USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > A history of Monmouth and Ocean counties : embracing a genealogical record of earliest settlers in Monmouth and Ocean Counties and their descendants, the Indians, their language, manners and customs, important historical events. > Part 5
USA > New Jersey > Ocean County > A history of Monmouth and Ocean counties : embracing a genealogical record of earliest settlers in Monmouth and Ocean Counties and their descendants, the Indians, their language, manners and customs, important historical events. > Part 5
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DISCOVERY OF OCEAN COUNTY.
Who first discovered this section of our country ? Who first entered Barnegat Bay, and explored its shores ? Who were the first whites who located here ? Have any accounts of the Indians once living here been preserved ? These are among the first questions which naturally present themselves in making inquires into the early his- tory of this section of our State. While the records of the past, meagre indeed as regards this locality, do not furnish as full answers as desirable, yet much has been preserved which is of interest to all desirous of obtain- ing information on these and kindred points.
The discovery of that part of New Jersey now known as Ocean County, was by Sir Henry Hudson, on the 2d day of September, 1609, while cruising along our coast in the celebrated Dutch ship, the Half Moon. This ship was quite small, being of only eighty tons burthen, and of a build that would now be considered quite novel, re- minding one of the curious-looking Dutch galliots, which occasionally were seen in the harbor of New York a gen- eration or so ago, which used to attract the attention of, and are well remembered by old seafaring men of Ocean County.
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
This ship, two or three days previously, had tried to enter Delaware Bay, but finding the navigation danger- ous. no attempt was made to land, and she again stood out to sea. After getting fairly out, Hudson headed north-eastwardly, and after a while hauled in and made land, Sept. 2d, near Egg Harbor. A very complete log of the ship was kept by the mate, Alfred Juet, and the part relating to Monmouth and Ocean counties is pub- lished elsewhere in these pages.
Samuel H. Shreve, Esq., who in past years has furn- ished many valuable historical items to the New Jersey Courier, says in a communication dated January, 1868 : "Ferrago Forge was erected by Gen. Lacey in 1809, and the same year Dover Forge was built by W. L. Smith, the son-in-law of Lacey."
It has been stated that Lacey expended ten thousand . dollars at Ferrago in building the dam alone, and the construction of the forge and other buildings and of the road to Forked River must have required a very consid- erable outlay of money.
OLD MONMOUTH DESCRIBED BY AN ANCIENT WRITER.
MIDDLETOWN, SHREWSBURY AND FREEHOLD IN 1708 .- NEW JERSEY A PARADISE.
We copy the following from the celebrated but quite rare work of Oldmixon, published in 1708. The capitals, orthography and italics are about as in the original.
After describing Middlesex county, he says : "We cross over the river from Middlesex into
Monmouth County ; Where we first meet with Mid- dleton a pretty Good Town consisting of 100 Families and 30,000 Acres of Ground on what they call here Out Plantations. 'Tis about 10 or 12 miles over Land, to the Northward of Shrewsbury and 26 miles to the South- ward of Piscataway. Not far off, the Shoar winds itself about like a Hook and being sandy gives Name to all the Bay.
Shrewsbury is the most Southern Town of the Prov-
OLD MONMOUTH DESCRIBED BY AN ANCIENT WRITER. 39
ince and reckon'd the chief Town of the Shire. It con- tains about 160 Families and 30,000 Acres of Out Planta- tions, belonging to its Division. 'Tis situated on the Side of a fresh Water Stream, thence called Shrewsbury River, not far from its Month. Between this Town and Middleton is an hon Work but we do not understand it has been any great Benefit to the Proprietors. Col. Morris is building a Church at the Falls. There's a new town in the County called
Frechold, which has not been laid out and inhabited long. It does not contain as yet above 40 Families and as to its Out Plantations we suppose they are much the same in number with the rest and may count it about 30,000 acres.
We have not divided the counties into Parishes and that for a good reason, there being none, nor indeed a Church in the whole Province worth that Name. But there are several Congregations of Church of England men as at Shrewsbury, Ambry, Elizabeth Town and Free- hold whose Minister is Mr. John Beak ; his Income is 65l a year ; and a Church is building at Salem.
In another place Oldmixon in speaking of the first settlers of New Jersey says :
"We must note that most of the first English Inhabi- tants in this country (East and West Jersey) were Des- senters, and most of them Quakers and Anabaptists. These people are generally industrious ; Be their Hypo- crisy to themselves if they are Hypocrites ; but we must do them the Justice to own that they are the fittest to inhabit a new discovered Country, as possessing Industry, and shunning those public Vices which beget Idleness and Want. Their enemies drove great numbers of them out of England, and the Jerseys had their share of them. The People here are for this Reason Dissenters to this Day, there being but two Church of England Ministers in both Provinces ; and this may be one reason why there are no Parish Churches, which the Inhabitants may be afraid to build, least it might be a temptation for more Orthodox Divines to come among them.
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
"A gentleman asking one of the Proprietaries ' If there were no Lawyers in the Jerseys?' Was answered ' No.' And then ' If there were no Physicians?' The Propri- etor replied ' No' ' Nor Parsons ?' adds the Gentleman. ' No,' says the Proprietor. Upon which the other cry'd " What a happy place must this be and how worthy the name of' Paradice!' We do not perhaps differ more from this gentleman than we agree with him."
Oldmixon derived his information of New Jersey from two of the Proprietors as will be seen by the fol- lowing extract from his preface :
"Mr. Dockra and Dr. Cor were both so kind as to inform him fully of the JERSEYS and Mr. Pen did him the same Favor for Pennsylvania ; these three Gentlemen doing him the Honor to admit him into their Friend- ship."
OLD MONMOUTH UNDER THE DUTCH.
Ex-Governor Parker, dec'd, in his valuable address before the New Jersey Historical Society, produced the old town book of Middletown township, which gives the history of this section of East Jersey from 1667 to 1702. After the Dutch conquest in 1673, it was stated that little or nothing is recorded in the town book during their brief rule of less than a year.
The Dutch had the supremacy in New York and New Jersey until 1664, when the English conquered the Dutch. In 1673, a war having again broken out between England and Holland, a small Dutch squadron was sent over and arrived at Staten Island, July 30th. Captain Manning, the English officer temporarily in command at New York, surrendered at once without any effort to de- fend the place and the Dutch again resumed sway over New York, New Jersey and settlements along the Dela- ware. They retained it however only a few months, as by a treaty made in February following, these places were ceded back to England, though the English appear not to have taken formal possession until November fol-
41
OLD MONMOUTH UNDER THE DUTCH.
lowing. During this short time while the Dutch were again in authority, embracing the time that the Middletown township book records but little or nothing, the follow- ing items relating to Old Monmouth, are found among the official records of the Dutch at New York. The first is an order issued shortly after their arrival ; the ortho- graphy is given as found.
" The inhabitants of Middletown and Shrewsbury, are hereby charged and required to send their deputies unto us on Tuesday morning next, for to treat with us upon articles of surrendering their said towns under the obedience of their High and Mighty Lords, the States General of the said United Provinces, and his serene Highness, the Prince of Orange, or by refusall we shall be necessitated to subdue the places thereunto by force of arms.
" Dated at New Orange this 12th day of August, A. D. 1673.
" CORNELIS EVERTSE, Jr. "JACOB BENCKES."
In compliance with the above order, deputies from Shrewsbury, Middletown and other places in East Jer- sey, appeared in court on the 18th of August, and upon their verbal request the same privileges were granted to them as to Dutch citizens.
" August 19th, 1673. Middletown, Shrewsbury and other towns in Achter Coll, to name two deputies each, who shall nominate three persons for Schout and three for Secretarys, out of which said nominated persons by us shall be elected for each town, three magestrates and for the six towns, one Schont, and one Secretary.
" JACOB BENCKES.
" CORNELIS EVERTSE, Jr."
Achter Coll above mentioned,'is said to mean " be- yond the hills," that is, beyond Bergen Hills. The Dutch in New York, it is stated, sometimes called Old Monmouth and other parts of East Jersey, beyond Ber- gen Hills, by this name.
" April 19th, 1674. A certain proclamation being de-
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
livered into Council from the Magestrates of the Toune of Middletoune, prohibiting all inhabitants from depart- ing out of said toune, unless they give bail to return as soon as their business will have been performed, or they be employed in public service &c., requesting the Gov- erners approval of the same, which being read and con- sidered, it is resolved and ordered by the Governer Gen- eral and Council, that no inhabitant can be hindered changing his domicile, within the Province unless arrested for lawful cause ; however ordered that no one shall depart from the toune of Middletoune, unless he previously notifies the Magestrates of his intention."
CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION - PRINCIPLES INVOLVED.
EARLY STAND TAKEN BY THE CITIZENS OF MONMOUTH .- PRO- CEEDINGS OF MEETINGS IN DIFFERENT TOWNSHIPS IN 1774-5 .- FREEHOLD LEADS THE STATE .-- COUNTY RESO- LUTIONS .- AN ADMIRABLE DOCUMENT .- PATRIOTS APPEAL TO THEIR DESCENDANTS .- "A FAITHFUL RECORD" OF 1774.
Historians of other States have always conceded that the citizens of New Jersey were among the earliest and most active opponents of those tyrannical acts of Great Britain which brought on the war, and finally re- sulted in separation. Large and spirited public meet- ings were held in various parts of the State in 1774-5, to denounce the obnoxious laws, and to organize for counsel and defence.
At this stage of affairs, separation from England had not been proposed, and most of these meetings, while condemning the acts of the British Ministry and Parlia- ment, still expressed decided loyalty to the King. Our ancestors warmly seconded the stand taken by the people of Boston, and freely forwarded contributions to the suf- fering inhabitants of that city.
We annex extracts from the proceedings of some of these meetings in Old Monmouth, as they exhibit the timely zeal and firm and decided spirit of its citizens, and
CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION-PRINCIPLES INVOLVED. 43
also furnish the names of some of the leading spirits who were prominent in the early stages of political movements which brought on the Revolution. The several counties of the State were requested to send delegates to meet at Now Brunswick, July 21st, 1774, to consider what action should be taken by the citizens of the province of New Jersey. This convention was generally spoken of as the "Pro- vincial Congress of New Jersey," and was a different body from the Legislature ; in several instances, however, the same persons were members of both bodies. A number of persons named in these proceedings were afterwards, during the war, conspicuous in military or civil life, for their services in behalf of their country in legislative halls and on the field of battle.
For a year or two the citizens of the county appear to have been about unanimous in their sentiments, but when finally the subject of a separation from the mother country was boldly advocated, there was found to be a diversity of opinion, and some who were among the most active in the meetings of 1774-5, earnestly opposed the proposition, and eventually sided with England in the later years of that memorable struggle. The fearful consequences of this division, in which it would seem almost every man capable of bearing arms was compelled to take sides, we have endeavored to give in other chapters.
The citizens of Freehold had the honor, we believe, of holding the first meeting in New Jersey to denounce the tyrannical acts of Great Britain-of inaugurating the movements in our State which finally resulted in Inde- pendence. The date of their first meeting is June 6th, 1774; the earliest date of a meeting in any other place that we have met with, is of a meeting at Newark, June 11th, 1774.
The following is a copy of the Freehold Proceedings :
LOWER FREEHOLD RESOLUTIONS.
"FREEHOLD June 6th 1774.
"At a meeting of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Township of Lower Freehold in the county of
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTHI AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
Monmonth in New Jersey, on Monday the 6th day of June, 1774, after notice given of the time, place and oc- casion of this meeting :
" Resolved That it is the unanimous opinion of this meeting, that the cause in which the inhabitants of the town of Boston are now suffering is the common cause of the whole Continent of North America; and that unless some general spirited measures, for the public safety be speedily entered into there is just reason to fear that every Province may in turn share the same fate with them ; and that therefore, it is highly incumbent on them all to unite in some effectnal means to obtain a repeal of the Boston Port Bill and any other that may follow it, which shall be deemed subversive of the rights and privi- leges of free born Americans.
"And that it is the opinion of this meeting that in case it shall hereafter appear to be consistent with the gen- eral opinion of the trading towns and the commercial part of our countrymen, that an entire stoppage of im- portation and exportation from and to Great Britain and the West Indies, until the said Port Bill and other Acts be repealed, will be conducive to the safety and preser- vation of North America and her liberties, they will yield a cheerful acquiescence in the measure and earnestly reccommend the same to all their brethren in this Prov- ince.
"Resolved, moreover, That the inhabitants of this township will join in an Association with the several towns in the county and in conjunction with them, with the several counties in the Province (if, as we doubt not they see fit to accede to the proposal in any measures that may appear best adapted to the weal and safety of North America and all her loval sons.
" Ordered That
JOHN ANDERSON ESQ PETER FORMAN
HENDRICK SMOCK JOHN FORMAN
ASHER HOLMES Capt. JNO. COVENHOVEN
and Dr. NATHANIEL SCUDDER
be a committee for the township to join those who may
CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION-PRINCIPLES INVOLVED. 45
be elected for the neighboring townships or counties to constitute a General Committee for any purposes similar to those above mentioned ; and that the gentlemen so ap- pointed do immediately solicit a correspondence with the adjacent towns."
(Dr. Scudder subsequently was a Colonel in the First Regiment Monmouth Militia, and killed October 15th, 1781, as described elsewhere.)
The following week the citizens of Essex sent the following to the patriots of Monmouth :
ESSEX TO MONMOUTH. " ELIZABETHTOWN June 13 1774
"Gentlemen: The alarming Measures which have been lately taken to deprive the Inhabitants of the Ameri- can Colonies of their constitutional Rights and Privileges, together with the late violent attacks made upon the rights and liberties of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay (for asserting and endeavoring to maintain their rights) manifestly intended to crush them without Mercy and thereby disunite and weaken the Colonies, and at the same time dare them to assert or own their Constitu- tional Rights, Liberties or Properties, under the Penalty of the like, and if possible, worse treatment: and as the Assembly of New Jersey are not like to meet in time to answer the Design proposed, and the neighboring Colo- nies are devising and expecting the immediate union of this Colony with them.
"Sundry of the Inhabitants of the County of Essex by Advertisements, convened a general Meeting of said County at Newark on Saturday last, when the said in- habitants unanimously entered into certain Resolves and Declarations upon that occasion, a copy of which you have enclosed. We the Committee appointed by the said Meeting, do earnestly request that You will immediately by Advertisements or otherwise, call a general Meeting of your County for the purposes aforesaid as soon as pos- sible, as we have intelligence that it is most probable the General Congress of the Colonies will be held the latter end of July next. We think New Brunswick the most
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
suitable place for the committee to meet, and with sub- mission to them desire they will meet us at New Bruns- wick on Thursday, July 21st next, at 10 o'clock in the morning, unless some other time and place more suitable shall in the meantime be agreed upon.
"We earnestly request your answer as soon as pos- sible.
"Letters of this Tenor and Date we now despatch to the other Counties in this Colony. We are, Gentlemen, "your most ob't servants
STEPHEN CRANE, Chairman. "By order;
"To Messrs. Edward Taylor, Richard Lawrence, Elisha Lawrence, John Taylor and Henry Waddell and other Inhabitants of the County of Monmouth, Friends to the Liberties and Privileges of the American Colo- nies."
(The above letter was directed to the above named gentlemen "or to any body else in Monmouth County.")
Delegates from the different townships in the county assembled at Freehold, July 19th, and the result of their decision is found in the following admirable document. It is lengthy, but will well repay perusal. In the closing paragraph they trust that some faithful record will trans- mit the reasons which actuated them, to their posterity to whom they make a brief but eloquent appeal. As they desired, this record has been preserved, and as they desired, we do what we can to place it before their de- scendants :
MONMOUTH COUNTY RESOLUTIONS.
"On Tuesday, July 19th, 1774, a majority of the Committees from the several townships in the County of Monmouth of the Colony of New Jersey, met according to appointment at the Court House at Freehold in said county ; and appearing to have been regularly chosen and constituted by their respective townships, they unani- mously agreed upon the propriety and expediency of electing a committee to represent the whole county at the approaching Provincial Convention to be held at the
CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION-PRINCIPLES INVOLVED. 47
city of New Brunswick, for the necessary purpose of con- stituting delegates from this Province to the general Congress of the Colonies and for all other such import- ant purposes as shall hereafter be found necessary.
" They at the same time also recorded the following Resolutions, Determinations and Opinions, which they wish to be transmitted to posterity as an ample testimony to their loyalty to his British Majesty, of their firm at- tachment to the principles of the glorious Revolution and their fixed and unalterable purpose, by every lawful means in their power, to maintain and defend themselves in the possession and enjoyment of those inestimable civil and religious privileges which their forefathers, at the expense of so much blood and treasure, have estab- lished and handed down to them.
"Ist. In the names and behalf of their constituents, the good and loyal inhabitants of the county of Mon- mouth, in the colony of New Jersey, they do cheerfully and publicly proclaim their unshaken allegiance to the person and government of his most gracious Majesty, King George the Third, now on the British throne, and do acknowledge themselves bound at all times, and to the utmost exertion of their power to maintain his dig- nity and lawful sovereignty in and over all his colonies in America ; and that it is their most fervent desire and constant prayer that in a Protestant succession, the de- scendants of the illustrious House of Hanover, may con- tinue to sway the British sceptre to the latest posterity.
"2d. They do highly esteem and prize the happi- ness of being governed and having their liberty and property secured to them by so excellent a system of laws as that of Great Britain, the best doubtless in the universe ; and they will at all times cheerfully obey and render every degree of assistance in their power to the full and just execution of them. But at the same time will, with the greatest alacrity and resolution oppose any unwarrantable innovations in them or any additions to or alterations in the grand system which may appear un- constitutional, and consequently inconsistent with the
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
liberties and privileges of the descendants of free born American Britons.
"3d. As there has been for ages past, a most happy union and uninterrupted connection between Great Brit- ain and her colonies in America, they conceive their in- terests are now become so intimately blended together and their mutual dependence upon each other to be at this time so delicately great that they esteem everything which has a tendency to alienate affection or disunite them in any degree, highly injurious to their common happiness and directly calculated to produce a Revolu- tion, likely in the end to prove destructive to both ; they do therefore heartily disclaim every idea of that spirit of independence which has, of late, by some of our mistaken brethren on each side of the Atlantic, been so ground- lessly and injuriously held up to the attention of the nation, as having through ambition, possessed the breasts of the Americans. And moreover they do devoutly be- seech the Supreme Disposer of all events, graciously to incline the heart of our Sovereign and all his Ministers, to a kind and impartial investigation of the real senti- ments and disposition of his truly loyal American sub- jects.
"4th. Notwithstanding many great men and able writers have employed their talents and pens in favor of the newly adopted mode of taxation in America, they are yet sensible of no convietive light being thrown upon the subject; and therefore, although so august a body as that of the British Parliament is now actually endeavoring to enforce in a military way, the execution of some distress- ing edicts upon the capital of the Massachusetts colony, they do freely and solemnly declare that in conscience they deem them, and all others that are, or ever may be framed upon the same principles, altogether unprece- dented and unconstitutional, utterly inconsistent with the true original intention of Magna Charta, subversive of the just rights of free born Englishmen, agreeable and satisfactory only to the domestic and foreign enemies of our nation, and consequently pregnant with complicated
CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION-PRINCIPLES INVOLVED. 49
ruin, and tending directly to the dissolution and destruc- tion of the British Empire.
"5th. As they, on the one hand firmly believe that the inhabitants of the Massachusetts colony in general, and those of the town of Boston in particular, are to all intents and purposes as loyal subjects as any in all his Majesty's widely extended dominions ; and on the other, that (although the present coercive and oppressive meas- ures against them may have taken rise in some part from the grossest and most cruel misrepresentation both of their disposition and conduct) the blockadle of that town is principally designed to lead the way in an at- tempt to execute a dreadful deep laid plan for enslaving all America. They are therefore clearly of opinion, that the Bostonians are now eminently suffering in the com- mon cause of American freedom, and that their fate may probably prove decisive to this very extensive continent and even to the whole British nation ; and they do verily expect that unless some generous spirited measures for the public safety be speedily entered into and steadily prosecuted, every other colony will soon in turn feel the pernicious effects of the same detestable restrictions. Whence they earnestly entreat every rank, denomina- tion, society and profession of their brethren, that, lay- ing aside all bigotry and every party disposition, they do now universally concur in one generous and vigorous effort for the encouragement and support of their suffer- ing friends, and in a resolute assertion of their birthi- right, liberties and privileges, In consequence of which they may reasonably expect a speedy repeal of all the arbitrary edicts respecting the Massachusetts govern- ment, and at the same time an effectual preclusion of any future attempts of the kind from the enemies of our happy Constitution, either upon them or any of their American brethren.
"6th. In case it shall hereafter appear to be con- sistent with the result of the deliberation of the general Congress, that an interruption or entire cessation of commercial intercourse with Great Britain and even
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