USA > New Jersey > Camden County > Camden > The civil and political history of Camden County and Camden City > Part 2
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HENRY WOOD
FRANCIS COLLINS
MARCUS LAWRENCE WILLIAM BATES
HENRY TREADWAY
Representatives in the November meeting of the General As- sembly :
WILLIAM COOPER
HENRY WOOD
ROBERT TURNER
FRANCIS COLLINS
WILLIAM BATES MARCUS LAWRENCE
1685-Representatives in the May meeting of the General As- sembly :
ROBERT TURNER
SAMUEL CARPENTER
THOMAS SHARP
RICHARD RUSSELL
SAMUEL COLE RICHARD ARNOLD
WILLIAM ALBERTSON
Representatives in the November meeting of the General As- sembly :
WILLIAM COOPER
ROBERT TURNER
FRANCIS COLLINS
THOMAS THACKERY
WILLIAM BATES
ROBERT ZANE
THOMAS HOWELL
JOHN KAY
JOHN READING
JOHN HUGG
1686-Representatives in the May meeting of the General As- sembly :
ROBERT TURNER
ROBERT ZANE
FRANCIS COLLINS JOHN HUGG
THOMAS HOWELL
THOMAS THACKERY
WILLIAM BATES
JOHN KAY
JOHN READING
WILLIAM COOPER
The plan of government as outlined in the "Concessions" failed to recognize the fact that, while Byllinge had transferred his equity in the lands of West Jersey to his trustees, he did not at the same time relinquish his right to the government of the territory which had been specifically conveyed to him in the deed from Berkeley.
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Owing to the bitter controversy which arose over this question the usual functions were largely suspended. Historians generally have stated that there were no meetings of the General Assembly between the years 1685 and 1692, but, lately through the researches of Dr. Godfrey, the minutes of the session for May, 1686, have been found and somewhat alter previously accepted theories, especially as they apply to old Gloucester county.
GLOUCESTER COUNTY
As the population increased, slow though it was, it soon developed that the chief function of the "Tenths" was that of apportioning the land among the different proprietors, and that the question of local government had been left in too vague a state under the "Conces- sions." To remedy this defect the proprietors, freeholders and in- habitants of the territory between Pensauken and Oldman's creeks through "the Members of ye Assembly for ye Third & fourth Tenths on ye behalf of Their Tenths Request they May have power to keep Courts for ye third & fourth Tenths." This permission having been granted by the General Assembly of West Jersey on the fifteenth of May, 1686,* the inhabitants met at Axwames, or Ar- wamus, now Gloucester City, thirteen days later and organized a county government and adopted a set of rules, which, supplementing the colonial laws, provide all the necessary machinery for conducting the local affairs.
This curious instrument, comprising in all but ten short para- graphs,; "not only regulated the marking of hogs and other cattle- a precaution to which the absence of fences in those primitive days gave considerable importance, but erected the two precincts into a County, ordained a regular court, provided officers similar to those already employed in the jurisdiction of Salem and Burlington, and prescribed the Minutiae of legal practice." The above record taken from some unpublished pages in the original manuscript of Leaming and Spicer's "Grants and Concessions," upsets the statement made by Isaac Mickle regarding the origin of old Gloucester County.
As originally constituted old Gloucester County included all of the territory now embraced within the present counties of Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden, and contained in 1699,¿ 134 freeholders, while
* See unpublished manuscript of Leaming and Spicer, Camden County Historical Society publication, Vol. 1, No. 4.
t See Mickle's "Reminiscences of Old Gloucester," p. 35, and Clement's "Sketches of the First Emigrant Settlers in Newton Township, Old Gloucester County," pp. 27-28.
# New Jersey Archives, First Series, Vol. II, p. 305.
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in 1818 the population had increased to 19,744 .* In its inception it actually had no fixed boundaries and it was not until 1694 that a successful attempt was made to define its limits by legislative enact- ment.
Following Mickel, we learn that in the county constitution above noted it was provided that there should be a court, which was to meet alternately at Axwamus, or Gloucester, and Red Bank. The county seat was fixed by the joint consent of the inhabitants at Gloucester and a large town laid out divided into ten equal shares, to correspond with the number of proprieties. A town jail was soon deemed necessary and a "logg-house" fifteen or sixteen feet square, was erected, which served the purpose until 1696. In the latter year, this building was superseded by another one in which was also in- cluded a court room. In 1720, a new court house was erected and served the county until 1786, when it was entirely consumed by fire.
After the fire, the Board of Freeholders petitioned the Legislature to pass a law permitting the building of a new court house in such a place as a majority of the inhabitants determine "by a free and impartial election." The election having decided the question in favor of Woodbury, plans were immediately made to secure a lot and build the court house and jail. This was finished towards the close of 1787, at a cost of about $12,000.
TOWNSHIPS
After the many questions incident to the formation of the county had been settled and the local government firmly established the next step was the sub-division into townships. In 1694, the General As- sembly of West Jersey passed a law directing that the counties of the Western Division should be divided into townships. Acting under this law, the Clerk and Grand Jury of Gloucester divided the county into five townships and nominated a constable in each. The report of the Grand Jury was approved by the Court of Gloucester County on June 1, 1695, and spread on the court records. Thus began the townships of Newton, Waterford, Gloucester, Deptford, originally spelled Deadford, and Egg Harbour, or New Weymouth. The latter township, however, according to the court records was actually established on March 1, 1694, but we have been unable to ascertain why this special action was taken.
The status of Gloucester Town as a township is still not definitely settled. It was established under an order of the Burlington County
* A Gazetteer of the United States, J. E. Worcester, 181S.
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Court, dated 7 mo. 4th, 1685, as a town, but it is not clear as to whether this order carried with it any authority to establish a town- ship government .* It is, however, certain that such a government was established under the Letters Patent of December 8, 1773 .*
NEWTON TOWNSHIP
The township, or constabulary, of Newton was defined as front- ing on the Delaware river and bounded by the lowermost branch of Newton creek on the southwest, and extending from the river between the said streams to a line drawn between the headwaters of the two creeks. The earliest mention which has been located of this township in any legislation is in the Act of 1701, wherein Martin Jervis [Jarvis] was appointed assessor and collector, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the tax law passed by the Provincial Assembly in 1700.
That the inhabitants of the township of Newton took quite a lively interest in the proceedings of the General Assembly is shown in an original manuscript petition dated January 13, 1774, which has lately come to light,¡ relating to the celebrated controversy over the removal of Stephen Skinner from the office of Secretary of the Treasury of the Province of New Jersey for a shortage in his ac- counts of over £6575, which he claimed had been stolen from the treasury. This document was signed by seventy prominent citizens of the township, including Jacob Stokes, Benajmin Thackrey, Joseph Mickle. Isaac Burroughs, James Sloan, Joseph Sloan, Benjamin Graysbury, William Chew, Nathaniel Chew, Samuel Webster, Samuel Clement, Joseph Lippincott, Thomas Stephens, and Thomas Clement, and read in part as follows :
"To the Honorable House of Representatives of the Colony of New Jersey, in General Assembly Convened .- The Petition of a Number of the Inhabitants of the Township of Newton, in the County of Gloucester .- Humbly Showeth-that by the Minutes of the last Session of Assembly it appears, Your House were of the Opinion that the Robbery of the Eastern Treasury said to be Committed, happened for want of that security and care that was Necessary to keep it in Safety, and that you re- quested the Governor to remove the Treasurer. We take the liberty to inform the House that we think your request very reasonable
* Publications of Camden Co. Hlst. Soc., Vol. I, No. 4.
+ Originally listed in the William Nelson Sale as item S73, but withdrawn from sale.
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For one hundred and thirty-three years, or until 1828, the people of this section went along in the even tenor of their way, holding town meetings and electing the township officers and members of the Board of Freeholders .* In the early days outside of the settle- ments which later made up the city of Camden, the township con- tained only the villages of Haddonfield and Rowandtown, or Round- town (afterwards called Glenwood and now known as Westmont).
It is interesting to note that in 1818 the population of the entire township was only 1951,; while Gloucester city, one of the two principal towns of the county, Woodbury being the other, had a population of 1726.
The territorial limits of the township have been changed on four separate occasions, first, in 1831, when Camden township was formed, second, when Haddon township was formed in 1865, third, when the major portion of what remained of the old township was an- nexed to the city of Camden in 1871 and finally, on March, 1871, when the small remnant was added to Haddon township and its existence as a political sub-division of the State extinguished.
The town meetings, until 1737, were all held at the old Newton Meeting House, which formerly stood near the graveyard adjacent to the present West Collingswood Station on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. In the next year the town meeting was held in the Friends' School house at Haddonfield.
The records of the old Township are, like those of many other of the older townships and municipalities, either lost, or scattered, making it impossible to compile a complete list of township officers, or activities. About fifty years ago Judge Clement, who at that time had apparently seen the minute book for the years 1723 to 1737, prepared a list of the officers for this period, which should be made a matter of permanent record and are, therefore, here set down.
* The Board of Freeholders had its origin in an act passed in 1713 (Allison's Laws, p. 15), providing for the raising of money for building and repairing of goals and court-houses within each county. It provided for the election by the inhabitants of each town and precinct in each county, on the second Tuesday in March, annually, of two freeholders for every town and pre- cinct for the ensuing year, which freeholders so chosen, or the major part of them, together with all the Justices, of the Peace of the respective county, or any three of them (one whereof being of the Quorum), should meet together and appoint assessors and collectors to assess and collect such taxes as may be agreed upon to build or repair jails and court-houses as may be required in the respective counties. The justices and freeholders were required to appoint managers "to do and see done such Things and Works as they shall agree upon to be done and performed" and to draw warrants on the collectors for the work and materials required. By the act of 1716-17 (Allison's Laws, pp. 35-38), the justices and freeholders were also authorized to raise the necessary taxes to defray the public and necessary charges of the county. In 1798, the justices were omitted, and the Board was therefore known as the Board of Chosen Freeholders of the county. In 1852, the requirement that office holders be freeholders was repealed; but the name of the Board remained unchanged (See Proceedings N. J. Hist. Society, Vol. V., No. 2, p. 117).
t "A Gazetteer of the United States," J. E. Worcester, 1818.
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This list is as follows :
1723-Township clerk, Thomas Sharp; Overseers of poor, Joseph Cooper, Jr., John Gill.
1724-Township clerk, Thomas Sharp; Overseers of poor, John Eastlack, John Gill; Freeholders, Joseph Cooper, Thomas Sharp; Assessor, Joseph Cooper, Jr .; Collector, William Cooper; Surveyors of highways, Jacob Medcalf, Samuel Shivers, Joseph Kaighn, Thomas Dennis; Overseers of roads, Samuel Sharp, William Albertson.
1725-Township clerk, Thomas Sharp; Overseers of poor, James Hinchman, Jacob Medcalf ; Freeholders, John Kay, John Kaighn; Assessor, Joseph Cooper, Jr .; Collector, John Eastlack; Surveyors of highways, William Cooper, Ben- jamin Cooper, Jacob Medcalf, Thomas Atmore; Over- seers of roads, Samuel Sharp, William Albertson.
1726-Township clerk, Thomas Sharp; Overseers of poor, James Hinchman, Jacob Medcalf; Freeholders, James Hinch- man, William Cooper; Assessor, Joseph Cooper, Jr .; Col- lector, Benjamin Cooper; Surveyors of highways, Jacob Medcalf, John Kaighn; Overseers of roads, Joseph Kaighn, William Dennis.
1727-Township clerk, Thomas Sharp ; Overseers of poor, Joseph Kaighn, John Gill; Freeholders, Joseph Cooper, Joseph Cooper, Jr .; Assessor, Joseph Cooper, Jr .; Collector, Samuel Sharp; Constable, Samuel Sharp; Surveyors of highways, John Kaighn, James Hinchman, William Cooper, Jacob Medcalf ; Overseers of roads, John East- lack, Caleb Sprague.
1728-Township clerk, Thomas Sharp; Overseers of poor, Joseph Kaighn, Simeon Breach; Freeholders, Robert Zane, John Kaighn; Assessor, Joseph Cooper, Jr .; Col- lector, John Gill; Constable, Thomas Atmore; Surveyors of highways, William Cooper, Benjamin Cooper, Isaac Cooper, Mark Newbie; Overseers of roads, John East- lack, Caleb Sprague.
1729-Township clerk, Samuel Sharp; Overseers of poor, Joseph Kaighn, Simeon Breach; Freeholders, William Cooper. John Kaighn; Assessor, Joseph Cooper, Jr .; Col- lector, Thomas Atmore; Surveyors of highways, Robert Zane, Samuel Sharp, Joseph Ellis, Joseph Zane; Over- seers of roads, John Eastlack, Caleb Sprague.
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1730-31-Township clerk, Joseph Kaighn; Overseers of poor, Robert Zane, Joseph Kaighn; Freeholders, Robert Zane, Joseph Kaighn; Assessor, Joseph Cooper, Jr .; Collector, John Gill; Constable, Thomas Perrywebb; Surveyors of highways, Joseph Cooper, Jr., John Eastlack, Simeon Breach, Caleb Sprague; Overseers of roads, Caleb Sprague, John Gill.
1732-Township clerk, John Kaighn; Overseers of poor, Robert Zane, Joseph Kaighn; Freeholders, Robert Zane, Joseph Kaighn; Assessor, Joseph Cooper, Jr .; Collector, James Graysbury ; Constable, William Albertson; Surveyors of highways, James Hinchman, John Kaighn, Robert Hubbs, Joseplı Kaighn ; Overseers of roads, Isaac Cooper, Joseph Zane (Robert Stephens acted as Overseer of poor in place of Robert Zane from September to the following March).
1733-Township clerk, Joseph Kaighn; Overseers of poor, Tobias Halloway, John Gill; Freeholders, Tobias Hallo- way, Joseph Kaighn; Assessor, Joseph Cooper, Jr .; Col- lector, William Albertson; Constable, William Dennis ; Surveyors of highways, James Hinchman, John Eastlack, John Kaighn, Joseph Kaighn; Overseers of roads, Isaac Cooper, Joseph Zane.
1734-Township clerk, John Kaighn; Overseers of poor, Tobias Halloway, Joseph Kaighn ; Freeholders, James Hinchman, Timothy Matlack; Assessor, Joseph Cooper, Jr .; Col- lector, Joseph Mickle; Constable, Joseph Mickle; Sur- veyors of highways, James Hinchman, Timothy Matlack, Joseph Ellis, William Albertson; Overseers of roads, Samuel Sharp, John Brick.
1735-Township clerk, John Kaighn; Overseers of poor, Joseph Kaighn, Robert Stephens; Freeholders, Joseph Kaighn, Isaac Cooper; Assessor, Joseph Cooper, Jr .; Collector, John Kaighn; Constable, John Kaighn; Surveyors of highways, James Hinchman, Joseph Cooper, Joseph Kaighn, Robert Hubbs; Overseers of roads, John Kaighn, James Graysbury.
1736-Township clerk, John Kaighn; Overseers of poor, Ben- jamin Cooper, William Albertson ; Freeholders, Timothy Matlack, Joseph Kaighn; Assessor, John Gill; Collector, John Kaighn; Constable, John Kaighn; Surveyors of highways, Samuel Clement, John Kaighn, William Albert- son, Isaac Albertson; Overseers of roads, John Eastlack, Tobias Halloway.
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1737-Township clerk, John Kaighn; Overseers of poor, Ben- jamin Cooper, Thomas Atmore; Freeholders, Timothy Matlack, Joseph Kaighn; Collector, Samuel Clement ; Constable, John Kaighn; Surveyors of highways, James Hinchman, William Albertson, Joseph Kaighn, Robert Hubbs; Overseers of roads, Robert Hubbs, Isaac Albert- son.
Between 1737 and 1823, no lists of township officers can be found and, while the names of some of those holding office during this period are known, it is not until the latter year, when the newspaper files are available, that a complete list can be compiled.
1823-Township clerk, Josiah Atkinson ; Overseers of poor, Isaac Webster, Joseph Myers; Freeholders, John Clement, John Roberts; Assessor, Joseph Collins ; Collector, Ruben Lud- lam; Commissioners of appeals, Turner Risdon, Gideon V. Stivers, J. K. Cowperthwait; Surveyors of highways, Hugh Hatch, Isaac Mickle, Jr .; Overseers of roads, Joseph Middleton, Samuel Burrough, Samuel Pine ; Township committee, John Wessell, Richardson Andrews, John Clement, Thomas Redman, Thomas Rowand; Constable, John Porter; Poundkeepers, Benjamin Springer, Thomas Porter; Judge of elections, Joseph Porter.
1824-Township clerk, Samuel Ellis; Overseers of poor, Joseph Myers, Thomas Porter, Freeholders, Isaac Wilkins, Samuel C. Champion ; Assessor, Joseph Porter ; Collector, Richardson Andrews; Commissioners of appeals, Gideon V. Stivers, Samuel Laning, Jacob Roberts; Surveyors of Highways, Hugh Hatch, Joseph W. Cooper; Overseers of roads, Joseph Middleton, Samuel Burrough, Evan Clement ; Township committee, Thomas Redman, John Clement, Thomas Rowand, Samuel Scull, Isaac Cole ; Constables, John Porter, James Githens ; Poundkeepers, Benjamin Springer, Thomas Porter; Judge of elections, J. K. Cowperthwait.
1825-Township clerk, Samuel Ellis; Overseers of poor, Jacob Myers, Thomas Porter ; Freeholders, Samuel C. Cham- pion, John Roberts; Assessor, Jacob Roberts; Collector, Richardson Andrews; Commissioners of appeals, Gideon V. Stivers, Isaac Webster, Joseph Porter; Surveyors of Highways, Joseph W. Cooper, David B. Roberts; Over- seers of roads, Joseph Middleton, John Sloan, Evan
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Clement; Township committee, John Clement, Thomas Redman, Joseph Kaighn, John Wessell, Isaac Smith; Constables, John Porter, James Githens; Poundkeepers, Benjamin Springer, Thomas Porter ; Judge of elections, Isaac Wilkins.
1826-Township clerk, Samuel Ellis; Overseers of poor, Thomas Porter, Joshua B. Fennimore; Freeholders, Gideon V. Stivers, John Roberts; Assessor, Jacob Roberts ; Collector, Richardson Andrews; Commissioners of appeals, Samuel Laning, Turner Risdon, Ebenezer Toole; Surveyors of highways, Jacob L. Rowand, Samuel Nicholson; Over- seers of roads, Joseph Middleton, John Small, Richard Stow; Township committee, John Clement, Thomas Red- man, Samuel Scull, John Wessell, Isaac Jones ; Constables, John Porter, James Githens; Poundkeepers, Benjamin Springer, Thomas Porter ; Judge of elections, Samuel G. Thackray.
1827-Township clerk, Samuel Ellis; Overseers of poor, Thomas Porter, Benjamin T. Davis; Freeholders, John Roberts, Gideon V. Stivers; Assessor, Jacob Roberts; Collector, Paul C. Laning; Commissioners of appeals, Samuel Laning, Turner Risdon, Ebenezer Toole; Surveyors of highways, Samuel Nicholson, Hugh Hatch; Overseers of roads, Joseph Middleton, Amos Willis, Michael Stow; Township Committee, John Clement, Thomas Redman, John Wessell, Isaac Jones, Richardson Andrews; Con- stables, John Porter, Joseph G. Albertson ; Poundkeepers, Benjamin Springer, Isaac Horner; Judge of Elections, Samuel C. Thackray.
WATERFORD TOWNSHIP
Waterford township was the most northerly of the newly created townships. It was defined as extending "from Pensoakin, alias Crop- well River, to the lowermost branch of Cooper's Creek." Mickle says it derives its name from a fishing town on the Barrow in Ireland, but of this there does not seem to be an authentic corroboration. This territory was settled by the Spicers, Morgans, Coles and Champions. The first locations were along Cooper's creek and on Pensauken creek. It has been almost entirely a rural section, with a sprinkling of small villages, composed largely of farming communities which have only lately been invaded by people who desired a quiet retreat after a strenuous day in the city.
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Waterford retained its original entity until 1844, when the northern portion was set off as Delaware township. The principal town is Berlin ( formerly called Long-a-coming) of which more has been said in connection with the selection of the county seat.
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP
The boundaries of Gloucester township now fixed by the Court in 1695 as "from ye said Newton Creek branch to ye lowermost branch of Gloucester River (Timber Creek)." This is one of the oldest settled parts of the county, containing as it does the site of the "lost town" of Upton (now definitely located as adjacent to Good Intent). The Tomlinsons, Hillmans, Albertsons and Huggs all had extensive land holdings within the original township and were active in its civil life.
Gloucester township was the subject of more changes than any of the other original counties. Union township which was formed in 1831, from a portion of the original township and Gloucester Town, which had up to that time maintained a separate existence, and con- tinued as a sub-division until 1855, when a large part of its territory was taken from it to form Center township. In 1868, upon the incorporation of the "Inhabitants of Gloucestertown" into Gloucester city the small remnant of old Union township was added to the town- bounds of the new municipality. Winslow township was taken from the lower end of the original county, while in 1859 a small portion of Gloucester township in the vicinity of Long-a-coming (Berlin) was added to Waterford.
DEPTFORD TOWNSHIP
The territory occupied by the township of Deptford, now in Gloucester county, was originally known by the Swedes as Bethlehem, but soon took the present name and included all the land between the "said branch of Gloucester River (Timber creek) to Great Man- toe's Creek, (Mantual creek)." It suffered many changes up to 1878, including the establishment of Washington township in 1836, from which Monroe township was taken in 1859; the City of Woodbury in 1870 and West Deptford in 1871. Including as it did in the early days the old settlement of Woodbury it occupied a very important place in county affairs.
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GREENWICH TOWNSHIP
This township is also now a sub-division of Gloucester County. As described in the court minutes from which we have taken the other township boundaries, Greenwich laid between "Great Mantio's Creek" (Mantua Creek) and "Barclay River" (Oldman's creek). This was probably at the time of its establishment the most populous of all the townships. It had been settled by the Swedes long before the English arrived. Out of Greenwich township have sprung Wool- wich in 1767, by Royal patent, Franklin in 1820, Harrison, formerly Spicer, in 1844, Mantua in 1853, West Woolwich in 1877, changed to Logan 1878, and East Greenwich in 1881.
EGG HARBOUR OR NEW WEYMOUTH TOWNSHIP
Egg Harbor township occupied the entire eastern end of old Gloucester County, which originally extended from the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean. It was far removed from the other sections of the county and therefore not really an integral part of its civil life. When, therefore, application was made for the establish- ment of a township no objection was raised by any of the other town- ships, whose territory might have been affected thereby. The town- ship probably included all of the present Atlantic county since there was no definite boundary lines fixed at the time of its formation. As the population began to increase and spread along the seacoast, a new township was found necessary and Galloway was created in 1774. These two townships were subdivided in 1813, when Hamil- ton township was created, and in 1838 by the formation of the town- ship of Mullica.
CAMDEN COUNTY
Old Gloucester county retained its political integrity until 1837, when the eastern portion bordering on the ocean was set off as Atlantic County. The greatest blow, however, that it received was in 1844, when seven of the largest and most populous townships were taken to form the county of Camden. While the contests in 1787 between the inhabitants of Gloucester Town and Woodbury over the location of the county seat stirred up the inhabitants, the taking away from old Gloucester county of over one half of her area (613 square miles out of a total of 1179 square miles) to form Atlantic county did not meet with any opposition, since this part of the county was
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