History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 97

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 97

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Benjamin Griggs

school district of his township. He adheres to the religious faith of the family, and is a mem- ber and trustee of the Port Monmouth Baptist Church.

William, the second son, was born November 20, 1808, at Freehold, aud followed the trade of a blacksmith. He married Lydia A. Holman, of Monmouth County, and was the father of a family of seven children, of whom Benjamin, the sub- ject of this sketch, was the third. The children of this union were William A., Augustus (de- ceased), Edgar, Benjamin, Henry, Adelia (mar- ried to Daniel B. Frost) and Augusta. Mr.

CAPTAIN BENJAMIN GRIGGS .- Benjamin Griggs, the grandfather of Captain Benjamin Griggs, was born in the county of Middlesex, N. J., in the memorable year of 1774, directly preceding the struggle of the colonies for in- | Griggs was prominently identified with local

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MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP.

political affairs and was one of the first pioneers in steamboat enterprises. William Griggs died March 21, 1878.

Benjamin Griggs was born at New Mon- mouth, formerly Chanceville, on July 10, 1842. He received in his youth the education gener- ally obtained at the common schools, and after- wards followed the life of a farmer for some years. In 1869 he became clerk upon the ! ral Society, and worships at the Baptist Church

He was elected a member of the State Legis- lature in 1881, and has served on the commit- tees on fisheries and passed bills. He is prominently identified with all matters of public interest in his locality and is a public-spirited citizen of worth and one that is universally respected by his neighbors. Captain Griggs is a member of the Monmouth County Agricultu-

farmer A Leonard

freight-boat "Orient," plying between Port Mon- mouth and New York City. His application and the confidence he inspired by his ability raised him in a short time to the command of the boat, of which he became captain in 1873, which position he successfully filled up to the year 1880, when he built a new vessel. He continues to follow the profession of a mariner, and owns shares in vessels other than that which he commands.

of New Monmouth, of which he is a trustee. On January 2, 1873, he was united in mar- riage to Martha S. Wilson, daughter of the Rev. W. V. Wilson, of Port Monmouth.

CAPTAIN JAMES H. LEONARD, the eldest son of Thomas, above mentioned, was born on the homestead of his grandfather, at Leonardsville, where the years of his boyhood were spent. After a period at school he entered his father's

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

store as clerk, and remained four years thus em- ployed ; but preferring a less sedentary life, abandoned for the time mercantile pursnits and retired to the farm. He was, on the 17th of November, 1863, married to Emma C., daughter of James J. Taylor, of Atlantic town- ship. Their children are Mary, born April 8, 1866 ; George T., born August 3, 1872, who died in his second year ; and Albert T., whose birth oc- rurred March 27, 1875. Captain Leonard, after

est in a very productive farm in Middletown township. Captain Leonard is in politics a stanch Republican, and has wielded an ex- tended and salutary influence in his township on questions of public import. He was, in 1875, elected to the office of assessor, and the year fol- lowing chosen to represent his district in the State Legislature. He used much of his time and means in the successful effort to obtain railroad and steamboat accommodations to Atlantic

Edward Hopper

his marriage, purchased and removed to a farm in Middletown, which he cultivated for a period of fifteen years. This property was subse- quently sold and divided into lots, and is now included in a portion of Atlantic Highlands. He also became interested in a steamboat line plying between Atlantic Highlands and New York, and for three years acted as captain of the vessel. He, in 1882, embarked again in mercantile enterprises, but still retains his inter-

Highlands and vicinity. He is connected by membership with the Navesink Baptist Church, in which he fills the office of trustee.

EDWARD HOOPER .- Mr. Hooper is of Eng- lish descent, his grandfather having been Jo- seph Hooper, a lincal descendant of William Hooper, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He first settled in Middlesex County, and afterwards removed to Monmouth

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SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP.

County, N. J., meanwhile marrying Elizabeth Hartman, whose children were Joseph, Wil- liam, Samuel and Rebecca. Samuel, who was born in Monmouth County, served in the War of 1812 as captain in one of the New Jersey regiments, and subsequently became a farmer. He married Ursula, daughter of Jonathan Bowne, whose children are Richard, Eleanor, Edward, William, Samuel and Jonathan. Cap- tain Hooper was prominently associated with the social and business interests of the county, and exerted no little influence in matters of a publie character. His son Edward was born October 6, 1820, on the family estate in Mid- dletown township, his father having been the owner of an extensive traet of land there located. His son, the subject of this biographical sketch, enjoyed thorough advantages of education, and, desiring to engage in active out-of-door employ- ments, assumed supervision of the farm. This property was eventually embraced in the popu- lar seaside resort known as Atlantic Highlands, Mr. Hooper being the leading spirit in this en- terprise. He has manifested much liberality in all matters pertaining to the development of the place, always stipulating that the traffic in liquor should receive no encouragement from its resi- dents. From his youth to the present time Mr. Hooper has been a staneh advocate of the tem- perance cause, which has received from him substantial support and aid. He is identified with all movements having for their purpose the encouragement of morality and the suppression of vice in the community. Mr. Hooper was for- merly a member of the Baptist Church of Mid- dletown, and later of the Navesink Baptist Church, of which he is now the clerk. He was, in 1884, married to Miss Elizabeth Mansfield. Miss Rebecca Hooper, whose death occurred in 1830, aged fifty-five years, was no less favorably known for her superior mental endowments than for her attractive social gifts. She enjoyed the acquaintance of many distinguished people, hospitality.

CHAPTER XVIII.

SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP AND THE TOWN OF RED BANK.

SHREWSBURY was one (Middletown being the other) of the " Two Towns of Navesink" in which the first settlements in what afterwards became Monmouth County were made, under the con- cessions of the " Monmouth Patent," granted by Governor Richard Nicolls, to William Goulding and associates, in 1665. An extended account of these pioneer settlements in Shrewsbury and Middletown has already been given in the chap- ter on Early Settlements and Land Titles.

In 1693 the three original townships of Mon- month County-Shrewsbury, Middletown and Freehold-were laid out and erected by an act passed by the Provincial Assembly, and approved by Governor Hamilton on the 31st of October in that year. The part of that act which has reference to the formation of Shrews- bury is as follows : "The township of Shrews- bury includes all the land from the mouth of Neversink River, and runs up the said river and Swimming River and Saw-Mill Brook to Burlington Path ; thence, the nearest way, over to Manasquan River or brook, where Pis- canecticunek Brook comes into the same ; thence, the nearest way, to the Pines, and along the edge of the Pines to Burlington path, and along Burlington Path to the Pine Brook, and along the edge of the Pines to the line of the Province, and along the Province Line to the Sea, and thence along the Shore to where it began." Thus the old township of Shrewsbury embraced all the eastern part of the county, from Navesink River southward to Little Egg Har- bor, including the greater part of the territory of the present county of Ocean.

In 1749 the southwest part of Shrewsbury township was cut off and erected into the town- ship of Stafford (now in Ocean County) by Governor Jonathan Belcher, dated at Burling- ton, March 3d of the year named. The patent recites and declares :

and rendered her home the centre of a refined | patent from King George the Second, signed by

"That we, of our especial grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, have given and granted, and by

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

these presents do give and grant, for us, our heirs and successors, to the inhabitants of the south western part of the Township of Shrewsbury, in the connty of Mon- mouth, in our Province of New Jersey, within the fol- lowing boundaries, to wit : Beginning at old Barnegat Inlet, and from the north end of the beach lying to the southward of the said Inlet, running over the Bay north, forty-six degrees west, five miles and thirty- seven chains to the month of Oyster Creek, and then west eleven miles and seventy chains to a Pine tree in the southwest plain in the old partition line of East and West Jersey, formerly run by George Keith ; thence bounded by the old division line south, nine- teen degrees east, nineteen miles and sixty chains to the south stationary point of division between East and West Jersey, at the main sea; thence northeasterly to the place of beginning, according to the plan hereto annexed; to be and remain a perpetual township and community in word and deed, to be called and known by the name of the township of Stafford."

After this rednetion of its territory, Shrews- bury still embraced all from Navesink River southward to the south side of Barnegat In- let. This was a source of great inconvenience to a large number of the inhabitants of Shrewsbury, who, in 1767, presented a peti- tion to the Assembly, then in session at Bnr- lington, setting forth the difficulties under which they labored "by reason of the large extent of said Town," and asking for relief by a division of its territory ; upon which an act was passed " to divide the town of Shrews- bury and annex parts thereof to the Towns of Freehold and Upper Freehold," which aet provided,-" That all that part of said Town of Shrewsbury beginning at Cranberry Inlet and running thence up the Bay to the mouth of Metetecunk River ; thence up the said River to the first bridge, which now is over the said River ; thence west until it shall intersect a line to be run south, eighteen degrees west, from the place where the Burlington Old Path erosseth the north Branch of Tom's River, called Pine Brook ; thence from the intersection of the said lines south, fifty-six degrees west, to the old division line called Keith's line ; thence along said Keith's line to the line of the Town of Stafford ; thence along the same to the main sea or ocean ; and thence, bounded by the sea, to the above mentioned beginning; shall be, and is hereby, divided off from the said Township, and made a separate Town, to be called by the

name of the town of Dover." By other sections of the same act, portions of Shrewsbury township lying in what is now Ocean County were an- nexed to Freehold and Upper Freehold, as is more fully mentioned in the histories of those townships.

The area of Shrewsbury was further reduced by the taking of parts of its territory to form Howell township in 1881; Atlantie township in 1847, Ocean township in 1849 and Eaton- town township in 1873. The histories of those townships include descriptions of the territory thus taken at the times mentioned, by which Shrewsbury was reduced to its present limits. The township as it now exists is bounded north by Navesink River. Swimming River aud Hop Brook, which separates it from Middletown ; east by Shrewsbury River and the townships of Eatontown, Ocean and Neptune; south by Shrewsbury River and the townships of Eaton- town and Wall ; and west by the townships of Wall, Atlantic and Middletown. The only streams of importance in Shrewsbury township are the Navesink and Shrewsbury (sometimes called the North and South Shrewsbury) Rivers, both of which flow in a northeasterly and then a northerly course, and, nniting their waters, empty into Sandy Hook Bay. The railway lines of Shrewsbury are the New York and Long Branch Railroad, which crosses the town- ship in a southeast direction from Red Bank ; and the New Jersey Southern, which enters the township at Red Bank, runs thence sonth into Eatontown, then re-enters Shrewsbury and crosses it, running in a southwesterly direction into Atlantic township, on the route to Farm- ingdale, Lakewood and Tom's River. The population of Shrewsbury township by the United States census of 1880 was six thousand five hundred and twenty-six.

Following is a list of chosen freeholders of Shrewsbury township, from the time when the board became an independent body 1 to the pres- ent, viz. :

I The Board of Freeholders became an independent body in 1798. Prior to that time they had exercised their official powers in conjunction with the justices of the county.

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SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP.

1798-1804. Theophilus Little. 1796-1802. Jacob Holmes.

1805-9. Robert Evilman. 1806-7. Thomas Morford. 1827-47. Elisha Lippincott. 1839-46. William R. Maps. 1847-48. Henry Wolcott, Jr. 1848. Henry Howland.

1849-50. Michael Taylor. 1849-53. John R. Conover. 1854-55. Samuel T. Hendrickson. 1856. John E. Norris.

1857-59. Robert W. Brower. 1860-62. John W. Parker.

1863-64. Samuel T. Hendrickson. 1865-72. William T. Conover.

1873-74. Corlies W. Thompson.

1875-77. Richard Applegate. .

1878-80. James S. Throckmorton. 1880-84. Jacob Shults.

The old village of Shrewsbury lies about one and a half miles south of Red Bank, at a "four corners " formed by the crossing of the Red Bank and Eatontown turnpike and the Tinton Falls and Rumson Neck road, which latter is at this point identieal with a King's highway which was laid out as such by the road commissioners of Monmouth County in 1685,-just two centuries ago,-to pass through the Shrewsbury settlement, which, even then, was twenty years old, and contained a Friends' Meeting-house, which had been ereeted in 1672, The successor of that old meeting-house still forms a part of the village, and there are also here two other churches (Presbyterian and Epis- copalian) which date their origin baek to years prior to 1790.

In 1695 the land in the northeastern angle of the Shrewsbury four corners was owned by John Lippineott, except that lot which he sold (for a nominal sum) to the Friends for a meet- ing-house. In 1706, Nicholas Brown owned the southeast corner and sold to the Episcopa- lians, a part of his farm on which Christ Church was ereeted. John West also lived near here and owned the "Great House," at which place the first election for freeholders of the town- ship took place, in March, 1710. Samuel Dennis also lived here. He was a judge of the courts from 1704 to his death. He was buried in Shrewsbury, and his tombstone gives his history as follows :

"Here lies, in hopes of a joyful resurrection, Samuel Dennis, who came from Great Britain to this place A.D., 1675, and lived here to the day of his death, which was the 7th of June, 1723, aged seventy-two years and six months, leaving issue two sons and three danghters by his only wife, Increase, who de- parted this life twenty-eight years before him."

Jedediah Allen lived on the northwest corner, where Dr. Edmund W. Allen, a great-grandson, was born, in 1788, and where he lived until his death, in 1867. His son Joseph now resides on the homestead.

Among the prominent men who settled in Shrewsbury was Samuel Breese, whose father, Sidney Breese, was a merchant in New York, but who owned considerable property in this county. Samuel married Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Samuel Finley, and eame to this village and settled in 1767. She died the next year, leaving a daughter, who afterwards became the wife of the Rev. Jedediah Morse, whose school geography is well known. From this family Samuel Finley Breese Morse, the discoverer of the magnetic telegraph, was de- scended. The second wife of Samuel Breese was a daughter of John Garland, of New York City. He was for many years a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church. He was also a colonel of provincial troops during the Revolution. He died in 1801, and was buried in the Presby- terian Churchyard. His son, Samuel S. Breese, resided in the village, and was the postmaster appointed upon the establishment of the office, January 1, 1796.

Abont 1732, Theodosius Bartow, a counselor- at-law, settled at Shrewsbury, where he died October 5, 1746, and was buried under the right aisle of Christ Church. His wife was Ann Stillwell. He received a promise from her on his death-bed that their unborn ehild should be named after himself. The child was a girl and was named Theodosia, who after- wards became the wife of Colonel Frederiek Prevost and subsequently the wife of Aaron Burr, and from whom their ill-fated daughter, Theodosia (the wife of Governor Allston, of South Carolina), took her name. Theodosius Bartow was a son of the Rev. John Bartow, of England, a missionary from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

He married Helena, daughter of John Reid, of Freehold township, in 1706, and settled as rector of St. Peter's Church, in Westchester, N. Y., where he died in 1726.

An old house which stood on the north of and adjoining the Friends' Meeting-house lot, and which was taken down in 1879, is believed to have been built in 1746, as in taking it down a brick was found in one of the chimneys bear- ing the words and figures : " Michael White, his brick, 1746." In 1800 the house belonged to Jacob Holmes, and in 1821 it passed to Benja- min Stevens, who was the father of John L. Stevens, the author. There are now in the old village many elegant residences and finely laid- out grounds, along the quiet roads, which are shaded with syeamores, whose great size indi- cates that they were contemporary with the churches and old residences.

The post-office at Shrewsbury was established January 1, 1796, with Samnel S. Breese, post- master. He was succeeded, March 3, 1804, by Benjamin White, Jr., who served until about 1833. He was succceded by E. H. Van Uxem, Joseph Allen, -Lippincott, Theodore Sickles, George D. Bradford and the present incumbent, A. H. Borden.

THE FRIENDS' MEETING and Meeting-house at Old Shrewsbury were in existence more than two centuries ago. Concerning them, the ear- liest information is gained from the journals of John Burnyeate and George Fox, distinguished members of the Society of Friends ; in company with them were Robert Withers, George Pati- son and others, some of whom returned by the same route a few months afterwards. These noted Quaker preachers left Maryland in the latter part of February, 1672, and arrived at New Castle, Del., about the 1st of March. The following is George Fox's account of the journey and also of his return trip :

"We departed thence from New Castle, Del., and got over the river not without great danger of some of our lives. When we were got over we were troubled to procure guides, which were hard to get and very changeable. Then had we that wilderness to pass through since called West Jersey, not then in- habited by English ; so that we have travelled a whole day together without seeing man or woman, house or

dwelling-place. Sometimes we lay in the woods by a fire and sometimes in the Indians' wigwams or houses. We came one night to an Indian town and lay at the King's house, who was a very pretty man. Both he and his wife received us very lovingly, and his attend- ants (such as they were) were very respectful to us. They laid us mats to lie on; but provision, was very short with them, having caught but little that day. At another Indian town where we staid, the King came to us and he could speak some English. I spoke to him much, and also to his people, and they were very loving to us. At length we came to Middletown, an English plantation in East Jersey, and there were friends there, but we could not stay to have a meeting at that time, being so earnestly pressed in our spirits to get to the half-yearly meeting of Friends of Oyster Bay, Long Island, which was near at hand. We went with a friend, Richard Hartshorne, brother to Hugh Hartshorne, the upholsterer in London, who received us gladly to his house, where we refreshed ourselves, and then he carried us and our horses in his own boat over a great water, which held us most part of the day in getting over, and set us upon Long Island."

From thenee Fox proceeded to Gravesend, L. I. In June following he returned to New Jersey. Of his return trip he writes as follows :

" Being clear of this place we hired a sloop, and the wind serving, set out for the new country now called Jersey. Passing down the bay by Conny Is- land, Naton Island and Stratton Island, we came to Richard Hartshorne, at Middleton harbor, about break of day on the 27th of sixth month. Next day we rode about thirty miles into that country, through the woods and over very bad bogs, one worse than all the rest, the descent into which was so steep that we were fain to slide down with our horses and then let them lie and breathe themselves before they go on. This place the people of the place called Purgatory. We got at length to Shrewsbury, in East Jersey, and on First day had a precious meeting there, to which Friends and other people came far, and the blessed presence of the Lord was with us. The same week we had a men and women's meeting out of most parts of New Jersey. They are building a meeting-place in the midst of them, and there is a monthly and a general meeting set up, which will be of great service in those parts in keeping up the gospel order and gov- ernment of Christ Jesus, of the increase of which there is no end, that they who are faithful may see that all who profess the holy truth live in pure re- ligion and walk as becomethi the gospel. While we were at Shrewsbury an accident befel, which for a time was a great exercise to us.

"John Jay, a friend of Barbadoes, who came with us from Rhode Island, and intended to accompany us through the woods to Maryland, being to try a horse, got upon his back, and the horse fell a running, cast

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SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP.

him down upon his head and broke his neck, as the people said. Those that were near him took him up as dead, carried him a good way and laid him on a tree. I got to him as soon I could, and feeling him, coneluded he was dead. As I stood pitying him and his family, I took hold of his hair, and his head turned any way, his neck was so limber. Whereupon I took his head in both my hands and setting my knees against the tree, I raised his head and perceived there was nothing out or broken that way. Then I put one hand under his chin and the other behind his head, and raised his head two or three times with all my strength, and brought it in. I soon perceived his neck began to grow stiff again, and then he began to rattle in his throat, and quietly after to breathe. The people were amazed, but I bade them have a good heart, be of good faith and carry him into the house. They did so, and set him by the fire. I bid them get him something warm to drink and put him to bed. After he had been in the house a while he began to speak, but did not know where he had been. The next day we passed away and he with us, pretty well about sixteen miles to a meeting at Middletown, through woods and bogs, and over a river where we swam our horses, and got over ourselves upon a hollow tree. Many hundred miles did he travel with us after this.

"To this meeting came most of the people of the town. A glorious meeting we had, and the truth was over all, blessed be the great Lord God forever ! After the meeting we went to Middletown harbor, about five miles, in order to take our long journey next morning through the woods towards Maryland, hay- ing hired Indians for our guides."

It is shown by these extracts that at that time the Friends were building a meeting-house at Shrewsbury. The exact locality of their first meeting-house is not known. Mention is also made of a "monthly and general meeting." be- ing "set up." The society is now of the Shrewsbury Monthly, the Shrewsbury and Rah- way Quarterly and the New York Monthly Meetings.

On the 5th of March, 1695, the Trustees of the Friends' Meeting of Shrewsbury-Jede- - diah Allen, Peter Tilton and Remembrance Lippincott-purchased of John Lippincott "all that piece or parcel of land situate and being at the southeast corner of the said Lippineott's | speaker.

great lot joining to Thomas land, whereon his dwelling-house now stands, in breadth eight rods easterly, and in length twenty rods north- erly, from thenee running easterly eight rods, and from thence southerly twenty rods, to the

place of beginning," abutting southward upon the highway, east and north on John Lippincott and westward upon the highway, containing one acre of land, in trust "for the poor people called Quakers." Upon this lot the Friends erected a brick meeting-house, which was used until 1816.

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History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 97

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