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 6
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 6
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
(painful as it may be) with the West Indies, until such oppressive Acts be repealed and the liberties of America fully restored, stated and asserted, will on this deplor- able emergency be really necessary and conducive to the public good, they promise a ready acquiescence in every measure and will recommend the same as far as their influence extends.
"7th. As a general Congress of Deputies from the several American Colonies is proposed to be held at Philadelphia soon in September next, they declare their entire approbation of the design and think it is the only rational method of evading those aggravated evils which threaten to involve the whole continent in one general calamitous catastrophe. They are therefore met this day, vested with due authority from their respective con- stituents, to elect a committee to represent this county of Monmouth in any future necessary transactions re- specting the cause of liberty and especially to join the Provincial Convention soon to be held at New Brunswick, for the purpose of nominating and constituting a number of Delegates, who in behalf of this Colony may steadily attend to said general Congress and faithfully serve the laboring cause of freedom and they have consequently chosen and deputed the following gentlemen to that im- portant trust viz :
Edward Taylor
John Anderson
John Taylor
Dr. Nathaniel Scudder
John Burrowes John Covenhoven
Joseph Holmes
Josiah Holmes
Edward Williams
James Grover
John Lawrence.
"Edward Taylor being constituted chairman and any five of them a sufficient number to transact business. And they do beseech, entreat, instruct and enjoin them to give their voice at said Provincial Convention, for no persons but such as they in good conscience and from the best information shall verily believe to be amply qualified for so interesting a department; particularly that they be men highly approved for integrity, honesty
CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION- PRINCIPLES INVOLVED. 51
and uprightness, faithfully attached to his Majesty's per- son and lawful government, well skilled in the principles of our excellent constitution and steady assertors of all our civil and religious liberties.
"8th. As under the present operation of the Boston Port Bill, thousands of our respected brethren in that town must necessarily be reduced to great distress, they feel themselves affected with the sincerest sympathy and most cordial commiseration ; and as they expect, under God, that the final deliverance of America will be owing, in a great degree, to a continuance of their virtuous struggle, they esteem themselves bound in duty and in interest to afford them every assistance and alleviation in their power ; and they do now in belief of their con- stituents, declare their readiness to contribute to the re- lief of the suffering poor in that town ; therefore they re- quest the several committees of the country, when met, to take into serious consideration the necessity and ex- pediency of forwarding under a sanction from them, sub- scriptions through every part of the Colony, for that truly humane and laudable purpose ; and that a proper plan be concerted for laying out the product of such sub- scriptions to the best advantage, and afterwards trans- mitting it to Boston in the safest and least expensive way.
"9th. As we are now by our Committees in this, in conjunction with those of other colonies, about to dele- gate to a number of our countrymen a power equal to any wherewith human nature alone was ever invested ; and as we firmly resolve to acquiesce in their delibera- tions, we do therefore earnestly entreat them, seriously and conscientiously to weigh the inexpressible import- ance of their arduous department, and fervently to solicit that direction and assistance in the discharge of their trust, which all the powers of humanity cannot afford them; and we do humbly and earnestly beseech that God, in whose hand are the hearts of all flesh and who ruleth them at his pleasure, graciously to infuse into the whole Congress a spirit of true wisdom, prudence and
52
HISTORY OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
just moderation ; and to direct them to such unanimous and happy conclusion as shall terminate in His own honor and glory, the establishment of the Protestant succession of the illustrious House of Hanover, the mutual weal and advantage of Great Britain and all her Dominions and a just and permanent confirmation of all the civil and religious liberties of America. And now lastly, under the consideration of the bare possibility that the enemies of our constitution will yet succeed in a desperate triumph over us in this age, we do earnestly (should this prove the case) call upon all future genera- tions to renew the glorious struggle for liberty as often as Heaven shall afford them any probable means of suc- cess.
"May this notification, by some faithful record, be handed down to the yet unborn descendants of Ameri- cans, that nothing but the most fatal necessity could have wrested the present inestimable enjoyments from their ancestors. Let them universally inculcate upon their beloved offspring an investigation of those truths, respecting both civil and religious liberty, which have been so clearly and fully stated in this generation. May they be carefully taught in all their schools ; and may they never rest until, through Divine blessing upon their efforts, true freedom and liberty shall reign triumphant over the whole Globe.
" Signed by order of the Committees, " EDWARD TAYLOR Chairman."
BOSTON GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES MON- MOUTH CONTRIBUTIONS.
The patriots of Monmouth promptly and freely con- tributed to the suffering inhabitants of Boston. In for- warding their first contribution "they entreated their brethren not to give up, and if they should want a further supply of bread to let them know it."
On the 21st of October, 1774, a letter was written on behalf of the Bostonians, to the citizens of Monmouth, in which they say :
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BOSTON ACKNOWLEDGES MONMOUTH CONTRIBUTIONS.
"The kind and generous donations of the County of Monmonth in the Jersies we are now to acknowledge and with grateful hearts to thank you therefor, having received from the Committee of said county, per Captain Brown, eleven hundred and forty (1140) bushels of rye and fifty barrels of rye meal, for the suffering poor of this town, which shall be applied to the purpose intended by the donors; and what further cheers our hearts, is your kind assurances of a further supply, if necessary, to enable us to oppose the cruel Parliamentary Acts, lev- elled not only against this town, but our whole Consti- tution."
"COMMITTEES OF OBSERVATION AND INSPECTION." "FREEHOLD December 10th 1774.
"In pursuance of the recommendation of the Con- tinental Congress and for the preservation of American Freedom, a respectable body of the freeholders of Free- hold township met at the Court House and unanimously elected the following gentlemen to act as a Committee of
Observation and Inspection for said township:
John Anderson Hendrick Smock
John Forman John Covenhoven
Asher Holmes
Dr. Nath'l Scudder
Peter Forman
David Forman
Dr. T. Henderson.
"The committee were instructed by their constitu- ents to carry into execution the several important and salutary measures pointed out to them by the Continental Congress and without favor or affection to make all such diligent inquiry as shall be found conducive to the ac- complishment of the great necessary purposes held up to the attention of Americans."
Upper Freehold, Dover and Middletown formed simi- lar committees, and notified the Freehold committee.
Shrewsbury however failed to appoint a committee. This may have been owing to the prevalence of Quaker principles in the township. An attempt by the patriots of Shrewsbury was made to have a Committee appointed,
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
as will be seen by the following copy of an advertise- ment put up in this township :
"ADVERTISEMENT. "SHREWSBURY January 2nd 1775.
"Agreeable to the Resolutions of the late General Continental Congress-The Inhabitants of the town of Shrewsbury, more especially such as are properly quali- fied for choosing Representatives to serve in the General Assembly are hereby warned to meet at the house of Josiah Halstead, in said Shrewsbury, on Tuesday the 17th of this instant January at noon, in order to choose a Committee for the several purposes as directed by the said Congress.
"As the method ordered by the Congress seems to be the only peaceable method the case will admit of, on failure of which either comfirmed Slavery or a civil war of course succeeds ; the bare mention of either of the two last is shocking to human nature, more particularly so to all true friends of the English Constitution.
"Therefore it becomes the indispensable duty of all such to use their utmost endeavors in favor of the first or peaceable method, and suffer it not to miscarry or fail of its salutary and much desired effects by means of any sinister views or indolence of theirs. Surely expecting on the one hand to be loaded with the curses arising from slavery to the latest posterity, or on the other hand the guilt of blood of thousands of their brethren and fellow Christians to lay at their door and to be justly required at their hands.
"Think well of this before it be too late and let not. the precious moments pass."
A number of the citizens of Shrewsbury assembled at the time and place mentioned in the advertisement but they failed to appoint a committee. The following shows the conclusion to which the meeting came. It concludes more like a Quaker Meeting epistle than a town meeting resolve :
"Extract from a letter to a gentleman in New York dated Shrewsbury N. J. January 18th 1775.
.
BOSTON ACKNOWLEDGES MONMOUTH CONTRIBUTIONS. 55
"In consequence of an anonymous advertisement fixed up in this place, giving notice to frecholders and others, to meet on Tuesday the 17th inst. in order to choose a Committee of Inspection, etc., between thirty and forty of the most respectable freeholders accordingly met and after a few debates on the business of the day, which were carried on with great decency and modera- tion it was generally agreed (there being only four or five dissenting votes) that the appointment of a committee was not only useless, but they were apprehensive would prove a means of disturbing the peace and quietness which had hitherto existed in the township, and would continue to use their utmost endeavors to preserve and to guard against running upon that rock on which, with much concern, they beheld others, through an inatten- tive rashness, daily splitting."
The Freehold Committee of Observation and Inspec- tion at a meeting held March 17th, 1775, took up the case of Shrewsbury township, and after stating the subject in a preamble they resolved that from and after that day they would esteem and treat the citizens of Shrewsbury as enemies to their King and country and deserters of the common cause of Freedom; and would break off all dealings and connections with them "unless they shall turn from the evil of their ways and testify their repent- ance by adopting the measures of Congress."
The New Jersey Provincial Legislature, in May fol- lowing, authorized other townships to appoint delegates for Shrewsbury, but the same month the refractory town- ship, as will be seen by the following, chose delegates and also a committee of Observation, and so the un- pleasantness ended.
SHREWSBURY FALLS INTO LINE.
" At a meeting of Freeholders and Inhabitants of the the township of Shrewsbury this 27th day of May 1775, the following persons were by a great majority, chosen a committee of observation for the said town agreeable to
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
the direction of the General Continental Congress held at Philadelphia September 5th, 1774 viz.
Josiah Holmes John Little
Jos. Throckmorton
Samuel Longstreet
Nicholas Van Brunt
David Knott
Cor. Vanderveer
Benjamin Dennis
Daniel Hendrickson
Samuel Breese
Thomas Morford Garret Longstreet
Cornelius Lane.
" Ordered : That Daniel Hendrickson and Nicholas Van Brunt, or either of them, do attend the Provincial Congress now setting at Trenton, with full power to rep- resent there, this town of Shrewsbury. And that Josiah Holmes, David Knott and Samuel Breese be a sub-com- mittee to prepare instructions for the Deputy or Depu- ties who are to attend the Congress at Trenton.
" Josiah Holmes was unanimously chosen chairman. JOSIAH HOLMES.
"Chairman and Town Clerk."
FREEHOLD PATRIOTS INDIGNANT .- NOVEL PROCEEDINGS.
MARCH 6th, 1775.
A Tory pamphlet entitled " Free Thoughts on the Resolves of Congress ly A. W. Farmer," was handed to the Freehold Committee of Observation and Inspection for their opinion. The committee declared it to be most pernicious and malignant in its tendencies and calculated to sap the foundation of American liberty. The pamphlet was handed back to their constituents who gave it a coat of tar and turkey buzzard's feathers, one person remark- ing that "although the feathers were plucked from the most stinking of fowls, he thought it fell far short of being a proper emblem of the author's odiousness to the friends of freedom and he wished he had the pleasure of giving the author a coat of the same material."
The pamphlet in its gorgeous attire was then nailed to the pillory post.
The same committee severely denounced a Tory pamphlet written by James Rivington, editor of Riving-
57
BOSTON ACKNOWLEDGES MONMOUTH CONTRIBUTIONS.
ton's Royal Gazette, the Tory paper, printed in New York.
By the following resolves it will be seen that the citizens of Upper Freehold favored arming the people if necessary, to oppose the tyrannical acts of Great Britain. A striking illustration of the stirring events of that peril- ous time is found in the fact that before a year had elapsed some of the prominent men in this meeting were aiding Great Britain to the best of their ability by voice, pen, or sword :
UPPER FREEHOLD RESOLUTIONS.
" May 4th 1775. This day, agreeable to previous notice a very considerable number of the principal in- habitants of this township met at Imlaystown.
"John Lawrence Esq. in the chair: When the fol- lowing resolves were unanimously agreed to :
" Resolved, That it is our first wish to live in unison with Great Britain, agreeable to the principles of the Constitution ; that we consider the unnatural civil war which we are about to be forced into, with anxiety and distress but that we are determined to oppose the novel claim of the Parliament of Great Britain to raise a revenue in America and risk every possible consequence rather than to submit to it.
"Resolved. That it appears to this meeting that there are a sufficient number of arms for the people.
" Resolved. That a sum of money be now raised to purchase what further quantity of Powder and Ball may be necessary ; and it is reccommended that every man capable of bearing arms enter into Companies to train, and be prepared to march at a minute's warning ; and it is further recommended to the people that they do not waste their powder in fowling and hunting.
" A subscription was opened and one hundred and sixty pounds instantly paid into the hands of a person appointed for that purpose. The officers of four com- panies were then chosen and the meeting broke up in perfect unanimity.
" ELISHA LAWRENCE, Clerk."
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
INDIAN CLAIMS IN MONMOUTH, OCEAN AND VICINITY.
The last lands in Old Monmouth claimed by the Indians were described in certain papers, powers of at- torney, &c., presented to a conference between the whites and Indians held at Crosswicks, N. J., in Feb- ruary, 1758, For several years previous the Indians had expressed much dissatisfaction because they had not re- ceived pay for several tracts of land, some of them of considerable extent in Monmouth and other counties. When the ill feeling of the Indians became apparent, the Legislature appointed commissioners to examine into the causes of dissatisfaction. Several conferences were held at Crosswicks, Burlington, Easton, Pa., &c., between the commissioners and the representatives of several Indian tribes with reference to the lands, and satisfactory set- tlements made.
In the year 1678, a claim was brought by the Indians against Richard Hartshorne, an early set- tler of old Monmouth, who had previously bought of them Sandy Hook, and lands around the Highlands. In that year, to prevent their trespassing upon his lands, he had to pay them to relinquish their claims to hunt, fish, fowl, and gather beach plums. The following is a copy of the agreement:
"The 8th of August, 1678. Whereas the Indians pre- tend that formerly, when they sold all the land upon Sandy Hook, they did not sell, or did except liberty to plums, or to say the Indians should have liberty to go on Sandy Hook, to get plums when the please, and to hunt upon the land, and fish, and to tak ? dry trees that suited them for cannows. Now know all men by these presents, that I, Richard Hartshorne, of Portland, in the county of Monmouth, in East Jersey, for peace and quietness sake, and to the end there may be no cause of trouble with the Indians and that I may not for the future have any trouble with them as formerly I had, in their dogs kill- ing my sheep, and their hunting on my lands, and their fishing, I have agreed as followeth :
INDIAN CLAIMS IN MONMOUTH, OCEAN AND VICINITY. 59
" These presents witnesseth, that I, Vowavapon, Hendricks, the Indians sonn, having all the liberty and privileges of pluming on Sandy Hook, hunting, fishing, fowling, getting cannows &e., by these presents, give grant, bargain, sell, unto Richard Hartshorne, his heirs and assigns forever, all the liberty and privilege of plum- ing, fishing, fowling, and hunting, and howsoever ro- served and excepted by the Indians for him, the said Richard Hartshorne, his heirs and assigns, to have, hold, possess, and enjoy forever, to say that no Indian, or In- dians, shall or hath no pretense to lands or timber, or liberty, privileges on no pretense whatsoever on any part a parcell of land, belonging to the said Richard Hartshorne, to say Sandy Hook or land adjoining to it, in consideration the said Hartshorne, hath paid unto the said Vowavapon, thirteen shillings money; and I the said Vowavapon, do acknowledge to have received thir- teen shillings by these presents. Witness my hand and seal.
" VOWAVAPON X his mark " Tocus X his mark.
"Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of JOHN STOUT."
Having delivered their claims to the Commission- ers, the Indians present executed a power of attorney to Tom Store, Moses Totamy, Stephen Calvin, Isaac Still and John Pompshire, or the major part of them, to transact all future business with the state government respecting lands.
In 1757 the government had appropriated £1,600 to purchase a release of Indian claims; one-half to be laid out in purchasing a settlement for the Indians on the south side of the Raritan, whereon they might reside ; the other half to purchase latent claims of back Indians not resi- dent in the province. At the conference at Easton, in October, 1758, it was decided to purchase a tract of land in Evesham township, Burlington, containing over 3,000 acres, for the Indians to locate upon. There was there a sawmill and cedar swamp and satisfactory hunting
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
ground. The Indians soon removed to this reservation, named Brotherton ; in removing their buildings they were assisted by government. A house of worship and several dwellings were soon put up.
In 1765, it is said, there were about sixty persons settled there.
About the last remnant of Indians remaining in our state, sold their lands to the whites about 1801, and the year following removed to New Stockbridge, near Oneida Lake, New York, from whence, about 1824, they removed to Michigan, where they purchased a tract of land of the Menomonie Indians, on both sides of the Fox river near Green Bay.
In 1832, the New Jersey tribe, reduced to less than forty souls, delegated one of their number named Bar- tholomew S. Calvin, to visit Trenton and apply to our Legislature for remuneration for hunting and fishing privileges on unenclosed lands, which they alleged had not been sold with the land. Calvin was an aged man who had been educated at Princeton, where he was at the breaking out of the Revolution when he joined the American army. The claim, so unusual, was met in a spirit of kindness by our Legislature, who directed the State Treasurer to pay to the agent of the Indians, the sum of two thousand dollars, thus satisfactorily and hon- orably extinguishing the last claim the Indians brought against our state. Hon. Samuel L. Southard, at the close of a speech made at the time, said: "It was a proud fact in the history of New Jersey, that every foot of her soil had been obtained from the Indians by fair and volun- tary purchase and transfer, a fact that no other state of the Union, not even the land which bears the name of Penn, can boast."
MEMBERS OF THE NEW JERSEY PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY FROM MONMOUTH COUNTY.
FROM THEIR FIRST SESSION BEGAN NOVEMBER 10TH, 1703, AT PERTH AMBOY, TO THE REVOLUTION.
In the list of members of the Assembly, or "House
MEMBERS OF THE NEW JERSEY PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY. 61
of Representatives of the Province of Nova Cesarea or New Jersey," from 1703 to 1709, during which time there were four sessions, the names of the counties to which they severally belonged are not given. The records sim- ply mention that they are from East or West Jersey as the case may be. Among the members from East Jersey it is probable that the following are from Monmouth County:
: Ist Assembly, 1703, Obadiah Bowne, Richard Hartshorne.
2d
1704, Richard Hartshorne, John Bowne,
Richard Salter, Obadiah Bowne,
3d 1707, ( John Bowne, William Lawrence,
Lewis Morris.
4th 66 1708-9, Gershom Mott, Elisha Lawrence.
After this session the names of the counties to which the members belonged are given.
5th Assembly, 1709, Elisha Lawrence, Gersham Mott.
6th €€
1710, Gershom Mott, William Lawrence,
7th,
1716, William Lawrence, Elisha Lawrence.
8th,
1721, William Lawrence, Garret Schenck.
9th, 66 1727, John Eaton, James Grover.
10th,
1730, John Eaton, James Grover.
11th,
1738, John Eaton, Cornelius Vandervere.
12th,
1740, John Eaton, Cornelius Vandervere.
13th, 66 1743, John Eaton, Robert Lawrence.
14th,
1744, John Eaton, Robert Lawrence.
15th, 66 1745, John Eaton, Robert Lawrence.
16th,
1746, John Eaton, Robert Lawrence.
17th, 66 1749, John Eaton, Robert Lawrence.
18th, 66
1751, Robert Lawrence, James Holmes.
19th,
1754, Robert Lawrence, James Holmes.
20th, 6+ 1761, James Holmes, * Richard Lawrence.
21st,
1769, Robert Hartshorne, Edward Taylor,
23d
1772, Edward Taylor, Richard Lawrence.
Robert Lawrence was speaker of the Assembly in 1746-7, and again from 1754-1758.
THE PROVINCIAL CONGRESS OF NEW JERSEY.
The delegates appointed by the several counties to take action in regard to the tyrannical acts of Great Britain, assembled at New Brunswick, July 21st, 1774,
*James Holmes died and John Anderson was chosen in his place.
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES.
and continued in session three days. Seventy-two dele- gates were present. The following had been elected from Monmouth county by a meeting held at Freehold Court House, July 19th, viz :
Edward Taylor, John Anderson, John Taylor,
James Grover,
John Lawrence, Dr. Nath'l Sendder,
John Burrowes,
Joseph Holmes,
Josiah Holmes,
Edward Williams.
Edward Taylor was appointed chairman of the dele- gation. The Provincial Congress elected Stephen Crane, of Essex, Chairman, and Jonathan D. Sargent, of Som- erset, clerk. Resolutions were passed similar in char- acter to those adopted by the Monmouth meeting.
EARLY HISTORY OF OLD MONMOUTH.
TRAVELING TWO CENTURIES AGO-CROSSING THE STATE IN ANCIENT TIMES-PERILOUS TRAVELING-INDIAN HOTELS AND HOSPITALITIES, &C.
It is doubtful if any more ancient accounts of travel- ing across New Jersey can be found than the following, extracted from the journals of John Burnyeate and George Fox, distinguished members of the Society of Friends ; in company with them were Robert Withers, George Patison and others, some of whom returned by the same route a few months afterwards. These noted Quaker preachers left Maryland in the latter part of Feb- ruary, 1672, and arrived at New Castle, Delaware, about the first of March. From thence Burnyeate gives the following account of their journey across the State to Middletown:
"We staid there (New Castle) that night, and the next day we got over the river (Delaware). When we got over we could not get an Indian for a guide, and the Dutchman we had hired would not go without an Indian, so we were forced to stay there that day. The next day we rode about to seek an Indian, but could get none to go; but late in the evening there came some from the other side of the town, and we hired one, and so began our journeying early the next morning to travel through
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