History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 116

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148

USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth county, New Jersey > Part 116

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1 This was not the first classical school of the vicinity. March 14, 1778, Joseph Rue advertises that he will open a Latin school at the house of Henry Perine, Freehold, April 13, where the scholars can be accommodated in the best manner at the lowest expense.

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

was Miss Ellen Shaw, who was succeeded by Miss Gertrude Conover (afterwards Mrs. Nelson Conover). During her term of teaching, the trees that now surround the school-house were set out. The district now contains seventy-six children of school age.

In Black's Mills School District, No. 36, a school was taught in 1826, at which James A. Perrine and Thomas Smith were pupils, under a Mr. Emery. The school-house was situated southwest from Black's Mills. It was then an old house, but was used for school and church purposes. It is now used as a tenant-house. After 1855 a lot was purchased of James Showles, on the Manalapan road, and the present school-house was built. In 1864 it was moved to the adjoining lot, where it now stands. The district now contains sixty-seven children.

In Mount Vernon School District, No. 37, a small school-house was built, about the year 1820, on the site of the present house. Major John Anderson was the first teacher in this house, and about 1823 Miss Mary D. Hankin- son began teaching, and continued till 1835, when she removed. The house was soon after moved to "No Chance," near Englishtown. No other school-house was built in this locality until 1860, when the present one was erected on Mount Vernon, and in 1882 it was removed to the present site, which was the site of the old school-house of 1820. The district now contains one hundred and three school children.

ENGLISHTOWN is the principal village (as, in fact, the only one to which that name can prop- erly be given) in Manalapan. It is situated in the northern part of the township, a little north of the Jamesburg and Freehold Agricultural Railroad, on which it is a station. This village existed, under the same name, in the time of the Revolution, and was a halting-place of the American army on its way both to and from the battle-field of Monmouth in June, 1778. On the night of the 29th (the day following that of the battle), General Washington had his headquarters in an old tavern that stood on the site now occupied by the house of John Laird. The village received its name from James Eng- lish, the original proprietor of the land on

which it was built. Two of his sons, John English and Dr. James English, Jr., were both born before 1800. The latter practiced med- icine in this vicinity until his death, in 1834. A more extended account of him, as also of Dr. David C. English (who died in 1860), will be found in the history of the Monmouth Medical Society, in a preceding chapter.1 Dr. Daniel Polhemus and Dr. William Debow were prac- titioners in Englishtown and vicinity in the year 1836, and for some years previously. Dr. Polhemus' residence was where Craig Bowne now lives, and Dr. Debow lived in the Disbrow house.

In 1820 there were two taverns in English- town, one kept by Mrs. Henry Perrine, where Daniel Stevens now lives, and the other by Mrs. William Gaston, on the corner where Fleming's Hotel now stands. A store was kept by Isaiah Disbrough, where the store of Peter Stevens now is. David and Daniel H. Laird also kept a store where David's grandson (Augustus Dye) now lives. In 1837, Nathaniel S. Rue, Jr., and George W. Sutphin announced a " New Concern," under the firm of Rue & Sutphin, " at the stand lately occupied by John M. Per- rine, at Englishtown, where they intend to keep constantly on hand a general assortment of dry- goods, groceries, queensware, hardware, etc." The grist-mill of the place was owned and run for many years by Jacob Keeler, afterwards by Charles Van Cleef, and later passed to the possession of William Parker, the present owner. A school-honse stood in that part of the town called " No Chance," and in it Miss Mary Hankinson taught for several years. After- wards a school-house was built beyond where the Presbyterian Church now stands. It was

1 One of the early physicians who practiced in the township was Dr. Gilbert Tennent, a son of the Rev. Wil- liamTennent. lle died in carly manhood in 1780.

Dr. John T. Woodhull and Dr. Gilbert S. Woodhull, natives of the township, were both practicing physicians. Dr. John T. retired from active practice while in middle life. Dr. Gilbert S. enjoyed an extensive practice. He lived where John Van Doren now resides, and died about 1832.

Dr. Charles G. Patterson, born 1796 and died 1835, who was a well-known and popular practitioner in Ma- nalapan township, is more fully mentioned in the history of The Monmouth Medical Society.

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used until the ereetion of the present school- " Robert J. Andrews. Among his successors have house, in 1871.

The post-offiec of Englishtown was estab- lished February 6, 1818. The first postmaster was John S. McChesney, who was succeeded by Benjamin Dey. He remained in office until Deeember, 1839, and was succeeded by Daniel H. Laird, who continned until 1856. The next was Joel T. Clayton, who held the office till March 31, 1859, and was succeeded by John M. Vorhis, who remained postmaster until 1861. His successor was Peter Clayton, who held the office ten years. His sueeessor is the ; erected, and opened for service April 9, 1861. present postmaster, Peter W. Stevens.

THE ENGLISHTOWN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, a branch of the old Tennent Church organization, was formed in 1860, and the church edifice was built in the same year in the village for the bet- ter accommodation of the members living in that vicinity. In 1874 the building was re- paired, and upon completion was reopened for service October 15th in that year. In De- cember, 1876, on petition of members residing in and near Englishtown, the Presbytery sev- ered the connection of this with the Tennent Church, and this was made a separate organiza- tion. The new society secured the services of the Rev. Donald McLaren (previously pastor of Tennent Church) as a stated supply. He was sneceeded by Rev. J. Livingston Smith, who became the pastor and was installed June 24, 1879. He resigned January 24, 1881. The Rev. Charles Everett, the present pastor, a re- eent graduate, was installed as pastor June 14, 1881.

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, at Englishtown, was organized in 1842, in the old school-house, and on the 23d of January, 1843, the following-named trustees were elected : J. O. Burtt, Sr., Elisha MeCabe, Simeon Pettit, Daniel Sanford and Gilbert Applegate. A lot was purchased of David and Daniel Laird ; an edifice, thirty by thirty-five feet, was erceted in the following summer, and used until 1878. In the summer of 1877 the present lot was secured and foundations of a new building laid in De- eember of that year. It was finished the follow- ing year, and dedicated October 10, 1878.

The first pastor of this church was the Rev.

been the following named : John Ford; 1859, R. B. Sutcliff; 1860, Peter Y. Calder; 1862, Albert Atwood ; 1865, J. P. Connelly ; 1867, George B. White; 1870, J. D. MeCurdy ; 1874, R. B. Stephenson ; 1875, W. A. Marsey ; 1876, II. J. Conover ; 1878-79, S. F. Gaskell; 1880, W. F. Randolph ; 1881-82, W. W. Grant ; 1884, D. Clinton Cobb.

SAINT JOHN'S (EPISCOPAL) CHURCH was established in 1860 as a branch of Saint Peter's Church of Freehold. A church edifice was

The Rev. Thomas J. Taylor, a missionary, was in charge of the congregation. It was feebly sustained for several years, and in May, 1877, the building was soll to J. E. Keeler, who used it for a drug-store.

Columbia Lodge, No. 88, K. of P., was chartered July 7, 1873, and was instituted with seventeen charter members. The first meetings were held in the school-house. In 1880 a lodge- room was fitted up in the second story of Traut- man's barber-shop, and formally opened in September of that year. The lodge has a mem- bership of sixty-one. The present officers are : Chancellor Commander, J. C. Rue ; Vice Chan- cellor Commander, JJ. W. Gaskell ; Master of Finance, J. C. Sutphin ; Master of Exchequer, S. C. Bowne ; Keeper of Records and Seals, W. L. Conover. H. W. Long, of this lodge, is Supreme Representative of the Supreme Lodge.

The fruit and vegetable canning factory of H. S. Evans, situated near the depot, was estab- lished in the spring of 1883. All kinds of fruits and vegetables are eanned in tin and glass. As many as one hundred hands are some- times employed in the fruit season.

The shirt-factory of E. T. Danser was started in 1882. It employs thirty to forty hands. The building is forty by one hundred and ten feet in dimensions.

BLACK'S MILLS post village is a small set- tlement or hamlet in the southern part of the township, on the Manalapan and Freehold turn- pike road.

How long prior to 1823 there was a grist-

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

mill at the locality now called Black's Mills is not known, but in that year a mill was owned there by Thomas and John Black, of Burling- ton, N. J. On the 26th of January, the next year (1824), they purchased the water-power of Manapalan River of Jonathan Forman, and soon after purchased other rights. The mill was enlarged and a saw-mill added, and both were run by them for many years. During this time a tavern was opened there and kept by one Nailor. The mills passed to Esek Harts- horne, who (April 1, 1841) sold them to Sinon Abrahams, who was then keeping the tavern. From Abrahams it passed, in December, 1847, to Thomas and John Black, who, on the 1st of April, 1859, sold the property to the present owner, Charles H. Snyder, who had previously run the mill for several years. The tavern was kept, after Abrahams, by Joseph I. Thompson. After the purchase of the mill by Mr. Snyder, and the building of his new house, the old tavern-house was moved up the hill and on the opposite side of the street, and has since been used for various purposes. The grist-mill has been enlarged and improved, and is now four stories in height and contains machinery for making flour by the roller process, with a capa- city of seventy-five barrels of flour in twenty- four hours. The water-power of the Manala- pan River is used, and also an engine of forty- horse power as an auxiliary.

In 1840, James Lloyd established a store at the Mills. Later, he removed to Freehold, but returned to Black's Mills Corners, where he built a store and kept several years. John I. McDowell, about 1844, also built a store at the Corners, on the site of the present store, and kept it several years. It has been kept since 1856 by S. W. Reed, who has acted as assistant postmaster from that time. The post-office was established June 1, 1856, and Charles S. Jewell was appointed postmaster. He was succeeded by James Van Brackle, L. P. Clay- ton and T. D. Probasco, the present incum- bent.

A Methodist Church was organized at Black's Mills about 1823, and a church builing erected, which was also used as a school-house. On the 28th of August, 1846, John Imlay, Wesley Gill

and James Connelly, trustees of the church, sold the property to James Reed.

MANALAPANVILLE village, or, more properly, hamlet, lies on the Manalapan and Freehold turnpike road, and on the township line of Manalapan and Millstone. A hotel was opened here fifty or sixty years ago. It passed, in 1859, from the estate of James H. Clayton to Jacob C. Clayton ; later, to Vincent W. Mount, who, in 1873, sold to L. G. Davison, the present owner. A post-office was established a few years ago, and the postmasters have been David Baird, N. W. Morris and D. A. Vanderveer. John Hunt opened a store about twenty years ago, which is now kept by J. B. Davison.

Near this place, in Millstone, is the Manala- pan Presbyterian Church, Manalapan School- house and Bergen Mills.

AFRICA is a hamlet situated on the west line of the township. It was settled by a number of colored people prior to 1840. An African Methodist Episcopal Church was organized, and later a church edifice was erected. The society was incorporated August 9, 1843. The church still maintains its organization, and is well sus- tained by the colored people in the vicinity.

MILLS AND MANUFACTORIES .- On the west line of the township of Manalapan, a mile north from Smithburg, stands a woolen-factory that was built over fifty years ago by William Preston. In 1844 it was in possession of Asher Smith, at which time it had a pair of carding- machines and fifty spindles.

The mill was doing custom-work only, and manufactured cloths and blankets. It was de- stroved by fire in 1846, and soon after was bought by George J. Miller and rebuilt. After a few years it was sold at public sale, and pur- chased by Asher Smith, by whom the business was continued until 1862, when it was rented by Robert S. Blain, who purchased it in 1866, and is the present owner.

On Wemrock Brook, near where the Manal- apan and Freehold turnpike crosses it, a dis- tillery was built by Elisha Combs before 1805. The distillery is still continued by James A. Per-

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MANALAPAN TOWNSHIP.

rine, who, in 1866, erected at the same place a grist-mill. It is known as Perrine's Milis.

The Lafayette or Matchett Mills site has been occupied by a mill nearly, if not quite, a hun- dred years. It was for many years, and up to 1844, owned by William Abrams, in which year it passed to Cornelius Matchett and Wood- hull Johnson, who were in possession nineteen years. In 1877, Peter Jernee, the present owner, came into possession.

Taylor's Mill is situated on the Tepahemus Brook, and the place is a very old mill-site. It ; operations, and the success which has made his

has had many owners, among whom were Nathaniel Rue, Charles Higgins and Joseph Lutes, the last of whom sokl to Joseph R. Taylor, who, in 1877, rebuilt the mill. The roller process of flonring is now used, and its capacity is fifty barrels in twenty-four hours. In addition to the water-power, a twenty-horse power engine is used.

The grist-mill now owned by James S. Parker, on the main head branch of Manalapan River, was built about 1835, by one Nesbit. Prior to that time it was a saw-mill, owned hy David Van Schoick.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

JOHN RUE PERRINE .- Mr. Perrine enjoys the reputation of being in the foremost rank among those representatives of that branch of | adheres. industry which enables Monmouth County to take a leading place among the agricultural counties of the United States. His paternal grandfather, John Perrine, was a Revolution- ary soldier. His father, Major John Perrine,

of sixteen he removed to Manalapan township and engaged in the superintendence of his father's business, consisting chiefly of a farm and an ex- tensive distillery. The latter, in 1837, pur- chased additional lands in Manalapan township, and in 1841, the farm on which the subject of this biographical sketch resides. Here he has since been engaged in farming. To say that Mr. Perrine is simply a farmer conveys but little idea of his agricultural undertakings, of the judgment and foresight indicated in his varied

name a synonym for the most advanced and im- proved methods in his department of labor. Mr. Perrine was, on the 10th of March, 1842, married to Jane, daughter of William Van Dorn and Catharine Polhemus, of Marlboro' township. Their children are William Van Dorn, Catharine Polhemus, John, and Mary Patterson, of whom Catharine Polhemus is the only survivor. The death of Mrs. Perrine oe- curred on the 28th of August, 1877. A Demo- crat in his political proclivities, Mr. Perrine has declined all offices other than those connected with his township, which a praiseworthy degree of public spirit impelled him to accept. Ile has been identified with many important enter- prises and wields an extended influence in con- nection with the business interests of the com- munity. Mr. Perrine was educated in the faith of the Presbyterian Church, to which he still

GARRET B. CONOVER .- The great-grand- father of Mr. Conover was William, who had among his children a son Benjamin, whose children were three sons-William, Garret B. Jr., who served creditably as an officer in the and Joseph-and several daughters. Garret B., War of 1812, was born July 22, 1782, in Mon- the grandfather of the subject of this biogra- phy, for whom he was named, was born in Freehold township, where he was an industri- ous farmer. He married Lydia, daughter of Peter Forman, of Manalapan township, whose children were Benjamin G., Eleanor, Katy, Lena, Mary and Alice. mouth County, where he cultivated a productive farm. He married Sarah, daughter of Allison Ely, whose children were Allison E., Barelay, Eleanor (Mrs. William T. Mills, of Brooklyn), John Rue, Lewis, Sarah Ann (Mrs. John T. Mills), James A. and Achsah (who died in youth). John Rue Perrine was born January Benjamin G., of this number, was born in 1788, in Freehold township, and spent his life in the county of his birth. He married Elea- nor, daughter of James Herbert. Esq., who 27, 1812, at Bergen's Mills, Millstone township, and received at home thorough instruction in the rudimentary English branches. At the age

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

resided near Englishtown. Their children are married Teresa, daughter of James I. Reid, of Manalapan (then Freehold) township. Their children are James, born in 1838 (deceased) ; Sarah Ellen (Mrs. James Craig), in 1839, who has one child ; Catharine (Mrs. L. D. Bugbee), in 1841, who has two children; Jane Ann, in 1843 ; William, married to Elizabeth Rue, who has four children ; Sidney (deceased) ; and Gar- ret B., Jr., married to Adaline Duncan, who has four children. Mr. Conover was never James M., born in 1809; Garret B., October 24, 1811; Elizabeth (Mrs. Joseph Preston), in 1813; Peter F., in 1815; William, in 1817 ; Daniel, in 1820; and Lydia (Mrs. Joseph John- son), in 1826. The birth of Garret B. occurred in Upper Freehold, though his youth was prin- cipally passed in Freehold and Raritan town- ships. He attended sneh schools as were to be found at Englishtown and Freehold, and having removed to his present farm, assisted | active in politics. Though of Democratie ante-

Garret Bh Conover

for some years in its cultivation. On the occa- [ eedents he has been either an Old-Line Whig or sion of his father's death he assumed the man- a Republican, but not especially interested in questions of public policy. He has, however, been deeply interested in all that pertains to the cause of religion, and has been for twenty years an elder in Old Tennent Church, to which he has Leen a liberal contributor, and foremost in every enterprise involving its welfare. His prominence in all ehureh-work has led to his being often cho- sen as delegate to the meetings of the Presbytery. agement of the property, with the care of his mother and the younger children devolving upon him ; though but twenty-two years of age, this responsible charge was met with a courage and cheerful spirit worthy of all praise. In 1835 he rented a farm in Manalapan town- ship, to which he removed with the family, and afterwards purchased. In September, 1836, he

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MANALAPAN TOWNSHIP.

THE DU BOIS FAMILY .- This is not intended Normandy. It begins the genealogy with Geof- as a record of all the descendants of Louis Du froi du Bois, describing him as a knight ban- Bois (the common ancestor, who was a French neret under William the Conqueror, whom he Huguenot refugee, and eame to America in 1660) accompanied to the conquest of England, in and Jacques Du Bois, who was supposed to 1066. It is carried on in seventeen generations in the eldest male line (all of whom are desig- nated as Seigneurs and Chevaliers) to 1648. There is not the space to enter more fully into their history in France. The date of the birth of Christien (Christian) Du Bois, the father of have been his brother, and came to this country in 1675, as the family has become too numer- ons to make such an undertaking practicable; neither does it purpose to introduce at length the generation now upon the stage. The family have two genealogical records, from which . Louis, is not known, as the records of Wieres

Henry DuBois

a few notes are taken. The name Du Bois is were almo-t illegible from age, bad ink and composed of two French words, signifying " of mutilation, the names of those who would not the forest." It was used as an ancient family reeant their faith being often intentionally erased. The baptismal dates of three of his children could be distinguished (18th June, 1622, 13th November, 1625, and 27th October, 1626), but not their names. Louis Du Bois surname both in Artois and Normandy, before William the First, King of England, left his native shores, and has remained unchanged to the present day. In the heraldlie records pre- served in the Royal Library of Paris, under the .was born at Wieres, near Lille, the chief town of lead of " du Bois," it is expressly said that the Artois, in Northern France, October 27, 1626. family of that name is one of the oldest of the He fled to Holland to escape religious perseen- noble families of the bailiwick of Contentin, in tion, and was married to Catharine Blanshan,

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

or Blanjean, October 10, 1655, at Mannheim, sketch being descended from Louis, the third Germany, his wife being the daughter of a child, who married Margaret Jansen on the 22d of May, 1720. He doubtless emigrated soon after their marriage, to West Jersey, where he acquired landed property amounting to one thousand and ninety-one acres. burgher of that place. Two sons were there born to them. They then emigrated to America, sacrificing everything to secure peace of mind and liberty of conscience, and first stopping at Hur- ley, then three miles from Kingston, N. Y., Of their eleven children, Benjamin, next to the youngest son (the grandfather of the present Benjamin), was born March 30, 1739, and mar- ried Phoebe Denise. For sixty-three years he afterwards moving to New Paltz, N. Y. On their arrival Louis Du Bois is said to have rey- erently opened the old French Bible and read ; the Twenty-third Psalm, after which he led the . was pastor of the Freehold and Middletown Re-

Livingston Dubois

assembled colony in a prayer of thanksgiving! formed Churches. The dominie left ten chil- dren, five of whom emigrated to Franklin, Ohio. Tunis Du Bois, his son, was born February 23, 1773 ; his first wife was Sarah Van Derveer, their children being four in number. His second wife was Sarah Smock, of whose seven chil- dren five sons and one daughter are now living, and settled in Monmouth County. The spirit of the old Huguenot, Louis, who left his native land for conscience' sake, seems, in some measure, and supplication. One of the first efforts of the Huguenot band was to build a church (a rude af- fair of logs) upon the lot now ocenpied by the stately edifice of the First Reformed Church of Kingston, founded by Hasbrouck, Du Bois and Lefevre. The children of Louis Du Bois were ten in number. The Du Boises of Monmouth County are descended through the third son, Jacob, his wife having been Geritje Gerritsen. They had eleven children, the subject of this | to have descended to his posterity. In Penn-

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MANALAPAN TOWNSHIP.

sylvania, three have been known as ministers of Mary E. Thompson ; and Maggie A. Mr. Du the gospel ; in New Jersey, one ; in New York, Bois, on the occasion of his first marriage, pur- at least two ; and in Ohio, one.

chased the farm in Manalapan township which

Henry Du Bois, son of Tunis D. Du Bois is his present residence. Here he has always and his wife, Sarah Smock, was born April +, been engaged in agricultural pursuits, though impaired health has precluded active labor. He was formerly interested in local politics, asa Dem- ocrat, and for many years filled the office of com- missioner of appeals, as also school trustee of the township. He has been for years a member of

1808, in Freehold township, upon the farm where the years of his childhood were spent. After receiving, at the public school, instruc- tion in the English branches, he began farming with his father, and continued thus employed until twenty-four years of age. He was, on the the Monmouth County Agricultural Society.

Benjamin Dubois

18th of April, 1832, married to Margaret, Mr. Du Bois has, during his active life, been a daughter of Peter Conover, of Matawan. Their children are Peter C. (deceased), married to Anna Virginia Corson ; Sarah M. (deceased) ; Mary C. (Mrs. Lafayette G. Schenck); John R., of Freehold, in which he was formerly both married to Anna D. Spader ; Tunis D., mar- elder and deacon. ried to Sarah E. Smock. Mrs. Du Bois died Benjamin Du Bois, the second son of Tunis man of much industry, and is ranked among the most prosperous farmers of his township. He is a member of the Reformed (Dutch) Church July 13, 1848, and he married again, on the D. and Sarah Smock Dubois, a resident of 12th of February, 1851, Ursula P., daughter of Manalapan township, was born May 10, 1810, Christian Probasco, of Atlantic township. "and on the Ist of February, 1832, was married Their children are Jacob V. N., married to to Helena Wikoff. He is a successful farmer

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History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 116

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co. Number of Pages: 1148

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148