USA > New Jersey > Salem County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 2 > Part 14
USA > New Jersey > Gloucester County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 2 > Part 14
USA > New Jersey > Cumberland County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 2 > Part 14
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Throughout the township the various religiou- de- nominations are represented, but church-goers are compelled to attend divine services either at Salem, Hancock'- Bridge, Quinton, or Allowaystown.
There was a Friends' Meeting, which disbanded more than one hundred years ago.
Industrial Pursuits .- Farming and market gar- dening form the chief pursuits of the people of El-in- boro. Much of the land is not tillable on account of its swampy nature, but many thousand acres have been rrelained by judicious drainage, and measures employed for keeping the tide from overflowing them. "Tide-banks" were thrown up in Elsinboro at a very carly date.
On Mill Creek a tide-mill was early constructed by David Morris and Thomas Hancock. It was not in operatiou more than fifteen or twenty years.
At one time, in a comparatively early period in its history, there were four breweries or distilleries in the township, known as John Thompson's, Nicho !- son's, Morris', am) George Abbott's.
CHAPTER LXVII.
TOWNSHIP OF LOWER ALLOWAYS CHECK.1
Geographical .- This town-hip forms the south- western extension of Salem County. Its boundaries are as follows: Elsinboro, Salem, and Quinton on the north and northeast; Stow Creek and Greenwich (Cumberland Co.) on the south and east ; and Dela- ware River on the south and west.
Topographical and Statistical,-In form this township is very irregular. It has an area of twenty- four thousand eight hundred and eighty-five acres, considerable of which is unfit for cultivation, twelve thousand acres being salt marsh, lying along the + Delaware between Alloways and Stow Creeks. Three thousand acres is reclaimed meadow-land. The sur- face is level, the soil is a dark loam, and in some parts clay abounds. In the western portion peat- beds have been worked. The township contains one hundred and sixty-four farms, and the u-ual variety of grain and vegetables is produced. '
Lower Alloways Creek township is drained by Alloways and Stow Creeks in the north and south respectively, both flowing into the Delaware, which washes its western boundary, and also receives as tributaries, within the borders of the township, Mad Horse and Hope Creeks, and other small streams having their source in the marshy belt bordering the river.
Gov.1 roads are plentiful in the tillable major por- tion of the town-hip, and the inhabitants, numbering thirteen hundred and seventy- four in 1650, are enter- prising and progressive, und possess a degree of ar- tivity and intelligence neressary to insure the suece- of a community.
The real estate of Lower Alloways Creek township was assessed at $653,770 in 1881, the personal prop- erty at $380,781, and the total indebtedness was $219,715. The number of voters in the township was 330. The poll-tax amounted to $000, the school tax to ¿1931, and the county tax to $1862.
Original Purchasers and Early Settlement." -- The largest portion of this township was purchased from the Proprietor by those who came to America from 1676 to 1683.
Henry and Anne Salter bought 10,000, Edward Wade 1000, Robert Wade 500, William Hancock 1000, Christopher White 1000, Edward Bradway 1000, and John Malstaff 1000 acres.
Below the Salter line. adjoining Stow Creek, Wil- liam Bradway, son of Edward, purchased 900 acres. John Smith, of Ambelbury, owned 700 aeres north of Alloways Creek, adjoining Smith's land.
John Fenwick decided 2000 acres in his daughter Priscilla, the wife of Edward Champney. Edward and his wife sold several hundred actes to George
1 By M. O. Holf :.
1 Contribute l bf Tuous Shourds, I- 1.
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7-198. William G. Inin.
1-37-56. Jonathan H. Curtiss. 19. Justina Wadling! #. 1:50-61. Hiram shoemaker
1× 163, 1569-60). Davul Blires 182-6. Janph Waddington. 1×1.6. Murri- Godwin, Jr. 2- 1-0, 1675 Sl. Samuel l. Smith. 1965-66. John W. Brad.a. 1. '-6%. Ephraim Patrick. 1×6 ;- 62. Charles laper.
1-2-10. Morris ta. Fowver. 2550. Jesse Patrick. 1820-25. Amos Harris.
15;1-2. Charles 11. Elwell.
7571-52. Trao Lo1.r.
122
HISTORY OF SALEM COUNTY.
Deacon. The land was bounded on the west by John Smith's land. George Deacon sold his land to Abel Nicholson, about 1655, and removed to Burlington County.
Abel Nicholson left the Deacon property to his son, John Nicholson
Edward Wade disposed of all of his land in Allo- ways Creck township, transferring 500 acres to his nephew, Charles Oakford, 500 acres to Nathaniel Chambless, and the residue to William Waddington, a young man who had recently arrived from England, and who was the progenitor of the large family of the Waddingtons who reside in Salem County at this time. Part of the family sold the homestead about fifteen years ago.
Robert Wade, brother of Edward, sold 500 acres to Anthony Page, and he in 1655 sold the same tract to Joseph Ware for forty-seven pounds. The greater part of it is owned by members of the Ware family at this date.
Edward Wade deeded 150 acres to his brother, Samuel Wade, who became quite a distinguished man in the first settlement of this county, and whose sons, Samuel and Joseph Wade, were the progenitors of some of the most prominent men ever reared in South Jersey.
William Hancock arrived in this county in 1677, and took possession of his allotment, which was sur- veyed for him by Richard Hancock, who at that time was Fenwick's surveyor. William Hancock died in 1779, and left two sons, John and William Hancock. He left all his real estate to his widow, Isabella Han- cock, and she subsequently sold one- half of the Dan- cock allotment to John Maddox, and he sold part of it to his son-in-law, James Denn, and the balance to Jeremiah Powell, in 1700. No part of the Denn property is in the family at this date. Jeremiah Powell, Jr., soll some 390 acres, in 1733, to Edward Chambless Hanrock. Part of the Jeremiah Powell
purchase, lying on the creek, is still owned by the to 1830: Allen, Abbott, Bradway, Butcher, Bowen. Powell family.
Isabella Hancock left 500 acres of the allotment to her eldest son, John Hancock. The latter built the bridge across Allownys Creek, opposite his property, about 1705, and in 1707 the Salem County Court appointed commissioners to "lay out a public high- way from Salem, by John Hancock's new bridge, to the town of Greenwich." John Hancock died a young man. He left one son. William Hancock, who possessed more than common abilities. In addition to what he inherited. he accumulated large landed estates in Elsinboro and Lower Fenn's Neck, and was une of the leading politicians of his time, serving as & member of the Legislature for twenty years in suc- cession. He was killed in his own house by the British in 1778.
property, in 1000, the first large brick dwelling South Jersey. The brick of which it was constru . . were brought from England. It was taken down; IS61, at which time there was not a crack in the war The property was inherited by hi- grandson, do is. White, who sold it to Joseph Stretch, about 1730, ar. : removed to Mount Holly, Burlington Co.
Edward Bradway's allotment lay to the east .: White's land. It appears that Edward Bradw. never resided on his property in Lower Allows, . Creek. He deeded three hundred acres of it to !:- daughter Mary, wife of William Cooper, the balanier to his two sons, Edward and William Bradway, who sold a large portion of it to John Beasley, whose name attached itself to the locality long known as Beasley's Neck. None of the property remains in either the Bradway or Beasley families.
There is no evidence that John Malstaff ever re. sided on hi- land. He sold it to different parti .... Richard Johnson, of Salem, bought five hundred! acres, which extended into what is now Quinton township.
Anna Salter sold part of her ten thousand acres t . different persons. Neal Daniels was a large pur- chaser. Among the buyers were the Barbours, Na- thaniel Cambless Hancock, Jobn Mason, and Jobs Thompson, of Elsinboro, and Jolin Briggs, but fully one-half of the Salter allotment passed into the po .. session of "squatters."
Isaac Sharp, of Mannington, purchased nineteen hundred acres of Anna Salter, the greater part of i' salt marsh, lying on the bay side, and one hundred acres of " fast" land.
The above-described allotments and purchases ate believed to include all of the land in Lower Alloway. Creek township, and it is thought all of the prominent settlers have been mentioned.
Following are the family names of prominent re-i- dents of Lower Alloway's Creek township from 181" | Brown, Baker, Carl, Corliss, Beasten, Denn, Dubais. English, Foge, Finlaw, Findley, Fox, Garrison, Gilh. Grier, Hildreth, Harris, Hancock, Hewes, Jayne, J .. gard, Morrison, Maskell, McCallister, Mulford, Ne! son, Powell. Plummer, Peterson, Steward, Stretch, Simpkins, Smith, Shourds, Thompson, Tracy, air Turner.
Organization .-- The territory now embraced in Lower and Upper Alloways Creek and Quinton wa- formerly known as " Monmouth Precinct," and orig inally contained sixty-four thousand acres. In Geo an act was passed by State authority giving the in- ! babitants of Alloways Creek, as the territory ha! . then come to be known, power to divide the town- ship, a meumre which was effected by the followin. named commissioners, the last mentioned of what acted as surveyor : Benjamin Thompson, of the Upper District ; John Stewart, of the Lower District ; au ;
Christopher White's estate adjoined Hancock's on the east. He too was an important man at the time of the actthemen' of this town-hip. Jie built on his . Elnathan Davis, of Cumberland; and since that tin ....
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423
TOWNSHIP OF LOWER ALLOWAY'S CREEK.
there have been two townships, known as " Lower" and " Upper Alloways Creek," the former being rec- ognized as the parent division. The name Alloways was given in memory of Alloways, the Indian chief.
Civil List .- Unfortunately, there are no township books of record to be found in the office of the present township clerk. except the minutes of the meetings of the township committee since 1860, and inquiry of the clerk and of other well-known citizens fails to elicit any information as to the existence of earlier or more complete records.
The Township Committeemen since the date named have been as follows :
1.60, 1570. Samuel Patrick.
1867-69. Enos l'. English.
1-60-61, 1576. Robert Butcher.
1869. Jub Stretch, Je.
1560-C1. Abner Patrick.
1-03-50. Charles Ilires.
2-60, 1570. Thomas Shourds.
1870-72. Waddington Brulway.
1800-62. Lewis S. Carl1.
1-71-73. Luke S. Fogg.
1-01-62. James Baker, Jr. 1871-73. 1>77-75. W.m. IT. It. Carll.
1361-62, 1844-65, 1:69-70. Richard Irelale.
1:71-72. Richar 1 Stretch.
1573. Richard SI. Davis.
1502-63. James T. 1: bluson. 1571-76. Job S. Dixon.
1662-64, 1575. Jebe Patrick.
1574-76. Edward W. Smith.
1403, 1867-08, 1871-73. Jan. Baker.
1×74-75, 1877-78. Morris G. Fowper.
1563. Edmund Cox.
1974 -: 3. Thomas A. Maskell.
1.6 :65, 1-73-74. Peter Harrin.
2576. Richard Freas.
1804-65. James 11. Fogg.
, Is7G-ix. Quinton P. Harris. 1877-70. fleury Eiwell.
1:63, 1:77. Jeremilah l'uwell.
1-79 -: 0. W. Winfield Patrick.
1955, 1×07-65. Amos Harris.
2-79. Irane N. I.vi ..
1867-69, 1880-82. Eptraiui Chili, Jr.
Issues. Waddington B. Ridgway.
Isso. Benjamin Allen.
1847-68. Joseph B. Findlaw.
1851-52. Mark T. HUHan1.
Burial-Places .- The Society of Friends opened the first burial-place in the township, in Iost, north of Alloways Creek. The second was opened by the Presbyterians, on Stow Creek, about 1760. About 1770 the Baptists established a cemetery adjoining the one last mentioned, which has long included it. The Friends purchased land and opened a second graveyard near Harmersville, about 1780. About 1830 the Methodists prepared a burying-ground be- tween Hancock's Bridge and Harmer ville, near the latter place. It is thought that early in the history of the township burials were made by some families on their homesteads. Such graves, it auy there were, have disappeared.
VILLAGES AND HAMLETS.
Hancock's Bridge .- The most important point in Lower Alloways Creek township, historically and in some other respects, is Hancock's Bridge, a village pleasantly situated on Alloways Creek, distant five tniles south from Salem and fifty-four miles south from Trenton. It contains a post-office, a Friends' meeting-house, a Methodist Church, a canning estab- lishment, two stores, an undertaking and furniture- shop, a blacksmith- and wheelwright-shop, and a goodly number of dwellings, the most interesting structure being the oll Hancock house, in which oc- curred the atrocious massacre by the British during the Revolution, elsewhere referred to in this work at length.
There have been three stores, old and well known, kept at Hancock's Bridge, which have, from their location, come to be known as the "upper," " mid- elle," and " lower" stores. The former is now closed. Among merchants who have traded there have been Thomas Reeves. Dubois & Van Meter, John II. L.In- bert, William Bradway, Richard Waddington, John Welch, Luke S. Fogg and John H. Patrick, Samuel Patrick, William Waddington, Edward 8. Carll, Carll & ITires, and Carll & Brother. The following are well-remembered occupants of the "middle" store : Charles Mulford, William Bradway, Plummer & Thompson, William Morrison, Jarvis Hires, Evan 1 Jenkins, James Bradway, Charles M. Carll, Abner P. Fox, and Gitben & Irelan. James Butcher is the present one. Martin Bradway, William C. Laning. Jason Ogden, Carll & Denn, and John Carll occupied the "lower" store prior to IS52. Since that date Wil- liam E. Seudder has been proprietor. At different times there has been a store kept on the south side of Poplar Street. The first merchant there was William Waddington, who had several successors. one of whom, Jacob Acton, was followed by Joseph Kline, who was the last, the store having been closed for nearly two years. AA historical store in Salem County was the carly store of William Hancock and Joseph Thompson, both of whom were killed in the massacre of 1778.
There have long been blacksmiths and wheelwrights plying their trades in the village. Among these may be mentioned William Dunn, Joseph Powelson, and John Sheppard, the present representative of these crafts, who has kept open shop for ten years.
J. M. Smith, furniture dealer and undertaker, began business in Hancock's Bridge in 1850.
From time immemorial until the abolition of licenses throughout this part of the county there was a tavern in the village. Its occupants and keepers have been so numerous as to baffie any attempt to give their names.
Hancock's Bridge has long been a shipping-point for country produce. In this branch of trade James Butcher and Lewis Carll are engaged somewhat ex- tensively.
Harmersville .- Harmersville, near the old Log- town settlement, with which it is sometimes con- founded, was named in honor of Ebenezer Harmer, who married a woman of property, and located there some thirty years ago or innre. He opened a store, in which he was succeeded by Je-se Carll, William Carll, Samuel Halliday, and the present proprietor, William Carll. Another store has for some time been kept by Joseph Kline. Thomas Ale and James Stackhouse are blacksmith», Diederick Trullender a machinist and wheelwright, and Charles Denn an undertaker. These persons transact the business of the place, which, besides the buildings occupied by them, contains about a dozen dwellings and a school- : house.
150. William Powder.
424
HISTORY OF SALEM COUNTY.
Canton .- Canton is a pleasant village and post- town, situated near the southeastern boundary of the township, nine miles south of Salem. It was formerly known as New Canton.
There was early a store where Josiah Paulin's house now is, and which was torn dowo about 1838 or IS40. It was occupied, at different times, by I-aac English, Dr. David Jayne (who was born at Han- cock's Bridge, and lived there and at Canton previous to his removal to Philadelphia). George Githens, Samuel Githens, William Plummer, and others. The first store at the Corners was kept by Joseph Hancock, and later by William W. Lawrence and Richard Green. The present merchant there is John P. Sheppard, who began to trade in IS77, and bought the old Methodist Church and converted it into a store in 1979. Another store is kept by Isaac N. Davis. In the lower part of the village a store was early kept by Frank Pearce (colored). Daniel Hood and Richard Stretch have been later merchants in that quarter.
Former wheelwrights were Thomas Sayres and others. James Zane is the present one.
Canton has two stores, a Baptist Church, a canning establishment, a wheelwright-shop, a school-house, and about a dozen dwelling -.
Public Schools.1-Lower Alloway- Creek is divided into l'raaklin District, No. 4; Harmersville District, No. 6; Canton District, No. 7; Friendship District, No. 8; Cross-Roads District, No. 9.
The subject of education was one that early entered into the minds of the people of the town- ship, but in former times, when the population was sparse and the houses few and far between, the same facilities for education did not exist that ilo now. The school-houses, which were generally poor affairs, were only kept open during the winter season, and the child who wished more than the customary winter quarter generally had to go elsewhere to get it. Then, as now, some few of the wealthy residents sent their children away to some boarding->chool to be finished, but that was the exception and not the rule. The mode of raising money previous to the time of the adoption of the present State law was for each township to raise such sum as was thought sufficient for the purpose, in addition to the amount appropriated by the State, which sum was appor- tioned among the different schools by the town super- intendent of schools, who had general charge of all the schools in the township. The schools were under the control of trustees, five in number, who cach had charge of a single school, The money which was raised by tax was first apportioned by the town super- intendent, and then the trustees apportioned to cach scholar attending his share of said public money, and the balance of the amount needed to pay the expenses of said scholar was paid by the pupil him- self. In looking over some old documents in our
possession we find that the amounts charged the scholars for tuition from the year 1829 to 1850 Ba- two dollars per quarter, and the amount of town-hip tax for the same time was often not over two dollar- per year ; this, with the interest arising from the sur- plus revenue and schoul fand, making about four hundred dollars per year. There were seven schoni distriets in the township previous to 1846, but in that year the township school committee (officers who had charge of the schools previous to the day of town superintendents) set off another distriet, known a- District No. 8. This committee was the last ap- jointed previous to the change in the law. The members were Ephraim Turner, Thomas Shourd-, and William Powell. The first two, who are quite aged, are living at the present time; the latter diel many years ago. The first town superintendent wa> Benjamin I. Harris, and the last one Samuel C. Pan- coast, who was the incumbent when the office wa- abolished. The first school-houses in the township. were generally built by subscription. The ch school-house on Alloways Creek Neck was built in that manner, the ground being donated by Mark Stewart. This old building stood in the woods near Hancock's Bridge, and was moved down the Neck in 1824.
The first trustees were Joseph Pancoast, Edward Waddington, Joseph Bowen, Benjamin Harris, and Mark Stewart. Probably Joseph Pancoast was the first teacher, and after moving to Philadelphia in 1828. he came back in 1850, and was again a trustee of said school for several years. The old school- house in the village of Hancock's Bridge was al-o built in the same manner, one of the principal con- tributors being an aged Friend, residing in the neigh- borhood, named Joseph Thompson, who also assisted in building a school house in the yard belonging to the Society of Friends, adjoining their meeting-house in the village of llancock's Bridge. This school, after the change in the school law depriving them of the benefits accruing from the public money. was abolished. Thomas Shourds for many years was a very active and energetic trustee of this school, which turned out many good scholars, some of whom made excellent teachers. Among the teachers of this school were Allie HI. Paul, Annie T. Shourds, Elizabeth Shourds, Mary Bradway, Cornelia Hancock, Lydia C. Woodward, of Unionville, Chester Co., Pa., Han- nah Croasdale, from Pennsylvania, and Annie T. Pancoast, from Philadelphia. This undoubtedly was the best school in the township at that time, and the equal probably of any in the county.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
Friends. - A regular meeting of Friends was held at the house of James Denn from 1679 to 1685. The further history of the Friends' Society ia Lower Allo- ways is thus given by Thomas Shourds, Faq .?
1 Contributed by The late Sam .: +1 C. Tancoe-I.
" History of Fenwick's Colony, pp :27, 393. 187%.
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425
TOWNSHIP OF LOWER ALLOWAYS CREEK.
"In the year 1654, Elward Champney and John sinith cach dee led half an acre of ground to Chris- topher White and Samuel Wade, -- one for a meeting- house, the other for a graveyard. The ground wa- a corner of each of their lots on Monmouth River. The same year Salem Monthly Meeting of Friends agreed with Christopher to build a meeting-house on one of the said lots, the cost of the building not to exceed forty pounds. He was also directed to clear a road from the King's Highway to the meeting-house, for which he charged ten pounds more. In 1655 the first religious meeting was held there, and so continued until 1718. The greater part of the members resided on the south side of the creek, and there being no bridge at that period, they were put to great inconve- nienee in getting to meeting. Joseph Ware gave the friends a lot of ground on his plantation on the south side of the creek, the deed having been given in 1717. As soon as the meeting-house was finished the mem- hers on the north side of Monmouth River were at- tached to Salem Particular Meeting. The families were the Abbotts, Stubbin-es, Mosses, and Tylers. The meeting-house was abandoned about that time, but the graveyard was used for a number of years after the meetings ceased to be held at that place. The FriendJ- subsequently purchased a lot of ground on the south side of the creek, near Harmersville, for a burying-ground, which has been the principal place of interment up to this time. A number of persons, however, have been buried in the ancient graveyard since the members of the -veicty in a measure abandoned it. Such families as the Wad- dingtons, Hanrocks, Carlls, and a few others were desirous to be laid with their ancestors. The princi- pal families that were members of Alloways Creek Meeting at the time alluded to were the Whites, Bradways, Denus, Wares, Chambles, Oakfords, Wades, Danielses, Hancocks, Stretches, Barbers, and several others. Friends continued to hold their meet- ing in the house built on the Ware property until the year 1756. In 1753, William Hancock dreded a lot of ground to the members of Alloways Creek Par- ticular Meeting for a meeting-house site, as it was a more convenient location. The house was built at two different periods of time, the oldest portion in 1756, the new, as it is called, in 1784."
Among prominent speakers in the Friends' Meet- ings in Lower Alloways Creek was James Daniels, who made a tour of Europe, and was regarded as a man of uncommon ability and unquestioned piety. Edward Bradway and Anna Bradway, his wife, were speakers of note. The name of Rachel Hancock will uot soon be forgotten. The present speaker, a woman of exceptional brilliancy of thought, noted for the beauty and force of her language, is Mary Bradway, a sister of Thomas Shourd -.
The membership of this society has fallen off con- »iJerably during late years, and does not now number more than thirty-five.
Presbyterians .- The records of the Presbyterian Church once located at Logtown, near Harmersville, seem to have been irretrievably lost. Johnson says this church was founded in 1750, and that the most prominent members were James Sayre, Joseph Hildreth, Richard Moore, a man named Woodruff (thought by Thomas Shonrds to have been Thomas Woodruff), and Thomas Padgeit, Jr. Solomon Du- bois, a young man from Pittsgrove, Heury Wood, George Grier, Sr., and a few others became members.
The church was supplied occasionally by Revs. Faithoute, Hunter, Smith, Eaken, and Schenck. In 1797, Rev. Nathaniel Harris became pastor, surren- dering the charge in 1800, and removing to Trenton. In 1801 the Rev. David Edwards, from Wales, as- sumed the pastoral relation, remaining until 1805, when he removed to Cape May.
It is not thought that the membership of this so- ciety was at any time large. The house of worship was taken down about sixty years ago.
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