USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Dover > Dover dates, 1722-1922 : a bicentennial history of Dover, New Jersey , published in connection with Dover's two hundredth anniversary celebration under the direction of the Dover fire department, August 9, 10, 11, 1922 > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
1686-The Assembly met at Perth Amboy, the new seat of government. Records of warrants and surveys from 1673 to 1738 are still kept there. The Board of Proprietors still meet there.
The English Proprietary Rule from 1660 to 1686 was an experi- ment in government by a land company formed to "plant" the new country over the sea. The problem of giving and taking title to land in a newly discovered continent, inhabited by natives of a different race and of a different stage of development, was the great problem of the time, solved by no scheme of absolute moral justice.
There was no one then living who could foresee the future or com- prehend all that was involved in the transactions of the day, and the monarchial feudal system of Europe's past was inadequate, to the new situation and the ideas and spirit of the new age. Some confusion inevitably resulted from the strange circumstances as well as from the
15
conflicts of nationalities and the varying standards and moral principles of the many individuals concerned. But New Jersey claims that, for the ideas prevalent at the time. her title to the new land was acquired by just bargain and payment, and not by conquest and robbery.
If time and space permitted, much interesting discussion of this question of land titles acquired, under the Crown of England, through purchase from the original inhabitants, might be quoted from sources such as the opinion of Chief Justice Marshall, or a monograph by Adrian Lyon, present registrar of the proprietors, or a series of articles by the late Chancellor Magie.
But through all the bickering and dickering of the times, it is to be noted that an honest effort was being made to establish a new social system upon a foundation of law rather than by conquest of arms and superior force.
1684-Gov. Lawrie wrote home glowing accounts of the new country. Others were writing enthusiastic letters to the old country about the charms of New Jersey. "It is not strange, Biancroft, "that many Scottish Presbyterians of virtue, education, and cour- age, blending a love of liberty with religious enthusiasm, came to East New Jersey in such numbers as to give to the rising common- wealth a character which a century and a half has not effaced." Lawrie continue to reside in Elizabethtown, notwithstanding instructions from the Proprietors, directing him to make Perth Amboy his capital.
After four years of Quaker rule and great expense in bringing over colonists the Proprietors were disappointed in results. Law- rie, like Rudyard, was thought to be too intent on his personal interests in taking up the best lands for himself. Settlers holding lands by Indian title had not surrendered title to the new Pro- prietors and were slow in paying the land rental demanded. A new deputy must be appointed, but not a Quaker, this time. The Presbyterians are gaining the ascendancy. To please them Lord Neill Campbell is appointed in 1686.
1685-Here we must turn back the hand of time to note that on the death of Charles II, his brother, the Duke of York, became James II of England.
1687-Lord Neill Campbell relinquished his post as governor of East New Jersey and left Captain Andrew Hamilton in charge of the government.
James the Second, formerly Duke of York, soon took occasion to settle old scores with New Jersey. He made a decree,
1688-Ap. 7, that the two Jerseys and New York be united with New England under the rule of Andros * * * the whole to be known as "New England."
The East New Jersey Proprietors were compelled to give up their right of jurisdiction.
Andros appointed Capt. Francis Nicholson Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey, and he took up his residence at Elizabethtown,
I6
by which it appears that it was still regarded as the capital of the Province. October 15, 1688.
The people seem to have been pleased again at a change in the government, having had enough of the Proprietary rule of the Quakers.
1688-New Jersey, as part of New England, is now a Royal Province, ruled by a governor appointed by the Crown.
1689-James II was deposed. William of Orange was made king of England. The reign of William and Mary.
William Penn had been very friendly with the Duke of York who became James II. The Quakers of New Jersey remained loyal to James II, hence called "Jacobites." The antagonism of political parties in the Old World had its counterpart of the New World. The Orange Mountains and the towns called Orange must have taken their names from William of Orange.
1690-The Quaker Proprietors re-asserted their right to rule, which they were compelled to surrender to James II in 1688.
1690-Gov. Hamilton left the country. Although retained in office by Andros, under James II, on the accession of William of Orange, he ceased to be regarded as governor. He was really nothing more than President of the Board of Proprietors, acting as deputy governor.
1690-Robert Barclay, for the last eight years of his life nominal gov- ernor of East Jersey, died October 3, 1690.
Hamilton arrived in England and laid before his fellow-proprie- tors the state of affairs in New Jersey.
1692-Complications followed. Finally Hamilton was appointed gov- ernor in 1692, and was so received by the people.
1693-By an Act of the Assembly the bounds of townships were defined. Elizabethtown took in Union county, parts of Somerset, Hun- terdon, Morris, Warren and Sussex counties, including Morris- town, Stanhope, Schooley's Mountain, and Newton. It almost included Dover-but there was no Dover then.
There were disputes about land titles. Some settlers claimed title by purchase from Indians. The Proprietors did not admit such titles. The king and his Council reserved the decision of the Board of Proprietors in a test case and confirmed the Indian titles acquired under Gov. Nicolls.
The people of the Province then wished to be rid of the Proprie- tary rule and come under the direct rule of the king, William of Orange. Petitions were sent to the king.
1698-Finally Gov. Hamilton was superseded by Jeremiah Basse, in April. More complications followed.
The people of New Jersey formulated their complaints in peti- tions to the Crown.
1702-Finally, April 17, 1702, the twenty-four Proprietors surrendered the right of government to Queen Anne, who succeeded to the throne of England on the death of William of Orange, 1702.
17
She re-united the two provinces of West and East New Jersey in one province and made her cousin, Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury, governor of the combined province of New York and New Jersey. And so New Jersey remained a Royal Province until the Declaration of Independence, 1776. The combined colonies were called "New England."
1703-In May, 1703, on the arrival of the royal commission, the Pro- prietary Government of East New Jersey was brought to a per- petual end.
Under the Dutch the English settlers had been denied all share in the government. The first concessions of the Duke of York granted them freedom of conscience, political freedom, and a legislature of which the popular branch was chosen directly by the people. To this legislature was committed the making of laws and the laying of taxes, thus establishing early in New Jersey the principle of no taxation without representation. We have seen that in 1674 there was a recall of these rights.
Much of the discontent and trouble of these times was caused by the quit-rent system of the British Colonies, which became a contributory cause of the American Revolution. By that revo- lution all feudal restraints upon the land were abolished and the right of absolute ownership in the soil was established-a signifi- cant aspect of our law of real property. (See Bond's Quit-Rent System in the American Colonies.)
From 1702 to 1776 New Jersey was ruled by colonial Governors appointed by the Crown. In this period Dover began its career.
THE ENGLISH COLONIAL GOVERNORS
1702-1708-Lord Cornbury, governor of New England, including New York and New Jersey. His rule was not satisfactory to the peo- ple and in 1708 he was recalled. The royal governor, and others before, showed too great a tendency to exploit the Province for their personal benefit rather than to promote the real interests of the people.
John Lovelace, the next governor, died soon.
1710-Ingoldsby was governor until 1710. Then came Gov. Hunter. 1714-Queen Anne died. George I became king.
1720-Gov. William Burnet was appointed. He removed to Boston, 1727.
1722-Dover, under Gov. Burnet and George I, was founded by John Jackson, who set up an iron forge here. Jackson's Forge.
1727-George I died. George II became king.
1727-1731 -- John Montgomery was governor.
1731-1736-William Cosby was governor. At his death John Ander- son was governor for two weeks. Then John Hamilton for two years.
1738-Lewis Morris was appointed governor of New Jersey, separate from New York. He died 1746.
I8
1739-Morris County was set off from Hunterdon County, and named after the new governor. Jackson's Forge, up to this time, had been in Hunterdon County.
1746-John Hamilton, President of His Majestie's Council, became governor. He died soon.
John Reading, President of the Council, acted as governor until I747.
1746-Princeton College chartered at Elizabeth. Rev. Jonathan Dickin- son of that town was its first president. It was removed to Newark and then to Princeton.
1747-Jonathan Belcher, former governor of Massachusetts and of New Hampshire, was appointed governor. He came from Boston, published his commission, August 10, at Perth Amboy, the capi- tal, met the Legislature at Burlington, soon became a resident of Burlington. He was a New England Puritan and did not like the Quaker ways which prevailed at Burlington. He had to drive with his coach and four, twenty miles to Philadelphia to attend a church of his liking on Sunday. In 1750, September 26, while attending a commencement of the College of New Jer- sey at Newark, he had a stroke of paralysis. Wishing a change of air, he removed his residence to Elizabethtown in September, 175I. His goods (and the smallpox) were brought by sloops from Burlington. He occupied a house in Jersey Street, later the home of Dr. Charles Davis, grandfather of the author of "Dover Dates."
Elizabethtown thus became again the "seat of government," it seems, from 1751 until 1757, when the governor died, overcome by his infirmities and the excitement of the French and Indian War. He was one of the most notable of the colonial governors of New Jersey.
The government devolved for a time upon Lieutenant-Governor Pownall, governor of Massachusetts, who shortly prevailed upon John Reading, President of the Council, to act as governor-as usual.
1758-Francis Bernard became governor. Bernardsville bears his name. 1760-Thomas Boone became governor. Boon-ton bears his name. Josiah Hardy was the next governor.
1760-George II died. George III became King.
1763-William Franklin, son of Benjamin Franklin, became governor. He was the last royal governor. The Revolutionary War changed everything. Henceforth Jerseymen would have to settle their own troubles in their own way.
We have now traced the English proprietary government of New Jersey to its close in 1703, and given a brief review of the English Colonial Governors to 1776.
We have seen that Dover was founded in 1722 in the reign of George the First of England; that Wm. Burnet was then governor of New England, which then included New York and New Jersey ; that
.
19
the capital of this greater New England was New York City; and that Dover, for the first fourteen years of its existence, was in Hunterdon County. Dover was not born with a silver spoon in its mouth, but with a hammer in its hand.
1710-to 1719. Colonel Robert Hunter, governor of New York. He was a Scotchman, a friend of Steele, Addison, Swift and the literati of that day. He was appointed by Addison, who was then Under-Secretary of State. He rejoiced in the title of Cap- tain General, Governor-in-Chief of the provinces of New York and New Jersey and territories thereunto belonging, and Vice- Admiral and Chancellor of the same. Of him John Fiske says: "He was the ablest and best of the English governors since Richard Nicolls."
1713-14-Hunterdon County was set off and named in honor of this popular governor, who had acquired large lands there.
In Fiske's "Dutch and Quaker Colonies of America" will be found graphic sketches of the colonial governors.
1719-Trenton took its name from William Trent, who built mills on the Delaware.
1720-to 1728-Gov. William Burnet, a god-son of William of Orange, who stood, sponsor for him and gave him his name. He was said to be "a man of gay and condescending disposition, the delight of men of sense and learning, and the admired friend of the ladies." Dover began its career under his political star.
1728-The Lenni Lenape Indians moved west, but several thousand of them remained in Pennsylvania until a few years later. --
SUNDAY SCHOOL
1747-As early as 1747 a Sunday School was established at Ephrata, Pa., by Ludwig Hacker, a German Seventh-day Baptist. This was 35 years before the one instituted in England by Robert Raikes.
1786-A Sunday School was established in Virginia.
1809-Rev. Mr. Steele, Presbyterian, opened a Sunday School in Pitts- burgh, Pa., in the Court House.
1812-A Sunday School was opened in Hackettstown, in the Presby- terian Church.
1815-A Sunday School was established by Rev. Burr Baldwin in the Old Academy, Newark.
1816-Rev. Barnabas King, of Rockaway, organized a Sunday School in Dover.
Springfield, Madison and Woodbridge followed.
See Mellick's Story of an Old Farm.
THE INDIANS
The Lenni Lenape Indians, totemic tribes of the Turtle, the Turkey, and the Wolf, occupied parts of New Jersey. They were eventually subjugated by the Iroquis Indians of New York State and degraded from
20
being independent warriors to the status of "women." In 1755, during the French and Indian War, Sir Wm. Johnson restored them to their fighting status as "men" again.
The Indians in their day, enjoyed our picturesque streams and glens and wooded hills. Doubtless Indian Falls was a favorite haunt of theirs and they must have known and used the pleasant water of the spring in Hurd Park. Lake Hopatcong was a resort to which they flocked with delight. They marked out the early trails through forest and over hill and dale, of which the Minisink path was the most notable. It led from the sea at Shrewsbury Inlet and crossed the Raritan river two or three miles above its mouth, passing through the eastern and northern part of New Jersey to Minisink Island in the Delaware river. No doubt it had something to do with establishing the early communica- tion between Shrewsbury and Dover to which the Quaker element in our history bears witness. Many Indian arrow heads have been found in our fields. The Indians knew the black stone or heavy stone, as they called the ore of Succasunna.
(From "Historic Trenton" by Louise Hewitt. 1916. The Smith Press, Trenton, N. J.)
1680-Mahlon Stacy arrived.
1685-Trenton called Ye Falles of Ye De La Ware.
1714-Wm. Trent bought property.
1719-Court held at Trenton.
1724-Wm. Trent came to Ye Falles of Ye De La Ware.
1724-Trenton became seat of Supreme Court.
1726-First Presbyterian Church built.
1734-Postal service established.
1738-First Stage Wagon-two trips a week to New Brunswick
1739-Friends Mortgage House built.
1740-Royal Charter from George II.
1,750-First steel mill in United States erected and owned by Benj. Yard.
(Compare with Gov. Belcher's Report to Parliament.)
1750-The Trenton Library established.
(Above data relating to our State Capital are inserted for comparison with Dover Dates.)
EARLY RETURNS
1698-In 1698 Jeremiah Basse was made governor of New Jersey, under William and Mary. Many deeds are recorded as of "Basse's Book of Surveys."
1713-Among such deeds is one made out, May 19th, 1713, to Joseph Latham, for 527 acres in what is now Mine Hill, and recorded in Basse's Book of Surveys, page 80, the survey being made by John Reading, General Surveyor, by virtue of an order from Daniel Leeds, one of the surveyors general of the western divi- sion of the province of New Jersey surveys.
1710-1715-The Proprietors of West New Jersey, owners in common,
21
allotted themselves as individual holder: large tracts of land called "returns," which were surveyed, located, and recorded on the books.
Wm. Penn and Joseph Kirkbride took up returns as far as Dover and Rockaway. Titles were derived from locations on the East New Jersey right after the dividing line was settled in 1676. The Latham deed appears to be classed under the "Western division of the province." Locations or returns were mostly on streams and meadow land, as at Mill Brook, Dover and Rockaway.
As late as 1693 much of our present Morris County (then part of Hunterdon County) was included in the bounds of Elizabeth- town. These bounds were more definitely fixed by the Assembly in 1693, having been first described in 1664.
1713-William Schooley, of Schooley's Mountain, bought about 600 acres near Dover, including Mill Brook, which was named, no doubt, from the grist mill set up on the stream-the first one in these parts. A flourishing settlement sprang up at Mill Brook, with various industrial activities, before Dover had become more than a hamlet. At Mill Brook were to be found, in due time, besides the grist mill, a fulling mill, a rope walk, a hat factory, an oil mill, a Quaker shoemaker, a blacksmith, a sawmill, probably, a forge, and (if we include the neighborhood known as "Randolph") a school, a church, farming, a store, a butcher. A cooperage was also established at Mill Brook, carried on by David Tuttle and commemorated by Theodore F. Mott in a poem entitled "The Deserted Cottage." But this brings us to the nineteenth century. It was to the blacksmith in Mill Brook that Gen. Winds traded in his "Soard" for two- and-six-pence in 1782.
John Reading took up the Dickerson Mine tract on West Jersey right.
1715-Wm. Penn took up a return, including the Munson farm, later the residence of Leonard Elliott, just inside of Dover limits.
1716-John Reading sold the Dickerson Mine tract to Joseph Kirkbride. Before that everybody came and helped themselves to the ore, shoveling it from the open cut. The streams, the waterfalls, the easily available ore, the woodland furnishing coal (charcoal), made this an attractive investment.
And now these extended "preliminaries" are bringing us to the birth of Dover.
THE FOUNDING OF DOVER
1722-May 31, nine years after Joseph Latham acquired title to his tract of 527 acres in Mine Hill, he sold it to John Jackson, "son of James Jackson of Flushing in Queens county on Nashaw Island, yeoman." The original deed was in the possession of Mr. James H. Neighbour in 1914 and is shown in full of the text in Dover History, pages 453-4. With the property therein described was conveyed in some way or title was assumed to a forge site on
22
Jackson's Brook where Singleton's silk mill stands to-day, above Hurd Park. Here Jackson set up the second iron forge in the county in 1722, building himself a log cabin and becoming the first known settler, The Founder of Dover. From this date we count two hundred years to 1922.
The extensive woodland on his 527 acres doubtless was pur- chased to keep him in wood from which charcoal could be made for use in his forge fire. His house was probably near his forge-possibly near that good spring of water in Hurd Park, there being no city reservoir at that date, you understand. This country was then a wilderness. Remember that Blackwell street was not then in existence. Bridle paths were the routes of travel. In picturing the landscape leave out the Morris canal and the Pine Terrace Inn. Let our local artist paint the scene with two log cabins near the spring and the great forge-hammer wheel in the background.
From that day Dover has "forged ahead." "Forge ahead !" might well be her slogan.
Much of the preceding history is summarized from Hatfield's His- tory of Elizabeth and other sources. The history of the tide-water settlements, such as Elizabeth, Newark and Perth Amboy leads up to the history of Dover and gives us Dover's historical perspective. At first settlements were made at tide-water for ease of access by ships, that persons and supplies might reach these towns when waterways were the only ways of travel, and for security from the Indians, provoked by the Dutch. Later relations with the Indians were more peaceful, and lands were obtained from them by purchase, under the Nicoll's patent. The first purchasers of large tracts would sell to others. This caused trouble with the Quaker Proprietors who gave independent title, as proprietors, to lands previously acquired through Indian purchase, and tried to col- lect rents from settlers who acquired lands under the first proprietors, as referred to elsewhere.
The family names that are found in the early history of Elizabeth and Newark and the Quaker settlements of the Perth Amboy region are found later at frequent intervals among the inland towns, reaching Dover in due time. Hence Dover history may be regarded as beginning in these tide-water settlements and in these preliminary facts and dates that have been given.
The following names occur in the early history of Elizabeth. How many of them do you recognize as appearing later in the history of Dover and vicinity? They came chiefly from Long Island and Con- necticut. The same names may be found in Connecticut to this day, for some members of the family remained there.
NAMES :- Andrews, Bailey, Baker, Beach, Benedict, Blackwell, Burnet, Bryant, Brant, Berry, Bonnell, Blanchard, Clark, Cramer, Crane, Curtis, Dickinson, Egbert, Freeman, Harris, Headley, Johnson, Jones, Kerr, Lambert, Lyon, Marsh, Meeker, Megie, Mellin, More, Ogden, Osborne, Parker, Pierson, Price, Runyon, Searing, Shotwell, Thomp-
23
son, Tucker, Tuttle, White, Whitehead, Watson, Wines or Winds, Wood, Woodruff, Young, Carter, Gray, Skillman, Morse, Haynes, Peck, Spinning, Ross, Lawrence, Morris, Wilson, Barber and others.
Among the founders of Newark we find such names as: Bruen, Camfield, Kitchell, Baldwin, Day, Albers, Tomkins, Crane, Lyon, Browne, Freeman, Treat, Pennington, Davis, Riggs, Curtis, Burwell, Denison, Wheeler, Bond, Ward, Blachley, Plum, Lawrence, Harrison, Pierson, Johnson, Catlin, Rose, Swaine, Ball, Morris, Tichenor.
THE CAPITALS OF EAST NEW JERSEY FROM 1665 TO 1790
The following memorandum was made out from scattered refer- ences in Hatfield's History of Elizabeth. No complete statement like this is found in any of the books on New Jersey.
Elizabeth Town 1665-1686 Gov. Philip Carteret resided there.
Perth Amboy 1686-1702
Elizabeth Town I688
Lieut .- Gov. Nicholson was appointed by Gov. Andros of New York to rule East Jersey. He resided in Elizabeth.
New York
1703-1738
When New Jersey was part of New England. East and West Jersey united. 1722-Dover founded.
Perth Amboy
1738-1747
Gov. Belcher, coming from Boston, stopped here to present his commission.
Elizabeth Town 1751-1757
Gov. Belcher resided there, in house on Jersey street, now owned by War- ren R. Dix, Esq.
Perth Amboy
1758-1776
After the death of Gov. Belcher.
Elizabeth Town
1776-1783
The home of the War Governor, Wm. Livingston; but he did not dare live there, for fear of attack by British. Had to wander, like David, in hiding.
Elizabeth Town
1783-1790
Gov. Livingston returned to his home, Liberty Hall, in 1783. He died July 25, 1790.
Trenton
1790
November 25, made capital by Act of Legislature.
Gov. Lewis Morris had his home near Trenton. After the Revo- lution New Jersey tried to have the Capital of the United States located at Trenton. To please the Southern States it was located nearer them.
Burlington was the Capital of West New Jersey, 1677. After the establishment of Perth Amboy as the Capital of East New Jersey it was arranged that Legislature should meet in alternate years at Perth Amboy and Burlington.
24
Mellick's "Story of an Old Farm" tells much about the guberna- torial tradition and splendor of Perth Amboy.
Shrewsbury was, in early times, a sort of Quaker capital and resi- dential center of the wealthy and influential members of the Quaker sect. 1722-Ore from the Dickerson Mine was brought down to the forge in saddle bags. The blooms were bent into the shape of a letter U to fit over the back of a horse or mule and were so transported to Elizabethtown port, to be shipped by water.
1730-Iron works were established at Rockaway.
1740-General European War. England against Spain and France. America becomes a sea power, aiding England.
1741-A petition was presented to Governor Morris, asking that the duties imposed on iron by the British government be removed. This is a hint of the financial difficulties that gathered like a cloud over the head of our pioneer iron master, John Jackson, now about forty years old.
1744-Henry Brotherton, the grandfather of Richard, bought 125 acres. of the Kirkbride estate, and in 1753 his brother, James Brother- ton, bought 200 or 300 acres on Mine Hill, of the same estate. Henry Brotherton was born in 1724.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.