USA > New Jersey > Gloucester County > Newton in Gloucester County > Sketches of the first emigrant settlers in Newton Township, old Gloucester County, West New Jersey > Part 6
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The map showing Robert Turner's lands in Newton town- ship marks the residence of George Goldsmith as on the twenty acres in the forks of the creek; but this is probably an error, since the records prove the conveyance of that piece of land as before stated.
This is further proved by the writings of Thomas Sharp in this relation, in which mention is made of the agreements between Turner and Goldsmith to have his land, where he had made his improvements, referring no doubt to the five hundred acres' location.
But little importance, however, attaches to this, except to show where the first comers erected their humble habitations and removed the forest to plant their crops. The instances are but few where such first settlements are known to have been made, as later generations found more eligible spots, and had little regard for the places where the old homes stood. Even with the original proprietor, such were only temporary buildings, and were changed as soon as time and circumstances would permit,- forgotten before the second generation had passed away.
2 Lib. G, 25.
3 Lib. G, 28.
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GEORGE GOLDSMITH.
Robert Turner kept the remainder of the five hundred acres' location until 1693, when he sold it to Isaac Hollings- ham, whose son Isaac, a few years after, conveyed the same to Sarah Ellis, widow of Simeon; and in her family, parts thereof remained for many years.
' Joseph Ellis, a son of Sarah, settled on these lands, which .
in progress of time passed to the female branches of his family, and, consequently, out of the name.
Although the name of George Goldsmith enters much into the .documents and papers of the times in which he lived, yet of himself or family, if any he had, but little can be discovered. He was a member of Friends' meeting, but the only notice of his participation in religious matters is the minute of the Salem Meeting in 1681, when Richard Robinson and George Goldsmith were appointed a committee to speak to Thomas Smith "about his disorderly walking," &c.
This was during the first winter after his arrival from Ireland and before the settlement at Newton, showing that, although a stranger among the Salem people, yet he was soon called upon to discharge a delicate and important religious duty. If the first books of records of the Newton Meeting had been preserved, perchance his name would have occured therein, and have shown something of his standing among his neighbors and the interest he took in the advancement of the church in America. He appears to have been something of a land jobber, for, in 1693, he sold "rights" to William Albertson.+
In 1694, he conveyed to Nicholas Smith twenty-four acres of land in Newton township, situated on the north branch of the creek of that name, and, in the next year, conveyed one hundred acres near the last named tract to John Iverson, who, in 1697, sold said one hundred acres to Margaret Ivins.5
He appears to have kept clear of the political troubles that surrounded him, and avoided all the religious controversies then being carried on in the colonies. His name is not men- tioned among the appointments of colony, county, or township officers, nor in any of the paper warfare so diligently waged among the religious zealots of the times.
+ Lib. G3, 199.
5 Lib. G3, 41, 242.
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FIRST EMIGRANT SETTLERS.
The records of the Friends' meeting of Philadelphia in the year 1696, show that George Goldsmith and Ellen Harrison were married according to the good order of that Society, after the several "passings" then customary on such occa- sions. As all means of identity (except the name) have passed away, some doubt exists as to whether the two names mean the same person ; or whether the George Goldsmith, of Newton, in the colony of West New Jersey, is the same George Gold- smith that married Ellen Harrison in Philadelphia in 1696. Such marriages frequently occurred, and often mystify the genealogy of families, sometimes to the entire defeat of the searcher.
It has happened that persons were supposed to have died single, and the family tree has so been made up, when the truth is, that such had gone from their particular meeting and contracted matrimony in other places.
If, as Thomas Sharp says, George Goldsmith was an old man in 1681, the fifteen intervening years could not have added anything to his youth, or his inclinations toward matri- mony; and the fair presumption is that the subject of this sketch was not the person named in the records of the Phila- delphia Friends' Meeting, in connection with the aforesaid marriage.
The little that is known of him in after years, leads to the inference that he removed from this region of country, dis- posed of his real estate, and left none of his blood or name behind him. In Pennsylvania, and in other parts of New Jersey, the name sometimes occurs; but, in Old Gloucester, since the beginning of the eighteenth century, and, in fact, since the departure of this man, but few of like surname have resided.
This, however, is speculation, and not intended to lead any one astray, for his descendants may be traced through the female branches of his own blood, as definitely and as correctly as in any other manner, if such theory be a proper one, and the starting point be beyond a doubt.
Such difficulties in genealogy add much to the interest of the search, provided always that success attends the labor, and a knotty, troublesome question is solved.
FRANCIS COLLINS. 1
F RANCIS COLLINS was a son of Edward and Mary Collins of Oxfordshire, England ; he was born January 6, 1635. His father was the owner of considerable landed and personal property in that county, which, after his decease, passed to the control of his widow. Francis was apprenticed to a bricklayer, and subsequently removed to London, where he was convinced of the correctness of the religious principles of George Fox, and at once became one of his followers. In 1663, he was married to Sarah Mayham, at the Bull and Mouth Meeting of Friends, and settled at Ratliff, in the parish of Stepney, county of Middlesex, which parish was, at that time, within the built up portion of the city of London. In an account book of his, still in existence, he made the following entry : " Francis Collins, his book, this 25th day of the first month, 1675, now living at Ratliff Cross, next door to the Ship Tavern ;"-fixing his place of residence at that time beyond a question.
His adherence to the Quakers was obnoxious to his family, as is shown by the will of his mother and also by that of his sister Elizabeth.
In the book before named are many curious things, written in a style hard to decipher at this late day. Among these are the names and dates of the births of his children by the first marriage; the names of many persons with whom he had business relations; also the account of moneys paid to him for rebuilding the Friends' meeting house at Stepney
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FIRST EMIGRANT SETTLERS.
that had been destroyed by a mob a few years previous to that time. This book also shows that he was a bricklayer and builder, and kept a store, evidently seeking for gain in various ways, yet adhering strictly to his religious opinions and example.
After rebuilding the meeting house in 1675, no other dis- turbance appears of record in that section, much to the credit of the authorities and much to the peace of Friends. The parish of Stepney, like many other ancient places in and around London, has its own legends,-told to this day among the superstitious, as no less wonderful than true. This parish being by the side of the river Thames and a resort for seafaring men, a tradition still exists among the English sailors, that all who are born upon the ocean belong to Stepney parish, and must be relieved in case of distress by the authorities thereof.
' Francis Collins was among those who were imprisoned and fined for their adherence to their religious principles; and this doubtless had much to do with his coming to America, where his opinions could be enjoyed in peace.
For the first two years after his arrival, his movements are somewhat uncertain ; he was employed, perhaps, in searching to and fro through the primitive forests for a suitable location for himself and family.
In 1682, he erected the first Friends' meeting house in Burlington, and, in the next year, he received two hundred pounds, and one thousand acres of land from the Legislature for building a market house and court room at the same place.
There may be another reason for his coming to New Jersey, disclosed in a deed from the trustees of Edward Byllynge, made in 1677, to Francis Collins, of Ratliff, of the parish of Stepney, in the county of Middlesex, bricklayer, Richard Mew, of
Ratliff, aforesaid, merchant, and John Bull, of London, merchant,1 for certain shares or parts of shares of propriety. The deed says that Edward Byllynge was indebted to Francis Collins in the sum of two hundred pounds, to Richard Mew one hundred pounds, and to John Bull fifty pounds ; to
I Lib. B2, 681.
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FRANCIS COLLINS.
discharge which this conveyance of real estate in New Jersey was made.
The first taking up of any land by him was on the 23d day of October, 1682, when he located five hundred acres in Newton township, bounded on the west side by the King's road ; upon which land part of the village of Haddonfield now stands.2 Two days after, he made another and adjoining survey of four hundred and fifty acres, lying on the southwest side of the first and extending to the south branch of Newton creek. 3 Perhaps no better selection for soil and situation could have been made, showing that he acted deliberately and understand- ingly in this the first step towards a settlement in a new and unknown country.
"To secure a landing," he made a survey of one hundred and seventeen acres, bounded on the south side by Cooper's creek; most of which is now owned by John E. Hopkins and Joseph C. Stoy.+ Francis Collins sold this survey to Richard Gray, whose son John conveyed the same to Ebenezer Hopkins in 1746.
Francis Collins built his house on the hill south of the village, where formerly resided John Gill, perhaps where he found a few acres cleared of the timber, and ready for him to cultivate his summer crop.
He styled his new place "Mountwell," that being according to the English custom of having some particular name for each person's estate; which name often follows through the various conveyances from one generation to another for many years. The frequent changes in the ownership of land in New Jersey may be the cause of the disappearance of these names, yet the examination of old deeds and dilapidated records often discovers curious things in this regard. The Mountwell estate, at this day, is divided among many owners, and, if each were tenacious of the old title, much confusion would ensue.
Being here some years before Thomas Sharp and his com- panions, he, in connection with others, did something by way of advice in their selection of a place "to settle down by ;"
2 Revel's Book, 39.
3 Lib. G2, 25.
4 Lib. GH, 360.
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FIRST EMIGRANT SETTLERS.
giving them his experience in the wild woods, and his inter- course with the aborigines, a subject of much interest to these new comers.
His residence was isolated, some five miles from the little village at Newton, and without any intermediate settlements ; for, in 1700, Thomas Sharp places but five houses on his map between Mountwell and Newton, thus showing how slowly the country filled up in the intervening eighteen years.
The Salem road marked out as passing near where the village of Haddonfield now stands, could have been nothing more than a bridle path, and but seldom used except by the Indians.
His dwelling, in all probability, was only a rude wigwam surrounded by many other like habitations, the homes of those who were becoming more and more familiar with the pale faced intruders, in whom they could discover nothing but peaceful intentions. Although of slow growth, the confidence once established was never impaired by any act of emigrant, or of aborigines.
With the political affairs of the colony Francis Collins had much to do. In 1683, he was returned as a member of the Assembly to represent the interests of the third tenth, and at that session was appointed one of the commissioners for dividing and regulating land. In the difficulty between the proprietors and Edward Byllynge about the government having passed with the fee to the soil, he was one of the committee to adjust the matter among those interested.5 A long epistle was prepared, in which several queries were submitted to some Friends in London touching this important question ; but no conclusion was arrived at until the surrender in 1701, when all the rights of the government were given to the Queen.
On the eleventh day of the third month, 1683, Samuel Jennings was elected Governor, and named Francis Collins as one of his council, showing that his Excellency, considered him worthy of that honorable and responsible position.
In 1684, he was again elected to represent the third tenth, and, at that session, was made one of the judges of the several courts of that division of the territory of West Jersey, it being
5 Leaming & Spicer's Laws.
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FRANCIS COLLINS.
before the bounds of Gloucester county were defined and settled. In 1685, he was appointed to the duty of laying out highways, a task which seemed to have been easily discharged, since the Indian trails were generally adopted for roads, and so remained for many years after that time.
May 28th, 1686, the "Proprietors, Freeholders and inhabi- tants" of the third and the fourth tenth, agreed to call that ter- ritory the county of Gloucester, and they established all the political and judicial machinery necessary to set the bailiwick in motion. In September following, the first court was held at Arwamus, alias Gloucester, at which Francis Collins acted as one of the judges. In this position he continued for several years, discharging his various duties acceptably to the people. Some mystery surrounds this, as he had removed into Burlington county soon after his second marriage; yet his name appears as one of the judges of Gloucester county, and as participating in all the business thereof. He was a public man in many other positions, as the ancient records conclusively show.
In religious matters he doubtless took much interest. He was one of the leading members of the Newton meeting, then the only place of public worship in this region of country. Among the few marriage certificates preserved from those early times, is one stating that Thomas Shable, of Compton house, in ye province of West Jersey, was married to Alice Stalles, of Newton township, in ye same province, twelfth month, twenty-third, 1686, at Newton meeting. The autographs to this, prove that all the daughters of Francis Collins were present, thus displaying the curiosity of the sex, and leaving evidence that this characteristic is not of modern growth.
Their hand writing shows them to have been young ladies of more than ordinary education, which was procured while they were residents of the mother country, since no opportunities for learning existed here at that time. Glad of any excite- nient about their quiet forest home, it was most natural that they should take advantage of such an interesting event, to break the monotony that surrounded them. Their dress, made to conform to the plainness of the sect, did not destroy their
,
.
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FIRST EMIGRANT SETTLERS.
.
graceful movements, or the comeliness of their persons. The only means of travel, except by water, being on horseback, they doubtless from long practice were admirable equestrians, which exercise detracted neither from health nor from beauty.
They drew around them many admirers, and, in the progress of time, left the parental home, and became the heads of fam- ilies, and the maternal ancestors to long lines of descendants.
.
Mary, the wife of Francis Collins, died soon after his settlement here, leaving him six children,-Joseph, who mar- ried Catharine Huddleston of Mansfield, Burlington county, N. J., in 1698;6 Sarah, who married Robert Dimsdale, M. D., of Chatteris in Cambridgeshire, England, in 1713; Rebecca, who married Thomas Briant, in 1698; Priscilla, who married John Hugg; Margaret, who married Elias Hugg; and Eliza beth, who married Josiah Southwick.
Doctor Dimsdale was a prominent man in his day, and deserves notice here. He was confined in the prison in Hert- fordshire, for practicing medicine without a bishop's license ; whether he refused or neglected to obtain one, does not appear. He was a man of much talent in his profession, and was the inventor of some popular nostrums that brought money to his purse and notoriety to his name.7
He came with William Penn to Pennsylvania, but, in 1683, surveyed a large tract of land, south of Mount Holly, in Burlington county, lying on both sides of a stream that falls into Rancocas creek at Lumberton, called Dimsdale's run.8 He was owner of one-third of a whole share of propriety, bought of Nicholas Lucas, in 1682.9 On this tract he erected a brick house, and, being a man of wealth, dispensed a liberal hospitality to his friends and visitors. He was somewhat interested in the political questions of the day, and sat as one of the judges of the courts of the county, wherein he lived.1º In preparing for his return to England in 1688, he appointed John Tathen and others, his attorneys to manage his estate in America. In 1699, he revoked this, and made Francis Davenport, John Shinn and John Scott, his agents,
6 Friends' Records.
7 Burlington County files, 1720.
8 Revel's Book, 33. Basse's Book, 231.
9 Lib. GH, 533.
to Leaming & Spicer's Laws.
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FRANCIS COLLINS.
with like powers.11 His property here increased in value, but he did not return to look after it. The records show many of the transactions concerning his land in New Jersey, but may never get beyond the iron doors of the building where now preserved, except as some enthusiast be curious enough to disentomb them. In 1688, he returned to England, and settled at Theydon Garnon, near Epping, in Essex, where he died in 1718. By a previous marriage, he had two sons, John and William, neither of whom came to this country. Their estate in West New Jersey passed, in 1746, to Richard Smith (the younger), and Ebenezer Large.12
His widow, Sarah, by whom there was no issue, returned to . New Jersey, and resided in Haddonfield during the remainder of her life, taking an active part in the religious society of which she was a member, and being frequently associated with Elizabeth Estaugh in her christian labors. In these persons, the intimacy of the families, as it existed in England, was here represented, keeping alive the kindly feeling there so closely united, by reason of the trials and persecutions passed through in the early days of their religious profession. The name of Elizabeth Estaugh as a witness to her will, proves that their friendship, ended only by her death. She died in 1739, distributing her estate among the children of her brothers and sisters, by her last will and testament.13 By a deed from her father in 1714,14 she became the owner of a tract of four hundred and sixty acres of land in Newton township, being the second survey made by him-now owned in part by the Hinchmans, Samuel Nicholson, Jeremiah Willits and others- extending from near Haddonfield, southwesterly to the south branch of Newton creek. Upon the first day of April, 1725, Sarah Dimsdale sold the whole tract to Simeon Breach and Caleb Sprague, who held it in common until April 30th, 1726, at which date they made division thereof. By this deed of par- tition, Caleb Sprague took two hundred and fifteen acres in the northerly part of the tract, and Simeon Breach took two hundred and forty-five acres next to King's run. None of the
1I Lib. B2, 437, 546, 669.
12 Lib. GH, 542.
13 Lib. No. 4, 208.
14 Lib. A, I1.
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FIRST EMIGRANT SETTLERS.
papers touching this transaction are of record; a circumstance which may lead to much trouble in days to come, should some sharp-scented lawyer insist on knowing the titles to these lands from the first taking up. Such difficulties must often occur in relation to the land in West New Jersey, by reason of the frequent neglect of owners in this regard.
Joseph Collins, the only son of Francis by the first mar- riage, settled on the homestead farm, and there remained during his life. Upon the second marriage of his father, this estate was involved in a trust to Robert Dimsdale and John Budd, for the use of such children as might be the issue of that connection.15 This was done to guard against the operation of the law of descents in force at that day, which gave the oldest male child all the real estate of which the parent died seized. This trust was defeated in 1716,16 as the father and his second wife, in connection with the trustees, conveyed Mountwell to Joseph in fee, and, in 1717, the children by the second marriage released all their right in the same to their elder brother.11
Joseph died in 1741,18 leaving the following children, -- Benjamin, who married Ann Hedger; Sarah, who married Simeon Ellis; Catharine, who married Thomas Ellis; and Rebecca, who married Samuel Clement. 19
Benjamin was a carpenter, and lived in Haddonfield. Joseph Collins and his wife Catharine executed to Benjamin a deed for a portion of the Mountwell tract fronting on the' south side of the main street of the village, retaining to themselves a life estate therein. Part of this was sold by the parties interested, in 1734. Benjamin died in 1756, leaving two children, Joseph and Priscilla, both minors at that time.20 It will be noticed that the name in this branch of the family is only perpetuated by two persons, Benjamin, the son, and Joseph, the grandson.
Previously to his death in 1735, Joseph Collins and Catharine, his wife, conveyed to Samuel and Rebecca Clement a part
15 Lib. A, 76.
18 Lib. No. 4, 294.
16 Lib. B2, 572.
19 Lib. No. 8, 395.
17 Basse's Book, 138.
20 Lib. No. 8, 395, 544. Lib. No. 4, 294.
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FRANCIS COLLINS.
of the Mountwell tract, for considerations which showed them to be in favor with the parents. These were the sums of one hundred pounds, and sixteen pounds, annually, during the life of the said Joseph and Catharine and the survivors of them.21
Rebecca, who married Thomas Briant, lived with her husband on his estate near Mount Holly, Burlington county, where he owned a large tract of land. In an affidavit made by this man in 1733, in relation to the identity of George Elkinton, who came to New Jersey as a servant of Daniel Wills, he says that he was born at Shippen Warden, Northampshire, England, and in that year was sixty-eight years of age, and married Rebecca Collins. He was, in all probability, a servant of Daniel Wills, as Daniel appears to have brought several persons with him in that capacity, the most of whom became valuable and influ- ential citizens.
In the year 1704, Francis Collins conveyed to Thomas Briant and his wife Rebecca, a tract of land containing four hundred acres situate in the "forks" of Timber creek, a short distance west from Chew's Landing. Rebecca survived her husband and died in 1743.
Her children were Elizabeth, wife of Daniel Haines ; Sarah, wife of John Fennimore; Ann, John, Abraham and Benjamin. The descendents of this woman are, at this day, connected with some of the most respectable families in West New Jersey, who, with a little care, may trace their lineage to one of the first settlers of the colony.
John Hugg, who married Priscilla, had considerable estate and resided at Gloucester, (now Gloucester city,) to whom the family now scattered over the country may trace their ancestry. His death is thus noticed by Smith in his History of New Jersey :
"In this year (1730) died John Hugg, Esq., of Gloucester county. He was about ten years one of the council. Riding from home in the morning he was supposed to be taken ill about a mile from his house; when getting off his horse he spread his cloak on the ground to lie down on-and having
21 Liber EF, 65.
١
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put his gloves under the saddle and hung his whip through one of the rings, he turned the horse loose, which going home put the people upon searching, who found him in this circum- stance speechless; they carried him to his house and he died that evening."
In 1695, Francis Collins conveyed to John Hugg and his wife Priscilla a tract of land lying south of Haddonfield, and bounding on Little Timber creek, which they in a few years afterward sold to John Hinchman.22
It is to be regretted that nothing conclusive can be discovered in regard to the children of Priscilla, as she had deceased, and John Hugg had married a second wife, by whom there was issue also. His children were numerous, but he made no dis- tinction as to their mother. In regard to the children of Margaret, a like difficulty occurs, which may never be solved, except by some persevering genealogist interested in tracing his awn blood.
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