History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 2, Part 13

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 994

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The first of the name of Taylor who came to this county was Edward, whose brother Mat- thew came to this country for the purpose of speculating in lands in New Jersey, under the patronage of Sir George Carteret, one of the pro- prietors of East Jersey, with whom he was dis- tantly connected by marriage, and dying in New York in 1687, without issue, he bequeathed his lands to his brother Edward, then living in Lon-

don, and who came over in 1692 and purchased an additional tract of about one thousand acres at Garret's Hill, Middletown, and settled on it ; he died in 1710, and left four sons and one daughter. George, one of his sons, settled at Gar- ret's Hill, and died there leaving three sons,- George, Edward and Jolin. On the 10th of January, 1716, George Taylor, then living at Garret's Hill, purchased the six lots before men- tioned (now the farm of Dr. Edward Taylor) of William Wilkins. They were kept by him until May 1, 1739, when he conveyed them to his son, Edward Taylor, who soon after erected the present house of Dr. Edward Taylor, who is a descendant. John Taylor, known as 'Squire John, was also a son of George Taylor. His daughter Mary married Dr. Absalom Bain- bridge, and was the mother of Commodore Wil- liam Bainbridge, of the United States navy, in the War of 1812. Edward Taylor, to whom the farm was conveyed in 1739, built the present house (now Dr. Taylor's) soon after that time. He was a large land-owner. His possessions at one time extended from near Garret's Hill to the upper bounds of the Middletown village, to the west; northerly to Arrowsmith's Mill (which he originally built), and southerly, beyond Nut Swamp, to the Errickson property.

The John Taylor who was sheriff of the county, and who, about 1760, settled on the Ruckman property (now Beekman and Os- borne), was a son of the Edward Taylor of Mid- dletown. Dr. Edward Taylor is in the line of Colonel George Taylor, whose son, Captain Ed- ward, was the father of Dr. Edward Taylor. The family of Taylors that are now living in Upper Freehold are descendants of Joseph and William, sons of Edward Taylor, the first of the . name in Monmouth County.

John Wilson, one of the original proprietors of the Middletown lots, took up Lot No. 3, on the south side of the King's highway, and Lot No. 20 of the lots in the " Poplar field." He. settled on the lot, and was made.a justice of the peace of the township August 22, 1723. His son James was married to Hannah Smith, Oeto- ber 7, 1697, by Peter Tilton, justice. His sons, Joseph and John, are also mentioned in the town-book. The family remained in Middle-

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP.

525

town. William Wilson, one of the family, was born in 1766. He built the tavern in 1797, which was kept by him until his death, and is now the residence of George Bowne, whose wife is a daughter of William Wilson. Her ances- tors on her mother's side are descended from William Laiton, who was owner of Lot No. 14 in the original "lots " and Lot No. 30 of the " Poplar field lots."

John Bowne and Riehard Stout were of the original lot-owners of Middletown village. The story of the first coming and remarkable adven- tures of Penelope Stout (Richard's wife) is told in the general history of the county ; it is omit- ted here. His descendants are numerous in the county.

Captain John Bowne (says the Hon. Edwin Salter) came to Middletown, N. J., from Grave- send, L. I. He was one of the twelve men named in the noted Monmouth patent of 1665. He was one of the original settlers of Middletown, and one of the founders of the Baptist Church there -the oldest of that society in the State. Until his death, in the early part of 1684, he seems to have been the most prominent citizen of the county, esteemed for his integrity and ability. He appeared as a deputy to the first Assembly in Carteret's time, which met May 26, 1668, the members of the Lower House then being ealled " burgesses." He was deputy again 1675, after Philip Carteret's return from England; and in the first legislature under the twenty-four pro- prietors, 1683, he was a member and Speaker, and acted until the Deeember following. He held other positions of trust. March 12, 1677, a commission was issued to him, as president of the court, to hold a court at -Middletown. In December, 1683, shortly before his last illness, he was appointed major of the militia of Mon- mouth County. He died in the early part of 1684.

Captain Bowne was a large land-owner in this township and in others adjoining. Lands be- longing to him on the Highlands were left to Daniel Brown: They embraced a part of Nave- sink village and Atlantic Highlands.

Other mention of Captain John Bowne will be found in the general history, and in that of Holmdel township.

William Lawrence was from Long Island, and came to this eounty before 1667, as in that year he selected Lot No. 81 of the Middletown lots and Lot 28 of the Poplar field lots. He was elected eonstable of the township, but did not serve. He did not live here for any length of time, if at all, but settled on a tract of land on Hop River, where he had a house, an orchard and a fulling-mill. He also owned a large tract of land at Wakake, which he left to his son, Elisha Lawrence, who settled and lived there until 1717, when he moved to Upper Freehold, where he and his family were promi- nent for many years. His son William settled at Middletown - and married Ruth Gibbons, daughter of Richard Gibbons, one of the original settlers, June 24, 1686 ; the births of his children are all given in the town-book. William Lawrence, the elder, died in 1701, and his will was proved December 3d in that year. His children were William, Joseph, Elisha, John, James and Benjamin. John also went to Upper Freehold. James received by will a part of the home farm on Hop River, including the fulling-mill, which he had been running previously. Later he went to Crosswieks. Joseph settled upon lands on Manasquan beach, which he inherited from his father. Of Benja- min no aceount is obtained.

In 1685, William Lawrence, Richard Harts- horne, John and Joseph West, Edward Lafetra and others took up two thousand five hundred aeres of land on the coast from Wreck Pond to the head of Barnegat Bay, under the name of the Manasquan Beach Company. Their lands were in several eases occupied many years by the descendants of the original purchasers, and by others were sold soon afterwards.

Richard Hartshorne, of whom much is said in eonneetion with Wakake, in Raritan town- ship, and the Highlands of Navesink, bought considerable land on both sides of the King's highway, in the village of Middletown, before 1699. In that year he sold his land on the south of the highway to William Wilkins, who in 1716 sold it to George Taylor. He owned the lands on the north side, and soon after 1703 moved to Middletown and built the house now standing on the north side of the street, near the

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Baptist parsonage. In that house he lived until his deatlı, in 1722. In his will, proved May 24th in that year, he gave for a burial-place " a half an acre on the street, in the orchard east of the house where I now live." On this plat of ground he was buried, as were also many of his descendants.

A "General Assembly " held at Portland Point, November, 1668, enacted that, "In consideration of the Inconveniences that do arise for the want of an Ordinary in every Town within this Province: It is ordered that every town shall provide an Ordinary for the Relief and Entertainment of Strangers,-Pro- vided, that the Ordinary keeper is to have a License from the Secretary, and oblige himself to make sufficient Provision of Meat, Drink and Lodging for Strangers; and for Neglect hereof in any of the Towns, they shall forfeit Forty Shillings Fine to the Country for every Month's Default after Publication hereof ; and that none shall retail Drink of what sort soever, under the quantity of two Gallons, ex- cept the Ordinary keeper ; and no person what- soever (as well the Ordinary keeper as others) shall retaile any sort of Drink as aforesaid under the Quantity of two Gallons, under the Penalty of paying Ten Shillings Fine for every such default, to the country." 1

In the previous year (October, 1667) the As- sembly had enacted : "That no Ordinary keeper shall by the Gill excced ten shillings and eight pence the Gallon Strong Liquors; if by the Quart two shillings and six pence ; good Wine after the Rate of seven shillings the Gal- lon ; Cyder four Pence the Quart ; eight Pence a Meal for Victuals ; six Pence a Day natural for Pasture for Horse in the Summer and the like for Winter ; and nine Pence a Peck for Oats ; the Ordinary keeper be left at Liberty for such as will bespeak their own Provision."

In March, 1693, Robert Hamilton was licensed to sell strong drink and keep an inn at Middletown.2 On March 3, 1716, Isabrant

Van Cleef was licensed to sell strong drink in his house at Middletown, and for one mile around. As this village was at that time the longest settlement in the township, there is no doubt that the taverns were in the village of Middletown, but the locations of them are not known. It is said that a tavern-house was built in 1729 on the site of the hotel now kept by Richard Lufburrow. It was burned in 1809, and another was built on the site, which was kept in 1812 and for many years thereafter by John Truax.

In 1797, William Wilson opened a tavern (now the residence of George Bowne), which he kept until after 1840.

About 1831-32, William Murray built a store opposite Dr. Edward Taylor's present residence, and, with his son, William W. Murray, kept a store there until about twenty years ago. George Crawford sold his store to Aaron .and Henry Seabrook, who afterwards sold to Os- borne & Burroughs, who continued several years and sold to Wilson Brown, who, about 1835, elosed out business and moved to Key- port. About 1820, Charles I. Hendrickson built a store (nearly opposite the present one), which was kept by Hendrickson & Seabrook. The former sold to Seabrook about 1826, who continued for a time and sold to Samuel I. Taylor, who kept for many years and sold to Harvey Conover, who remained there until the building was destroyed by fire. Elias Conover then erected the present brick store, which was oceupied by Harvey G. Conover, who sold to Osborne & Thomas. The store is at present kept by Joseph D. Thomas.

William Murray, who was appointed post- master in 1812, held the office for many years. His successors have been Samuel I. Taylor, H. G. Conover and Joseph D. Thomas, the present postmaster.

THE MIDDLETOWN BAPTIST CHURCH is the

' Leaming and Spicer, page 87.

2 In 1700, Lewis Morris, then president of the Council, addressed a letter to the bishop of London, deseribing the condition of the colonies of East Jersey. Of Middletown he says,-

"It is a large township; there is no such thing as Church or Religion amongst them ; they are p'haps the most ignorant and wieked People in the world ; their meetings on Sundays is at the Publiek house, where they get their fill of Rum and go to fighting and running of races, which are practices much in use that day all the Province over."

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MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP.

oldest church of that denomination in the State of New Jersey, and was constituted in 1668 by the following-named persons, all of whom were of the Monmouth patentees : Richard Stout, John Stout, James Grover, Jonathan Brown, Obadiah Holmes, John Ruckman, William Cheeseman, John Wilson, Walter Wall, John Cox, Jonathan Holmes, George Mount, Wil- liam Layton, William Compton, James Aslıton, John Bowne, Thomas Whitlock, James Gro- ver, Jr.

It is stated by Morgan Edwards, in his " His- tory" of the Baptists, written in 1792, that " The first who preached at Middletown was Mr. Jolin Bown, of whom we can learn no more than he was not ordained, and that it was he who gave the lot on which the first meeting-house was built. Contemporary with him was Mr. Ash- ton." .It will be noticed that the name of James Ashton appears among the constituent members. He was one of the original settlers of the village of Middletown, and had No. 23 of "Home Lotts," and Lot No. 8 of Poplar fields, in the first division, December 30, 1667. The records of Middletown have the following mention of him :

" May the 25th, 1669, James Ashton : Jonathan Hulmes : James Bowne were this day by the plural- ites of votes chosen deputies to act with the pattentees at the generall courtt or the adiourments thereof to bee held at Porttland point the 27 of May

"Testis Edw : Tartt Town Cleark"

"January : 1: 1672

" In a legall towne meeting the maior partt beeing present . . . The summons under hand : and seale of the province (bearing date the tenth of December 1672) for choice of Deputies or representatives was this day read in open towne meeting upon wch the towne resulted to answer the summons and further concluded : that : (acording to the directions of the summons) a true certificate of the choice beeing an exact of the Record : shall bee forth with sent to the Governour : : wch is as ffolloweth . . . A legall vote this Day passing : William Lawrence and James Ashton were this day (by the pluraliter of votes) chosen Deputies or Representatives for this following yeare."

" August : 26 : 1673: Stilo novo

Upon receipt of an order : from the commanders in cheife and counsell of warre: Resident in fortt Wil- liam Hendrick at New Orange: ( for choice of six per- sons being Inhabitants of the towne to bee presented

to the comanders as above sd : to take three for towne maiestrates) as alsoe for choice of two Deputies to act at woodbridge ( acording to the tennor of the above said order) the towne: this day convented toghether for clection : and upon perfect vote the choice was as fol- loweth-John Bowne Jonathan Hulmes James Asten John Throcinorton Edward Smith : James Grover were by the pluraliter of votes Chosen maiestrates acording to the tennor of the order . . . Ed : Smith and Edward Tartt were chosen Deputies to act at woodbridge Acording to the tennor of the above sd order"

" midelltowne the first of January 1675

" At a legall towen metting Johnathan Holmes and James Ashton was by the maior vote chosen debities to meet the governor and councell on the 4th of Aprill next enseuing at Elizabeth towne to consult and con- clude of such thinges as shall be found nessary

"Testis Richard Hartshorne Towne clarke."

These extraets show that James Ashton was a man of influence in the township, and he was probably ordained a minister. James Ashton, Jr., is mentioned September 25, 1693, in the records, and was then of age. From the records of Upper Freehold is extracted the following, which indicates that James Ashton, the settler, and the Rev. James Ashton were one and the same person. "James Ashton, son of Rev. James Ashton, of Middletown, was the first settler in this part of the country, viz. : Cros- wieks."

James Ashton was probably ordained in 1688, at the time the church was recognized. The Rev. Thomas Killingsworth assisted in the services at that time. It is probable that Ashton died before the meeting of the council hereafter mentioned, as his name does not ap- pear in the list of signers or non-signers on that occasion. Morgan Edwards says,-

" But in the year 1711 a variance arose in the church, insomuch that one party excommunicated the other and imposed silence on two gifted brothers that preached to them,-viz., John Bray and John Okison. Wearie'd with their situation, they agreed to refer matters to a council congregated from neigh- boring churches. The council met May 12, 1712. It consisted of Rev. Messrs. Timothy Brooks, of Cohan- sey; Abel Morgan1 and Joseph Wood, of Pennepeek;

I The Abel Morgan here mentioned as a member of the council held in 1712 was not the person of the same name who afterwards became pastor of this church, the latter having been born in 1713. The Rev. Abel Morgan, Sr., was born in Cardiganshire, Wales, about the year 1673.

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

and Elisha Thomas, of Welsh Tract; with six elders, -viz., Nicholas Johnson, James James, Griffith Mills, Edward Church, William Bettridge and John Man- ners. Their advice was, 'To bury the proceedings in oblivion and erase the records of thein;' accord- ingly four leaves are torn out of the church-book.1 'To coutinue the silence imposed on John Bray and John Okison the preceding year.' One would think by this that these two brethren were the cause of the disturbance. 'To sign a covenant relative to their future conduct;' accordingly forty-two did sign and twenty-six refused; nevertheless most of the non- signers came in afterwards; but the first forty-two "were declared to be the church that should be owned by sister churches. 'That Messrs. Abel Morgan, Sen., and John Burrows should supply the pulpit till the next yearly meeting, and the members should keep their places and not wander to other societies,' for at this time there was a Presbyterian congregation at Middletown and mixed communion in vogue."

The successor of the Rev. James Ashton was the Rev. John Burrows, of whom Edwards says,-

"He was born at Taunton, in Somerset, and there ordained ; arrived in Philadelphia in the montli of November, 1711, and from thence came to Middle- town in 1713, where he died in a good old age. He left but one child behind him, and she married into the Russel family. Mr. Burrows is said to have been a happy compound of gravity and facetiousncss : the one made the people stand in awe of him, while the other produced familiarity. As he was travelling one day a young man passed by him in full speed ; and, in passing, Mr. Burrows said, 'If you consider whither you are going you would slacken your pace.' He went on; but presently turned back to enquire iuto the meaning of that passing salute. Mr. Burrows reasoned with him on the folly and danger of horse- racing (to which the youth was hastening): he gave attention to the reproof. This encouraged Mr. Bur- rows to proceed to more serious matters. The issue was a sound conversion. Here was a bow drawn at a venture ; and a sinner shot flying! Mr. Burrows's successor was Rev. Abel Morgan, A.M. He was born in Welshtract, Apr. 18, 1713 : had his learning at an

When he was nineteen years of age he began to preach and was ordained at Blaenegwent, in Monmouthshire. He was a brother of Enoch Morgan, of the Welsh Traet Church, and half-brother of Benjamin Griffith, of Montgomery Church. He was a son of the renowned Morgan of Rhyd- darch of Griffyd of Dafydd. He came to Amerien in Feb- ruary, 1711, and preached alternately at Pennepek, Pa., and Philadelphia. He died December 16, 1722, aged forty- nine years, having served the Pennepek Church continu- ously from the time of his arrival in Ameriea.

1 The church-book is in possession of the pastor.

academy kept by Rev. Thomas Evans, in Pencader : ordained at Welshtract church in the year 1734: be- came pastor of Middletown in 1738: died there Nov. 24, 1785. He was never married : the reason (it is supposed) was that none of his attention and atteud- ance might be taken off of his mother, who lived with him, and whom he honoured to an uncommon degree. Mr. Morgan was a man of sound learning and solid judgment. He has given specimens of both iu his public disputes and publications on the subject of baptism : at Kingwood, Rev. Samuel Harker chal- lenged him on the subject. The other dispute was at Cape-may in 1743. The occasion was as follows: about 1712 there was at the Cape a remarkable stir of the religious kind: this stir was owing partly to the preaching of Baptist ministers and partly to the la- bours of Presbyterian ministers of the new light order : but some of the one party's converts joining the other party caused a howling among the losing shep- herds, and issued in a public challenge: Mr. Morgan accepted the challenge :- his antagonist was Rev. (afterwards Dr.) Samuel Finley, the contest ended as usual, viz. in double triumph : but two things hap- pened to mar the glory of the day ; one was a remark

that a stander by was heard to make: he was a deist and therefore a disinterested person : 'The little man [said he] is thrown down, and his antagonist will not let him rise for another tussle.' Another damper was that an elder and deacon, &c., were convinced that the cause of the one party was naught by the labours used to support it."

In the old church-book is the following record, made at the time of Mr. Morgan's death :

"The Rever'd Mr. Abel Morgan was born in the State of Delaware, April the 18th, 1713. He departed this life November the 24th, 1785, near 6 o'clock in the afternoon, in the towuship of Middletown, county of Monmouth, State of New Jersey.

"After five months' sore and tedious afflictions of several bodily disorders, this eminent servant of God and faithful minister of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gave up the Ghost. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 'O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?' (1 Cor. 15: 55.) 'Say ye to the Righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.' (Isa. 3: 10.)

"This great man died in the 73d year of his age. His age in particular was 72 years, seven months and six days. In his public ministry he was faithful, great and engaged in the service of his Lord and Master; in his private life a kind friend to the poor, a great advocate for the oppressed, a father to the fatherless, agreeable in his life and conversation. Upon the whole we may say this in truth of him,- he was an example of examples.

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP.

529

"Fifty-one years of the Rever'd Mr. Abel Morgan's life were spent in the publie ministry; forty-seven years of his lifetime he was minister of the Church at Middletown. He was ealled early in life to that sacred function.

"'One that feared God and eschewed evil.' (Job 1:1.) Further, David saith : 'Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful; but liis delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night.' (Ps. 1:1.)

"The Rever'd Mr. Abel Morgan's funeral sermon was preached on Sunday, the 27th day of November, in the meeting-house, in Middletown, by Mr. Peter Wilson, from the 4th chapter of the 2d Epistle to Timothy, 7th and 8th verses. 'I have fought a good fight,' &c. (both verses quoted).

"After sermon, the body of the Rever'd Mr. Abel Morgan was deeently buried before a respectable number of people in the Presbyterian yard, in Mid- dletown."

The "yard" referred to lies on the south side of the broad street running through the village, in the northeast corner of Dr. Edward Taylor's farm, and adjoining Mrs. Adeline Hendrickson's on the west. Here, among the old graves, a plain slab of marble marks the last resting- place of this man of God. The inscription on the stone is a whole volume:

"In memory of Abel Morgan, pastor of the Baptist church at Middletown, who departed this life Novem- ber 24, 1785, in the 73d year of his age. His life was blameless, his ministry was powerful; he was a burn- ing and shining light, and his memory is dear to the saints."

The Rev. E. J. Foote, a former pastor of the church, in an article on Mr. Morgan, says,-

"He was a strong man in this regard, so considered by his eo-workers. The Middletown Church held its associational connection with the ehurelies in and about Philadelphia; was one of the five churches which formed that association in 1707. There were able men in that body in Mr. Morgan's day, but the Middletown pastor seemed to be looked up to, and of- ten to be put forward to preach the annual sermons and give the address on important occasions. In a printed volume of the minutes of the Philadelphia Association for the first hundred years, Mr. Morgan is seen to be one of the leading men of his denomination. His papers are sound in doctrine, elear and logieal. He was often elected to fill the offices of the body, and particularly in the later years of his ministry does he seem to have been more highly honored by his brethren.

"Mr. Morgan was a strong defender and an earnest propagator of the doetrines of his denomination. At one time he held a discussion for two days on the sub- ject of baptismi, at Kingwood, with the Rev. Samuel Harker. At another time he had a long controversy at Cape May with Rev. Samuel Finley, afterward president of Princeton College. This controversy was of Mr. Finley's seeking, he proposing to Mr. Morgan a publie debate, eaeh preaching a sermon alternately. It was a spirited diseussion, lasting some days, and was finally transferred to the press. On Mr. Morgan's side the discussion grew into two volumes, the second of which we have in his library, which hegave to the ehureh. The perusal of these works shows a strong and logieal mind, a eultivated talent for writing and a clear grasp of Scripture truth .. As a matter of course, the friends of each disputant elaimed the vietory, but Mr. Edwards reports the remarks of a 'stander by,' a Mr. Leman, 'a deist and therefore a disinterested person.' 'The little man (said he) is thrown down, and his antagonist will not let him rise for another tussle.' Mr. Finley was the little man. An elder and a deaeon of Mr. Finley's were eonvineed and went over to Mr. Morgan's side. It was one of the notable diseussions of the day. Mr. Morgan's books were printed by Benjamin Franklin and D. Hall, in Mar- ket Street, Philadelphia, 1750."

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History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 2, Part 13

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 994

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 994