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 8
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On the 28th July, 1685, the proprietaries in England granted five hundred acres of land to George Scot, on condi- tion that he should reside in the province with his family, and build himself a house therein.22 On the 15th January, 1685-6,
19 Proprietary Records, C. p. 120.
20 East Jersey, p. 333.
21 See page 31.
22 The reasons for the grant are thus set forth : " Whereas George Scot, of Pitlochie, in the Kingdom of Scotland, hath with much Industry and inde- fatigable Paines, Endeavoured the ad-
vantage and Promoted the Interest of East New Jersey by Giving that Col- lony a Character prefferable to Carolina and most other Countryes in America, not only by a certain Treatise he hath written and Published upon the sub- ject for the Invitation of the subjects of Scotland to Transporte themselves
.
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his daughter petitioned the board of proprietors to have the same confirmed to her ; and on the 13th January following, her husband was put in possession of the tract, in Monmouth County.23
Dr. Johnstone established himself soon after his arrival, in New York, and it is uncertain in what year he first removed to Amboy ; it must, however, have been before 1707, as in that year he is mentioned as "of the Jerseys," being the bail of the Rev. Francis Mackemie, when persecuted by Lord Corn- bury. For several years prior to that, much of his time was spent on a plantation in Monmouth County, named in his patent (June 9th, 1701) " Scotschesterburg," part of the tract received as a remuneration for the losses sustained by him and Scot, in importing the emigrants by the Henry and Francis.
In 1709, and the following year, he was a member of the Provincial Assembly of New Jersey, but still was occasionally styled " of New York," and in 1720 was a member of Governor Burnett's Council for that province. The governor, however, in 1722, proposed his removal from that post, partly on account of his being constantly with his family in New Jersey.24
A few stones remained until recently on the banks of the Raritan, designating the spot where stood the mansion of Dr. Johnstone, which was not entirely destroyed until some years after the Revolution. It was a double two-story brick house, with a large barn and other out-houses near, and attached
thither, but also by Engaging diverse of the Nobility and Gentry (to whom he and his Lady are allyed), to Favour that Interest, and hath likewise under- taken to Freight out a considerable English Shipp, about three hundred Tunes, viz. the Henry and Francis, whereof Captain Richard Huttone is Commander, wherein himself, Lady, and Family, with the servants and Passengers on board that are about to be transported, will be about two hun- dred Souls in all," &c. E. J. Records, pp. 384-385. There is also on record (D. p. 113), an obligation from Lord Neil Campbell, to dispose of ten thou- sand acres of land in East Jersey, to George Scot, dated at Edinburgh, 14th August, 1685; and there are other
grants at pp. 218, 253, 326. Liber C. p. 244.
23 Proprietary Minutes, pp. 45, 48, 68, 76, 155. Some delay occurred in issuing the patent, in consequence of the omission of the words "heirs, exe- cutors, and assigns," in the grant to Scot. This, however, was overlooked, and in June, 1701, in consequence of a petition for headlands for the people brought over in 1685, the board of proprietors granted to Mr. Johnstone, the further quantity of 30,511 acres, "in consideration of ye great loss they did suffer by importing ye sd people upon ye proprs incouragement, & wh has Contributed very much to ye good of this province."
24 Stevens' Index.
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thereto was a spacious garden, stored with a well-chosen col- lection of fruit trees, and a fine orchard, of which a few aged trees yet mark the site. 25 It is thought that a house which stood on the site of the residence of Mr. William Paterson, cl was also his property.
His profession, in which he was considered skilful, gave Dr. Johnstone those opportunities which are the best calculated to exhibit goodness of heart where it is possessed ; and his charity and estimable character earned for him a special notice by Smith, in his history ; and on his death the following obi- tuary appeared in the Philadelphia Weekly Mercury.
"Perth Amboy, Sept. 19th, 1732. On the 7th inst. died here in the 71st year of his age, Doctor John Johnstone, very much lamented by all who knew him, and to the inexpressible loss of the poor, who were always his particular care."
Governor Hunter was warmly attached to him, and James Alexander, writing to Governor H. on 20th Sept. 1732, says :
"Doctor Johnstone died the 7th of this month, being spent with age and fatigue in going about to serve those who wanted his assistance. I believe his family is left in tolerable good circumstances. I drew his will for him a few days before he died, when, although he was worn almost quite away, he retained his good sense and spirit, and so I am in- formed he did to the last."
It was not, however, only as an estimable man, and good physician, that Dr. Johnstone was known, he represented the people of Middlesex County, and of Amboy, thirteen years in the General Assembly of the Province, and for ten of them held the honorable situation of speaker. He was one of the com- missioners in 1719-20 for settling the boundary between New York and New Jersey, and at different times held other offices with credit to himself.
Dr. Johnstone had several children. His sons were :
25 This house was fitted up and re- paired about the year 1774, for the reception of the family of Charles Pet- it, Esq., secretary of the Province, and private secretary to Governor Frank- lin, who removed to Amboy at the same time from Burlington. Differing with the governor in the great politi-
cal questions of those days, he removed to Philadelphia about the time the governor was made prisoner. It is probable that the first family mansion of Dr. Johnstone's was that hereinafter mentioned, subsequently occupied by his son Andrew, and called " Edin borough Castle."
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JOHN (born May 7th 1691), who married a daughter of David Jamison, settled in Monmouth County, and died in 1732. His wife survived him. They had five children, John, Mary, David, Jamison, and Hannah.
John was a Colonel in the Provincial forces, his commission bearing date, March 10th, 1758, and was second in rank on the Oneida station, in August of that year. He was killed by a cannon-ball at fort Niagara in the course of the war. He married his cousin Euphemia, daughter of Andrew Johnston.
David, who was the heir at law of his brother John, married Miss Walton, and lived and died at "Nine Partners," Duchess Co., N. Y. Their eldest son John, was for some years presiding judge of the Court of Common Pleas for that county, and died August 19, 1850. One of their daughters, "a young lady of great merit and beauty," married John Allen, Esq., of Philadelphia, April 6, 1775; another, the Hon. Gulian Verplanck, M. C., &c .; a third, became the wife of Dr. Upton, then a lieutenant in the English Army, and after his death married Thomas A. Cooper, the tragedian, leaving children by both husbands. Another son, David, died unmarried.
The descendants of Mary, Jamison and Hannah, are said to be numerous in Monmouth County, N. J.
ANDREW (born Dec. 20. 1694), who until 1717 or 1718 was engaged in business as a merchant in New York. In Amboy he resided for some time in an old house, that stood back from the street, on the property now belonging to Mr. George Merritt, which went by the lofty title of Edenboro' Castle. This edifice was vacated, and soon after destroyed, on the erection of the brick edifice, now the residence of Mr. Merritt. Mr. Johnston26 inherited the proprietary rights of his father, and at one time was president of the Board of Proprietors. He also succeeded his father in the Provincial Assembly, as a represen- tative from Amboy, and like him was speaker for several years. In January 1748-9 he was chosen Treasurer of the College of New Jersey, then located at Newark, and held during his life various other offices. The following obituary notice is in the New York Mercury for July 5th, 1762: "Last Thursday se'ennight (June 24th), died at Perth Amboy, in an advanced age, the Hon. Andrew Johnston, Esq., one of His Majesty's Council for the Province of New Jersey, and treasurer of the eastern division of the Province. A gentleman of so fair and worthy a character, that truly to attempt to draw it would be throwing away words. He was really equal to what Pope means when he says : 'An honest man is the noblest work of God !'" "During the last fifteen years of his life," says the historian Smith, "he was in the Council,27 and a diligent attender
on the business there ; he had great equality of temper, circumspection of conduct, an open, yet grave, engaging mien, much goodness of heart, and many virtues both public and private." A pencil sketch of him by John Watson is in my possession. Mr. Johnston died in his sixty-seventh year. He married Catharine, daughter of Stephanus Van Cortland of New York, by whom he had two sons and six daughters, viz :
John, who married Isabella, daughter of Robert Lettice Hooper of Trenton, in February, 1768. He was a merchant in Amboy until 1775, in partnership with Peter Barberie ; his store standing where one has been kept in late years by Mr. Lewis Golding. In 1767 he was a mem- ber of Assembly, and was appointed one of the Committee to correspond with the agent of the Colony in Great Britain, the other members being Cortland Skinner, John Lawrence and David Cooper. He
26 The children of Dr. Johnstone drop- ped the final e from their name.
27 His. commission is in the Ruther- ford MSS. dated Sept. 21st, 1745.
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left several children. Two daughters are thought to be yet living in Nova Scotia, and a son at the West; two other sons and a daughter removed to Ohio, where they left descendants.
Stephen died about 1790. His granddaughter became the wife of General Morgan of South Amboy, and had several children.
Anne became the wife of John Terrill; died before her father, leav- ing one son, William.
Gertrude married John Barberie, elsewhere noticed.
Catharine became the wife of Stephen Skinner.
Margaret married John Smyth, treasurer of the Province at the time of the Revolution.
Elizabeth and Mary died unmarried, and Euphemia married her cousin Col. John Johnston.
WILLIAM (born 1696) died April 7th, 1698.
JAMES (born Oct. 3d, 1700) died young.
GEORGE (born Sept. 3d, 1702) died before his father, leaving children whose destination is not known.
LEWIS (born October, 1704) resided in the house then standing near the site of the present mansion of Mr. Paterson, to which it gave place in 1795.28 He adopted the profession of his father, and was much respected, both as a man and a physician. His education was principally received at Leyden in Holland, then the resort of all who sought the highest scholar- ship, and after his return to this country he kept up a literary correspond- ence with several eminent men of Europe. Some interesting letters to him from Gronovius the botanist, written in 1735-6-7-9, are in my pos- session, extracts from which are given in the appendix to this volume.
Dr. Johnston died November 22d, 1773, at an advanced age, and the annunciation of his death is made in the papers of the day, with the re- mark that he was " a physician of the highest reputation, and very greatly beloved by all who knew him." He married Miss Martha Heathcote, daughter of Caleb Heathcote of New York.29 They had two sons and two daughters.
28 It stood a short distance west of the present building, and was adver- tised for sale by his executors, August, 1775.
29 Col. Caleb Heathcote occupied an important position both public and private in the province of New York. He was one of seven brothers. Their father, tradition says, was a man of fortune, and mayor of Chester in Eng- land. The eldest of the brothers was Sir Gilbert Heathcote, one of the found- ers and governors of the Bank of Eng- land, and lord mayor of London, in 1711. Caleb had formed a matrimo- nial engagement with a lady of great beauty, but unfortunately took one of his brothers or a nephew to see her, with whom she became so fascinated
that he was enabled to supplant Caleb in her affections. This caus d him to seek refuge with an uncle, George Heathcote, in New York,* who died unmarried, and left his property to his nephew. Caleb arrived in America about 1692, and married Miss Martha (Patty) Smith, of Long Island.
The New York Gazette of May 30th, 1737, contains the following article, under date of London, March 22d, 1737:
" A curious fine monument is now finished by Mr. Rysbrack, in Oxford Road, and speedily will be erected in the church at Chesterfield, in Derby- shirc, on which is the following in- scription :
" To the memory of Sir Gilbert
* A George Heathcote "mariner of Stepney," was bearer of Carteret's letter to Bollen, fiom Elizabethtown in 1680, and Groom's attorney, in 1688.
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Ann, the eldest daughter, married Captain (afterwards General) John Burnet of the British army, "a fine, gentlemanly fellow," says Mr. Dunlap, in a letter to the author, "remembered in New York.". She accompanied him to England, where she was left a widow with one daughter, who died young and unmarried.
Margaret, the youngest daughter, married Bowes Reed, a lawyer of Burlington County, sometimes called Colonel Reed, from his holding that rank in the militia. He was secretary of the State from the Revo- lution to the time of his death (July 11th, 1794), when he was also register-general and mayor of Burlington. Bishop Mellvaine, of Ohio, is their grandson, and other descendants are living in the west- ern part of the State.30
John Lewis, the eldest son, married Susannah, daughter of John Barberie, and settled in Spotswood. They had several children.
Heathcote, the youngest son, was remembered by Mr. Dunlap as a spirited young man, the companion of British officers stationed at Am- boy before the Revolution ; and engaging in their schemes of pleasure
Heathcote, Kn't and Bart., a Person of great natural Endowments, improv- ed by long Experience ; Ready to ap. prehend, Slow to Determine, Resolute to act-a Zealous Friend to the Rights and Liberties of Mankind. In offices of Power and Trust, True to his own and Country's Honour. A great instru- ment in founding and governing the Bank of England. In the year 1711 was Lord Mayor of London : which City he governed with Courage and Temper, after having represented it in four successive Parliaments with Dignity and Integrity from the year 1731.
" A kind Landlord, a steady Friend, an affec- tionate Relation :
In his character unblemished,
In his extensive Trade without a lawsuit.
"Sir Gilbert Heathcote, born at Ches- terfield, in Derbyshire, married Hester, Daughter of Christopher Rayner, of London, merchant : Dyed Jan. 25, 1732-3 : Ætat 82. Left Issue, Sir John Heathcote : Anne married to Sir Jacob Jacobsen, of London, Kn't. Eliza- beth married to Sigismund Trafford, of Lincolnshire, Esq. Had six younger Brothers, eminent merchants, happy in his friendship."
A family story respecting Sir Gil- bert, represents him to have been called upon one evening by a young spendthrift who wished to learn from him how he had acquired his wealth, or by what course secured it. Sir Gilbert complied with his request, im- pressing upon him in the first place
the necessity of strict economy, en- forcing the precept by putting out the lights in the apartment, saying, "We can talk over this matter just as well in the dark."
I have in my possession a copy of the will of Wm. Heathcote, one of the brothers, by which he bequeathes up- ward of 20,000 pounds besides annu- ities and his real estate. A copy of Caleb Heathcote's will is also in my possession. He left two sons, Gilbert and William, and four daughters, An- na, Mary, Martha, and Elizabeth. One of those became the wife of Lieut. Gov. James De Lancey. His son Gilbert inherited the bulk of his property, and went to England in 1727. There was a Gilbert Heath ote, Lord Mayor of London for part of the year 1742, but whether he was the one or not is unknown. An original letter is before me, addressed to him, on his departure for England by Samuel Clowes, of Ja- maica (the first lawyer settled on Long Island), one of his father's executors, giving him advice in relation to his living and company in England. For further information the reader is re- ferred to Bolton's History of West- chester County, N. York. 30 Mr. Bolton, in his pedigree of the Heathcote Family (vol. 2, p. 102), makes Mr. Reed Governor of New Jersey. He never attained that honor. He also states that John Burnet (or as he erroneously names him, Wil- liam) was a son of Governor Burnet- which is also a mistake.
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and gayety-fond of dress, good living, horses and dogs. He was elect- ed captain of a militia company in Amboy, on the withdrawal of the British troops to join General Gage at Boston. "I, with other boys," says Mr. Dunlap-" all eyes and wonder, looked on in Love Grove, when Heathcote Johnson was saluted captain, I presume, against his wish, but he accepted, and very soon after absented himself. He was in New York during the war."31 His services were rather brief, considering that he had, in common with the other officers of the. regiment, promised and engaged " under all the ties of religion, honor, and regard, to the country," to observe and carry out the orders, &c. of the Provincial Congress.32 He subsequently went to England, and received an appointment in the general post office. He never mar- ried, and died very suddenly, Dec. 13th, 1798, of what was presumed to be "gout in the heart."
The daughters of Dr. JOHN JOHNSTONE were :
EUPHEMIA, born Jan. 18th, 1687, died unmarried, 1723.
ISABEL (born 1688) and KATHERINE (born 1689) died in infancy.
MARGARET, born Feb. 12th, 1693, became the wife of Lawrence Smyth, and the mother of several children.
JANET, born April, 1699, married John Parker, whose descendants are elsewhere noticed.
ISABEL, born July, 1707, who died in infancy ;
And MARY, born Oct. 12th, 1710, who died unmarried.
THE SONMANS FAMILY.
The creek or brook which flows into the Raritan from the ravine at the western termination of Market street, is desig- nated on the map of the township as "Sonman's Creek"- deriving its name from PETER SONMANS, who owned the ad- joining lands.
31 Graydon, in his admirable Me- moirs, says "I cannot omit to note the attention I received from Mr. Heath- cote Johnston of Amboy [Graydon was then a prisoner of war, in New York]; meeting him one day in the street, he stopped me, and in a very friendly manner invited me to spend a few weeks with him at Amboy. This I could on no account have consented to, had I been at liberty to leave New York; but that not being the case, I availed myself of this restriction in declining his invitation. He replied that it might be got over, and that if I would favor him with my company, he had no donbt but that he had suffi- cient influence to obtain an extension of my limits. I was now obliged to decline his civility in more positive
terms, though with a due impression of the liberality and kindness which had prompted it."
"This pledge is in my possession, together with other documents relating to his command ; showing that he executed an order of his colonel to draft four men from his company, in March, 1776, to make up the number directed to be held in readiness to pro- ceed to New York, when that city was thought to be threatened by the Brit- ish. Peter Kenan was sergeant of this company, and a worthy of the town known as Ned Aswell, acted as “ fugle- man" during the week, and on Sunday assisted in the services of the church by responding with stentorian lungs in the office of clerk.
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His father, Arent Sonmans, was a Hollander -- residing at Rotterdam, and subsequently at Wallingford, Scotland-and one of the twenty-four proprietaries of East Jersey. On be- coming interested in the province, he made arrangements for visiting it, but on his way to Scotland from London, in August, 1683, in company with his wife, Robert Barclay, and one other person, when passing through Hunterdonshire, he was shot by a highwayman, in his thigh.33 In the course of a few days the wound proved fatal, and he was buried in Friends' meet- ing burial-ground, at Hinton. His wife was named Frances Hancock, and they had three children ; Peter, above men- tioned, Rachel, the wife of Joseph Ormston, and Joanna, wife of Joseph Wright.
PETER SONMANS inherited the greater part of his father's property and came over to New Jersey as early as 1688, but probably returned to Europe the same year. In 1705, how- ever, he appears to have arrived again in New Jersey with the intention to remain. He had received his education at Ley- den, -- had held several offices in England under King Wil- liam, and, although we shall have occasion to remark that his character was not above reproach, after his establishment in New Jersey he was selected both by the people and the government to fill important stations.34
For some time he was one of the Council, and afterward a member of the Assembly, from Bergen County. He was receiver of the proprietary quit-rents, ranger of the forests, surveyor-general, and agent for some of the non-resident pro- prietors. Lord Cornbury, during his administration, also
33 In the printed answer in Chancery "Hunt vs. Stirling," it is stated that he was robbed of his papers, but it was thought by some that he was killed by an emissary from Holland, on account of political matters.
34 The Boston News Letter of 12th -19th August, 1766, contains an adver- tisement which followed him to this country-stating that the queen had granted all the proprietary quit-rents &c. belonging to Arent Sonmans to "Joseph Ormston of London, mer- chant, and Rachel his wife, and their
heirs for ever, in trust for Peter Son- mans, Rachel Ormston, and Joanna Wright, and their heirs for ever,"-and warning all persons from purchasing any portion thereof from Peter Son- mans, who claimed the right to dis- pose of them. This difficulty was set- tled by an order in council, February 2d, 1717-18, by virtue of which Son- mans became possessed of all lands already patented in behalf of his fath- er's rights, and Joseph Ormston of the residue, Prop'y Records.
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placed in his hands the records of the province, a circumstance loudly complained of by the people, and the Assembly, in not very gentle terms, called in question the honesty of Mr. Son- mans, in their "representations of grievances " handed to the governor at various times : he retorting the accusation upon Thomas Gordon, from whom the records had been taken.
In an address presented in March, 1708, to Governor Lovelace, they accuse him of malversation in office, as one of the judges of the Court of Sessions, and a grand jury, aggrieved by some of his acts, did not hesitate to notify the Assembly in an official manner that he had been indicted at the preced- ing term of the Supreme Court for perjury and great immo- rality. And although Mr. Sonmans noticed these accusations at length, 35 it does not appear that he was able to rescue his name from the opprobrium cast upon it ; similar accusations renewed at a subsequent period before Governor Hunter, lead- ing to his dismissal from the Council, and probably from his other offices also. It is somewhat remarkable that notwith- standing the strong and apparently well-founded prejudices against him, he should have possessed sufficient influence to have secured among those offices that of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the province, to which he was appointed two months before the arrival of Governor Hunter. 36
The board of proprietors who had intrusted him with the collection of their quit-rents withdrew their authority, and conferred it upon another, but Sonmans still continuing to act, Governor Burnet, in 1726, issued a proclamation pronouncing his conduct illegal and unwarranted. 37
35 The document may be found in the State Library, bound up with other miscellaneous matters in the volume entitled "Votes and State Papers, Vol. I."
36 William Pinborne, was the acting executive for some time before Hunter's arrival, and being unpopular himself, he may have been disposed, in conse- quence, to regard Sonmans in a more favorable light. We cannot otherwise readily account for his obtaining so responsible an office.
.
37 One of the original proclamations is in my possession. The affair was not settled until 1728. James Alex- ander writing to Cadwallader Colden under date of Nov. 25th, of that year, says ; " At Perth Amboy we had hard struggling against Sonmans, and on the information against him for a cheat in receiving improper quit-rents with- out power, a special verdict was found -which finds that he gave himself out to be receiver, produced a procla- mation of Lord Cornbury, &c."
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