History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 142

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224

USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 142
USA > New Jersey > Union County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 142

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The first grist-mill was erected in 1670-71, by Jonathan Duoham, under an agreement with the town, in which he engaged to furnish "two good stones of at least five feet over. He was admitted & free- holder, and certain grants of land were made to him in consideration of his erecting the mill, hie toll to be one-sixteenth." In 1705 another mill was erected by Elisha Parker; in 1709, another by John Pike and Richard Cutter, and in 1710 one by Richard Soper.1

Previous to 1707 great regularity seems to have been observed in re- cording the proceedings of the town, but subsequently they received less attention, and there are evident omissione. From 1714 to 1718 there was aleo, judging from the records, some irregularity in holding the usual meetings for the dispatch of business, but thereafter, although there was less attention given to minor matters (such as were probably confidled to the discretion of committees, with 'powers rendering the action of the town npon them unnecessary), the meetings were held regularly. There is only one instance in the records of any disorgani- zation proceedinge in the town, that was in March, 1764, when it is said, after the enumeration of suodry officers elected, "But ye meeting got into confusion, and so broke up."? Until from 1775 to 1783, duriog which period they appear to have ceased, and also from 1784 to 1788.

It is difficult at the present day to realize the fact that wolves should have given the inhabitants so much trouble as they seem to have done. There were town bounties established from time to time, varying from ten to twenty-five shillings for each head, and there are frequent entries of the names of claimauts ; among them that of John Ilsley appears most frequently. He je mentioned twice in 1693, four times in 1695, twice in 1696 and in 1697, twice in 1698, and three times subsequently.

In February, 1671, there were "two wolf Pits" constructed by Eph- riam Andros and Thomas Auger and their respective companies.

In February, 1703, John Clake (or Cleak and perhaps Clark), " for his encouragement in fittiog np a fulling-Mill," received a grant for twenty acres on the southerly branch of the Ruhawack.

Under date of July, 1712, John Pike and John Bishop, justices, certify that John Robison when a child had one of his ears partly bitten off " by a jade," that they had known him from childhood, and that he had never heen guilty of any crime to merit euch punishment. They give him the certificate, " to prevent any scandal that he may be liable unto by strangers in any place where the providence of God shall ceet hint."

Ae almost all pastnrage was in common in these early periods of the history of the province, great necessity existed for the due identification of cattle by their respective owners, and these marks were consequently duly recorded in the " town book," their nuoiber calling for the exercise of some iogenuity in devising the requisite variety. Thus we have for Elisha Parker's mark " a crose of the near eur and a elit on the under side of the same" ; for Richard Potter's, "three holee in the left ear"; for Obadiah Ayers', " two half pennies on the under side of the off or right ear"; and for Samuel Moore's, "a half penny on the under side of the right or off ear, and a slit across the upper side of the near or left ear."

At the period of the Revolution the position of Woodbridge among the other towns of the colony was far more important than at present, exceeding grestly in influence many which now ure far ahead in the great ruce of progress. The " Sone of Liberty" of Woodbridge and Pis- catuway took the lead in 1765-66 in several of the prominent measures of the day, and it was through their interference mainly that William Coxe, of Philadelphia, was led to decline the office of stamp distributor for New Jersey; a deputation from them to that gentlemen, while in- structed to treat him with grent deterence and respect, bearing to him a communication to the effect that a week's delay in resigning the office would render a visit from them in a body necessary, and produce results mutually disagreeable.

The town wae then on the great thoroughfare between New York and Philadelphia, and the road which was traveled over by the worthies of that day retains for miles the characteristics it then possessed; 60 thst when the octogenarian points along it and describes the passage through: the place of Washington on his way to New York to be inaugurated President, or details other events occurring oo the route, it is com-

1 Whitehead, E. H., Perth Amboy.

2 Recorde.

paratively easy to conjure up the scenery and the actors. The main features of the country, too, are unchanged; the pleasing undulations of the surface, diversified with wood and meadow, exhibiting the good judgment of the early settlers in selecting the site for an agricultural community. "The forme which the earth wore and the huee with which the air was beautified in ancient days are still the same" in gen- eral appearance, however changed may be the denizens of the place.

It is manifest, however, that it is etill within the domain of Time aod subject to the modifications which he ie forever working. Many objects that were wont to meet the eye of the traveler have disappeared, not the least among them heing the famous elm-tree, npon which the author's boyish eyes were wont to gaze in admiration, and which was noted the country round, both for its size and for its pointing ont the village tav- ern, and there was no one thoughtful enough to perpetuste its memory either by pencil or description. Perhaps the woodman, beneath whose axe it fell, felt less its loss than he who a thousand miles off read its obitnary in a stray paragraph of a newspaper. Another link of the chain connecting the present with the past was severed. The man's hold upon the days of his childhood was less secure.

In 1810 the population of this township was 4247; white males, 1980; femalee, 1903 ; all other free pereons, 134; aod slaves, 230.

Poor Rates .- No regular assessment for the sup- port of the poor seems to have been made prior to October, 1705, when £30 was to be raised for that purpose. In 1707 £28, in 1711 and 1712 £30 each. and in 1714 £15 were the amounts appropriated, but the last-named sum was not raised until 1718. Subsequently a rate was established almost yearly, varying from £30 to £60, till 1751, and therefore till the Revolution from £70 to £100, and in some years going as high as £200, as in 1764 and 1765, and in 1775 to £220, but this was to cover the expense also of copying the old town book, it being "in a Dan- gerous Situation" by reason of its being "Old and Mutch to Peases ;" but this probably was never done as the old book still exists, although the lapse of time has tended to increase the number of its pieces materially. After the Revolution the appropriation was £100 to £300, but towards the close of the century £400 were raised for their benefit. It was a custom for a time for the poor to be supported in private families, and in 1770 the announcement is made that "the poor are to be sold at public vendue." And during these years the poor who were put to the lowest bidders agreed to their mainte- nance, being at all expense for clothing, medical at- tendance, funeral charges in case of deatlı, etc., bonds being given to indemnify the township and to deliver up the paupers at the close of the year well clad.3

Copper-Mines .- It appears that at an early date " mining operations were carried" on in different parts of this township. Many places can be pointed out where deep declivities have been made and abandoned. How much and what was obtained re- mains a blank to the present time. Before tbe war of 1812 a mine was worked near what is now known as Menlo Park, and again it was worked in 1827, and now at the present time Mr. Edison and others are at work in exploring this copper-mine, and it is said may be successfully worked. It is just on the line between the townships of Raritan and Woodbridge.

3 East Jersey History.

580

HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

Paquet Creek .- In 1804, Timothy Brewster built a bridge and mill-dam here. He had his grist-mill and saw-mill. It was pulled down a few years ago.

Interesting Facts .- Gen. George Washington came to Woodbridge the 22d of April, 1789, and put up at the Cross and Key Tavern, and was escorted to the hotel by the Woodbridge Cavalry, Capt. Ich- abod Potter commanding. He was on his way to New York to be inangurated President of the United States.

When Gen. Lafayette visited this town, on Sept. 24, 1824, one of the special features of his reception was the presence of sixteen little girls dressed in white, each bearing on her bosom a letter made of marigolds, which together formed the words, " Wel- come Lafayette." The following are the names: Margert, daughter of Maj. William and Phebe Edgar ; Harriett, Eliza J., and Henrietta, daughters of Capt. John and Margaret Prior; Mary, danghter of Gage and Mary Inslee; Deborah and Lucretia, daughters of Abram and Deborah Lee; Adaline and Louisa, daughters of Dr. Matthias and Mary Freeman ; Julia Ann, daughter of Col. Henry and Margaret Osborn ; Sarah and Rebecca, daughters of James and Anna Coddington ; Eliza, daughter of Henry and Cathe- rine Howell; Eliza Ann, daughter of Nathan and Hannah Stansbury ; Elizabeth, daughter of Prof. James and Cornelia Stryker ; and Charlotte, daughter of Josiah and Matilda Ayres.1

Post-Offices .- Under Dr. Franklin's superinten- dence, in Jannary, 1764, James Parker, comptroller, then residing at Woodbridge, nnder a heading, “ For the benefit of Trade and Commerce," gave notice that a post-rider with the mail would leave New York that day at one o'clock for Philadelphia, and until further orders would leave each city every alternate day, "if weather permits." Letters to pass from city to city in less than twenty-four hours.

The following rates of postage were established in 1765 :

Letters between London and any American port, in British packet-boats, 1 shilling.

Letters by sea from one port to another in any of the British dominions, in such packets, + pence.

Letters by land to or from any chief post-office in America from or to any other part thereof not over 60 miles, 4 pence.

Over 60 miles and not exceeding 100 miles, 6 pence.

Over 100 miles and not exceeding 200 miles, 8 pence.

Any farther distance not exceeding 100 miles, 2 pence additional.

And all farther distance 2 pence additional.

Double, treble, and ounce letters paying in propor- tion.

What the rates were previously is not known. In December, 1753, Parker, the editor of the Post-Boy,

1 We are indebted to Mr. Jeremiah Dally for these two historical facto.

complained that he had to pay "twenty cents" for the postage of a communication from New Jersey that could not have filled a sheet, from which we may judge the rates must have been much higher.

The charge for newspapers sent from Europe by the then post was : Postage on " the German papers at 4 shillings and 6 pence per year ; the English papers at 7 shillings and 6 pence per year," and prompt pay- ment each quarter.

The following have been the postmasters in Wood- bridge to date:

John Manning, appointed July 31, 1792.

Philip Brown, appointed July 1, 1795.

John Voorhees, appointed April 1, 1800.

Thomas Jackson, appointed July 1, 1800. James Jackson, appointed Oct. 27, 1804.

Alex. Ayres, appointed Nov. 27, 1817.

Phineas B. Freeman, appointed Feb. 3, 1818.

Henry Potter, appointed April 23, 1821.

James M. Brewster, appointed April 15, 1824.

David E. Paton, appointed Nov. 2, 1825. John Stryker, appointed April 10, 1826. Harminus Barkalow, Jr., appointed Jan. 9, 1828.

John E. Barron, appointed Oct. 14, 1828.

Rene Pardessus, appointed Jan. 4, 1840. John E. Barron, appointed July 1, 1841. Isaac Smith, appointed Dec. 2, 1843.

Alexander A. Edgar, appointed July 16, 1847. Joseph H. Brewster, appointed March 19, 1850. Jeremiah Ten Eyck, appointed April 2, 1851. Alexander A. Edgar, appointed June 3, 1853. Samnel E. Freeman, appointed June 8, 1861.

Marcus A. Brown, appointed Feb. 21, 1871.

Daniel W. Brown, appointed April 26, 1878, the present postmaster.

Americus Lodge, No. 83, F. and A. M .- This Masonic lodge (Blue Lodge) was incorporated Feb. 18, 1867. The names of charter members: William T. Ames, W. M., 1867 : Isaac Inslee, J. S. W., 1867 ; William B. Reed, J. W., 1867; Charles C. Dalley, Robert J. Wylie, Charles M. Dally, Daniel W. Brown. The present official members : Isaac Inslee, J. W. M., 1882; Isaac N. Harned, S. W., 1882; George Brew- ster, Jr., J. W., 1882; Robert J. Wylie, S. D., 1882; B. W. Drummond, J. D., 1882; Daniel W. Brown, secretary, 1882; William T. Ames, treasurer, 1882. They hold regular meetings in the Masonic Hall.

"The Independent Hour."-In the old school building, which was removed to its present location nearly opposite the old historic "Pike Tavern," has been fitted up the publishing office of this well-con- ducted weekly township newspaper, The Independ- ent Hour, first established and paper issued by the former editor, Mr. Alfred W. John, April 13, 1876, and who conducted it for nearly three years. The present editor, Peter K. Edgar, Esq., purchased the paper in 1879, and every Thursday issues a neat eight-page newspaper containing interesting town- ship news.

Hampton Cutter

2.6 Centtes

W. H. CUTTER.

581

WOODBRIDGE.

Woodbridge Railroads .- The facility for reach- ing this town. There was laid a branch road from Perth Amboy to Rahway, connecting with the Penn- sylvania line, and the depot here was built in 1873, bringing Woodbridge and the neighboring towns within a few minutes' ride. There is also a station, called the "Spa Spring," and the " Edgar."

The Long Branch Road have a station called "Se- waren," about one mile and a half from the village of Woodbridge.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

JAMES M. BROWN.

George Brown, the progenitor of the family in Woodbridge, came from Scotland, and is the one named as one of the trustees of the first Presbyterian Church organized in Woodbridge. His son Thomas died Oct. 28, 1781. John, son of Thomas, born Nov. 1, 1752, died on the homestead in February, 1828. Thomas C., son of John, was born Dec. 23, 1787, and died March 12, 1845. His wife, Abigail Moores, was also of Scotch extraction.

James M., son of Thomas C. and Abigail Brown, was born on the ancestral homestead in Woodbridge Ang. 5, 1819, and was third child in a family of six children. He completed his education in the school at Woodbridge in 1836. Choosing a business life, he served for four years as clerk in the general store of W. & P. Brown, of Rahway, afterwards in the store of his brother. John T., in New York, for two years, when his health failing he regained it after service on board a cnasting vessel for seven years, commanded by Capt. David Tappan. In the spring of 1845, upon the death of his father, he returned and assisted in the management of the farm. He married, Oct. 23, 1846, Phebe J., daughter of Crowell and Fanny L. Hadden, of Brooklyn, N. Y., formerly of Woodbridge, who bore him two children,-Lewis, died at the age of seven ; and Thomas C., resides at home. Both Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been zealous members of the Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge, the former since 1842. Mrs. Brown was a lady of rare intelligence and culture, was well versed in both vocal and instru- mental music, and died Dec. 6, 1880, aged fifty-three years.

Mr. Brown has been a member of the board of trus- tees of the Presbyterian Church since 1853, and a deacon in the church for the same length of time. He cast his first vote for President for Harrison in 1840, and has voted on the Whig and Republican tickets at every Presidential election since. Mr. Brown is president of the Rondout and Kingston Gaslight Company, of Rondout, N. Y., and manu- factures gas by a new process, which is made cheaper than the old one, and now becoming very popular, using only naphtha and anthracite coal in its manu- facture.

THE CUTTER FAMILY.

HAMPTON CUTTER, who was a farmer and clay merchant, was born Dec. 25, 1811, in Woodbridge township, Middlesex Co., N. J., and was the fifth child of the late William C. and Sarah ( Herriott) Cut- ter, of that section. The Cutter family are of Scotch and English extraction. One Richard Cutter, with his mother, brother, and sisters, arrived in Massachu- setts about 1640, and settled in and about Cambridge. A grandson of Richard Cutter, himself bearing the same name, and known as Maj. Richard Cutter, was the first of the name to leave New England and settle in a distant locality. He married Mary, daughter of John Pike, Aug. 20, 1706. This John Pike was one of the first and most active settlers of Woodbridge. Maj. Cutter died in 1756, leaving a numerous pro- geny, and from his fourth child and eldest son, Dea- con William Cutter, who died in 1780, Hampton Cut- ter was the third in descent, being his great-grandson. He assisted his father in farming operations until 1836, when he married, and then continued in agri- cultural pursuits on his own account. In 1845 he commenced to dig kaolin, having discovered a large deposit of this valuable material on his farm. It is used with clay in the manufacture of fire-brick. Several years after he reached a strata of fine blue clay, which also largely enters into the composition of fire-brick, and for many years was engaged very extensively in supplying this valnable article to manu- facturers, not only of his immediate neighborhood, but in Portland, Boston, Albany, Cleveland, etc. During the later years of his life he associated his sons, Josiah C. and William Henry, with him under the preceding firm-name. For many years he was called upon to serve the public in various local offices.

From 1860 to 1875 he served as justice of the peace, declining to officiate longer, and twice he served on the board of chosen freeholders of Middlesex County. From 1868 for fourteen years he was a director in the National Bank of Rahway. For fifty years he was a member, and for twenty-six years was one of the trustees, of the old Presbyterian Church of Wood- bridge, seven of which he was the honored president of the board. He was married Jan. 26, 1836, to Mary R., daughter of Josiah Crane, of Cranford, N. J., his family consisting of four children, two sons and two daughters. He died Feb. 19, 1882.

JOSIAH C. CUTTER, eldest son of Hampton and Mary R. (Crane) Cutter, was born in Woodbridge, N. J., Nov. 11, 1836, where he was educated and al- ways resided. Through boyhood and manhood he was widely and most favorably known to the entire com- munity, as he was energetic and very ambitious, and always interested in the public welfare of the place and church with which he was connected. He was a man of retiring disposition and close business application. For several years he had been a member of the Town Committee and held several other public offices. He was treasurer and secretary of the Woodbridge Dime

582

HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

Savings-Bank from its organization in the winter of 1871 until his death. Politically he was a Democrat. In early manhood he became a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge, and continued a devout Christian through his life. He was in feeble health for some time, and died Sept. 18, 1877. In his death the church and community lost one of its worthy and highly esteemed citizens.

W. H. CUTTER, son of Hampton Cutter, and suc- cessor to the firm of Hampton Cutter & Sons in the clay-mining business, was born June 22, 1840. His youth was spent in the private and public schools of Woodbridge, where he received a fair education. At the age of eighteen or nineteen he joined his father and brother, Josiah C., the latter of whom died Sept. 18, 1877, in the clay-mining business, to which he succeeded by will upon the death of the father, he having received the property in the same manner from his father, William Cutter. Through each sneceed- ing generation this business has been a representa- tive business interest of that locality.1

In politics Mr. Cutter is a Democrat, though he takes no active part, frequently declining positions tendered him. He was married June 14, 1871, to Sarahı R., daughter of Samuel Barron, of Woodbridge. Samuel Barron died March 4, 1870. His children are Hampton and Laura L. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cutter are members of the Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge, he having served three years as trustee of the same. Mr. Cutter devotes his time chiefly to the clay-mining interests.

WILLIAM H. BERRY.

William H. Berry, manufacturer in Woodbridge, is a native of New England, having been born in Litch- field, Me., Sept. 18, 1805. His grandfather, Nathaniel Berry, served throughout the Revolutionary war with bravery and distinction, and shortly after 1777 was attached to Gen. Washington's life-guard with others distinguished for their courage, hardihood, and trust- worthiness. He died at Pittston, Me., Aug. 20, 1850, in the ninety-fourth year of his age, and was buried with civic and military honors by a large concourse of his fellow-citizens, who continued to cherish the re- membrance of his virtues and services. At the time of his death he was the last of Washington's life- guard. His son, John Berry, was a farmer, and married Elizabeth Robinson, a native also of Maine. When well advanced in life John Berry removed from Litchfield to Gardiner, Me., and there their son, sub- ject of this sketch, William H., received his education in the public schools. Upon leaving school, at the age of nineteen, he entered upon a maritime career, and followed the sea for six years, beginning as a common sailor and finishing as first officer. For two years following he was in business with his brother in Jersey City, baling and shipping hay. In 1832 he

settled in Woodbridge, and continned the same busi- ness and the coal business until 1845; and he was the first to introduce anthracite to that community, bringing from Rondout, N. Y., via Hudson River. So slowly did this coal come into general favor that only forty tons of it were sold during the first two ycars. In 1845 he embarked in his present business, the manufacture of fire-brick, and with his charac- teristic energy soon rendered this one of the leading interests of the community. This business he has so increased that with his full complement of hands he can produce one million fire-bricks per annum, and with a trifling additional cost twice that number. His works being located on the creek, he has both water and rail transportation for marketing, and the reputation of his works is wide-spread. Mr. Berry is public-spirited, takes an active interest in local matters, and has acted as township committeeman and chairman of the board. He obtained from the Legislature in 187I a charter for a Dime Savings- Bank, and has been president of its board of direc- tors since. He served as trustee of the public schools for eleven years, and in 1877 was engaged in building a school-house, costing nearly thirty thousand dollars, an ornament to the village; and he was the first to introduce into Woodbridge scales of heavy draught. He was an ardent supporter of the Union cause, giv- ing time and money, during the late Rebellion, and fitted up a portion of his factory buildings, where soldiers of the vicinity were exercised in the army drill. His son, William C. Berry, on the breaking out of the Rebellion organized a company of the young men of the village, and in August, 1861, a part of the command joined Company H, Fifth New Jersey Volunteers, he himself being commissioned as first lieutenant. On the 5th of May, 1862, while leading his men in the battle of Williamsburg, he fell a martyr to his country's cause. His body was recovered and now rests in the Alpine Cemetery, be- tween Woodbridge and Perth Amboy.

Mr. Berry married in May, 1835, Margaret Cod- dington, of Woodbridge, whose grandfather, Robert Coddington, was one of a party of three who, during the Revolutionary war, captured off Perth Amboy a British vessel laden with stores. It was in the winter season when the attack was made, and the ice was thick enough along the shore to sustain a heavy bur- den. The stores were subsequently drawn on the ice to Perth Amboy, together with one of the British cannon, which was used for many years afterwards in celebrating American independence. In 1874 the Town Committee presented the gun to the New Jer- sey Museum of Revolutionary Relics at Morristown. Mr. Berry is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Woodbridge, of which he has served as trustee for nearly forty years, and as president of the board for about thirty years. For over a quarter of a century he has acted as class-leader, and for several years has been superintendent of the Sunday-school.

1 See Prof. Cook's report for statistics.

Com H. Berry

WOODBRIDGE.

583

Samuel Rally

SAMUEL DALLY.

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History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 142

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed. Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts Number of Pages: 1224

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224