USA > New Jersey > Documents relating to the Colonial History of the state of New Jersey, Vol. XXIV > Part 44
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Alexander Mitchel received his license from the First Presbytery of Philadelphia, in April, 1767, and was ordained and settled as pastor of the Deep Run Presbyterian Church, Bucks County, Penn., in No- vember, 1768. In 1785, he received a call from the Upper Octorara and Doe Run Congregations, Pennsylvania, and was installed December 14, 1785. He resigned the charge of Octorara in 1796, but continued the pastor of Doe Run until 1809, when, by reason of advancing years, he was unable to minister to them. He died December 6, 1812.
Jonathan Ogden was from Elizabethtown, probably a cousin of Robert Ogden, 3d. He returned to that place after graduating. He never entered a profession.
Robert Ogden, 3d, son of Robert and Phebe (Hatfield) Ogden, was born at Elizabeth Town, March 23, 1746, in the house afterwards occu- pied by General Matthias Ogden, and subsequently by Joel Davis. After graduating from Princeton College, in 1765. he studied law with Richard Stockton. He was admitted to the New Jersey bar, June 21,
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William Ramsay, Isaac Allen, Absalom Bainbridge, Eb- enezer Hazard, James Manning, Nathaniel Manning, Joseph Periam, Jonathan Seargeant, and Jasper Smith. The Revd. Thomas Romeyn, and Mr. Jedidiah
1770, and began the practice of law at Elizabethtown. To him, in con- nection with William Paterson, Luther Martin, Oliver Ellsworth and Tapping Reeve, is ascribed the founding of the American Cliosophic Society, which dates its origin back to 1765. He was a fine scholar, and kept up his classical reading after entering upon his profession. Being a warm and earnest patriot, he was obliged to move with his family to Morristown in 1776 for safety from British raids. In this year he was commissioned surrogate by Gov. Livingston. In 1777 he removed again to Turkey, now New Providence, in what is now Union County. In 1780 (May term) he was called up as one of the twelve sergeants-at-law of New Jersey. After the war he was compelled to leave the seaboard on account of the asthma, and in the spring of 1786 he removed to Sussex county, where he resided during the re- mainder of his life, his homestead being about two miles north of the village of Sparta. The house was built by Cornelius Hoagland near the close of the Revolutionary War, and was conveyed with ten acres of land to Robert Ogden, Jun. (3d), by his father, Robert Ogden (2d), in 1786. Here his children were brought up and his youngest were born. This house witnessed great hospitality and many distinguished visitors were entertained there. It now forms a part of the Fowler estate. In 1787 he was one of the members of the convention called to approve the Constitution of the United States. He was married by Rev. John Close, May 19, 1772, to Sarah Platt, daughter of Dr. Zopher Platt and Rebecca Wood; she was born at Huntington, L. I., Sept. 27, 1750; she d. Jan. 21, 1782; she had five children. He was married, (2), by Rev. Nathan Woodhull to Hannah Platt, sister of his first wife, Mar. 12, 1786. She was b. De :. 17, 1756, and d. on Thursday, May 7, 1812, of a cancer in the breast. She had three children. "She endured much pain with great fortitude and Christian resignation." He d. Feb. 14, 1826, in his 80th year, at the residence of his grandson, the Hon. Daniel Haines, at Hamburgh, Sussex county, and was buried at Sparta, be- side his 2d wife, Hannah Platt. His first wife (Sarah Platt) is buried at Elizabeth .- See sketch of Robert Ogden, written for the History of the Cliosophic Society. by Gov. Daniel Haines; the Rev. A. A. Haines's "Hardyston Memorial;" "Descendants of Robert Ogden, 2d, 1716-1787," by Edmund Drake Halsey, 1896.
Ebenezer Pemberton was probably born in Boston. He pronounced the Valedictory at Princeton College on Commencement day, 1765, on "Patriotism." He was appointed a tutor in the college in 1769. On one of the public occasions, while he was a tutor, he was addressed by Madison, then a student, in a Latin address, valedictory and com- plimentary, on the part of the class, to the teacher. His life was devoted to teaching, and at one time in Phillips' Academy. He was admitted to an ad eundem Master's degree at Harvard in 1787, at Yale in 1781, and at Dartmouth in 1782. In 1817 he received the honor- ary degree of Doctor of Laws from Allegheny College. He died June 25, 1835.
David Ramsay was a Pennsylvanian by birth. After leaving Princeton he studied medicine, and settled in Charleston, S. C., where he rose to eminence. During the Revolution he was a determined Whig, and a leading member of the Legislature. He also acted as a Surgeon in the Army. From 1782 to 1786 he was a Delegate to the Con- tinental Congress, and was for a time President pro tem. His first wife was the daughter of President Witherspoon. He met his death by a pistol shot at the hands of an insane man, in 1815. Dr. Ramsay is chiefly celebrated for his historical works.
Dirck Romeyn is said to have been descended from Claes or Klaese (Nicholas) Jansen Romeyn, who, according to family tradition, mi- grated from Amsterdam to Brazil, between 1650 and 1660, and came thence to New Netherland about 1653. It is more probable that it was his father, Jan Romeyn, who was the emigrant, and that Claes was but an infant, if he was here as early as 1653, for it was not until May 2, 1680, that he m. Styntje Albertse Terhune. He bought a plantation, March 3, 1679, at Gravesend, L. I., where he resided several years. In
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Chapman were admitted to the honorary degree of Mas- ter of Arts.
Upon the whole we cannot but do the young gentlemen the justice to observe, that such a spirit of liberty and ten-
1696 he bought a tract of 300 acres of land between the Hackensack and Saddle rivers, to which he added 600 acres in 1697. He was a cooper by trade. He lived near Hackensack about ten years, removing thence to Shappekenike, or Greenwich, now in New York city, where he died. Kristyna Ter Heune, wid. of Klaes Jansen Romeyn, Minades Island (i. e., from Manhattan Island), was received into the Hackensack church by letter, May 18, 1732 .- History of Paterson, by William Nelson, I., 210. In the work just quoted details are given of the children and grandchildren of Claes Jansen Romeyn, which indicate this line of descent for Dirck: Jan, son Claes Jansen, m. Lammetie Bongaert, May 20, 1699, and was the father of Klaes, bap. Feb. 25, 1700, m. 1st, Elizabeth Outwater, May 20, 1726; she d. Sept. - , 1732, leaving one son, Thomas, b. March 9, 1729; he graduated at Princeton College in 1762, and became a noted preacher in the Reformed Dutch Church. Nich- olas Romeyn in April, 1733, "trod again in the honorable state of mat- rimony with Rachel Vreelandt," according to his Dutch family bible. (The Hackensack Dutch church records, in chronicling the baptisms of their children, in at least one instance, 1744, gives her name as Marretje.) They had Dirk, bap. at Hackensack Aug. 1, 1736, who d. in inf. On Jan. 12, 1744, was b. another son, who was bap. at Hack- ensack Jan. 29, 1744, Dirk. This was used by the Dutch in Northern New Jersey generally as the equivalent of Richard, but sometimes for Theodorick. The latter interpretation was assumed by the boy born in 1714. TTpon graduating at Princeton in 1765 he received, besides his small parchment diploma, a certificate of his religious conduct and standing, signed by President Finley, at Princeton, Sept. 28, 1765. After leaving College he studied theology. part of the time under the Rev. J. M. Goetschius, of Hackensack and Schraalenburgh, who preached his ordination sermon, in May, 1766, when he was called to the pastor- ate of the Dutch churches of Marbletown, Rochester and Wawarsing, Ulster county, N. Y. He became pastor of the churches of Hacken- sack and Schraalenburgh in May, 1776, just at the beginning of the Revolution. When the British pursued Washington through Hacken- sack in November, 1776, they plundered Dominie Romeyn's house and destroyed all his furniture, books and papers. He then removed his family to New Paltz, and thence to his mother-in-law's at Marble- town, where they remained nearly two years. He made frequent but brief visits to his congregation, often at great personal risk, he being obnoxious to the British and their tory sympathizers. He received many calls to other and better charges, but it was not until 1784 that he concluded to change. and accepted a call to Schenectady. Here he was largely instrumental in establishing an academy, which subse- quently developed into Union College. He received the degree of D. D. in 1789, from Queen's College, and in 1797 was appointed a Professor of Theology by the General Synod. He d. April 16. 1804. He m. June 11, 1767. Elizabeth. dau. of Wessels and Catherine (Dubois) Brodhead; she d. July 27, 1815. One of their children was the Rev. John Brodhead Romeyn.
Jacob Rush was a brother of Dr. Benjamin Rush. On Commence- ment day, 1765, he pronounced an oration on Liberty. Mr. Rush en- tered the profession of the law. and rose to a distinguished position. He was for many years presiding Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Philadelphia. He was afterwards Chief Justice of the State. He died in 1820.
John Staples was a native of Taunton, Massachusetts, and was a lineal descendant of Miles Standish. He entered the ministry of the Congregational Church, and was ordained April 17. 1772, and installed as pastor of the Church at Westminster. Connecticut. He remained In this charge until his death, which took place February 15, 1804.
Alexander Thayer became pastor of the Congregational Church at Paxton, Massachusetts. November 28. 1770. During the Revolution he was suspected of favoring the British cause, and although these sus- picions were groundless, yet, for the sake of peace in his congrega-
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der regard for their suffering country breathed in their several performances, as gave an inexpressible pleasure to a very crouded assembly. To testify their zeal to promote frugality and industry (so warmly recommended in sev- eral of their performances) they unanimously agreed, sometime before the commencement, to appear on that public occasion dressed in American manufactures, which very laudable resolution they all executed, excepting four or five, whose failure was entirely owing to disappoint- ments, though we doubt not they made a much more de- cent appearance in the eyes of every patriot present, than if the richest production of Europe or Asia had been em- ployed to adorn them to the best advantage. We can with pleasure take this opportunity to inform the public, that
tion, he resigned his charge August 14, 1782, and removed to Hollis- ton, Mass., where he ended his days.
Jacob Vanartsdalen, a native of Somerset County, New Jersey, was b. Feb. 8, 1745, the sixth son of Philip Van Artsdalen, who was b. Feb. 12, 1701, and d. June 17, 1797, at Somerset. He was ordained by the Pres- bytery of New Brunswick, June 19, 1771; in which connection he re- mained until the latter part of 1774, when he was received by the Pres- bytery of New York and put in charge of the Church of Springfield, New Jersey. He continued in the orderly and faithful performance of the duties of the office, as far as his health permitted, for more than a quarter of a century. In the spring of 1797, and again three years later, he was, by reason of long continued illness, disqualified for preaching. He was at length compelled to relinquish the pastoral office, and was dismissed from the charge, May 6, 1801. From 1793 to 1802 Mr. Vanartsdalen was a Trustee of Princeton College. He died at Springfield, N. J., October 24, 1803. His wife was Mary Sutphen, of Somerset, who survived him. They had three daughters and one son, Elias Van Arsdale, a prominent lawyer, of Newark .- Hatfield's Elizabeth, 570.
Stephen Voorhees was b. in 1740, being a son of Isaac Voorhees (b. March 16, 1716), whose father, Jan Lucasse Van Voorhis, was b. 21 Flatlands, L. I., but removed to Six Mile Run, Somerset county, with three of his brothers-all sons of Lucas Stevense Van Voorhees-and all four of them were among the founders of the Six Mile-Run Dutch church in 1717. After graduating at Princeton College in 1765, Stephen studied theology and probably taught school for a time. He was licensed by the General Meeting of Ministers and Elders of the Re- formed Dutch Church in 1772,, and was ordained and settled at Pough- keepsie, New York, in 1773, where he remained until 1776. From 1776 to 1784 he was pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church at Rhinebeck Flats. N. Y .; and from 1785 to 1788 at Philipsburg (Tarrytown) and Cortland- town, New York. In 1792 he joined the Presbytery of New Brunswick, and preached as a supply at Kingston and Assunpink, New Jersey, until his death, November 23, 1796. He m. Elizabeth Clausen, b. 1749, d. Feb. 23, 1805. See' The Van Voorhees Family, 358; Corwin's Manual of the Reformed Dutch Church; Our Home (Magazine), etc.
Simeon Williams was a native of Easton, Massachusetts. After graduating, lie studied theology, and was installed pastor of the Second Congregational Church at Weymouth, Massachusetts, Octo- ber 27, 1768, where he remained until his death, which occurred May 22, 1819. Mr. Williams was admitted to a Master's degree at Har- vard in 1769.
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the undergraduates have agreed to follow this noble ex- ample. If young gentlemen of fortune and education, many of whom will probably shine in the various spheres of public life, would thus voluntarily throw aside those articles of superfluity and luxury, which have almost beg- gared us, and exert themselves for the encouragement of industry, it is not easy to conceive what a wide extended influence their conduct will naturally have on all the lower ranks of mankind.
At a meeting of the Lawyers at the Supream Court held at Perth Amboy, on the 20th ult. like true born sons of Liberty, and lovers of their country, the chief Justice 1 having proposed the following Queries agreed and came into the undermentioned Resolves, which will always redound to their Honor.
First. Whether if the Stamps should arrive, and be placed at the city of Burlington, by or after the first of November, they would, as practitioners, agree to purchase them, or any of them for the necessary proceedings in the law ?
Resolved, by the whole body N. C. they would not, but rather suffer their private interest, to give way to the pub- lic good, protesting at the same time against all indecent and riotous behaviour, which they will discountenance by every means in their power to preserve order, and by an absolute refusal to make use of the Stamps, and other. quiet methods, endeavour to obtain a repeal of the law.
Second. Whether it was their opinion, that should the act take place the duties could possibly be paid in gold and silver ?
Answered by the whole body. It could not be paid in gold and silver even for one year.
Third. Their opinion was desired, whether, as the act
1 Frederick Smyth.
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required, the Governor and Chief Justice to superintend the distributor, he should be obliged to take charge of the distribution of the Stamps by order and appointment of the Governor, if he should think proper to fix upon him for that office.
Answered and advised not to take it upon him, the Gov- ernor not being impowered by the act to appoint, or if he was, it was left to the Chief Justices option, and that it would be incompatible with his office as C. Justice.
We hear the Speaker of the New-Jersey Assembly has wrote to all the Members to meet at Prince Town to ap- point some of their body to go to the congress at New- York.
Custom-House, Philadelphia, Entered In. Brig Inven- tion, J. Eldridge, from Salem N. Jersey.
Outwards. Schooner Polly, A. Mansfield, for Salem N. Jersey.
Mr. Bradford,
I AM desired by his excellency the governor, to send you the enclosed advertisement, that the same may be inserted in your next journal, that the good people of this province may not be imposed on by false reports relative to the gov- ernors conduct, with respect to the detaining the letter' from the speaker of the general court of Massachusetts Bay, to the speaker of the general assembly of this colony, and his refusing to summon the assembly to meet.
I am, Sir, Your very humble servant. CHARLES READ.
Burlington,
October 2, 1765.
Burlington, New-Jersey, October 1, 1765.
WHEREAS a report has for some time past been circu-
.
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lated, that the governor of this province received the let- ter sent by the speaker of the general court of Massachu- setts-Bay, 1 to the speaker of the Assembly of N. Jersey, detain'd it in his possession till the last day of the late meeting at Burlington, and by his management, prevailed on the assembly not to accept of the invitation to send commissioners to N. York. And whereas a paper has been printed and published at Philadelphia, positively assert- ing, "that the governor of N. Jersey has made strong "efforts to subdue the spirit of liberty in his government, "and arbitrarily refuses to give his assembly an opportun- "ity to join the other assemblies in decent remonstrances "against the stamp law, altho' nine tenths of the people "of the Jerseys now vehemently desire it. Nor does he . "confine himself to his own government alone, but by the "assistance of Mr. G ----- ya is said to have practised on the "eight members of a certain county, not very remote from "him, in order to get them to carry a vote against sending "commissioners to New-York, that the Pennsylvania as- "sembly might thus keep the Jersey one in countenance."
Now this is to assure the public, that so far from hav- ing received and detained the above mentioned letter, I have not yet seen it; that I never heard of any such letter being sent to, or received by, the speaker, till the day after the House had finished their business, and were pro- rogued, when I was told that they had it under their con- sideration, and had ordered an answer to be wrote at the table, acquainting the speaker of Massachusetts that they unanimously declined complying with the proposal from the assembly of that province; nor was the said answer ever shewn to me, tho' wrote the 20th of June last, until some time in the beginning of September. That from the
1 Pursuant to resolves of the Massachusetts House of Representa- tives, of June 6, 1765. The circular letter is published in Niles's Reg- ister, I., 12.
2 Doubtless Joseph Galloway is meant.
41
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last sessions to this present time, not a single member of the council, or house of representatives, nor any other per- son whatever in the provinces, has desired me to call an- other meeting, of the assembly. That it is well known to several of the representatives, that I have often declared I would always, if in my power, give the house an oppor- tunity of meeting, when the speaker and nine or ten mem- bers should represent to me that the business of the public made it necessary. And I do likewise aver, that so far from my having practised on the eight members of Bucks county, in order to get them to carry a vote against sending commissioners from Pennsylvania to New-York, I have not, to my knowledge, seen one of them these two years past; nor have I, either thro' Mr. Galloway, or otherwise, had the least connection or correspondence with them, or any other person in the county, on any sub- ject whatever. Nor have I, either to Mr. Galloway, or to any one man in Pennsylvania, given the least intimation that it would or would not, be agreeable to me, that the assembly of that province should send commissioners to the intended congress.
I should not have thought it necessary to give this pub- lic refutation of the falsehood contained in the report and paper above mentioned, had they not been propagated and published with a view of taking advantage of the present commotions to excite a difference between me and a peo- ple for whom I have a great regard, and with whom I have lived in uninterrupted harmony ever since my arrival in the government. And I cannot help expressing my surprize that Mr. Shippen the deputy governor's secre- tary, Mr. Chew the attorney general, and others of the principal officers of the government of Pennsylvania, could have given their public countenance to such a flag- rant piece of injustice. This they did (as I am credibly
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inform'd) by employing the clerk of the court to read aloud the paper quoted above to a large number of people collected by their agents for the purpose, and signifying their approbation by loud huzzas at the close of every par- agraph.
As to what is contained in the said paper relative to my father's being concerned in the planning and promoting the stamp act, it is grossly false, and consequently a shameful imposition on the people. Not a gentleman, of the proprietary party, even among those, who scruple not to aver the truth of it in conversation, can, I am con- vinced, be found so hardned as to avow in print, with his name subscribed, that he believes it to be true, or to under- take to produce any proofs in its support. . My
father is absent but he has left friends enough on the spot, who are both capable and willing to clear him from any aspersions which the malice of the proprietary party can suggest. To those friends I leave the defence of the reputation, if it can need any, being determined to concern myself no further with the disputes of Pennsyl- vania than as they relate to my character, or have refer- ence to the publick transactions of this province.
WILLIAM FRANKLIN.
TO BE SOLD,
By PUBLIC VENDUE, on Thursday the 24th of October next, between the hours of three and five in the after- noon, on the premisses,
A HOUSE and lot of ground situated in Kingsbury, in the township of Nottingham and county of Burlington, on the public road between Trenton bridge, and the ferry, containing in breadth sixty feet, and in depth one hundred and eighty one feet; the house almost new, and neatly finished; the lot inclosed with a good board fence; there
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is a good garden and a well in the yard, and on the lot ad- joining a new stable and coach house belonging to the house. The purchaser may have a lease of the lot on which the stable stands, paying thirty shillings per an- num: Half the purchase money to be paid immediately; six months credit will be given for the remainder. Any one inclining to purchase before the day of sale, may know the terms by applying to Doctor Ralph Asheton1on the premisses.
N. B. As the Doctor proposes returning to Philadel- phia in a few weeks, he desires all those indebted to him to make immediate payment, and those who have any de- mands to bring in their accounts for settlement .- The Pennsylvania Journal, No. 1191, October 3, 1765.
On Saturday the 5th inst. the Ship Royal Charlotte, Capt. Holland, came up to this city, attended by his Maj- esty's ship Sardine, James Hawker, Esq; commander. Capt. Holland having brought from London the Stamp'd Papers for Maryland, New-Jersey and this province, re- mained some time at New-Castle on Delaware, under pro- tection of the Man of War. On the first appearance of those ships round Gloucester Point, all the vessels in the harbour hoisted their colours half mast high, the bells be- gun to ring, being first muffled, and continued so until the
1 Ralph Assheton was a descendant of Robert Assheton, a kinsman of William Penn, who came from Salford Hundred, near Manchester, England, about 1699, at Penn's invitation, and straightway became clerk and prothonotary of Philadelphia. He was a member of the Provincial Council, 1711-19, 1722-7, and was Mayor in 1724. He died in 1727. William Assheton, his son, who had been educated for the law at Gray's Inn, was a member of the Provincial Council in 1722, and was judge of the Admiralty Court several years. He died in 1723, aged 33 years. Ralph Assheton, a younger son of Robert, was appointed to the Provincial Council in 1728, and held various other offices. He died in 1746, aged 51 years. The parents of Dr. Assheton were Ralph Asshe- ton, esquire (who died in Philadelphia, July 9, 1773), and Susannah Redman, his wife. Dr. Assheton was probably about 28 or 29 years of age when he settled at Kingsbury, and doubtless had been settled there only a short time when he advertised his house to be sold. October 21. 1765, with a view to his returning to Philadelphia. He died in Philadelphia, January 4, 1774, intestate -History of Philadelphia, by Scharf and Westcott, 1506-7; Wickes's History of Medicine in N. J., 129.
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evening, and every countenance added to the appearance of sincere mourning for the approaching loss of LIB- ERTY. At four o'clock in the afternoon several thou- sand citizens met at the State-House, to consider the prop- er ways and means for preventing that unconstitutional Act of Parliament (the STAMP-ACT) being carried into execution; the first measure was to send seven of their number to Mr. HUGHES, Stamp-Distributor for this province, to request he would resign that office. He as- sured them, no act of his should tend to carry that Law into execution here; until it was generally complied with in the other colonies, but refused to sign any resignation at that time for various reasons which he assigned: On the Gentlemen's return to the State-House, and reporting this answer, the company were instantly transported with resentment, and it is impossible to say what lengths their rage might have carried them, had not the gentlemen who waited on Mr. HUGHES represented him in the light he appeared to them! at the point of death; his situation raised their compassion, and they happily communicated their feelings to all the people assembled, and instead of the multitude repairing instantly to his house for a posi- tive answer, they agreed to make their requisition in writ- ing, and gave Mr. HUGHES until Monday morning to make reply; in consequence of this determination, a short paper was instantly drawn up and sent him, and on Mon- day morning the deputies received from him a writing which was brought to the Court-House, and there read aloud to a vast concourse of people, as follows,
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