History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 171

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > New Jersey > Somerset County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 171
USA > New Jersey > Hunterdon County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 171

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

It is absolutely impossible to ascertain whether the first settlements were made at Lamington, at the junction of Lamington with North Branch, or near Pluckamin. It is said that a Lutheran church was built in Washington Valley as early as 1740. The old graveyard still remains. This locality is half a mile east of Pluckamin, in Bernard township; no names are given in connection with its earliest history. About 1740 the road from Lamington called the "High Road" was laid out, to connect with " Great Road up Raritan," and about the same time the road from Bound Brook along the mountains through the township on the east side, which was then known as the Peapack road.

The settlement of the township will be given, as near as possible, on the original tracts purchased of the pro- prietors. In the extreme lower portion of the town, bordering on the North Branch and Chambers' Brook, is a portion of the tract that has been known for nearly a hundred years as "The Duchess." Gouv- ernenr Morris as agent, in 1801, sold 600 acres to John Van Derveer and Abram Quick, which included all of the " Duchess" land in the township; Mr. Van Derveer located on the northern part but lived in Bridgewater. On that part of the tract purchased by Margaret Winder (May 20, 1690) that lay on the east side of North Branch settled and lived for many years George Teeple. He emigrated from Germany about 1700, and later purchased the tract of land near Burnt Mills owned in 1850 by Peter Garretson, who sold to William Gaston. A road was laid out in 1745, in which the name is mentioned. His sons, John and Christopher, possessed property in 1756. John married Margaret Castner, 1756, and both died March 17, 1813, within three hours of each other, and were buried in the same grave. William Teeple, a son, was a tailor in Pluckamin for many years, and occupied the old house now owned by Mrs. Cornell, of Somerville. He is still living in the village at an advanced age; others of the family are living in the township. Dec. 12, 1727, one Margaret Teeple pur- chased 200 acres between the First and Second Moun- tains, now known as Washington Valley.

The name of settlers hereafter given, south of North Branch, located on lands purchased of Dr. Lewis Johnston and Mary Johnston .; The date of

" She was the daughter of Thomas Rudyard (who was Governor of the Stato in 1682, and who purchased 1170 acres whore the village of Bound Brook now is) and the wife of Samnel Winder, of "Graham, Windor & Co.," who purchased where Somerville now is. After tho death of her husband she married George Willocks.

{ Sco " Third Indian Title," Bridgewater.

# It is stated in the Elizabeth bill of chancery that John Clawson and Isaac Younglove wero tenants of Dr. Lewis Johnston and his sister Mary, who refused to give up the lands. In March, 1743, a writ of eject-

701

BEDMINSTER.

purchase is not known, and the land may have passed through other hands. In 1750 500 acres were pur- chased by John Wortman, *- what is yet known as the old Wortman homestead.

" There Is an old day-book In the possession of Garrett Conover, at Pluckamin, dated 1760, which shows that Joha Wortman at that dato was living here and had a family at the time. The originel house, with fow alterntions, save repairs, now standing, is owned by David Buon. It Is a long, low, old-fashioned house.

" Esq. Wortman was a blacksmith by trade, end at his shop the horses of Washington and staff were sometimes shod. Theobl shop was pulled down a few months since. In making observations and hunting up snp- plies Washington frequently stopped at Esq. Wortman's house, he being u commissary ef subsistence, as were all of the justicea.

" The price put upon the rebel magistrates' heads led to the raid of Bill Stewart during the absence of Washington's army just before the battle of Princeton. The British sent from New Brunswick e body of light- horse to forage where they might and capture whom they could, Bill Stewart acting as pilot. They crossed the river nt Bound Book, destroy- ing property and maltreating women, and moved on towards PluckQ- min. Reaching Capt. Isaac Von Aredole's house, where Philip I. Van Arsdale now lives, they made a helt end inquired for Capt. Isaac, who, aware that he would he wanted, had managed to hide In the bushes. After they were ont of sight, however, he rallied all the mon of the neighborhood, who secreted themselves In a hollow In front of George Smith'e house and awalted the return of the raiders. The British wont into the house end treated the women in n very lospodeut manner. Capt. Van Arsdale's daughter Ida, who afterwards married Joseph Gaston and was the mother of Mrs. Suruh Conover, now living in Pluckamin, had n pet colt, of which she was very fond. This the British led awny, but the heroic girl, though only about fourteen yenrs ohl, followed thein and recovered her property. When the party got into the village of Plucka- min, they battered in the doors of the church, hacked the pulpit with their sabres, smashed in the windows, and broke the powe to splinters, und for a time continued their dopredations through the village. Mean- while, a part of the gang went towards MeDonald's Mills, whose owner, rumor anys, helped to bring on the raid. Thence they struck for Larger Cross-Ronds, Intending to capture some of the most prominent patriots of that neighborhood, but they had lled to the woode.

" As the day waned the marauders thought It best to return. Reach- ing Capt. Van Arsdale's bern, Capt. Doty, who was secreted there, fired nt one of them end brought him down in the rond. Stray shots were fred all along the romil by parties hid in the bushes. How many of the British wore bit was never found out, but pieces of their conte were afterwards picked up, showing that the American bullets had made the ' feathers lly.' When the raiders enme to the hollow where Capt. Van Arsdalo and his men were concealed they were greeted with a shower of bullets from the bushes, which hustened their retreat towards Bound Brook. They dbl not know that in a short time the victorious nrmy of Washington would come from the field of Princeton with hundreds of their men na prisoners and confine thenl within the walls of the church they had so lately desecrated."t

The original Wortman traet is now owned by David Bunn, John Schoonmaker, and the William Powelson farm.

In 1744, George and Yerry Reemer were residents of Bedminster, in the lower portion of the township, south of the Me Daniels property (now Kline's Mills). In 1756, George contributed £20 towards builling the Lutheran church at Pluckamin. The name of Ben- jamin only appears on the tax-list in 1787, and for personal property.

Cornelius Lane, of Monmouth County, a relative of Matthias Lane, Sr., came to this township about 1756 and purchased land about the centre, north of the

Cross-Roads, but soon after sold, and Dec. 23, 1769, purchased 250 acres of Catharine McCrea, widow of the Rev. James McCrea. He moved into the quaint old-fashioned house built by Mr. McCrea. It stood on the bank of the North Branch a short distance cast of the present house of Peter Lane. This house was the birthplace of the unfortunate Jane MeCrea, abont whom so much has been written. The farm extended north and west of the North Branch, and joined on the south the tract purchased by John Wortman, and on the east by Col. William Me- Daniels (Kline's Mills is on this property). Job, the youngest son of Cornelius Lane, inherited the homestead property of his father, and it is now in possession of his son Peter. The ohl McCrea house was torn down a few years earlier.

Col. William MeDaniels, whose name first appears of record in 1744, at that time was in possession of a large tract of land and a saw-mill. This tract was situated on the south bank of North Branch, and ex- tended west to the farm owned a few years later by the Rev. James McCrea. It passed afterwards to Abraham Van Arsdale, and was sold by his heirs to Tunis I. Quick, who about sixty years ago sold it to Jacob Kline, whose son is now in possession .; Many stories have been written of the McDaniels family : one, of the marriage of a granddaughter of the Rev. James McCrea to a wild and dissipated young man, a son of Col. MeDaniels, known as " Bill." Much dis- satisfaction on the part of the venerable pastor and family is said to have been the result of this elope- ment .¿

Col. MeDaniels was very violent and passionate, and in a rage beat a man severely with a riding-whip for a supposed insult to Squire Lafferty's daughter Ruth. The man died in about three weeks, but, as the people feared the family of MeDaniels, no means were taken to bring the murderer to justice.

The following story has many versions, the most popular of which is here given, with its many in consistencies. At a time not given, Sam MeDaniels, a reckless, quarrelsome fellow, in a drunken bont at Bound Brook stabbed and fatally wounded a man by the name of Condiet. The act sobered him, and he rode hastily up the mountain road towards home. Great excitement was felt by the people, and the murderer was arrested, tried, and condemned. The jail was guarded by a body of men under command of one C'apt. O'Brien, a man of gigantic statore, who knew no fear and was determined to hohl his prisoner at all hazards. Other means were resorted to to save him from the gallows. A reprieve was forgedl, and on the day appointed for execution it was sent to the sheriff, who, doubting the genuineness of the reprieve, sent it by messenger to Mr. Frelinghuysen, nt Mill-

mont was brought agulast them, but settlement was made by possession being given.

· He was n votivo of Holland, and emigrated to this country about 1750.

+ Jacob Magill, of Newark Journal.

: The name Me Daniels does not appear in the assessment rolt of 1757 a owning either real estate or personal.

¿ This couple were enid to have been married by the Rev. William Graaf, pastor of the church at Now Germantown and Pluckamin,

702

SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

stone, who declared the reprieve a forgery, and, tak- ing the responsibility, ordered the execution to pro- ceed. The messenger returned in haste, arriving at twelve o'clock, the hour appointed for the execu- tion. The culprit was led to the gallows by Sheriff Vredenburgh, and soon his lifeless body was dangling from the heam. It is said that Col. McDaniels and Ruth Lafferty (the mother of the young man) were seated in a carriage on the mountain road and wit- nessed the execution. This is the current version of the affair, but another statement is to the effect that Sam was a negro belonging to a McDonald, and still another that he was a son of a McDonald (not Mc- Daniels) .*

WEST OF TEEPLE AND REEMER, NORTH OF " THE DUCHESS."

Leonard Streight, or Streit, lived in 1756 on the property now owned hy Jacob Powelson. Mr. Streight remained in the township until after 1774. May 29, 1766, he sold 260 acres to Jacob Van Derveer, who, on the 1st of May next, sold to John Powelson. This family was originally from Norway, but re- moved to Holland some years before any of the name came to this country. Capt. Jacob Powelson, the grandfather of John, came to New Jersey in 1640. The family was numerous and became scattered, John coming north to this township. He had ten children, -John, who died in 1788; Cornelius, who married Catharine Sutphin and settled near Peapack ;+ Abra- ham, who settled on the homestead where his son, Jacob V. D. Powelson, now resides;} Hendrick, who settled first on the east end of the original farm, but a few years after sold to his brother Mannah and re- moved to Washington Valley. In 1787, John Pow- elson owned 100 acres; Cornelius, 210; Mannah, 50; Abraham, 235; Henry, 105 acres.

Charles Duryea and John Colshee settled north- west of Mr. Powelson as early as 1755, the latter in 1767 owning land at the junction of North Branch and Lamington. One Peter Colshee in 1787 owned 142 acres. None of either families remain.

The name of Eoff has been connected with the his- tory of the township as far back as any information

* A careful and exhaustive examination of the record of the Court of Quarter Sessione of Somerset County from 1783 to 1814 reveale the fact that in the January term of court in the year 1786, among the indict- mente brought io by the Grand Jury was that of

" THE STATE OF

NEW JERSEY

Sur felony."

agt. SAMUEL MCDONALD.

The records do not show that this case was ever brought to trial, al- though they do show that in 1788 three negroes-Dine, Sam the elder, and Sam the younger-were Indicted for arson, tried, convicted, and sen- tenced to be executed. Theodore Frelinghuysen was attorney-generai of the State of New Jersey from 1817 to 1820 only, as is shown by the "Legislative Manual." Mr. Vredenburgh was sheriff for 1847-48. It is siegular that a case which created such intense excitement should not appear on the records of the criminal courts of the county, if sentence aod exccution resulted, as indicated by the above popular tradition.

+ He was an elder in Bedminster Church. The property on which he eettled is in other hands, and his descendants are in the West.

# The old house is still standing.

of it can be obtained. Jacob Eoff, a native of Hol- land, purchased (some time before 1766) of Dr. Lewis and Mary Johnston a tract of 500 acres, embracing the site of the present village of Pluckamin and extend- ing eastward to the top of " Pigtown Mountain." The old Eoff tavern, the centre of attraction in early days, was built by him and remained standing until about 1814. His sons were Cornelius, Jacob, Robert, Garry, and Christian; his daughters were Mary, afterwards the wife of Capt. Abram Van Arsdale, and the wife of Capt. Samuel " Bullion" (Boylan). Cornelius was in the Revolutionary army, and settled north of Pluck- amin, on the road to Van Derveer's Mills. He had several children. John, Cornelius, and Archibald removed to the West. Richard married, but had no children. He owned a farm in the valley, now owned by James Hunter. Garry moved to New York, and died there. Christian remained on the homestead, and in 1791 commenced keeping tavern .¿ His daughter married William I. Hedges, later of Somerville. Jane, a daughter of Cornelius, married Capt. John Van Zandt, who was captain of the ship "Flora," sailing from New York to West Indies. In the last trip he intended to make he was attacked with the yellow fever and died in the tropics. John Van Zandt, of Somerville, is a son. On a part of the old Eoff farm, a few years ago, there were the ruins of stone huts built by the soldiers in the Revolution. The family of Eoff in this section is extinct. A de- scendant bearing the name is living in New York City.

William Gaston was a grandson of Joseph, who emigrated to this country from Ireland in 1720. He married Naomi, daughter of John and Margaret Teeple. He was a harness-maker, and had a shop between the present store and tavern. His house was a little west of the village, where a grandson, Robert, now owns. His children were all born there. John W. remained in Pluckamin, and was in business ; William removed to the South, where he obtained great wealth as a cotton merchant. Daniel Gaston, now of Somerville, was a son.

Abraham Brown in 1787, as per assessment-roll, owned ten acres of land near Pluckamin, and later was the possessor of a large tract east of the McDan- iel's farm, north and west of the village. Elias Brown, long a justice of the peace, was a son. J. Mehelm Brown, a grandson, now occupies a part of the farm which Abraham purchased.

The common ancestor of the Van Arsdale family in this country was "Symen Jansen Van Arsdalen," who emigrated in 1633. His descendants are mostly in New Jersey, and settled in or near Millstone and Bridgewater, where they were as early as 1750, and in 1756 one Hendrick Van Arsdalen was a subscriber to

¿ All licenses for keeping tavern having previously been in the name of Jacob Eoff. About this time the old tavern was discontinued, a new one having been built on the site of the prescot one, in which Christian was the landlord for many years.

703

BEDMINSTER.

the Lutheran Church. In 1787, Philip Van Ars- dalen owned 64 acres; Henry, 20; William H., 50. At a later date Abraham Van Arsdale, who married a daughter of Jacob Eoff, purchased the mill prop- erty of MeDaniels (now Kline's Mills), and built the house in which Mr. Jacob Kline now lives.

John and Matice Appleman were residents in this section in 1756, and were still here in 1773. Their names do not appear later.

Bryan Lafferty, Esq., was buried in the Lamington churchyard in 1749, aged sixty-four. A person of the same name is mentioned in a road record of 1755 as Justice Lefferty. He lived at Pluckamin, and owned property north of Chambers' or Lafferty's Brook and west of the road running to Peapack, which was laid out prior to 1774. He was a noted Tory in the Revolution, but continued as justice of the peace till about 1786. In the next year the prop- erty, consisting of 147 acres, is assessed to " Mrs. Laf- ferty." It was sold about 1800 to John Davenport.

In the charter of the township of Bridgewater (1749), the north line is "down the said gap to Chambers' Brook by McDonald's Mill, thence down said Brook to the North Branch." The books of John Boylan in 1773 give the names of Col. William Me- Donald* and a son Richard, probably the Maj. Rich- ard McDonald of later days. The old mill mentioned above stood up the ravine of Chambers' Brook, a short distance above where the road from Somerville to Pluckamin crosses the brook; the property in 1787 consisted of 470 acres. Maj. Richard was an influ- ential man in both town and county ; his son, George McDonald, became a noted lawyer at Somerville.

The earliest record found of the Traphagen family is 1787. David Traphagen owned 100 acres north of the Elias (or Dr. Henry) Van Derveer property. It is situated east of North Branch, at the foot of the Second Mountain. In 1800, Ruloff Traphagen was in possession. John Davenport, of Pluekamin, mar- ried Margaret, Ruloff's daughter, for his first wife. The old family mansion was destroyed by fire Oct. 16, 1880; l'atrick Moore now owns the farm.

That portion of the Van Derveers who settled in Bed- minster was a branch of the family who carly settled on the Raritan. Jacobus was a son of Jacobus; the time of his purchase in Bedminster is not known. llis name is found in the subscription list of the St. Paul's Church, at Pluckamin, in 1756. He pur- chased a large tract north of North Branch, on the Axtell tract, also land south of the Branch in 1767 that he afterwards sokl to John Powelson. The place of his residence was in the plot of 260 aeres south of tho Lesser Cross-Roads. In 1758 the property on

which the Bedminster charch now stands was do- nated by him. He had three children,-Mary, Von Stoy, and Jacob. The homestead of Jacobus is now owned by Henry Ludlow, the north part by John Whitenack, the south by Peter W. Melick.

Elias Van Derveer, a brother of Jacobus and father of Dr. Henry, settled, much later than his brother, on the land he left to his son Henry. He died in 1778, aged thirty-three. Dr. Henry Van Derveert and Phebe Van Derveer were the only children. A large property reverted to them, on which they lived and died. The family mansion is still standing, and owned by John F. Van Derveer ; the north part of the farm by Thomas Moore, and the south by Tunis B. Van Arsdale. The old farm contained 600 acres.

The Maj. Daniel Axtell tract extended from the east line of the township west to Lamington River, south of the Lesser and Larger Cross-Roads and north of North Branch. The extreme east portion (283 aeres) was purchased by Jacobus Van Doren, after 1760, of William, son of Maj. Daniel Axtell, the original purchaser, and about 1815 he sold to Capt. Joseph Nevius, whose grandson lives on the west side of the l'eapack road, near the old place; he kept a store at the Lesser Cross-Roads. Later, Mr. Nevius conveyed it to Cornelius M. Wyckoff, whose son, Cor- nelius M., is now in possession of it. Mr. Van Doren, after the sale of the farm, removed to Elizabeth, and later to Fairview and Raritan, INl., where he died. His son David lived on part of the farm.

West of the Jacobus Van Derveer farm was a large traet purchased by William Sloan, through whom it descended to John and Henry Sloan, the latter own- ing 370 aeres in 1787. Henry Stevens was located on a part of this traet in 1797.

John, Moses, and Daniel Phenix were residents in 1773 on the Axtell tract, at the Larger Cross-Roads. John was a justice of the peace for several years. John Sutphin married Sarah, a daughter, and kept the tavern at the Cross-Roads after the Revolution. In 1787, Ralph Phenix owned 250 acres ; none of the name are now in the township.

Among the sturdy Scotch Presbyterians who emi- grated to this country was Ephraim MeDowell. HIe settled first in Hunterdon County, on the west side of the Lamington River, opposite Vleet's Mills. His name occurs in the church records in the early pas- torate of the Rev. James McCrea. Later he removed into Bedminster, soon after its organization as a town- ship. May 1, 1750, he purchased of William Axtell, son of Maj. Daniel Axtell, 238 aeres of land, part of which is still owned by John McDowell. Nov. 1, 1759, he purchased 50 acres of John and Henry Sloan, sons of William, who settled north. This land ex- tended south to the North Branch, and was located east of his original purchase. Ile built a log house

* The following la from the court records: Jupiter, a negro of Col. McDonald, was Indicted Oct. 6, 1778, for larceny. llo plead guilty, aud It was "ordered that he roceive, between the hours of 1 and 3 o'clock this afternoon, 20 lashes on the bare back, antl on Monday next the liko number, at l'luckamin, between the hours of I and 3 r.M., and Tony, negro of John Phonix, the liko in all things."

! A sketch of Dr. Vau Derveer will be found tu the Modical Profesion In general history.

704

SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

back in the fields, on the farm of John McDowell. Later a more pretentious family mansion was erected and covered with cedar shingles. It stood for sev- enty-five years. Five sons-John, Matthew, Eph- raim, Peter, and Benjamin-inherited the name. In 1787, John McDowell was in possession of 120 acres ; Matthew, 200; William, 106. Benjamin, son of Mat- thew, inherited the part of land on which the home- stead was situated. His son John now owns the farm. Other sons of Matthew-John and William-became eminent ministers. William returned to the farm in his old age, and died there. Martha died young. Elizabeth married Cornelius Van Derbeek ; their de- scendants are now living at Somerville. Dr. A. W. McDowell, son of Rev. William, wrote many articles concerning the early history of this section, much of which he obtained from personal conversations with the old settlers. Mrs. McDowell and one daughter live on the homestead of Dr. William McDowell. Other members of the family are scattered in other parts of the country .*

About 1800, Dr. Cornelius Suydam possessed about 200 acres southwest of the Larger Cross-Roads and northwest of the McDowell tract. The same is now owned by William C. Bunn and Isaac Eick.

William Axtell, of New York City, conveyed to John McFarren, May 5, 1750, 200 acres of land on the east side of the Allematunk River, and Feb. 29, 1758, sold it to Ann Henry. It is now owned by P. N. Todd. South from this tract Tunis I. Quick owned land, coming into possession through his wife, who was a Voorhees.

Col. James Henry was living about half a mile east of Lamington in the memory of many of the inhabi- tants. In 1834 he owned 400 acres a short distance east of Lamington church, which later he sold to Dennis Simonson. About 1800 the land in Laming- ton was mostly owned by Simon Suydam. The Duyc- kincks were also early settlers on the east side of the " High Road that leads from Lamington to Piscata- qua." John is the first of whom any mention is made. In 1787 he was possessed of 200 acres, where descend- ants of the family still reside; the stone house, over a hundred years old, is yet standing.

The farm on which George Mullen now resides was formerly owned by the Rev. James McCrea, probably before he purchased that on which Peter J. Lane now resides. He came to Lamington in 1741 as pastor of the Presbyterian Church, and lived first on the west side of the river. His son Creighton was also pur- chaser of a large tract on the east side of the Laming- ton River, about a mile below Lamington. In 1787 the Todd family were owners of considerable land below Lamington, as follows : Samuel, 100 acres; George, 200; Col. William, 170; Capt. John, 80. They intermarried with several of the early families. In 1787, James Heath owned 277 acres, and Feb. 6,

1790, Daniel Heath sold 109 acres, on Lamington River, to Jeremiah Fields. William Fields, a son, now lives on the place, far advanced in years.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 171

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170