History of Burlington and Mercer counties, New Jersey : with biographical sketches of many of their pioneers and prominent men, Part 4

Author: Woodward, E. M. (Evan Morrison) cn; Hageman, John Frelinghuysen
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1096

USA > New Jersey > Burlington County > Burlington > History of Burlington and Mercer counties, New Jersey : with biographical sketches of many of their pioneers and prominent men > Part 4
USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > History of Burlington and Mercer counties, New Jersey : with biographical sketches of many of their pioneers and prominent men > Part 4

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The advertisements of the line continue in the same paper for several years, sometimes in the name of Joseph Borden and sometimes in that of his son Joseph, Jr. As the elder Mr. Borden was sixty-nine years of age when the following advertisement was inserted, it is probable he had retired from active business, and although the affix of the junior is not attached, we think it probable his son, who was now thirty-seven years old, was the chief manager if not the proprietor. From the wording of this advertise- ment we see a marked improvement in the education of the son over that of the father. This is but illus- trative of our countrymen and a new country. The advertisement is taken from the Philadelphia Mercury in the Philadelphia Library.

"PHILADELPHIA, November 11, 1756. " Bordentown Stage Continued.

" Joseph Bordens stage boat, Joseph Canida, master, attends at the Crooked-Billet wharf (end of the first alley above Chestnut Street) every Monday and Tuesday and his shallop Daniel Harrison master at the sante place every Friday and Saturday, stage waggons attends the said boats, the stage boat at Amboy commanded by Aaron Edwards.

" As to the owners of the Burlington stage boasting of their ad- vantages being superior to mine, I shall not take the trouble to make reply too, because the publick by this time is the best judges of our stages and their advantages, only shall just note the last clause of their advertisement, that is, they say we are one tide more upon the water, than they are, which in fact, is saying we are always two tides npon our passage. Well done brother adventurers, that is a large one. All gentlemen and ladies that please to favour me with their business, may depend upon the utmost care and dispatch, of their humble servant " JOSEPH BORDEN."

This route was from Whitehall slip in New York and through the Narrows to a tavern at Amboy. The boats were large, well fitted, and comfortable, as the outside passage was often rough.

Bordentown by this time had become a place of considerable note and size. In 1740, Joseph Borden deeded to the Friends the lot of ground upon which their meeting-house is now situate and the lot occu- pied by them as a burial-ground. The same year the meeting-house was built. By deed dated Aug. 5, 1751, Joseph Borden conveyed to John Coward, Thomas Cox, and Joseph Borden, Jr., as trustees for the Baptist, in consideration of the sum of five pounds. the two parcels of ground now occupied by the church as a building site and burying-ground. "Upon the ground thus conveyed by the elder Borden was erected, in 1752, the first Baptist meeting-house in Borden- town,-a grand edifice in its days, its roof hipped in imposing grandeur, its walls stout enough for a fortress, its external appearance beautiful in plain- ness, its internal arrangements a model of conveni- ence for those days, and its pulpit decently elevated to a dizzy yet becoming height."

Old Buildings and Township Records .- The oldest building now standing in the city is the old Lovel House, situate on the easterly side of Farns- worth Avenue, south of Church Street, Nos. 125 and 127. It was a two-story brick house, with hipped roof, and the date of its erection, 1749, built into the wall with black bricks. It then doubtlessly was a grand affair, probably the pride and envy of the village. In later years it was completely altered, another story being added, the entire front taken out, and it turned into stores. John Lovel originally settled near Crosswieks on the farm now occupied by Job R. Sutterly. His granddaughter, Mrs. Admiral Radford, now owns the house. The next oldest building is the stately old Hopkinson mansion at the southeast corner of Farnsworth Avenue and Park Street. The garden, which had a large frontage on the avenue, extended back to Second, and contained a large number of fruit trees. The house remained unaltered until within a few years, when it had a mansard roof substituted for the old one.

In "A History of New Sweden," by Israel Acre- lins, translated from the Swedish by William M. Reynolds, D. D., 1874, and published under the joint auspices of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and Delaware, on page 144, under the head "Of the Towns and their Trade," we find the following inter- esting comparison of the size of the towns upon the Delaware River.

" Burlington, the county town of Burlington County, eighteen miles from Philadelphia, has one hundred and thirty houses, and has a ferry. " Bordentown, twenty-eight miles from Philadelphia, has sixty houses. The last.named places have post-boats to and from Philadelphia, with post-coaches to Amboy, for travelers to and from New York, making the route twice a week.

"Trenton, thirty miles above Philadelphia, with one hundred and thirty houses, lies at the falls of the Delaware, and has a ferry. Near to this lie the valuable copper mines, for the use of ore- thir l of which Governor Morris, within eighteen months in 1755, paid five thousand pounds."

From the number of houses and the ratio of people generally allowed to each in towns or villages, we

BORDENTOWN.

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should judge the population of Bordentown in 1755 to be somewhat in excess of three hundred.

About this time there resided in Bordentown three persons bearing the quaint names of Preserve Brown, Safety Borden, and Hannaniah Gaunt .. Sometimes, but very rarely, at an early date tombstones erected to the memory of Friends are found in their grave- . yards. Preserve Brown seems to have been especially honored in this respect, as a solitary tombstone in the Friends' burying-grouud in this city contains this inscription :

"In memory of Preserve Brown, who died the 26th day of the 4th month, 1:44, aged 65 years."

It may be as well here to speak of his son, Preserve Brown, who was overseer of the poor in Chesterfield township. in 1741, and surveyor of the highways in 1743. Nathan Kite, in his "Sketches of Public Friends," in The Friend, says of him: "Preserve Brown was the son of Preserve and Mary Brown, of parently amply sufficient for the purposes of his life. Mansfield, Burlington Co., West Jersey. His parents That he appreciated the advantage of a higher edu- eation is apparent in the bestowal of a very liberal one on his son. The citizens of Bordentown must ever hold his memory in veneration as the founder and benefactor of the city. being valuable Friends, endeavored to train him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and the good effects thereof were in him very apparent. As he grew up he was brought, through the baptistns of the Holy Ghost, into a preparation for usefulness in the church. He was diligent in his attendance to all his religious duties, was exemplary in plainness both of speech and apparel, and was of a kind and hos- pitable disposition. He was an elder of Chesterfield Monthly Meeting. He deceased Fifth month 23d, 1760."

Joseph Borden, the founder of Bordentown, died Sept. 22, 1765, in the seventy-ninth year of his age.1 Of the life of Joseph Borden we know sufficient to form a tolerably correct opinion of his character. Family tradition says he owned the vessel in which he came to Farnsworth's Landing from the neighbor- hood of Shrewsbury, N. J. He certainly was pos- sessed of considerable means, as witness his exten- sive purchase of land and opening of a store. His . interest in the iron forge, his establishment of a line of stages and boats, his laying out of streets and cut- ting up of large tracts into building lots, his donation of ground to religious associations for building and burial purposes, the building of his then splendid mansion, and the large amount of real estate he left upon his death, all attest the fact that his business pursuits had been successful, and that he was pos- sessed of a large fortune for those days. There is one thing remarkable about his sale of lands on the river front. In all of them he deeded only to the brow of the hill, reserving all the water-front for himself. There is no doubt Mr. Borden expected Bordentown to become a place of much more note and importance than it has. Being at the head of practical naviga- tion, if railroads had never been introduced it would have been the chief point of importance on the river

in the great line of communication between the eities of New York and Philadelphia. Here would have been handled for transhipment most of the heavy goods, stores, and produce passing between the two eities. Trenton from being a roadside station of one house in 1726 had grown to a thriving village of one Indred houses in 1748, and all through the passen- ger travel." But soon after the establishment of the Bordentown line it attracted the major part of the freight on account of the shortness of the land trans- portation. Here would have terminated a great and broad turnpike. Borden, no more than Franklin, could have foreseen the introduction of steam, and he was sound in his judgment with the knowledge he then had, in expecting a grand future for the city. But railroads came. Trenton was the lowest point to span the river, and has become a great railroad eentre. Mr. Borden possessed a plain, common education, ap-

We will now turn our attention for a while to the township. The township book, an old-fashioned ledger, foolseap size, contains all the proceedings of the township-meetings, ete., from the earliest period until 1847. It is probable these dated back to 1686. At least there is a list of constables in it including that year, and another list of constables, overseers of highways, and overseers of the poor, commencing with the year 1708. But the first proceedings of the township-meetings recorded is in 1711-12. A number of the first leaves have been torn out by sacrilegious vandals to preserve as relies.

Below are the names of those who served in the capacity of constables to the year 1699, which we doubt not will be of interest to most of the readers :

1686, Thomas Wood.

1687, Thomas Foulks, served in different township offices five years.

1688, Robert Wilson.

1689, Thomas Farnsworth.

1690, Edward Rockhill, served in different township offices three years, the last in 1720.

1691, William Black.

1692, Daniel Bacon.

1693, William Wood, served in different township offices four years, the last as surveyor of highways in 1719.

1694, John Bunting, served in different township offices eighteen years, the last as freeholder in 1745.

1695, Matthew Watson, served in different town-hip offices nine years, the last in 1736.

1696, John Waring .( Warren), served in the differ-

1 Borden family Bible now in the possession of Oliver Hopkinson, Esq.

" "Old-Time Staging in New York," by John: Austin Stevens,-N. Y. Timer, July 9, 1876.

HISTORY OF BURLINGTON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

ent township offiees six years, the last as surveyors of highways in 1747.

places and of Burlington except by boats on the river. The first road between Farnsworth and Bur- 1697, Henry Beck, served in different township offices three years, the last in 1712. lington, like all roads in new countries, very probably lay over level ground, easily aseended hills, and ford- 1698, Andrew Smith. able streams About 1725 or '30 the road between 1699, John Arnnel. these points very nearly followed the present road, Iron Forge on Black's Creek .- We have abun- dant proof that an iron works or forge once existed and crossed the creek on the original mill-dam above mentioned, and struck Main Street at an angle near this spot, but its exact location is not known. ' towards the town. The road to Trenton very nearly From Mr. Syke's testimony upon the subjeet, we gather followed the present Park Street for a distance, and then struek across the country to Watson's ford, nearly a half mile above the present White Horse bridge; thence it followed favorable ground until it joined the Trenton and Crosswieks road. When Watson's ford was not passable, on aeeount of flood or ice, or the load was too heavy to eross it, the trav- eler was forecd to make the detour to Crosswieks, where the bridge erossed the stream. This bridge existed prior to 1717, but in that year we find the first mention of it in the township records. The an- cestor of Matthew and Marmaduke Watson owned a large tract of land of several hundred aeres adjoining the southerly side of Crosswicks Creek, near the pres- ent bridge. He and several of his neighbors built a scow to be used as a ferry-boat, for their own conve- nienee. This was made use of by the traveling pub- lic, and was known as Watson's ferry. The ereek at the present erossing of the White Horse road being a navigable stream, with the tide ebbing and flowing at that place, an act of the Legislature was required to authorize the building of the first bridge. the following interesting and reliable facts in regard to it : Isaac Horner, who owned the land on the west side of Black's Creek, by deed dated Dee. 3, 1713, conveyed twelve and a half aeres thereof to Daniel Farnsworth. Isaae Horner, Daniel Farnsworth, and | Joseph Borden, by a verbal agreement in 1722, eon- ! templated building a forge there, and, after proeuring most of the material and laying the foundation, dis- . agreed among themselves about the expenditures and manner of condueting the business. This resulted in the final abandonment of the concern, the legal title to the land still being in Farnsworth, though Horner and Borden each claimed an interest in the equitable title on account of their proportion of the expendi- tures for material, etc. Finally, to elose the business satisfactorily to each of the owners, Daniel Farns- worth conveyed one undivided third part of the twelve and a half acres on the west side of the creek, with an undivided third part of five acres just north of the mouth of the small run of water, the northern boundary of the corn-mill traet which formerly be- longed to his father, on the easterly side of the creek, ' This aet was obtained a number of years prior to to Isaac Horner and a like undivided third part of each lot to Joseph Borden, by deeds dated March 8, 1724, still retaining the remaining undivided third part in each lot for himself.

Horner, Farnsworth, and Borden, by deed dated Feb. 1, 1725, conveyed the whole of both lots on the east and west side of Black's Creek to Thomas Potts, who married one of Joseph Borden's daughters. On the same day , Thomas Potts conveyed one undivided moiety to both lots to Col. Danicl Coxe, and one un- divided fourth part of both lots to John Allen, re- taining the remaining undivided fourth part for him- self. The forge was built by them in the summer of 1725. Col. Coxe was a gentleman of large capital, who had been for several years engaged in the iron business elsewhere. John Allen was a man of muehl enterprise and considerable means, and Joseph Bor- den furnished the capital for Thomas Potts. The title to the forge subsequently passed down to Mr. Lewis, of Philadelphia, the owner of the eorn- and saw-mills.

the Revolutionary war, and anthorized and directed Thomas Lawrie and others to superintend its con- struction. It was a draw- and toll-bridge, and to this day is commonly called "the draw-bridge." The road by Groveville and the bridge across the ereek at that place was not built until several years after the Revolutionary war. Another road from Reckless mill, nearly following where the pike now runs, followed Main Street to the present Park Street, and then down that street through the ravine, that afforded a natural road to the river. A road was sub- sequently laid out along the river-shore to the mouth of Crosswicks Creek. Main Street at that time did not extend beyond Park Street, the cut at the foot of it leading down to the river not being made until many years after.

There was a road leading from Burlington road into and following Stewart's old lane on the west side of Black's Creek, and it crossed the creek on a bridge a little below the foot of Walnut Street. Following said street to Main, it passed out the Recklesstown road beyond " Bellevue," the residence of Miss Maria H. Nutt, thence eros-ing the fields near the old plas- ter-mill, and over the present Ward Avenue, it can near the farm-house of Mrs. Mary H. Pearson to Watson's ferry. It does not follow because this road

Roads, Ferries, and Bridges .- Abont the same time that Thomas Farnsworth settled at the site of Bordentown several English families, and among them William Emley, settled on the Delaware River near South Trenton. For several years there was no communication between the inhabitants of the two ! existed that it must have been laid out and opened

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BORDENTOWN.

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by the township. As it is likely that some traveling between Burlington and Trenton over the mill-dam road above Horner's bridge on account of their load or want of inelination did not desire to go through the town, but preferred a shorter eut to the ferry, it is very reasonable to suppose a portion of this road, that from Bellevue across the country, existed as a short and more direct connecting link between the mill-dam road and the ferry. As to the bridge, al- though there is no data to prove its existence, and although the author's experience has led him to place but very limited relianee in tradition when it extends back very many years, he is disposed to believe there was one at that point. From the absence of all notice of it in the township records, it seems most likely that it was a foot- and horse-bridge, eonstrneted by subseription, for the aeeommodation of those who re- sided on the west side of the ereck near the river.

In 1736 application was made to the surveyors of Burlington County to have a road laid out from the iron-works to the town, and from Watson's ferry to the town. Both applications were granted. The lo- cations of the roads are so indefinite, "continuing along a beaten path, ve nearest way towards Watson's ferry nnto Marmaduke Watson's field, unto ye side of a hill," that it is impossible to tell exactly where they run. It is quite probable though that the beaten path very nearly followed where Park Street now runs.

Joseph Borden, though he owned large tracts of land, which doubtlessly were under cultivation, we should judge from what we know of his life to have been more inclined to active business pursuits than to farming. That he owned sailing boats upon the river, established a line of stages and boats to ply be- tween Philadelphia and New Brunswick, and that he kept a store we know. The precise period in which he first engaged in these pursuits, which at one time he carried on all at onee, it is difficult to arrive at. Active business, however, being the bent of his mind, with all the facilities and a fine opportunity for open- ing and carrying on an extensive trade with the sur- rounding country, it is very probable he established a store for the purchase of produce and sale of mer- chandise not many years after he located here.

Referring to the township rceords we find the fol- lowing interesting items :

" March 10th, 1752. As there is money in bank for the Tons of The Poor Tiss Agree'd To Take Soo Mutch of that money as will pay for the Plank Gott To Repair Several Briges and Moore if it is wanted."

" March 13, 1753. Wheareas Catron (Catharine) Powers (Alis) hilson is Sent by the Township of New Hanover, into our town as a poor par- son Belonging to our Town Ship and we Conceive She Does not th are- fore have appointed Anthy. Woodward & Juda Williams or earther of them to take Counsill and proseed on a Trial according ass the Counsill and them Selves Shall Think proper."

The War of the Revolution .- Bordentown, in com- mon with the other towns on the Delaware, suffered considerably during our struggle for independence, . and her citizens remained patriotie from first to last.

It will be remembered the militia of the colony of New Jersey was organized in 1775. Among the. officers in it of Bordentown and its environs we find the names of Joseph Borden (2d), eolonel First Regi- ment Burlington Militia ; William Shreve, first major, lieutenant-colonel, and colonel First Regiment ; Wil- liam Lewis, lieutenant-colonel First Regiment ; John Van Eniburgh, second major Seeoud Regiment; and John Black, paymaster.

Upon the reorganization of the Continental army upon the basis of eighty-eight battalions, Congress called upon New Jersey, Sept. 16, 1776, for four bat- talions, termed the Second Establishment. In this the command of the Second Battalion was given to Col. Israel Shreve, and in it we find Ensign John Shreve, promoted to a second lieutenancy, Second Lieut. Na- thaniel Jenkins, promoted to first lieutenant, and Ensign James Howell, all of Bordentown.

In Deeember, 1776, a Hessian brigade, two thon- sand strong, entered and occupied Bordentown, Couut Donop making it his headquarters. Where they en- camped is not known, but on aeeount of the Ameri- can gondolas and galleys annoying them with round- shot. whenever a favorable opportunity presented itself, it is probable they lay some distanec from the river. During the Revolution the Hessians were not esteemed the most desirable neighbors to have around, especially by the Tories, who held British proteetions. If a safeguard was presented them, they, of course, eould not read it, and continued their plun- dering. If an appeal was made to their officers, of course they could not or would not understand it, so no redress was obtained. The orders of Gen. Howe to Count Donop directed that "all salted and meal provisions which may be judged to exeeed the quan- tity necessary for the subsistence of an ordinary fam- ily shall be considered a magazine of the enemy, and seized for the King, and given to the troops as a saving for the publie." Under such an order the tea, sugar, preserves, piekles, etc., of every Jerseyman be- eame lawful prize, the captors being the judge of the necessary quantity for the family subsistence. In fact they took whatever they wanted, and the defenseless inhabitants had quietly to submit to it, to avoid in- sult and abuse. Whenever they suspected plate or treasures were in a house, they ransacked it from gar- ret to cellar. The grandfather of Miss Helen Oliver at this time resided where Trout's City Hotel now is. He was an ardent Whig, and of course legitimate prey for them. Soon after they got their camp to rights they had time to attend to business, so they proeecded to pay their respeets to Mr. Oliver. He, however, having prudently left town, after barying his hall-eloek, with the silver and other valuables in it, was not at home to do the lionors of the house. The Hesians, however, who were always noted for their affability of manner, waived this seeming breach of etiquette and made themselves as much at home as if Mr. Oliver had honored them with his

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HISTORY OF BURLINGTON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

presence. After drinking his health in many bumpers of his most excellent apple, they proceeded to inspect his house and furniture. They searched in vain for the treasures, during which operation they ripped open the beds, smashed the bureaus, pried open the elosets, and tore off the wainscoting. Irritated at their failure they vented their rage upon the furni- ture, paintings, pictures, and windows.

The officers themselves did not appear to have had much compunction of conscience in regard to appro- priating other people's property. The house of the Hon. Francis Hopkinson was visited by them, his fine library plundered, and many small articles of value carried off. . Col. Oliver Hopkinson, the grandson of Francis Hopkinson, and the present owner of the Hopkinson mansion, has in his possession a quaint old book, handsomely bound in red morocco. and em- bellished with gilt, entitled "Discourses on Public Occasions in America, by William Smith, D.D., Pro- vost of the College and Academy of Philadelphia, second edition, London, MDCCLXII."

On a fly-leaf in the front is written in German, "I Ewald. plundered on the 16th Dec., 1776, at Borden- town." In English, " The Gift of the author to Fran- eis Hopkinson, Nov., 1764." Mem .- " This Book was taken from my Library by a Hessian Captain. when the Hessian Troops were in possession of Borden- town, in the year 1776, and was afterwards given to a person in Philadelphia, who returned it to me. F. H."

In German, above the Hopkinson coat of arms, was written by Capt. Ewald, in a short, cramped hand :

"The author of this book I had the happiness to become acquainted with on the 24th of September, near Philadelphia, where he possessed a fine country- seat. He is Rector of the University of the City."

Below the arms: "This man was one of the great- est rebels, but considering his carefully selected li- brary, mechanical and mathematical instruments, I ! coneluded he must also have been a very learned man."

Below this is the motto of the Hopkinson family : " Semper paratus"-Always ready. " Franeis Hop- kinson."

Capt. Ewald in the above shows signs of being a gentleman, and he probably was, but what a rare combination of qualities must have constituted his however, passed safely through many battles in the Napoleonic war, and is said to have risen to the rank of lieutenant-general, and probably died possessed of a fine library,

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History of Burlington and Mercer counties, New Jersey : with biographical sketches of many of their pioneers and prominent men, Part 4

Author: Woodward, E. M. (Evan Morrison) cn; Hageman, John Frelinghuysen Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1096

Author: Woodward, E. M. (Evan Morrison) cn; Hageman, John Frelinghuysen
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1096