The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 115

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards
Number of Pages: 1220

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These were of the most influential families in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and in private and public life were so recognized, and from this line came the subject of this sketch. He was born December 24, 1824, and is the son of John and Elizabeth Kirkbride, of Burlington County, N. J. He has combined the avocation of farmer and miller, and, by strict attention to business and fair dealing, has made both successful. In public life he has represented the people of his district in the Legislature, and held the office of revenue assessor for the United States government for sev- eral years, and clerk of Camden County for one term.

The ages of Joseph Kirkbride and Sarah, his wife, and their children are Joseph, born 1691; Sarah, born 1702 (daughter of Mahlon Stacy and Mary Rogers); Phebe, born 1724, married Joseph Milnor; Hannah, born 1726, married Langhorne Biles; Mary, born 1728, married Sam- uel Rogers ; Joseph, born 1731 (colonel in Revolu- tion), married Mary Rogers; Elizabeth, born 1734, married Daniel Bunting; Sarah, born 1736 (single).

From the Borden-Hopkinson family grave-yard, Bordentown, N. J .:

"This stone, inscribed by the hand of friend- ship, shall commemorate the virtues of Joseph Kirkbride, a native of Pennsylvania, for he was a patriot who zealously served his country in her armies and councils during the Revolution of 1776. He was a citizen who faithfully performed the duties of social life, and he was an honest man, who, in his thoughts, words and actions, illustrated the noblest work of God. He died October 26, 1803, aged seventy-two years."

Phineas Kirkbride came to New Jersey a young man, and was married to a Rogers, and his chil- dren were Samuel (who died young), William, Mary, Phineas, John, Margery, Mahlon and Stacy (who were twins), Joseph, Jonathan, Job and Martha. John was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob and Mary Prickett, who was of the Sharp family. Their children were Stacy P., Jacob P., John R., Mary S., Elizabeth P., Joel P., Martha R. and Charles.

Joel P. Kirkbride was married to Abagail W. Stricker, daughter of Philip and Sarah Stricker, who was the daughter of Amos and Lydia Wilkins, January 31, 1849. Their family are Annie B., married to Jacob C., son of Freedom and Letitia Lippincott; Joel S., married to Emma, daughter of George M. and Sarah Rogers; Lidie J., who is single; Joel S., deceased Jannary, 1885. Joel P. Kirkbride is a Friend, as were his ancestors on both sides. In politics he was a Whig and after- ward a Republican. He has been a director in the National State Bank of Camden for nearly twenty years, and closely identified with the Marl and Turnpike Companies. He has always been active in all the industrial enterprises of the county. He gave the land for the station at the railroad, and is to-day one of the most influential and useful citi- zens of the county.

THE TOWNSHIP OF GLOUCESTER.

CHAPTER XIV.

Description-Early Settlers-The Tomlinsons, Albertsons, Bates, Cathcarts, Heilmans, Howells, Thornes and others-Civil Organ- izations-Villages of Kirkwood, Lindenwold, Clementon, Wat- sontown, Brownstown, Davistown, Spring Mills, " the lost town of Upton " and Chewe Landing-The Chew Family-Blackwood- The Wards and Blackwoods-Old Hotels-Stage Lines-Churchee -Societies -Education.

TOPOGRAPHY .- Gloucester is in the southern tier of townships of Camden County, and is bound- ed on the north by Waterford, from which it is separated, in part, by the south branch of Coopers Creek, on the southeast by Winslow, on the south and west by Gloucester County, the Great Timber Creek forming the boundary line, and on the northwest by Centre township. Nearly all its ter- ritory lies in the valley of the Delaware and par- takes of the characteristics of that belt of land. Along the division line the soil is sandy and less fertile than in the central and northern parts, where it partakes more of the nature of a friable loam. Its natural richness has been greatly in- creased by the use of green sand-marl which un- derlies it in most localities, and which appears at the surface along the water-courses. The princi- pal streams which furnish a plentiful irrigation are the north branch of Timber Creek and its af- fluents, the largest one being Otter Branch. The main stream is subject to tidal influences, the head of the flow being above Chews Landing. The limit was marked in the early history of the town- ship by tide-water gates, erected at that point. On this stream, consequently, the mill-sites are found on the head-waters only. Here the country presents a broken surface, several hills of striking attitude appearing. The highest of these is Sig- nal Hill, near Clementon, which was used by the United States government authorities in making a coast survey of New Jersey. It is covered with

a pine forest and the soil is not adapted to farm- ing. Hickory Hill, in the northwestern part, has a lower altitude and its surface is susceptible of cultivation. Along the streams were large forest- trees, from which circumstance the creeks took their names. The removal of this timber was a laborious process and an impediment to the rapid settlement of the country, but to those living near the streams it was a source of income, when other products were not in demand.

Owing to the distance from market, the upper part of the township was not developed until within the past fifty years, and much of the coun- try is still in a primeval condition. Its soil is adapted to fruit-culture and a number of small farms have recently been there opened, which are devoted to that industry. The township was early traversed by roads from the Delaware River to the sea-coast, which have been improved as turupikes, their courses being modified for this purpose. The turnpikes are the Camden and White Horse. in the northwestern part; Camden and Black- wood, in the southwestern part, the latter connect- ing at Blackwood with the Williamstown turnpike, to extend this roadway up the creek, leading out of the township at Turnersville.

EARLY SETTLERS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS .- The earliest prominent settler in the middle part of the township was Joseph Tomlinson, sheritt of Gloucester County, in 1695, and King's attorney the following year. He arrived in America prior to 1686, and became an apprentice to Thomas Sharp, of Newton, to learn the business of wool comber and dyer. He was also something of a car- penter, as, in the year last named, he made an agreement with his master to build him a house for a specified sum, and to furnish all the material for the same, except the nails. His relations with his master do not appear to have been of the most

672

Chalkley Albertion

673

THE TOWNSHIP OF GLOUCESTER.

pleasant nature; nevertheless, his associations with him contributed to his education and, no doubt, aided him to secure the publie positions which he afterwards filled, as Thomas Sharp was unques- tionably an able preceptor.

In 1690, Joseph Tomlinson located one hundred and seventeen acres of land ou the east side of Gravelly Run, in Gloucester, adjoining a tract which he had previously purchased of Joseph Wood, and on which he first lived, after leaving the employ of Thomas Sharp. His wife, Eliza- beth, was a worthy consort, and nobly shared with him the privations ineident to a home so remote from other settlers, as was theirs at that early period. Thus isolated, he turned his attention to reading and studying the laws of the community of which he deemed himself a part, and in which he was soon to fill conspienous and responsible positions.

He served as prosecutor of the pleas, or attorney for the King, in Gloucester County until 1710, when he was appointed one of the judges of the several courts of Gloucester County, a position for which he was well fitted by his previous experi- ence. He died in 1719, leaving his wife and a large family to survive bim.

One of the daughters, Elizabeth, married Bar- tholomew Wyatt, of Salem County, an active mem- ber of the Society of Friends, and, in 1732, his wite appeared as a Public Friend, whose preach- ing wns acceptable. Ephraim, the eldest son of Joseph Tomlinson, settled on a tract of land which his father deeded him, adjoining the home- stead on the east, and extending towards the north branch of Timber Creek. In 1732 he enlarged his possessions by purchasing. of the executors of Abraham Porter six hundred and nineteen avres lying on both sides of the last-named stream. reach- ing almost to the south branch of Coopers Creek. He was also an esteemed preacher among the Friends. He was born in 1695, and died in 1780, leaving his second wife, Catharine Ridgway, a son, Ephraim, and daughters,-Elizabeth, married to Aaron Lippineott, and Mary, who married James Gardiner.

Joseph Tomlinson, a brother of Ephraim, first had the homestead property devised to him, but increased the original two hundred aeres by pur- chase, so that he owned considerable real estate. He died in 1758, leaving two sons, named Joseph and Samuel. He also had three daughters. Higher up Gravelly Run, John Tomlinson, another brother of Ephraim, had three hundred aeres of land willed to him by his father, upon which he settled and continued to live until his death, in 1755. His

son Isaae and daughters, Hannah and Eleanor, survived him, the latter marrying Josiah Albert- son. Of the other sons of Joseph Tomlinson, William died in Waterford in 1737, and Othniel in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 1756. De- seendants of the Tomlinsons remain in the town- ship, being now, as well as a hundred years ago, among its leading citizens.

By the will of his father, dated December 17, 1709, recorded in Pennsylvania, Josiah Albertson eame in possession of a tract of land in Gloucester township, bounded on the south side by Otter Branch, and thereon he settled and cleared a farm. In 1727 he married Ann, a daughter of Francis Austin, of Evesham, Burlington County, N. J., who was one of the first settlers at that place. The first habitation of Josiah and Ann Albertson was built on the land given him by his father, a short distance sonth of the old Salem road, where he plied his calling as a shoemaker, and at the same time removed the timber from the soil. He inereased his possessions until his farm was double the number of acres left him by his father. In 1743 he built n large and substantial brick house, part of which was occupied in 1876 by his lineal deseendant, Chalkley Albertson, who owned much of the original estate.

Of the nine children of Josiah and Ann Albert- son, eight were daughters of attractive appearance and superior qualities. None of those that arrived at suitable age were left as " single sisters." They were Hannah, married to Jacob Clement; Cassan- dra, married to Jacob Ellis and Jacob Burrough ; Patience, married to Isaac Ballinger ; Sarah, mar- ried to Samuel Webster ; Keturah, married to Isaac Townsend ; and Ann, who married Ebenezer Hopkins and Jacob Jennings. Mary and Eliza- beth died unmarried. Josiah, the son, was mar- ried to Eleanor Tomlinson, for his first wife, and Judith Boggs, for bis second.

CHALKLEY ALBERTSON, son of John and Ann Albertson, was born First Month 9, A.D. 1816, on the paternal estate, where his ancestors had lived for more than a century. His father was in direct line of descent from the emigrant who came to New Amsterdam with the Hollanders and settled thereabouts before the English visited New Jersey. They adopted the religious views of George Fox and were leading members of the Society of

Friends in Gloucester County. Chalkley Albert- son's mother was a daughter of John and Rachel Borrough Pine, of Gloucester County. The Al- bertson homestead, where Chalkley Albertson lived, was located by Wm. Albertson in 1698, and eame into possession of his son Josiah by will in 1709.

674

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

In 1742 Josiah built the house which representa- tives of this branch of the Albertson family have ocenpied to the present time.

After the death of his father Chalkley Albert- son, by purchase, became the owner of a large part of his father's real estate, and soon showed him- self to be a progressive and successful farmer. He regarded the use of machinery as labor-saving and beneficial and was never behind his neighbors in its appliance. He thoroughly understood the ad- vantage of fertilizers and was liberal in their use upon his land.

He married Annie, daughter of Charles and Tacy Jarrett Stokes, of Rancocas, Burlington County, N. J., Twelfth Month 19, 1850.

In early manhood he expressed his sympathy with Democratic principles and allied himself with that party. He took much interest in township affairs and became conspicuous in the county in its separation from Old Gloucester and the location of the public buildings. In 1863, '64, '67 and '73 he was elected to the State Assembly when public opinion was set against his party and with popular candidates opposed to him. As a representative he was always open to conviction, but was decided in his opinions. The public good was his purpose and he commanded the respect of his political op- ponents for his sincerity, intelligence and integrity. He was interested in public improvements and was one of the incorporators of the White Horse Turn- pike Company. He introduced in the State As- sembly the bill, which became a law, incorporating the Camden and Philadelphia Bridge Company.

While a member of the State Assembly he advo- cated the cause of the glass-blowers and voted for the law abolishing the money-order system. He always favored the extension of the railroad system of the State, but opposed monopolies. He did much to forward the construction of the Phila- delphia and Atlantic ('ity Railroad and saw the ad- vantage a competing road would be to Atlantic City and to the unimproved country between that place and Philadelphia. He was one of the State Commissioners to make arrangements for the Cen- tennial Exhibition. In 1873 he was appointed a member of the board of directors of the New Jersey Agricultural College, which position he held to the time of his death, and always took a hearty interest in the Scientific School and its ob- ject. He advocated the establishment of the Agri- cultural Experimental Station. As executor, trus- tee or commissioner, he had the confidence of those interested and discharged his duties acceptably.

He was a neighbor in the true meaning of the word, and by his kind and genial manners won the

esteem of all who knew him. His devotion to his fellow-men impelled him to take an active interest in temperance reform ; when a young man he was an energetic member of the Washington Total Ab- stinence Society, which was among the first of such organizations established, and throughont his life he was true to his temperance convictions.

In his religions views he followed the footsteps of his ancestors and was an active and useful mem- ber of the Society of Friends. He died Fourth Month 21, 1880. He left a widow and six children.

THE RULONS .- Tradition asserts that during the persecntion of the Huguenots, one of that sect by the name of Rulon emigrated to this country. To further his escape, he was secretly inclosed in a hogshead and put on a vessel bound for the United States, and after getting well at sea was set at lib- erty. It is not positively known at what place he landed, but the name is found as early as 1704 in Monmonth County, N. J., where the refugee evi- dently settled and owned land and raised a family. He had the reputation of being a firm and fearless man, as well as energetic, and preferred exile to the relinquishment of his faith.

The eldest son of the refugee was David, who was born about 1704. He married Exercise Allen, by whom he had thirteen children. He died the 15th of March, 1778, aged seventy-four years. Henry Rulon, the oldest son and fourth child of David, was born June 5, 1732, and married Theo- dosia Robbins, by whom he had ten children, of whom Moses was the fifth son, and was born Octo- ber 14, 1767. He married Susan Hartley, and had thirteen children, of whom Moses, the father of Elwood Rulon, now of Gloucester township, was the sixth child. He married Eleanor Albertson, by whom he had ten children, of whom Elwood was the seventh child. His mother is still living, at the advanced age of eighty-four. She retains all of her mental faculties, and is very active, and possesses those Albertson traits for which the women of that family were noted. The brothers and sisters of Elwood were as follows : Hannah Ann, Clayton, Keturah, Chalkley, John, Hartley, Abel, Ellen and Eliza. Of this family, with El- wood, bnt two survive,-Hannah Ann Haines, of Haddonfield, and Chalkley Albertson Rulon, of Swedesboro'.

Elwood lives npon the homestead, and on the 23d of February, 1865, married Mary R. Palmer, of Chester County, Pa. The Palmers are among the oldest settlers of Pennsylvania, and are related to the Sharplesses, Trimbles, Pennells and Gibbons. The genealogy of Lewis and Mary Palmer, issued in 1875, shows Mary R., daughter of Abraham M.,

Elwood Rulon

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THE TOWNSHIP OF GLOUCESTER.

born 1808, son of Benjamin, horn 1770, son of John, born 1745, son of Moses, born 1721, son of John, born 1690, son of John, who received a patent, 1688, in Concord, Chester County, Pa. (now Dela- ware County), where the family are numerous, and some of whom still reside on the patent. On the maternal side of Mary R., they were Peters, who built the old mill and brick dwelling on Crum Creek about 1690, the materials of which were brought from England. Both families claim an eld ancestry and were members of the Friends Society.

The children of Elwood Rulon and wife were the following : Norris Peters, William Merrihew, Charles Jenks, Stephen Edwin and Frank Albert- son: Norris Peters and Frank Albertsen are de- ceased.

Elwood Rulon has always resided on the home- stead. He and his wife are members of the Soci- ety of Friends. In politics he is a Republican ; was once a member of the Board of Freeholders of the county, He has been a practical and suc- cessful farmer, and in integrity has shown the sterling worth that always characterized his an- cestors.

Near the head-waters of the south branch of Coopers Creek, and on the south side of that stream, Mordecai Howell was the owner of a tract of land, which he sold to Joseph Thorne in 1706. The same year the latter sold to Joseph Bates, who soon after settled upon the land. Being so remote from other settlements, it is quite probable that his first home was in a cave in the hillside and that his children were born there. This rude habitation was on the Indian trail leading to Long-a-Coming, and the property adjoined that of John Hillman, including the lands where are now the farms in the White Horse Tavern neighborhood. In 1786 Joseph Bates (2d) made a resurvey of the lands. \ part of the property in this locality passed to John Catheart, in 1794, who built a brick mansion thereon.

Joseph Bates was married to Mary, a daughter of James and Jane Clement, natives of England, who had first settled on Long Island. No direct descendants of this branch of the Bates family remain.

John Cathcart, above mentioned, was possessed of a considerable fortune. He not only built the fine mansion, but for a number of years maintained a Deer Park. His home was frequently visited by his friends, whom he entertained with unstinted hospitality. The park was simply a large tract of native woods, inclosed with a high rail fence, so firmly made, that the timid animal once within its

bounds was securely held. The property on which was the brick house became known, in later years, as the Warner place.

In the vicinity of Chews Landing Francis Col- lins had a tract of four hundred acres of land, which he conveyed to Thomas Briant, his son-in- law, in 1704, but it does not appear that Briant made any improvements at that period.

In the same locality John Eastlack had one hundred and seventy-five acres of land, which he transferred te Thomas Smallwood in 1719. De- scendants of the latter family may yet be found in the township.

Above Chews Landing, on the Long-a-Coming road, lived John Hider. He was an intimate friend of Aaron Chew, and served in the Revolu- tion with him. The Hiders, of Gloucester, de- sconded from this family. Samuel Wetherell also located a large tract of land, on which a part of Chews Landing now stands.

lu 1745 John Hillman, son of John Hillman, of Centre township, who was married to Abigail Bates, a daughter of Joseph Bates, of (Hloucester, purchased abont five hundred acres of land from Thomas Atkinson. This tract lay near the White Horse Tavern,"and extended from the south branch of Coopers Creek to the north branch of Timber Creck. To this tract he removed and erected the house which became known later as the Hinch- man-Lippincott property. In 1751 he bought at sheriff's sale one hundred acres adjoining, known as the Mien-Southwick property. On the original purchase was a saw-mill, on Timber Creek, which was operated as the property of Southwick by Thomas Webster and Thomas Atkinson. It is supposed that it stood en the site of Ephraim Tomlinson's grist-mill.

John Hillman lived on his tract of land many years, converting the timber that stood thereon in- to lumber and cordwood, hauling the same to Chews Landing, whence it was taken to Phila- delphia. His sons likewise devoted themselves to clearing up farms out of the primitive forest. These were Joab, Josiah, Daniel, James and John. He died in 1764, his wife surviving him.

The John Hillman lands were originally owned by Abraham Porter from 1714 to 1716, who had his house near the south side of Coopers Creek, on Josiah Jenkins' farm. He appears to have been an unmarried man, and most likely not a Friend, as he served as a captain in the military depart- ment of the province in 1722. Afterwards he was promoted to the rank of major. It is quite proba- ble that in this capacity he, and the company he commanded, acted as the escort of the Governor

676

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

when he visited the county to hold the assizes of the crown. These visits were eventful to those holding their commissions by appointment from the crown, and often occasions of considerable display in the eyes of the plain people of that pe- riod. From the fact that Captain Porter was pro- moted it is evident that he discharged his duties to the satisfaction of those in authority. He owned large tracts of land, in all about twelve hundred acres, and when he died, in 1729, his benefactions were extended to all the neighboring churches, showing that he had a proper regard for the advancement of religion and morality in his adopted country. Though long since dead, and leaving no posterity to perpetuate his memory, he should not be forgotten, and his generous traits may well he imitated.

In 1706 William Thorne, who had but lately come from Long Island, purchased several tracts of land from Mordecai Howell, on the head-waters of the south branch of Coopers Creek and the north branch of Timber Creek. On a tributary of the latter stream he built a saw-mill, which has been removed, but the site may still be seen. From this circumstance the stream is called Thorne's Mill Branch. It is believed that Thorne lived in this locality and reared his family here, but since none of that name have been here for many years, no authenticated statement to that effect can be made.

Dr. John R. Stevenson, of Haddonfield, is of the opinion that William was the father of Joseph Thorne, who commanded a company in the Second Battalion of Gloucester County Volunteers in the army of the Revolution. The family Bible in the doctor's possession shows that Captain Thorne was born about 1733, and that he was married to Isabella Cheeseman, whose family lived on a tract of land adjacent to Thorne's, on the north branch of Timber Creek. In 1789, Richard Cheeseman had a landing at that place. After the Revolution, and as recently as 1800, Captain Thorne lived at Haddonfield, but spent his last days at the home of his son-in-law, Thomas Stevenson, at Steven- son's mill. There he died at the age of ninety years, and was buried in the Newton Cemetery. His children were Mary, born 1757; John, born 1758; Keziah, born 1760; Joseph, born 1762; Samuel, born 1764; and Rebecca, born 1768. As stated above, the members bearing the name of Thorne in this vicinity died many years ago, the only posterity remaining being descendants of the daughter. These were married-Kezialı to John Kay; Rebecca to Thomas Stevenson, grandfather of Dr. John R. Stevenson ; and Mary to James

Clement. The latter family had one son and two daughters, Elizabeth and Ann. The former mar- ried Nathan Bunker, a native of New England, who was a merchant in Philadelphia. Their daughter became the wife of James W. Paul, one of whose sons married the daughter of A. J. Drexel, and a danghter became the wife of the Hon. Wm. B. Astor, of New York. The names of other early settlers appear in connection with the church histories of the township.

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The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 115

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards Number of Pages: 1220

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards
Number of Pages: 1220