History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 3

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 3
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 3

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 Purchneera are not to pay for their Liberty of Purchasing to the Governonr.

" The Purchasers are to Set out a Town and Inhabit together.

" No Purchaser shall at any Time Contract for himself with any Sa-

3 E. Town Book B., eth. end, pp. 11, 12. E. Town Bill in Chancery, p. 26. Grants, Concessiona, &c., pp. 671-3

FIRST ENGLISH SETTLEMENT AT ELIZABETH TOWN.

chem, without Consent of his Associates: or Special warrant from the Governour.

" The Purchasers are free from all manner of Assessments or Rates five Years after their Town Plett is Set out, and when the five years are Expired. they shall only be Liable to the Publick Rates and payments, according to the Custome of other Inhabitants both English and Dutch. "All Lands thus Purchased and Posses'd, shall Remain to the Pur- chasers and their [Irirs as free-lande to Dispose of as they Please.

"In all Territories of his Royal Highness, liberty of conscience is allowed; Provided euch liberty is not Converted to licentioneness or the Disturbance of Others in the exercise of the Protestant Religion.

" The several Town-ships have liberty to make their l'articular Laws, and deciding all Small Canses within themselves.

" The Lande which I intend shall be firat Planted, are those upon the west side of Ilndsons River, at or adjoining to the Sopes, but if any Number of men sufficient for Two or Three or more Towns, shall desire to Plant upon any other Lands, they shall have all Due Encouragement Proportionable to their Quality and undertakings.

" Every Town-ship is Obliged to pay their Minister, according to such Agreement as they shall make with them, aud No man to refuse his Proportion. the minister being Elected by the Major Part of the house- holders, Inhabitants of the Towo.

"Every Town-ship hath the free Choice of all their Officers hoth Civill and military, and all men who shall take the oath of allegiance to his Majestie and are not Servants or Day-labourere, but are admitted to Enjoy a Town lott, are Esteemed free-mien of the Jurisdiction, aud cannot forfeit the same without Due Process in law." 1

These proposals were all that could be expected, emanating as they did from a court that was bitterly opposed to everything like democracy, exceedingly jealous of the power and privileges of the people, and so hostile to the Puritan party in the Church of Eng- land as to have driven more than two thousand non- conforming ministers into private life. They were regarded with peculiar favor by the new settlers in the duke's territories, and accepted as a liberal con- stitution for the planting of new towns and the organizing of new municipalities.

Encouraged by the Governor's concessions, and furnished with every requisite document to establish their right and title beyond all doubt and contro- versy to the absolute proprietorship of their lands, the four purchasers from Long Island, with their as- sociates, took measures for a speedy and effective occupation of the fair domain thus lawfully and honorably acquired.

Settlement of the Patent .- The precise date of the occupation of the Elizabethtown purchase by the original proprietors is not on record. Mr. Hatfield is of the opinion, for various excellent reasons which he gives, that the settlement was actually commenced, ground broken, and something of a habitation at- tempted as early as Nov. 24, 1664.

The tradition that but four families were found in occupancy of the town so late as August, 1665, grew out of the fact, most probably, that but four names are recorded as purchasers in Governor Nicolls' grant. It seems to have been erroneously supposed that these four were the sole proprietors of the purchase, whereas the Indian deed expressly conveys the land, as also does Nicolls' grant, to the associates of these grantees

as well.2 The whole transaction was a concerted en- terprise, thought of and talked over. and agreed upon by a considerable number of persons like-minded and of like origin, residents of the same neighborhood on Long Island. Denton, one of the projectors of the undertaking, writes, four or five years afterward,-

" That the usual way is for a Company of a people to joyo together, either enough to make a Town or a lesser number; these go with the consent of the Governor, and view a Tract of Land, there being choice enough, and finding a place convenient for a Town, they return to the Governor, who upon their desire admits them into the Colony, and gives them a Grant or Patent for the said Land, for themselves and Associates. These persone being thue qualified, settle the place, and take in what inhabitants to themselves they shall see cause to admit of, till their Town he full."

The settlement at first was a compact one, in ac- cordance with the plan which had been adopted in New England for mutual defense against the Indians, and which had been first applied in New Jersey in the establishment of the old town of Bergen in 1658. The object as set forth in the " Answer to the Eliza- beth Town Bill in Chancery," page 22, was as follows :

" As the country at their first coming was inhabited by no other thau the native Indiuus, who were then in great numbers, the said purchasers and associates agreed at first to make small divisions of their lands, ac- cording to the usage and customs then in New England, to the end that they might settle and plant near together, so that in case any attempt wae mmide by the Indians they might mutually aid and assist each other, the circumstances of the inhabitants at that day being so dan- gerons and troublesome that we, at this time, can have no adequate ideas of the hardships ol."3

The settlers of the first two or three years were mainly of one class, and of the same general origin, almost wholly New Englanders from Long Island and Connecticut. Very few of the planters for the first five years came over directly from the mother- country. This will appear from an examination of the names of these pioneers, recorded as early as February, 1666, and to be found on subsequent pages. . Very soon after the commencement of their under- taking various meetings for consultation and agree- ment in relation to the division or allotment of the lands, and other regulations for the orderly trans- action of the business of the town, were held, a

2 Appended to the Indian Deed is the following receipt:

" Received of Joho Ogden in part of the above specified foure hundred feet of wampum I say Received one hundred fathom of wampum by mee the 18 of August 1665. The mark of Mattano

" Witnesses, Sanınel Edsall, James Bollen."

Indorsed on the deed is the following :

" The 24 November, 1665, paid to the Indians in full payment of this obligation.

" In Wampum one hundred and ninety fathom .190

lu & fowling piece and Lead. 40

for 180 Gilders that was behind for the payment of Luke Watson's oxen that were killed by the Indians $70 seaventy fathom of 'Wampum ...

the sum of three hundred fathom 300

1 say in all

(Witnesses) The mark of Mettano

Wareham

Henry Creyk

Sewah Herones

John Dickeson

Manamawaouc

Jereminh Osbone

Jamiee Bolleo

Kawameel

-E. J. Records, B. 181, 2, and i. 1, 2; ii. 12.

Lutonewach."

3 Ane. to E. T. Bill, p. 22.

1 E. Town Book, 1. Ans. to E. T. Bill, p. 6. Grants and Concessione, p. 667. Smith's History of New York, i. 35-6. Mulford's New Jersey, p. 139.

HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY

record of which was made in a book provided for the purpose by one of their number, appointed to this service, and known as the town clerk. The char- acter of this Town Book and the nature of the record may be seen by reference to the Town Book of Newark, published in 1864 by the New Jersey His- torical Society. This book, so necessary for a proper understanding of the early history of the town, was safely kept, and records continued to be made in it until the year 1718, when, during the troubles of that period, the book disappeared, having been purloined or destroyed, or both, and has not since been forth- coming. The loss is irreparable. Extracts from this book have been preserved, the particularity of which deepens the regret felt at the loss of so much invaluable material. The earliest record of which we have now any knowledge is the following :

" At a Meeting Court held at Elizabeth Town in the Province of New Jersey, the 19th of February 1666, by the Freeholders and Iuhab- itants thereof, James Bollen, Fsq., President, by the approbation of tho Governor Philip Carteret, E-q .; it was concluded and agreed that the aforesail town shall consist of fourscore families for the present, and that if hereafter more shall present, they may make au addition of twenty more, according to their discretion for the good and benefit of the town [as to them] shall seeni fit.

" A true copy from Elizabeth Town Book of Records, No. A, fol 14, per "SAMUEL WHITEHEAD, Town Clerk."1

Another record of the same date has, in like man- ner, been rescued from oblivion :

" It is further ordered and agreed, by the consent as aforesaid, that all persons that have taken, or shall take lots, shall come and settle and ia- halit the >sme by the fifteenth day of April next, otherwise that the said lots shall be disposed of to any other persons that will come and settle thereon, and that every person that shall take up a home-lot shall be oldiged to continue upon the same, or in the town, for the space of three years, either by himself in person or by hisservants, or some other person that he shall bring into the town, that shall be approved of; and Dut to employ any for that purpose that are already belonging to the town; and that he shall not make any sale of the said lot for any time during the space of three years to come, but first shill make proffer to the inhabitants thereuf October 28th, 1667, and it's further ordered That whosoever shall break this order shall pay four pounds a montb, and pru- portionately during the time of their so Entertainment." 2

A similar regulation was adopted by the Newark people in the following year.3 Some division of the town plot into lots convenient for the settlers must have been made on their first coming. At this same meeting, or possibly at an earlier date,

"It was agreed, That small parcels of land should be laid out to every iohabitant who came, in part of what he was intitled to. To wit, To every inhabitunt in the Town Plat of Elizabeth Town a home lot con- taining about four acres, and a pittle or addition to it containing about two acres." 4

Every settler, whatever proportion he may have contributed to the general expense, was put upon the same footing as regarded his homestead, the only dif- ference being in the choice of a location, and this, probably, was determined, as at Newark, by lot.

1 E. Town Bill, p. 32. Ans. to do., p. 23.

2 E. Town Bill, p. 32. Aus. to E. T. B., p. 24.

3 Newark Town Records, p. t.

4 E. Town Bill, p. 33.

" They agreed amongst themselves to go over and fix the Lotts, which was before by the whole Conimittee agreed upon to be Six acres, and after the Lotts prepared, and how they should begin and Sucreed. the matter was solemnly submitted to the Lord for his Guidance."6

The lots were laid out on both sides of the creek, beginning with the first upland above the salt mead- ows, and extending up the creek some two miles. The ordinary dimensions of these lots were four chains in breadth and ten chains in length, making a front on the street of two hundred and sixty-four feet, and extending back six hundred and sixty feet. In some cases, owing to the irregular course of the river and highways, the shape of the lots, which was ordinarily a parallelogram, varied from the regular form and size, but, as well as might be, equal priv- ileges were secured. Owing to the indefiniteness of the surveys as recorded, and for want of everything like a map or diagram of the town plat, it is quite impossible to determine the locality of each settler.

At the town-meeting just mentioned the male in- habitants of the town were required to take the oath of allegiance, of which and the names subscribed a record has been preserved, as follows:

" The Oath of A Leagance aod Fidelity taken by the Inhabitants of Elizabeth Town and the Jurisdiction thereof beginning the 19th Feb- ruary 1665.

" You doe sware upon the Holy Evangelist contained in this book to bare true faith and Alegiance to our Soveraing Lord King Charles the Secoad and his Successors and to be true and faithfull to the Lords propryetors their Successors and the Government of this Province of New Jersey as long as you shall Contiune an Iohabitant under the same without any Equivocation or Mentall Reservation whatsoever and 80 help you Gud.

" Mr. John Ogden seur

William Oliuer

Capt Thomas Young Humphry Spinage

Michaell Simpkins Joseph phrasie

Abraham Shotwell Zackery Graues

Thomas Skillman

Peter Woulderson

John Woodrofe

Charles Tucker

Thomas Leonards

Benjamin HoDian

Jonas Woud

Jeffry Joanes

Jacob Clais

Christopher Young

Rudrick Powell

Jerremy Osbourne

Luke Watson

John Dickenson

Stephen Crane

Dennis denis White

Joakim Andris

Jolın Waynes Wayoes

Jacob Monllains

William JJohnson

Benjamin Price Ben. Concklin

Nicolas Carter

Robert Boud

Thouis Pope

Joseph Bund

William Cramer

Moses Tonisoa

Barnabas Wines

Joseph Osburne

Thomas Tomson

John Brackett seDr

Nathaniel Tuttle

Robert Mosse Peter Mosse William Trotter

William Mcacker Isnack Whitehead Nathaniel Bonnell Mathias Heathfield Jounthan Ogden Leonard Headley

Euan Salsbury

George Packe

Thomas More

John Parker

Sammel Marsh

Daniel Harris

Moses Peterson

Richard Paynter

John Haynes

Francis Barber" 6

Caleb Carwithy

John Ogden Junr Danid Ogdden Robert Vanquellio

Jolin Gray

5 Newark Town Records

6 E. J. Records, iii. other end, 7.

ORIGINAL PATENTEES AND ASSOCIATES OF ELIZABETH TOWN.

The whole number is sixty-five. Capt. John Baker's name is wanting, on account of his absence in the service of Governor Nicolls, at Albany. Some names are found in this list not included in the list of Associates. They were the names, probably, of temporary residents employed as laborers or helpers. Baily and Denton had sold out; the former to Car- teret, and the latter to Ogden.

The most reliable statement of the names of the original Associates is found in Elizabeth Town Book B, some fifty years after the settlement of the town, and is thus expressed :

" Richard Nicolls, by virtue of the Power and Authority vested in him by .. . James (then) Duke of York &c Did thereby Graut Bargain Sell and Confirm unto Capt John Baker (then) of New York, John Ogden (then) of North-Hampton, and . . . John Baily and Luke Watson, and their Associates the Premises aforesd-Tu ffee-simple, which same Asso- ciates (together with them the sd Baker, Ogden, Raily, and Watson equally seised each tu a Third Lut Right in pori-se>) were, the said John Baker, Julsn Ogden, Juo Baly, and Luke Watson, and with them Thomas Young, Benjamin Price, John Woodruff, Philip Carteret, Two Third lotts, Robert Bond, Sealy Champain | Transfer'd to Benjamin Parkhurst) William Merker, Thomas Thompson, Samuel Marsh, Town Lott for the Minister Willm Piles, Peter Conenhuven, Juhn Brockit (Transfer'd to Samel Hopkins), James Bullen, Jacob Melyen, Nicholas Carter, and Jere- miah Peck. And, To each a Second Lot-Right in the same Premisses. Isaac Whitehead, Joseph Meeker, Humphry Spinning, Jeoffry Jones, George Ross, Joseph Bond, Matthias Hetfield, Barnalas Winds, Robert White, Peter Morss, John Winans, Joseph Sayre, Richard Beach, Moses Thompson, John Gray, William Johnson, John Brocket Jur, Simon Itonse, William Trotter, John Ogden Jun", Jonas Wood, Robert Morss, Mr Leprary, Caleb Carwithe, William Pardon, and Stephen Oshorne .- And to each a first lot Right in the same Premises, Jonathan Ogden, Abraham Shotwell, David Ogden, Nathaniel Tuttle, Benjamin Price .Jur, Roger Lambert, Abraham Lawrence, Juhin Hindes, Thomas Moor, Joseph ffrazey, Yokam Andross, Denis White, Nathanael Norton (since Trans- fer'd tu Henry Norris), Great John Willson, Hur Thompson, Benjamin Oman, Evan Salsberry, Little John Willson, Stephen Crane, Heury Lyon, John Parker, John Ogden for John Dickinson, Leonard Headley, Na- thanxel Bouvel, George Morris, Joseph Osborn, Pardey (Transfer'd to Henry Norris), George Pack, Juhn Pope, ffrancis Barber, William Oliver, Richard l'aiuter, and ('harles Tooker." 1

The number is eighty, of whom twenty-one had third lot-rights, twenty-six had second lot-rights, and thirty-three had first lot-rights. Carteret had, in addition to his own third lot-right, the third lot-right of Baily, of whom he had purchased it. Twenty-six had been admitted subsequently to the taking of the oath of allegiance in February, 1666, of whom some were sons of the first settlers.

Carteret brought over with him in the ship " Philip" eighteen male servants, belonging to Sir George and himself, a portion of whom were Frenchmen, proba- bly from the Island of Jersey :

" John Dejardin.

John Tayler.

Doctr Rowland.

John Clarck.

Clande Vallot.

Wm. -

Richd Pewtinger.

Clande Barbour.

Richard Michell.

Chas. Seggin.

Richard Skinner.

Dan Perrio.

Wm Hill.

John Mittins.

Henry Hill.

Robert Wallis.

Erasmus House.

Joho alias Petrr.

besides severall others the same time imported, and many others since."?

1 E. Town Book, B, pp. 2, 3.

2 E. .. Records, iii. o. e. 30.

In the first importation must have been included some female servants,-Mariah Thorell, Susannah Poulain, and Ellen Prou (all French) being of the number. Of the male servants, two were subsequently admitted as Associates, Claude Vallot and William Hill. Richard Michell had land given him by the Governor, but was not admitted as an Associate.3

CHAPTER IV. .

ORIGINAL PATENTEES AND ASSOCIATES OF ELIZABETH TOWN.

THE following sketches of the original petitioners, of the other patentees, and of the eighty Associates of Elizabeth Town have been condensed from Mr. Hat- field's notices of them in his " History of Elizabeth":

The Original Petitioners .- John Strickland's name occupies the first place among those who sought here a home. He was, as already seen, a resident of Huntington, L. I. His application was in behalf of " a Company of the inglish nasion." He was simply their agent. The names of the "Com- pany" have not been preserved. Strickland was an Englishman. He came over in 1630 with Win- throp's company, and was admitted a freeman in the Bay Colony May, 1631. He was a member of the church of Watertown, Mass., from which he, Jonas Wood, and others were dismissed May 29, 1635, to form a new church on the borders of the Connecti- cut River. Soon after he removed to Wethersfield, Conn. His son Thwait settled there, but the father, after a short sojourn, removed to Uncowah (Fairfield), Conn. Subsequently he took part in a bloody fight at Greenwich between the Dutch and Indians, at a spot since known as "Strickland's Plain." In 1644 he sold his estate at Uncowah to William Frost, and united with the Rev. Robert Fordham, John Ogden, John Karman, John Lawrence, and Jonas Wood in settling on "the Great Plains on Long Island," to which they gave the name of Heemstede. In the patent obtained Nov. 16, 1644, he is called “Stick- lan." In 1661 it appears that he resided at Hunting- ton, whence he sought to remove to this place. He was induced, however, to settle at Jamaica, L. I., and in 1663 was one of the freeholders of that town. Yet he was a patentee of Huntington in 1666, and still later a resident of Hempstead. The names of at least four of his associates at Fairfield and Hempstead are found among the Elizabeth Town Associates. It is quite likely that they were interested in the peti- tion of 1661. The petitioners of 1664 were all of them his neighbors at Jamaica, as some nf them had been at Watertown, Wethersfield, Fairfield, and Hemp- stead.'

8 Hatfield's Elizabetb.

+ TrumImll's Connecticut, i. 163-64. Brodhead's N. York, 1. 391, nota. Ct. Col. Records, i. 2, 465-66. Thompson's L. Isid., ii. 4-5. Macdonald's Jamaica, p. 38

HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

John Bailies (Baylie, Baily), the first signer of the petition of 1664, was probably the same who resided at Guilford, Conn., in 1642. A John Baily was ad- mitted a freeman of Connecticut May 21, 1657, and was chosen constable at Hartford March 16, 1657. This may have been his son. Previous to 1562 he had removed to Jamaica, L. I., where he was famil- iarly called " Goodman Baylie," and was licensed to keep an ordinary for the town. He was one of the four patentees of this town, but probably did not be- come a resident, as he disposed of his interest here Sept. 8, 1665, to Gov. Carteret for "a valuable sum." He was still living at Jamaica in 1683.1

Daniel Denton, the next in order of the petitioners of 1664, and his brother Nathaniel, the fourth in order, were sons of the Rev. Richard Denton, "a Yorkshire man," first settled at Halifax, in England, who came to Watertown, Mass., in 1634, then to Wethersfield, Conn., in 1635, whence he removed to Stamford in 1641, and thence to Hempstead, L. I., in 1644, having been the first minister of each of the last three towns. He re- turned to England in 1658, and died in 1662 at Essex. His two sons, Daniel and Nathaniel, were among the first patentees of Jamaica, L. I., in 1656. Daniel was the first clerk of the town, taught school, practiced medicine, and served as justice of the peace. He wrote " A Brief Description of New York," which was published in London in 1670, and was the first printed work on the subject in the English language. In 1673 he was a resident of Piscataway and a magis- trate. Nathaniel continued at Jamaica, and was liv- ing in 1683. The two brothers sold their rights in the Elizabeth Town purchase in 1665 to Capt. John Baker and John Ogden. Another brother, Samuel, was also interested in the purchase.2

Thomas Benedict (Benydick), the third of the pe- titioners of 1664, was a native of Nottingham, Eng., where he was born in the year 1617. He was bred a weaver, and migrated to New England in 1638, with his step-sister, Mary Bridgum, whom, shortly after, he married. She was the mother of the numerous American family of Benedicts. Not long afterwards they removed to Southold, L. I., where their five sons and four daughters were born. In June, 1656, they were residents of Huntington, L. I., and were neigh- bors of the Stricklands. In 1662, "Goodman Bene- dick" was one of the leading men of Jamaica. With Daniel Denton, his townsman, he represented Jamaica in the Hempstead Convention, March 1, 1665. The same year, instead of carrying out his original design of removing with his neighbors to Achter Kull, he became a resident of Norwalk, Conn., which hence- forth became the home of the family.3

John Foster, the fifth of the petitioners of 1664, was a resident of Jamaica. His father, Thomas, was of the Hempstead company, whither he came from Fairfield, Conn., as early as 1644. The family were dwelling at Jamaica in 1663. Foster was still a citi- zen of Jamaica in 1688. His interest in the new purchase was disposed of to another, but to whom and for what cause does not appear.4

Luke Watson, the last named of the petitioners of 1664, was the only one of them all that retained an interest in the Jersey enterprise, and became one of the founders of this town. His father married Eliza- beth, the daughter of William Frost, of Fairfield, Conn., and had died before 1645. His widow was then married to John Gray, and with her husband and son, Luke Watson, removed first to Newtown, and then to Jamaica, L. I., whence they came hitber. Watson was a man of some consideration at Jamaica, being one of the " four men" chosen, Aug. 6, 1659, " to be presented for magistrates to ye governor." He was among the first emigrants to this place. He was located next north of Capt. Baker. He had an allotment of 170 acres of upland on the W. side of Rahway River, and N. of its W. Branch; also 130 acres of upland on the E. N. E. of Rahway River, and W. of William Johnson and Jeffry Jones; also 100 acres on the S. side of the creek; also 24 acres of meadow on Rahway River, and 6 acres elsewhere. His wife's name was Sarah. He sold, July 22, 1673, to " William Case of Road Island," for " 2000 Pounds of good and Merchantable Sheep Wool," all his " Neck of Upland and Meadow laying and being on the East End of Elizabeth Towne River and known by the Name of Luke Watson's point within the bounds of Elizabeth Towne," computed to be 100 acres. He obtained, Jan. 21, 1675, a warrant for the survey of 400 acres. The next year he removed to the Hoar- kill settlement (Lewes), in Delaware, renting his I house and lot to Benjamin Wade, to whom he sold them, March 16, 1677, for £24. The remainder of his interest here he sold, in 1678, to William Broad- well and Joseph Frazey. He was an active and use- ful citizen, and in 1683, 1687, 1689, and 1690 he was a member of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, of which his son, Luke, Jr., was a member in 1697.5

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 Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 3

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