USA > New Jersey > Ocean County > Historical reminiscences of Ocean county, New Jersey > Part 8
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because this was not done, Gov. Lovelace attributes another murder two years later ; he severely censured the authori- ties, for too much remissness in not avenging the previous murder of Mr. Tom's servant, etc.
On the 12 of August, 1669, Captain Tom was appointed collector of quit rents, which were imposed on all persons taking up land along the Delaware river on both sides. This office he held for three years, when he resigned. Its du- ties must have been of considerable re- sponsibility and labor, as it involved the necessity of visiting all places where set- tlers located, from the Capes of the Dela- ware to the Falls of the Delaware (Tren- ton.) While engaged in this business it is probable that as he traveled from place to place he made it a point to search for eligible places for new settlers to locate, and acted as agent for the sale of lands. At one time he acted as land agent for John Fenwick the noted Salem proprie- tor.
We find that Captain Tom not only stood well in the estimation of Gov. Nicholls, but also in the opinion of his successor, Gov. Lovelace, who, at the suggestion of Captain T., issued several orders relating to affairs on the Dela- ware. Aug. 12, 1669, Gov. Lovelace at request of Wm. Tom, grants certain special favors to Finns and others re- moving near New Castle, Del. By his order "permission on request of Mr. Tom" was granted to families from Maryland to settle in the same vicinity, " to the end that the said place may be inhabited and manured, it tending like- wise to the increase of inhabitants." An order of the same date is preserved which allows William Tom to kill and mark all wild hogs in the woods near his land.
In 1671, an extraordinary council was convened in New York, on the occasion of the arrival of William Tom and Peter Alricks, just from the Delaware, with the particulars of the Indians murdering two Christians (Dutch) near Burlington.
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These murders were committed by two Indians who were known, and who re- sided at Suscunk, four miles east of Mat- inieonk or Burlington Island. Governor Lovelace, in a letter to Capt. Tom, dated Oct. 6th, expresses great surprise at what he has learned from Mr. Tom in regard to these murders. This letter gives stringent orders to guard against evil- disposed Indians in the future, and from it we find that Burlington Island was then occupied as a kind of frontier mili- tary station. Gov. Lovelace recommends a good work about Matiniconk house (on Burlington Island) which, strengthened with a considerable guard, would make an admirable frontier. Vigorous efforts were made to secure these Indian mur- derers. The result is seen in the follow- ing letter written by Capt. Tom to Gov. Lovelace, Dec. 25, 1671. He says that " about eleven days since, Peter Alrieks came from New York, and the Indians desired to speak with us concerning the murders, whereupon they sent for me to Peter Rambo's, where coming they faith- fully promised to bring in the murderers, dead or alive ; whereupon they sent out two Indians to the stoutest, to bring him in, not doubting easily to take the other, he being an Indian of little courage ; but the least Indian, getting knowledge of the design of the sachems, ran to ad- vise his fellow, and advised him to run or else they would both be killed, who answered that he was not ready, but in the morning would go with him to the Maquas, and advised him to go to the next house for fear of suspicion, which he did ; and the two Indians coming to his house at night, the one being his great friend, he asked him if he would kill him, who answered 'No, but the sachems have ordered you to die ;' whereupon he demanded what his brothers said, and was answered 'They say the like.' Then he, holding his hands before his eyes, said ' Kill me;' whereupon the Indian that comes with Coeker, shot him with two bullets in the breast, and gave him
two or three euts with a bill on the head, and brought him down to Wicaco, from whence we shall carry him to-morrow to New Castle, there to hang him in chains. For this, we gave to the sachems, five watch-coats, which Mr. Alrieks paid them. When the other Indian heard the shot in the night, naked as he was, he ran into the woods; but this sachem promised to bring the other alive, for which we promised him three watch- coats. The sachems brought a good many of their young men with them, and there before us they openly told them 'now they saw a beginning, and all that did the like, should be served in the same manner.' They promised if any other murders were committed, to bring in the murderers. How to believe them we knew not, but the sachems seem to desire no war."
What official position Capt. Tom held in these transactions is uncertain, but he appears to have been more relied upon than any other man to settle difficulties at this time.
In 1673, Capt. Tom was appointed one of four appraisers to set a value on Tini- cum Island in the Delaware. In 1674, he was appointed secretary or clark for the town of New Castle, and he appears to have had charge of the public records for several years. In 1673, the Dutch regained their power in New York, New Jersey and Delaware, but retained it on- ly a few months ; after they were again displaced in 1674, Gov. Andross appoint- ed Capts. Cantwell and Tom to "take possession for the King's use, of the fort at New Castle, with the public stores. They were authorized to provide for the settlement and repose of the inhabitants at New Castle, Whorekills (Lewes) and other places."
In 1675, some settlers complained against Capt. Tom for molesting them in the enjoyment of meadow land adjoining their plantations. The settlers probably supposed because they owned uplands, they should also have the use of meadow
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land without paying for the same. Governor ordered a compromise.
The | doctrines, he was sentenced by the Puri- In tans of New England to pay a fine of £30 1676, he was appointed one of the Jus- or be publicly whipped. 3 Although tices of the Peace and a Judge of the abundantly able to pay the fine, he re- Court. He sat as one of the Judges in fused to do so, as he deemed it would be an important snit, in which the defend-
an acknowledgment of error, and he ant was John Fenwick, the Salem Pro- close rather to suffer than to " deny his prietor. Judgment was given against Lord." In September, 1651, he was Fenwick, and a warrant issued to take publicly and severely whipped at Boston him dead or alive. Fenwick, finding it useless to resist, gave himself up, and was sent prisoner to New York.
Capt. Tom was reappointed Justice and Judge in 1677. Toward the latter part of this year, complaint was made that the town records of New Castle were in confusion, and Mr. Tom was ordered to arrange and attest them. It is not im- probable that ill health prevented him from completing this task, as we find his death announced January 12, 1678, coupled with the simple remark that his papers were in confusion.
From the foregoing and other facts that are preserved, it would appear that William Tom was about the most promi- nent, useful and trustworthy man among the early settlers in South Jersey, from the coming of the English until his death just two hundred years ago, and that his varied duties were performed to the sat- isfaction of English, Dutch, Swedes and Indians ; and we may safely infer that he did as much, if not more, than any other man in his day towards "the set- tlement and repose of the inhabitants." And it is no discredit to Toms River to be named after such a man.
THE HOLMES FAMILY.
The Holmes family of Ocean county are descended from Rev. Obadiah Holmes, so favorably remembered in the annals of the Baptist Church in America. He was born at Manchester in Lanca- shire, England, in 1606 ; married in 1636 to Catharine -; and came from Pres- ton, Lancashire, to Salem, Mass., in 1639. For his zeal in preaching Baptist
"with a three-corded whip, thirty strokes."
Rev. Obadiah Holmes was one of the original patentees of old Monmouth, al- though it is believed he never resided here ; but his son Jonathan Holmes be- came a resident, and in 1668 was a mem- ber of the Assembly. Subsequently he returned to the family homestead at Middletown, R. I., having settled his two sons, Jonathan and Obadiah, upon his lands in Middletown, N. J., which, in 1713, he bequeathed to them. These two sons were among the pioneers of the Baptist faith in New Jersey. This son Obadialı had a son named Jonathan who lied about 1766, and this Jonathan's son John is supposed to be the John Holmes who lived at the upper mill at Forked River, during the Revolution. This John Holmes married Catharine Potter, and they had children-William, John, Huldah, Katy, Polly and Sally. Huldah married Esquire Daniel Williams, and the Williams families near Goodluck are their children or descendants. The last named John Holmes (the second in Ocean county) married Catharine Lane, and their children were Joseph, William, Jacob, Stephen, Alice, and perhaps otlı- ers. William, Jacob and Stephen went west. Alice first married Daniel Cono- ver, and afterwards Daniel P. Pierson, and left children by both husbands. Capt. Joseph Holmes married Anna Stout, daughter of Daniel Stout, a hero of the Revolution, and their children and descendants, we believe, are the only ones now bearing the name of Holmes in this vicinity. Their ancestry may thus be traced back : Joseph, son of John,
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who was the son of John, son of Jona- | Somerset counties. In No. 29 of a series than, son of Obadiah, son of Jonathan, son of Rev. Obadiah Holmes, born in Lancashire, England, 1606. This carries the line back, in an unbroken chain, over 270 years.
The recurrence of given names in dif- ferent generations is noticeable in the genealogy of the Holmes family. There have been several Josephs, Johns, Hul- dahs, Catharines and Alices (or Elsie as it was sometimes called), and an Alice Holmes last century married a Daniel Conover, as did an Alice Holmes this cen- tury.
Much trouble has been taken by one or two persons to collect the genealogy of this family from the time of Rev. Oba- diah Holmes down, and the writer is un- der obligations to Rev. Mr. Schenck, of Marlborough, for a complete genealogi- cal chart of the family in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and old Monmouth.
The founder of the family, Rev. Oba- dialı Holmes "of precious memory," died at Newport, R. I., in 1682. The township of Holmdel, in Monmouth county, is named for him.
THE GULICK FAMILY.
The Gulick family are descended from Joachim Gulick, who came to this coun- try in 1653, and settled first at Graves- end, Long Island, where we find his name in 1656, with the Tiltons, Still- wells, Stouts, Bownes, Applegates and others who subsequently settled in old Monmonth county. The first time the English recorded his name, they seemed at a loss to know how to spell it, and so wrote it "Joachim Guylock." Mr. Gn- lick, it is said, took the oath of allegiance in 1687, and moved to Six Mile Run, near New Brunswick, N. J., previous to 1717, and he subsequently owned 330 acres of land lying on both sides of Ten Mile Run Brook. His descendants ap- pear to have settled near and on bothı sides of the line between Middlesex and
of articles headed "Historical Notes," published in 1876, in the New Brunswick Fredonian, is a notice of the descendants of Mr. Gulick in that section, which states that his grandson Joachim had sons Abram, William, John, Joachim, Jabobus and Peter, and three daughters. The Ocean county Gnlicks descend from Jacobus, who at one time lived at Pleas- ant Plains and then removed to Rhode Hall, where he kept the main hotel and stage house between New York and Phil- adelphia. He had children Joachim, Cornelius, Abram (or Brom, as the Dutch called it, ) John, Jacobus and Isaac. The last named, Isaac, who settled at Toms River in 1794, married Abigail Hatfield, a widow with one child by her first mar- riage. Her maiden name was Van Deven- ter. Her son, named John Hatfield, on his arrival at manhood, followed the coasting trade from Toms River, and was lost with all his crew in a severe snow storm, Dec. 13th, 1811. He was a young man of much promise, and his loss was greatly regretted by all his acquaint- ances. From him, John Hatfield Gu- lick, late Surrogate, derives his name.
Isaac Gulick and Abigail his wife had five sons, viz : James, Stephen, Abner, William and Nimrod. Of these, Stephen is the only survivor, being over eighty years of age. Abner and William mar- ried, removed to Ohio and died there, leaving families. Nimrod moved to Tuckahoe, N. J., and died there, leaving a family. James Gulick, who was the first Judge appointed in Ocean county, was born near Cranbury, Middlesex county, Jan. 9, 1793, the year before his father moved to Toms River, and died July 7, 1855. He had five sons, of whom John H., Sidney and Henry C. still sur- vive. His son Horatio, who died abont a dozen years ago, was one of the first Collectors of the county. Stephen Gn- liek married Deborah Page, and they had two daughters, both living. One married Captain William Jeffrey, and the
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other Theodore Mckean, now living in | dock at the time of his disastrous defeat Utalı.
A tradition handed down among the old members of the Gulick family says that two brothers (probably Joachim and Hendricks) came from the Netherlands together, and that the name Gulick is derived from the town from whence they came.
Most of the old members of the Gulick family were men of stout, almost gigan- tic frames, and possessed of extraordinary powers of endurance. They were noted for their patriotism in the Revolution, Isaac was then too young to serve, but his brothers were in the army, and among them and other Gulicks in the State troops were three Abrams, Cornelius, Benjamin, James, John, Peter and Joa- chim. The last named, a brother of Isaac, was noted for deeds of daring dur- ing the war, in which he was a captain. He was a man of giant frame and Hercu- lean powers. At one time he was sta- tioned below New Brunswick to watch the movements of the enemy, who were expected to come up the river by water. While on one of its banks a few miles be- low the city, the British came in sight, and commenced firing on the party, who were compelled to retreat up a steep hill. When partly up, the Captain heard a cry of distress, and, looking towards the place whence it came, saw one of his men lying on the ground, wounded and helpless. He immediately ran back, took the man on his shoulders, and took up in safety amidst a shower of bullets and the cheers of his men.
The original Gulick tract near Ten Mile Run is now divided into three tracts or farms, two of which are now owned by William Cannon, and the other by Simon H. Nevins.
THE EDWARDS FAMILY.
The Edwards family, in the southern part of Ocean county, with branches elsewhere, are descended from James Edwards, who was with General Brad-
in the old French war. After that war he first settled in Pennsylvania, and then removed to Little Egg Harbor, and from thence to Barnegat. Here he frequent- ly described to his neighbors the partic- ulars of Braddock's defeat, and he always positively asserted that Braddock was killed by one of his own men, who thought that he was uselessly sacrificing the lives of his soldiers. His statements have subsequently been fully corrobor- ated, and the following particulars are derived from Virginia and Pennsylvania local histories :
" Gen. Braddock was shot by one of his own men, named Tom Fawcett, who lived to quite an advanced age near Uniontown, Fayette Co., Pa. In the presence of friends, Fawcett did not hesitate to avow that he shot Braddock. Fawcett was a man of gigantic frame, of uncivilized, half savage propensities, and spent most of his later years among the mountains as a hermit, living on the game he killed. He would occasionally come into town and get drunk. Some- times he would repel inquiries into the affair of Braddock's death, putting his fingers to his lips and uttering a sort of buzzing sound ; at other times he would burst into tears and appear greatly agi- tated by conflicting passions. In spite of Braddock's silly order that his troops should not protect themselves behind trees from the murderous fire of the Indians, Joseph Fawcett, brother of Tom, had taken such a position, when Braddock rode up in a passion and struck him down with his sword. Tom, wlio was but a short distance from his brother, saw the whole transaction and imme- diately drew up his rifle and shot Brad- dock through the lungs, partly for re- venge for the outrage upon his brother, and partly, as he alleged, to get the Gen- eral out of the way and thus save the re- mainder of the gallant band who had been sacrificed to his obstinacy and want of experience in frontier warfare."
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carried to his grave, and she adds that " he lived to an advanced age and was burried in the Methodist Church Yard at Tuckerton. He was also a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and fought un- der Washington, whom he loved with an undying love. One of his grand- daughters told me that when the angel Death was hovering over him, one of his daughters who stood at his bedside, asked him if he knew he was dying, and he replied, ' O yes, I shall soon be with Jesus where I shall meet my dear old Gen- eral Washington.' His daughter asked him if he believed that warriors like General Washington inherited the King- dom of Heaven ; he answered 'Yes, I believe that Washington is a bright star in the regions of glory.' Soon after this his spirit took its flight to the spirit world."
James Edwards was one of the first, probably the first, adherent of the prin- ciples of Methodism at Barnegat and vicinity, and continued to his death a strict, faithful member of the Society. His two sons, James and Thomas, do not appear to have united with any religious society, but both encouraged religious efforts by clergymen of different denom- inations ; James especially entertained preachers of all denominations. Among his frequent visitors was Rev. Mr. Jayne a Baptist preacher, father of Dr. Jayne, of Philadelphia, noted for popular med- icines.
James Edwards, the first, married Elizabeth Hedden ; their children were Zophar, Thomas, James, George, Debo- rah, Elizabeth, Amy, Prudence, and Katurah. Zophar and George both fol- lowed the sea; George was taken sick and returned to his home and died un- married ; Zophar continued in the same employment, but when and where he
Mrs. Leah Blackman, in her Egg [ ended his days were unknown to his Harbor Sketches, states that James Ed- relatives. wards was wounded in the battle, receiv- Thomas Edwards married Phebe Com- ing a musket ball in his leg, which he stock, of Elizabethtown, N. J., and their children were George, Samuel, Thomas, Richard, Mary, and Ann Eliza ; the last two died unmarried ; George married Hannah Mills, Samuel married Thursa Hedden, Richard married Jemima Hed- den, and Thomas married a Miss Clayton of Freehold. Captains Nelson and Mills Edwards, and Mrs. Mary A. Pred- more, wife of Capt. John Predmore, Sr., and Phebe, wife of Captain John Inman, are children of George and Hannah Edwards.
Samuel and Thursa Edwards had chil- dren, Thomas, Samuel and Phebe Ann, who married Jonathan Lawrence ; the the last named Thomas, made a noble record during the late Rebellion as an officer of the Navy.
James Edwards, 2nd, married Sophia Ridgway of Barnegat ; they had six sons who grew to manhood, viz., Clayton, Gidion, Jesse, Job, James, and Noah. The three first never married ; Job mar- ried, first Nancy Slaght, and second Susannah Haywood ; James, 3d, married Serena Cranmer, daughter of Isaiah Cranmer of Manahawken; Noah, the well-known Methodist minister, married first Hannalı Downs, daughter of Isaac Downs of Tuckerton, second Phebe Ann Hartshorne.
Of the children of James Edwards, 2d, the only survivors now are James Edwards, 3d, merchant, Waretown, and Rev. Noah. Job, who may be considered the founder of the present Methodist Society at Barnegat, served the county in the Legislature, two terms.
Deborah Edwards, daughter of the first James, married Thomas Collins of Barnegat.
Elizabeth, daughter of the first James, married Barzilla Mathis of Egg Harbor. Amy, daughter of the first James, married Stephen Shourds of Tuckerton.
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Prudence, daughter of the first James, were in the thickest of the fight in the married Phineas Burton of Egg Harbor.
Katurah, daughter of the first James, married Richard McClure.
The daughters of James Edwards, 1st, have numerous descendants along shore and elsewhere ; the names of their chil- dren living in Egg Harbor were given by Mrs. Blackman in her sketches of that vicinity, published in the NEW JERSEY COURIER several years ago.
The religious principles of the Society, of which the first James Edwards was the earliest adherent we have found in Ocean county, have an able representa- tive in a descendant in the fourth gener- ation, Rev. James T. Edwards, D. D., at present principal of the Chamberlain Institute, a flourishing and well endowed institution of learning at Randolph, N. Y. Prof. Edwards is son of the late Rev. Job Edwards, and though com- paratively young, his career has been singularly active and useful ; besides being a successful educator, he served honorably as an officer in the army dur- ing the late Rebellion, was a leading member of the Rhode Island State Senate, and as an able and eloquent minis- ter of the Gospel he was awarded the degree of D. D., at an unusually early age.
CAPTAIN THOMAS EDWARDS.
most terrific combat probably known in naval warfare, in the passage of the forts below New Orleans, under fire of the forts, running the gauntlet of fire-ships and rafts to the barriers across the river, and that obstacle overcome by Union daring and ingenuity, there among and through the swarm of rebel iron-elads and gun-boats, Capt. Edwards was among the most active and fearless in his line of duty, repeatedly narrowly escaping death, as when in one instance being for a moment called from the battery of which he had charge, the officer who stepped into his place was instantly killed with several men near him. When the first rebel vessel surrendered, he was detailed to receive the rebel commander's sword. After the taking of New Orleans, he was ordered on board the U. S. S. Stockdale to take command of her and the naval force, consisting of four or five ves- sels on Lake Ponchartrain, to prevent contraband trade. While in the Stock- dale, he received his promotion for merit- orious service, to the rank of Lientenant (Acting Volunteer), April 12, 1864, and well had he earned it, for he had been over three years attached to the Gulf Squadron, being longer on continnous duty than any other officer, all the rest having been detached, killed, dismissed or sent home. It required his utmost vigilance to check the continual attempts to carry on the contraband trade, and hence his duties were not at all monot- onous ; in addition to which, he was fre- quently called upon to relieve suffering among the rebel families living in the adjacent districts. In a letter to the writer of this, dated April, 1864, he says :
Captain Edwards entered the U. S. Navy as Acting-Master, Oct. 22, 1861, and was assigned to duty on the favorite man-of-war, Oneidla, and while on her, served under the then Captains, but sub- sequently Rear-Admirals, Bailey, S. P. Lee and Preble. He was in many hotly contested, memorable engagements, " The rebels in the district along the lake are in a most terrible state of desti- tution-their subsistence being nothing but corn bread (and very little of that), and no clothing to be had. I have had ladies who, three years ago, were living in luxury and wealthy in negro and other among which were the battles of Port Royal, Forts St. Philip and Jackson, the taking of New Orleans, the battle of Vicksburg and other engagements on tlie Mississippi river, and also at the eap- ture of Fort Morgan and the taking of Mobile. When the Oneida and Varuna property, come on board my ship, and
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beg for a few pounds of pork to keep the most confidential nature. For his old admiral, Farragut, he had the high- est admiration. He was deeply in ear- nest in the Union cause. After a little over two years' hard service, referring to a rumor that he wished to leave it, he writes : "God forbid that I ever should them from starvation, and they declared they had not tasted meat of any kind for months ; they would also beg me to pro- cure for them a few yards of calico for the commonest dresses. It is impossible to describe their distressed condition. If any produce is raised, the Confederate as long as this glorious old flag floats soldiers seize it, and many come to take the oath of allegiance merely to keep from starving."
His letters describing the different bat- tles which he witnessed, written immedi- ately after they occurred, are graphic ac- counts of events which have passed into history.
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