History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 68

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 68
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 68

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).

TEWKSBURY.

1800, Abraham Vandyke; 1800-14, John Haas (died April, 1845); 1801- 16, Jacob Kline; 1815-16, Oliver W. Ogden (died November, 1839) ; 1817-19, John Haas; 1817, Henry Miller ; 1818-19, John Mckinstry ; 1820-23, Jonathan Potter; 1820, Henry Miller; 1821-23, John Mc- Kinstry ; 1824-29, John Haas; 1824-26, Mathias Lane; 1827-29, John Mckinstry; 1830-31, Mathias Lane, John Crater; 1832, Joshna Farley; 1832-35, Joseph Hoffman (died Oct. 1, 1860, aged seventy-six); 1833, John Mckinstry; 1834-35, Peter R. Fisher; 1836-39, Frederick Apgar (died September, 1877) ; 1836-38, Nickolas Wykoff; 1839-40, George Henry; 1840-43, Philip Hiler (died May 11, 1871, aged eighty-two) ; 1841-43, Nickolas Emelick (died Jan. 23, 1872, aged eighty-four) ; 1845,* Nickolas Apgar, Philip Hann; 1846-47, Oliver W. Farley, John R. Brown (died May 28, 1863, aged sixty-four) ; 1848-49, William P. Alpaugh, James N. Ramsey ; 1850, Andrew Vansyckel; 1850-52, John C. Rafferty ; 1853, Henry J. Stevens ; 1854, Jolin C. Rafferty ; 1855-56, James N. Ramsey ; 1857-58, William Eick; 1859, Richard Hoffman ; 1860-62, Serring Potter; 1863-64, Samuel Clark; 1865, Serring Potter (died July 23, 1880, aged eighty); 1866-67, David F. Apgar; 1868-69, Wil- liam P. Alpangh; 1870-71, William Eick ; 1872-73, Joseph C. Far- ley ; 1874-76, John Rinehart, Jr. ; 1876-77, George G. Alpaugh (died Dec. 6, 1877); 1877, John Rinehart, Jr. (to fill vacancy); 1878, Jacob A. Specht; 1879, Joseph C. Farley.

ALEXANDRIA.

1800, David Everitt; 1800-2, William Godley; 1801, Luther Opdycke; 1802, Dr. William McGill (died June 23, 1815, aged forty-seven) ; 1803-9, Luther Opdycke; 1803-8, John Case (died June 4, 1856, aged eighty-five); 1809, Jacob Vanderbelt (died March 26, 1835, aged sixty); 1810-12, Jacob Ilousel ; 1810-11, Jeremiah HIoff ; 1812, Henry Eckle (died Aug. 24, 1830, aged forty-eight); 1813-14, Dr. William McGill; 1813, Benjamin Wright (died Feb. 9, 1826, aged seventy- nine); 1814-22, Paul Henry Mallet Prevost (died Jan. 5, 1839, aged seventy-nine); 1816-19, David Everitt; 1820-22, Josiah Prall; 1823, George Maxwell (died Ang. 12, 1834, aged sixty); 1823-30, Henry Eckle; 1824-31, James Larason (died July 25, 1848, aged ciglity- three) ; 1831-33, Cornelius Ludlow (died Nov. 24, 1836, nged forty- two); 1832, HIall Opdycke; 1833, Nathaniel Wright (died_ March 1, 1868, aged eighty-two); 1834-35, James Larason ; 1834-36, John Bon- bell (dlied June 26, 1861, aged elghty-three); 1836-37, John Eckle (died Dec. 4, 1837); 1837-38, l'eter Tinsman ; 1838-39, Edward llunt (died Nov. 1, 1874) ; 1839-40, John Bonnell ; 1840, Solomon Weider (died September, 1875); 1841-42, Henry Kels (died Fob. 19, 1870, aged eighty-three); 1841-43, Peter Alpangh (dled Dec. 7, 1868, aged

seventy-six); 1843-45, Jonas Thatcher; 1844, Charles Vorhis ; 1845- 47, David Coughlin (died Dec. 28, 1869, aged sixty-four); 1846-48, James Dalrymple (died Dec. 15, 1865, aged eighty) ; 1848, Mathias Bunn, Garret Lair; 1849-50, George G. Lunger; 1850, George Hill (died June 7, ISG3, aged seventy-six); 1851-52, John Apgar; 1853, James M. Duckworth; 1854, David Coughlin: 1856-57, William Bunn; 1858, David Conglilin; 1859-61, William C. Alpaugh; 1862- 64, Joseph J. Scarborough (died Nov. 7, 1876, aged seventy-six) ; 1865-67, Samuel V. Eckle; 1868-70, Enoch H. Opdycke; 1871-73, Isaac M. Swope; 1874-76, Philip Apgar ; 1877-79, Samuel B. Pickel ; 1880, Charles R. Stull.

DELAWARE.

1838-39, James J. Fisher (died Oct. 3, 1870, aged eighty-six); 1838-43, James Snyder (died June 14, 1874, aged eighty-six); 1840-42, Abra- ham Conover; 1843-44, Amplius B. Chamberlin (died May 9, 1879, aged seventy-two) ; 1844 46, John S. Wilson (died May, 1851); 1845-46, Jeremiah Smith ; 1847, Acker Moore, Jacob Godown ; 1848, Jeremiah Smith; 1848-49, Robert Dilts; 1849, Jolin Dilts; 1850, Peter Rocka- fellow, Acker Moore ; 1851-53, Andrew B. Rittenhouse (died Sept. 22, 1872) ; 1854, Charles B. Everitt ; 1855-57, Joseph B. Case (died July 23, 1870, aged fifty-nine); 1858-60, David Jackson (died Feb. 17, 1878) ; 1861-62, Amos Thatcher (died June 21, 1862, aged forty-one) ; 1862- 63, Andrew B. Rittenhouse; 1864-66, Daniel R. Sharp; 1867-69, George N. Holcombe; 1870-75, Joseph Smith ; 1876-78, Jonathan M. Dilts; 1879, William Aller.

UNION.

1853-55, Cornelius B. Sheets; 1856-57, Gardner Housel ; 1858-59, Peter R. Williamson (died Nov. 8, 1878, aged seventy) ; 1860-61, Abraham H. Housel; 1862-67, John P. Lair (died Nov. 24, 1871, aged fifty- eight); 1868-69, George G. Lunger ; 1870-71, Asher S. Housel (died July 28, 1880, aged seventy-four) ; 1872-74, George G. Lunger; 1875- 77, Sylvester Taylor; 1878-80, William P. Sinclair (died Oct. 20, 1880).

CLINTON.

1841-42, Peter H. Huffman (died March 6, 1867, aged seventy-three) ; 1841-43, John Rockafellow (died March 27, 1848, aged fifty-nine); 1843-44, Joseph Fritts (died March 2, 1877, aged seventy-seven); 1844-45, Jacob M. Kline; 1845-46, Peter H. Aller (died April 3, 1876); 1846-47, John Rockafellow; 1847-48, Jacob H. Huffman (died Nov. 21, 1863, aged fifty-six) ; 1848-49, Peter P. Huffman (died April 24, 1860, aged fifty) ; 1849-50, Peter HI. Aller; 1850-51, Samuel Grov- endycke (died June 19, 1864, aged fifty-eight); 1852-53, John R. Kline (died May, 1859) ; 1854-65, Pearson Atchley ; 1856-57, William Creager ; 1858-59, John H. Rockafellow; 1860-61, Peter F. Huffman; 1862-63, Peter A. Beavers; 1864, George Gulick (died March 7, 1880, aged fifty-six) ; 1865-66, John C. Cramer; 1867-68, Isaac Aller ; 1869, Phineas K. Apgar ; 1870, John Vandoren; 1871-72, John N. Storr; 1873-74, James N. Ramsey ; 1875-76, Michael Shurts; 1877-78, David K. Huffman ; 1879, Anderson J. Probasco.

FRANKLIN.

1845-46, Theodore Holcombe; 1845, Daniel Little; 1846-47, Philip Shafer, (died April 28, 1861, aged fifty-nine) ; 1847-48, Daniel Little; 1848- 49, Joseph G. Case (died August, 1855); 1849-50, William R. Young ; 1850-51, Christopher Case (died Aug. 12, 1877, aged eighty-one) ; 1852 -53, Philip Shafer ; 1854-55, William Snyder (died Jan. 29, 1863, aged seventy-two) ; 1856-57, John J. Anderson ; 1858-59, Ishi Butler; 1860- 61, Thomas G. G. W. Larue (died June 7, 1866, aged forty) ; 1862, Wil- liam Large; 1863-64, Daniel Little; 1865-66, Theodore Probasco; 1867-68, Jacob S. Pierson; 1869-70, Cornelius G. Aller; 1871-72, Lemuel B. Myres; 1873-74, John Trimmer, Jr .; 1875-76, William J. Case ; 1877-78, Reuben Pierson ; 1879, James W. Hummer.

EAST AMWELL.

1846, Jacob S. Williamson (died Aug. 8, 1860, aged forty-five); 1846-48, Abraham T. Williamson ; 1847-49, Jacob S. Manners; 1849-51, Noah Hixson; 1850-53, Levi llixson (died Nov. 6, 1878) ; 1854-57, Simpson S. Sked (died July 27, 1868) ; 1858-60, Samuel W. Dilts (died Feb. 22, 1874, aged sixty-five) ; 1861-62, Rulph Sutphen; 1863-65, Noah Hix- son ; 1866-68, Jolin C. Durham; 1869-71, John B. Dalrymple; 1872- 74, Edwin H. Durham ; 1875-76, William Sutphen; 1877-79, David Nevius; 1880, Peter W. Shopperd (died May 6, 1880), Silas Nona- maker.

FRENCHTOWN.

1867-68, Bryan Hough; 1868, Reuben K. Neico, Reuben R. Wright ; 1869, Moses K. Everitt; 1870, Samuel Rockafellow; 1871-72, Gabriel H.

* Set off in 1844 to Somerset County.

RES, OF A. H, HOLCOMBE, LAMBERTVILLE, HUNTERDON CO., N. J.

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CITY OF LAMBERTVILLE.

Slater; 1873-74, Edward B. Kachline; 1875-70, Adam S. Horing; 1877-78, Henry Loux ; 1879, John 1. Slack.

BOLLAND.

1874-76, George W. Vaneyckel; 1877, Watson Smith; 1879," Jesse Sin- clair.

DIRECTORS OF THE BOARD OF CHOSEN FREE- HOLDERS.

1800-2, Jowejsh Hankinson ; 1803, Hugh Runyan ; 1804, Richard Opdyke; 1805, Hugh Runyan ; 1806-9, Aaron Vansyckle ; 1810-11, Ralph Hunt; 1812, Samuel 1. Southard ; 1813-27, James Stevenson; 1828-38, David Stout ; 1839, Joseph Exton ; 1810-11, John B. Mattison ; 1842, Alex- ander V. Bonueil; I>43, James Snyder ; 1843, Amplins B. Chambor- lin; 1845, -Facol, 31. Kline; 1846, John Rockufellow ; 1847-19, Alex- ander V. Bonnell ; 1850, Dr. John Blane ; 1851-52, John C. Raftorty ; 1853, Andrew B. Kittenhonse ; 1:54, John Lambert; 1835, Simpson S. Sked; 1856, John Lambert; 1>57-60, Dr. Samuel Lilly; 1861, George W. Vroom; 1862, John Runk ; 1863-65, Dr. Samuel Lilly; 1860, Robert Thatcher; 1867-72, Georgo Gulick ; 1>73-74, James Bird; 1875-76, George W. Vansyckel; 1877, Joseph H. Boozer ; 1878- 70, Samtel B. Pirkel ; 1880, George Bruner.

CLERKS OF THE BOARD OF CHOSEN FREE- HOLDERS.

1800-2, John Lambert (died Feb, 4, 1823, aged seventy-seven); 1803, Dennis Wyckoff; 1804-7, Nathan Price (died Oct. 15, 1842, aged sev- enty-two); 1808, William Maxwell; 1808-9, Nathaniel Saxton (died

August, 1850) ; 1810-19, Thomas Gordon (died Sept. 25, 18]x, aged forty); 1820-32, Thonuws Capner (died Sept. 7, 1x32, aged sixty-three) ; 1×33, Andrew Miller ; 1:34, James N. Reading; 1x35-37, Dr. Thomas L. Woodruff; 1838, Joseph Besson (died March 18, 1919, aged forty- nine); 1839, Asa Jones (died Jan. 27, 1>74, aged eighty-three); 1×40 -43, Hart Wilson ; 1814, John Rockufellow (died April, 1M); 1×5- 46, Alexander V. Bonnell (died Ang. 13, 1872, aged sixty-three); 1847-19, Andrew Van Syckel; 1550-52, Charles Roberts; 1853, Charles Tomlinson (died Aug. 5, 1875, aged fifty-blx) ; 1854, Andrew B. Rounsavall; 1855, John C. Reed (died Aug. 18, 1863, aged thirty- three) ; 1856-57, Andrew B. Rounsavall; 1858-61, Richord I1. Wil- son ; 1862-64, William T. Srope; 1865-67, Edward M. Heath; 1868- "0, Charles Alpaugh; 1871-73, Henry M. Vliet; 1874-76, John W. Dilts; 1877-79, John C. Reeves; 1880, William D. Bloom.

COUNTY COLLECTORS.

1800-1, Paul Kuhl (died Nov. 20, 1825, nged eighty-live); 1802-7, John Lequear (died Nov. 16, 1828, aged eighty-four) ; 1808-19, Alexander Bonnell (died Ang. 4, 1819, aged forty-one) ; 1820-39, Asher Atkin- son (died Jan. 20, 1857, aged eighty-seven); 1540-14, Joseph Besson (died March 18, 1849, aged forty-nine) ; 1845-47, Mahlon Fisher (illed Dec. 29, 1874, aged sixty-fivo; 1818-50, Asa Jones (dled Jon. 27, 1874, aged eighty-three) ; 1851-53, George G. Lunger ; 1854, Adam Bellis; 1855, Jolın K. Large (died Sept. 5, 1879, oged sixty-nine) ; 1856-57, Adum Bellis ; 1858-61, Peter $. Dalley ; 1>62-65, William Tinsman; 1866-69, John II. Rockafellow; 1>70-72, Samuel Rinchart; 1873-75, Fisher l'idcock ; 1876-78, Joseph Smith ; 1879, William W. Swayze.

CITY OF LAMBERTVILLE.+

LAMBERTVILLE, the largest town in Hunterdon | County, distant about 16 miles from Trenton and 12 from Flemington, is pleasantly situated on the east bank of the Delaware River, on a narrow plain bounded on the east by a succession of hills which sweep around in an elliptical curve from the river at a little distance north of the town to a point imme- diately south of it. The town, however, is gradually growing beyond this narrow plain, so as to include what is now known as Cottage Ilill.

Goat Hill, which quite shuts in the town to the south, is part of the trap-ridge, which extends as far east as the Sourland Mountain. About a mile north of the place there is another ridge of the same species of rock, which is lost to view a few miles cast of the Delaware River. In a line with Goat Hill, which, with the hills on the opposite side of the river, forms the "Narrows," are the rapids known for more than a century as Wells' Falls, The rush of the water, the massive rocks, and the wild, precipitous sides of the adjacent hills present a scene strikingly picturesque.

The hills immediately to the cast and southeast of the lown are quite bold and abrupt, but those to the northeast and north rise up with a gentle acelivity. From these hills there are extensive and beautiful views of the surrounding country.

From the most elevated points near the town may

· Sel back to Alexandria March 4, 1575; set off agnin March 5, 1879. t By P. A. Studdiford, P.D.

be seen the range of the Orange Mountain, nearly 30 miles away, Pickel's Mountain, near the White House station, in the upper part of this county, and distant abont 25 miles, and, at about the same distance to the northwest, the Haycock Mountain, in Pennsylvania. Few places have more picturesque surroundings than has Lambertville, and the wonder is that it has not attracted more of the attention of the lovers of fine scenery.

The first people in this region of country of whom we have any knowledge were the red men who styled themselves the Lenni Lenape (which means "the original people"). They were familiarly known among the whites as the Delawares. This name was naturally given them because the river Delaware was in the central part of their possessions.

In 1705, when John Holcombe, of Abington, Pa., made his first purchase here, this region was all a wil- derness. There was no clearing and no road,-only an Indian path extending from the Neshaminy, in Pennsylvania, to the Indian encampments along the Raritan, in New Jersey. This path was almost identical with the present York Road. It passed up near the bed of the brook at the head of York Street, and so led on nearly, if not quite, in the line of the present road until, within a short distance of Mount. Airy, it turned a little more to the right, striking what is now the York Road just beyond the Alexauken.

The whole lowland where Lambertville is situated,

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HUNTERDON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

from the nature of the soil, was quite likely heavily timbered with oak, walnut, beech, and maple. The surrounding forests were full of game. Along these hills the wolf and the bear roamed, while the panther and the wild-cat with feline instinct stealthily crouched for their prey, and the deer browsing on the foliage of the thick underbrush presented an inviting mark to the unerring arrow of the Indian. Foxes, red and gray, the otter and the beaver, were also to be found. Even as late as 1748 there were panthers in this region, as we learn from Smith's "History of New Jersey." In Col. W. W. Davis' "History of Bucks Co., Pa.," it is stated that the last wolf killed in that county was caught in Plumstead about the year 1800.

As there was plenty of game in the forests, so there was plenty of fish in the river and in its tributaries. Sturgeon, it is likely, were quite as numerous as shad are now, and shad came in immense shoals. Even as late as the early part of this century an old resident of Lambertville informs us that there were caught in one haul, just below Frenchtown, two thousand seven hundred shad. There was an abundance of striped bass (or rock-fish) and perch, and of all the species of fish now to be found, with the exception of black bass, which have lately been put into the river.

Such was the condition of the country at the time of its first settlement by the whites.

In consequence of a treaty made with the Indian chiefs Himhammoe and Coponnocken, the council of proprietors, at a meeting held in Burlington, June 27, 1703, declared a third dividend of land, which em- braced the country in this vicinity.

Among the first who took up lands in this vicinity under the grant of the council of proprietors were Benjamin Field, Robert Dimsdale, William Biddle, John Reading (father of the colonial Governor of that name), Gilbert Wheeler, Richard Bull, and John Clark.

Benjamin Field had conveyed to him 5000 acres of land in two tracts,-namely, one, of 2000 acres, north of the Society's line drawn castwardly, that is, the line which is now the boundary between Hunterdon and Mercer Counties, and which was the northern boundary of what was known as the Society's 30,000 acres ; the other, of 3000 acres, lying in the vicinity of the Alias Hocking (Alexauken) Brook, and having one of its corners near an Indian town called Wisha- lamenty. The site of this Indian town is thought, from a careful comparison of the old surveys, to have been somewhere between the Rock Methodist Epis- copal church and the York Road. These two tracts purchased by Benjamin Field were parts of the orig- inal purchase made of the Indians by Adlord Boude. Field's grant was made to him May 19, 1701.

Robert Dinsdale bought extensive tracts of land to the east of this place, the western boundary of which was about a mile from the Delaware River.

John Calow's tract embraced the farm now owned

by John V. C. Barber, which fronts on the river and lies immediately nortlı of Lambertville and partly within its'limits, and on both sides of the Alex- auken.

The farm which is now the property of John C. Holcombe, and which adjoins the Calow tract on the north, was conveyed to William Biddle, of Burling- ton County, in 1705, by the council of proprietors.

John Reading took up lands near what is now known as Prallsville. He sat at the meeting of the council of proprietors held in Burlington in 1703, at which meeting measures were adopted for the disposal of the land above the Falls of the Delaware. From the very interesting historical sketch of the Presby- terian Church at Flemington, written by the pastor, the Rev. George S. Mott, D.D., we learn that " John Reading, with his wife Elizabeth, came from England to this country previous to the year 1685, and settled in the town of Gloucester, in West Jersey." He bought a warrant for the location of 4000 acres. A part of this grant he took up for himself. For the remainder he sold warrants to individuals, who either had their lands duly surveyed and conveyed to them- selves, or in turn sold their warrants to others. In 1704, John Reading sold a warrant to James Paget for 200 acres. In virtue of this, Paget took posses- sion of a tract which, fronting on the Delaware, was bounded, as nearly as can be ascertained, on the north by the " Bull line," so called from a celebrated sur- veyor of that day, and on the south by a line which, extending due east to a point a mile from the river, passes through the site of the Presbyterian church, and thence diagonally through Church Street.

John Reading sold a warrant to Richard Bull for large tracts of land. In virtue of this warrant Bull surveyed and took possession of 100 acres immediately north of the Paget tract, just mentioned. This tract, thus hounded on the south by the aforementioned " Bull line," was bounded on the north by a line a little above Perry Street and nearly parallel to it. The "Bull line," several times mentioned in old deeds, begins at the river at a point near the mill for- merly Wert's saw-mill, now a part of the estate of the late William Cowin, and passes just south of the Methodist Episcopal church, thence a little north of the old brewery, thence over the hill to a boundary- stone in the York Road, and thence along the east side of Holcombe's grove to the distance of a mile from the river.

John Clark's land, as appears from old deeds, was southeast of this town.

Gilbert Wheeler's tract, of 250 acres which fronted on the river, was immediately between the lands of John Calow on the north and those of Richard Bull on the south.

The tract of land south of that supposed to be Paget's seems to have been from the first settlement of this part of the country, or at least from a very carly date, in the possession of John Coates, inasmuch

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CITY OF LAMBERTVILLE.

as he owned the ferry property, and hence the ferry was called by his name. South of the ferry traet were probably the lands owned by Neill Grant, which in that case extended over Cottage Hill and Goat IIill. As to this, however, as well as to the exact location of the Paget's traet, there is much that is conjectural. Some of the original surveys do not fit together; in some instances they seem contradictory. Mr. Martin Coryell, to whom the writer of this historical sketch is indebted for very valuable assistance, has carefully examined these surveys, but, while finding no diffi- culty in locating some of them, has not been able, in regard to others, to arrive at any positive conclusion. In the deed given to John Holcombe, Bull's traet is mentioned as bounded on the south " by lands for- merly belonging to Hugh Howell, now owned by Robert Eaton."

But no trace of any subsequent conveyance of Eaton's land can be found. This traet, however, was subsequently in possession of John Emanuel Coryell, and the deed made out to him for the land which for- merly belonged to Paget, and for which Paget had purchased a warrant from John Reading, when com- pared with other deeds of property conveyed to Cor- yell, seem to justify the supposition that Paget's tract was identical with that which had been Eaton's. Here there is a contradiction, but the writer knows not how to remove it. No doubt there were, more frequently then than now, defective titles, and the lands forfeited were probably remanded to the council of proprietors, who resold them as to original pur- chasers.

About the tracts north of the " Bull line" there is no room for doubt, as their boundaries are made per- feetly plain in the original deeds.

Taking, then, these several traets in their order,- those the location of which is certainly known, and those as to the bounds of which there can be only plausible conjecture,-beginning with William Bid- dle's land on the north (now the farm of John C. Holcombe), the next in order is John Calow's, then Gilbert Wheeler's, then Richard Bull's, then James l'aget's, then John Coates', and last Neill tirant's, while east of these several tracts is that of Robert Dimsdale, farther east and northeast Benjamin Fiekl's, and southeast John Clark's.

Gilbert Wheeler and Richard Bull sold the above- mentioned tracts to Richard Wilson, of Bucks Co., l'a. On the 16th of November, 1705, Wilson sold them to John Holcombe, of Abington, Pa. On May 29, 1733, Holcombe bought of John Wey, of Long Island, the land known as the Calow tract, and subse- quently the farm to the north of this of William Biddle. When John Holcombe moved here from Abington we are not informed, but probably it was not long after his purchase.

The tradition respecting the Holcombes is that they came originally from Devonshire, England. There are three branches of the family in this country,-one

branch in Connecticut, one in New Jersey and Penn- sylvania, and one in Virginia .*

Another conjecture as to the Holcombes who first settled in this vicinity is that, being members of the Society of Friends, they may have come directly from England in company with other members of that so- ciety. Jacob Holcombe, brother of the John Hol- combe who settled here, we learn from Col. W. W. Davis' "History of Bucks County," was one of the first settlers of Buckingham township, which was then included in what is now known as Solebury. About the year 1700 he made an original purchase of 500 acres near the Great Spring, where he resided, so far as ean be ascertained, until his death. He survived his brother John, and was an exceutor of his estate, his brother's wife, Elizabeth, being an executrix.

Frequent mention is made of the Holcombes in the records of the Buckingham's Friends' Meeting. So far back as 1728 the name of Jacob Holcombe appears on a marriage certificate. In the records of 1735 we find the names of John, Thomas, and Samuel Holcombe. The certificate of the marriage of Samuel Wilson, of Am- well, and Rebecca Canby, of Buckingham, in 1730, has in its list of signers the name of John Holeombe. Other certificates bear as witnesses the names of Mary, Re- becea, and Susanna Holcombe. The only descendant of Jacob Holcombe of whom we have any knowledge is John Dilts, of Lambertville.

From John Holcombe, the brother of Jacob, are descended all the Holcombes in this part of New Jersey, and in the immediate vicinity in Pennsylvania. He married Elizabeth Woolrich, of Abington, Pa .. in February, 1707. She was an active and influential member of the Society of Friends. John Holcombe left five children,-viz., Samuel, Grace (married Philip Colvin), Mary (married Samuel Furman), Julia Ann (married Daniel Howell), and Richard.

Samuel, the eller son, after his marriage, removed to the farm which was owned, not many years ago, by his grandson, and now belongs to the Hudint estate. In Samuel's last will and testament his wife's Chris- tian name is given as Eleanor. He had seven sons and two daughters,-namely, John, Jacob, Samuel, George, Elijah, Richard, Thomas, P'hebe, and Eliza- beth.

Maj. Emley Holcombe, whose name will be further mentioned in this historical sketch, was a grandson of Samuel, and son of Richard. He early commenced

* One of the Conneclient branch-William Frederick Holcombe, MI.D .. n resident of the city of New York, who has given much attention to the history of his family-ways that there was a Thomas Hole mile, the owner of a house In Dorchester, Mars., where he resided as early as 1633; that in 1635 he sold it to one Thomas Jones and removed to Wind- por, Conn., where he died in 1637. Hle further says that there was a John Holcombe residing In Springfield, Mase., In 1673, but subsequently to that date no trace of him can be found. He may have removed to l'ennsylvania and havo been the father of John and Jacob Holcombe. who settled, the one here, the other near what is known as the Great Spring. This, however, is entirely conjectuml.

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History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 68

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