History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 99

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 99

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).

The first church was undoubtedly built the next year (1715) after the recording of the deed, which was probably one of the steps taken be- fore its erection. As to the exact location of the building on the lot, it is inferred, from the dif- ference as to locating the corner at the vestry meeting held July 10, 1769, that it fronted on

The centennial anniversary of the laying of the corner-stone was held June 21, 1869, with imposing ceremonies. Bishop Odenheimer of- ficiated, aided by the Rev. William Otis, rector of the church, and fifteen other ministers. The President of the United States was present on the occasion.

In the history of Christ Church, written by the rector, the Rev. William Otis, the church building is deseribed as follows :

" The church is a building capable of accommo- dating about four hundred people. Its exterior is ex- ceedingly plain. It is shingled all over. and has a modest little steeple, surmounted by an old iron erown, put up there before the Revolution. The interior is that of an English country ehureb of the old time, but is most neatly furnished throughout. The cbancel,

583

SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP.

which occupies the southern end, is raised about four ; bridge, England, in 1760, and presented to the Shrews- feet from the floor, the pulpit being just in front of it. The windows are of stained glass, that in rear of the chancel being one of the most beautiful in the country.

"It was the gift of Mr. George De Hart Gillespie, of New York, in memory of his ancestors, many of whom are buried here. The chairs in the chancel were made from the wood of the old oak which stands in the yard. This relic of ages past and gone is an immense tree. It measures sixteen l'eet two inches in circum- ference three feet from the ground, and one hundred years ago its branches and heavy foliage made a shel- ter for the people who collected on this spot to witness the laying of the corner-stone of the church. The largest of the chancel chairs is beautifully carved, and is known as the 'Bishop's Chair,' and never used on

bury Church by Governor William Franklin in 1767, during the rectorship of Rev. Samuel Cooke ; the other is a large Bible printed by John Basket, at Oxford, Eng- land, in 1717. This was the gift of 'Robert Elliston, Gent., Controller of His Majestie's Customs of New York in America,' and bears the Elliston coat of arms with the motto, 'Det bene Deus.' It is filled with il- lustrations designed by J. Thornhill, and engraved on copper by Du Bose. Another valuable relic here is a silver cup and platter given to the church by Queen Anne, in 1708."

Since this was written (in 1882) the church was frescoed and the furniture renewed. A new altar font and eagle lectern have been

CHRIST CHURCH,

Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, N. J., built 1769.

publie occasions by any one but the bishop of the di- added as the donation of Mr. George De Hart Gillespie, ocese. In the sontheast corner of the chancel stands a monument to the Rev. Harry Finch, who was for thirty-four years the rector of the church. It is a In 1788, the Rev. Henry Waddell was inducted into the reetorship, by the church warden, as the first rector after the Revolution. He was suc- ceeded by Rev. Andrew Fowler, in 1799, who continued in the rectorship until 1805. In 1809 the vestry called the Rev. John Croes, Jr., who - remained faithfully and successfully performing his duty until 1824, when he was followed by the Rev. Eli Wheeler, who had a successful ministry of about six years, during which time splendid piece of work, and consists of a white mar- ble cross entwined with ivy. This stands upon a black marble base, and this upon a white marble pedestal. It bears the name of the deceased rector, and the mottoes 'Semper Paratus' and 'Semper Fidelis' carved on the gides. There are two canopied pews, one on each side of the church and near the chancel, which, years ago, were occupied by the Governor of the province and the rector. The 'Governor's pew' now contains the organ, and the old organ-loft serves as a gallery. In the pulpit are two valuable books --- one a 'Book of Common Prayer,' printed at Cam- a bell was added to the church. It had been

584

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

sent from France to a Santo Domingo Roman | monument of the Rev. John Croes, A.M., son Catholic Church. There it remained until the 'of Bishop Croes. He died in 1849, at the age revolution that deposed Soulougne, when it was sent to New York by its captors. Bonght by Mr. Van Zandt, of Little Neek, L. I., it called the faithful to prayers, but a hill between the church and Mr. Van Zandt's house pre- vented him hearing it plainly, so he sold it to Rector Wheeler, of the old church at Shrews- bury. It has a bas relief of the fleur de lis, the coat-of-arms of France and the date 1788.

In 1830 the Rev. Harry Finch became rector, and labored faithfully until his death, February 14, 1864, serving this and the adjoin- ing parishes nearly thirty-four years. A monu- ment erected to his memory by his parishioners stands in the churchyard. During his ministry three separate parishes were formed out of the mother-church : at Navesink, in the Highlands, Red Bank and Long Branch. Since that time another parish has colonized from it at Eaton- town.

In 1864, the Rev. William B. Otis was ealled by the vestry, and continued in the rectorship until 1875, when he was succeeded by the present rector, the Rev. B. Williams.

The graveyard of Christ Church contains many old headstones bearing names now familiar all over the land. Ancestors of the Lloyds, the Lippincotts, the Holmes, the Morfords and scores of other well-known families lie here, and some of these lived to a good old age. Hannah Morford died at ninety-three; Elizabeth at eighty ; Jarrett, eighty-one ; Thomas, eighty- one ; Rebecca, seventy-seven ; Maria, seventy- one ; Elizabeth De Hart lived to enjoy eighty- four years ; another Elizabeth, eighty-four; Mary, eighty-seven ; Margaret, ninety-nine ; Mauritz, seventy-seven ; Balthazar, seventy- eight; another Mauritz, eighty-eight,-all an- cestors of Mr. Gillespie named above. Mrs. E. M. Clark, his mother, died at the age of seventy- two, and Elizabeth Crossly, the old family ser- vant, lived one year longer. Not far from these graves is that of Charles Carville, a grandson of De Witt Clinton, and here, too, lie the Stelles, one of whom was buried in 1723, another in 1730. Their graves are at either side of the front entrance to the church. Here, too, is the

of sixty-seven, after having served faithfully as reetor of Christ Church thirteen years. A number of the Allens lie here, too, and the Throckmortons and the Voorhees family. Several graves are marked with names now ex- tinet in this locality. Many of the Halsteds, members of the church for one hundred years, sleep here, and all of the Jones family. Aaron Jones, the father, died in 1840. His grave occupies one end of his family plat, and at the other is the grave of his daughter Eleanor, who died at the age of nineteen,-the only child out of eleven who lived more than ten days. Between these two graves are ten little ones, all of the same length, and each marked with a little white stone bearing the letter J. It is shown by the church register that these ten little ones each lived ten days, all dying at exactly the same age.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SHREWS- BURY had its origin in the earliest days of the settlement, but did not have a house of worship at Shrewsbury until about 1727. The first settlers of Shrewsbury were mostly Congrega- tionalists from New England, who settled on Rumson and Town Neck. There are evidences of a Congregational Church having existed at Rumson. The site was undoubtedly on the old graveyard near Rumson nurseries, in which is the Parmely vault. The ground is filled with unmarked graves. The oldest slab stand- ing, bears date February 4, 1723. The grounds have been used in Jater times and many tomb- stones have been erected within the last thirty years. It is mentioned as being a Friends' burial-ground, but there is nothing to indicate that the society had established a burial-place there. They had a meeting-house at Shrews- bury as early as 1672, and their burial-place was near the church. Several of the early settlers in this section were not of the society, but succeeding generations, by intermarriage with Friends, have now become so thoroughly identified with them as to induce the belief that their ancestors were all Friends. This is the case with the descendants of John Hance, one

585

SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP.

of the original Monmouth patentees. He was In the year 1805 application was made to the Legislature of the State for permission to open a lottery for the purpose of raising money with which to build a house of worship. For some reason this did not succeed, and nothing further was done until 1821, when the present edifiee was begun, and was completed in 1823. It was enlarged in 1845, and is still in use. a justice of the township and was appointed "Schepen," or magistrate, under the Dutch rule in 1673. George Scott, in his "Model of the Government of East Jersey," says that the peo- ple were in the habit of holding service in the villages of the colony and condueting their own services ; that "they were a pious sort of people, most like the Presbyterians." As early as 1684 From the retirement of the Rev. Joseph Morgan from the Scots' Meeting, about 1728, the churches in this section were supplied from that church. the Rev. John Tennent succeeding to his charge. In 1734 the Rev. Samuel Blair began his labors in this place, having as preach- ing-places Middletown Point, Shark River and Middletown. He remained as pastor until Sep- tember 5, 1739. The church seems to have been they had lost control of the town-meetings and were without any settled pastor. The tide of Scoteh Presbyterians set in about this time and occupied their places, though they differed from the Congregationalists but slightly. The Presbyterians in this part of the county were ministered to by John Boyd, who was licensed by the court in 1705 and by the Presbytery in 1706. He said he found the congregations , without a regular pastor from that time to May, scattered and weak, but apparently united in the ; 1761, when the Rev. Elihu Spencer was set- endeavor to maintain services.

The Rev. Joseph Morgan succeeded the Rev. John Boyd in the "Scots' Meeting " (now Ten- ment Church), and served until about 1730.

On the 1st of June, 1727, Nicholas Brown (who, in 1706, sold the present Christ Church lot to the Episcopalians) conveyed the present lot on which the Presbyterian Church is located to Alexander Napier, John Johnston, Jr., and others, to be used for a burying-ground and Presbyterian meeting-house. At this time dis- senting churches could not hold titles, and prop- erty for their use was conveyed to individuals.

On February 21, 1849, Governor Jonathan | history of the extinct Presbyterian Church of Belcher granted (in the King's name) a charter for the Presbyterians of Monmouth County. The following-named persons are named therein as corporators: John Little, Jr., Christopher Longstreet, Jonathan Forman, Esq., James Robinson, John Henderson, Stephen Pangborne, Esq., Robert Imlay and Tobias Polhemus.

The Presbyterian Church building was erected at Shrewsbury soon after the purchase of the land, and stood until after the death of the Rev. Charles MeKnight, when it was in such a ruinous condition that it was oufit for use, and it was accordingly sold. The church from this time was in a weak condition until about 1840, when, under the Rev. Rufus Taylor, it took on a new growth.

tled and remained in charge until May, 1764. The church was then without a pastor for three years. On the 21st of May, 1767, the Rev. Charles MeKnight, formerly pastor of the church in Allentown, began his labors as pastor. At this time there were four Presbyterian con- gregations under his charge, each of which had a church edifice, viz. : Shrewsbury, Middletown, i Middletown Point and Shark River (now Ham- ilton or Coburg). He remained in the service of these churches until his death, January 1, 1778. He resided at Middletown village. A more full account of him will be found in the that place.

From that time, for a period of fifty years, the church was without a pastor, and had stated supplies but two years during that time. The sacrament was administered occasionally by Rev. Dr. John Woodhull and others. After a church edifice was built, in 1821-23, the Rev. Horace Pratt was sent here by a Female Missionary So- ciety of Princeton, and remained four years. The church was attended for several years by ministers who acted as stated supplies. Efforts were made to settle a pastor, but without suc- cess until November 11, 1840, when the Rev. Rufus Taylor was induced to become the pastor. Under his ministry the church sprang into new life and activity. He remained until 1852, when

586

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

he resigned. In October of the same year the Rev. Thaddeus Wilson, the present pastor, be- gan his ministry at this church. The church at present has a membership of one hundred and thirty, embracing Eatontown, at which place a church edifice has been erected.

The Shrewsbury Library Association was organized in 1861 and was incorporated in June, 1873. A library was procured and kept in private houses until 1880, when the asso- ciation purchased of Joseph Stillwell the old Orthodox Friends' Church, and moved it across the street upon a lot donated to the association for that purpose and no other. The building was fitted up for the purpose, and is called Li- brary Hall. The library contains about two thousand eight hundred volumes, and is under the care of a board of trustees, viz. : J. Preston Lafetra, (president) James Steen, L. W. Sleeper, George D. Tallman, Jr., John Trafford.

TINTON FALLS was known prior to 1673 as the " Falls of Shrewsbury." The land in its vicinity was first located by James Grover, one of the original Monmouth patentees. Ile had

From the earliest town records and other publie documents it is ascertained that the smelt- ing furnace and extensive iron-works in opera- settled at Gravesend, Long Island, in 1646. tion on this "ore tract" employed during 1680 seventy negroes and many white servants. The ore used was found in wet meadows and - swamps, known as " bog ore," being a hydrous peroxide of iron, containing forty per cent. of metallie iron. These and other similar ores dug from undrained marshes of the eastern coast of the State furnished much of the ma- ¡terial for the early iron-works of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania during the colonial times.

On account of his opposition to the Dutch government and proclaiming in favor of Crom- well in 1655, he left Long Island, disposing of his plantation to Thomas Delavall in 1666. The following year he appears at Middletown, in this State, as one of the original patentees of the Monmouth patent, and is chosen the first town clerk and surveyor of the township. The position afforded him excellent opportunity for inspeeting all the territory included in the pat- ent, and enabled him to locate such lands for himself as he might seleet. Within a few years after taking up his portion of the land grant it was decided that the wet, boggy mead- ows contained valuable deposits of iron-ore, and he, with others, took means to secure a large tract of land at that place with a view to its de- velopment. Hesent to New England for James and Henry Leonard, who were millwrights, and well skilled in the erection of iron-mills, furna- ces and forges, and who had assisted in the construction of most of the iron-works in the Plymouth colony.

At this place began the first mining of iron ore in New Jersey. Soon after the building of the furnace by James Grover and others, they, under date of October 25, 1675, conveyed to Lewis Morris, of the island of Barbadoes, a triangular piece of land containing three thou- sand five hundred and forty aeres, being part of the original patent obtained in 1667. This grant gave the purchaser and his associates " full liberty to dig, delve and carry away all such mines for iron as they shall find or see fit to dig and carry away to the iron-works, that shall be found in that tract of land that lies enclosed between the southeast branch of the Raritan river and the Whale pond on the sea side, and is bounded from thence by the sea and branch of the sea to the eastward to the Raritan river, he or they paying all such just damages to the owners of land where they shall dig, as shall be judged is done by trespass of cattle, or otherwise sustained by the earting and carrying of the said mine to the works."

The iron made here was said by the resident proprietors to be of very good quality, and the trade was of great benefit to the province of East Jersey. The usual price obtained for a ton of the iron-ore was six dollars and a half, and a ton of bar-iron at that time brought in London eighteen pounds sterling. Of so much importance were these works thought to be for the development of the territory that, in response to a petition of the owner to the pro- vineial authorities for publie protection and encouragement, special legislation was adopted in his favor. By a vote of the General As- sembly, April 6, 1676, it was enacted "as

587

SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP.

touching Colonel Morris' request, the Deputies are willing the Im Is and works belonging prop- erly to the Iron-Works shall or may be rate. free for seven years, excepting in extraordinary cases, as war or the like."

It appears, from letters of early settlers in the towns of Shrewsbury and Middletown to their friends and relatives in England and Scotland, that during the whole length of time these iron-works were exempt from taxation (1676-1683) Colonel Morris was successfully pursuing this industry, encouraging skilled workmen and affording employment to a large number of laborers.

Colonel Lewis Morris was originally from Monmouthshire, England, and there inherited the paternal estate of Tintern. He raised a troop of horse for Parliament, for which Charles the First confiscated his estate. In re- turn for his losses Cromwell subsequently indem - minied him. He early embraced Cromwell's cause, and having signalized himself on sev- eral occasions so as to win Cromwell's regard, he was selected, in 1654, to proceed to the West Indies with an expedition intended to secure the mastery of these scas. While there he received a colonel's commission, and was second in com- mand upon the attack on Jamaica. Having a nephew settled at Barbadoes, he was induced to purchase an estate on that island, and not deeming it advisable to return to England after the restoration, he subsequently became part owner of the Island of St. Lucia, and took up his abode permanently in the West Indies, re- maining there until the death of his brother Richard in New York, when he came to that city in 1673. On his arrival he assumed the guardianship of his infant nephew, Lewis Mor- ris, who was previously under the care of the Dutch government.

To the plantation which Colonel Morris bought of James Grover and others he gave the name of Tintern Manor (later corrupted to Tinton), after the family estate in Monmouth- shire, Wales. He was appointed a justice of the court, and held the position several years. He was active in the organization of the county, and gave to it the name " Monmouth," from his native county in Wales. He was a member of

the Council until August 16, 1683. In Feb- ruary of the following year the minutes state that Colonel Lewis Morris " being mostly ab- sent and living in New York," and Captain Palmer and Laurens Andriessen not able to at- tend, others were selected in their places. Upon his settlement in New York he was appointed a member of Governor Dongan's Council, and was such until 1686. He died in May, 1691, at " his plantation over against Harlem " (meaning Morrisania, N. Y).

The iron-works were described in 1680 by Secretary Nichols, when speaking of Colonel Morris' plantation, as "his iron-mills, his man- ours and divers other buildings for his servants and dependants, together with sixty or seventy Negros about the mill and husbandry." The description of East Jersey by the proprietors in 1682 says: " What sort of mines or minerals are in the bowels of the earth after-time must produce, the inhabitants not having yet em- ployed themselves in search thereof; but there is already a smelting furnace and forge set up in the colony where is made good iron, which is of great benefit to the country," this having reference to Colonel Morris' iron-works at Tinton. Oldmixon, writing in 1708, says : " Between this town [Shrewsbury] and Middle- town is an Iron-Works, but we do not under- stand it has been any great benefit to the Pro- prietors."

It is evident that the works were not of much profit at this time. In 1714, Lewis Morris (af- terward the Governor), to whom the property came from his uncle, asked " the Lords of Trade to encourage the Iron Interests in this Province." This is the latest mention found of the Morris iron-works, and it is probable that they were allowed to go down soon afterwards.

The property of Colonel Lewis Morris, who settled at Tinton Manor (now Tinton Falls) in 1673, was left by will to his nephew, Lewis Morris, the son of Richard. He had given or sold to " Lewis Morris, of Passage Point " (an- other nephew, and the son of Thomas Morris), a traet of land on Navarumsunk Neek, which was then known as Passage Point (now Black Point). This last-named Lewis Morris was appointed high sheriff of Monmouth County

588

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

March 14, 1682-83, but did not serve. He was appointed commissioner of highways soon afterwards. He was a justice of the courts from 1691 to his death, in 1696. He is mentioned both as " Lewis Morris, of Passage Point," and as " Lewis Morris, Jr."

Lewis Morris, to whom Tinton Manor was left by Colonel Lewis Morris, was born at Morrisania, N. Y., in 1671. Bereft of his father and mother when very young, he was taken in charge of the Dutch government. Soon after the arrival of Colonel Lewis Morris from the Island of Barbadoes, in 1673, he assumed charge of the estate of his brother, Richard Morris, and of his nephew, the infant Lewis Morris. As he grew up, his strong pas- sions and erratie disposition brought him into trouble with his uncle, and he ran away to Vir- ginia and from thence went to the Island of Jamaica, but after a year or two returned and became reconeiled with his uncle. His name first oceurs in the records under date of June 25, 1689, when, at a Court of Sessions held at Middletown, information was presented by Benjamin Hick against John Jennings, John West, Edward Williams, Lewis Morris, Caleb Allen, Clement Masters, John Lippincott, Jr., William Hulett, Peter Parker and Thomas Wainwright " for running of races and playing at nyne-pins on the Sabbath Day."

On the 3d of November, 1691, he was mar- ried to Isabella, daughter of James Graham, Attorney-General of the province, and settled at Tinton Manor. In 1692, at the age of twenty-one years, he was appointed judge of the Court of Common Right of East Jersey and became at the same time a member of Gov- ernor Andrew Hamilton's Council. He soon developed those qualities which in after-life gave him great influence in public affairs. On the arrival of Jeremiah Basse, in 1698, claim- ing the Governorship of the province by the appointment of only ten proprietors, instead of the requisite number of sixteen, Mr. Morris ranged himself with those who would not ac- knowledge his authority, and refused obedience to the legal tribunals and to those officials who upheld his claims as the chief functionary of the province. Basse's proclamation of his com-

mission was made on the 8th of April, 1698, and a month thereafter Mr. Morris was fined fifty pounds for eontemning the authority of the Court of Common Right, in session at Am- boy. On the return of Andrew Hamilton as Governor, in 1700, Mr. Morris was appointed president of the Council. Soon afterwards he addressed a letter to the bishop of London con- cerning the state of religion in the two prov- inces, and censuring the people of Middletown in particular for their immorality and evil practices.

This account of Lewis Morris (says Hon. George C. Beekman), should be received with considerable allowance, not alone because of his animosity to the people of this region, who had so frequently presented him" and ignored his authority, but at the same time he wrote this letter he was anxious to secure the appointment of Governor from the British erown. He sought the influence of the Church of England, which would likely have some power. Andrew Bowne, whom he styles an Anabaptist, resided in Mid- dletown township, as did also Richard Harts- horne, whom he styles a Quaker. Both of these men were prominently mentioned for the appointment of Governor. In this letter he adroitly poisons the minds of the great digni- taries of the Church of England against them, and parades his own zealous efforts in behalf of the church. He also gratifies his hatred of the people by abusing them. Lewis Morris was an ambitions and erafty man, and would have put the yoke of priestly tithes on the people of Monmouth without any scruples if it would have advanced his own interests. But the people of the county had as poor an opinion of him as he had of them, and when they broke up his court and arrested him they treated him like a common malefactor, holding both him and his court in the greatest contempt.

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

History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 99

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