USA > New Jersey > Essex County > History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. I > Part 6
USA > New Jersey > Hudson County > History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. I > Part 6
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Anthony cliff, Juue 9, 1679, 00 acres.
Elizabeth Ward, wulow of Iwish Ward, now } wife of David ugden,
June 9, 100g.
107 acres in 10 parceln, the 6 m on 21 River, the 7th is on 3d River.
Daniel Dodd, June 9, 1679, 93 arres in 7 parcels, the 3d is beyond 2d River.
Samuel Dodd, June 9, 1679, 71 neres in 5 parrels.
Elizabeth Morris, June 9, 1679, 96 acres in 8 parcela, the 5th is toward 21 River.
Alexander Mennow, June 9, 1679, 36 acres In 4 parcels, the 3d is bounded sonth by Bonod Creek.
Samuel Kitchill, June 9, 1679, 1293% arres in 10 parcele, the 5th at 2d River, the 6th at Maplo later), Ath at Wheeler's ( rerk.
Margaret Kitchill Jone 9, 16:79, 35 meres in four purrels.
Thomas Pierson, June 9, 1679, 129 acres in 9 parcels, the oth at 2 River. Benjamin Baldwin, Jone 9, 1679, 71 acres in > parcelas, the 7th at Maple Island.
Thomas Richards, June 9, 1679, 70 acrea.
Sumuel Plum, June 30, 1679, 232 weres in 10 parcela, the 8th is at 3] River.
Sammel Ward, June 30, 1679, 70 acres in 3 parcela, the 3d at moutheart end Maple Island.
Francis Lindsly, June 30, 147 acres in IO parrets, the 5th in un branch of Elizabeth River, 9th on Bound Creek.
Nouvel Wilson, June 30, 1679, 14 acres in 5 parcels, 3d is on branches of 2d River.
Nathaniel Ward, June 30, 1679, 64 acres in 4 parcela,
John Ward, Jr., June 30, 1679, Jon parrels.
John Ward, Jr., Turner, June 30, 1679, 70 m res in 3 parvols, 34 at Ma- ple Creek.
Jumphs Harrison, June 30, 1679, 65 acron.
John Mackenny, June 30, 1879, G& acres.
Samuel l'otter, June 30, 1679, 134 arres in 7 parcels, the last un Bound t'rerk.
Alberta Hanse, June 30, 1679, 94 arren in 9 parrela.
John Gardner, June 9, 1679, 138 acres in 4 parcels, the 4th is 12 acres meadow on Maple Island Crerk.
John Burwell, June 9, 1679. 68 acres, 20 parcel on Maple Island.
William Champ, June 9, 2679, 152 acres in ! parcela, the 21 in 12 acres of upland, 9th 8 acres meadow on Bound Creek, the sth by Maple laland.
Jabez Rogers, June 9, 1679, 82 acres in 7 parcels.
Milward Rigga, June 9, 1079, 128 acres in 9 parcela.
John Johnson, June 9, 1679, 120 acres in 7 parcela, the last is southeast by ('lub Creek, and northenat by Maple Irland Creek.
Samuel Willis, Nov. 30, Bishi, loo acres; his meadow bounded on Bay east, on Sanken Meadow, along Bound Creek mouth, and on Mapla Creek west.
John Curtis, on warrant, Aug. 3, 1693, low) acres,
John Curtis, un warrant, Ang. 3, 1693, 60 acres, said to be sold to C'or- nelins Roulinm.
Juhin Curtis, on warrant, Ang. 3, 1693, 60 acres In 3 percels.
John Cockburn, on warrant, Aug. 15, 1693, 30 acres, his head land on east side 2d River.
William Camp, on warrant, April 27, 1691, 100 acres in 3 parrels.
John Gardner in right of f Alımhamı Pierann, April 27, 1694, > 280 neres in 7 parcela.
John Baldwin, on warrant, April 27, 1694, 2010) neres in 2 parcels. John Baldwin, Jr., on warrant, April 27, 1694, 100 acres in 2 porcein. John Pridden, on warrant, April 27, 1694, 1000 seres in 2 parcels. John Morris, on warrant, April 27, 1694, 120 acres in 4 parceis.
Samuel Frecinan, on warrant, April 27, 1694, 100 acres in 4 parcela, 24 by Elizabeth Town River.
Falwurd Hall, un warrant, April 27, 1694, 1411 acrew in I parcela. Rubert Dalglish, on warrant, April 27, 1694, Itm) Acres.
Azariah Crane, on warrant, April 27, 1694, 100 acres in 3 parcels.
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22
HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
John Cockbarn, May 18, 1095, 180 acres in 6 parcels, the 2d is bounded south by Maple Island Creek.
John Treat, on warrant, April 27, 1094, 60 acres in 5 parcels.
Theophilus l'iersoo, on warrant, April 27, 1694, 100 acres in 3 parcels, 2d and 3d oo Elizabeth River.
Samuel Rose on warrant, April 27, 1691, 160 acres in 9 parcels.
Joseph Johnson, on warrant, April 27, 1694, 160 Beres in 9 parcels, the ith is on Bouwul Creek, the 9th on Maple Island and Club Creek.
John Treat, on warrant, April 27, 1694, 100 acres in 8 parcels through the last goes Elizabeth River.
llaose Alberte, on warrant April 10, 1696. 100 acrea.
Samuel Harrison, ou warrant, April 27, 1694, 116 acres on Third River. J April 27, 1691 and ( 120 acres on branches of Elizabeth
Jasper Crane, 1 April 10, 169G, Town Hiver.
Robert Young, ou warrant, February 20, 1695, 200 acres in 8 parcels.
1Tester Bruen, on warrant, April 10, 1696, 160 acres in 14 parcels.
Martio Tichenor, ou warrant, April 27, 1094, 53 Acres in 7 parcels, 2d on Maple IJand U'reek.
Daniel and J. Tichenor, on warrant, April 27, 1694, 106 acres in 9 pal cela, sth ou Boand Creek.
John Craio, on warrant, April 27, 1694, 73 acres in 8 parcels, 5th by Maple Islaol Creek.
Jasper and lianiel (rain, on warrant, April 27, 1694, 140 acres in 9 par- cels, 5th by Bound Creek.
Jonathan Sears, on warrant, 10, 1696, 100 acres in 8 parcels, 5th by Maple Island Creek.
Paul Day, ou warrant, April 27, 1004, 87 acres in 8 parcels, 5th by Mlaple Island.
Stephen Bund, on warrant, April 27, 1694, 160 acres in 12 parcela, 4th, 5th, and 7th by Bound Creek, Gth by Maple Island.
Jabez Rogers, on warrant, April 10, 1696, 116 acres in 2 parcels, Ist on 2dl River, and 20 on 3d River.
Thomas Pierson, on warrant, April 10, 1696, 100 acres in 3 parcela. samuel Dod, on warrant, Nov. 11, 1695, 100 acres in 3 parcels.
Parsonage, etr., on warrant, April 14, 1696, 212 acres and upwards, l'ar- sonage, 2001; Burial 1'Ince, 3; Training Place, G; Watering Place, Street, High Street, 6 ruds wide ; others, 4 nuls wide.
Thomas Gor lon, on warrant, April 26, 1099, 115 acres in part of his 2d division on his propriety.
Nathaniel Wheeler, April 26, 1099, 100 acres.
Samuel Plum, June 9, 1696, 100 arres ou west side of 3d River.
Nathaniel Ward, March 25, 1712, 210 acres in right of Dr. Johnston, one of the proprietors.
John Medlish, May 20, 1714, 50 nurer.
Jonathan Sayre, Jane 28, 1715, 115 acres, in right of George Willocks. Thomas Dave, June 2, 1712, 111 acres un Bound Creek.
Samael Lyon, April 10, 1696, 100 uvres.
llagh Roberts, April 20, 166, 100 acres, the first tract where Tide Pond ('Terk meets Bound Creek, and along l'arsonagn meadow, 21 at Maple Island.
John Burwell, April 4, 1716, 100 acres in right of George Willocks, pro- prietor.
Robert Campbell, April 4, 1716, 150 ocres in right of George Willocks, proprietor.
John Brown, April 3, 1712, 22 acres in right of George Willocks, pro- prietor.
William Moor, ( In warrant) April 10, 1696, 80 acres surveyed by Julin Berkely March 25, 1712.
Benjanun lkaldwin, fon warrant) April 10, 1696, 100 acres, surveyed by Jobn Berkely, March 25, 1712.
Henry Norris, July 5, 1712, 98 acres, joins Daniel Tichenor.
Jacob Arenta, Feb. 21, 1717-18, 73 acres, in right of Thomas Warne'a propriety.
Daniel Ihal, April 3, 1712, 50 acres in right of George Willocks.
Daniel Dexl, Ang. 22, 1715. 94 acres.
James Brown, Ang. 22, 1718, 25 acres.
John Wall, Aug. 22, 1718. 97 acres, John Herriman, surveyor.
Christopher Wool, May 22, 1718, Marres.
Dr. Julen Johnston, Sept. 2, 1718, 1017 acres, as proprietor in part of his dividend.
Jacob Arento, Feb. 2, 1717-18, 117 acres, in right of Thomas Warne's propriety.
Jacob Arents, Feb. 2, 1717-18, 254 acres, in right of Thomas Warne's propriety.
Adam Blackman, Feb. 2, 1717-18, 21 acres, In right of Thomas Warne's propriety.
Thomas Lyon, Nov. 9, 1718, 7> acres, John Herriman, surveyor.
James Banks, Nov. 7, 1718, 18 acres, on deed from Dr. Johnston, Jacob Arents, Feb. 21, 1717, 6-34 acres.
James Brown, Feb. 21, 1717, 3314 acres.
Ebenezer Lyon, March 16, 1718, 48,5% acres, on Elizabeth River. Christopher Wood, March 16, 1718, 24 acres on Elizabeth River. Joseph Thomson, March 19, 1718, 24 acres.
Joseph Crane, March 28, 1719, 92 acres on deed of 700 from N. J. Society. Thomas Lyon, Jan. 12, 1720, 3 Acres,
Thomas Lyon, Jan. 12, 1720, 1134 acres.
John Wall, May 20, 1721, 11914 acres. Deed from Hamilton and .Alex- Ander.
John Wall, May 27, 1721, 10374 acres, from Hamilton and Alexander under Garven Lawrie.
John Wall, May 27. 1721. 8414 acres. On Hollinshead's right.
Thomas Lyon, July 18. 1821, 814 acres from Dr. Johnston.
John Wall, Oct. 9, 1821, 42,86 arres in Hollinshead's right.
Arent Schuyler, Nov. 15, 1821, 159,5 acres, from Michael Kearny.
Andrew Johnston, Nov. 30, 1821, 96 acres, in right of Walter Riddle.
Thomas Pierson, Dec. 11, 1821. 57 Acres from M. Kearny. John Wall, Dec. 11, 1821, 714 acres on Hollinshrad's right.
Jarob Arents, Dec. 15, 1821, 6716 acres on Warne's Propriety. Jacob Arents, Feb. 16, 1720, 7334 neres on Warne's Propriety. John Walls, Jan. 6, 1721, 10 acres on llulliushead's Propriety. Jacob Arents, Feb. 13, 1721, 24 urrea on Warne's Propriety.
Jolin Walls, Feb. 19, 1721, 32ys acres on Hollinshead's Propriety. Jacob Freeland, Feb. 24, 1721, 57 acres on Dr. Johnston's right. Jucob renta, Apr. 27, 1722, 50 acres from Hamilton and Alexander.
John Walls, Sept. 22, 1723, 19 acres on Hollinshead's right.
John Walls, June 29, 1724, 22 acres, Alexander's right. John Walls, June 29, 1724, 134 acres, Alexander's-right.
Shipman & Ball, Dec. 29, 1724, 451 2 acres, Alexander's right. Jusinh Ogden, Dec. 4, 1724, 131/2 acres, Alexander's right. Josiah Oglen, Dec. 4, 1724, 4616 acres, Alexander's right. losiah Ogden, Dec. 4, 1724, 1014 acres, Alexander's right.
Hugh Roberts, Dec. 4, 1724. 100 acres on Alexander's right. John Walls, Dec. 4, 1724, 20 acres on Hollinshead's right. Thomas Richards, May 4, 1726, 1118 acres on Alexander's right.
Elizabeth Lyon, Sept. 27, 1726, G acres.
Thums Lyon, Feb, 3, 1726, 32, acres. In Dr. Johnston's right.
John Walls, March 29, 1720, 110 acres, begins at a W. O. in Elizabeth River.
John Walls, Aug. 9, 1720, 3 acres, a piece of meulow, by J. Bonds.
Joseph Crane, som and ! April 20, 1720, 120 acres in right of N. J. Society. heir of Jasper.
Capt. John Morris, May 2, 1720, 591 acres on bend of 3d River. Hannah Webb, May 2, 1720, 11 acres on Dr. Johnston's right. Jacob Vreeland, March 27, 1719, 182fs neres to Eastward of Third River Col. Josiah Ogden, Apl. 24, 1724, 1012 neres on Alexander's right.
C'ol. Josiah Ogden, Apl. 24, 1724, 1016 nerea lying on Khzabeth River. Col. Josiah Ogden, Apl. 24, 1724, 1414 acres on Alexander's right. Col. Josiah Ogden, June 9, 1724, "fra acres on Alexander's right.
Col. Josiah Ogden, Apl. 24, 1724, 14 arres on Mexander's right.
Col. Josiah Ogden, Apl. 24, 1524, 6134 acres on Alexander's right. Col. Josiah Ogden, Apl. 24. 1721, 36198 arres on Alexander's right. John Walls, Jnue 25, 1724, 12 25g mu res on Alexander's right under Lawrie. John Walls, June 25, 1724, 820's ucres on Alexander's right undor Lawrie John Walls, June 25, 1724, 21'8 uerex on Alexander's right under Lawrie Julin Walls, June 25, 1724, 176; neres at Maple Island.
Benjamin Shipman ! Dec. 29, 1724, 4314 acres on Ogden's right. and Jolın Ball,
Jutrob Arents, June 1, 1723, 31.16 acres in Warne's Propriety.
Jacob Arents, Jane 25, 1724, 81.7 acres in right of Alexander and Ham- ilton.
John Walls, April 26, 1725, 13.34 acres in right of John Parker.
Joseph Crane, Frb. 27, 1724, 2115 neres in right of Jasper Crane. John Walls, May 14, 1726, 2.37 nerea in right of John Parker.
John Walls, May 14, 1726, $ 50.74 acres in right of Alexander. 1 8.63 acres in right of l'arker.
Joseph Crane, Dec. 18, 1724, 120 urrea in right of N. J. Society. Jacob Arents, Feb. 8, 1727-28, 104 acres.
John Berwin, Sept 27, 1727, 38 acres in right of Ogden, under Burnet.
Nathaniel Williams, Oct. 12, 1227, 64.9 acres in right of (gden.
Samuel Davis, May 12, 1727, 10,36 acres in right of Ogden.
Samuel Davis, Oct. 25, 1727, 10,6 acres in right of Ogden.
( 24.65 acrea in right of Hamilton and Alex-
Jacob Arents, May 9, 1728. ander. ( 1.6 acres in right of T. Warne.
23
TAXES AND MONEY IN NEW JERSEY BEFORE THE REVOLUTION.
Jacob Arenta, May 16, 1726, 150.33 arres in right of Hamilton and Alex- naler.
Jacob Arenta, May 9, 1728, 10.3 acres in right of Hamilton and Alex- ander.
Jacob Areuts, June 13, 1728, 2812 acres in right uf T. Warne, John Walls, July 5, 1727 6.53 neren in right of 'f Warte.
Josiah Ogden, Sept. 27, 1727, 84.17 mu res in right of Alexander
Jacnh Arenta, Nov. 26, 1728, 2812 acres in right of T Warne. Jacob Arenta, May 16, 1726, 36,42 nores in right of T Warne. Jacob Aronta, no date, 1912fy acres in ast part of Newark Twp. Jacob Aretta, Sept. 21, 1729, lu acron in right of Warne
Josiah Ogden, Nov. 1, 1729, 354.8 neres In right of Burnet.
Jacob Arents, May 16, 1726, 191.34 acres in right of Warne. Daniel Dod, Apt. », 1730, 4 acres in right of Dr Johnston.
John Walls, Dec. 1, 1427, 1978 Here« in right of Ra ph.
Jacob Arenta, Ang. 12, 1731, ( 15.4 Arres.
( 15.8 acres in right of Warne.
f 2712 Acres.
Jacob Arenta, Ang. 13, 1731, ( 3.4 acres in right of Warue.
Jacob Arents, Nov 12, 1731, 10,45 acres in right of Warne.
Nathaniel Camp, Junte 2, 1733, 6.22 mores in right of Alexander.
Som'l nad Jonah Baldwin, May 14, 1734, 25 acres in right of George Willocka.
Jumspole Girano, July 14, 1735, 2da acres in several tracts.
Jarob Arents, Aug. 7, 1735, 4.34 nor -4 in Nowark Great Meadows.
John Low, June 4, 1736, 3 acres in right of Rockhead.
J. Vanderpool and sept. 26, 1740, 78, neres in right of Alexander. Abigail Invis,
Jusinh and David Ogden, July 14, 1743, 72. 54 acres in right of Alexander.
SOME OF THE PATENTS GRANTED IN NEWARK.
Joseph Crane, Aug. 25, 1675, 168 acres. House Lot 14 arres 17 his Aret Division on Great Neck, 11 neres in part of his second Invision un said Sock, & acres on atid Neck, + acres at the bottom the Neck, 20 acres for his second Division by Two Mile Brook, 26 acres hin third Division by Head of Mile Brook, 20 acres of his third Division at the Head of the Branch of Second River, 14 arres of meadow for his first Division at Great Island, 12 neres of meadow for his second Division by the Great Poul, 14 acres for his proportion of hugs, 5 acres of meadow by the Great Island, I nere of meadow at Beef Point, + acres of mendow near Wheeler's Point, yielding one-half penny lawful money of England, or in such pay as the country doth produce at Mer chants Price for every of the sail acres, the first payment to begin the 25th of March, which was in the yenr 1670. Hanse Albert, Sept. 101, 1675, 47 acres in six pieces.
Mary Bond, Sept. 10, 1675, 153 acres in eight Pieres, the 6th is 8 acres of meadow, bounded with the Bound Creek on the West.
Robert Lymon, Sept. 30, 1675, 10712 acres in moyen Pieces, the last in 516 acres of mendow, on Maple Island Creek for his second Divi-
Stephen Davis, Sept. 10, 1675, 99 acres in ten Pieces, whereof the last in 21/2 neres of window, near the Bounil Creek part of his second Division,
John Ward, Turner, Sept. 10, 1655, 95 acres, in 10 pieces.
John Catlin, Sept. 30, 1675, 121 2 acres, as appears upon surveyor's cer- tificate ujon recont in Fol. 8.
Nathaniel Wheeler, Sept. 30, 1675, 60 acres, In 8 parcela, as in Fol. 9. Falwarel Ball, Sept. 30, 1675, 78 acres, In 6 pervela, as in Fol. 9.
John Baldwin, Sept. 30, 1075, 78 aurea, in 8 parcels, as in Fol. 9.
John Baldwin, Jr., Sept. 30, 1675, 4116 acres, in 7 pmreels, ns in Fol. Io. Thomas Huntington, Sept. 30, 1675, 129 acres, in 12 parcela, as In Fol. 11. Matthew Canfelt, Sept. 30, 1675, 197 deres, in Li parcela, as in Fol. 12. Aaron Blackley, Sopt. 30, 1675, 70 acres, in 7 quircein, as in Ful. 11.
Hannah Freeman, Sept. 30, 1675, 92 acres, in 10 purvele, as in Fol. 12. Richard Harrison, Sept. 34, 1625, 152 neres, in 13 parcela, as in Fol. 13. Abraham Pierson, March 14, 1675, 182 Reres in 10 parrela, ax in Fol. 16. John Brown, March 14, 1655, 95 acres in > parrels, as in Fol. I5.
John Brown, Jr., March 14, 1675, 6912 acres in 6 parcele as in Fol. 16. Robert Dalglish, March 14, 162, 5216 acres, in & parcela, as in Fol. 14. Michael Tompkins, March 26, 1675, 63 acres, in & parcele, as in Fol. 13. Numnel Swain, March 26, 1675, 124 nerve, in 9 porrele, as In Fol. 17. Samuel Lyon, March 25, 1675, 8115 acres in 3 parcels, wherein the 3d la 1016 acres meadow near Bound Creek, by the side of Wheeler's Creek, bounded by Bound Creek with, and Wheeler's Creek west; the 2d parcel la bounded northwest by Henry Lyon.
Henry Lyon, March 25, 1676, 13016 acres, in 7 parcels, as in Fol. 18.
CHAPTER IX.
TAXES AND MONEY IN NEW JERSEY BEFORE THE REVOLUTION.1
I'r is as hard to realize the infaney of a State, as for a grown man to think of himself as a child; to go back to the time when powers were untrained and habits unformed, and to believe in his chillish griefs. quarrels, hopes and fears, weakness and dependence. So, too, in the affairs of a State, it is hard to look back to the days when New Jersey was an almost unbroken forest, with a few inhabitants busy at whal- ing, tar making, oystering, lumbering, or plain and simple farming ; when our cities were hamlets, our roads mere trails ; our industries confined to those of the simplest country life ; when our Governors were mostly men sent from a distant land, months away in point of communication ; when those Governors, in consequence, were entirely out of sympathy with the Quakers, Independents and Dutch Protestant- that formed most of our population, and whose jealousies of King and Bishop were as fierce as the wrongs and contempt which they had had to endure ; when these jealousies and hatreds, amid new and unsettled colo- niał governments and land-titles, caused unceasing quarrel ; when settlements were confined to the sea coast, when French and Indians made constant advances on the north and west, and when the con- nection of the Colonies with the home country was endangered in England itself' by the strifes of JJacob- ites and Hanoverians.
But the child is the father of the man, and even in this infant colony can be discerned the growth of the industries that now make the State chief for her size and population in industrial energy. Yet such pro- gress is hard to put into history. We find reams of documents as to quarrels and riots, which, like waves of the sea, made much disturbance, but interfered little with the unseen ocean-currents of industry, of which little record remains. Even the statutes are incomplete. Some of the originals are lust. There is a single copy in the State Library, but that is defective. Much information is to be found in the English records and correspondence as kept by the Lords of Trade and Plantations. A copy of such of these records as referred to New Jersey, or seemed so to do, is contained in some twenty volumes of MSs. in the State Library, and selections are now being published. But in all these materials we find little that is definite as to the condition of the people, except what can be deduced from colonial finances and taxes. Figures are dry work, but it is from figures only that we can read the romance of astrc-
1 Ry H. Wayne Parker, a paper read before the New Jersey Historical Society, January 18, 1883.
24
HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
nomy, with its wondrous circles and cycles ; and from figures only can we trace the more wondrous and dark circles of human progress.
England is now the commercial power of the globe, but she was far from that when this State was settled. Her colonies were young in the time of Charles II, while those of Spain were old and flourishing. Hol- land was her more than successful rival in war and peace, sending fleets even into the Thames, and driving her navy from the seas. The East India Company were a small corporation. Her man- ufactures were contemptible. The Kingdom was impoverished by late civil wars, and broken by factions.
Her finances were in awful disorder. The Crown took presents from France, who then under Louis XIV was the leading power of the Continent. The great credit system of the National Debt and the Bank of England did not yet exist. Spain controlled the gold and silver of the world, and silver was still the chief metal. The English Government was bankrupt. It had confiscated the merchants' funds in its hands, and repudiated its seamen's wages. Fire and plague had crippled London. The coin had been elipped and mutilated till it was often one-half or one- third it= true value.
Macaulay has graphically described the brave and terrible measure by which the coinage was reformed in England under William III., and by which all the old clipped coin was ordered out of circulation, and new milled pieces introduced. He has described, too, the consequent distress, difficulty and absence of all circulating medium, and the relief which finally en- sued from the new coin. But in the Colonies no such relief was felt. The few shillings that they had could not be called in immediately. Besides, here, as in the rest of the world, the money in use was not so often the English shilling as the dollar, which, under the various names of "Pieces of Eight," "Mexican Pieces." " Portugals," " Peruvian Pieces," etc., was the money of all Europe, and so continued until the French Revolution. But for the debasement of the hard dollar in Germany, Spain and Portugal, and its con- sequently uncertain value, it would now have been the coin of the commercial world, and was, therefore, selected by the framers of our Constitution. It is since their day that France and Germany have aban- doned the debased rix-dollars (worth eighty cents in Bremen, and but a few cents in Portugal), to intro- dnee the frane and mark.
But about the year 1700, in the reign of Queen Anne, the dollar was the coin of the Colonies, ex- changeable for shillings at various rates, not, however, as now, for a little over four shillings, but for six, eight and ten ; the shilling not having a real currency here, and being clipped, or otherwise mutilated and useless for foreign trade.
It would have done much perhaps for England if she had made herself one with her Colonies by intro-
dueing here the milled shilling and sterling money. But that seemed too radical a measure for the weaker spirits who followed the great William. Accordingly, the foundation of a separate provincial coinage was Jaid, by a proclamation of Queen Anne, in which our present silver dollar of seventeen pennyweights and a fraction of silver, under seven or eight different : names, was ordered to be taken at four shillings and six pence, and no more, under heavy penalties. By this proclamation however, no real effect was pro- duced. The dollar in silver usually passed for at least six shillings, so that the shilling was equal to sixteen and two-third cents, the pound to three and one-third dollars, and the penny to a little under two cents. Thus the colonies were made in trade a foreign coun- try from England.
Of any money, however, there was little in the infant State. It is hard to realize how weak and small we were for a century and a half after the set- tlement of New England, and for fifty years after that emigration thence of 1660-1680, which gave us the nucleus of our population. In 1673, West Jersey sold for £1,000. Land was plenty, and (1677) seventy acres apiece were given to emigrants. Two pence a year per acre was the usual quit-rent in West Jersey for the best land. Of any money, they had little. Indians were paid in wampum or goods. Between themselves, the Colonists used "bearer" pay (New Jersey Archives, 1685, p. 504), otherwise called "country " pay, and £10 in such pay, or say $30, would clear a servant of four years' service. Taxes during a hundred years could always be paid in wheat at a small deduction from its price in New York or Philadelphia.
The population was small and exclusively devoted to trapping, lumbering and farming : for lumber, furs and a little wheat were its only staples. In 1701 West Jersey had 832 frecholders. The whole State had about 16,000 inhabitants. The growth was con- stant until at the Revolution there were about 120,000. But there were no great centres as now. In 1726 there were about 30,000 people, of whom Mon- mouth had 4,400; Middlesex, Essex, Burlington, Hunterdon and Salem between 3,000 and 4,000 cach ; Somerset, 1,800; and Cape May, 654. The relative population of these counties was much the same up to the Revolution, though Hunterdon was the grow- ing county, raising in 1766, out of a tax levy of .€15,000, over €2,000; while Burlington and Mon- mouth appear for £1,600 odd; Middlesex and Somer- set for £1,300; Essex and Gloucester for £1,100; Salem and Morris for £1,000; Bergen, including the now great cities of Hudson County, for £996; Cum- berland, £578 and Cape May, £250.
It was thus a scattered farming population, richest where the land was best. The rest of the country was waste. In 1705 the woods are full of wild horses, and horse hunting is in vogue (Archives, IV., 79). Our "Swinefield" road in our own county, tells of
25
TAXES AND MONEY IN NEW JERSEY BEFORE THE REVOLUTION.
the old practice of driving swine and cattle in the fall to the woods and meadows of the Great Piece. The Statute-books of that day are full of acts against letting horses run at large, and one curious act con- cerning rama survives to this day. Only one-fifth of East Jersey lands was located in 1770. In the re- turns of the Governors to the Lords of Trade it is reiterated again and again that there were no manu- factures and no trade except through New York and Philadelphia. A few iron mines were opened. Some potash was made on trial. But the staples reported are always the same-lumber, tar and wheat.
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