Biographical and genealogical history of the city of Newark and Essex County, New Jersey, V. 1, Part 1

Author: Ricord, Frederick W. (Frederick William), 1819-1897; Ricord, Sophia B
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: New York : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 826


USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > Biographical and genealogical history of the city of Newark and Essex County, New Jersey, V. 1 > Part 1


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78


ـانية


الطيف


Gc 974.901 Es 7b .1 1204167


MI. L.


GENEALOGY COLLECTION


L


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02232 8121


Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016


https://archive.org/details/biographicalgene01rico_0


acomboles


BIOGRAPHICAL


AND


IENEALOGICAL H ISTORY


OF THE


CITY OF NEWARK


AND


ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY VI


ILLUSTRATED


THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY NEW YORK AND CHICAGO


1898


4


Southern 20.00 (2 VOIS


PREFACE. 1204167


I N offering to subscribers the Biographical and Genealogical History of the City of Newark and Essex County, the publishers feel satisfied that they have been successful in producing a compilation of distinct historical value, and that all specifications set forth in the prospectus have been duly touched. The scope of the work has been such as to demand a large financial expenditure and a most discriminating research, and the result stands in evidence that the object of the publication, as defined in the prospectus, has been fully attained- "to fill up the wide gap in the biographical history of Essex county, and to give to the present and future generations a much deeper source of reliable informa- tion touching this locality."


The editorial direction of the work had been undertaken by the late Frederick W. Ricord, who had designated the lines along which said work should be carried on to completion. Death's hand interposed, and released Judge Ricord from his labors. At the request of the publishers, his daughter, Miss Sophia B. Ricord, consented to continue the editorial work assigned to her distinguished father. Miss Ricord, who had long been associated with her father in this kind of work, was therefore enabled to give her personal supervision in accordance with the plans by him formulated. It is felt that, in a measure, the publication will stand as a memorial tribute to one of the noblest men that has honored and been honored by the state of New Jersey, and it is a source of much gratification to the publishers that they were thus able to secure the co-operation of Judge Ricord, whose name here appears as representing the last editorial work with which he was associated. To Miss Ricord also are due the thanks of the publishers, as well as of all subscribers, and it is believed that the history, in its specific province, can not but meet with the favorable reception which it merits.


INDEX: VOLUME I.


A


Booth, Richard W. 369


Boudinot, Elisha .. 489


Ackerman, Peter D.


578


Allen, Frank B. 366


Boyden, Seth. 57I


Anderson, Henry J


492


Bradley, Joseph P. 477


Andrews, William J. 5.36


Bragaw, David D 296


Breeden, Charles E. 378


Ashby, William S


2II


Brewer, William A., Jr. 123


Austin, Edward. 574


Austin, William E. 183


B


Bacheller, J. Henry 170


Badgley, Alfred S. I30


Baer, Joseph. 412


Baker, Daniel N


389


Baker, Thomas C. 418


Baker, Timothy H.


544


Baldwin, Aaron K.


499


Baldwin, David H


80


Baldwin, George T


580


Baldwin, Milton


484


Baldwin, Noah O.


402


Baldwin, Warren S. 229


Baldwin, William A 230


Ball, Marcus D. 306


Ball, Philander.


154


Ball, Richard H


I54


Ball, William R. 350


Campbell, Ira. 218


Canfield, Cyrus. 288


Canniff, Jonas C. 149


Carhart, Hennell. 396


Carpenter, Daniel H I61


448


Carter, Azariah H


224


Beldon, James M. 506


Chalmers, Thomas A.


533


Benham, Hubert M. I26


Chapman, Henry S.


68


Benson, Henry K.


I38


Church, Edward F.


404


Berg, Charles. 545


Clymer, George E.


374


Coit, Henry L.


187


Birdsall, Robert F


559


Colby, Gardner R. 572


5


Black, Pierre.


524


Bond, Elihu. 344


Collins, William.


383


V


466


Brueckner, George.


453


Bruyere, Walter R.


524


Buchanan, Paul.


450


Budd, Ira.


461


Burgess, Edward G.


354


Burnet, Elijah D


30I


Burnet, James B.


535


Burnet, Samuel H. 522


Burnet, Timothy. 98


Burnet, William. 499


Burns, Edward L 319


Burt, Charles A. 81


Burtt, Aaron F


521


Bush, Edward P. 54


C


Barrett, Halsey M 82


Batty, James W. 518


Beach, Henry O I51


Beck, Charles I. 309


Becker, Ludwig A. 167


Carpenter, Joseph B


Beggs, William F. 307


Berg, Franz. 208


Bishop, Charles R. 362


Coles, Abraham


Coles, J. Ackerman


26


Brower, Robert D. 490


Brown, James M. 160


Brown, Nathaniel.


Brady, Ellis M. 395


Apgar, Jacob W 360


Ackerman, Henry A 5,36


Boutillier, Emanuel F 261


vi


INDEX.


Collinson, Joshua. 3.58


Collyer, William W 553


Condit, Edmund. 330


Condit, John P. 175


Condit, Jotham H.


561


Condit, Oscar H.


575


Conklin, Josiah S.


375


English, Charles W.


79


F


Farley, John J. 388


Faulks, Theodore D 408


Feindt, Henry 337


Feindt, Lewis E. 394


First Presbyterian Church, The. 564


Fish, Henry C. 472


Force, John H. 173


Force, Jonathan


172


Fordyce, Alexander R. 502


Forrest, John


537


Fort, J. Franklin. 66


Foster, Herbert W. 352


Francisco, Richard S. 440


Francisco, William H. 246


Freeman, Charles W. 467


Frelinghuysen, Frederick T. 56


Frey, Albert


192


Frisby, William 300


G


Gaffney, John J 256


Galbraith, John 280


Gardner, William C. 161


Gauch, William 310


Geiger, George J 470


Genung, Silas P 174


Gerhard, Frank J. 272


Gilfort, Robert C. 317


Gilfort, William O 317


Gill, John 204


Goble, Frank 148


Goldsmith, Clarence A. 357


Goodell, Edwin B 290


Gore, John K


578


Gossweiler, Ferdinand 468


Gould, Daniel E. 421


Granniss, Daniel D


I68


Dougherty, Alexander N 488


Drake, Elias W 287


Dryden, John F 90


Durand, Cyrus 392


Durand, Cyrus B 392


Durand, Elias W 234


Durand, James M.


391


Durands, Early


39I


E


Eggers, Augustus F 303


Elsener, John 17I


Ely, John H. 268


Emmons, George 212


Engelhorn, John


253


Connell, John J


259


Cook, Hugh F .315


Cope, George F 283


Cort, Thomas


260


Cort, Thomas, Jr. 260


Corwin, Theodore W


486


Coult, Joseph. II4


Courter, David B. 426


Crane, Alfred J.


386


Crane, Ira S.


82


Crowell Family, The. 555


Cunningham, Peter F


455


D


Dailey, Frank B 289


Daisey, Dennis 1406


Darcy, John S 475


Daum, Henry 577


Day, Lewis E.


513


De Baun, John W 54


Decker, Charles M. 220


Decker, Henry


566


Denman, Abram C. 236


Denman, Isaac R. 3II


Denman, John C.


292


Denman, Thomas


346


Dennis, Laban


519


Dey, Cornelius. 135


Dey, Samuel 134


Diecks. William 4II


Dimond, William 182


Dobbins, Edward


327


Dodd, Amz 106


Dodd, Amzi T.


456


Dodd, Hiram F 391


Doremus, Elias O 194


Doremus, Philip IIO


Dorer, John 314


Dorer, Matthias D 44I


Guenther, Emil E.


474


Guild, Frederick F


334


H


Hagar, John F 108


Hahne, Julius 485


Halsey, Edmund R. 428


Halsey, George A.


115


vii


INDEX.


Halsey, Moses E 152


Halsey, William 493


Hanks, John C. 197


Hannan, John J. 527


Hanson, John C. 207


J


Jacobus, Anthony 427


Joerschke, Herman 352


Johnson, William L 55


Jones, Thomas H. 89


Joy, Edmund L.


370


Judson, W. A. 365


Harrison, Irving B. 325


Harrison, John 250


K


Kaufmann, Albert 281


Kearns, William 321


Kent, William 423


Harvey, Hayward A 99


Keyler, John D. 347


34I


Kiersted, Robert


267


Heath, Stafford R. W. 487


Hedden, Austin E. 150


Hedden, Clarence E. 136


Hedges, Nathan. 492


Hedges, Samuel M. 464


Heinisch, Henry C. 258


Heinisch, Rochus


I3I


Helbig, Frank W. 462 Hemmer, Frederick 561


Hendry, Hugh C. 521


Herr, Charles F. 380


Hetzel, John G .. 216


Hewlett, Peter V. P. 520


Hill, David F. 558


Hiller, Christopher F 436


Hoffman, Frederick M. 152


Hoffmann, Adolf. 410


Hoffmann, Charles H. 413


Holland, Thomas B. 217


Holmes, Edward H.


67


Holmes, William D


371


Hooper, Enoch W. 398


Hornblower, Joseph C. 502 Hornfeck, H. H. 294 Horton, Elmer E 547


Houston, John C. 19I


Howe, Chester C 359


Howe, Edwin J. 527


Howe, John 482


Howell, Francis K. 409


Hunter, C.


266


Hunter, Charles W. 266


Husk, Frank I44


Husk, James H. I33


Huston, Walter A.


232


Hyer, Jackson 385


.


Lafon, Thomas 494


Laidlaw, Benjamin P. 213


Lane, Isaac 282


Lane, William 282


Lebkuecher, Julius A. II2


LeBoeuf, G.


548


Lee, Joseph


176


Lee, Peter


428


Leek, Walter I 214


Lehlbach, Charles F. J. 497


Leibe, Henry L. 507


Lemond, James K. 550


Lintott, Thomas J


336


Long, Herbert W 403


Luff, William


568


Lum, Frederick H.


375


Lyon, Ernest M.


506


M


Mac Whorter, Alexander


470


Manda, Albert


278


Hardin, John I 440


Harris Family, The. 33I


Harris, Frederick H. 331


Harrison, Alfred J 250


Harrison, C. A.


23I


Harrison, Charles W 322


Harrison, John G.


460


Harrison, Philip H. 127


Harvey, Thomas W. 105


Headley, Will C .. 433


Kingman, Thomas S.


414


Kinney, Thomas T


446


Kinney, William B.


442


Kirkpatrick, Andrew 178


Kissam, Samuel 381


Koegel, Conrad 312


Koller, John


238


Kraeuter, August


247


Krahn, Henry 185


Krause, Henry G.


335


Kridel, Jacob L.


239


Kuebler, William O 299


L


I


Iliff, Elias P 196


Ingerman, John A 177


Harrison, John D. 295


Keyler, John G.


viii


INDEX.


Mandeville, Francis N 295


Pennington, William 493


Manners, Abraham 372


Peoples, William H 312


Marsh, Charles 437


Peterson, Andrew 223


Martin, George S 430


Pier, John H. 55


Matthews, Ambrose M.


139


Pierson, Abraham 563


Matthews, John H.


422


Pierson, Hubert L.


164


Maxfield, John I


I86


Pierson, Joseph C.


108


McArthur, Robert


184


Pinneo, James B


500


Mc Carter, Thomas N.


338


Plum, Stephen H.


226


McCarter, Thomas N., Jr


340


Potter, Jonathan W


162


McCarthy, James A


18I


Powers, Charles W.


315


McDonough, James


393


McGowan, James


245


McGown, John A.


549


McGuirk, James W


203


Preston, John F.


452


Meeker, John D.


349


Melville, Alexander


271


Meyer, Michael 430


Miller, Albert A. 5II


Mitchell, Augustus J


302


Mitchell, Hugh


325


Moffet, James


275


Möller, John


531


Monteith, John


320


Moritz, Thomas


570


Read, Joshua W. 512


Reeve, Edward 279


Reeve, George W 387


Reford, J. Banks.


407


Rehmann, Louis.


228


Reichstetter, John G.


248


Ricord, Frederick W


51


Ricord, Philippe.


545


Robinson, Joseph H


548


Nathan, David B.


304


Nichols, Thomas


244


Nicoll, William C. 326


Rowland, Shepard. 78


Rudd, Robert S. 394


Rutherford, John. 483


O


Oakes, David 298


S


Sandford, George F. 519


Sandford, William E 533


Sanford, George B. 125


583


Sattler, Ludwig R. 528


Sayre, William H 364


Schalk, Herman. 458


Schlegel, Robert P 524


Schreitmueller, Henry


249


Searle, Joseph


518


Seibert, Charles L


397


Parsil, Samuel B.


373


Seidler, William F. 199


Seymour, James M 480


Shrump, Fred W. 270


Skinner, Ben M. 193


452


R


Rand, John M 530


Rankin, William, Jr 505


Ransley, John W 285


Rassbach, John 562


Read, Joshua. 486


Morrison, Daniel 277


Müller, John G.


254


Munn, Joseph A


85


Munn, Joseph L.


342


Musler, Christopher 419


N


Nash, Patrick J. 316


Rockwood, Charles G.


146


Rollinson, . H


417


Ober, Michael F. 476


Odell, John T. 188


Ogden, Josiah 569


479


Olmsted, Adelbert H. 202


Otterbein, John 263


P


Parker, Cortlandt 74


Parker Family, The. 74


Parker, James 74


Parsil, Thomas B. 348


Peck, Stephen M. 567


Pennington, Samuel H. 242


Powles, Henry 55I


Pratt, Charles R. 65


Presbyterian Church, The First. 564


Preston, Nicholas 452


Preston, Thomas F.


Noyes, William H. 257


O'Gorman, William


Sargent, James W.


INDEX. ix


Skinner, Isaac V.


535


Van Ness, Judson S 233


Slayback, David H.


129


Vogel, Adolph 465


Slayback, John W


I28


Voigt, Beda. 243


Sleght, Bevier H. 481


Voigt, Karl. 252


Smith, Aaron G. 400


Smith, Edwin.


423


Vreeland, Adrian. 529


Smith, George W


70


Smith, Harry W.


286


Smith, Harvey


195


Smith, Henry W. 400


Smith, William H


200 -


Walsh, Michael. 215


Ward, Aaron. 480


Spear, John


520


Ward, Arthur. 515


Speer, Thomas T


308


Ward, Edwin M. 553


Squier, Charles M.


413


Stager, Lemuel.


I45


Staniar, William.


366


Warren, William H. 550


Stoll, William 35I


Stonaker, Edwin H 437


Watson, William W


159


Stout, Gideon Lee. 368


Weeks, Edward W. 180


Stretch, Joseph. . 28.4


Weeks, William R.


93


Studer, Augustus


509


Weyrauch, George.


439


Sutphen, Theron Y


496


White, William H.


73


Suydam, George H 540


Whitehead, William A 494


Wilcox, Paul.


96


T


Taylor, Joseph W.


71


Taylor, William M.


92


Thum, Frederick W 517


Tillou, Abijah F I22


Tillou, Job B. . 554


Winans, Sidney B.


Wiss, Jacob 581


Woodhouse, James F. 109


504


Townley, Richard. 573


Trabold, Valentin C.


40I


Trautwein, Gottlob


514


Trautwein, John G


435


Treat, Robert.


502


Trusdell, John G. 328


U


Underwood, Charles F


532


V


Van Buskirk, Levi. 190


Van Cleve, J. H. 265


Vanderhoof, George H. I35


Van Horn, James.


538


Van Iderstine, Theodore. 189


Y


Youmans, B. Franklin 5.56


Youmans, Charles


5.56


Youmans, William B. 556


Young, Henry


382


Yudizky, William.


420


Z


Zeh, Charles M.


449


Zoerner, C. G. H.


291


Zulauf, Charle


267


169


Titsworth, Caleb S. 498


Tompkins, John. 157


Tompkins, William 159


Woodhull, Addison W


Woodruff, Philemon. 384


Woodruff, Thomas O.


165


Woodruff, William H. 390


Wrightson, James T.


434


Williams, Abram P. 153


Williams, Chauncey G. I66


Williams, George N


28.2


Williams, J. Edgar. 546


Williams, William N I2I


Williams, William S. 563


Symonds, George W. 516


W


Waldron, Edward M. 241


Wallace, William C. 274


Snyder, Henry C.


119


Ward, John F. 508


Ward, Leslie D 210


Watkins, William. 425


Voorhees, Abram 459


X


INDEX.


INDEX OF PORTRAITS : VOLUME I.


B


Bacheller, J. Henry 170


Badgley, Alfred S. I30


Baker, Thomas C. 418


Baldwin, Noah O


402


Baldwin, Warren S


229


K


Kinney, Thomas T


446


Kinney, William B.


442


178


Ball, Richard H.


I56


Barrett, Halsey M.


82


Beck, Charles I.


309


Beldon, James M


506


Benson, Henry K.


138


Bishop, Charles R.


362


Maxfield, John F.


I86


McCarter, Thomas N., Sr.


3.38


Moritz, Thomas


570


Brown, Nathaniel.


466


Buchanan Paul ..


450


Burgess, Edward G.


354


Burnet, Samuel H.


522


Burnet, Timothy


98


C


Campbell, Ira. 218


Coles, Abraham Frontispiece


Coles, J. Ackerman 26


Condit, Edmund.


330


Coult, Joseph.


II4


Courter, David B


426


Crane, Alfred J.


386


D


Denman, Thomas.


346


Dodd, Amzi.


I06


Doremus, Elias O 194


Dorer, John.


Dryden, John F.


314


90


Durand, Elias W


234


F


Fort, J. Franklin.


66


Frelinghuysen, Frederick T


56


Frey, Albert.


192


G


Goodell, Edwin B


290


Gore, John K.


578


H


Harrison, Charles W


322


Harrison, John 250


Heinisch, Henry


258


Hoffmann, Adolf


410


Howe, John.


482


Hunter, C. H. 266


J


Joy, Edmund L


370


Baldwin, William A


230


Ball, Marcus D.


306


Ball, Philander


I54


Kirkpatrick, Andrew.


L


Lane, Isaac


282


Lane, William


282


M


Breeden, Charles E.


378


Brower, Robert D.


490


O


Oakes, David.


298


Olmsted, Adelbert H.


202


P


Parker, Cortlandt.


76


Parker, James


74


Pennington, Samuel H. 242


Plum, Stephen H.


226


Potter, Jonathan W 162


R


Rand, John M


530


Rassbach, John.


562


Ricord, Frederick W.


I


Rockwood, Charles G.


146


Rudd, Robert S


394


S


Schalk, Herman


458


T


Tillou, Abijah F


I22


Tillou, Job B. 554


Titsworth, Caleb


498


Trautwein, Gottlob


514


V


Van Horn, James


5.38


W


Wallace, William C.


274


Ward, Leslie D.


210


Williams, J. Edgar.


546


Wrightson, James T.


434


.


Forth Rience.


INTRODUCTORY.


Out of the depths of his mature wisdom Carlyle wrote: "History is the essence of innumerable biographies." Farther than this what propriety can there be in advanc- ing reasons for the compilation of such a work as the one at hand? Essex county, now venerable with age and honors, has sustained within her confines men who have been prominent in the history of the state and nation from the early colonial epoch. Her annals teem with the records of strong and noble manhood and womanhood, and, as Sumner said, "The true grandeur of na- tions is in those qualities which constitute the true greatness of the individual." The final causes which shape the fortunes of individual men and the destinies of states are often the same. They are usually re- mote and obscure; their influence wholly unexpected until declared by results. When they inspire men to the exercise of courage, self-denial, enterprise, industry, and call into play the higher moral elements; lead men to risk all upon conviction, faith,-such causes lead to the planting of great states, great nations, great peoples. That nation is greatest which produces the greatest and most manly men, and the intrinsic safety depends not so much upon methods and measures as upon that true manhood from whose deep sources all that is precious and permanent in life must at last proceed.


Such a result may not consciously be con- templated by the individuals instrumental in the production of a great nation. Pur- suing each his personal good by exalted means, they work out this as a logical re- sult. They have wrought on the lines of the greatest good.


Ceaselessly to and fro flies the deft shuttle which weaves the web of human des- tiny, and into the vast mosaic fabric enter the individuality, the effort, the accomplish- ment of each man, be his station that most lowly, or one of majesty, pomp and power. Within the textile folds may be traced the line of each individuality, be it the one that lends the beautiful sheen of honest worth and honest endeavor, or one that, dark and zigzag, finds its way through warp and woof, marring the composite beauty by its blackened threads, ever in evi- dence of the shadowed and unprolific life. Into the great aggregate each individuality is merged, and yet the essence of each is never lost, be the angle of its influence wide- spreading and grateful, or narrow and bane- ful. In his efforts he who essays biography finds much of profit and much of alluring fascination when he would follow ont, in even a cursory way, the tracings of a life history, seeking to find the keynote of each respective personality. These efforts and their resulting transmission can not fail of


1


2


INTRODUCTORY.


value in an objective way, for in each case may the lesson of life be conned, "line upon line; precept upon precept."


Whether the elements of success in life are innate attributes of the individual, or whether they are quickened by a process of circumstantial development, it is impossi- ble to clearly determine. Yet the study of a successful life is none the less interest- ing and profitable by reason of the ex- istence of this same uncertainty. So much in excess of those of successes are the records of failures or semi-failures that one is constrained to attempt an analysis in either case and to determine the method of causation in an approximate way. The march of improvement and progress is accelerated day by day, and each succes- sive moment seems to demand of men a broader intelligence and a greater discern- ment than did the preceding. Successful men must be live men in this age, bristling with activity, and the lessons of biography may be far-reaching to an extent not super- ficially evident. A man's reputation is the property of the world. The laws of nature have forbidden isolation. Every human being either submits to the controlling in- fluence of others, or, as a master, wields a power for good or evil on the masses of mankind. There can be no impropriety in justly scanning the acts of any man as they affect his public, social and business rela- tions. If he be honest and successful in his chosen field of endeavor, investigation will brighten his fame and point the path along which others may follow with like success. Not alone are those worthy of biographic honors who have moved along the loftier planes of action, but to an equal extent are those deserving who are of the . rank and file of the world's workers, for


they are not less the conservators of public prosperity and material advancement.


Longfellow wrote, "We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done." If this golden sentence of the New England bard were uniformly applied, many a man who is now looking down with haughty stare upon the noble toilers on land and sea, sneering at the omission of the aspirate, the cut of his neighbor's coat or the humbleness of his dwelling, would be voluntarily doing penance in sackcloth and ashes, at the end of which he would handle a spade or, with pen in hand, burn the midnight oil in his study, in the en- deavor to widen the bounds of liberty or to accelerate the material and spiritual progress of his race. The humble and lowly often stand representative of the truest nobility of character, the deepest patriotism. and the most exalted purpose, and through all the gradations of life recog- nition should be had of the true values and then should full appreciation be mani- fested.


In the Biographical and Genealogical History of the City of Newark and Essex County the editorial staff, as well as the publishers, have fully realized the magni- tude of the task set them. The work is purely biographical in its province, and in the collation of material for the same there has been a constant aim to use a wise discrimination in regard to the selection of subjects, and yet to exclude none worthy of representation within its pages. Those who have been prominent factors in the public, social and industrial makeup of the county in the past have been given due recognition as far as it has been possible to secure the requisite data. Names


3


INTRODUCTORY.


worthy of perpetuation here have in sev- eral instances been omitted, either on ac- count of the apathetic interest of those con- cerned or the inability to secure the in- formation demanded. Yet, in both the contemporary narrative and the memoirs of those who have passed on to "that undis- covered country from whose bourne no traveler returns," it is believed that there has been such utilization of material as to more than fulfill all stipulations and prom- ises made at the inception of the under- taking.


In the compilation recourse has been had to divers authorities, including various his- tories and historical collections, and im- plying an almost endless array of papers and documents, public, private, social and ecclesiastical. That so much matter could be gathered from so many original sources and then sifted and assimilated for the pro- duction of a single work without incurring a modicum of errors and inaccuracies, would be too much to expect of any corps of writers, no matter how able they might


be as statisticians or skilled as compilers of such works. It is, nevertheless, believed that no inaccuracies of a serious nature can be found to impair the historical value of the volumes, and it is further believed that the results will supply the demand which called forth the efforts of the publishers and the editorial corps.


To other and specific histories has been left the task of touching the general history of the county and the city of Newark, for the function of this work is aside from this and is definite in its scope, so that a re- capitulation would be out of harmony with the compilation. However, the incidental references made to those who have been the important actors in the public and civic history of the county will serve to indicate the generic phases and will shadow forth much to those who can "read between the lines." In conclusion we can not do better than to quote another of Carlyle's terse aphorisms: "There is no heroic poem in the world but is at bottom a biography,- the life of a man."


BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY.


ABRAHAM COLES,


the widely known poet, scholar, philan- thropist, and eminent physician and sur- geon, was born in the old homestead of his family, at Scotch Plains, New Jersey, December 26, 1813, and died, dur- ing a visit to California, at the Hotel del Monte, near Monterey, May 3, 1891. He was of Scotch and Dutch descent, his an- cestors being among the earliest settlers of New York and New Jersey. His great- grandfather, William Coles, had, with his wife, established himself, in early colonial days, at Scotch Plains, and there Dr. Coles' grandfather, James Coles, was born in 1744. The latter married, in 1768, Eliza- beth Frazee. Their son, Dennis, the father of Dr. Coles, was born at Scotch Plains, in 1778, and died there in 1844. He was "a man of great culture, skilled in mathemat- ics, a lover of polite literature, a polished speaker, a member of the state legislature, a charming reader, and an accomplished writer." He acquired the printers' art, with Shepard Kollock, and in 1803 estab- lished at Newburgh, New York, a newspa- per, the Recorder of the Times, which he


conducted for three years,-a literary and financial success, which, also, under an- other name, it continued to be as late as 1876. He married, in 1802, Katrina Van Deurzen, daughter of one of the prominent citizens of Newburgh, and a descendant of the famous Dutch dominie, Everardus Bo- gardus, and his noted wife, Anneke Jans. At the solicitation of his parents, Dennis Coles sold out his Newburgh business (1806) and with his wife returned to Scotch Plains, where his son was born, as stated above.


Dr. Abraham Coles was educated by his parents until the age of twelve, when he entered the dry-goods store of a relative in New York city, with whom he remained five years. Here he acquired a thorough business education, while at the same time devoting his spare time to reading and study. At the age of seventeen he with- drew from this business to accept a posi- tion as teacher of Latin and mathematics in the academy of the Rev. Lewis Bond, at Plainfield, New Jersey. Subsequently, for six months, he studied law in the office of Hon. Joseph C. Hornblower, of Newark, and although the law was not to prove his


5


6


ESSEX COUNTY.


chosen vocation, he, during this time, ac- his profession, becoming especially distin- guished in surgical cases, to which he was frequently called in consultation. In 1848 he went abroad, visiting England and France and making a special study of their hospitals and schools of medicine. He was in Paris during the stormy days-May and June, 1848-of the dictatorship of General Cavignac and the so-called French quired a taste and solid foundation for legal study, which he never abandoned and which in after years was invaluable to him in his association with eminent jurists. After reading Blackstone's and Kent's Commentaries with care, and in the mean- time consulting his natural tastes and in- clinations, which drew him strongly toward medicine, he chose the latter, and, . republic that followed, and, as correspond- first attending a course of lectures at the ent of the Newark Daily Advertiser, de-




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.