USA > New Jersey > Historical collections of the state of New Jersey : containing a general collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, etc. relating to its history and antiquities, with geographical desciptions of every township in the state. > Part 57
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435
SALEM COUNTY.
IMPROVEMENTS AND TRADE IN THE COUNTRY.
Tide-mills and Wind-mills .- Many of the emigrants brought out with them hand- mills for the purpose of grinding their grain, but the settlers soon found it essential to their existence to turn their attention to the immediate erection of grist and saw mills. Accordingly, there was a horse-mill erected for the grinding of grain, near what is now called Kent's corner, in the upper part of the town of Salem. Of water-mills, the first kind made use of were tide-mills. They were located in this now called Salem county, in several places,-such as at Mill creek, in Elsinborough, Mill-hollow, near Salem. Ma- hoppony creek, in Mannington, formerly Hill Smith's, Cooper's creek, in Beesley's Neck, on the south side of Allaways creek, and at Carney's point, in Upper Penn's Neck. There were also 3 wind-mills,-one near the old wharf in Salem, in Bradway-st., another at Kinseyville, in Penn's Neck, and the third on the farm of Samuel L. James, Esq. The first saw-mill was erected by William Hampton, in the year 1682.
Salem a Port of Entry .- Salem, about the year 1682, by the increase of population, had, by this time, become a place of some foreign trade,-so much so, that it was made a port of entry for vessels entering and clearing therefrom, by exacting from all vessels under 100 tons, one shilling for entering and one shilling for clearing, and all vessels of more than 100 tons, double that amount.
Market .- The same year, a weekly market was by law to be held on every Tuesday, near what we now call the old wharf, then called the tower landing, and which had been heretofore designated for the market-place. The grain, provisions, and other articles brought into the town, must be carried there, and no sale take place before 11 o'clock ; and should any person buy any goods or provisions before that hour, any informer caus- ing the offender to be convicted of the offence, would receive the half, and the other half go for the public use.
Fairs .- Fairs were established by law, to be held in Salem on the 1st and 2d May, and the 20th and 21st October, annually, at which all persons were at liberty to buy and sell all manner of lawful goods, wares, and merchandise, and also were to be free from arrest for the two fair days, and for two days before and two days after the fair. But after some time this privilege came to be abused,-so much so, that a town meeting was held on the 15th April, 1698 : " It being then taken into consideration, that since fairs have been held in this town, that foreigners do flock from other parts,-not only of this county, but of the neighboring province,-do sell liquor by retail during the time of such fairs, thereby encroaching upon the privilege of the inhabitants of this town, who only are authorized, and none else, to sell by retail as aforesaid :
Y Be it therefore enacted, that no person or persons, from and after the date hereof, do presume to sell liquors by retail during the time of the fairs, so held or to be holden,- either at the place of the fairs, or within the limits thereof,-but the inhabitants of this town only. And that whosoever persons presuming, contrary to this act, to sell liquors as aforesaid, shall, upon information, be found guilty of the said breach,-shall forfeit all liquors found in his custody at the said place of fair, or anywhere within the limits of this town or creek, to be seized by virtue of a warrant from the burgess of this town ; whereof one half of the said goods is to be allowed to the informer, and the other half to the burgess.
" Signed, with consent of the meeting, nemine contradicente.
" WM. HALL, Burgess."
Salem Incorporated .- In 1695, the town of Salem became incorporated, and the office of burgess was created, by which that officer was clothed with authority to hear and de- termine causes under 40 shillings,-was empowered to grant tayern licenses, and revoke them as he might see fit,-and to punish all persons who might be convicted before him of rudeness, profaneness, and vicious practices. The office of burgess was continued from 1693 to 1703. In the month of March, 1693, the officers first chosen under their act of incorporation, were John Worledge, burgess, Benjamin Acton, recorder, John Jef- fery, bailiff, Richard Johnson, surveyor of the streets, bridges, and banks. All freehold- ers were required to be punctual in their attendance at all their meetings. Absentees were fined from ten pence up to five shillings.
There were five burgesses during the proprietary government of ten years, whose names were-John Worledge, Jonathan Beere, Wm. Hall, Richard Johnson, and Tho- mas Killingsworth.
Act passed May 12, 1696 .- An act to qualify officers who are not free to take an oath .- Whereas some persons, out of a principle of conscience, have not freedom to take oaths : Be it enacted by the Governor, with advice of his Council, and consent and agreement of the representatives in this present Assembly, met aus assembled, and it
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SALEM COUNTY.
is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That their not having freedom to take oaths shall not disable or incapacitate them for want thereof to hold or enjoy any office of the government within this province, whether magisterial or ministerial, to which he or they are duly elected, nor exclude him or them from any right or privilege which any of his majesty's subjects are capable to enjoy, he or they signing the declaration of fide- lity, and profession of the Christian faith, following, to wit :
By virtue and in obedience to the said act of Assembly, we, whose names are sub. scribed, do sincerely promise and solemnly declare, that we will be true and faithful to William, King of England, and the government of this province of West Jersey. And we do solemnly profess and declare, that we do from our hearts abhor, detest and re- nounce, as impious and heretical, that damnable doctrine, that princes excommunicated or deprived by the Pope, or any authority of the see of Rome, may be deposed or mur- thered by their subjects, or any other whatsoever ; and we do declare that no foreign prince, prelate, state or potentate, hath or ought to have any power, jurisdiction, supe- riority, pre-eminence or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm.
The Christian Belief .- We profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ his eternal Son, the true God, and in the Holy Spirit, one God blessed forevermore. And we do acknowledge the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, to be given by divine inspiration.
Here follow the names of the officers of the town of Salem, who subscribed the above faith or creed.
Justices.
Jonathan Beere,
1697
Reyneer Van Hyst, 1700
John Bacon, 1703
Richard Darking,
1698 John Holmes,
Thomas Woodruff, 1706
Obadiah Holmes, 1699 William Rumsey, 1702
Burgesses.
William Hall,
1697 Richard Johnson, 1699
Saml. Hedge, Jr., 1703
Jonathan Beere,
1698
Jept. Woodruff,
1700 Thos. Killingsworth, 1706
Wm. Hall, Recorder.
Hugh Middleton, Sheriff.
Saml. Hedge, Clerk and Coroner.
Saml. Hedge, Recorder, 1702.
1697 .- Fairs were established at Cohansey, and to be held there on the 24th and 25th April, and 16th or 17th Obtober, with the same privileges as Salem.
Visits and refreshments .- In those very early days, neighbors usually paid friendly visits to each other, with a portion of their family, more generally in the winter than at other seasons of the year. They commonly spent a few hours of the afternoon and a part of the evening together, in the most sociable manner ; and while the men would be talking over their farming affairs, and discussing the market value of the articles they had for sale, their wives and daughters would not be sitting in silence, but chattering
freely about their yards of homespun linen and linsey woolsey, while their nimble fingers gave rapid motion to their knitting needles ; for be it known, that in those early times it would have been considered a stigma in a woman to have been sitting idle, while all the rest were employed in knitting. That kind of innocent and rural amusement af- forded the most perfect zest to their evening's gratification ; and instead of tea, coffee and chocolate, as the fashion is now-a-days for our usual refreshment, they were regaled with plenty of good dough-nuts, cheese, fine cider, or home-made beer.
Annexed are the histories of the religious denominations at Sa- lem, from Johnson's History.
Friends at Salem .- Shortly after Fenwick, and those who were of that denomination called Friends, had arrived from England, (which was on or about the 12th December, 1675,) and had settled themselves and their families, they resolved to associate together, and organize a meeting to be held in the town of Salem, twice in every week, for divine worship, and also once in each month for church discipline. Among those associators were John Fenwick, Robert Zane, Saml. Nicholson, Edward Wade, Samuel Hedge, John Thompson, John Smith, and Richard Guy. During the first five years of their residence, they held their religious meetings in private houses. In 1680, they purchased a house of Samuel Nicholson, and had it fitted up for their better accommodation. In 1700, they erected a brick house on that lot now their burying-ground, at a cost of £415 138. 24d.
In 1772, the Friends found themselves under the necessity of providing more amply
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SALEM COUNTY.
. for their accommodation, and purchased a lot of land fronting on Fenwick street, and opposite to South street, on which they erected the present commodious and extensive brick building. The architect was William Ellis.
Methodist Episcopal church in Salem .- This church was consecrated in 1784. The constituents were, Henry Firth, Cornelius Mulford, Hugh Smith, John M'Claskey, Ben- jamin Abbot, Isaac Vaneman, John Murphey, Levi Garrison.
Salem Protestant Episcopal church .- I cannot say at what precise time the Episco- pal church at Salem was instituted, but I have reason to think that worship of that order was held there in a wooden building, a considerable time before the brick building was erected, which was about the year 1720. I am inclined to believe that Doctor Dyer, Doctor Alexander Gaudovitt, John Kidd, and William Wetherby were members of the church previous to the erection of the brick building ; and after that, I am induced to think that the first wardens were Benjamin Veining and Joseph Coleman. There were other active members, such as George Frenchard, John Holbrook, John Rolph and others not now recollected.
About the year 1772, the edifice being much dilapidated, and the wood-work gone to decay, the congregation resolved upon having it put into a complete state of repair ; ac- cordingly a committee was appointed to solicit subscriptions to procure such a sum of money as might be considered sufficient to complete the work. That committee was composed of Edmund Wetherby, Robert Johnson, Thomas Sinnickson and John Carey, Esquires, who contracted with John Maxwell, the carpenter, to complete the building.
The names of ministers who, through the lapse of years, officiated in that church were, as now recollected, the Rev. Messrs. Coleman, Allen, Pearson, Wixcell, Thomp- son, Parker, Grey, Higby, Cadle, Smith.
Baptist church in Salem .- At the first settling in and about the town of Salem, there were but few Baptist families. The most prominent were those of Judges Holmes and Killingsworth, at whose houses their meetings were held. Killingsworth lived on and then owned the property now in the possession of the Keasbey family ; and Holmes lived at Allaways Creek, on the farm some years ago belonging to the late Stephen Willis, but now the property of George Hall. After the death of Holmes and Killings- worth, meetings were held by ministers from Cohansey, at the house of Samuel Fogg, near Quinton's bridge-at Daniel Smith's, Edward Quinton's, and Abner Sims'. In 1743, the Baptist meeting-house was built at Mill-hollow, and in 1757 the church was constituted, and the following named persons were the constituents, to wit : Job Sheppard, the honorable Edward Keasbey, Esq., Edward Quinton, Samuel Sims, Daniel Smith, Temperance Quinton, Sarah Sims, Catharine Sheppard, Kerenhappuch Black- wood, Sarah Smith, Prudence Keasbey, Phebe Smith, Rachel Sneathen, and Patience James. The Rev. Job Sheppard then became their pastor, but lived only two years ; he Jeft eleven children,-their names were Elnathan, Belbe, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Job, Da- niel, Katharine, Martha, Kesiah, Ruth, and Cumberland. Some of these married into the families of the Pedricks, Townsends, Grays, Bowens, Mulfords, Kelseys, Matlocks, and have helped materially to populate the township of Allaways Creek. Rev. Mr. Sheppard was succeeded by Rev. John Sutton, and he by Rev. Abel Griffith-he by William Worth, and he by Rev. Peter Peterson Vanhorn.
The congregation having greatly increased, it was thought necessary to build a new house ; accordingly subscriptions were put into circulation, and that large and commo- dious brick building was erected on York street, in the town of Salem, in 1787-when the Rev. Dr. Isaac Skillman, a graduate of Princeton college, became their pastor in 1791, and so continued until his death. The pulpit was supplied for some time by the Rev. Obadiah Brewen Brown, now of Washington city-then by Rev. 'Thomas Brown- then by Rev. Horatio G. Jones-then by Rev. Joseph Sheppard.
Judge Holmes, spoken of above, died in 1701, leaving four sons, of whom the young est settled here ; his name was Benjamin ; his first wife was a Smart, his second wife an Elgar, by whom he had six children ; and from them descended several children, and from them the name has been perpetuated to the present time.
Extracts from the County Records.
The first court of sessions began at Salem on 17th day of September, 1706.
Sept. 1609 .- Court orders, that no ordinary keeper in this county shall be allowed to trust any transient person, or laborer, or single person, above ten shillings, upon penalty of losing their debts. Grand Jury present that an assessment be laid on the county, for
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SALEM COUNTY.
repairing courthouse and prison, and finding constables' staves, paying for wolf and panthers' heads, hawks, woodpeckers, blackbirds and crows ; the value of £100 to be paid in money, wheat, butter, or cheese, at money price.
June, 1712. Gregory Empson, attorney. Grand Jury present Edmond Morphey, for holding John Quinton under the water until almost drowned ; fined 5s. with costs.
December, 1713. Timothy Brooks, of Cohansey, Anabaptist preacher, came into court and took the oaths, and signed the declaration according to law, and did acknow- ledge and did allow of the thirty-nine articles excepted in an act for exempting her ma. jesty's Protestant subjects, dissenting from the Church of England, from the penalties of certain laws made in their majesties' reign, May 24, 1689.
September, 1713. The grand jury present Eliza Windsor, with force and arms upon the body of Elizabeth Rumsey, wife of Isaac Rumsey, of Salem, in the peace of God and our said lady the queen, then and there being, an assault did make, and her with a paddle over the head did strike, and also over the neck, and her collar bone did break, to the great damage of the said Elizabeth Rumsey, &c.
Nov. 17, 1716. Mary Hawk, of Cohansey, spinster, was publicly whipped in the town of Salem, by order of the justices.
1727. By order of court, the whipper's fees for whipping at the public whipping post, be five shillings-in the house of correction, two shillings and sixpence.
1729. Ruled and ordered by the court, that each respective public house keeper within this county, take for their several measures of liquors hereafter named as followeth, and no more, viz. : For each nib of punch, made with double-refined sugar and one gill and a half of rum, ninepence-for each nib made with single-refined sugar and one gill and a half of rum, eightpence-for each nib inade of Muscovado sugar and one gill and a half of rum, sevenpence-for each quart of tiff, made with half a pint of rum in the same, ninepence-for each pint of wine, one shilling-for each gill of rum, threepence- for each quart of strong beer, fourpence-for each gill of brandy or cordial, dram, six- pence-for each quart of metheglin, ninepence-each quart cider royal, eightpence -- each quart of cider, fourpence,
Eatables for men-for a hot dinner, eightpence ; for breakfast or supper, sixpence.
For horses-2 quarts oats, threepence ; stabling and good hay, each night, sixpence, pasture, sixpence.
Dec. Court, 1717. Ordered by the court, that the garret or upper part of the jail be for the use of a house of correction for the use of said county, and a whipping-post be erected therein.
1718 Upon application of Richard Johnson, that Thomas Hill had lodged in his hands, being a magistrate, a remnant of silk, quantity 53 yards, which the said Thom- as secured with a certain person to him unknown, upon suspicion of the said person be- ing a pirate, which person afterwards made his escape from the said Thomas-
Ordered, That the piece of silk in the hands of Richard Johnson, late sheriff, be de- livered to John Rolph, Esq., collector of his majesty's custom, to be by him disposed of for his majesty's use.
February, 1733-4. Ordered by the court, that Mary Kelly, for abusing the judge, Mr. Acton, in her misbehavior to him in the execution of his office, do receive ten lashes on her bare back, for her contempt, at the public whipping-post.
In the revolutionary struggle, the inhabitants* of this section took a decided stand in favor of the whig cause. When the Bostonians were suffering from the oppressions of General Gage, at a meeting held Oct. 13th, 1774, by the inhabitants of this county, it was " resolved, that Grant Gibbon, Esq., who was known to be one of the most popular and efficient men of the county, and a patriot in whom the public had unbounded confidence, be the man who should take the burthen and trouble in soliciting relief from our people." Gibbon succeeded in collecting about $700, a large sum at that time, which was sent for the relief of the distressed of that city.
* Among these were some of the prominent Friends. The following gentlemen, offi- cers of militia, belonged to this society, besides others not recollected, viz : Thomas Car- penter, quarter-master, Major Edward Hall, Whitten Cripps, and John Smith, Adjutant.
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439
SOMERSET COUNTY.
As mentioned on page 416, of this volume, the enemy from Phil- adelphia made two incursions into this county in the war of the revolution. Annexed are a few facts from Johnson, additional to those already given, relating to their entrance into this town.
On Sunday, the 15th March, 1778, Col. Mawhood put his picked regiment on board of his transports at Philadelphia, and dropped down to Billingsport, and there landed his men, (the transports went on to Salem, and by them the regiment returned to the city,) and then marched up to the Salem road at Mantua creek bridge, (the only place where he could cross the creek,) where he was opposed on Monday, the 16th of March, by Capt. Samuel Hugg, with his artillery, and other of our militia ; the names of several from our county now recollected, were, Parker, Barrett, David Wetherington, John Carns, and the venerable James Johnson, who died but a few years ago. In that skirmish two or three of the enemy were killed.
Our people then retreated, until they came to the farm now the property of Mr. Ton- kins, where they halted, and cannonaded the enemy. That estate then belonged to Dr. Otto, who was a colonel. The British burnt all his property during the fight, and, as a monument to that skirmish, there stood but a few years ago a large black oak tree in the middle of the road, and nearly opposite to the house of Tonkins, with the marks of the cannon shot visible upon it. Our people being overpowered by numbers, filed off from the main road, and gave up the contest.
After the fight at Doctor Otto's, the enemy came down and encamped for the night near Sharptown, and came into Salem early in the forenoon.
SLAVERY .- There is reason to suppose there were slaves in the families of the early Swedish settlers in this county. And there is no doubt the Dutch imported and sold them wherever they could find purchasers. After the English came, considerable num- bers were imported from the West Indies, and disposed as merchandise to the agricul- turists. " As early as 1696, the Friends in their yearly meetings brought the subject of trading in negroes before their society, and to their credit it is believed, were the first re- ligious sect that advised its members to desist from and discourage the future importa tion of them. From about that time the traffic in slaves became the subject of notice in their annual meetings, until about the year 1758, when they passed a resolution de- nying the right of membership to any of their people who should persist in detaining a fellow-creature in bondage after that time; but the resolution was not strictly complied with until many years afterward."
SOMERSET COUNTY.
SOMERSET, the most central county in the state, was early settled by the Dutch, and set off from Middlesex co., in 1688. In the pre- amble to the act, it was stated : " Forasmuch as the uppermost part of the Raritan river is settled by persons whom. in their hus- bandry and manuring their land, forced upon quite different ways and methods from the other farmers and inhabitants of Middlesex, because of the frequent floods that carry away their fences on the meadows, the only arable land they have, and so by consequence of their interest is divided from the other inhabitants of the said county : Be it therefore enacted, &c." Its bounds have been al- tered at different times, and in 1838, by the formation of Mercer co., when the S. portion of Nottingham township was annexed to that county. Somerset co. is about 25 m. long, with an average
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440
SOMERSET COUNTY.
breadth of about 15 m., and is bounded N. by Morris co., E. by Essex and Middlesex, S. by Mercer co., and W. by Hunterdon co. It is well watered by the Raritan and its branches. The Delaware and Raritan canal enters at its SE. corner, and following up the valley of the Millstone river to its junction with the Raritan, there pursues the valley of that river to New Brunswick. The surface of the county is diversified ; the central and SE. portion tolerably level, the S. and SW. hilly, and the NE. quite mountainous. The soil of the hills is mostly clay and stiff loam, the plains sandy loam, and- the mountain valleys limestone. The county is generally fertile, particularly in the valleys, and produces a variety of crops. It is divided into the following seven townships :-
Bedminster, Bernard, Bridgewater, Franklin,
Hillsborough, Montgomery, Warren.
Somerset.co. had in 1810, a population of 14,728; in 1820. 16,508 ; in 1830, 17,689 ; in 1840, 17,451.
BEDMINSTER.
This township is about 7 m. long, by 4 m. wide, and is bounded N. by Chester and Mendham, Morris co., E. by Bernard. S. and SW. by Bridgewater, and W. by Readington and Tewksbury, Hun- terdon co. There are in the township 5 saw-m., 6 grist-m., 9 schools, 254 scholars. Pop. 1,589.
It is well watered by the N. branch of Raritan, Lamington river, and their tributaries. Its surface is hilly, soil fertile, and well- cultivated. Lamington, Pepack, Little Cross Roads, and Greater Cross Roads, are small settlements, neither of which contains over 12 or 15 dwellings. At the first is a Presbyterian, and near the last, a Reformed Dutch church.
Pluckamin, in the S. part of the township, 6 m. NW. of Somer- ville, lies at the base of a high mountain, from the summit of which is a very extensive view of a large extent of fertile country. There .are here, a tavern, 2 stores, several mechanics, an academy, a Methodist church, and 35 dwellings. This was a noted place in the war of the revolution. On the 4th of Jan., 1777, the day after the battle of Princeton, the American army, then on their march to Morristown, halted here. In the winter of 1778-9, part of the American army lay at this place.
In the village burying-ground is the grave of the gallant Capt. Leslie, of the British army, who fell mortally wounded at the bat- tle of Princeton. The particulars of the death of this unfortunate officer, are thus given in the Custis's Recollections of the Life of Washington :-
It was while the commander-in-chief reined up his horse upon approaching the spot in a ploughed field where lay the gallant Col. Harslet mortally wounded, that he per- ceived some British soldiers supporting a wounded officer, and upon inquiring his name
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SOMERSET COUNTY.
and rank, was answered Capt. Leslie. Dr. Benjamin Rush, who formed a part of the general's suite, earnestly asked, " A son of the Earl of Leven ?" to which the soldiers replied in the affirmative. The doctor then addressed the general-in-chief : " I beg your excellency to permit this wounded officer to be placed under my care, that I may return, in however small a degree, a part of the obligations I owe to his worthy father for the many kindnesses received at his hands while I was a student at Edinburgh." The re- quest was immediately granted ; but, alas ! poor Leslie was soon " past all surgery." He died the same evening, after receiving every possible kindness and attention, and was buried the next day at Pluckamin, with the honors of war. His troops, as they lowered his remains to the soldier's last rest, shed tears over the remains of a much-loved com- mander.
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