Life Novr ye 1st 1719.
Joseph Thorp Son of ye above said Joseph and Hannah his wife Departed
this Life August ye 14th 1718. Aged 33 years.
Bathsheba Thorp Daughter of William Thorp and Lydia his wife was
Born Octr ye 7th 1705.
Mary Thorp Daughter of William Thorp and Lydia his wife was Born
June ye 36th 1716.
Joseph Thornell was Married to Elizabeth Allen August ye 30th 1711.
By Me Nathaniel Wade
Robert Thornell Son of Joseph Thornell and Elizabeth his wife was Born
May ye 30lh 1712.
Elizabeth Thornell Daughter of Joseph Thornell and Elizabeth his wife
was Born October ye 8th 1714.
APPENDIX. -.,Q
Thomas Traneny Sou of Thomas Tranerry and Mary his wife was Born
ye 14th Day of December 1713.
Job Thorp was Married to Mary Wright April ye 23rd 1741.
Joseph Tliorp Son of Job Thorp and Mary his wife was Born February
ye 31st 1743.
Ichabod Thorp Son of Job and Mary Thorp was Born September ye 18th
1743.
David Son of Job and Mary Thorp was Born April ye 11th 174G.
Paul Son of Job and Mary Thorp was Born JNIay ye 31st 1748.
W.
John Worth Son to Richard Worth and Mary his wife Born May ye lOlh
1669.
Judith Worth Daughter to Richard Worth and Mary his wife Born ye 18th
of March 1670.
Joseph Worth Son to Richard and Mary his wife Born March ye 23nd
1673.
Jonathan Walker Son of Francis Walker and Ann his wife Born ye 14th
Day of October 1684.
David Walker Son of Francis Walker and Ann his wife Born ye 18lh Day
of October 1686.
Mary Webster Daughter to William Webster and Mary his wife was Born
yeSlstof July 1690.
Hannah Webster Daughter of William Webster and Mary his wife Born
ye 18th of September 1693.
Ann Walker Daughter of Francis and Ann his wife was Born September
1688.
Francis Walker Son of Francis Walker and Ann his wife was Born ye 9th
day of Octr 1693.
William Webster Son of William Webster and Mary his wife Born
January ye 19th 1693.
Moses Webster Son of William and Mary his wife Born October ye 5th
1694.
Sarah Webster Daughter of William Webster and Mary his wife Born
June ye 34th 1695.
Mary White Daughter of Michael White and Mary his wife Born Febru-
ary ye 18th 1684.
Martha Walker Daughter of Francis Walker and Ann his wife Bora
September ye 10th 1696.
Barah Wood Daughter of William Wood and Grace his wife Born Sep-
tember ye 31st 1695.
Elias Walker Son of Isaac Walker and Desire his wife Born April ye 3rd
John Wilconson Son of Edward Wilconson Born ye 15th of February
Allen Wilconson Son of Edward Wilconson Above said Born ye 3ud of
June 1687.
35°
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
David Walker Son of Jonathan Walker and Pennelope his wife was Born
September ye 17tli 1704.
Allen Wilkison Son to John Wilkison and Rebeckah his wife was Bom
September ye 22nd 1709.
Thomas Wilkison Sou of John Wilkison and Rebeckah his wife was Born
February ye 16th 1711.
Moses Wilkison Son of John Wileison and Rebeckah his wife was Born
November ye 22nd 1712.
Patience Wilkison Daughter of John Wilkison and Rebeckah his wife
was Born August ye 7th 1714.
Aaron Wilkison Son of John Wilkison and Rebeckah his wife Born Octr
ye 24th 1716.
Hannah Wright Daughter of Robert AVright and Hannah his wife was
Born August ye 2nd 1701 about 2 of ye Clock in ye Morning.
Ann Wright Daughter of Robert Wright and Hannah his wife was Born
August ye 2oth 1703, about 3 of the Clock in ye Morning.
Desire Worth Daughter of John Worth and Jane his wife was Born Feb-
ruary ye 6th 1707.
Elizabeth Worth Daughter of John Worth and Jane his wife was Born
September ye 10th itOO.
Benjamin Worth Son of John Worth Departed this Life March ye 12th
1707.
Abner Wright Son of Richard Wright and Sarah his wife was Born
December ye 3rd 1708.
Nathan Wright Son of Richard Wright and Sarah his wife was Born
in September ye 1705.
Jeremiah Wright Son of Richard Wright and Sarah his wife Born Febru-
ary ye 3rd 1707.
Mary Worth Daughter of John Worth and Jane his wife was Born April
ye 28th 1711.
Moses Wright Son of Richard Wright and Sarah his wife was Born Octr
ye 22nd 1710.
Mary Wright Daughter of Richard and Sarah his wife was Born May ye
81st 1714.
Richard Wright Son of Richard Wright and Sarah his wife was Born
February ye 29th 1716.
David Son of Richard and Sarah Wright was Born February ye 28th 1731.
APPEl^DIX F.
LIST OP BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS IN LEBER E.
Note: Nearly all in this record are Births; but a few Marriages and
Deaths are to be found in these pages. We give the list verbatim iust ag
we find it written in Liber B. . j ~
A.
John Ayers was married to Mary Crcshon January ye 17th 171G
by Moses Rolph— Justice
John Ayers Son of John Ayers and Mary his wife was born June ve
fourth 1719. ^
B.
Alexander Black was married to Ursula Brown.
j James Johnson Black Son of Alexander and Ursulia Black was born
' July 17th 176G.
Foreman Black Son of Alexander and Ursulia Black was born May ve
29th 1768.
Jane ye Daughter of Alexander and Ursulia Black was Born July ye "Gth
1770.
Alexander ye Son of Alexander and Ursulia Black was Born Sept ye 9th
1773.
Eunis Bunn Daughter of Miles Bunn and Mary his wife was born Novem-
ber the 20th 1703.
Mary Bunn Daughter of Miles Bunn and Mary his wife was born Novem-
ber ye 17th 1705.
Sarah Bunn Daughter of Miles Bunn and Mary his wife was born June
the 4th 1709.
P Rhoda Bunn Daughter of Miles Bunn and Mary his wife was born August
ye fourth 1712.
Miles Bunn Son of Miles Bunn and Mary his wife was bom November ye
25th 1713.
V Nathaniel Bunn Son of Miles Bunn and Mary his wife was born February
ye 13th 1715.
William Bunn Son of Miles Bunn and Mary his wife was born June ye
14th 1721.
Jeremiah Bloomfield was Married to Cathrine Weeks January 8th 1732.
By John Peirson— Clerk.
Ezekiel Bloomfield Son of Jeremiah Bloomfield and Cathrine his wife was
born October 16th 1723.
Hannah Bloomfield Daughter of Jeremiah Bloomfield and Cathrine bis
wife was born December 9lh 1725.
;52
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Ebenezer Bloomfield Son of Jeremiah Bloomfield and Cathrine his wife
was boru Feb 5th 1727.
Jeremiah Bloomfield Son of Jeremiah Bloomfield and Cathrine his wife
was born December 7th 1730.
Eunice Bloomfield Daughter of Jeremiah Bloomfield and Cathrine his
wife was born July ye 25th 1733.
^ Ursula Daughter of Jeremiah and Katharine Bloomfield born ye 11th day
of April Anno. Dom 1737.
Joseph Bloomfield was married to Unis Dunham Sept 5th 1721.
by Mr John Peirson — Clerk.
Hannah Bloomfield Daughter of Joseph Bloomfield was born November
13th 1722, and Died in February following.
Hannah Bloomfield Daughter of Joseph Bloomfield and Uuiee his wife
was born June 12th 1724.
Martha Bloomfield Daughter of Joseph Bloomfield and Unice his wife was
born July 26th 1726,
Moses Bloomfield Son of Joseph Bloomfield and Eunice his wife was born
Sept ye 4th 1729.
Asa Bloomfield Son of Joseph Bloomfield and Eunice his wife was born
Oct ye 25th 1733.
James Brown Son of Andrew Brown and Sarah his wife was born January
ye 13th 1731.
Joseph Brown Son of Andrew Brown and Sarah his wife was born ye 29th
of December 1733.
Anable Brown Daughter of Andrew Brown and Sarah his wife was born
August ye 28 th 1735.
John Bingla Son of William Bingla and Mary his wife was born Deer ye
25th 1720.
William Bingla Son of Wm Bingla and Mary his wife was born Deer ye
8th 1723.
Eunice Daughter of Andrew and Sarah Brown was born ye 15th of
November 1738.
George Brown Son of James and Agnes Brown born Deer, ye 20th 1724.
Thomas Son of ye Said James and Agnes Brown born February ye 14th
1726.
Agnes Daughter of ye aforesaid James and Agnes Brown was born August
ye 29th 1730.
Christian Daughter of ye Said James and Agnes Brown born Decrj^e 16th
1733.
John Son of ye Said James and Agnes Brown born February ye 23rd 1735.
Ursula Daughter of ye Said James and Agnes Brown was born February
ye 21st 1737.
Mary Daughter of Jeremiah and Katharine Bloomfield was Born ye 17lh
day of March 1739.
Gordon Brown Son of Andrew and Sarah Brown was born ye 20th day
of March 1739.
APPENDIX. 323
Kathariae Daughter of Jeremiah and Katharine Bloomfield was born ye
SOthday of April 1748.
William Son of Andrew and Sarah Brown was born April ye 20th 1742.
George Son of ye Said Andrew and Sarah Brown was born July ye 27th
1745. â– '
C.
John Campyon was Married to Martha Walker January ye 12th 1719.
By Mr. John Peirson. Minister.
Joannah Campyon Daughter of ye above Said John Campyon and Marliia
his wife was born xipril ye 8th 1723.
Francis Campyon Son of ye above Said John Campyon and Martha his
wife was born March ye 4th 1725.
Ann Campyon Daughter of John Campyon and Martha his wife was
born July ye Gth 1730.
Eliakim Compton and Rachel Corapton Son and Daughter of John and
Mary Compton was born Sept ye 1st 1727.
Elizabeth Daughter of John and Mary Compton was born April ye 12th
1735.
Daniel Son of John and Mary Compton was born July ye 81st 1738.
D.
Jonathan Dilley Son ot Jonathan Dilley and Hannah his wife was born
the 2nd day of Sept 1714.
John Dilley Son of Jonathan Dilley and Hannah his wife was born ye 7lh
of March Anno Dom 1717.
Aaron Dilley Son of Jonathan Dilley and Hannah his wife was born
August 28th Anno. Dom 1721.
Sarah Dilley Daughter of Jonathan Dilley and Hannah his wife wes born
Sept 2nd 1723.
Ephraim Donham Son of Nathaniel Donham and Johanna his wife was
born November ye 17th 1724.
F.
Nathaniel Fitz Randolph was Married to Mary Broocks By Ezekiel
Bloomfield Esq in ye year 1735.
Robert Fitz Randolph Son of Nathaniel F. Randolph and Mary Fitz
Randolph was Born the 25th Day of Sept 1737.
Hannah Fitz Randolph was born ye 29th of October 1739.
Thomas F. Randolph was born ye 21st of Deer 1741.
Hannah Fitz Randolph Departed this Life ye 26th June 1743.
Mary Fitz Randolph and Mother to the above mentioned Children
Departed this Life the 12th of July in ye year 1743.
Robert Fitz Randolph was Married to Phebe Pearsall the 7th Day of
March 17
Samuel F. Randolph Son of the above Named Robert and Plicbe F. Ran-
dolph was Born the 1st Day of Deer in the year of our Lord 1708.
Mercy F. Randolph Daughter of ye above was Born the 5th of May in the
year 1771.
w
354 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Mary F. Randolpli Daughter of ye above was Born tlie 19th Day of Feb-
ruary In ye year 1775.
Joseph Fitz Randolph Son of the above Robert and Phebe Fitz Randolph
was Born the 8th Day of January in the year of our Lord 1781.
The above Joseph was born on iStaten Island.
Mary Fitz Randolph Daughter of Nathaniel Fitz Randolph and Mary his
wife was born the 4th of July 1721.
Rachel Fitz Randolph Daughter of Nathaniel Fitz Randolph and Mary
his wife was born the loth of April 1723.
David Fitz Randolph Son of Nathaniel Fitz Randolph and Mary his wife
was born the 7th Day of March Anno. Dom 1724.
H.
Tobias Hatch was Married ye 31st Day of October to Sarah Cromwell
By me John Peirson in ye year 1717.
Joseph Hatch Son of Tobias Hatch and Sarah his wife was Born Novem-
ber ye 22nd 1718.
Elizabeth Hatch Daughter of Tobias Hatch and Sarah his wife was Born
ye 30th of March in ye year 1721.
Johii Hatch was Born April ye 22nd 1723.
I.
William Ileslee was married to Mary Ayers June 18th 1700,
by Samuel Hale — Justice.
Hannah Ileslee Daughter of William Ileslee and Mary his wife was bora
June ye 18th 1701.
M.
Samuel Moore was married to Mary Harrison June 2nd 1718.
by Thomas Yates — Justice of the Peace.
Jonathan Moore Son of the above Said Samuel Moore and Maiy his wife
was born February ye 18th 1720.
John Moore Son of Said Samuel Moore and Mary his wife was born
February 24th 1722.
Sarah Moore Daughter of Said Samuel Moore and Mary his wife was born
March 24th 1724, and Died the 22nd of March 1725.
Samuel Moore Son of Said Samuel Moore and Mary his wife was born
June 18th 1726.
Joseph Moore Son of Samuel Moore (Carpenter) and Mary his wife was
born January ye 9th 1731.
Edward Moore Son ©f ye above Said Samuel Moore Carpenter and Mary
his wife was born Novr. ye 6th 1733.
Sarah Moore Daughter of ye aforesaid Samuel Moore Carpenter and
Mary his wife was born July ye 31st 1735.
Joseph Morry Sou of Ebenezar and Mary Morry was born October ye 2nd
1731.
Anna Daughter of Ebenezar and Mary Morry was born ye 27th day of
May Anno Dom 1738.
APPENDIX.
OcTdbern'Js"^"''''' ^^ ^''''"'' '"' ^''^'^ '''""''' ^^^ '^^"^ ^'^' 21«l day of
Annapel Daughter of ye Said Thomas and Rachel Moores was born re
3rd day of March 1736. ^®
John Son of ye aforesaid Thomas and Rachel Moores was horn ve lIlU
day of November 1738. '
Isaac Moore Son of Samuel and Mary Moore born ye lOlh day Julv Anno
Dom 1737. ^ ^ •
John Son of Samuel and Mary Moore was bora ye lllh day of May 173!)
Phebe Daughter of Ebeoezar and Mary Morry was born ye 27il. day of
May 1741. •'
Job Son of Ebenezar and Mary Morry was born ye 8tii d ly of October
Mary Daugliter of Thomas and Rachel Moores was born ye 3rd da/ ot
October 1740. ^
Hope Daughter of Thomas and Rachel Moores was born ye 3rd day of
February 1743. '
O.
John Ogilsbie was married to Damaris Force, January 13tli day 1784.
By Jonathan Bloonifield— Justice.
Rachel Prise Daughter of John Prise and Mary his wife was born August
ye 17th 1719.
Jonathan Pitney and Susanah his wife was bora the 17lh Day of July
Anno Dom 1721.
James Presmell Son of Robert Presmell and Margaret his wife was born
ye 28th day of May 1729.
Nathaniel Pilie Son of Nathaniel Pike and Grace his wife was born Sept
ye 11th 1719.
Thomas Pike was married to Elizabeth Bloomfield ye 8th day of Septem-
ber 1737.
Mary Daughter of ye afore said Thomas and Elizabeth Pike was born ye
Uthday ofx\ugust 1738.
Grace Daughter of ye above said Tliomas and Elizabeth Pike was born
ye 21st of November 1740.
R.
Kizia Rude Daughter of Job Rude and Hannah hl.s wife was born ye 4th
of May 1718.
S.
Samuel Sarjant Son of John Sarjant and Sissel his wife was Ijorn Sept ye
1st about half an hour past One in ye afternoon 1727. And ye Siid Jolui
and Sissel were Married on ye 24th of November 172(3.
by ye Reverend IMr. John Poirson.
Sarah Sarjant born ye 10th of January Anno. Domini 1729. Daughter
of John and Sissel Sarjant.
Robert Sarjant Born April 4lh Anno. Dom 1732.
356 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Margaret Sarjant born June the 23nd 1734.
Jane Stewart Daughter of David and Christian Stewart was boru January
ye 23rd 1728.
Ursula Daughter of David and Christian Stewart was born March ye 14th
1730.
John Sliiner was married to Elizabeth Cutter March ye 26th 1736.
Ann Daughter of John and Elizabeth Skiner was born Deer ye 36th
1736.
Hannah Daughter of the above said John and Elizabeth Skiner was
born February ye 2nd 1742.
Easter Daughter of ye above said John and Elizabeth Skiner was born
April ye 1st 1744.
Elizabeth Daughter ol ye above Said John and Elizabeth Skiner was
born April ye 29th 174G.
T.
Abraham Tappen was Married to Mary Stone February ye 6th 1718.
by Robert Gilchrist— Justice.
Sarah Tappen Daughter of Abraham Tappen and Mary his wife was born
November ye 26th 1719.
Isaac Son of Abraham and Mary Tappen was born ye 8th day of Sep-
tember 1721.
Benjamin and Elizabeth Son and Daughter of 'ye above Said Abraham
and Mary Tappen was born January ye 15th 1723.
Abraham Sou of ye above Said Abraham and Mary Tappen was born
January ye 12th 1725.
William Son of ye above Said Abraham and Mary Tappen was born Jan-
uary ye 5th 1729.
Mary Daughter of ye above Said Abraham and Mary Tappen was bom
July ye 25th 1727.
Hannah Daughter of ye above Said Abraham and Mary Tappen was born
July ye 9th 1732.
Cecilia Daughter of ye above Said Abraham and Mary Tappen was born
January ye 21st 1734.
Asher and Moses Sons of ye above Said Abraham and Mary Tappen was
born February ye 1st 1737.
Margaret Daughter of ye above said Abraham and Mary Tappen was born
June ye 7th 1740.
ye above Said Abraham Tappen was Married to Sarah Renolds November
ye 22nd 1750.
Isabel Daughter of ye above Said Abraham and Sarah Tappen was boru
April ye 1st 1752.
Jacob Son of ye above Said Abraham and Sarah Tappen was boru
November ye 16th 1753.
W.
James Wilkison was Married to Mary Dunham December ye 16th 1726,
by John Peirson — Clerk.
APPENDIX.
357
Sarah Wilkisoa Daughter of James Wilkison and Mary his wife was bom
December the 28th 1727.
John Williams Son of Ebenezar Williams and Sarah his wife was born
July ye 10th 1732.
Thomas Wilkison was Married to Hannah Crowell :March ye 31st 1739.
by Henry Freeman Esq.
John Son of ye above Said Thomas and Hannah WilFison was born ye
12th day of February 1740.
Crewell Son of ye above Said Thomas and Hannah Wilkison was born ye
9th day of July 1741,
Moses Son of ye above Said Thomas and Hannah Wilkison was born ye
10th day of March 1742.
Hannah Daughter of ye above Said Thomas and Hannah Wilkison was
born ye 26th day of August 1744.
APPEINIDIX G.
QUAKER LIST OF MARRIAGES :
Embracing only those names belonging to Woodbridge and vicinity ; taken
from the ancient Quaker Records.
PARTIES MARRIED.
RESIDEKCE.
TIME AKD PLACE OP MARRIAGE.
.1727.
.1738.*
Atkinsou John and j
Susannah Hadden.
Ailing, Samuel and
Martha ShotweU.
i
Bloodgood, Wm. and |
Mary GachJ
Brook, Charles and j Woodbridge...
Ann Shotwell.lElizabeth.^^....
Burling, Thomas and 'New York Isth of 5th Mo. at Rahway, 1771.
Sarah Shot well. Woodbridge |
Buvdsall, Job & ; Woodbridge 36th of 9th Mo. at Rahway,1805.
Hannah Webster. .Woodbridge
Bowne, RobertH. <fc INew York 26th of 11th Mo. at Rahway...
Sarah Hartshorn. 1807.
Brotherton, Henrj' & Woodbridge 1713
Ann Shotwell. Richm'd co. N. Y
1726-7.
38th of 8th Mo. at Rahwav
'1788.
C.
Copeland, Cowperthw^it,
Susannah Atkinson.
Copeland, Cowperthwait,
Margaret Fiatt.
F.
Fitz Randolph, Nath'l &
Mary Shotwell.
Fai'riugton, Jesse &
Mary Copland.
Fitz Randolph, Thomas, &
Abigail Vail.
Fitz Randolph, John, &
Mary King.
Fitz Randolph, Sam'l. Jr.
& Johannah Kin.sey.
Fitz Randolph, Joseph &
Elizabeth Kinsey.
Woodbridge 36th of 3d Mo. at Woodbridge,
Woodbridge 1 1750
Woodbridge jlst of 4th Mo. at Plainfield,
Woodbridge 1773
.way)
.1745.
Bridgetown(Rah-;39th of 13th Mo. Rahwaj', 1791.
Middlesex Co.. ..'33d of 11th Mo. at Plainfield,
Somerset Co \ 1763
Woodbridge :25th of 7th Mo. at Rahway,
Elizabeth
179S
.1729.
.1731."
APPENDIX.
359
PARTIES MARRtED.
RESIDENCE.
TIME AJSD PLACE OF MARRIAGE.
G. j I
Gibbs, Abel, aiul iWondbrivlge 22d of 3lI .Mo. at Rabway, 1793.
Elizabeth Haydock.Woodbridge
Griffith. John & \
Elizabeth Gage.! 1709.
Gach, Thomas, & j
ElizaTbeth Bloodgood. 1721.
H.
28d of 7th Mo. at Plainfield,
17G6
Harned, Jonathan & IWoodbiidge
Sarah Laiug.'
Hedger, John and ;S'>n;o:set Co '27thof 2d Mo. at Rahway, 17G5,
Mary Fitz Randolph.; Woudhriilge
21st of 11th ]\Io. at Rahway,
17G.J
23d of 4th Mo. at Rabway,
ireti
Hallet Israel & iLoni;; Island
Naomi Sholwell.; Elizabeth
Haydock, John, ifc , Rahway
Mary Shotwell.' Rahway
Hampton, Joseph, v.t jBridgctown 23d of 10th Mo. Rahway, 1805.
Elizfibeth Cook.iBridiretown '
Hartshorrie, Hiig!i & jNevv York City... 2oLh of 6th Mo. Rahway, 1806.
Elizabeth Brown. Rahway I
Harned, John & ! Woodbridge J27th of 3d Mo. Plainfield, 1811.
Phebe Lning. Piscitaway \
Harned, Jonathan & |Woodbri Ige :2tth of 3d Mo. at Woodbridge,
Judith Bloodgood.lPerth Ambov ....j 171)8
Harned, Nathaniel & j Woodbridge |2oth of 4th Mo. Plainfield, 1804.
Alid.i Cilar Miller. Bridgewater ! •^••••
Heady, Epiir dm & ! ! l'^''-^^-
Susannah Fitz Randolph.! j
Hunt, Solomon &
Kathcrine Bishop.
Heborn, John & | •
Sarah Laing.}
Hicks, Samuel, ifc |Westbury, N. Y
Amy Brook, widow. Rahway
1729.
K.
Kinsey, Mooiry, &
Sarah F. Randolph.
Kester, Stephen &
Sarah Laing.
King, Jos. (son of Nithan)
& Catherine Laing.
Lundy, Jacob, Jr. &
Sarah Hampton.
Leggett, Reuben,
Mary Marsh.
Laing, Samuel,
Elizabeth Smith.
Laing, John,
Sarah Smith.
Laing, Davi 1,
Mary Thorn.
1734.
20th of 2d Mo. Rahway, 1794.
i Middlesex Co....2Gt,h of 1st Mo. Woodbridge,
Middlese.x Co.... 1764 ••
Kingwood, N. J.j24th ot 12th Mo. Plainfield,
Piscataway 1806 •••-•
Woodbridge !24th ot 1st Mo. Rahway, 180.1.
Hardwick |25th of 9th Mo. Rahway, 1783.
Woodbridge V^Vi'
New York City.. 2d of 6th Mo. at Rahway, 1814.
Middlesex Co ; .v ;;:::;• ziVm
.1741.
.1741.
'23d of 7th Mo. Plainfield, 1795.
360
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
PARTIES MARRIED.
RESIDENCE.
TIME AND PLACE OP MARRIAGE.
Laing, Joseph, Piscataway
Anna Webster. Essex Co
Laing, Isaac, [Middlesex Co....
Grace Moore. Middlesex Co
Laing, Isaac, Jr.,
Katherine Kinsey.
Laing Joseph,
Sarah Marsh,
Laing, David,
Sarah Shotwell.
Laing Thomas,
Mary Shotwell.
Laing, James,
Betsy "Webster.
Laing, Isaac, (son of Thos).
Mary Laiug.j Middlesex Co ....
Laing, David, (son of;Woodbridge
Thomas), Margaret Vail.jBiidgewater.N.J
Laing, Jacob, Jr. IPiscataway
Mercy Fitz Randolpoh.jBridgewater,]Sr.J
Latham, Thomas, [Woodbridge
Miriam Allen. Woodbridge
23d of 7lh Mo. Plainfield, 1795.
38th of 3d Mo'.' Rahway,' HSs!
33d of Stii Moi'RaiiwayV im
Woodbridge „
Woodbridge i
Middlesex Co 36th of 8th Mo. Rahvray, 1784.
Essex Co
Piscatavcay |35th of 10th Mo.Plainfield,1786.
P[scataway
33d of 1st Mo. Plainfield, 1793.
AVoodbridge
Essex Co
Piscataway
Westfield, N. J.
i Woodbridge
34th of 7th Mo. Plainfield, 1811.
Stii' of 13 til 'Mo'.' Pi'ain'fi'el'd,'i'8i6.'
SOtii of 5th Mo. PiaViifieid, 180^^^
37111 of Gth Mo.'piai'nfie'l'd',' I'm
M.
Marsh, James,
Margaret Elston.
Marsh, Joseph,
Martha Webster.
Marsh, Mordecai,
Mary Shotwell.
Marsh, John,
Phebe Allen.
Marsh, Joseph,
Mary Copl-and,
Moore, Samuel, Jr.
Elizabeth L. Shotwell
Miller, Robert,
Katherine F. Randolph
Pound, Samuel,
Ann Laing.
Pound, David,
Mary Shotwell.
Pound, Benjamin,
Elizabeth Laing.
Parker, George, Jr.,
Martha Thorn.
Pound, Hugh,
Sarah King.
Parker, George,
Elizabeth Laing.
Pound, Samuel,
Cather/ne Webster.
Elizabeth town....
Woodbridge
Woodbridge
Elizabethtown ...
Rahway
Elizabethtown....
Woodbridge
Woodbridge ,
Woodbridge .....
Woodbridge ,
Falmouth, Mass,
Rahway
Morris Co
Middlesex Co...
33d of 4th Mo. at Rahway,
1766
34th of 5th Mo. Rahway, 1793.
33(1 of Gtii' M'o.'Wood'bridge',i75'6.
s'g'th 'of iotii Mo.' Railway, 1 778!
36tiiof 8tii Mo. Rahway,' 1790.'
s'lh 'of 'i'l til 'Mo.' Railway, ' 1776!
38lh of'gtii iio! Rahway, 1815.
Soiii of '5 t'li Mo.' 'plainfield, 1778!
Piscataway ....
Piscataway
Piscataway ....
Piscataway . . . .
Piscataway ....
Piscataway
Piscataway
Woodbridge...
Piscataway ....
Elizabethtown
Piscataway
Elizabethtown ..
34th of Gth Mo. Plainfield, 1807.
37th of 10th Mo. Plainfield,
1790
33d ot 3d Mo. Plainfield, 1763.
38th of 4th Mo. Woodbridge,
1763
34th of 4th Mo. Rahway, 1794.
.1735.
26th of 8th Mo. Plainfield,
1772
APPENDIX.
361
PARTIES MARRIED.
RESIDENCE.
R. I
Rogers, Timothy,
Anna Harned.*
S.
Sholwell, Wm. and
Elizabeth Pound.
Shotwell, Isaac,
Hannah Shotwell.
Shotwell, Titus,
Deborah Moore.
Shotwell, John,
Margaret Haydock.
Shotwell, Jacob,
Barsheba Pound.
Shotwell Joseph,
Elizabeth Jackson,
Shotwell, Abraham,
Mary Jackson.
Shotwell, Wm.
Elizabeth Moore.
Shotwell, Joseph D.
Elizabeth F. Randolph.
Shotwell, Samuel,
Hannah Lundy.
Shotwell, Daniel,
Margaret Alstone.
Shotwell, Daniel,
Deborah Shotwell.
Shotwell, Joseph,
Mary Manning
Shotwell, John,
Elizabeth Smith.
Shotwell, John,
Grace Webster.
Smith, Samuel,
Massy Taylor.
Smith Samuel, •
Elizabeth Shotwell.
Smith, Benjamin,
Sarah Shotwell.
Smith, Sbobal,
Prudence F. Randolph.
Shoemoker, Abraham,
Margaret Laing.
Smith Samuel,
Sarah Pound.
TIME AND PLACE OF MARRIAGE.
Pickering, C'nada
Woodbridge
Elizabethtown
Piscataway ....
Woodbridge ...
Woodbridge ...
Woodbridge ...
Woodbridge ...
Woodbridge ...
Woodbridge ...
28th of lOlh Mo. Rahway, 1813.
25th of 3d Mo. Plainfield, 1772.
SStii of iitli Mo.Rahway, 1770.
26th of 7th ivio.' Rahwayri787!
28th of 6thMo.'Rahway,"i769.'
Elizabethtown... ^22d of 3d Mo. Plainfielcl. 1709.
Piscataway
Woodbridge i20lh of 8th Mo. at Woodbridge!
Morris Co i 1743
Woodbridge i28th of 12lh Mo. Woodbridge,
1751
Elizabethtown ...i25th of 10th Mo. Rahway, 1793.
Woodbridge i
Woodbridge 22d of 3d Mo. Rahway, 1804....
Woodbridge
Piscataway 21st of 5th Mo. Plainfield, 1788.
Piscataway
Woodbridge J25th of 10th Mo. Rahway, 1787.
Woodbridge ....
Woodbridge 24th of 1st Mo. Plainfield, 1753.
Piscataway
at Woodbridge, 1716.
!!!!!".'.".'.'."!!!!"!"!!i736!
!!!!!!!!!!!!'........ V..i743^
Elizabethtown ...
Woodbridge
Woodbridge
2Tlh of 5th Mo. Woodbridge,
1773.
.1712.
New York City.|3d of 10th Mo. Rahway, 1793.
Woodbridge
Elizabethtown ...i27th of 3d Mo. Plainfield, 1769.
Piscataway
Thorn, Samuel, Somerset Co
Rachel Laing. Piscataway
Thorn, Isaac,
Sarah Webster.
13th of 5th Mo. Plainfield, 1810.
Woodbridge :24th of 12th Mo. Plainfield.
Essex Co I 1760
Daughter of Jonathan Harned, of Woodbridge.
362
WOODBRIDCE AND VICINITY.
PARTIES MARRIED.
5i:)i ;:! <;
TLME AND PLACE OP MARRIAGE.
Thorn, Isaac,
Hannah Shotwell. Middlesex Co
Thorn, Benjamin, iWoodbriJge
Mary Shotwell. Woodbridge
Thorn, Abraham, Woodbridge
Susaniiah Webster.
Thorn, Webster,
Elizabeth Martin.
Thorn, Abraham,
Mary Shotwell.
Thorn, Jacob,
Susannah Shotwell.
Thorn, William,
Mary F. Randolph.
Thorn, Abraham,
Ann Laing.
Thorn, John,
Mary Shotwell.
Middlesex Co.... 23d of 9th Mo. Rah way, 1778.
23d "of il til ivio. Railway, 1786!
22d' ot'o'thMo'.' , '1750.
Elizabetbtown
Woodbridge |27th of 6th Mo. Rahway, 1793.
Woodbridge
1717.
1723.
.1729.
.1739.
Woodbridge i23dl2thMo. Woodbridge, 1773.
Woodbridge i
V.
Vail, Thomas, and
Rachel F. Randolph.
Vail, John,
Margaret Laing.
Vail, Stephen,
Esther Smith.
Vail, Isaac,
Sarah Thorn.
Vail, Ephraim, (son of
Abraham) Rebecca Vail.
Vail, Isaac, (som of John)
Sarah Shotwell.
Vail, Abraham,
Margaret F. Randolph.
Vail, David,
Phebe Jackson.
Vail, Edward,
Sarah Kinsey.
Vail, Clarkson, (s. of Benj.)
Sarah Laing, (d. of Isaac.)
W.
Webster, Morris,
Hannah Marsh.
Webster, Smith,
Mary Laing.
Way John,
Mary Marsh.
Webster, Wm.,
Susannah Laing.
Webster, Isaac,
Mary Laing.
Webster, William,
Sarah Thorn.
Somerset Co...
Middlesex Co.
Somerset Co...
Woodbridge
Woodbridge
Somerset Co
Middlesex Co....
Somer.set Co
Woodbridge
Bridgewater
Woodbridge
Woodbridge
Woodbridge
1717.
."!!!. !!.!!".".".".'."*!!!!"!!l!"l!'!li73i'
!!!!!!'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i733!
22d of ii'th Mo.' Rahway, 1792.
21si cf Sd'iio. Piai'n'field,"l8l6.
29 til i 1 til ivio. ' Rahway, 1 810.
Rahway
28th of 8th Mo. Woodbridge,
1766
23d of 4th Mo. Plainfield, 1766.
26th 12th Mo. Rahway, 1793.
22d of ijtii ivio. iSaliway, isili
28th 9th Mo. Rahway, 1815.
26lii 9lh ivio. Plaiufi'eid,''l804.
26t"h "iiitii Mo".""ii'ahwa'y','''i76'8.
'-^^''"iisi.
Westfield, K J.
Piscataway
Newtown, L. I.
Woodbridge
Newtown, L. LJ21st of 6th Mo
Piscataway
Elizabetbtown ... 24th of lOlh Mo. Plainfield
Piscataway ....
pjlizabelhfown
Woodbridge
1787
— 5th Mo.
1749.
APPENDIX.
i^i
P.iJlTIES MARRIED.
RESIDENCE.
TIME AND PLACE OF MARRIAQB.
Webster, William,
Susannah Cowperthwait.
Wren, Peter,
Ann Brolberton.
Webster, Joseph,
Elizabeth Sbotwell.
Willson, Jeremiah,
[N.J,
Independence,
Joanna Moore. iWoodbridsie ,
Willson, James, (s. of Jo-
siah) Anna Moore, (d.
of Henry)
Rahway .
Rahway .
.1717.
.1738-9.
21st of 9lh Mo.
-, 1793
24th of 10th Mo. Rahway, 1805.
APPEJSTDIX H.
PUBLIC LANDING AND WATERING PLACE.
Woodbridge Middlesex Co. Province of New Jersey. October 7th 1725.
Then Laid out at the Request of Said Town by us the undersigned Sub-
scribers, Surveyors of the Highways for Said County, a Publick Landing
Place and Highway. Begining at a Stake Planted by a River Side Called
and known by the Name of the Sound and is the South East Corner of a
fifth Division Lott in the Commons of Said Woodbridge Drawn in the
Right of Hugh March and Stands Ten Rods South-west from the mouth of
& Creek Called Papiack Creek, Thence Running westerly as the Line of the
Said Lott Runs to the South west Corner of the Said Lott. Thence North-
erly on the Rear of the back Lotts to the Corner of Nathaniel Fitz Ran-
dolphs Land, and So Extending Northerly as the Said Randolphs Land
Runs till it Comes to the Road that Leads Down to the Blazing Starr.
Bounded on the westerly Side by the Land of Miles Bunu and James
Clarkson till it comes to the Corner of a fifth Division Lott Drawn in the
Right of John Bishop, So Extending Southerly on the front of the Lotts
Called the Rear Lotts as Layed out by the Lott Layers till it comes to James
Browns Meadow, So Running South Easterly as the meadow Runs to the
aforementioned Creek, Said Road Containing four Rods in Breadth.
Together with a Small Square Left for a Watering Place in the Said Road,
all which Landing Place, Road, and Watering Place was Left by the agree-
ment of the Freeholders of Said Woodbridge for a Publick good.
•Tohn Sutton,
Surveyors
Henry Freeman,
John Helriot,
John AVhite.
Recorded in County Clerk's oQice, Middlesex Co. N. J. Early Records,
page 20,
M)te : The above-mentioned " Watering Place " was situated on the
west side of the road, adjoining Lot No. 38 of the 5th Division lots, drawn
in the right of Robert Rogers (see Freeholders' Book, folio 89). The high-
way leading to the mouth of the Woodbridge Creek being shut up, and not
being legally vacated, the surveyors of the highways reopened it, in 1799,
to the width of six rods, as it was laid out Feb. 8th, 1668. The survey
which we give above (1725) was, therefore, illegal. The survey of 1799,
which restored the road to its original width, will be found recorded in
Road Book, pages 53 and 54.
APPEI^DIX I.
DOCK AT THE MOUTH OF WOODBRIDGE CHEEK.
An Act to authorize the township committee of the township of "Wood-
bridge, in the county of Middlesex, to build a dock at the mouth of Wood-
bridge creek.
Sec. 1. Be It Enacted by the Council and General Assembly of this State,
and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That it shall and may
be lawful for the inhabitants of the township of Woodbridge, in the County
of Middlesex, to raise by tax or otherwise, a sufficient sum to be expended
under the direction of the township committee, or their successors, in
bailding a dock or wharf at the ancient public landing place on Arthur
Kull or Staten Island Sound, near the mouth of "Woodbridge, formerly
Papiac creek, on the northeasterly side thereof, to extend a sufficient
distance to accommodate such vessels and Steamboats as usually navigate
the same ; Provided the said dock or wharf shall not obstruct the naviga-
. tion of said river or Sound.
Sec. 2. And be it enacted. That if any person or persons shall destroy
or in any way injure the said dock, such person or persons shall j be
responsible for, and shall make good all damages to the township commit-
tee which they shall commit.
Sec. 3. And be it enacted. That it shall be lawful for all vessels to touch,
make fast, load and unload at said dock; and it shall be lawful lor the
township committee of the township of Woodbridge, and their successors,
to demand, receive and collect compensation therefor, from all vessels or
Steamboats as may make use of the same, excepting only such vessels or
Steamboats as are owned by and belong to the residents of the said town-
ship of Woodbridge.
Passed March 7th, 1844.
[See Laws of New Jersey, 1844, p. 176.]
APPEISTDIX J.
TWO HIGHWAYS LAID OUT 174 YEARS AGO.
February ye 9th 1699 : Then Laid out by us under named a Highway Six
Kod in Breadth : begining at the Highway which Runs by Jonathan
Bishops Now Dwelling House about ten Rod Eastward from the North
East Corner of the Said Bishops Orchard : from thence Runing over the
Mill Brook, and So Extending on the Southerly Side of John Rolphs
Dwelling House to the House of John Jaquis : from thence Runing through
the Said Jaquis his Land four Rod in Breadth, by the Bant? Side and
through the land belonging to Jonathan Jaquis : from thence upon a Direct
Line to John Stewards Dwelling House: the whole way between the Hou^e
of the above Said John Jaquis and John Stewards House being but four
Rod broad. Also a Highway from the Landing on the River ; about fitty
Rod below the Said Stewards House, begining at a Black Oak tree marked
on three Sides : thence Runing by the River Six Rod broad to Mr. Cortlands
Saw-mill : from thence to a Black oak tree Standing Near the Bank of the
Said River ; the way Runing between the Said tree and the bank : thence
Extending along by the bank to town Line : from thence by the Town
Line and through a Corner of John Jaquis his Land on the South Side of a
Rowe of marked trees into the Common : the Said way from Cortlands
Mill being four Rod broad :
Ezekiel Bloomfield
Samuel Hale
Ephraim Andrews
Thomas Pike
Taken from F. Randolph's copy, p. 111.
APPENDIX K.
THE PISCATAWAY BAPTIST CHURCH.
It seems to be eminently appropriate that we should present an account
in this place of the Baptist Church in Piscataway. For the facts presented
here, we are principally indebted to the sketch printed in 1870 in the
minutes of the East New Jersey Baptist Association, written by the Rev.
James F. Brown, the present pastor of the Piscataway Church.
The first building for worship was projected in January, 1C86; to be
twenty feet wide, thirty feet long and ten feet "between joints." This
meeting house, like the one at Woodbridge, was built by the settlers of the
town ; and as the Baptist element predominated, it gradually became
subject, in its services and proprietary interests, to that denomination — just
as the Presbyterians of Woodbridge came into possession of the property
lelt in that town for the " support of a Gospel ministry."
The primitive structure stood not far from the river, about & mile south-
east of the present Church building. The Rev. Thomas Killingsworth, an
English clergyman, and first pastor of the Cohansey Church, organized the
Baptist Society of Piscataway in the Spring of 1G89 ; and from this date
until the year 1748 the original meeting-house was occupied for regular
services. The membership of the Church, at its organization in 1G89, was
feeble, consisting only of six persons : John Drake, Hugh Dunn, Edmund
Dunham, Nicholas Bonham, John Smalley, and John Randolph. The
three first-mentioned were exhorters or lay-preachers. John Drake became
the pastor at the organization of the Church, and held the position until the
period of his death, which occurred in 1739, making his ministerial career
fifty years in duration. Nothing of importance is recorded within this
time, except the statements that in 1707 the Church united with four others
to institute the Philadelphia Association (the first Baptist Association in
America), and that in 1709 the Church in Piscataway numbered only
twenty members.
(• The Rev. Benjamin Stelle, the second pastor, was ordained soon after the
death of Mr. Drake. He was the son of Pontius Stelle, a French Hugue-
not, and was born in New York in 1683. For twenty years he continued
to preach the " unsearchable riches of Christ." He died, aged seventy-five
years, in January, 1759. His ministry was a successful one. The Churcli
numbered over one hundred members in 1746, fifteen of whom, in the fol-
lowing year, formed a Church at Scotch Plains, and others residing nfiar
Morristown organized a Church there ; so that the precious seed scattered by
this man of God was widely sown, and who shall count the harvest .-'
368 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
In 1748 a new meeting-house was built. The lot had been purchased in
April, 1731, of Alexander McDowell, and contained four acres and six-
tenths. This is the lot upon which the present structure stands, which is
the third that has occupied the same site. The first of these three (that of
1748) was forty feet by thirty-six feet in size, and is spoken of as "a well-
finished house," but without the " convenience of a stove." It stood for
seventy-seven years, when (in 1825) it was taken down, and a building fifty-
two by forty-two was erected at a cost of |3,000. This was entirely
destroyed by fire on January lit, 1851. The present house of worship was
speedily constructed upon the ruins of the old church building, and recently
a graceful spire has added to its attractiveness. The edifice is sixty-eight
by fifty-two, and has a gallery on three sides, three aisles, an da recess pulpit.
The third pastor. Rev. Isaac Stelle, was the son of Benjamin, -the preced-
ing minister, and was, undoubtedly, a man of no ordinary abilities. He
had been ordained to assist his father in 1753, and, in 1759, when his father
died, he was inducted into the pulpit as his successor. He had some repu-
tation abroad as well as at home, for he went about doing good. So many
dismissions had been given to members removing to other localities, that
when he assumed the pastorate the Church numbered only forty ; but in
1775 the membership had increased to seventy-five. He died in the 63rd
year of his age, on the 9th of October, 1781 — having fulfilled the duties of a
pastor for twenty-two years.
Rev. Reune Runyon, the fourth minister, was pastor of the Church
at Morristown from 1772 until 1780. He was a native of Piscataway, the
son of Reune Runyon, Esq., of French descent. The date of his birth was
November 29lh, 1741, and that of his death was November 21st, 1811. He
succeeded Mr. Stelle in 1783 and continued to perform a pastor's duties
until the time of his decease. The length of his service to the Church at
Piscataway was, therefore, twenty-eight years. He owned a farm which
afforded him a comfortable support when his salary of £50 per annum was
not fully paid — which sometimes happened. Only thirty-nine members
were reported in the communion in 1785 ; but in the following year an
extensive revival of religion prevailed which increased the number to one
hundred and twenty-one. The good work did not end with the close of the
year, but progressed powerfully throughout many months; so that in 1790
a membership of one hundred and forty-eight was reported to the Associa-
tion. Two years after the last-mentioned date the Baptist Church at Samp-
town was organized by some of the members residing there. In August,
1792, the Piscataway Church dissolved its relation to the Philadelphia
Association, with which, for so many years, it had been connected, and
joined the New York Association. Its spirituality began to decline in 1794
to such a degree that a day of fasting and prayer was observed — earnest
invocation being made that God, in tender mercy, might pour out His
Spirit upon the suppliant people, and upon those who had grown indifierent
to holy influences. Four days of public prayer were appointed in the
following year on account of the coldness in religious matters which
APPENDIX.
369
prevailed throughout the community. During 1807 and several succeeding
years the result of all this prayer was seen in many additions to the Church.
In the midst of the ingathering the laithful man of God was taken from his
field oflabor by the great Harvester, and others gathered his sheaves.
Rev. James M'Laugliliu, the fifth pastor, became Mr. Runyon's successor
on the 1st of October, 1812— nearly a year after the pulpit became vacant.
The Church had no parsonage, so the new preacher rented a house in New-
Brunswick, where some of his parishioners resided. In the morning he
preached at Piscataway and in the afternoon at New Brunswick, wlicre a
house of worship had been erected two years previously ; but it was not
until September Kith, 1816, that the New Brunswick members were
organized as an independent church. In the following May, ISI'Laughlin
ceased to supply the New Brunswick pulpit on account of the desire at that
place for a separate ministry; and in October ensuing he resigned the
Piscataway pastorate. He is spoken of as a man of great piety and of
unusual solemnity in declaring the Gospel.
Rev. Daniel Dodge, of Wilmington, Del., was the sixth preacher at
Piscataway, beginning his pastoral labors October 1st, 1818, and concluding
them by resignation on the 39th of May, 1832. Forty souls were added to
the Church during the first year, and some were baptized ever}' year of his
ministry at this place. He lived at New Brunswick, as tlic parsonage was
not yet built. Two questions agitated the Church duriug Mr. Dodge's term
of service. One was in regard to the imposition of hands after baptism,
â– which, the pastor held, " was a Gospel ordinance " and a necessity. Many of
the brethren regarded this as an innovation and a misunderstanding of the
Scripture, and they were much grieved in consequence. The second ques-
.tion was in regard to the Scriptural teaching as to a man who married
'his deceased wife's sister" — and the controversy wa.xed warm, some
holding the opinion that such a marriage is unlawful and some maintaining
the opposite view. Much strife and bitterness resulted from the discussion,
which was finally transferred to the Association (or some authoritative
decision. That body very wisely recommended that dillerences of opinioa
on that point might not be made a bar to Christian fellowship, and a Coun-
cil of Seven was sent to Piscataway to promote better feeling in the
communion. A session of this Council, beginning June 10th, 1829, and
lasting three days, brouglit about the much-desired reconciliation. The
question of imposition of hands after baptism was settled, at the same time,
in favor of Mr. Dodge's usage. Tho pa^ior liought a farm near the meeting-
house and resided there until he left Piscataway to preach for tlie First
Church, Newark. Deacon Samuel Smith describes him as "a godly man,
a good preacher, in doctrine strongly Calvinistic, neat in person, dignified
in deportment, winning in manners, and very exemplary in liis walk and
conversation. "
Rev. Daniel Lewis, of Paterson, N. J., succeeded him as the seventh pas-
tor of the Church. Mr. Lewis began his ministry on tlic 23rd of June, 1S3:3,
and ended it sixteen years after, on the 27lh of September, 1849— the date
370 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY,
of his death. One hundred and sixty-five souls were brought into the fold
as the result of his toil in this vineyard. He was not an educated man, but
a most devoted servant of his Master. Through his influence the Church
returned to its ancient custom of admitting candidates without the imposi-
tion of hands after baptism. Indeed, he did not respond to the call
extended to him until he was assured that the Church had returned to its
former position on the question. A special meeting on the 1st of January,
1834, voted that the matter of a man's marrying the sister of his deceased
wife should be left to the conscience of the individual — this vote being also
secured through the influence of the preacher. In the Winter of 1837-8
the Spirit of the Lord was manifest in the conversion of forty-five persons.
Again in 'i 843 a great awakening occurred, continuing many months. One
hundred and one united with the Church as the fruit of that great revival.
In November, 1841, the East New Jersey Baptist Association was formed,
and the Piscataway Baptists joined it, thereby severing their connection
with the New York organization. Nearly eight years after, the humble
preacher died, and his affectionate people placed him to rest in the old
burying-ground alongside the house of worship in which he had ministered
BO long.
Kev. Henry V. Jones, of Newark, N. J., was the eighth pastor. His
labors began April 1st, 1850, and were discontinued, on account of his
impaired health, in March, 1856. Twenty acres of land and a house were
purchased for the use of the Piscataway ministers before Mr. Jones tirrived.
The old house was, however, supplanted by a new and commodious build-
ing, which was occupied by the preaciiers until 1869, when the property
was sold on account of the distance from it to the meeting-house (two miles)
and the unnecessary amount of land. One acre was bought near the house
of worship and a tasteful parsonage was forthwith constructed at a cost of
$8,300. Under Mr. Jones' fervent ministrations greater spirituality and vigor
began to pervade the Church. The cause of missions received much atten-
tion and four Sunday-schools were permanently established. Mr. Jones'
health began to decline some time before his pastoraie was ended ; but his
people were loth to part with him. They accepted his resignation with
reluctance in March, 1856, when he left the parish amid universal regret.
Rev. Christian J. Page, the ninth pastor, came from Bristol in the same
year, and began his successful ministry on the 1st of October. He resigned
in March, 1867, and went to Spring Valley, N. Y., in the Autumn. A
revival followed his advent resulting in the addition ot one hundred souls
to the Church within eij^hteeu months. This work of grace began at an
out-station, and proved a blessing to the entire community. In 1858 the
membership numbered two hundred and eighty-five, to which four others
were added in the succeeding year, making the highest total in the history
of the Church. The five years following were years of comparative unfruit-
fulness, only ten being baptized in that time. In September, 1863, Mr.
Page having received an appointment as Chaplain in the Union army, was
voted leave of absence for nine months with salary. On his return a good
APPENDIX. ,yj
work began which added forty to the fold, and the gracious influence
continued during his stay in Piscataway.
Rev. James F. Brown, the tenth pastor of this ancient Church, became
Mr. Page's successor in March, 1868, and is now worthily filling this honor-
able position. Mr. Brown came from Bridgetou, N. J. Under hLs care the
various benevolent enterprises of the Baptists and the general relio-ious
interests of the village have not suifered.
Ten ministers have been given to the cause of Christ by the Piscataway
Church; viz.: Revs. John Drake, Isaac Stelle, Renue Runyon, IJcnry
Smalley, Jacob Sutton, Lewis F. Stelle, Warren Randolph, D. D. Bergen
Stelle, George Pawley, and Charles C. Smith. The three first mentioned
were pastors at their native place ; Rev. Mr. Smalley became connected
with the First Cohansey Baptist Church on the 8th of November, 1790
where he preached until his death in 1839 ; Rev. Mr. Sutton was licensed in
January, 1811, and ministered at Penn's Neck until the close of his life in
1814; Rev. L. F. Stelle, son of Deacon Drake Stelle, began his labors in
September, 1843, and died December 21st, 1863, having been the pastor at
Branchville, Herbertsville, and Bloomingdale in succession ; Rev. Dr. Ran-
dolph was ordained at Pawtucket, R. I., on the 24th of August, 1851, and
became pastor of the Fifth Baptist Church of Philadelphia; Rev. B. Stelle,
brother of the Rev. L. F. Stelle, was licensed November 29th, 1848, and
preached first at George's Road and then at Cherryville, in which pastorate
he died, in ihe 49th year of his age, August 9th, 1864 ; Rev. G. Pawley was
licensed on the 25th ot March, 1860, but did not long remain in the ranks
of the profession ; Rev. C. C. Smith was licensed October 2d, 1860, and was
ordained as pastor of the Coopei-stown (N. Y.) Baptist Churcli in March,
1870.
The officers of the Piscataway Church in 1870 were as follows : — Pastor :
Rev. James F. Brown ; Deacons, Henry Smaiky, Alexander Dunn, Sam-
uel Smith, Augustus T. Stelle, James D. Stelle ; Tkustees, Runyon
Walker, Furman R. Stelle, Wm. E. Crowell, ilartin Lupardus, Wm. F.
Randolph, Philip Hummer, and MetTord Runyon. In that year the member-
ship numbered two hundred and fifty-five, and its total collection for the
year amounted to $3,954.
The burial-ground alongside the Church building contains some interest-
ing memorials of auld lang syne. There is Edward Griffith's grave— he died
March 23rd, 1813, aged seventy-five years. Upon the stone we read these
words: "He worthily fulfilled the office of Deacon in this Church near 50
years." Whajt a good record that is ! Here is old Ephraim Martin's place
of rest. His death occurred in his seventy-third year on the 28th day of
February, 1806. William Drake's wife, Hannah, sleeps near at hand, buried
in March, 1797, in the forty-first year [of her age. Fitz Randolph Drake
died October 6th, 1791, aged seventy-five, and his body is slumbering here.
George Drake's wife, Elizabeth, who was buried in 1768 at the age of fifty-
SIX, has this flattering testimonial recorded upon the stone :
''Frngal like Martha as a wife.
And lived Mary's godly life."
372 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Capt. Andrew Drake, Elizabeth Sutton, and many other old-time people
here " wait for the morning."
Blessed Church ! What a history thou hast ! What precious memories
linger around this spot ! How many, with tears, have sought the Lord in
the temples which have been destroyed ; and how many with gladness have
found the Saviour on this hallowed ground ! What scenes of solemnitj'
have here awakened thought and emotion ! What words of burning elo-
quence have held the listening congregation as questions of eternity stirred
the heart of the preacher ! What a delightful influence moved every soul
when the Spirit of the Lord brooded over the place ! May that Spirit often
return to greatly refresh the Church in which for so many years such signal
. mercies have been enjoyed.
LOCAL CHEONOLOGY.
1664. Woodbridge bought of the Indians by Bayley, Denton & Watson.
1665. The town settled by English.
1666. The town bought by Daniel Pierce and associates. Articles of
agreement signed between Gov. Carteret and the Woodbridge
men. Piscataway formed into a settlement.
1667. Woodbridge laid out. First baby born.
1668. First Legislature of the Province held at Elizabeth, May 26.
1669. The first recorded town meeting held January 1. Woodbridge
township created, June 1. Charter granted 16. Strawberry Ilill
made a commons, Aug. 27. First bridge over the creek, Sept. 22.
1670. Dunham's grist mill built. Samuel, Treat, the first town minister,
arrives.
1671. First Grand .Jury in this town. False alarm of Indians.
1673. Woodbridge under Dutch rule.
1675. The town meeting-house begun. Stockade built around the prison,
1676. Legislature meets in Woodbridge, October 5.
1677. Lands between Piscataway and Woodbridge bought of the Indians.
Legislature meets here a second time, October 10th.
1680. John Allen becomes town preacher.
1682. Middlesex Ceunty created. Samuel Moore made High Sheriff. First
overseers of the poor chosen.
1683. First tavern in town.
1686. Samuel Dennis arrested (see p. 162). Rev. Mr. Riddell arrives.
1688. Death of Samuel Moore.
1689. First Quaker meeting held here. First school teacher, James Fuller-
ton arrives. Piscataway Baptist Church constituted.
1690. Alarm of Indians ; a ranger appointed. .
1693. Monthly Court established here.
1695. Adam Hude comes to reside here from Staten Island. Rev. Samuel
Shepard comes to town.
1697. Wolves grow troublesome.
1699. Riot in Woodbridge against the Proprietary Government.
1701. The Piscataway boundary quarrel settled. School land laid out,
Dec. 11.
1702. The first Episcopalian missionary comes here.
1704. Rev. John Brook begins Episcopal pervice in Piscataway.
1705. The first town committee appomted. Parker's grist mill built
1706. The first division of common land, October 14.
1707. Second division of land, in June.
1708. Rev. Mr. Wade mstalled.
374 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
1709. Law-suit against Sonmans begun. Pike & Cutter's grist mill built.
Beginning to build Quaker meeting-house.
1710. Richard Soper's grist mill begun. Presbyterian Church established.
1711. Rev. Edward Vaughan forms an Episcopal congregation here, and
begins to build a church. Greorge Eubanks arrives, the first school
teacher on Strawberry Hill.
1713. Church doors shut against Rev. Mr. Halliday. "Weekly worship
begun in the new Quaker meeting-house.
1715. Third division of land in July.
1717. Fourth division of land, May 8. Rev. John Pieraon ordained M
Presbyterian preacher in this place.
1720. Fifth division of land, April 4.
1721. Sixth division of land authorized January 16.
1730. First cup of tea drank in this place.
1734 Seventh division of land.
1737. End of the Sonmans-Stelle law-suit.
1739. Rev. Benj. Stelle becaiAe the second pastor at the Piscataway Bap-
tist Church.
1740. Rev. George Whitfield preached in Woodbridge.
1748- Prof. Kalm, the Swedish botanist, visits Woodbridge.
1751. Mr. Parker established the first printing-press in the State at Wood-
bridge. First Quarterly Meeting ot the Quakers held here. Rev. T.
\ B. Chandler arrives.
1754. The second Episcopal Church built in this place.
1755. Rev. Nathl. Whitaker installed, Dec. 10.
1756. The Presbyterian Church secures a Charter.
1957. Quaker meeting-house begun at Rahway.
1758. Military draft afflicts the Quakers ; some are imprisoned.
1761. Rev. Mr. Roe is invited to Woodbridge.
1763. Rev. Mr. Roe installed.
1765. "Sons of Liberty" organized in town. Quaker meetings begin to
decline.
1769. Episcopal Church of this place secures a charter, Dec. 6.
1776. Continentals encamped in town. Gen. Heard of Woodbridge arresta
Gov. Franklin at Aml)c)y, June 17. Soldiers quartered in the Qua-
ker M«cting-house.
1777. Hessians encamped in Woodbridge. Skirmish with Morgan's Raa-
gers, June 26. Battle of Ash Swamp.
1780. Capt. Nathaniel Fitz Randolph died July 23. Captured cannon
brought to Woodbridge.
1783. Peace proclaimed.
1784. Quaker Meeting-house at Woodbridge was sold.
Errata. — On page 116, three lines from bottom, read Bryant for Byron,
and the last line is slightly misquoted. On page 147, thirteen lines from
bottom, read James instead ot William Coddington.
1
f
OOISTTEI^TS.
Preface.
CHAPTER I. 1605-1666.
Ancient New Jersey— Hunting— Origin of "Woodbridge— Gov Car-
teret's Arrival— The Articles of Agreement— Piscataway— Travel
— Newark— Elizabelhtown — Early Rom.ince 5
CHAPTER II. 1667-1677.
The Town Book — Rtndolph's Copy of it — First Highways— Jona-
than Dunham's Grist Mill — View over the Sound— Old Dock —
The Fiist Mc-chanics in Woolbridge— And the First Baby— Old
Landings :.... ig
CHAPTER III. 1667-1677.
Woodbridge Cliarter— Its Confirmation —First Legislature of Ncvr
Jersey— Insurrection against Gov. Carteret — Names of Settlers —
Samuel Moore — Quit Reuts — Ambo Point — Indian Sale of Land
Between Woodbridge and P'scataway — The Old Prison— Odd
Names.. 33
CHAPTER IV. 1607-1677.
Joshua Pierce — Early Town Meetings — The Ilslys— Voquillcn — Trou-
ble with Piscataway— The Inevitable John Smith— The Town-
ship Court — Reward for the Constable's Head 38
CHAPTER V. 1667-1677.
Dissatisfaction with the Quit Rents— A Cross Letter from the Gover-
nor — Wolf Pits — First Grand Jur}'- in Woodbridge— Tlic Honest
Scotchman— Paying Fees in Pork— Tbe Dutch Rule— Piscataway
Troubles- The Pound— Stockade— Magazine— Importing Pau-
pers—Legislature in Woodbridge— Second Session Hero— The
Pikes 45
CHAPTER VI. 1686-1750.
The ^waA^rs— Meetings at Amboy— At Woodbridge—" G. F."— Build-
ing the Woodbridge House of Worship— Quaker Books— Plain-
field and Rahway Meetings 69
376 WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
CHAPTER VII. iC69-1700.
2he Tmon Meetiiuj-HonRe — The Kirk Green — The F'irst Minister, Sam-
uel Treat — Benjamin Salsbur}' — John Allen — The New Meeting-
house — Archibald Ridde 11— Samuel Shepard — Opposition to Tax
for Supporting the Town Minister 76
CHAPTER VIII. 1678-1683.
Gov. Andross — Bridge over the Papiack — Low Treasury — Township
Court Regulations — Deputy Gov. Rudyard — A Woodbridge Citi-
zen Disgraced 89
CHAPTER IX. 1683-1690.
Moore and Dennis — Shrievalty — First Tavern — More Piscataway
Trouble — The Deputy Governors — Quit Rent Agitation — High-
ways — Pound — Obadiah Ayers — Vigilance Committee — Landings
Second Division of Land — Death of Samuel Moore — of Israel
Thornell— First Side-walk 98
CHAPTER X. 1690-1700.
The Rangers — Geese Troubles — Town in Debt — The Courts — Another
Town Clerlv— Indian War— A Sick Man— Ncav Bridge — Walker's
Walk— Too much Talk— The Freemen— Model Compact— Riot. Ill
CHAPTER XI. 1702-1872.
2he B/piscopal Congregaimi— George Keith — Edward Vaughan— Hal-
liday — First Church — Piscataway Church — Skinner — Chandler —
McKean — Parker — Preston— The Revolution— List of Church
Officers 121
CHAPTER XIL
Township Officers from 1668 to 1700 -Deputies— Town Clerks— Con-
stables — Court Officers — Overseers of Highways — Rate-makers —
Rate-Gatherers-Other Officers 137
CHAPTER XIII. 1700-1707.
Provincial Difficulties — Cornfield Landing — Metuchen— Pound at
Rahway-^Dividing the Commons — Boundary Between Wood-
bridge and Amboy — Arrears in Taxes — Fulling Mill— First Town
Committee— Parker's Grist Mill— John Pike Swindled— The
Eighth Division of Land — Ancient Woodbridge 143
CHAPTER XIV. 1700-1720.
The Pound again— Pike vs. Sonmans- Pike & Cutter's Mill— Free-
holders' Book— Judge Adam Hude— Mos^s Rolph- Strawberry
Hill— The Commons— Second Town Book— Fourth Division
Lois- Ear Marks— Death of Samuel Dennis 153;
CONTENTS. ,-y
CHAPTER XV. 1700-1760.
IJie Presbyterians— Samuel Shepardâ €” His Wife's Decision-Nathaniel
Wade-Piesbyteriacism Established— The Secession— Surveys of
the Parsonage Land and the Meeting-House Green— John Pier-
son— Nathaniel Whitaker Ig^
CHAPTER XVI. 16G9-1793.
EducaLional—The Free School Land— First School Teacher, James
Fullerton— John Browne— John Beacher— Survey of the School
Land— Rahvray School— Strawlierry Hill— George Eubanks—
School Fund— Old Academy 177
CHAPTER XVII. 1720-1737.
Slavery— Market-place— Encroachments— Roads Made Narrow— Son-
mans-Stelle difficulty— Kinsey's plan— Town and Freeholders'
Clerks— Seventh Division of land— Last of the Law-suit 185
CHAPTER XVIII. 1738-1776.
England and France at war— The Sixth Division difficulties- The
Eighth Division— Woodbridge in 1748— An old house— James
Parker the printer— First printing-press in the State located at
Woodbridge— An old bridge 195
CHAPTER XIX. 1751-1788.
TJie Quakers — Grave-stones removed— First Quarterly Meeting in
Woodbridge— The Draft— IMendham Quakers— Railway— Minis-
ters — War troubles — Rapid decline at Woodbridge — The Revolu-
tion 209
CHAPTER XX. 1761-1873.
2he Presbyterians — Rev. Azel Roe — The Metuchcn Church— The New
Woodbridge Church — Rev. Messrs. Mills, Barton, Martin, Lucas —
The old Burying-ground 223
CHAPTER XXI. 1775-1783.
The Revolution— Taxation — Tea-drinking— Old heroes— Gen. Heard
— Scared by a Swivel — James Paton — David EdgT — Smith
Bloomfield— Samuel Dall}'— Capt. Nathaniel F. Randolph— Tim-
othy Bloomfiehl— Eunice— Dr. IMoses Bloomfield— David and
Robert Coddmgton — Peter Latourette- -The Inslees— List of Old
Soldiers 239
CHAPTER XXII. 1775-1783.
The Kevolution continued— Spanktowu— Events between 1776 and
1783— Grace Lackj^— Batile of Ash Swamp— Ezra Mundy— The
Cutters— Clarkson Edgar — The Moores— Jennet Gage 269
CHAPTER XXIII.
Conclusion— Town Meetings during the Revolution- Our great men. 286
APPEJSTDIX.
A.— Woodbridge Town Charter S98
B.— Presbyterian Charter... 303
C— Episcopal Church Charter 307
I).— Free School Land Charter 310
E. — Liber A. list of Marriages, Births and Deaths 315
F.— Liber B. list 351
G. — Quaker list of Marriages 358
fl.— Public Landing 364
L— PablicDock 365
J. — Two highways laid out 174 years ago 366
K— The Piscataway Baptist Church 267
Local Chronology 373
Contents 375
Index 379
INDEX.
Note.— This Index does not comprehend the lists of ^larriages, Births,
and Deaths in the Appendix, as those lists are alphabetical.
Academy, Town, 184.
Elizabethtown, 233.
Acken, Thomas, 230.
Adams, John (1), 28, 47, 151, 9.
J»hn (2), 246.
Thomas, 29, 160.
Adlington, Arthur, 206.
Agreement, original Town, 9, 23.
Albany, 115.
Alford, Benjamin, 207.
Allen, Rev. John, 29, 66, 67, 69, 81,
82, 83, 84, 103, 138, 160, 186.
Henry, 388.
Alston, Daviii, 132, 307.
Alstone, John, 180, 236.
Alwood, Joseph, 161.
Andrews, Ephraim, 28, 47, 52, 86, 88,
91, 92, 93, 104, 115, 116,
119, 137, 9, 140, 1, 159, 164,
183, 6, sm.
Jedediah. 151, 9.
3Iary, 167.
Andross, Gov., 27, 89, 90, 91.
Arthur Cull, 7, 24, 298. Achter Coll,
50.
Arrowsmith, Milton, 135.
Ash Swamp, 280.
Ashton, Joiin, 124.
Auburn Theol. Sem., 233.
Auger (or Eager), Archibald, 263.
Thomas, 28, 47 (or Alger), 159.
Austin, Rev. D., 231.
Averill, John, 29. (Everit?), 160.
Ayers, Daniel, 207.
Ellis, 225.
Ellis F., 227.
James, 241. 287.
Joanna, 168.
John, 168, John Jr., 168.
Mary, 168, Piiebe, 168.
Samuel, 180.
Mrs. Robert, 169.
Mrs. Thomas, 168.
Obadiah, 18, 28. 47,
114, 138, 151, 9, 168.
B.
50, 105,
Bacon, Saral., 28, 41, 92, 138, 9, 159.
Baker, Capt, 278.
Jolin, 49.
Cornelius, 287.
Bald Hill (between Woodbridge and
Riihwayl, 84.
Banister, Rev. T. L., 133.
Barber, E., 206.
Barclay, John, 60.
Robert, 72, 96.
Barkaloo, H., 135.
Barnet, Capt., 249.
Barnstable, 8.
Barracks, Amboy, 242.
Barron, Elizeus, 167.
Ellis, Capt., 236, 263, 6.
Ellis, 276.
John, 133, 5, 173, 207, 230.
Joseph, 135, 230, 1, 7, 8.
Samuel (I.), 161, 173, 203, 7.
(II.),. 133, 5.
Sarah, 277.
Mr., 123,6.
Thomas, 132, 4.
Barrow, John, 123.
Barton, Rev. Wm. B.. 232, 7.
^Irs. H. B., 233, Mrs. H. M.,
233.
Baptists, the, 128, 227, 267.
Baptist Church at Piscalaway, 867.
Basse, Gov., 162.
Baxter, Richard, 81.
Baylev, John, 7, 8.
Bcatty, John, 814.
Beach, Rev. A., 132.
Beacher, John, 178, 9.
Bedford, Gov., 203.
Bedman, Wra., 135.
Belcher, J., Gov. 176, 303. 6.
Bell, Andrew, 135.
38o
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Benton place, 150.
Benton, Wra. H., 135.
Berkeley, Lord, 8, 3G, 27, 125, 172,
298, 310.
Bergen, 20, 30. 93, 256.
Bergen Co., 270.
Berry, John, 50, 100. Wm. 161. Wm.
H., 150.
Berry's factory, 293.
Billop, Col., 2o9.
Billop's Point, 259.
Bingley, Wm., 29, 124, 1.33.
Bishop, Alston, 132, 4.
Sergt. .James, 221.
John. 8, 20, 28, 41. 47, 52, 53,
77, 79, 103, 124, 139, 140, 1, 2,
160, 177, 180, 291, 3G4.
John, Jr.. 28, 83, 86, 91, 02,
96, 101, 3, 4, 7, 119, 137, 9
140, 1, 5, 6, 155, 160, 201. — fBoTvman, Wm., 255
Jonathan,29,86, 93, 101,9, 112
141,40,1,5,6,160,4,291,363.
Lydia, 168.
Noah, 105, 7, 138, 141, 167, 9.
Shotwell, 264.
Blacklich, Benony, 20.
Blanchard, Capt., 206.
Blazing Star, 228, 242, 264, 7, 364.
Bloodgood, Fran;;is, 213.
James, 138, Wm., 161
137, 140, 150, 9.
(III.), 264, 276.
(IV.), 264,
Timotiiy (I:), 167, 243,
256, 7.
Timothy (II.), 256, 235.
William, 264.
Bloomfield's Spring, 157.
Bollen, James, 25. 33, 93, 99, 302.
Bond, Robert, 25, 302.
Bunny, James, 241,286, 7, 8. 3i \
Joseph, 168. ^OX\X\eJ^U<A^
Borroughs, Esther, 168. \^^^^ ^^^
Bonham, Nicholas, 367.
Bonliamtown, 264, 7, 9, 270, 2, 8, 4.
Boudinot, Eiisha, 260.
Bound, Capt. A., 81. 83-
Bostwick, Rev. D.,232.
Bowfi, Capt., 148.
Bloomfield Ezi^kiel (I.), 86, 87, KK), 116,';Bricktown, 228,
Boyd, Rev. J., 170, 1.
Boynton's Dock, 22.
Bradford, Wm., 200, 1.
Bradley, Joshua, 28, 43, 83, 139, 150,
160.
Bradshaw, Geo.. 134.
Branford, Conn., 13.
Brentuall, .John, 135.
Brewster, J. M., 135, Timothy, 230, 6.
George Y., 237.
119, 137, 8, 140, 1, 2, 192,
366.
(II.), 264.
Eunice (I.), 258, (II.), 257.
Esther, 168.
BeDJamin, 206.
Hopewell, 168.
John (I.), 28, 33, 47, 79,
101,5, 9. 114,140, 5, 159,
160, 178, 180.
(II.), 206.
James, 261, 4.
Joseph, Sr., 258.
Joseph, Jr., 141, 175, 206,
330, 245, 258.
Jonathan, 173, 192, 337,
264, 288.
Moses, Dr., 173, 193, 7,
202. 5, 341, 258, 287, 8,
304, 311.
Mrs. Ann, 247.
Nathan, 264.
Smith, 247. 9, 256.
Thomas (I), 18,28,39.47,
48, 69, 138, 9, 140, 2, 159,
177. ' •
(II.), 18, 28, 53,
Bridges, 40, 91, 101, 5, 116, 205, 288.
Britton, Elizabeth, 108.
Daniel, 156, 8, 168, 188, 235.
Bridgetown, 271.
Brought, Aggie, 246.
Bi'ook, Rev. .John, 121.
Brotherton, Henry, 70.
Brown, Andrew, 208, Rev. J. F-, 367.
Col. Benj., 236.
Carlisle, 288.
Benjamin, 264.
Georce (I.), 157, 162, 8, 171, 2,
182. 208. 304.
(II.), 264.
Mr., 246,7.
Foreman, 230.
James, 190, 207, 231.
James, Jr., 230.
John (I.), 178,9,181,208.
(II. \ 230, 288.
Philip, 230.
Samuel, 230.
Thomas, 208.
Warren, 264.
William, 236.
Bunn, James, 135, Miles, 364
Seriab, 206, Mr. J., 33.
INDEX.
;8i
Matthew, 38, 40, 137, 159.
-- ' - - xl, 2
188.
Nulhau, 134, Icbiibocl, 276.
301, 2,
360.
David, 133,4, Wm
Burlington, K J., 64, 66,
Burghardt, Kev. P. H., 337
Burial Ground, Presbt., 167. 234-6,
356, 8, 368.
Burwell.Kobt, 364.
Butler. Samuel, 168.
Mehilable, 168.
Byllinge, E., 37.
C.
" Caledonia," the, 38.
Campbell, Caleb, 31, 158, 9, 160.
David, 335.
Dutrald, 338, 364.
John, 168, J. H., Jr., 135.
Henry, 134, 5.
Lord Neill, 103, 163.
Campyon, Mrs., 186, 240.
Cape May, 30.
Carman, Richard, 196.
Carll, Rev. B., 331.
Carteret, Gov Philip. 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14,
184,5,330,264.
Mary, 168.
Robe;t(I.), 230, 6, 251,
5,9,261, 381.
(II), 300.3,259,261,3,
281.
Riehard, 161.
Coddington's Point, 107.
138, 140, Hannah,
Cohausey, 367, 371.
Collier, Thomas,
168.
Comptou, Daniel, 220, 1, Henry, 370,
Francis, 207.
John, 138, 141,4, Mary, 31.
William, 31, 38, 149, 159,
197.
Conger, Gershom, 306, Mary, 168.
Wm., 349.
John (I.), 28, 105, 7, 9, 138,
159, 168. 178.
(HO, 235.
Condin, Michael, 377.
Condit, Rev. A., 333.
Connecticut Farms, 345, 6, 260.
Connecticut Gazette, 301.
Constables, 138, 143.
35, 37, 39, 30, 31. 33, 43, 46,
49, 53, 89, 96, 135, 160, 398,iContineutil Congress, 240.
303, 310. Conwav. John, 306, 330.
8ir George. 8, 36, 33, 96, 125, Cook, Rev. Heniy, 235, 6.
172, 398, 310. Col, 373.
Cedar Brook, 178. Copeland, Cowpertluvait, 314, 18
Chalkley, Thomas, 73. jCornbury, Lord, 120, 148.
Champpiue, 46.
Chandler. Rev. T. B., 139.
Chaplin, John, 168.
Chapman, Rev. Jas., 133.
Charter, of Wood bridge, 33. 39, 40,
46, 53, 100, 4,l77, 398.
of Presbyterian Church, 303.
of Episcopal Church, 307.
of School Land, 310.
" Chesquake," 113.
Chimbel, David, 168, Rachel, 168.
Jonathan, 168.
Christ Church, Eliz., 134.
Clark, 135.
Clarke, Wm.,378.
Clarkson, Abel, 135, James, (H.), 135.
James (L), 29, 68, 155, 160,
180, 364.
Jeremiah, 346, 386, Noe, 383,
Robert, 341, 386, 311.
Cleak (or Clark), John, 146.
Clerk, Benj., 61
Cornwallis, Lord, 374, 5.
Cotheal, Isaac. 373.
Council of Safel3', 376-8.
Courts, etc., 112- 114, 115.
Court house, 34, 156.
Court, Township, 9, 35, 39, 34, 43, 81,
91, 93, 94, 98, 100, 113, 139,
163, 301.
Cow bovs, 278.
Coxe, Wm., 339.
Crandel. Jolm, 20, 119.
Crane, iMaj. Wm.. 347.
Crews, Rev. M., 134.
Cromwell, Benj., 30, 141,5.
John, 38, 159.
Cross Keys' Tavern, 3^5.
Crow, David. 331, Ellis, 330.
Col. Saral., 336.
Crowell, David, 331. Hannah, 16S.
Joseph, 331, 7, 364.
James, 306, Wm. E., 371.
Edward, 175, 191. 234, 30L
Rolph M.. 366, 393.
" H., 133.
Coddington, David, 359. _ ,. „
James (not Wm.), 147, Cummg, Rov. F
330. I Cuts, Robert, 48.
John, 138, Jotham, Cutter's Dock, 48, 144,
382
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Curtis, Mary, 108.
Cutter, Capt., 168, Samuel, 230, 264.
Richard, 154, 1G8, 192, 207,
235, 283, 304.
Jennet, 154, Mary, 108.
Mrs. 240, Ke'.sey, 264.
Campyou, 230, 7, 243.
William, 207, 237, 283.
Josepli, 207, John, 283.
Stephen, 364, 283.
Tabitha, 283, Ford, 264, 283,4.
Samuel R., 283, Hampton, 285.
D.
Dally, Jeremiah (I.), 246, 9.
(II.), 4. 150.
Samuel, 249. Mary, 250.
T. J. and G.W., 151.
Dane, Daniel, 168.
Davis, Thomas, 153.
De Camp, Sera;t. Jas., 221, Morris, 264,
Demarest, David, 200.
Dennis, John, 18, 28, 92, 105,110,141,
9, 159, 161.
Jonathan, 29, 168, Mrs., 168.
Mary, 134.
Robert, 8, 10, 26, 28, 48, 77,
78, 79, 137, 140, 1, 159, 161.
Samuel, 18, 20, 38, 47, 50, 52,
79, 80, 86, 88, 91, 93, 94, 95,
98, 99,100,2, 3,5,9, 110,112,
114, 116, 119, 130, 137, 8, 9,
140, 1, 2, 8, 150, 9, 161-3, 4,
171, 180, 191, 291.
Samuel, Jr., 138, 156.
Denton, Daniel, 7, 8, 51.
Deputies, pay of^O, 93, list of 137.
Dey, Elias, 33:1
Dessigny, Peter, ?<L
Dickinson, Jonathaff, 173, 5, 6.
Disossway, Israel, 230.
Dismal Swamp, 23, 33, 298.
Dilly, John, 38, 153, 9, 160, 168.
Ruth, 168.
Divisions of land, 38, 108, 144, 5, 147.
First, 148 ; Second, 108, 148,
155 ; Third, 148 ; Fourth,
21, 148, 158; Fifth, 149,
161; Sixth, 149, 196; Sev-
enth, 149, 193 ; Eighth, 149.
Dole, Richard, 6, 80.
Donn (Dunn), Hugh, 10, 28, 150, 9,
367.
Donham, Joseph, 133, 164, 307.
Doane, Bishop, 133.
Dodge, Rev. Daniel, 369.
Dog tax, 204.
Docks, See " Landings."
Dog tavern, 268.
Douglass, Rev. Wm., 133.
Drake, John, 237, Rev. John, 867,
371.
William snd Hannah, 371.
Reuben, 267, Capt., 372.
Fitz Randolph, 371, Geo., 371,
Dunham, Jonathan, 17, 18, 28, 44, 47,
51, 78, 107, 8, 9, 115. 125,
140, 1, 149, 160, 4, 180, 197.
Benjamin, 67, 133,4, 5, 158,
170.
Josiah, 135, Isaac, 284.
Edmund, 367.
David, 156, 168, 196, 307,
221, 304.
Joanna, 168, Mrs., 168.
Azariah, 215, Henry, 330,
Mary, 221, Lewis, 251.
Dunharatown, 44, 124.
Dunn, Rev. Mr., 134, Seth, 230, 1.
(See Donn), Alexander, 871.
Dudley, Gov., 7, Mercy, 7.
Dutch Rule, 49-52.
Dutch Reformed Church at Metuchen,
328.
Duck Creek, Del., 248.
Duychink, Maj., 243.
F
Earle, Rev. W. R., 133.
Ear-marks, 160.
lEdgar, Thomas (I.), 168, 230, 289.
(II.), 337, 387.
James, 331, 330, 364.
William (I.), 264.
(II.), 150, (III.), 230.
Alexander (I.), 306, 980.
(II.), 110, 149.
Captain D., 330, 5, 244, 6, 7,
365.
Clarkson, 330, 6, 284, 7, 8.
Hannah, 247, David, Sr., 347.
Mr., 378.
Edgar, Maj., Homestead, 379.
Eddy, James, 302, 3, John, 173.
Edsull, Samuel, 25, 80, 97, 302.
Elders, Presbyterian, list of, 337.
Ellison, Wm., 138, 141.
Elizabethtown, 7, 8, 13, 14, 34, 36, 27,
49, 50, 51. 54, 56, 68,
77, 90, 96, 101, 4, 5, 8,
111, 123, 3, 6, 9, 130,
134,167,173,4,5,199,
331, 345, 6, 351, 8,
276, 7, 8.
Elm Tree Tavern. 199.
Institute, 300.
INDEX,
383
Ellwell, H., 135.
Elston, Wm.,20, 152.
Ambrose, 264.
Elstone, Peter, 157.
Ensign & Commoss, 242, 285.
Episcopal Cliurch, 76, 121-136, 181,
2S3, 307.
Essex, Co., 93, 113.
Essex Horse, 247.
Eston (ElslonV) Thomas, Jr., 288.
Eubanks, George, 124, 181.
Evans, Reuben, 203, Crowell, 264.
David, 206.
Everit, John, see Averill.
F.
Fences, 44, 53, 187.
Fenwick, John, 27.
Fink, Wm. E., 135.
Finley, Rev. R. J., 227.
First baby in town, 21.
Fisher, Rev. Dr., 237.
Fitz Randolph, Nath'l. Sr., 62, 68, 66
68,99,105,7,120,137.
Fleming, Wm., 277.
Flood, Isaac, 263, John, 250.
Fogg, Rev. E., 80.
Fold, Chas., 168.
Foote, Dr. I.,232.
Forbes, C. A., 135.
Force, Benj., 188, Jeremiah C, 288.
Samuel, 265, 286.
Ford, Ebenezer, 225, 278.
Samuel, 208, Ellas, 168.
John, 167, 169, 171.
Wm., 168, 235, Jacob, 215.
Ford's Corner, 35, 150, 243.
Fors, ]\ratthcw, 168, Sarah, 168.
Mrs. Benj.. 168.
Forster (Foster )j, Ebenezer, 139, 241,
307,311.
Fox, Geo., 72.
Franklin, Gov., 242, 307, 9, 10, 13.
Frazee, David, 191, 287.
Jonathan, 1G9, Wm., 206.
Sholwell B. 264.
Hiram, 265, Morris, 265.
Freehold, K J., 170.
8, 9, 141, 6, 178, 206,; Freeholders' Book, 3, 203.
210, 216.
Nath'l, Jr., 3, 16, 205,
235, 241, 6. 251-256,
259, 260, 287, 9, 364.
Grace, 63.
Captain xVsher, 251,
264, 5, 268, 287.
Hartshorn, 215.
Jacob, 207.
Edward, 68, 71.
Joseph (I.), 67.
(II.), 265.
Euah, 265, Ezekiel,
265.
Malachi, 265, Daniel,
265.
Michael, 265, James,
265.
Barzilla, 265, Stelle,
265
Phineas,265, Thomas,
265.
Clerks, 192.
Freeman, Joseph. 175.
Henry. 1 89, 193, 207, 220, 1,
235, 6, 251, 278, 364.
Dr. E. B., 4. Jedediali, 251.
Dr. S. E., 101, 240,
Israel. .2 77. 286. [168.
Samuel, 276, Mi's. Sam'I,
Alexander, 207, Hannah,
168.
Dr. Matt., 133,5, 265.
Isaac, 207, 241, 276, 286.
Lorraiu, 112, 134.
Melancthon. 135, 265.
Jonathan, 161, 184, 230, 7,
- 265.
John, 207, David, 265.
Capt. Matthew, 265, 277,
286. 7, 8.
Smith, 271, Josiab, 288.
Freemen, the, 117.
Frelinghuystn, Col. F., 276.
Zedekiah, 265, Es-:French and Indian War, 111, 114, 195,
seek, 207. I 212, 215.
Nathaniel (III.), 191, French, John, 20,28.
2, 202, 208. I Col. John, 221.
Isaac, 207, Reuben,, Friend, Charles, 277.
207. iFuUerton, Jas , 177, 9, Thos., 17a
Edward, 209, 221. I Robert, 178,
Samuel, 221,265, 283.
Robert, 191,208,241, G-
286,7,8. Gach (or Gage), Thomas, <1, 192,
F.ag-Btaff, first, 285, I 202, 6.
3^4
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Gage, Jpnnet, 285, Ellis, James, and]
Philip, 385.
Gallauclet, P. W., 330.
Gannit, Rehoboth, 28, 150.
' Geddis, Joha, 208.
Geese, llio, 111, 153.
General Asseiublv, see "Legislature."
Giles, Kev. J., 231.
Gilchrist, Ilobt, 157, 8, 160.
Gillispie, Rev., 171.
.Gilmaus, the, 11.
Gilman, John (I.). 10, 51 . 102 (II.), 265.
Ciiaiies (L), 10, 15U, 5, ICO
(II.), 265.
Joseph (I.), 155, 161, 235,
(II.), 251,285.
Goodwin, Amos, 124.
Gordon, Thomas, 85.
Grand Jury, 47, 55, 142.
Giasie (Grese_y or Gresie), Daniel, 28,
151, 159.
Gray, Joseph, 157, 108. -Elizabeth, 168.
Great Bi^nd, surprise at, 261.
Green, Meetin<>;-house, or Kirk, 16,
17, 18,^40, 44, 76, 77, 84, 124,
125, 149, 152, 7, 165, 173, 180.
329.
"Greyhound," the, 199.
Griffith, Benj. 61, 62, 63, 67. -Dr. J..
230.
John. 68, 69.-Edward, 371.
Elizabeth, 70.
Groome, Sani'l, 96.
Grove, Robert, 150, 167. -Mary, 108.
"Gunpowder," 213.
H.
Hackensack, 276.
Hadden, Thos. (L), 71, 132, 161, 206,
236.
(ID, 265, 307.
Crow ell, 230.
Haddonfield, 276.
Haines, Jonathan, 28, 159.
Edward, 113, 149.
Hale, S:im'l, 20, 28, 47, 53, 79, 94, 115,
116, 119, 138, II, 140, 2, 9, 1.59,
164, 7, 9, 180, 3G0.
Halliday, Rev. T., 123, 135, 126, 7,
174.
Hamilton, Gov., 102, 115, 143, 4, 6.
Hampton, Abner, 212, 213, 14, 15, 16.
Haace, Geo. C, 136,258.
Revo C. , 134.
Hanbam, Wm., 134.
Hanover, 175.
Harned, Jonathan, 71, 161, 307,319.
Jonathan, Jr., 218, 220.
Nathan. 135.
Wm.,204, 242,Dr. S. P., 300.
Harriot, David. 307, 336, John, 364.
S.imuel, Jr., 330. ^
Geo., 307, 337, Ephraim,
330, 7.
Harris, Benj., 218.
Harpendine, Poter, 221.
Hart, Col. J., 231.
Hartford, Conn.. 174.
Haverhill, 8.
Haviland, Joseph, 207.
Haydock, James, 217, 221, John, 319-
Hayes, Maj., 265.
Hazlcwood Cemetery, 367.
Heard's Brigade, 343, 7.
Heard, John, 161,194, 306, 343, 277-
Sani'l, 376, Mrs., 168.
James. 343, Wm., 343, 304.
Gen. Nath'l, 304, 6, 235, 241,
343, 3, 276, 286, 7, 9, 311.
''Henrv and Francis," the, 156.
Hendricks, Dan'l, 40.
Herrod, Wm., 135.
High Sheriff of Middlx., 29, 100. 163.
Higgins, Gershom, 124, Rose, 167.
Highways, 12, 16, 17, 18, 47, 101, 4, 7,
112, 140, 4. 173, 187, 366.
Hoffman, Rev. E. A. , 133, 4.
HoUister's Corner, 150, 1, 360.
Hollister, Geo., 133,5.
Holland, Sarah, 168.
IToll, John, 301.
Holton,H. W., 135.
Holoies, Col., 334.
Homans, Rev., 134.
Hoogland, Adj., 217.
Hopkins, Sam'l., 50.
Hotel, Wood bridge, 293.
House-lots, 9.
Houghtenville, 268.
Hoviot, Ocilla, 168.
Howe, Lord, 272, 4, 5.
Hude, Adam, 20, 146, 156, 7, 164, 167,
8, 186, 8, 235, 292.
Mrs. Marion, 235.
Robert, 156, 175, 196.
Agnes, 156, James, 156-
Hudson, Capt. H., 5.
Huffmaster, F. 134.
Hull, Hopewell, 10, 29, 3?, 150, 0.
Ben].. 10. •
Hummer, Philip, 371.
Hunt, Solomon, 213, 215, 217.
Marmaduke, 320, 286.
Rev. H. W.,227, Dr. E M ,338.
Rev. G. A. , 227.
Hunter, Gov., 124, 127.
INDEX.
385
Huntin?, 5, 12, 299.
Hutchinson, "\Vm., 233.
I.
Ilslys, the, 38.
Dsly, Jolin, 20, 29, 37, 53, 83, 91, 93,
110, 137, 9, 142. 7.
Jolin, Jr.,138, 141.
Elislia, 28, 37, 159.
Jonathan, 161, 203.
Mary, 109, D.ivM, 157.
Wm., 158, 172, 182.
Elizabeth, 168.
Independent Church, 169-171.
Indians, the, 5, 6, 8, 19, 2G, 30-34, 40,
45, 48, 102. Ill, 114, 144.
Inslee, Jonathan, 235, 233.
E.Kperience, 256.
John, 282, Gage. 283.
Elizabeth, 263.
Smui'I, 276, Wm.,198.
Capt. Isaac, 151.
J.
Jackson, Chas., 173, 191. 202, 4,241.
Marv, 208, Thomas, 230.
Jadges, 119, 150.
Jail (see Prison).
James II., 102.
Jaques, Henry, 8. 20, 28, 151, 9.
Henry. Jr., 28, 159.
Col. Moses, 221. -Dr. 265.
Sara'l, 132, 168, 203, 7, 230, 6,
307.
Mrs., 168-Ann. 110.
John, 184, 158, 168, 172, 181,
366.
Rev. P. L.,133.-James, 134.
Susannah, 168.
Jaquish, Sam'l, 241, 265, 287.
Jonathan, 251. 366.
JpTsey Prison Ship, 256, 264, 293.
Jersey Blues, 243.
Jones, Jas., 135, 207.-BeDJ., 168.
Geo. 135. -Joanna, 168.
Isaac. 185.-Jeffrey, 178.
Rev. H. v., 370.
Capt.,255.-Widow, 181.
William, 236, 263.
K.
Kalm, Prof , 197, 8. 9.
KeMrnev. Pliilip, 193.
Keilh, Geo.. 61, 62. 121.
Kelly, James, 208.-John, Jr., 208.
Benajah, 283.
Kent's Creek, 154.
Kent's Neck, 32.
Kent, Stephen, Sr., 8.28.35,39, 41,43.
50, 139, 145, 150, 9.
Stephen, Jr., 28. 150. 9. 160.
Wm., 197, 206. -David, 287, 203.
John, 208.
Kiirgs, Rev , 237.
Kiiiingsworth, Rev. T., 367.
Killingworth, Conn., 173.
KingwooJ, N. J., 227.
King's Highwav, 187.
Kin'sev, John, Sr., 62, 06, 68, 69, 155,
180, 2, 8, 190.
Jolm. Jr., 188, 9, 190. 1, 2, 3,
230, 265, 276.
Jonathan, 206, 212.
Shadrach, 265.-Gracc, 81.
James (I.), 235. -(II.), 205.
Kinsey Farm, 236.
Kirk Green, 16. (Sec "Green, Meet-
ing house.")
Knyf, Capt., 50.
L.
Labaw. Francis, 266.
Lacy, Capt., 273.
Lafayette. Gen., 243, 256.
Laci'y, Robt., 236 -Grace, 279.
Laing, Jacob, 215.-Wm., 230.
John, 60, 62, 67, 74,211, 220.
Abram, 266. -Joel B.. 267.
Latourette, Peter, 255, 9, 261.
Langstali, John, 134.
Lansrstaffs Hill, 157.
Landings, 19, 20. 22, 48. 69, 107, 144,
154, 364, 5.
Lasslett, John, 265.-Geo., 135, 1S4.
Lawrie, Gov., 61, 102, 4.
Lawrence, John, 52.
Law-suit, the Sonnian's, 154, 188-191.
193, 4.
Leacock, Rev. H. J., 138.
Le Clair, 135.
Le^, Robt., 135.
Leesville, 105.
Lee's Legion. 243.
Legislature, 26, 27, 29. 42, 54-58, 90.
115, 143, 156, 183, 195.
Leonard, Capt. N., 266.
Lcsenhe, Henrv, 18, 28, 149, 159.
Lesliier, John, 260.
Lo Prairie (see "Vnquillen, Robt.").
Lewis, Thns., 200, 214.
Annainiis, 206.-Rev. D.,370.
Little Egg Harbor. 30.
Little, Geo., 28, 77, 159.
Livingiton. Gov., 24.5.
Lockhart, Geo., 20.-Widow, 168.
Ephraim, 168,
386
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Gawen, 138, 141, 164.
Lo'jge, Lieut., 273.
Long, Michael, 276.
Loofbourrow, John, 67, 81. (Spelt
Lufberry, 69 )
Louel, Thomas, 10.
Lovelace, Gov., 27.
Lucas, Rev. Geo. C, 233, 4.
Luckhurst, Jas., 185.
Lufberry, Abraham, 266.
Joseph O., 266, 271.
John H., 266.
Lupardus, Martin, 371.
Lyon, Mr., Ill, 112.
M.
Magazine, 53, 101. 143.
Makany, David, 28, 41, 160-
Manning's Brook, 18, 150.
Manning, Jerem., 231, 236, 267.
Ben)., 225. -Jas. 287.
John, 135, 230.
March, Hugh, 8, 20, 28, 159, 364.-
Geo. 159, 197.
Marcus Hook, 248.
Marsh, Elias, 132, 4. -Richard, 270.
Joseph, 135, 221.-Thos. 135.
Capt. Chris., 266, 273.
Ralph, 266.-John, 286.
Sim'l, 213.-Isaac, 249.
Market, 25, 183, 6, 300.
Martin, John, 10, 18, 28, 47, 139, 140,
2, 159.
Oliver, 204, 266.
Merrick, 266.
Henry, 207. -Rev. W: M., 233,
4,
Ephraim, 371.
Masonic Hall, 294
Mather, Cotton, 171.
Mawbey, Dennis, 135.-Wm. W., 135.
Henry, 135.
Maxwell, Gen., 245. 272, 3.
McCabe, Lieut., 273.
McClelland, Robt., 107.
McConally, Pat., 273.
McDowell, Alex., 368.
McKean, Rev. R., 130, l,2.-Gov., 131.
Mcllvaine, Rev. R. C, 133.
McLaughlin, Rev. J., 369.
Meat pack in £r, 103.
Meeting-house, 30, 52, 53, 77, 79, 83,
112,113,15,16,19,121,
149, 156,164,180.229
Meeker, S. A., 136.-Johu, 249.
Capt. O., 247.
Melyn, Jacob, 49.
Melick, Leonard, I61.-Peter, 161.
J. M., 34, l49.-Joel, Jr., 283.
Mendham, 212, 213, 214.
Methodist E. Church. 67, 231, 293.
Metuchen, 144, 173, 186, 211, 213,223,
238, 256, 264, 5, 6, 7, 8,
270, 4, 5.
Presbyterian Church at,
223-8, 275.
Reiormed Church at, 238.
Middlesex Co., 13, 93, 113.
Middletown, 20, 50.
Military, the town, 9, 44, 53, 140, 291,
300.
Mill Brook, 105, 366.
Mill, Mrs., 60.
Mills, 17, 22. 44, 91, 93, 107, 215, 145,
7, 9, 154, 293, 366.
Mills, Rebecca, 168.-Rev. H., 232, 3, 7.
Miller, Elizabeth, 168.
Milton, 264, 6.
Ministry, the town, 9, 24, 44, 46.
(Chap. Vn.), 300.
Mitchel, Mrs., 60.
Monmouth, 283.-County of, 93, 120.
Moore, Samuel (L), 16, 18, 26, 28, 29,
30, 37, 39, 43,47,48,49.51,53,
77, 79, 91, 94, 95, 96, 98, 99, 100,
101, 7, 8, 9, 116, 137, 8, 9, 140,
1, 2,9,159,177, 191,291.
(11.), 116, 196.
Daniel, 191, 205, 281, 4, 5, 7.
Matthew, Sr., 28, 83, 105, 9, 116,
138,141, 2,6,159,189,234.
Matthew, .Tr.,80, 138.
John, 155, 208.
Joseph 208. -Grace 268.
Sam'l, shoemaker, 208.
Eliphalet, 26C.
Edward. 230. -Jas. C, 279.
Wm. 241.-Wm., Jr.,287.
Moores, Robt., 230. -Daniel B., 230.
Sam'l, 276, 7. -Jas., 384.
Britain, 384.
Mootry, John, 20.
Moffet, Sam'l, 168.
Molden Men, 150.
Mores, John, 138, 175, 304, 311.
Mrs., 168.-Sam'l, 140.
Wm., 138 -Anna, 168.
Morris, Wm., 212, 214.-Jo]in, Jr., IGl.
Abraham, 221. - Gov. Lewis,
195
T. 'h.,4, 16,18,34, 150, 199.
Morristown, 245, 367.
Jail at, 220.
Morgan's Rangers. 274. 5.
Muiidy, Edward, 132. 4, 5, 230.
James, 241, 287. -Ezra, 283.
INDEX.
387,
Henry, 133, 4.
Mutton Hollow, 35.
N.
Napp, Henry, 69.
Newark, 8, 13, 26, 49, 50, 77, 167, 174,
aOl, 369, 370.
New American Ma2;azine, 201.
New Brunswick, 19, 156. 240, 262, 9,
270, 2, 3, 4, 369.
Newbury, Mass., 6, 7, «.
New Dover, 268.
New Haven, 2U1.
Newton, Alanson, 134, 5.
Nevill, Sain'l, 193, 20l.-John, 193.
Nichols, Gov., 26, 27.
Noakes, Walter, 276.
Noe, Daniel, 206.-James, 267.
Peter, 161, 267. -John, 173.
N. Y. Gazette, 200.
Post boy, 200, 1.
O.
Oak Tree, 264, 5. 283, 3.
" Oblong," the, 213.
OdeDiieimer, Bishop, 134.
Officers, Town, 9, 137-142, 300, 1.
O^den, John, 7, 8, 10, 49, 50.
Capl., 267.
Ogilby, Rev. F.. 133, 4.
Old Cannon, 260.
Orange, N. J., 225.
Osborn, Rev. M., 237.
Osborne, James, 206.
Overseers ot Highways, 140.
of Poor, 143, 204.
Ovin. Dr.,81.
Oxford, 129.
P.
Page, Rev. C. J., 370.
Palmer, Capt., 100.
Pain, Peter, 168, 335.-Mrs., 168.
Capt. Jobn, 221. - Wm., 249.
Pangborn, Stephen, 168.-Lydia, 168.
Joanna, 168.
Papiack Creek, 16, 17, 18, 22, 38, 40,
69, 77, 92, 101, 5, 115.
116, 147,153.364.
Neck, 19, 148, 157, 192.
Parcosl, Benj., 196.
ParJepus, Rene, 134, 5.
Pardon, VVm., 25, 302.
Parker, Elisha, 30, 34, 138, 141, 6, 7,
8. 9, 157, 9, 171, 200.
Benjamin, 20, 28. (Parkis
47), 159.
Rev. Mr., 7. -John, 158, 9.
James, the Printer, 126. 9,
130, 1, 200. 6, 292.
James (II.), 134, 5. -Geo. 214
Sam'l, 300, 235, 287.
Sam'l, P.,201, 2, 5, 241.
Janet 202. -Sarah, 235.
Parsons, Gen. , 245.
Parsonage land, 144, 8, 158, 171. 2. 4,
5, 224, 5, 6, 233, 4,
300.
Parsonage Presbyterian, 34, 149.
Eoiscopal, 17, 125.
Paterson, N. J., 370.
Patensou, Gov., 245. -Capt. Alex., 273.
Paton, James, 191. 230, 5, 244, 0, 6, 273-
David E., 13.5. -Mrs.. 333, 240.
Pawley, Rev. Geo., 371.
Pearce. John, 60, 64.
Peck, Rev. J., 77,80.
Penn, Wm., 96.
Peuuiman, Rev. J. A., 133.
Perkins, Hannah, 169. -David, 207.
L. M., 264.
Perrytown, 203. (This is now called
Unioulovvn.)
Perth Amboy, 13, 18,24, 25, 30.33, 38,
46, 57, .'j9, 60, 61, 103,
3, 4, 5, 114, 115, 131.
2, 7, 8, 9, 130, 1, 2, 145,
151,3,6. 162, 118,9, 1,*53,
6, 8, 193, «, 301, 3, 5,
213, 350, 9, 261, 370,
299,303,6,311.
Phillips' Mill, 293.
Phillips, Rebecca, 168. -Mrs. Eliphalct,
168.
Piatt, Capt. Wm., 263.
Pierce, Daniel, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 23, 2«,
46. 153, 9.
Joshua. 8, 33, 28, 36, 77, 138,
140, 152, 9, 191.
Rev. Mr., 133.
Pierson, Rev. John (I.), 13. -(II.), 173-
6, 234.
Rev.,77.-Theopiiilus, 167.
Rev. Abraham, 173. - Ruth,
174, 5.
Pike, John (I.), 8, 9, 18.28, 39, 40, 41,
45, 46. 51, 53, 57, 6b, 69, 77, 7tt,
79, 83, 86, 87, S.'^. 93, 94. 96, 103,
4, 5,7,9, 114, 115,116. 137,8. 9,
140.3,4.5,7.8, 151.4,5,164,7,
9, 177, 193, 334, 291, 3, 4.
John (II.), 28. 53, 57, 92, 103,
137,8,141,2.6, 151,5,234,291.
John (111.), 334.
Thomas, 39, 86, 88, 110, 114, 119,
138,140,1,5, 7, l.jl, 5, 7,160,7,
388
WOODHRIDGK AND VICINITY.
9. 171, 3, 180, 2, 191, 2, 366.
Mary, 154-Sanil), 168.
Zebulon, 161, 234, 267.
Nulhanicl, 168, 207.
Morcy, 16S.-James, 206.
Win., 207.-Zcbulou M.,285.
Pike's Neck, 151.
Pike House, 186.
PLicataway, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18. 24, 31, 32,
30, 40, 46, 49, 50, 51.
52, 66, 95, 101, 5, 6, 113,
114, 115, 116, 121, 2, 3,
125, 6, 7, 8, 132, 3, 144, 5,
159, 162, 163, 227, 239,
267, 270, 1, 4, 299, 367.
Burial grouud at, 371.
Boundary troubles of, 39,
40, 51, 1U2, 6, 145.
Plainficld, 74, 211,214, 216, 218,219,
221, 265, 274.
Plumer, Hannah, 109.
PJumley, Rev. G. «., 227.
Poor, lUe, 54, 142, 153, 5, 8, 167, 204,
287, 8, 9.
Poor House Farm, 179.
P.jpe, P. B.,135.
Port Bidimond, S. I. , 255.
Population (-f W., 81.
Potter, Deliverance, 83.-Ja«., 268.
Icliabod, 192, 230. -Isaac, 230.
Sally, 233. -Jane, 233.
Maj. Beubeii, 235, 277, 8.
Pounds, the, 52, 87, 95, 105, 142, 4, 5,
150, 3.
Pound, Elijah, 220. -Rev. Mr., 134.
Powell, Rich, 86, 114, 116.
Presbyterian (Jhurch, 17, 18, 76, 132,
164-176: 223-238: 285,
293, 303.
Preston, Rev. John. 132, 202, 307.
Princeton, N. J., 259. 277.
Princeton College, 176, 231.
Price, Bcnj., 167.
Piison, or Town Jail, 34, 53,96,97,
100, 120, 143, 9, 156, 162.
Prison ships. 293.
Propiietary Rule, 143.
Q
Quakers, the, 59-75, 88, 16(>, 209-222
Woodbridge, Meetinii-house
of, 64, 66-69, 81, 214, 219, 221.
Preparative meetings of, 65,
210, 217.
Monthly meetings of, 65, 70.
Quarterly mtg., at W., 71,
209, 210, 211. [217.
Quarterly mtg., at Rahway,
Burial Ground at W.,67, 69,
71,209, 210. [211.
Ministers and Elders, Mtg.,
Books of, 72, 210.
Queen Anne, 120, 260.
Quibbletown, 274, 5.
Quit Rents, 9, 27, 28, 30, 45,89, 102, 3,
4, 188, 193, 299.
Rahawak Swamp, 180.
Rahway, 74, 75, 104. 5, 7, 110, 121, 3,
133, 144, 151, 5, 180, 1, 211,
212, 213, 214, 216, 218,231,
203, 4; origin of, 271, 276, b.
Railway River (sumetimes wriiten
Rahawak, etc.), 9, 14,
23, 93, 116, 145, 7,
180, 271, 298.
Rahway Neck, 266, 2"; 7.
Randolph, (see Fuz Randolph.)
Jolham, 135 -John, 367.
Wm.F.,371.-Rev. Dr., 371.
Rangers, lll.-Morgan's, 274, 5.
Raritau, River, 9. 23. 24, 32, 113, 145,
278 298, i).
Landing, 269.
Township of, 280.
Rate Gatherers, 142.
Makers, 141.
Read, Chas., 306.-Bowes, 306.
Reed Brook, 156, 181.
Reed, Chas. B., 134, 5.-Morris, 230.
Reid, John, 60, 61.
Rennols, (Reynolds ?) Sarah, 168.
Revolution, the 190, 202, 3, 218-221 ;
228, 239-289.
Richardson, Rev. Dr., 237.
Rickets, Col. 199.
Rickhow, Joshua, 161.
Riddeil, Rev. A., 84, 85, 87.
Sir John, 84.
Rifle, O., 135.
Right, (Wright ?) Hannah, 168.
Rubeson, John, 20, 138.
Roberts, Danii 1, 211. -John, 211.
Roads, see " Highways."
Robinson, Wm.,68.-John, 20, 168, 180.
Robins, Dan'l., 28, 91, 114, 138, 140, 1,
2 159
Rolf (or Rolp'h,) John. 6, 7,141,366.
Samuel, I68.-J0S., 138, 147, 164.
Mary, 168.
Rolph, Moses 69, 155, 7, 8, 168, 183,
186, 8, 9, 191. 2.
Henry, 124, 180.-Benj., 157.
Roe, Rev. Azel, 160, 176, 198, 9, 223-
232.
INDEX.
389
Mrs. Mary, 232 -Mrs. H., 232.
Rogers. Robt., 28, 151, 9.-Wm., 157.
Ross, Robert, Sr., 225.
Robert, Jr., 193, 267.
John, 225, 267, 287.
Jerome, 270.-James, 169.
Rowland's Corner, 155.
RuOyard, Tlios , 96, 98, 102.
Runyon, Rev. R , 368, 371,
Metford, 371.
Ryerson, Capt., 254.
S.
Sabbath School, Presb , 233, 4.
Salsbury, Rev. B., 78,79.
Saltar,R., 148.
Samptown, 368.
Savers, Capt. M., 236.
Schools, &c., 25, 82 144, 8, 155, 8, 172,
177-184 , 186, 7, 194, 221, 284,
287, 8, 300, 310.
Schoolcv, Robt., 213.
bcotcb Plains, 275, 367.
Soott's Li^ht Hdrse, 275.
Schraalenbure, 227.
Hcudder, John, 108.
Sears, Svn^t Benj., 221. -Isaac, 267.
Seelv, Coi.,27v.
Sewell, Wrn., 72.
Sliaw, Daniel, 1S6.
Slieep, common, 112.
Sheep-masters, 154.
Sbehlon's Drascoons, 242, 4, 7,8, 9, 264.
Shepard, Rev.^S., 86, 87, 88, 121, 164,
165, 6, 7, 180.
Mrs. Alice, 164, 5, 6.
Joanna, 167.
Short Hills, 245, 264, 8.
Shotwel), Abram.,69, 70, 213, 214, 219.
Joseph, 74, 75, 203, 6, 9, 212,
214, 216, 219, 287, 311.
Daniei,71,20G.-A. V.,4,263.
John, 75, 209, 241, 287.
Jacob, 212.-S iral), 214.
Benjamin. 213, 217, 219, 288.
Samuel, 217.
Shippv, Susannah, 168.
Shrewsbury, 26, 50. 62, SB, 68, 71, 75,
209, 2i0, 219.
Notice of, 72.
Sririevalfy, the, 99, 100.
Sii-le-walk, first, 110.
Six Roads Tavi-rn, 286. 7.
Skinner, Rev. Wm., 127, 8, 9.
Gertrude, 129.-Anu. 168.
Cortland, 129, 203, 306, 9.
Richard, 138. 155. 168, 2G7.
John, 157, 168. -Francis, 168.
Slater, E., 102.
Slavery. 73, 185, 218.
Slin2;-tail BrooU, 35.
Sloop, Sally, 248.
Smalley, lienrv. 371. -John, 367.
Rev. Henry, 371.
Smallwood, Gen., 248.
Smith, John, (milhvricht,) 8, 10, 20,
28,37, 40,41, 42,43,46,48,77,
137, 8, 9, 141, 9, 159.
John, (Scotchmuu,) 20, 28, 47,
149, 159.
John, (in.). 287.
Sam'l, 28.104,9,112,119,138,
140, 1, 5, 6, 9, 159, IGO, 173, 185,
196.
Shobal, 71, 185, 8, 192, 6, 7,
207 210.
Richaicl', 124.-Bcnj., 2£5.
Wra., 173, 207,219,241, 277,8.
286.
James, 1-33, 4, 175, ISC, 207,
230, 5.
Frederick, 135.
Ichabod, 158, 172, 235.
Samuel, the historian, 201.
Samuel, (HI.), 371.
Rev. C. C..371.
Smith Creek, 19. 20, 22, 107.
Smith Farm, 270.
Snoll, Capt., 50.
Somerset Co., 93.
Sonmans, Peter, CO, 153, 4, 188-191.
Peter, Jr., 193.
Sons of Liberty, 239.
Soper, Richard, 154.
South Amboy, 188.
South River. 128.
Sound, the Stnten Isbmd, 18, 19, 24,
30, 37. 276, 9, 294, 364, 5.
Spanktown, 270, 2, 5.
" Spa Spring" Brook. 18, 151.
Spencer's Rrgiment, 268.
Springfield, 246, 2.50, 6.
SpunkJIill, 41,263. 272.
Stanbery, John, 233.
Slateu Island, 24. 103. 156. 198, 200,
242. 251, 2, 3. 5, 7. 9,
264, 270, 7, 27H. 9, 283.
Stelle, Pontius, 367.-Benj., S67, 8.
Isaac, 3(J8-Ber!:en, 371.
Rev. L. F., 371 -James. .371.
Deacon D., Augustus T. and
Furmau R., 3717
Gabriel, 188. 190. 3, 5.
Tliompson, 267.
Stevens, Gen., 274.
Steward, John, 366.
S9<=>
WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.
Stewart, David and Randolph, 268.
Stiilins, Gen., 275, 247.
Stillwull, Marv, 168.
Stites, Capt. B., 215.
Stockade, 34, 53, 149.
Stone, Wm., 140, 164, 175, 203, 7.
Rebecca, 168.
Story, Capt, 261, 4.
Strangman, B , 132, 4, 5.
Strawberry HilJ, 18, 40, 41, 48, 104,
111, 148, 151,7,180,
1. 2, 3, 6, 210, 284,
293
St. Clair, Gen., 263.
St. James' Church, 133.
St. John's Church, 129.
St. Paul's Church, 133.
St. Peter's Church, 128, 9, 244, 259.
Sugar House Prison, 228, 262, 293.
Sutton, W., 62, 66, 67, 70.
Thomas, 66.^Danicl, 67.
Rev. J., 371.-EIizabeth, 372.
Swan, Thos., 115.
Taggett, John, 115.
Talbot, Rev. J., 127.
Tappen (or Toppan), Isaac, 28, 47,
105, 138, 140, 1, 2, 159, 207.
David, 230.
Abraham (I.), 9, 28, 47, 140,
159, 161, 8, 175.
(11.), 236.
Bei.j., 267, 270.
Taverns 99 101.
Taxes, 89, 92, 94, 96, 110, 112, 116,
146, 289.
Taylor, Wm., 133,4, 5.
John, 20, 2e, 52, 150, 160.
Tea, first cup of, 240.
Terrill, Dnn'l, 132. 3, 4, 5.
Wm. P., 132,4,5.
Thanksgiving Day, 56.
Thaxter, John, 200.
Thompson, Capt. Wm., 283.
Thomson, Jamts, 188.-Elias, 230.
Thorn, VVm.,204, 6, 220. -Jos., 207.
John, 218.
Thornell, Israel (I.), 28, 93, 105, 110,
138, 140, 1, 2. 151, 186.
(II.), 268, 287.
Lewis, 237, 8. -Isaac, 246.
Benj., 241, 268,286, 7,311.
Thorp, Thos.. 107, 137, 8, 207.
Joseph, 138. 168. -Wm., 168.
Daniel, 138, 168.-Elizabeth,
168.
Benj., 168, 268. -Mrs., 168.
Ezekiel, Anna, and Mary, 168.
Tingley, Sam'l, 132, 307.
Tiius, Penelope, 168.
Town Books, 3, 16, 36, 77, 146, 155, 6,
8, 205, 251, 287.
Town Clerks, 138, 191, 2.
Town Conimiltee, 147, 155.
Town house, 87, 88, 149, 165.
Town Meetings, 36-58, 89-120, 143-
163, 185-205.
Treat, Rev. S., 77.
Trenton, 250, 269, 270.
Trewman (Trueman), John, 29, 103,
159.
Trinity Church, 18. (See Episcopal
Church )
Trout Brook, 145, 172, 9.
Trumbull, Gov., 242.
Tucker, Sam'l, 242.
Tufts, J. M., 135.
Tuttie, Stephen, 138, 157, 167.
Turnpike, Amboy, 243, 256.
Wood bridge, 243.
U.
Uniontown (formerly Perrytown), 149,
179.
V.
Vail, John, 69, 70, 71,189,190,209,
211,214, 219.
Stephen, 212.-Robt., 249.
Robt. C. , 280.
Valott, Claude, 33.
Vanderhoven, C.,266.
Van Courtlandt, Mrs. , 240.
Van Twiller, Gov. , 99.
Vaughan, Rev. E., 122, 3, 4,5, 6,127,
9, 169. 170, 181.
Venet, Jaques, 147,206.
Ver Lett, Nicholas, 25, 302.
Vestrymen, list of, 134-6.
Vickers, Capt., 96.
" Voclin's Hill," 38.
Voorhees, Daniel, 261.
Vnqudleu, Robt, 22, 25, 28, 38,39,
45,46,51,96,97,108,159,
302.
W.
Wade, Rev. N., 122, 3, 157, 167-171.
Col, 248. -Mary, 168.
Walker, Francis, 116, 117, 138.
Desire, 168. -James, 206.
Wm.. 208.-Runyon, 371.
Wall, Dr. J. G.,236.
Wardens, list of, 134.
Warlock, John, 138.
INDEX.
391
I
Washington, Gen., 242, 5, 250, 2, 274,
5.
Rock, 275.
Watering-place, 157, 364.
Watson, Luke, 7, 8.
WatkiHS, John, 20, 28, 159.
Way Wurdens, 47.
Webster, Nathan, 28, 159.
John, 212, 214, 219.
Wm., 86. -Hugh, 215, 219.
Col. John, 221.
Jolin, (III), 222.
Westfield, N. J., 275.
West River. Md., 215.
Welherel, Thos., 123.
Weyman, Wm., 201.
Whiitaker, John, 28. (Spelt Witcher),
159. -Rev. N.,176, 207, 223
White, John, 864.
Whitfield, Rev. G., 175.
Wiatt, Tlios., 40.
Wilcox, Capt., 270.
Wilkinson, E., 168- -Mary, 168.
Willis, Robt., 213, 214, 216, 217, 218,
219.
Sam'l, 268. -John, 277.
Willocks, Geo., 127.
WisTvell, Rev., 171.
Witches, 57.
Wind^, Gen., 278.
Wood, Jonas, 167.
Woodbridge, Rev. John, 6, 7.
Rev. Timothy. 174.
Woodbridge Neck, 264. 270. 8.
Creek, 283, 365, (see Pa-
piack Creek.)
Woodruff, Jonathan, 266.
Worth, Eilinor, 277.-John, 138.
Richard, 28, 42, 1.38, 9, 151, 9.
Woodstock, Conn., 129.
Wolves, 41, 44. 47, 112, 118, 119, 154-
Wolf Swamp, 14-5.
Wnght, Robt., 103. 124, 138.
Richard, 207, 230.
Wyckoff", C, 233.
Yale College, 173.
Yarmouth, 8.
Young, Chas.,135.
Zellar, John, 135.
Z.
"WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY."
A New Book. — We have received the first numbers of Rev. Joseph
W. Daily's History of Woodbricige, a work which will interest all reiridtuts
ot Midiliesex county, and become also a valuable book of reference. It is
j.^^sued ia weekly numbers at 25 cents each, and Mr. Jeremiah Dally, of
Woodbricige, is the anent to whom orders should be addressed. We shall
take occasion to refer to the work more fully at a future time. — Middlesex
Democrat.
The work alluded to in the above paragraph is being published at this
ofBce. It will be interesting to all residents in Central New Jersey. It is a
work highiy deserving of generous patronage. — New Brunswick [N. J.]
Daily Times.
History op Woodbridge and Vicinity. — We have receivetl .ur
first numbers of this work with the above title. It includes a 1. of
Piscataway, Metuchen, and otner places from the eailiest times, and L • ical
Sketches of different Ecclesiastical bodies, as well as important official doc-
uments relating to the township of Woodbridge, etc. We have lot had
time to examine the minor points, but so far as we have looked ovt 'he lour
numbers, we find them to contain much interesting and instructi\ matter.
—Perth Amboy [N. J.] Guardian.
Rev. J. W. Dally, formerly of Woodbridge, now stationed at Blooms-
bury, Hunterdon county, has been engaged in preparing for the press an
early history of Woodbridge and vicinity. The advance sheets show that it
cannot failto be of interest to every resident in this section of the State. It
is now in press at the Times office, and will make a volume of about 400
pages. Mr. Dally is a gifted and well educated gentleman, and has had
good opportunities for hunting up the old history of this section. This
volume will bring up the history to about the time of the revolution, the
author finding that to give the later history would make too much lor one
volume, and furnish material enough for an additional one, which he propo-
ses to proceed with. — Rahway [N. J.] National Democrat.
It is well printed in plain Roman type, and will be an interesting vol-
ume for our readers to possess ; for Rahway was for a long time closely
identified with Woodbridge township politically and geographically. — Rah-
way [N. J.] Advocate and Times.
Price, bound in a substantial and tasteful style, - $3.25.
Address all orders immediately to
JEREMIAH DALLY,
WoODBRrDGE, N. J.
Notice. — If the sale of " Woodbridge and Vicinity" is sufficiently re-
munerative, the author may soon venture upon the publication of a sicond
volume, bringiu'^ the history of the township down to the present time, in-
cluding the local events connected with the war of 181S, the recent war in
the South, &c'. ; together with a particular dcccripiiou of the business enter-
prises of the place.
97OT
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