USA > New Jersey > Gloucester County > Notes on old Gloucester County, New Jersey, Volume I > Part 16
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of the most prominent men of West New Jersey; a little later the house of William Cooper of Pyne Point was also used as a Friends Meeting House.
The Indians proved loving and kind, contrary to ex- pectations. He finishes the sketch with "This narrative I have thought good and requisite to leave behind as hav- ing had knowledge of the things from the beginning." We are very much indebted to him.
The first birth recorded was Constantine Wood, son of John and Alice Wood, of Woodbury Creek, born 24th 7 mo, 1683, probably as the entry claims the first child born of English parents about the neighborhood of the creek.
The first marriage recorded was that of John Ladd to Sarah Wood at a public meeting at the house of James Atkinson, 13th 10 mo. 1685.
FRANK H. STEWART.
JOHN WHILEY
GRAVE YARD AND END VIEW OF MORAVIAN CHURCH. FROM PHOTO BY E. W. HUMPHREYS
Ancient Burial Places in Gloucester County
The oldest of the burial places established by the early colonists of Gloucester County is that at Swedes- boro, now known as Trinity Church; Burying-Ground. Swedesboro was first settled by the Swedes, probably as early as 1638, and although the written records of the church do not begin until 1702, it is quite likely that the present site of the church and the adjoining burying- ground is one originally selected for the purpose.
It is situated on a bluff at the intersection of the Raccoon creek and the King's Highway, and is enclosed by a well-kept stone wall. With the beautiful colonial church, built in 1784, in the background, the effect as one approaches the town is quaint and picturesque, remind- ing the traveler of an English village.
In this yard lie buried hundreds of the pioneers of Swedesboro. Although the yard is quite large, it was evidently soon filled with graves, for in the early part of the last century another burial-ground was established about two squares to the west, which is known as the New Cemetery. The latter ground is enclosed with a stone wall, and both wall and grounds are kept in excel- lent condition by the church.
There was another Swedish settlement at Repaapo, which possibly antedated that at Swedesboro by a short time ; but the site of Repaapo is not known, although the name still survives in a locality near the river which is to-day known as Repaupo.
The next oldest burial place in the county is probably the Wood burying-ground, on the south side of Woodbury creek, near its mouth. Richard Wood is said to have
* By LOUIS B. MOFFETT.
t Copies of Vital Statistical records of Trinity Church are at the Genea- logical Society of Pennsylvania.
17
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
Benj. Whitall made application to Committee of Safety Jan. 10, 1776, for a command in Col. Maxwell's regiment. Benjamin Whitall was a Second Lieutenant in Artillery Co. formed March 2, 1776. He was subse- quently promoted to be a First Lieutenant and later Cap- tain Lieutenant.
Oct. 18th. He gave Barbara Down four dollars that brother John Whitall brought from Charles Spen- cer at ye Camp.
Nov. 29. He records: Bob Taylor came here to strain our goods and because he could not go all over our house he got in a passion and went away without anything, he threatening to fetch a file of musketeers to scare us I suppose.
Dec. 10. I got a good deal of pork of ye market people, they being scart and turned back by accounts that ye English soldiers were coming to Philadelphia or near it. I paid them all. On Dec. 14 he went to the Phila- delphia Market and got to Austins ferry (Arch St.) be- fore daylight and sold his marketing when market open- ed.
Jan'y 20th, 1777. Thomas Denny and John Sparks sent for cousin Thomas Redman and committed him to gaol, but he had his liberty to go home and come next morning, which he did.
Jan'y 21. Squires sent for Cousin Mark Miller again and I went to see how it went. They wrote his mittimus and ordered Ellick Mitchell to take him to gaol but Ellick gave him liberty to stay to dinner and when over he took Cousin Thos. Redman and Mark Miller to gaol.
April 16, 1777. Went down to Father Whitalls to make a haul with his seine but there being three or four hundred soldiers there we thought not to fish but we made one haul and caught one shad and two or three other fish.
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
April 19. Some of the soldiers went away and more came this day.
Aug. 8. A number of ye militia came in to Wood- bury and took possession of our meeting house.
Aug. 15. Ye soldiers came back this day and went into our meeting house again.
"Aug. 16. While I was at Fathers, John Porch ye Constable came there and demanded a fine from Brother John Whitall, and I had an opportunity to see what mine was. There were two against me, one fine was
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Aug. 19. Jehu Ward came here in a passion and demanded me to go over to brick house tavern before Sparks and Denny or I should be sent for by ye author- ity. After a little pause I went over to the Squires and they not being in Jehu and I walked into a private room and by having some conversation his passion began to cool and he concluded to go no further in it and he seemed to be very friendly when we parted.
Sept. 2, 1777. I went to Gloucester Gaol to see Thomas Edgerton whom Sparks had put in for not taking ye test.
Sept. 5. Militia had their discharge this morning and ye bigger number went home. A number of girls went to washing and cleaning ye meeting house.
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his grave is in excellent condition. The plot is enclosed by a stone wall with two pairs of heavy iron gates, and is surrounded by a number of noble old trees. It is a very attractive spot, and the manner in which it is cared for reflects credit upon the descendants of its founder, some of whom are members of the New Jersey Society of Pennsylvania. It is still used for burying purposes, the most recent interment being that of the wife of Rev. Herbert Burk. Her grave is marked by an Irish cross, which is one of the most beautiful mortuary emblems in the county. The stones in the yard represent the Reeves, Moffett, Snow, Saunders and other allied families.
Further down the Mantua road is the old Chew Cemetery, located on Mantua Creek, about a quarter of a mile west of the road. The cemetery contains stones rep- resenting four generations of the Chew family, including the first settler, Nathaniel Chew, and his wife Mary; his son Jeffrey, who became one of the largest land owners in that locality, and his wife Ann; David Chew, the son of Jeffrey, and his wife Hannah; and Stille Chew, son of David, and his wife Rebecca M. David Eldridge, who died June 18, 1823, age 89, is buried here; also his first wife, Sarah Chew, and his second wife, Rebecca Moffett. David Eldridge was one of the best-known men in Glou- cester County and was the ancestor of several members of the New Jersey Society of Pennsylvania.
There are also numerous graves marked only by rude stones and there is a tradition that a number of victims of an epidemic of cholera are there interred. One of the descendants of the Chew family recently erected a very substantial enclosure for the cemetery, consisting of gran- ite posts with iron rails between.
On the east side of the Mantua road, just before it crosses Mantua creek, lies the plantation formerly owned by Samuel Maffet and his wife Rachel. Samuel Maffet, in 1763. sold this farm to Jeffrey Chew, but reserved "A privilege on 20 feet square of land to the said Samuel
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
Maffet, to inter and bury his friends at the place where his two sons are now buried, adjoining on the line between the tract herein mentioned and other land of the said Jeffrey Chew." This item in the deed throws some light upon the customs of the early settlers, for it will be ob- served that Samuel Maffet hospitably allowed his friends to find a last resting place upon his land.
This plantation descended to Samuel Chew, grand- son of Jeffrey Chew, and is now owned by a Mr. Redrow. The graveyard has long since disappeared and no one to- day knows even its approximate site.
On the road from Mantua to Sewell, near the bridge over the tracks of the West Jersey R. R., lies another Chew cemetery. This cemetery contains the remains of Jesse Chew, minister of the Gospel, who died in 1812, age 74 years. There is also a stone for his wife Mary, and for several of their descendants, representing the East- lack, Carpenter and Earley families.
The Driver cemetery is located in the village of Barnsboro. It was established by Samuel Driver, one of the earliest settlers in that locality, who was a member of the Woodbury Friends' Meeting. It is enclosed by a stone wall, part of which has lately fallen down, and con- tains a number of gravestones of the Driver family.
On the old road which winds through the country from Barnsboro to Mickleton, a road which is to-day but little used, lies what is left of the Jessup cemetery, on the brow of a hill near the old Jessup homestead, about a mile from Barnsboro. The farm is now owned by Harry Lafferty. This yard was formerly surrounded by a good stone wall, but about two generations ago this wall was dismantled by the owner and the larger part of the yard is now under cultivation. There are but three stones re- maining: John West, son of Richard and Rachel West, died August 14, 1798, age 63; Sarah West, died August 13, 1826, age 70 years; and Mary Jones died May 25, 1789, age 21.
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
About one-half mile south of the Jessup graveyard on the other side of the road is the old West burying- ground, on the farm now occupied by a Mr. Sharp. This ground is on the brow of a hill forming part of a meadow and is without enclosure of any kind. The stones now standing are those of Job West, died March 4, 1800, age 30 years ; Isaiah West, died June 21, 1811, age 39; Sarah, wife of Michael Hess, died October 8, 1774, age 28. The cows ramble freely over the place and it is quite probable that in a few years these stones will be broken and will disappear.
On the road which leads from Pitman to Jefferson, about one mile east of Jefferson, is the Tomlin cemetery. The farm on which it is located is owned by William Duf- field. This cemetery is enclosed with a brick wall, which was originally very good, but is now beginning to fall apart. The plot is overgrown with briers, underbrush and young trees, and is almost impenetrable except in winter.
In North Woodbury, on the opposite side of the old King's Highway from the Presbyterian cemetery and about two squares south of it, lies what is left of the old Ward burying-ground. There are but two stones remaining in this ground: Benjamin Ward, born Feb- ruary 8, 1733, died February 22, 1795; Hannah Ward, died Oct. 30, 1802, age 35 years and 4 months. This land is restricted for use only as a cemetery and since the present owners do not care to spend any money upon it, it is used as a dumping ground and a play- ground, and it is really remarkable that the two stones that remain standing are in such good condition. A toll gate at one time stood upon the front part of the cemetery lot.
The old Methodist Cemetery in Woodbury now forms a part of the Green Cemetery and is located on the old Egg Harbor road just east of Evergreen Avenue.
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
About a half mile farther out the road on the same side is a farm now owned by Doctor Ralph J. Iszard, formerly the Nathan Ward place. There is an old graveyard on the lane leading to the house, but only a few unlettered field stones remain, two of which are im- bedded in the roots of a tree. The ground is about 50 feet square, and, while not enclosed, it is held sacred and is not used for any other purpose. The dwelling house on the farm is a well-built brick structure, bearing on the gable the inscription "N. A. W. 1791."
On the road from Woodbury to Almonesson, at the point where it crosses the stone road which leads from Westville to Glassboro, lies a farm now owned by Dr. Brewer, of Woodbury. In the center of a field bounded by these two roads lies an old cemetery, the original owner of which is not known. It contains a number of stones representing the Perce or Pierce family and is spoken of as a Pierce burying-ground. Some veterans of the Civil War are buried there, and their graves are remembered each memorial day by their comrades of the G. A. R.
There was a cemetery adjoining Christ Episcopal Church, in Woodbury, until a few years ago, when the bodies were removed. The ground is now partly occu- pied by the parish house.
The Strangers Burying-Ground, which was for more than a century one of the landmarks of Woodbury, occupied about an acre of ground on the south side of Cooper Street west of Broad. In this cemetery many of the Hessians killed at Red Bank were buried. Buttons of uniforms and bayonets were found when the cemetery was vacated. It was condemned about two years ago, and a new street known as Lupton Avenue marks the site. The bodies and remaining stones were removed to the Paupers' Burying-Ground, which is located on the old road, now little used, leading from a point near Almonesson to North Woodbury.
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
Farther along this road and about a quarter of a mile nearer Woodbury is the Cattell cemetery, founded by the ancestors of the numerous families of that name. It was used to some extent by members of the Cattell family until quite recently. Jonas Cattell, famous as the guide of the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club, is said to be buried there.
Back in the region of sand and pine trees between Almonesson and a point on the stone road known as New Sharon, lies the old Walton place. The old ceme- tery on this place is located on a hill about 30 feet high which slopes down to a small stream. The hill is cover- ed with noble oak trees and the spot is peaceful and quiet. But a few field stones remain to mark the graves, two of which are rudely lettered, one "J. W." and the other "M. W." The farm was lately occupied by Azariah Eastlack, who left it to the Presbyterian Church at Blackwood. It is now owned by J. B. Vanneman.
On the road leading from Bethel to Clement's Bridge, just north of its intersection with the road which leads from Almonesson to Blackwood, is the Perce cemetery. This cemetery is enclosed with a very substantial stone wall and is used to this day by the de- scendants of the family. The inscriptions on the stones represent the Perce, Montgomery, Best and Brewer families.
About a mile to the north of the Perce cemetery, on the same side of the road, is the Jaggard cemetery, now used as a burying-ground by residents of Almones- son. The ground is well kept.
The Crown Point road leading from Westville to Gibbstown, passing through Thorofare and Paulsboro, was originally one of the main roads of the county and the farms through which it runs were occupied by well- to-do planters. Quite a number of private burying- grounds are located on farms along this road.
In a paper read before the Gloucester County His-
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
torical Society, in 1906, Mr. Ezekiel L. Cloud states that there was a burying-ground on the northeast corner of Delaware Street and Crown Point Road, known as the Pierce graveyard. The stones have been used for pav- ing and doorsteps and the ground has been ploughed over, so that all traces of it have disappeared.
The Stephens cemetery is located about a mile north of Paulsboro on the farm of Richard B. Davis. Through the briers and sumac the names of Stephens, Ward and Shuster may be seen on some of the tombstones. The yard is still used for burial purposes, three burials hav- ing been made there within recent years. This farm was probably part of the plantation owned and occupied by the famous Tench Francis.
At Mantua Point on the Delaware River, on a site now occupied by the I. P. Thomas & Sons Co. phos- phate works, was the Paul burial-ground. The bodies in this cemetery were removed in about 1880 to the Methodist Episcopal Cemetery in Paulsboro, and the ground is now used for commercial purposes.
The Lodge cemetery stood on the Lodge farm on the banks of the Delaware River, near the village of Billingsport. This farm now forms part of the plant of the Vacuum Oil Company, and in 1917 the bodies and tombstones were removed to Eglington cemetery, in Clarksboro, N. J.
There is an interesting bit of tradition connected with the Methodist Episcopal Cemetery in the town of Pauls- boro. The ground was owned by Samuel P. Paul and was at the time of his death, in 1831, covered with a beautiful growth of rye. Mr. Paul on his death-bed re- quested that he be buried in his ryefield and his wishes were carried out. Later his heirs presented the ground to the Church for use as a cemetery.
At the southern end of Paulsboro, at the junction of the Main street with the road leading to Swedesboro, stands a farm formerly occupied by Joseph L. Locke, prior
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
to whose ownership known as the John Fleming farm. There was quite an extensive graveyard on this farm, which was located along the Swedesboro road near the present lane. No one seems to know the history of the yard. It has been farmed over for many years and in former years it was quite a common occurrence for a plow to turn up a skull or some other part of a human skeleton. The ground in that particular part of the farm is now being used for building sand, and all traces of the former cemetery have entirely disappeared.
About a mile farther down, on the opposite side of the road, is a farm now occupied by Joseph Clement and formerly owned by his grandfather, Mark Clement. On the north side of the entrance of the lane leading to the house is an old burying-ground, known as the Mickle burying-ground. It is a small plot, covered with a thick growth of young trees, but there is nothing to indicate that it is a burying-ground except three uncut and unlet- tered field stones, which may be found by searching through the leaves and underbrush.
The Catnac or Catnack cemetery was located on a farm formerly owned by E. G. Green, now owned by the DuPonts and occupied by Turner Ashton. It was en- closed by a substantial wall and contained several stones. The wall was torn down years ago and, with the grave- stones, was used as foundations for some farm buildings. The ground is now under farm cultivation and only the approximate site of the graveyard is known.
In the village of Gibbstown there once stood an old Methodist meeting house, built of stone, with a graveyard adjoining. When the building was abandoned as a church it was converted into a barn, which was torn down when the land, which was known as the Mullen farm, was acquired by the DuPont interests.
The cemetery is just outside of the entrance gate to the DuPont plant, but the stones have been entirely de- stroyed by vandals and have disappeared. Rev. Jesse
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
Mullen, a local preacher, who was born about 1803 and died about 1855, at one time owned the farm and fre- quently preached in the church.
Farther down the road, about a mile before reaching Bridgeport, is the old Cooper family burying-ground. It is enclosed by a wall, but is so full of young saplings and briars as to be almost impenetrable. Some of the bodies have been removed to other cemeteries and no one appears to have any interest in those which remain.
One of the most interesting spots in the county is the ancient Moravian Church with its adjoining burying- ground, on the road from Swedesboro to Sharptown, near Oldman's Creek. The history of this church is given else- where in this book. The gravestones bear the names of Pierson, Vanneman, Gill, Shute, and other early settlers, whose descendants are among the leading citizens of the present generation.
Solomon's Graveyard is located about 100 yards from Wolfert's station, on the Woodbury-Salem railroad, and marks the original site of the first meeting house of the Upper Greenwich Preparative Meeting of Friends. The lot was granted by Solomon Lippincott in 1740, and a frame meeting house was built, which served its pur- pose until the society built a new meeting house in Mickle- ton in 1798. The graveyard continued to be used as such by Friends long after the meeting was removed, and it is still known as Solomon's, thus preserving the memory of its donor. It is enclosed by a substantial stone wall. The original meeting house no longer exists.
There were two early Methodist churches near Swedesboro which are of considerable interest, Oak Grove and Ebenezer. Oak Grove is about one and one-half miles from Swedesboro, on the road to Bridgeport. The church is still standing and is familiarly known as the "old stone church." The adjoining graveyard is enclosed by a stone wall, and contains a number of graves with a few headstones remaining.
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
Ebenezer churchyard is a half mile north of the stone road leading from Swedesboro to Auburn, on the last cross-road before reaching Oldman's creek. The church, which was a frame structure, is no longer there, but the cemetery is enclosed by a brick wall which is falling into decay. The names appearing on the stones are Jackson, Kimble, Guest, Hurff and Titus.
The old Cozens burying-ground lies on a farm located on a road leading from Eastlack's corners near Mantua, past Jessup's mill to a point on the road leading from Clarksboro to Jefferson. The cemetery is located on the top of a cone shaped hill which seems very much like an Indian mound. It slopes down on one side to a branch of the Mantua creek and is covered with trees, some of which are quite large. The stones now standing are those of Elijah Cozens and his wife Ann, and their daughter Sarah Cozens.
Elijah Cozens was a deputy surveyor and a scrivener and part owner of a mill near his home. He did much of the conveyancing for that part of the county and his name frequently appears in the public records.
There is a very interesting burying-ground at the northern end of the town of Glassboro. Glassboro was first settled in 1775, at which time the Stanger brothers established there the pioneer glass-works of the county. The Stangers and most of their employees were Germans, and doubtless the first business which occupied their atten- tion was the building of a house of worship. The ceme- tery is said to be the site of the first rude church building, and the original settlers were probably all buried within its shadow. The gravestones of several of the Stanger brothers are still in good condition, as is also that of their : mother, Catherine Stanger, who, according to the inscrip- tion, died in 1800, aged 85.
The graveyard is in a neglected condition, although the stones have not suffered as much violence at the hands of vandals as is the case in most old cemeteries. The
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
remaining tombstones contain the following family names: Stanger, Bodine, Shaffer, Swope, Focer and Thorne.
Eglington Cemetery, in Clarksboro, has grown up around the old private burying-ground set apart by John Eglington, in 1776, in his last will and testament. The original plot is still kept in its original condition and con- tains the gravestones of Jeffrey Clark and other pioneers of Clarksboro.
The Lippincott Cemetery is located in the grounds of the county farm and almshouse, which was formerly owned by Restore Lippincott, who purchased it from Wil- liam Gerrard, one of the largest landholders among the early settlers.
There is an abandoned cemetery about two miles south of Swedesboro, located on the right side of the road to Centre Square, about a half-mile west from the Swedes- boro-Auburn road. The cemetery is on the boundary line between the farms now owned by Charles G. Batten and Charles Hampton. The part which is on the Batten farm has been plowed up to a large extent, and broken pieces of tombstones may be seen here and there. The only inscription which can now be deciphered is as follows :
Betsy Roberts, Died April 30, 1841 In the 69th Year of Her Age.
This stone was standing in good condition until a very short time ago, but it now lies on the ground broken in several pieces.
The part of the cemetery which lies on the farm of Charles Hampton is covered with a heavy growth of young trees, underbrush and poison ivy, and is not safe to visit, except in winter. Members of the Dunn and Avis families are said to be buried there, but, if there ever were gravestones there, none remain at this time.
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NOTES ON OLD GLOUCESTER COUNTY.
One of the oldest Methodist Church organizations in the county is the Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church, located in the village formerly called Bethel, but now known as Hurffville. It dates back to 1770. The church building now standing there is the third one to be erected and used by the congregation. The adjoining cemetery is quite extensive, and contains the graves of hundreds of the pioneers of that part of the county. The principal family names represented on the tombstones in the old section of the cemetery are as follows: Chew, Dilks, Heritage, Bee, Swope, Turner, Brown, Beckett, Hurff, Watson, Clark, Firth, Carpenter, Prosser, Eastlack, Porch and many others. It is said to be the site of an old Indian burying-ground.
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