USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Old times in old Monmouth > Part 10
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The ship in which Penelope came to this country was wrecked on the coast of Monmouth, some two hundred and fifty years ago. The story of her remarkable preservation was handed down by tradition, in various parts of the state, for a century and a half with little variation except that some traditionary versions, at one time, located the place of the shipwreck on the Delaware.
The following version is the one pub- lished by Smith in 1765 :
" While New York was in the possession of the Dutch, about the time of the Indian War in New England, a Dutch ship, com- ing from Amsterdam, was stranded on Sandy Hook, but the passengers got ashore -among them was a young Dutchman who had been sick most of the voyage ; he was so bad after landing that he could not travel, and the other passengers, being afraid of the Indians, would not stay until he recovered ; his wife, however, would not leave him, and the rest promised to send for them as soon as they arrived at New Amsterdam (New York.) They had not been gone long before a company of Indians, coming to the water side, discov- ered them on the beach, and hastening to the spot, soon killed the man and cut and mangled the woman in such a manner that they left her for dead. She had strength enough to crawl to some logs not far distant, and getting into a hollow one lived within it for several days, subsisting in part by eating the excrescences that grew from it. The Indians had left some fire on the shore, which she kept together for the warmth. Having remained in that manner for some time, an old Indian and a young one coming down to the beach found her ; they were soon in high words, which she afterwards understood was a dispute ; the old Indian was for keeping her alive, the other for dispatching her .- After they had debated the point awhile, the oldest Indian hastily took her up and tossing her upon his shoulder, carried her to a place near where Middletown now stands, where he dressed her wounds and soon cured her. After some time the Dutch at New Amsterdam, hearing of a white woman among the Indians, concluded who it must be, and some of them came to her
relief ; the old man, her preserver, gave her the choice to go or stay ; she chose to go. A while after, marrying one Stout, they lived together at Middletown among other Dutch inhabitants. The old Indian who saved her life used frequently to visit her ; at one of his visits she observed him to be more pensive than common, and sit- ting down, he gave three heavy sighs ; after the last, she thought herself at liber- ty to ask him what was the matter. He told her he had something to tell her in friendship, though at the risk of his own life, which was that the Indians were that night to kill all the whites, and he advised her to go to New Amsterdam ; she asked him how she could get off ? He told her he had provided a canoe at a place which he named. Being gone from her she sent for her husband out of the field, and dis- covered the matter to him, who, not be- lieving it, she told him the old man never deceived her, and that she with her children would go ; accordingly at the place ap- pointed they found the canoe and paddled off. When they were gone, the husband began to consider the matter, and sending for five or six of his neighbors, they set upon their guard. About midnight they heard the dismal warwhoop; presently came up a company of Indians ; they first expostulated and then told the Indians if they persisted in their bloody designs, they would sell their lives very dear. Their arguments prevailed, the Indians desisted. and entered into a league of peace, which was kept without violati n. From this woman, thus remarkably saved, is descend . ed a numerous posterity of the name of Stout, now inhabitants of New Jersey. At that time there were supposed to be about fifty families of white people, and five hundred Indians inhabiting those parts."
The account of Penelope Stout, as given in Benedict's History, is as follows :
" She was born in Amsterdam, in Hol- land, about the year 1602; her father's name was Vanprincis. She and her first husband (whose name is not known) sail- ed for New York (then New Amsterdam) about the year 1620; the vessel was strand- ed at Sandy Hook ; the crew got ashore and marched towards New York ; but Penelope's (for that was her name) hus- band being hurt in the wreck, could not march with them ; therefore, he and his wife tarried in the woods ; they had not been long in the place before the Indians killed them both (as they thonght) and stripped them to the skin ; however, Pen-
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elope came to, though her skull was frac- tured and her lett shoulder so hacked that she could never use that arm like the oth- er ; she was also cut across the abdomen so that her bowels appeared ; these she kept in with her hand ; she continued in this situation for seven days, taking shel- ter in a hollow tree, and eating the ex- crescence of it ; the seventh day she saw a deer passing by with arrows sticking in it, and soon after two Indians appeared, whom she was glad to see, in hope they would put her out of her misery ; accord ingly, one made for her to knock her on the head ; but the other, who was an el- derly man, prevented him ; and, throwing his match coat about her, carried her to his wigwam and cured her of her wounds and bruises ; after that he took her to New York and made a present of her to her countrymen, viz : an Indian present, expecting ten times the value in return .- It was in New York that one Richard Stout married her ; he was a native of : England, and of good family : she was now in her 22nd year, and he in his 40th. She bore him seven sons and three daughters, viz : Jonathan. John, Richard, James, Peter, David. Benjamin, Mary, Sarah and Alice ; the daughters married into the families of the Bounds, Pikes, Throck- mortons and Skeltons, and so lost the name of Stout ; the sons married into the families of Bullen, Crawford, Ashton. Truax, &c., and had many children. The mother lived to the age of 110, and saw her off- spring multipli d into 502 in about 88 years."
Richard Stout, who married Penelope, was the son of John Stout, of Nottingham- shire, in England. His father interfered in a love affair with a young woman be- neath his rank, so he got angry and went to sea in a man of war, and served seven years. He was discharged at New York (then New Amsterdam) and lived there some years, when he fell in with the Dutch widow, whom he afterwards married.
INDIAN CLAIMS IN OLD MON- MOUTH AND VICINITY.
Conference of Whites and Indians-Des- cription of last lands claimed by Indians -Names of leading Indians-Indians satisfactorily paid for all their land -- Our ancesters as " doers of justice."
The last lands in Old Monmouth claimed by the Indians were described in certain pipers, powers of attorney, &c., presented
to a conference between the whites and Indians held at Crosswicks, N. J., in Feb ruary, 1758. For several years previous the Indians had expressed much dissatis- faction because they had not received pay for several tracts of land, some of them of considerable extent in this and other counties. When the ill feeling of the In- dians became apparent, the Legislature appointed commissioners to examine.into the causes of dissatisfaction. Several con- ferences were held at Crosswicks, Burling- ton, Easton, Pa., &c. At the second con- ference at Crosswicks the commissioners on the part of the state were Andrew Johnson and Richard Salter, of the Coun- cil, and Charles Read, John Stevens, Wil- iam Foster and Jacob Spicer.
The Indians were Teedyescunk, king of the Delawares ; George Hopaycock, of the Susquehannas ; Andrew Woolley, George Wheelwright, Peepy, Joseph Cuish, Wil- ham Lonlax, Gabriel Mitop, Zeb Conchee, Bill News, John Pembolus, of the Cross- wick Indians; Moses Totamy and Philip of the Mountain Indians; Tom Evans, of the Raritans; Robert Kekott, Jabob Mullis, Samuel Gosling of the Rancocus Indians ; Thomas Store, Stephen Calviri, JJolin Pompshire, Benjamin Claus, Joseph Woolley, Josiah Store, Isaac Still, James Calvin, Peter Calvin, Derrick Quaquay, Ebenezer Woolley, Sarah Store, widow of Quaqnahela of the Cranbury Indians ; Abraham Lacques, Isaac Swanelea, South- ern Indians.
John Pompshire acted as interpreter.
The Indians informed the Commissioners that the lands they claimed could not by them be described by lines verv intelligi- ble to persons not on the spot, as they went to hollows and small brooks which had no certain names, but that they had described them as well as they could, and they delivered lists of the tracts they es. teemed unpurshased as follows :
No. 1. A power of attorney from Ca- poose and Telamen, to Moses Totamy, dated January 30th, 1743-4. for lands on the south and southwest side of the south branch of the Raritan river, joining there- to, as explained by said power.
No. 2. A paper declaring the lands from the half way, from the mouth of Metetecunk to Toms River, from the heads of the rivers, belong to Captain John, Totamy Willockins; and from John Eastels (Estells ? ) to Hockanetcunk on Crosswicks; then on a straight course to Mount Holly and so up Rancocus creek
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and along the said creek to Jarvis Pharo's mill and so to the sea. Pompshire and Ste- phen Calvin say they are concerned in the tract.
No. 3. A power of attorney to Totamy and Captain John, dated February 21st, 1747, from Tawlayenum, Tohokenum, Gooteleck, to sell lands in Egg Harbor be- tween Mount Holly and Crosswicks.
They have a tract of land beginning at the Old Ford by John Fowler's; then in a line to Doctor's Creek, above but in sight of Allentown ; then up the creek to the lower end of Imlaystown; then in a line to Crosswicks creek by Duke Horseman's ; then along said creek to the place of beginning. Teedyscung and Totamy are concerned in the above lands.
Then they said that from the mouth of Squan to No. 2, belongs to Sarah Store, to whom it was given by her husband, to the heads of the branches, and so across from one branch to the other.
Tom Store and Andrew Woolley, claim a tract beetween Cranbury and Devil's Brook, possessed by Josiah Davidson's sons that has two new houses built thereon, in which is included the whole tract of the late President Hamilton probably John Hamilton, governor from 1736 to 1738) ; and also Mr. Alexander's surveys where Thomas Sowden lives ; he has sold part of this aract to Hollinshead where McGee lives; also has sold some to Josiah Davidson, to Doore Marlet, John Wetherill and James Wilson. He claims lands from Cranbury brook to the cross roads lying on the right hand of the road, and is claimed by William Pidgeon ; James Wall and John Story live upon one corner of it. They also claim from the mouth of Squan to the mouth of Shrewsbury, by the streams of each to their heads and across from one head to another. Also Vannote's place on the west side of Squan river. Also a piece at Topanemus bridge; in this piece Ben Claus is concerned.
Tom Store and Andrew Woolley, also claim a piece on the north side of South River-Polly Ritchies place.
Also a piece between Allentown and Millstone brook, where Hockan Gapee used to live, joining on the east side of the post road to Amboy, part of Dunstan's tract.
Also Vance's place, adjoining Millstone brook, on Amboy road, part of Fullerton's tract.
Also a swamp near Gawen Watson's place, belonging to the Johnston . families and the Furmans.
Jacob Mullis claims pine lands on Edge Pillock Branch and Goshen Neck Branch, where Benjamin Springer and George Marpole's mills stands and all the lands between the head branches of those creeks to where the waters join or meet.
The Indians in general, claim their settlements near Cranbury on Menolapan river, near Falkner's tract, whereon many Indians now live. Also a few acres below the plantation of Robert Pearson's, on the North side of Crosswicks creek.
Having delivered these claims to the Commissioners, the Indians present ex- ecuted a power of attorney to Tom Store, Moses Totamy, Stephen Calvin, Isaac Still and John Pompshire, or the major part of them, to transact all future business with the state government respecting lands.
In 1757 the government had appro- priated £1,600 to purchase a release of Indian claims ; one half to be laid out in purchasing a settlement for the Indians on the south side of the Raritan, whereon they might reside ; the other half to pur- chase latent claims of back Indians not resident in the province. At the confer- ence at Easton, in October, 1758, it was decided to purchase a tract of land in Evesham township, Burlington, containing over 3,000 acres, for the Indians to locate upon. There was there a saw mill and cedar swamp and satisfactory hunting ground. The Indians soon removed to this reservation, named Brotherton ; in removing their buildings they were assist- ed by government. A house of worship and several dwellings were soon put up.
In 1765, it is said, there were about sixty persons settled there.
The remnant of these Indians sold out the tract and left the state in 1802, as elsewhere described. We believe they left behind a lot of half breeds, who also left the state some thirty years later.
HOW THE BRITISH REWARDED THE TORIES.
Dazzling Promises and how they were ful. filled-Loyalists die broken hearted.
The following is from the Albany States- man, Sept. 1820 :
By the following extract from the pro- ceedings of the British House of Commons June 19th, 1820, it will be seen that the
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Tories of the Revolution were but poorly rewarded for their loyalty to England and their base desertion of their own country. It seems the most fortunate of them re- ceived but seven shillings in the pound, of what had been promised them, as a re- muneration for their losses and treason- able services. The conduct of the British government towards these miserable be. ings who were dazzled with promises and anticipations of princely wealth
and princely honors, furnishes a monitory les- son of the wretched fate of the traitor. Many of them, it is said, died of broken hearts conscious of their own degradation, ne- glected and despised by those they had served, and treated with scorn and re- proach by their own countrymen. How different was their lot from that of the revolutionary patriot and soldier, who was true to his country and whose motto was " Liberty or Death."
AMERICAN LOYALISTS.
A vote of £9,000 was proposed for Amer- ican Loyylists.
Mr. Hume asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether government meant to take into consideration the claims of those loyalists who had been resident in Ameri- ca at the breaking out of the war, and who had been assured by their govern- ment that any losses they might sustain, would be made good by this country ? Whereas in violation of the public faitb they never had been remunerated.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer ad- mitted that the people alluded to were a most meritorious and unfortunate class of men, but on the other hand, if the claims of in- dividuals were to be listened to by his majes- ty's ministers, a dangerous precedent would be established and a door opened for their endlesss repetition.
Mr. Courtney observed that this claim stood on the plighted faith of the country. His conviction was, their case was quite different from that of all other claimants, and was, at least, entitled to the serious consideration of parliament-( Hear.)
Mr. Williams added his testimony to that of the last speaker. It was consider- ably more than thirty years since the claims accrued. Three fourths of the claimants were dead. and many of them of broken hearts.
Mr. Lockhart said that the American loyalists had never received any compen- sation for their losses. It was the mer- chants trading to America who consented
to accept of £500,000 to be distributed amongst them by commissioners ; and when the resident loyalists applied to the courts in America, they were met with the plea of being attainted persons and traitors to their country.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said the individuals in question had received their fair proportion of the £500,000 from the commissioners.
Mr. J. Smith said that they had receiv- ed but seven or eight shillings in the pound of their reduced debt or claim.
The resolution was postponed to the following week.
EPISCOPALIANISM IN OLD MON. MOUTH.
Pioneers of the Society .- Rev. Messrs. Keith, Talbot and Inness-First Converts to the Protestant Episcopal Church- One Hundred and Seventy Years Ago.
The most noted among the first clergy- men of the Protestant Episcopal Church, who held services in the county, was the celebrated Rev. George Keith, an outline of whose life has been given in an other chap- ter. When he first located at Freehold he was an active member of the Society of Friends, as it would seem were others of the first settlers. He left Freehold in 1689 and went to reside in Philadelphia .- In 1694 he went to London and soon after abjured the doctrines of the Quakers, and became a zealous clergyman of the Church of England. He officiated some time in his mother country, and in 1702 he was sent to America as a missionary of the "Society for the Propagation of the Gos- pel in Foreign Parts." He sailed from England April 28, 1702, in the ship Cen- turian bound for Boston. After his arri- val he travelled and preached in various parts of New England and New York, ac. companied and assisted by the Rev. John Talbot, who had been chaplain of the ship, and who, a few years later, located at Bur- lington, N. J., in charge of the Protestant Episcopal Society there. Mr. Keith ar- rived at Amboy, and preached his first ser- mon in New Jersey in that place, October 3d, 1702. He says thatamong the audience were some old acquaintances, and some had been Quakers but were come over to the church, particularly Miles Forster and John Barclay (brother to Robert Barclay, who published the " Apology for Quakers.") After stopping a few days with Miles For- ster, he left for Monmouth county, where
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he preached his first sermon, October 10, 1702. Of his travels and services in Mon- mouth we give his own account from his rare and curious little work entitled " A Jour- nal of Travel from New Hampshire to Car- atuck, on the Continent of America, by George Keith, A. M., late Missionary from the Society for the Propagation of the Gos- pel in Foreign Parts, and now Rector of Edburton, in Sussex. London : printed by Joseph Downing, for Brab. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons over against the Royal Ex- change, Cornhill, 1706."
It will be noticed that he speaks of the Quakers at Freehold holding meetings separate from other Quakers. The cause of this separation is explained in the chap- ter giving an outline of his life.
Of his visit to Monmouth he says :
October 10, 1702 .- We went to the meeting of the Quakers at Toponemes in Freehold in East Jersey, who used tokeep a separate meeting from theother Quakers for their gross errors and joined with me and my friends in the separation about 1692 ; and it happened to be their yearly meeting where divers came from West Jersey and Pennsylvania. One of their preachers prayed and preached before I began. After he had done, I used some Church Collects I had by heart, in Prayer; and after that I preached on Heb. 5 : 9 .- There was a considerable auditory of di- vers sorts, some of the Church, and some Presbyterians, besides Quakers. They heard me without interruption and the meeting ended peaceably. Their two speakers lodged in the same house with me that evening at the house of Thomas Boels, formerly a Quaker but now of the church. I had some free discourse with
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them about several weighty things. I told them so far as they used their gifts to in- struct the ignorant and reclaim the vile errors of Quakerism, they were to be com- mended ; but that they had taken upon them to administer baptism and the Lord's Supper to any, they were greatly to be blamed, having no due call or ordination so to do.
between an absolute fear of hell, such as wicked men ought to have and a condi- tional fear which good men, even such who are in Christ, ought to have; and about this he and I had some private dis- course also betwixt us, but he was dissatis fied and would not own that any who were in Christ, ought to have any less of hell, so much as conditional.
Sunday, October 17th, 1702. I preached at Middletown in East Jersey, where be. føre sermon Mr. Talbot read the Church Prayers, and I preached on Matt. 28:19,20. One main part of my sermon being to prove Infant baptism to be included in the Apostle's commission as well as ; that of adult persons, their being several of the audience who were Anabaptists, who heard me civilly without interruption ; but most of the auditory were Church people or well affected to the Church.
October 24th, 1702. I preached at Shrews- bury at a house near the Quaker Meeting House, and it happened it was the time of the Quaker Yearly Meeting at Shrewsbury. My text was 2d Peter, 2 : 1, 2. The Church Prayers being read before sermon, we had a great congregation, generally well affect- ed to the Church, and divers of them were of the Church, and that day I sent some lines in writing to the Quakeis at their Yearly Meeting ; which Mr. Talbot did read to them in their meeting, wherein I desired them to give me a meeting with them some day of that week before their meeting was concluded ; in which meeting I offered to detect great errors in their Author's books, and they should have full liberty to answer what they had to say in their vindication. But they altogether re- fused my proposition, and several papers passed betwixt us. In some of their pa- pers they used gross reflections on the Church of England as much as on me .- We continued our meeting three days, as the Quakers did theirs. And the second day of our meeting at the. same house, where we had formerly met, I detected Quaker errors out of their printed books, particularly out of the Folio Book of Ed- ward Burrough's Works, collected and pub lished by the Quakers after his death, and did read quotations to the Auditory, lay- ing the pages open before such as were willing to read them for their better satis- faction, as some did read them.
We met again next day and after that I prayed, using the same Collects as the day before and preached on Ist Thes. 5 : 9 without any interruption, and the meeting peaceably ended. I could blame nothing in the matter of the second speaker, nor in the former, except where he said in his (Mr. Keith here quotes what he consid- ers some of their errors.) discourse " That they who were in Christ, necd not fear Hell." I endeavored to clear the October 26th. I preached again at matter in my discourse by distinguishing | Shrewsbury, on Matt. 7: 13. In these
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meetings in Shrewsbury, Middletown and Toponemes, or where else in the Nethesinks (Nevisinks) Mr. Louis Morris and divers others of the best note in that county, fre- quented the congregations and places where we preached and did kindly enter- tain us at their houses where we lodged as we travelled too and again, particularly at Mr. Morris, Mr. Inness, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Boels and Mr. Read. Mr. Inness being in Priest's orders often preached among them and by preaching and conferences frequent- ly with the Quakers and other sorts of peo- ple, as also by his pious conversation, has done much good among them and been very instrumental to draw them off from their errors and bring thein over to the Church.
Mr. Keith left Monmouth about the last of October, 1702, for Burlington and else- where. He returned in December, and says :
December 20th, 1702. I preached at Dr. Johnston's at Nethersinks, on Rev. 22:14.
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I Dec. 25th, Friday, being Christmas. preached at the house of Mr. Morris, on Luke 21.10, 11. And after sermon divers of the auditory received with us the Holy sacrament ; both Mr. Morris and his wife, and divers others. Mr. Talbot did admin- ister it.
December 27th, Sunday. I preached at Shrewsbury Town, near the Quaker Meet- ing House, at a Planter's house, and had a considerable auditory of Church people, lately converted from Quakerism, with divers others of the Church of best note in that part of the country. My text was Heb. 8.10, 11.
January Ist, 1703, Friday. I preached at the house of Thomas Boels, in Freehold, in East Jersey. My text was Isaiah 59.20, 21. Before sermon, after the Church Prayers, I baptized all his children, two sons and three daughiers. He was for- merly a Quaker, but is now come over to the Church ; also a son of Samuel Dennis, a late convert from Quakerism.
Jan. 3d, 1703. I preached again at his house on the same text, and before sermon Mr. Talbot baptized two persons belonging to the family of John Read, formerly a Quaker, but was lately come over to the Church, with all his children, one son and two daughters. His two daughters were baptized by Mr. Talbot, October 20th, 1702; as also the same day was baptized William Leads (Leeds ?), and his sister ; Mary Leads, late converts from Quakerism | land.
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