USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > Perth Amboy > Contributions to the early history of Perth Amboy and adjoining country : with sketches of men and events in New Jersey during the provincial era > Part 13
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ponent went very often with four or five more of his fellow prisoners, to Col. Schuyler's lodgings, to fetch fresh provisions for the sick ; and that he verily believes many of the sick would have died if Col. Schuyler had not supplied them in the manner he did. This deponent also declares that when there was not a sufficiency of fresh provisions at Col. Schuyler's lodgings, the Col. would give the men money to buy provisions themselves-that the sick in general complained to him of the want of fresh provisions, and that they could not bear to eat the salt fish given them as their allowance-that Col. Schuyler assured them he would take care of them, and accordingly sent them fresh provisions, and this deponent declares that he himself went sometimes every day, at other times every other day, with four or five more men to the Col.'s lodging to fetch fresh provisions for the sick.
" That the expenses attending the supplying the sick were very high, but that he was certain the Assembly would readily allow them, as they were absolutely necessary for the pre- servation of the lives of the poor suf- ferers."
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" All the officers and men of Col. Schuyler's regiment are arrived at Plymouth, excepting Col. Schuyler and Doctor Stakes, who are kept at Quebec for reasons unknown to every body." *
* After narrating what he had done in anticipation of their arrival, as above, he added : " Mr. Pitt wrote to Mr. Partridge, Agent for the Province of New Jersey, who wrote to Mr. Pitt, that he could do nothing for them without orders from the Province.' Upon which I wrote another letter to the Secretary of State, and told him that it was very cruel that so many fine fellows who had served their country for two years past, should be so neglected by the mother country as to want common necessaries of life, and at the same time told him that if the government of England would not subsist them and send them back to America upon their expense, I did not doubt but that the province of New Jersey would pay it: upon which I got an order for their subsistence, and also to send them to America." And on the 25th November, he wrote: "To relate all the trouble I have met with in getting subsistence for the provincial troops as they landed from Old and New France would be too tedious; but I can't help telling you that Mr. Partridge, the Agent for our Province, is a d-d scoundrel; all that he would do was this : if Mr. Pitt (to whom I had written several letters on the subject) would advance money to the provincial officers for their subsistence, he would give his note for the sum to be paid out of the next cash he had in his hands belonging to the Province, but would not ad- vance it himself, 'though he is worth at least £30,000 sterling. He is such another as old John Watson,87 therefore not fit for the post he is intrusted with.' 88
The application of Capt. Skinner to Lord Barrington for promotion into the regular service proved unavailing, his Lord- ship releasing himself from all obligations to advance his views on account of his being only a Provincial officer ; but on ap- plying by petition to the King, his application was granted, and on 7th October he thus wrote :-
"I have the pleasure to acquaint you that I received a letter from my Lord Barrington yesterday, in which he told me that I was appointed a Lieutenant in General Cornwallis's Regiment, and take place of all the Lieutenants appointed in consequence of the present augmentation, which is an additional Lieutenant to every company in His Majesty's service. General Cornwallis's Regiment consists of two Battalions-the first is gone upon a secret expedition, the other is quartered at Gosport. I consulted with my friends whether I should accept of it or not, who all advised me to take it. The Duke of Grafton, my Lord Harford, and many others, tried to get me a company before they went out of town, but there were so many trying for companies (who had a better right to expect them than I had) and were obliged to accept of Lieutenancies, that I thought it
87 John Watson, the Painter and battles of their country and were on their way to their homes, is not known. Mr. Partridge would certainly have been imprudent to have incurred the expense without instructions from the Province.
" Miser," of Amboy. See page 126 of this volume.
88 Upon what grounds the Govern- ment could base their refusal to pro- vide for troops who had been made prisoners of war while fighting the
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better to accept of my Lord Barrington's offer, and trust to the interest I have for my further promotion."
The course pursued to obtain his commission he thus graphically describes :-
" Being determined to try every method, and, luckily for me at that time, getting acquainted with Mr. Fitzroy, brother to the Duke of Graf- ton, who was courting Miss Warren, I was resolved to petition the King, which I did at a time when the Court was in mourring for the Queen of Prussia, and as every officer that had a petition to deliver goes in his regi- mentals, I did the same. When I entered into the first room whom should I meet but the Yeoman of the Guards, who came up to me in a rough manner and told me the Court was in mourning, and that my dress was not suitable to the times, and I could not be admitted :- the answer I gave him was very short, being that I had a petition to deliver the King and was determined to see him. I then passed him and got into a room where there was a large levee of most of the nobility in England. I looked about for my good friend Fitzroy, and spoke to him : he went di- rectly to my Lord Harford, the Duke of Newcastle, Lord Lenox, and many others, and told them that I was a relative of Lady Warren's and a friend of his, and introduced me to them, which made every one in the levee room inquisitive to know who I was and my business, which my good friend told them.69 The next thing was to know where I should place myself and in what manner I should present myself to the King, which my Lord Halifax was so kind as to instruct me in, and took the trouble to place me himself, which was by the door that the King passes through to his bed chamber, and ordered me, when the King returned that way, to kneel upon my right knee and present it to him, which I did with great resolution and a genteel posture, considering where I was born. When I presented it, the King stopped and looked at me, took it out of my hand, went into his bed chamber, and did me the honor to read it himself: upon which my Lord Halifax came to me and said that he did not doubt but that it would succeed, for, said he, the King has read your petition, which I never knew him to do before, for the Lord in waiting always does it for him. This reception gave me great encouragement, and I went home well satisfied."
" Three days afterward, I attended my Lord Barrington's levee, and asked him whether the King had spoken to him about me. His Lordship told me that he had, and repeated the words as the King spoke them, which were that "one Capt. Skinner, an American, belonging to a Pro- . vincial Regiment, had delivered a petition. 'I like the man's looks-he is fit to serve me-provide for him.' "
Lieutenant Skinner's promotion was rapid ; he was gazet- ted Captain, August 4th, 1759, and, as Major of Royal Volun- teers was in the Expedition to Belle Isle, in 1761. The fol- lowing letter gives an interesting account of the attack upon that post :-
89 It may be remarked here, that Capt. Skinner was a remarkably fine looking man, such as would be likely
to attract attention any where, although a stranger. A portrait of him is in the N. J. Historical Society's Collection.
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BELLE ISLE, ye 24th May, 1761.
"I think in my last letter to you I acquainted you that I was going upon an Expedition to the East Indies, but was agreeably surprised when we anchored in Belle Isle Road. Our Army consisted of about 9,000 men, mariners included, under the command of Generals. Hodgson, Crawford and Rufane; the Navy under the command of Commodore Keppell. On the 8th of April, we made an attempt to land, but were repulsed with the loss of about 400 men killed, wounded, and taken prisoners, which, added to the natural strength and innumerable fortifications in every part of the island where there seemed to be the least possibility of landing, made every body imagine it impossible to make our landing good. Despatches were immediately sent home with an account of our bad success, but be- fore we got an answer to that Express, we made another attempt, on the 22d of April, and made good our landing, with the loss of about 300 men, and 400 of the enemy.
"Our principal attack was intended to be made at Fort Andrew, with the choice of our troops, under the command of General Crawford; an- other body of men, consisting of Beauclerk's Grenadiers, 500 of our Regi- ment, Grey's and Stewart's Independents, and about 500 mariners, under the command of Col. Lambert, were designed to make a feint at another part of the island. Col. Lambert did me the honor to give me the com- mand of the first division that landed, in which I succeeded, with the loss of about 300 men ; we were opposed by about 500 men, who, if they had behaved as they ought to have done, might have killed every man of us, for we were obliged to scramble up an eminence, while the enemy were upon the top of the hill discharging their pieces at us, and pelting us with stones; however, we succeeded in our landing, and drove the enemy be- fore us.
" The General did me the honor of thanking me in public for my be- havior, and mentioned me to Mr. Pitt ; and has promised me that if a vacancy of Lieut. Col. happens he will recommend me to the King for it.
" We have since made our approaches, and opened our batteries of 32- pounders this morning in order to make a breach, but our wise Engineers have been mistaken in their distance, and find it impracticable till we get 200 yards nigher ; till then we shall do nothing. We have a line of cir- cumvallation about the Citadel, so that not a man can come out, and hope in about ten days time we shall be in possession of it. We have lost, since we came to the Island, near 900 men, and the French 1,000, which reduces their number to 1,200, by the accounts of deserters. This is all that has happened since we landed, excepting an unlucky accident that happened to General Crawford, who was taken prisoner in a sortie the enemy made upon our lines in a dark night; but they met with so warm a recep- tion that they have not attempted it since.
" We are alarmed here with a report that the Spaniards have assisted the French with 12 sail of the line, in order to relieve this place, but how true it is we do not know."
The following year he accompanied the Army, under Lord Loudon, to Portugal, and Lord Viscount Pulkney, his superior, having been placed temporarily in command of another corps, Major Skinner held the rank of Lieutenant-colonel ; and the following April (1763) received the promotion regularly, in consequence of the death of that nobleman. Shortly after this,
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he returned to England. In a letter written at this time he expresses an opinion that his regiment would be broken, and he hoped in a few months to see his American friends ; but this wish was never gratified. Previous to the Revolution he had risen to the rank of Colonel. He died in England about 1778.
Colonel Skinner married a daughter of Lady Warren, and his only child (Meauna Maria)90 married Henry, 3d Viscount Gage, and her son, Henry Hall Gage, is now the possessor of the titles and estate of the family.91
JOHN, the fourth son of the Rev. Mr. Skinner, entered the Provincial service at the same time with his brother William, as Lieutenant in his company ; was taken prisoner with him at Oswego, in 1756, and was his companion during his sojourn in France and on his transfer to England.
While waiting the result of an application for a commis- sion in the regular army, he volunteered his services in a secret expedition then fitting out, and during the cruise (in the Me- diterranean) performed duty in the Grenadier Company at- tached to Lord Loudon's Regiment. The fleet returned to England in October, 1757, and so well pleased were his supe- riors with Mr. Skinner's conduct, that they petitioned the Secretary of War in his behalf, and he received a regular com- mission as Ensign in that regiment.
90 So in the "English Peerage," but the relations of the family here say she received at baptism the simple name of Susannah.
91 THOMAS GAGE, Commander in Chief of the English Forces in North America during the first part of the War of Independence, was second son of Thomas, first Viscount Gage. He married, in 1758, Margaret, daughter of Peter Kemble, of New Jersey, (she died in 1824, aged 90,) and died in 1788, leaving several children, among them Henry, 3d Viscount Gage, who inherited the title October 11th, 1791, in consequence of the death, without issue, of his uncle, Wm. Hall, 2d Vis- count. He was born in 1761, and married Miss Skinner in 1782. He be- came a Major-general in the British Army, and left two sons-Henry Hall (4th Viscount) and Thomas William.
Henry Hall Gage (4th Viscount) was born December, 1791, and suc-
ceeded, on the death of his father January 29th, 1808, to the titles of the family, which are, Viscount Gage of Castle Island and Baron Gage of Cas- tlebar, Peerage of Ireland; Baron Gage of High Meadow, Peerage of England : and a Baronet of England of date 1622. He married, March, 1813, Elizabeth Maria, eldest daughter of the Hon. Edward Foley, second son of Thomas, first Lord Foley, and has issue : Henry Edward Hall (born 1814, married, in 1840, to the only daughter of Sir Charles Knightley, Bart., who was in her 13th year, and in 1844 he was a Lieutenant in the Rifle Bri- gade) ; Elizabeth Maria; Anna Maria ; William (born in 1820, was a Lieuten- ant in 83d Foot, in 1844); Caroline Harriet ; Edward Thomas ; Fanny Charlotte. The seats of Lord Gage are : Firle Place, Sussex ; Westbury House, Hants ; Town Residence, Gul- lais Hotel, Albemarle street.
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In 1759, he had risen to a Lieutenancy in the regiment of Colonel Grey, and his brother writing at that time, gives us an insight into his character. "His pride," says he, "will hinder his promotion. He thinks it beneath a man of honor, and one entitled to promotion for his services, to ask a favor of any one, or even wait upon people whose interest would prefer him immediately." The regiment to which he was at- tached being ordered to America, he had the pleasure of again meeting his family and friends. He was promoted to a Cap- taincy, June 10th, 1768, and in September of that year he attended Governor Franklin to Fort Stanwix, to assist at the Council held there with the Indians. He rose to be a Major in the 70th Regiment, and returned with it to England, in 1770, and continued there during the revolution. He subse- quently sold his commission, returned to America, and took up his residence again in Perth Amboy, entering into mercantile business. He married (Feb'y 16th, 1774,) Sarah, daughter of Philip Kearny, and died in December, 1797, leaving one son, James, who died at Amboy in 1827, leaving a wife and daughter-that daughter, previous to her marriage to Mr. Laforge, was the last of the descendants of the Rev. Wm. Skinner, in this country, bearing his name.
THE NEVILL FAMILY.
It has been stated in the notice of the Sonmans family, that the wife of Peter Sonmans was named Sarah Nevill, and, as his widow, inherited his property. In September, 1735, she married again ; her second choice being Mr. Christopher Gildemeister. But she was permitted to enjoy the new con- nection but a short time : he died the November following, and on the 1st December she also died. Upon her death her pro- perty became vested in " SAMUEL NEVILL, of London, Gent.," her eldest brother and heir at law. Another brother, JOHN NEV- ILL, was then in New Jersey, of whom, although it seems he was a resident of Perth Amboy, little is known, save that he held at different times various offices under the Provincial Government, and at one period was the lessee of the Ferry
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across the Raritan. His brother, however, occupied a more important station in society.
Samuel Nevill, so soon as he heard of his sister's death, embarked for East Jersey, reached the province towards the end of May, 1736, and established himself at the capital. He had received a liberal education in England, and was a lawyer by profession. He had been Editor of the London Morning Post, and even the few memorials of him that are now to be found indicate the possession of character and talents much above mediocrity. He soon rose to eminence, and became a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Mayor of Perth Amboy (then no trifling station), second Judge of the Supreme Court of the Province, and filled several other important offices, to the credit of himself, and, it is believed, to the satisfaction of the government and the well disposed among the people.
The following is an extract from a charge by Mr. Nevill to the Grand Jury of Middlesex County, September, 1747 :-
"The law being always desirous diligently to find out the truth in all causes called in question in the Courts of Judicature, to the end impartial judgment may be given and strict justice executed accordingly, hath in all ages esteemed it to be the best method to search out this truth by the oaths of honest, lawful, and indifferent persons; and certainly that man who doth profess God to be his Creator, by whom alone he hopes for sal- vation, when he doth solemnly swear in the presence of that God and his people, that he will present the truth, and nothing but the truth, according to his knowledge of the matter in question, as God shall help him, that is, as he expects the Blessing of God in this life and eternal happiness in the life to come : I say certainly that man will, in all respects, be void of partiality and private affection. For an oath is fitly termed a holy band or sacred tie, a godly vow, and the foundation and ground of truth : a cere- mony instituted by God himself, wherein he is a party, and will see it verified or sharply punished. Therefore, as the law doth reverently re- spect the oaths of men, taketh her intelligence of matters in faith from them, and giveth such credit and approbation unto them, as to found and build her judgments in most cases of the greatest importance upon them ; so she has always intended that those oaths shall be taken by men of sin- cerity of life and mature judgment, men indifferently affected, and such as will respect the truth of their knowledge and not the face of the person." 92
Mr. Nevill was a member at various times of the Provin- cial Assembly,93 and prominent in the dissensions which oc- curred during Governor Morris's administration ; he was
92 Speeches of Mr. Nevill may be found in the Elizabethtown Bill in Chancery.
93 From 1743 to 1749, and from 1754 to 1764. In 1744 and 1745, and from 1748 to 1751 being Speaker.
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equally energetic in upholding the Eastern Proprietors in their difficulties with the rioters at Elizabethtown and Newark ; and so exasperated were the latter against him, in consequence of the ability displayed in protecting the rights of the proprie- tors, that threats of vengeance against him and his property were publicly made-failing in execution-we have every rea- son to believe-not through any want of will on the part of those who made them.94
In 1752, while holding the office of second Judge of the Supreme Court, Mr. Nevill published the first volume of an edition of the laws of the Province, in 2 vols. folio, under the auspices of the Provincial Assembly-the second volume not appearing until 1761. This was a valuable service to the Province, simplifying greatly the labor of subsequent compil- ers. In January, 1758, under the soubriquet of "Sylvanus Americanus"-in imitation, probably, of "Sylvanus Urban" of the Gentleman's Magazine, which had then been published in London twenty-seven years-he commenced editing a month- ly periodical, published at Woodbridge, by James Parker, called "The New American Magazine." It was the first periodical of any kind printed in New Jersey, and only the second Monthly Magazine on the continent. Each number contained about 40 pages octavo, and in variety and interest it will compare with many modern publications in good repute. A History of America, and a Travellers' Diary, were publish- ed in connection with each number, paged separately, in order to form distinct volumes at the end of each year. The appel- lation "New," was to distinguish it from its only predecessor, at Philadelphia, which, however, it superseded-the publica- tion being immediately relinquished on the appearance of this new competitor. It continued to be issued monthly until March, 1760, when it was discontinued for want of patronage, and some years thereafter many copies were sold in sheets, by the printer, as waste paper. 95 I have never met with
94 Elizabethtown Bill in Chancery.
95 Thomas' Hist. of Printing, II. p. 211. The Printer of this Periodical (James Parker) was so intimately con- nected with the establishment and pro-
gress of periodical literature on this continent, that he deserves the notice of him which will be found in Chapter X.
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any of these magazines save in the New York and New Jersey Historical Libraries, and one volume which is in my own pos- session ; probably but few others exist.
On the death of Chief Justice Morris, in January, 1764, Nevill would probably have been raised to the vacant bench, but the infirmities of age rendered the performance of its duties impracticable.96 He died soon after (October 27th, 1764,) in the 67th year of his age, leaving a name unsullied, it is be- lieved, by the slightest stain. His wife preceded him to the grave, dying in 1755, and their simple headstones yet mark their places of sepulture in the graveyard of St. Peter's Church. They left no children. Though a stranger to his blood and family, out of respect to the memory of one whom he conceived worthy of a place among the most eminent of other days, the author, a few years since, caused the spot where his remains were deposited to be rescued from the neg- lect and decay to which time had consigned it.
Mr. Nevill resided on the farm which had been Mr. Son- mans', at the termination of Market street, but in 1752 offered
96 A more fitting place, probably, will not be presented for the insertion of the following extract from a letter among the Stirling Papers in the New York Historical Society Library :-
From the Earl of Stirling to Governor Franklin.
"New York, January 30th, 1764. " DEAR SIR,-By the death of Chief Justice Morris another seat in your Excellency's Council has become va- cant ; upon which I beg leave to offer you my sentiments. The office of Chief Justice is a dangerous one to leave open ; for its being so will be an inducement to the Ministry to fill it up. They will think it incumbent upon them to fill up an office they are in- formed is vacant ; and if they do fill it up from thence, it is a thousand to one if it be tolerably filled-for who will leave Britain for this appointment? And yet the office is of the utmost im- portance to the Crown, as well as to every individual in the Province.
" On the other hand, if your Excel- lency fills it up during pleasure, and
recommends your appointment for confirmation, it is most likely it will obtain it; and if you determine on this measure, the person who most naturally occurs to me is Charles Reade .* But the superannuated state of Mr. Nevill leaves Mr. Reade alone on the bench, and makes it necessary that some other person should be thought of to fill up one, if not both, the other seats. Fit persons are diffi- cult to be found in New Jersey. Few, if any, of the gentlemen of the coun- try, have read Law enough to qualify themselves for the bench, and as few of the lawyers fit for it will give up their business. The only one I can think of is Mr. Kearny.t I believe he inclines to retire from business, and your Excellency's offer of the office to him, with a seat in the Council, may, perhaps, induce him to accept it. If he should not incline to be in the Council, the next that occur to me are James Parker,t and Cortlandt Skin- ner,t both residing at Amboy, which is a convenient circumstance, added to their other qualifications."
* He was appointed.
t These gentlemen will be found noticed in this volume.
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it for sale, " being determined to leave off the farming busi- ness and to live retired ;" and the following August he also advertised to be sold at auction a house and lot in Amboy "near the parsonage"-thought to have been the same, at present the property of Mr. William King-where he had re- sided at one time. It is probable, however, that the farm was not sold until after his death.97
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