{"1": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3474", "width": "2131", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0001.jp2"}, "2": {"fulltext": "\u00c2\u00abu\\n^0*\\no\\nf\u00c2\u00b0", "height": "3322", "width": "2035", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0002.jp2"}, "3": {"fulltext": "V\\n0^\\no\\n3.\\nrP\\nc", "height": "3307", "width": "2095", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0003.jp2"}, "4": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3358", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0004.jp2"}, "5": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3327", "width": "1979", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0005.jp2"}, "6": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3358", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0006.jp2"}, "7": {"fulltext": "HISTORY\\narlg Btttltmtnt rcnir vxbqx\u00c2\u00a3S$\\nw\\nnmbtxlznb Uo\\\\xnt$ f\\nNEW JERSEY;\\nAND OF THE\\nCURRENCY\\nOF THIS AND THE ADJOINING COLONIES.\\nBY\\nLUCIUS Q. C. ELMER.\\nBRIDGETON, N. J.:\\nGEORGE F. NIXON, PUBLISHER.\\n1869.", "height": "3327", "width": "1979", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0007.jp2"}, "8": {"fulltext": "Entered according to the Act of Congress in the year one thousand\\neight hundred and sixty-nine, by\\nGEORGE F. NIXON,\\nIn the Clerk s Office of the District Court of the District of New Jersey.", "height": "3358", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0008.jp2"}, "9": {"fulltext": "PREFACE.\\nThese sketches of the early history of Cumberland County were\\nprepared a few years ago for the columns of a newspaper. Many\\nof the facts detailed, relating to the first settlers and proprietors,\\ncame to the knowledge of the writer in the course of a somewhat\\nprotracted career as a lawyer. Although of no great importance,\\nit has been thought they were worth preserving in a more perma-\\nnent and accessible form. Having been born in Bridgeton, when\\nit contained only three hundred inhabitants, and always resided\\nthere, he has witnessed, and had the opportunity of minutely\\nstating, its growth into a city of no mean importance.\\nThe chapter giving a history of the money of account and of\\ncirculation, in this and the adjoining colonies, from their begin-\\nnings to a recent date, it is believed embraces facts not to be found\\nin any of our histories, which were fast passing into oblivion, but\\nwhich are too curious and instructive to be entirely lost.\\nBridgeton, May, 1869.", "height": "3327", "width": "1979", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0009.jp2"}, "10": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3358", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0010.jp2"}, "11": {"fulltext": "EARLY HISTORY\\nCUMBERLAND COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.\\nCHAPTER I.\\nEAELY SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS.\\nCumberland County was set off from the county of Salem, and\\nerected into a new county, by an act of assembly passed January\\n19, 1747-8. The Duke of Cumberland, who had not long before\\ngained the victory of Culloden, and thereby established the house\\nof Hanover permanently on the throne of Great Britain, was the\\ngreat hero of the day, and the new county was named after him.\\nThe first settlers of this part of West Jersey were probably\\nDutch and Swedes. Gabriel Thomas, a Friend, who lived for a few\\nyears in Pennsylvania, on his return to England in 1098, published\\nan account of that province and of West New Jersey. Describing\\nthe rivers, he names Prince Maurice River, where the Swedes used\\nto kill the geese in great numbers for their feathers only, leaving\\ntheir carcasses behind them. Quite a number of Swedes settled\\nin the neighborhood of this river, and engaged in hunting and cut-\\nting lumber, without, however, obtaining a title to the soil, until\\nsome of them purchased of the English. About the year 17-13, a\\nSwedish church was built on the east side of Maurice River, nearly\\nopposite Buckshootem, where missionaries were accustomed to\\npreach until after the Revolution. The graveyard with a few\\nstones still remains. Many of the Swedish names have been con-\\ntinued in the neighborhood.\\nA few of the New Haven people, who as early as 1611 made a\\nsettlement on the creek called by the Dutch Varcken s Kill (now\\nSalem Creek), may have wandered into the limits of Cumberland,\\n2", "height": "3327", "width": "1979", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0011.jp2"}, "12": {"fulltext": "6 FIRST SETTLERS AXD PROPRIETORS.\\nand thus become the pioneers of the considerable number, who\\nabout fifty years later came from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and\\nLong Island.\\nThe Indians do not appear to have been numerous, consisting\\nmostly of wandering tribes, having no permanent settlements, and\\nno principal sachem or chief. There was a considerable tribe\\nwhich generally resided in Stow Creek and Greenwich, where\\nmany of their stone hatchets and other relics have been found. At\\nthe place still called Indian Fields, about a mile northeast of\\nBridgeton, they had a settlement before 1697, the place being refer-\\nred to by that name in a survey of that elate. Another contempo-\\nraneous survey referred to a settlement on the Cohansey, in Upper\\nHopewell, about a quarter of a mile below the mill known as\\nSeeley s Mill. There was also a settlement on the west side of the\\nsame river, just above Bridgeton, on the property now belonging to\\nthe iron and nail works and the tradition is that an Indian chief\\nwas buried, or, as some accounts say, placed in a box or coffin, on the\\nlimbs of a tree, on the point of land opposite North Street, since\\nfrom that tradition called Coffin Point. Other places of settle-\\nment or occasional places of resort are known to have existed\\nnear Fairton, and on Maurice River.\\nFenwick purchased the land of these, and to the fair and reason-\\nble treatment they received from the Friends, who were the first\\nEnglish settlers, may probably be ascribed the absence of those\\ndesolating wars which prevailed in New England. But this cir-\\ncumstance has prevented much notice being taken of the aborigines\\nm the early accounts of West Jersey. James Daniels, a minister\\namong the Friends, whose father settled in the forks of Stow Creek,\\nnear the place now called Canton, in Salem County, in 16^0 when\\nhe was about five years old, learned the Indian language, and says\\nin his memoirs, the white people were few, and the natives a mul-\\ntitude; they were a sober, grave, and temperate people, and used\\nno manner of oath in their speech but as the country grew older\\nthe people grew worse, and had corrupted the natives in their\\nmorals, teaching them bad words, and the excessive use of strong\\ndrink. Thomas, in his account of West Jersey before referred to\\nsays the Dutch and Swedes inform us that they greatly decreased\\nin numbers to what they were when they came into this country\\nand the Indians themselves say that two of them die to every one\\nChristian that comes in here/ 1 The minutes of the justices and", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0012.jp2"}, "13": {"fulltext": "FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS. 7\\nfreeholders of Cumberland County for the year 1754, state that a\\ncharge of \u00c2\u00a34, 3s. 4\u00c2\u00ab?. was brought by Deerfield Township, for\\ntaking care of an old Indian who died in said precinct, which was\\nallowed. At a conference held by commissioners appointed by the\\nlegislature with the Indians in 1758, one Kobert Kecot claimed\\nthe township of Deerfield, in the county of Cumberland, where\\nthe Presbj^terian meeting-house stands, and also the tracts of James\\nWasse, Joseph Peck, and Stephen Chesup. After this, all the\\nIndian claims were fully paid for and relinquished. A few of the\\ndescendants of these original inhabitants lingered within the\\ncounty until after the Revolution, earning their subsistence princi-\\npally by making baskets. Soon after the commencement of the\\npresent century they had all removed or died.\\nAll vacant lands being according to the law of Great Britain\\nvested in the crown, and it being the established principle of Euro-\\npean law that countries uninhabited, or inhabited only by savages,\\nbecame the property of the nation taking possession, King Charles\\nII. granted all that territory, called by the Dutch New Nether-\\nlands, including part of the State of New York, and all New\\nJersey, to his brother, the Duke of York, afterwards James II.,\\nMarch 12, 1663-4. The duke conveyed New Jersey to Lord\\nBerkeley and Sir George Carteret, June 24, 1664. In 1672, the\\nDutch reconquered the province but in 1673 it was restored, and\\nnew grants were executed. Berkley, in 1673, conveyed his half to\\nJohn Fenwick, and shortly afterwards Fenwick conveyed nine-tenth\\nparts of his half to William Penn, Gawen Lawrie, and Nicholas\\nLucas, in trust for the creditors of Edward Billing. The above-\\nnamed persons had all become followers of George Fox, and were\\nthen called Quakers, adopting themselves the name of Friends.\\nFenwick had been a member of a church of Independents, whereof\\nJohn Goodwin was the pastor. He held a commission as major of\\ncavalry, which Johnson, in his History of Salem, says was written\\nin Cromwell s own hand.\\nIn 1676, the province was divided, Fenwick, Penn, Lawrie, and\\nLucas becoming proprietors of the half called West Jersey. Bil-\\nling who was a London merchant having failed, his nine-tenths,\\nheld by Penn and others, was conveyed to his creditors and others\\nin hundredth parts, or, as the deeds made in England set it forth,\\nin nineteenth parts of ninety hundredth parts, so that a full pro-\\nprietary interest came to be reckoned a hundredth part. Lesser", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0013.jp2"}, "14": {"fulltext": "b FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS.\\nparts of the hundredths, or a definite number of acres therein, were\\nalso frequently conveyed to individuals. Fenwick, and Eldridge,\\nand Warner, to whom he executed a long lease in England, for the\\npurpose of raising money, were recognized as owning ten proprie-\\ntaries, or one-tenth of the province. It would seem that each par-\\nticular hundredth was at first in some way designated, and the\\nrespective owners drew lots for their several shares; but this\\ndesignation was never fully carried out, and it is not known how\\nthe parts were owned. Fenwick s ten proprietaries, however, were\\nall considered to be contained in what was called the Salem tenth,\\nextending from Berkeley River (now Oldman s Creek) to a creek a\\nlittle east of the Cohansey, originally called the Tweed, which,\\nhaving a wide mouth where it empties into the Delaware, was sup-\\nposed to be a stream commencing far up to the north, but which\\nproved to be confined to the marsh, and has since been called Back\\nCreek.\\nFenwick came into the Delaware in June, 1675, with his family\\nand servants, consisting of two daughters and their husbands, one\\nunmarried daughter, and two servants. His wife remained in Eng-\\nland, and never came to America. Edward Champney, one of his\\nsons-in-law, brought with him three servants, one of whom was\\n^lark, Reeve, who settled at Greenwich, and built a house not far\\nfrom the Cohansey, near the house where John Sheppard long\\nlived. The servants, as is remarked by Smith, in his History of\\nNeio Jersey, being accustomed to work, and willing to encounter\\nthe hardships and privations incident to the settlement of a new\\ncountry, succeeded much better than their masters. Mark Reeve,\\namong others, became a considerable proprietor, and is still repre-\\nsented by numerous respectable descendants.\\nSo far as is now known, the Dutch and Swedes never took any\\nsteps to secure a permanent title to the land upon which they set-\\ntled, and did not even take deeds from the Indians. Whatever\\ntitle they may have claimed as the first settlers and improvers,\\nwas ignored by the English, although there is reason to believe\\nthey were, in many cases, permitted to become purchasers at the\\nusual price for the unimproved land. A few names apparently not\\nEnglish are found among the early freeholders.\\nPenn and the other legal proprietors of West Jersey, in 1676,\\nsigned an agreement the original of which, well engrossed on\\nvellum, in a bound quarto volume, is preserved in the land office", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0014.jp2"}, "15": {"fulltext": "FIRST SETTLERS A\\\\ D PROPRIETORS. 9\\nat Burlington, regulating the government and the mode of dis-\\nposing of the lands. It provided for dividing the territory into\\ntenths, originally intended to take the place of counties, and the\\ntenths were to be divided into hundredths. Fenwick did not sign\\nthis agreement, but assumed to act independently of the other\\nproprietors, which was the occasion o f much contention. Salem,\\nhowever, was always recognized as one of the tenths, and Fenwick,\\nor his grantees, as the owners of ten proprietaries. During part\\nof his life he claimed to be sole or chief proprietor of the moiety\\nof New Jersey, and established his government at the place he\\ncalled New Salem, now the city of Salem. He appointed a\\nSecretary and Surveyor General, the latter being at first Richard\\nHancock, who came over with him. In 167^3 James Nevill was\\nappointed Secretary, and his son-in-law, Samuel Hedge, Surveyor\\nGeneral, Hancock having favored the claims of the other proprie-\\ntors, and acted under them.\\nIn 1682 Fenwick conveyed all his interest in New Jersey to\\nWilliam Penn, except the part which was called Fenwick s colony,\\ncontaining, as was supposed, 150,000 acres. When he died in the\\nlatter part ot 1G83, he appointed Penn and others his executors,\\ngiving them full power to lett, sett, sell and dispose of his whole\\nestate, for the paying of his debts and improving his estate, for his\\nheirs during their non age. By virtue of the aforesaid deed and\\nwill, Penn and the other executors made conveyances of large\\nparcels of land, besides what Fenwick had himself conveyed, by\\nvirtue of which surveys were made, and under which the titles are\\nheld.\\nThere seems to have been for several years after Fenwick s\\narrival, a constant conflict between him and the Assembly, which\\nat length occasioned his deed to Penn in 1682. In May, 1683, he\\nappeared himself as a member of the Assembly, and it was then\\nenacted as a law that the lands and. marsh or meadow formerly\\nlaid out for Salem Town bounds, by agreement of John Fenwick\\nand the people of Salem Liberty, shall stand and be forever to and\\nfor the only use of the freeholders and inhabitants of said town.\\nIt was then agreed nem. con., only John Fenwick excepted his\\ntenth, which he said then at that time was not under the same\\ncircumstances, but now freely consenteth thereunto, that the con-\\ncessions agreed on in 1676, should be the fundamentals and ground\\nof the government of West Jersey.", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0015.jp2"}, "16": {"fulltext": "10 FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS.\\nThis assent, however, does not seem to have been understood by\\nFemvick as hindering him from disposing of his land, without\\nregard to the agreements or concessions or laws. His will, an\\nancient copy of which is before me, dated August 7, 1683, made\\non his sick bed at Fen wick s Grove, professes to dispose of large\\nmanors and tracts of land to his grand-children. It contains this\\nclause: Item: I give and bequeath to my three grand-children and\\ntheir heirs male forever, all that tract of land laying near the river\\nheretofore called Cohansey, which I will have hereafter called\\nCoesaria Eiver, and which is known by the name of the Town Neck;\\nand my will is that it, together with the land on the other side which\\nis called Shrewsbury Neck, and other the lands thereunto belong-\\ning, which is contained in my Indian purchase, and so up the bay\\nto the mouth of Monmouth Eiver (Alloway s Creek was then so\\ncalled), and up Monmouth River to the head or farthest branch\\nthereof, and so in a straight line to the head of Cassaria River, all\\nwhich I will to be called the manor of Caesaria, and that there\\nshall be a city erected, and marshes and land allowed as my exe-\\ncutors shall see convenient, which I empower them to do and\\nto name the land further, my will is that out of the residue of the\\n^and and marshes shall be divided equally among my said heirs,\\nand that Fenwick s dividend shall join to the town and Bacon s\\nCreek, where, my will is, there shall be a house erected and called\\nthe Manor house, for keeping of courts. This manor, it will be\\nseen, embraced the present townships of Greenwich, Hopewell,\\nCohansey and Stow Creek in Cumberland, Lower Alloway s Creek,\\nand part of Upper Alloway s Creek Townships in Salem but, like\\nmany other magnificent projects, it was never carried out. None\\nof his grants or devises of specific parcels of land, except Salem\\nTown, have been recognized as valid; and no titles under them are\\ngood, unless regular surveys have been made and recorded, or\\nsuch a length of actual possession has been had as to bar a rival\\nclaimant.\\nDirectly after Fenwick s arrival, he provided for laying out a neck\\nof land for a town at Cohansey, one-half for the chief proprietor (him-\\nself), and one-half for the purchasers, the lots to be sixteen acres\\neach. The town thus projected was called by the settlers Green-\\nwich, although it continued for many years to be also called Cohan-\\nsey. A memorial of the proprietors of East and West Jersey to the\\ncrown, dated in 1701, prays that the port of Perth Amboy, in East", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0016.jp2"}, "17": {"fulltext": "FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS. 11\\nJersejr, and the ports of Burlington and Cohansey, in West Jersey,\\nmay be established ports of those respective provinces forever. An\\nact of the Assembly of West Jersey, in 1695, recites that a conside-\\nrable number of people are settled on or about Cohansey, alias\\nCaesaria Eiver, within the county of Salem, and enacts that there\\nshall be two fairs kept yearly at the town of Greenwich at Co-\\nhansey aforesaid the first on. the 24th and 25th days of April, and\\nthe second on the 16th and 17th days of October. These fairs were\\ncontinued and were largely attended until 1705, when a law was\\nenacted reciting that fairs in the town of Greenwich had been found\\ninconvenient and unnecessary, and that therefore no fairs should be\\nhereafter held there. Ebenezer Miller, a Friend, who resided at\\nGreenwich, was a member of the Assembly this year, and doubt-\\nless procured this act. By this time fairs had become much less\\nimportant than they had been, by the increase of regular retail\\nstores, whose proprietors were anxious to get rid of the fairs. One\\nof the provisions of the original concessions and agreements of the\\nfreeholders of West Jersey was that the streets in cities, towns,\\nand villages should not be under one hundred feet wide. In pur-\\nsuance of this, a street was laid out at Greenwich, from the wharf\\nto where the Presbyterian church was afterwards built, of that\\nwidth, but by whom is not known. It is quite probable that Fen-\\nwick himself visited the place in his barge, which he particularly\\nmentions in his will but it does not appear that he sold any lots\\nthere. His will provides that Martha Smith, my Xtian friend,\\nto have two lots of land at Cohansey, at the town intended on the\\nriver Caesaria.\\nThe following extract from an interesting account of the Ewing family, printed\\nonly for the use of the family, will give us a very good idea of the situation and\\nhabits of a well-to-do piou,s Presbyterian family in the county of Cumberland,\\nabout the middle of the eighteenth century. It is a part of the biography of the\\nwife of Masked Ewing, who married Mary Pagett, in 1743.\\nHis wife was a woman of plain manners, though lady-like, and very sensible.\\nShe was remarkable for her powers as a housekeeper. With the exception of her\\nhusband s Sunday-coat, which was the one that had served at his wedding, ami\\nwhich lasted for a good part of after life, she had on hand the making of his and\\ntheir children s garments from the flax and the wool. All the bedding and house\\nlinen must be made, and geese kept to find materials for beds some thousand\\nweight of cheese to be prepared annually for market; poultry and calves to be\\nraised gardening to be done the work of butchering-time to be attended to (this\\nincluded the putting up of pork and salt meat to last the whole year, besides sau-\\nsages for winter, and the making of candles) herbs to be gathered and dried, and", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0017.jp2"}, "18": {"fulltext": "12 FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS.\\nPerm and the executors of Fenwick made several conveyances\\nof sixteen acre lots on the east side of the street one to Mark\\nReeve, describes him as of Ctesaria River, and is dated August 9,\\n1686. It contains the lot at the corner near the wharf, on which\\nhe had built a house. In December of the same year Reeve, in\\nconsideration of \u00c2\u00a380, conveyed it to Joseph Browne, late of Phila-\\ndelphia, reserving to himself and his heirs a free egress and re-\\ngress to and from a certain piece of ground, containing 24 square\\nfeet, where the said Mark Reeve s wife lies buried. Browne con-\\nveyed it to Chalkley, a Friend, in 1738, and he to John Butler.\\nButler conveyed it to Thomas Mulford, and he to William Conover,\\nwho conveyed it to John Sheppard, December 16, 1760, in whose\\nfamily it has remained ever since. No survey under the proprie-\\ntors appears to have been recorded for this lot. Chalkley, in 1789,\\nlaid a survey on half an acre adjoining it, including the wharf,\\nand in 1743 another for 15-^ acres, thus making up a sixteen acre\\nlot.\\nOne Zachariah Barrow possessed a farm held under Fenwick con-\\nsiderably further north, on the* east side of the street, above the\\nFriends school-house, and by Ins will made in 1725 devised it for\\nthe benefit of a free school for the town of Greenwich forever. In\\n1749, just after Cumberland County was established, to perfect the\\ntitle no survey having been before recorded Bbenezer Miller pro-\\ncured a survey to be duly laid on this farm to himself and two others,\\nattorneys duly constituted by the town of Greenwich, and they exe-\\ncuted a conveyance to David Sheppard, subject to a yearly rent of\\nthirteen pounds, for the use of a free school to the inhabitants of\\nthe town of Greenwich, within certain bounds set forth in the deed.\\nFrom this and other circumstances, it is known that Greenwich was\\nmade a township at an early day, and probably with the bounda-\\nointinents compounded besides all the ordinary house-work of washing, ironing,\\npatching, darning, knitting, scrubbing, baking, cooking, and many other avoca-\\ntions, which a farmer s wife now-a-days would be apt to think entirely out of her\\nline. And all this without any help, other than that afforded by her own little\\ndaughters, as they became able and for the first twenty-two years, with a baby\\nalways to be nursed. This afforded no time for any reading but the best but\\nmany a good book she contrived to read by laying it on her lap, whilst her hands\\nplied the knitting-needles, or to hear read by the husband or one of the children,\\nwhile she and the rest spent the evening in sewing. On the Sabbath, a folio\\nFlavel, the Institutes of Calvin, and, above all, the Bible, were the treasures in\\nwhich her soul delighted.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0018.jp2"}, "19": {"fulltext": "FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS. 13\\nries contained in the deed. The act establishing the county divides\\nit into six townships, the bounds of Greenwich containing conside-\\nrably more territory than is described in the deed. In New Eng-\\nland what we call townships are usually called towns. The reserved\\nrent continues to be paid, and by a decree of the Court of Chancery,\\nto and for the benefit of the public schools within the bounds of\\nthe town, as described in the deed.\\nFenwick s will, before quoted, mentions a creek called Bacon s\\nCreek. There is still extant a deed from two Indians to John\\nNicholls of Nicholls Hartford, near Cohansey, dated 25th of 4th\\nmonth (June of the old style), 1683, whereby, in consideration of\\none blanket, one double handful of powder, two bars of lead, three\\npennyworths of paint, one hoe, one axe, one looking-glass, one pair\\nof scissors, one shirt, and one breech cloth, they sell and convey to\\nhim a parcel of land containing, by estimation, one hundred acres,\\nbeginning at a tree near the creek called the Great Tree Creek, and\\nbounding on Cohansey Eiver and land of Henry Jennings, George\\nHazlewood, and Samuel Bacon, who are believed to have been of\\nthe early Baptist settlers. This deed was approved by Eichard\\nGrey and James Nevill, in accordance with a law passed the same\\nyear, which forbade the purchase of land from Indians without\\ntheir sanction. A somewhat similar deed is in the possession of\\nthe Bacon family. Whether a title was also obtained by survey\\nunder the proprietors is unknown. Unless there was, the legal\\ntitle of the present possessors rests upon the possession, and not\\nupon the Indian deeds.\\nBefore the Revolutionary War it can hardly be said that there\\nwere any towns in the county. Greenwich was the place of most\\nbusiness up to the beginning of the present century. The stores\\nthere contained the largest assortment of goods. A young lady\\nwho visited Bridgeton in 1786, mentions, in a journal which has\\nbeen preserved, going to Greenwich to get her broken watch crys-\\ntal replaced, but the man had not received any from Philadelphia\\nas he expected. She mentions going to Wood and Sheppard s\\nstore to get a few trifles. They transacted so large a business as\\nto make it worth while to have bonds printed payable to them.\\nThe river forming an excellent harbor, vessels traded direct to the\\nWest Indies and other places; but as New York overshadowed\\nPerth Amboy, so Philadelphia overshadowed Greenwich or Cohan-\\nsie. There was a regular ferry kept up over the river, and much", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0019.jp2"}, "20": {"fulltext": "14 FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS.\\nintercourse between Fairfield and Greenwich. In 1767, after John\\nSheppard came there, a law was passed establishing the ferry, and\\nin pursuance of its provisions, he bound himself to keep good and\\nsufficient boats, fit for ferrying travellers and carriages for 999\\nyears, and to keep and amend the roads, and bound his property\\nto make good his agreement. About 1810, and again in 1820,\\nefforts were made to have a draw-bridge built at the expense of the\\ncounty; but this project was strenuously resisted by those living\\non the river above, and being defeated, caused much rejoicing. For\\nseveral years a horse-boat was in constant use but as other towns\\ngrew, and capital increased, Greenwich lost its relative importance,\\nand the ferry had but little business, so that in 1838 Mr. Sheppard,\\nin consideration of paying $300, was released from his engage-\\nment. Like other parts of the county, it has since greatly im-\\nproved, but it is now only the depot of a rich agricultural region\\nin its immediate neighborhood*\\nThose familiar with the history of the English colonies in North\\nAmerica, will remember that it was the persistence of the British\\ngovernment in taxing the people, without allowing them to be\\nrepresented in Parliament, that brought on the Eevolution, and\\nhastened their Independence. In 1773, all those taxes were re-\\npealed but the duty on tea, which our forefathers not only resolved\\nnot to use, but which they would not suffer to be landed and offered\\nfor sale. The East India Company, which then had the monopoly\\nof this commodity, was encouraged to send it to this country, and\\nwas allowed a drawback of all the duties paid in England, it being\\nsupposed that the cheapness of the article would tempt our people\\nto purchase largely. Cargoes were sent to all the large seaports\\nbut at some places the tea was not permitted to be landed, and at\\nothers it was stored, but not allowed to be sold. In December, a\\nparty disguised as Indians boarded one of the ships in Boston har-\\nbor, and threw the tea into the water.\\nA brig called the Greyhound, bound to Philadelphia, with a\\ncargo of tea, the captain of which was afraid to proceed to his place\\nof destination, in the summer of 1774 came into the Cohansey,\\nlanded his tea, and had it stored in the cellar of a house standing\\nin front of the then open market-square. This house is not now\\nstanding, and the market-square has been inclosed as private pro-\\nWhen not otherwise stated, the time referred to as now is the year 1SG5.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0020.jp2"}, "21": {"fulltext": "FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS. 15\\nperty. Imitating the example of the Bostonians, a company of\\nnear forty men was organized, with the concurrence of the commit-\\ntee of safety of the county, of which Jonathan Elmer, the royal\\nsheriff) was an active member, who disguised themselves as Indians,\\nand on the night of November 22, 1774, broke into the store-house,\\ntook out the boxes of tea, and burned them in a neighboring field.\\nThe writer remembers to have known in his boyhood one of the\\nparty, a man named Stacks, who, it was said, tied strings round his\\npantaloons at his ankles, and stuffed them with tea, which he car-\\nried home to his family, and thus got the name of Tea-Stacks.\\nThe owners of the tea commenced actions of trespass against\\nsuch of the disguised Indians as they thought they could identify,\\nin tlie Supreme Court of the State, Joseph Reed of Philadelphia,\\nand Mr. Petit of Burlington, being their lawyers. Money for the\\ndefence was raised by subscription, and Joseph Bloomfield, then\\nresiding at Bridgeton, George Eead of New Castle, Elias Boudinot\\nof Elizabethtown, and Jonathan D. Serjeant of Philadelphia, all\\neminent counsellors, were employed on behalf of the defendants.\\nNo trial, however, ever took place. The plaintiffs were ruled to\\nenter security for the costs, which being neglected, a judgment of\\nnon pros was entered at May Term, 1776, but at the succeeding\\nterm security was filed, and the non pros set aside. The new\\nconstitution of the State, adopted in July, having displaced the\\nRoyal Judges, and their places being filled in the succeeding win-\\nter with Whigs, the actions were dropped, and no further proceed-\\nings took place on either side.\\nEbenezer Elmer, who was one of the Indians, enters in a journal\\nhe kept during the year 1775, under the date Die Jovis 25 mo\\n(Thursday, May 25, 1775), Came up to Bridge (from his nephew\\nDaniel Elmer s, who lived at Cedarville) just before court, being\\nSupreme Court. Judge Smith gave very large charge to the grand\\njury concerning the times, and the burning of the tea the fall\\nbefore, but the jury came in without doing anything, and the court\\nbroke up. Under the date of September 7, he enters, Expected\\nas Sheriff Bowen had got a jury of Tories, we should be indicted\\nfor burning the tea and taking Wheaton, but they could not make\\nit out. Wheaton had been arrested by order of the committee of\\nsafety, as a dangerous Tory, but, nothing appearing against him,\\nhad been discharged. The grand jury, to whom he complained,\\ndid make a presentment against the journalist and others, tor an", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0021.jp2"}, "22": {"fulltext": "16 FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS.\\nassault and battery, and false imprisonment, which is now on file,\\nbut the court did not think proper to order a formal indictment to\\nbe presented, and nothing was done.\\nThe Judge Smyth mentioned in the journal was Chief Justice\\nFrederick Smyth, the last of the Royal judges who presided in the\\nOyer and Terminer of this county. His charge fell on very dull\\nears, the Whig sheriff, who knew all about the tea burning, having\\ntaken care to summon a Whig jury, the foreman of which was his\\nnephew, Daniel Elmer. Before the ensuing September term\\nthis Whig sheriff, who held his office at the pleasure of Governor\\nFranklin, who was not superseded until arrested by order of the\\nProvincial Congress of New Jersey in the following June, w r as\\ndisplaced, and David Bowen, who was supposed to be more loyal,\\nwas appointed in his place. He held the office of sheriff a little\\nmore than a year, being superseded in the fall of 1776 by Joel\\nFithian, who was elected pursuant to the new constitution.\\nThe place now called Eoadstown, surrounded by a fertile region,\\nwas settled at an early date, and until Cohansey Bridge was\\nestablished as the county town, was the place next in importance\\nto New England town, and Greenwich. It is called Kingstown in\\nan old mortgage on record, but if it was ever generally known by\\nthat name, which is doubtful, that designation was wiped out by\\nthe Declaration of Independence. Prior to, and for some time\\nafter the Revolution, it was called Sayre s Cross Eoads, Ananias\\nSayre, originally from Fairfield, who was a prominent citizen, and\\nat one time sheriff, having settled there, and built the house at the\\nnorthwest corner of the cross roads.\\nThe first proprietors of the land within the bounds of what is\\nnow Cumberland, were principally, but not exclusively, Friends.\\nBut few of the actual settlers were Friends, that people being\\nprincipally confined to Greenwich, and at a later day a few on\\nMaurice River. Richard Hancock, who was Fenwick s first Sur-\\nveyor General, after his falling out with him came to the place\\nnow called Bridgeton, and before 1686 erected a saw-mill on the\\nstream then and since called Mill Creek, at the place where Pine\\nStreet now crosses the dam, then first made to form the pond. The\\nlow ground adjoining this creek was then covered with cedar trees,\\nand pine and other large trees covered the hills. What title\\nHancock had to the land does not appear. It was included within\\nthe 11,000 acre survey, about this time located for the West Jersey", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0022.jp2"}, "23": {"fulltext": "FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS. 17\\nSociety, formed by several large proprietors living partly in Lon-\\ndon and partly in the province. Probably he held under them.\\nIt docs not appear that he ever lived here, his residence being at\\nthe place in Salem County named after him, Hancock s Bridge,\\nwhere there still remain some of his descendants. Thomas says,\\ngoodly store of lumber went out of the Cohansey to Philadel-\\nphia/\\nIt was an early regulation that surveys should not extend on\\nboth sides of navigable streams. Surveyors, of whom John Wor-\\nlidge was one, are said to have come from Burlington in a boat.\\nThe rights west of the Cohansey seem all to have been purchased\\nof Fenwick or his executors. Most of the land was covered by\\nsurveys before 1700. James Wasse, Joshua Barkstead, R. Hutch-\\ninson, George Hazlewood, John Budcl, Cornelius Mason, and Ed-\\nmund Gibbon made large surveys, which extended nearly from\\nthe Cohansey to the Salem line.\\nEdmund Gibbon, an English merchant residing in New York,\\nin the year 1677, to secure a debt due to him by Edward Duke and\\nThomas Duke, took from them a conveyance of 6000 acres of land\\nin West Jersey which had been conveyed to them by Fenwick in\\nEngland. Gibbon, by virtue of this deed, had a tract of 5500\\nacres surveyed for him by Richard Hancock in 1682. It was re-\\nsurveyed by Benj. Acton in 1703, and included within its bounds\\nRoadstown, the east line running between the present Baptist\\nmeetingdiouse and the cross-roads, and extending southward to\\nPine Mount Branch, and westward to the Delaware. He devised\\nthis tract to his grandson Edmund, who devised it to Francis\\nGibbon of Bennensdere, England. In 1700 Francis devised it to\\nhis two kinsmen, Leonard and Nicholas Gibbon, of Gravesend in\\nKent, described as all that part of lands called Mount Gibbon,\\nupon the branches of unknown creek, near Cohansey in West New\\nJersey, provided they go and settle upon it. They both came\\nover and erected the mill formerly owned by Richard Seeley, who\\nwas a descendant of Nicholas, and now by his daughter, the pro-\\nperty having continued in the family to this time. This was pro-\\nbably the first mill erected for grinding grain, unless the tide mill,\\nwhich was situate on the stream a little east of Greenwich Street,\\nand has been many years gone, preceded it. A fulling mill was\\nerected at an early day on Pine Mount (as Mount Gibbon is now\\ncalled) Run. The mills of John 6. Wood and of Benjamin Shop-", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0023.jp2"}, "24": {"fulltext": "18 FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS.\\npard are also of old date. Wood s Mill was for a long time owned\\nby John Brick, the tradition being that he also owned large tracts\\nin Lower Pittsgrove, and that through his influence the line between\\nCumberland and Salem was so run as to leave them in the latter\\ncounty. Leonard and Nicholas Gibbon divided their tract in 1730,\\nNicholas taking the southern part, including the mill, and 2000\\nacres of land. Nicholas built a good brick house in the town of\\nGreenwich, where he resided until 1740, when he removed to\\nSalem. Leonard built a stone house about two miles north of\\nGreenwich. Both these buildings remain, but have long since\\ngone out of the family, of whom there are still very respectable\\ndescendants, residing principally in Salem.\\nOn the east side of the Cohansey a large tract of 11,000 acres\\nwas surveyed by Worlidge and Budd for the West Jersey Society\\nin 1686, and re-surveyed and recorded in 1716. East of that tract\\na large survey was made for the heirs of Penn, which extended to\\nMaurice River. On the west side of that river, and bounding on\\nthe Delaware, a large survey was made for Wasse. In 1691 a\\nlarge survey was laid on the east side of Maurice River for Thomas\\nByerly. Indeed, it may be safely said that four-fifths of the land\\nincluded in Cumberland County was covered by surveys before\\n1700.\\nSurveys for Helby and John Bellers, creditors of Billing, living\\nin England, covered most of Fairfield. The Helby surveys were\\nsold out to settlers at an early day, but the Bellers title was the\\noccasion of much difficulty. It extended from Mill Creek, at\\nFairton, to the Tweed or Back Creek. His agent, Thomas Budd,\\nhad a power of attorney to sell 400 acres, which he deeded to\\nEphriam Seeley.* But he made leases to the Connecticut settlers,\\nThomas Budd became a Friend in England, came over to Burlington in West\\nJersey, in 1G78, and held several important offices in the province. In 1GS1, he\\nwas chosen, by the Assembly, a commissioner for settling and regulation of\\nlands, and was afterward a member of the Assembly. In 1684 he went to Eng-\\nland, and there published a pamphlet entitled, Good order established in Penn-\\nsylvania and New Jersey, in America, being a true account of the country.\\nProbably he had not at this time visited South Jersey, as he confines his descrip-\\ntion to the parts in the vicinity of Burlington. This pamphlet has been recently\\npublished with very copious and interesting historical notes, by Edward Arm-\\nstrong, Esq., of Philadelphia.\\nBudd appears to have returned to Burlington the same year, and soon after-\\nwards removed to Philadelphia, where he owned considerable property, took an", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0024.jp2"}, "25": {"fulltext": "FIRST SETTLERS AXD PROPRIETORS. 19\\nreserving small quit-rents, and entered into bonds that a good title\\nshould be made, or their improvements paid for. Under these\\nleases most of the tract was parcelled out to the settlers, and the\\nland improved. But Bellers appears to have been ambitious of\\nbeing lord of a manor in America, and upon his death in 1724\\nentailed this property so that it could not be sold. The Eev.\\nDaniel Elmer procured the semblance of a title to the 400 acres of\\nSeeley s heirs, and in 1745 located part of this right so as to include\\nthe farm on which he resided and had built himself a house, and\\nthe adjoining meeting-house lot and burial ground lying on Co-\\nhansey Kiver, below Fairton. About the same time he and his son\\nDaniel, who was a surveyor, laid out a town, which was never built,\\non the bank of the river, extending eastwardly so as to include\\npart of the present sight of Fairton, which it was proposed to call\\nFairfield. Could the title have been secured, it would probably\\nhave become an important town and the county seat. In 1750 the\\nsettlers sent over Capt. Thomas Harris to England with money to\\npurchase the Bellers title; but, not succeeding, he laid out the\\nmoney in Bibles, Watts Psalms and Hymns, then just coming into\\nuse, a folio edition of Flavel, and pewter dishes, which were dis-\\ntributed among those willing to take them. The pewter dishes\\ntook the place of wooden trenchers for those able to indulge in\\nsuch a luxury. Some of them and some copies of Flavel still\\nremain.\\nIt was not until about 1811 that this Bellers title was extin-\\nguished. When about ten years before this time the late Benja-\\nmin Chew, of Philadelphia, became the agent of the English\\nproprietors, the occupants refused to purchase, and resisted the\\nsurveyors who attempted to run out the tract, and cut off the tail\\nof the agent s horse. Suits were brought, and the Supreme Court\\nof this State made a special order, requiring the sheriff to call out\\nthe posse comitatus and protect the surveyors, who pointed out the\\nland to a jury of view. One case was tried, and a verdict rendered\\nfor the plaintiff A compromise then took place, by which three\\npersons from the adjoining counties were selected to determine\\nhow much the occupants should pay. They awarded two dollars\\nactive part in disputes that arose among the Friends, and died in the year 1698.\\nHis descendants, and those of his brother William, who resided in Burlington\\nCounty and was an Episcopalian, are numerous and very respectable, in Pennsyl-\\nvania and New Jersey.", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0025.jp2"}, "26": {"fulltext": "20 FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS.\\nand fifty cents per acre, and seventy-five cents per acre for the\\ncosts, which was eventually paid, and deeds made to each occupant.\\nA small part of it remains nominally in Chew s heirs.\\nA similar difficulty occurred when the proprietors of the Penn\\ntract commenced selling. A gentleman now living remembers\\nwhen, about the year 1804, the squatters thereon threatened to hang\\nthe agent, who had some difficulty in effecting his escape, which\\nhe was enabled to do by the swiftness of his horse that carried him\\nsafely over Maurice River bridge at Millville before his pursuers\\ncould overtake him.\\nA map annexed to Thomas s description of Pennsylvania and\\nWest Jersey, before referred to, contains on it the names of two\\ntowns, viz Dorchester, on the east side of Maurice River, and\\nAntioch, on the south side of Cohansey, the only towns within the\\nbounds of Cumberland which are named. Dorchester was surveyed\\nand returned as a town plat of 2500 acres, and although no town\\nwas built until after 1800, it retains the name. Antioch was pro-\\nbably surveyed in a similar manner, but never recorded, unless, as\\nis most probable, the map places it on the wrong side of the river.\\nThe original map of Hancock s survey for Gibbon, refers to the\\nboundaries of Antioch or Greenwich town. No town called Antioch\\never existed in the county.\\nThe Connecticut immigrants called the place most thickly settled\\nNew England Town, by which name, or that of New England Town\\nCross-roads, it was long known. The first road from Salem to Maurice\\nRiver was laid out in 1705, through Greenwich, crossing the river\\nthere, and then along by the meeting-house at New England Town,\\nup to the neighborhood of the present Fairton, and then through\\nthe woods towards Maurice River, without stating precisely where it\\nwas to go or where to end. The road from New England Town to\\nBurlington the seat of government of West Jersey was no doubt\\nthe first road used in the county. It passed over the north branch\\nof the Cohansey, called Mill Creek, at a place where the mill was\\nfirst erected, somewhat below the present mill-dam, and then along\\nthe Indian path about a mile east of Bridgeton, through the Indian\\nfields, passing by the Pine Tavern, then over to the road from Salem,\\nnear the present Clarksboro in Gloucester County, then through\\nWoodbury and Iladdonfield. The bridge and road at Carpenter s\\nLanding were not made until the forepart of the present century.\\nFairton was not so called until the post-office was established,", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0026.jp2"}, "27": {"fulltext": "FIRST SETTLERS AND PROPRIETORS. 21\\nabout the year 1812. It was previously called by the nickname\\nBumbridge, a name said to have originated from the circumstance\\nthat a constable then often called a Bum-bailiff, which is a cor-\\nruption of the word bound bailiff, that is, a bailiff bound with a\\nsecurity in attempting to arrest a person, fell into the water, owino-\\nto some defect in the bridge over Eattlesnake Eun, and thus occa-\\nsioned the bridge to be rebuilt, and to acquire a name. For many\\nyears the road over this run crossed considerably above where the\\nbridge was made. When the country was first settled, what is\\nnow called Mill Creek, at Fairton, was known as the north branch\\nof the Cohansey.\\nCedarville became a place of some local importance directly\\nafter the Eevolution, but was not known by this name until the\\npost-office was established. It was settled at an early period but\\nwhen the mill was erected is not known.\\nGouldtown partly in the northern part of Fairfield, and partly\\nin Bridgeton townships although never more than a settlement of\\nmulattoes principally bearing the names of Gould and Pierce, scat-\\ntered over a considerable territory, is of quite ancient date. The\\ntradition is that they are descendants of Fenwick. His will con-\\ntains the following clause Item, I do except against Elizabeth\\nAdams (who was a granddaughter), of having any the least part\\nof my estate, unless the Lord open her eyes to see her abominable\\ntransgression against him, me, and her good father, by giving her\\ntrue repentance, and forsaking that Black that hath been the ruin\\nof her, and becoming penitent for her sins; upon that condition\\nonly I do will and require my executors to settle five hundred\\nacres of land upon her.", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0027.jp2"}, "28": {"fulltext": "22 GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.\\nCHAPTEE II.\\nGOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.\\nThe government of New Jersey was at first assumed by the\\nproprietors. After the partition into two provinces, West Jersey\\nwas intended to be divided into Tenths, fronting on the Delaware,\\nbut only three or four were defined, and these were soon super-\\nseded by regular counties; and indeed the tenths seem to have\\nbeen designed rather for the purpose of apportioning the land\\namong the different proprietors than for the purposes of govern-\\nment. The General Assembly which convened at Burlington May\\n2, 1682, appointed Justices, Sheriff, and Clerk for the jurisdiction\\nof Burlington, and others for the jurisdiction of Salem, and Courts\\nof Sessions were directed to be held four times a year at each\\nplace. No definite limits were assigned to these jurisdictions, it\\nbeing probably the design that the officers designated should have\\npower to act in all parts of the province. In 1683 the members of\\nAssembly were elected separately, in the First, Second, and Salem\\nTenths, and the justices and sheriffs appointed as before. In 1685\\nan act was passed establishing the county of Cape May, and bound-\\ning it on the west by Maurice River, authorizing justices to try\\ncauses under forty shillings, but other actions, civil and criminal, to\\nbe tried in Salem County. This act states that the province had\\nbeen formerly divided into three counties, but no act for that pur-\\npose is in print; indeed none of the acts passed in West Jersey\\nwere printed until such as could be found were published by Lea-\\nrning and Spicer in 1750.\\nIn 1692 the boundary between Gloucester and Burlington was\\naltered, but the next year the act was repealed. In 1693 Cape\\nMay was authorized to have a county court. In 1694 the boun-\\ndaries of Burlington and Gloucester were established and it was\\nenacted that the jurisdiction of Salem court should extend from\\nBerkeley Kiver (now called Oldman s Creek) on the north, to the\\nTweed (now called Back Creek) on the south. The district between\\nthe Tweed and Maurice River was not included in any county.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0028.jp2"}, "29": {"fulltext": "GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS. 23\\nTo remedy this it was enacted in 1700 that all persons inhabiting\\non the river Tweed, and all settlements below, unto the bounds of\\nthe county of Cape May, should from thenceforth be annexed to,\\nand be subject to the jurisdiction of the court and county of Sa-\\nlem. After the union of the two provinces by the surrender of\\nthe government to Queen Anne, an act was passed in January,\\n1709-10, still partly in force, ascertaining the boundaries of all the\\ncounties in the province of New Jersey, which reduced Cape May\\nto its present dimensions, and extended Salem to the western boun-\\ndary of Cape May.\\nThe act establishing the county provided that whenever the free-\\nholders and justices should judge it necessary to build a court-\\nbouse and jail, an election to determine the place should be held\\nat John Butler s in the town of Greenwich, on a day to be fixed\\nby three of the justices, one of whom should be of the quorum.\\nIt being the prerogative of the governor to appoint the time of\\nholding the courts, he issued an ordinance directing them to be\\nheld in the meantime at Greenwich, four times a year. A small\\nwooden jail was built in that place, and the courts were held for a\\ntime in the Presbyterian meeting-house and the tavern.\\nAn election was held in 1748, by which a majority of those who\\nvoted declared in favor of Cohansey Bridge, and to this place the\\ncourt held in December of that year adjourned. When the jus-\\ntices and freeholders met there in July of that year, the minutes\\nstate that it was proposed to raise money for a jail and court-\\nhouse; but the major part of the justices and freeholders present\\nwere not so disposed as to the location of the place where the\\nsaid jail and court-house shall be built, and thought proper to set-\\ntle the point first, before they consent to raise money for that pur-\\npose but in order to settle the affair of the election, there was a\\nmotion made for to examine the voters by purging them by their\\nrespective oaths and affirmations, but the freeholders of the south\\nside of Cohansey refused to comply with said offer. There being\\nno business to do, the meeting adjourned. In 1749, a dispute\\narose as to the election of the freeholders in Hopewell. In 1750,\\nthere was a full board, and it was agreed that there shall be a deed\\ndrafted and delivered to Richard Wood and Ebenezer Miller to\\nperuse, and upon their approbation, then they, or more of the jus-\\ntices, are to summons magistrates and freeholders to proceed upon\\nraising money to build a court-house and jail. In 1751 and 1752,", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0029.jp2"}, "30": {"fulltext": "24 GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.\\nmoney was ordered raised. Wood and Miller both lived at Green-\\nwich, but the latter had become largely interested in the property\\nat Cohansey Bridge, and joined the south siders. The lot was a\\npart of his survey, including the present jail, and extending across\\nBroad Street and a question being raised about the title, a number\\nof the most prominent freeholders on the south side, as the eastern\\npart of the county was then designated, including Miller, joined in\\na bond in the penal sum of two hundred pounds, to several of the\\nfreeholders at Greenwich, to guarantee the title.\\nThe bridge over the Cohansey was built, resting on cribs sunk\\nin the wate^ as early as 1716, it being referred to in a survey of\\nthat date but whether it was then passable for carriages may be\\ndoubted, as probably there were no four-wheeled wagons at that\\ntime, or for long afterwards, in the county. Lumber was floated by\\nwater, or, when necessary, drawn for short distances on sleds. A\\nvery old man, named Murray, said forty years ago, that he remem-\\nbered when there was a small store on the west side of the river,\\nnear the water, and a bridge for foot-passengers only. When the\\ntide was out the stream was fordable, and an old survey made in\\n1686, mentions the going-over place to Richard Hancock s mill.\\nA road for use when the tide was in used to cross the stream\\nabout half way up the present pond, the marks of which were\\nnot long since visible.\\nWhen the courts were first held at Cohansey Bridge, it is sup-\\nposed there were no more than eight or ten houses in the imme-\\ndiate vicinity. The road from Salem passed a little south of where\\nthe old Presbyterian Church stands, at the west end of the town,\\nand entering Broad Street, passed down the same to near the cor-\\nner of Franklin Street, then came down the hill a northeast course,\\npast the corner of the large stone house, which stands a little back\\nfrom and west of Atlantic Street, and thence to the foot of the bridge\\npassing the bridge, it ran nearly the present course of Commerce\\nStreet to near Pearl Street, and then a northeast course, a little\\nsouth of the stone Presbyterian church, and so on through what\\nwas then woodland, to near the corner of East Avenue and Irving\\nStreet, and thence through the Indian Fields, over the Beaver Dam\\nat Lebanon Run to Maurice River. A house stood on the brow of\\nthe hill, a little west of the run that crosses this road, next east of\\nthe railroad station, where there was at one time a tavern; and\\nbetween that and the railroad, about opposite to East Avenue, there", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0030.jp2"}, "31": {"fulltext": "GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS. 25\\nwas a graveyard. At or near the place where Pearl Street crosses\\nCommerce Street, the roads forked, one branch running north-\\nwardly to Deerfield. It was necessary to go thus far east of the\\nbridge before turning northwardly, to avoid going up Laurel Hill,\\nthen impassable, without the outlay of much labor and expense.\\nAt the Indian Fields the road then and now running north and\\nsouth, originally an Indian path, became the king s highway from\\nFairfield to the seat of government at Burlington. It is the most\\nancient road in the county, and is even yet known to the old in-\\nhabitants as the old Burlington road, and in 1769 was laid out as\\na public road, four rods wide.\\nThe mill-pond, now owned by Jonathan Elmer, was in 17-AS\\nowned by Ephraim Seeley, commonly called Col. Seeley. The\\nmill stood in the low ground back of the house occupied by Mrs.\\nDu Bois, and the dam crossed above from the hill diagonally to\\nthe point where there is now a brick kiln. The old mansion house\\nstood on the hill northeast of Mrs. Du Bois, near the pond, and the\\nroad from the bridge over Cohansey, to the house and mill, ran\\nabout where the back part of Jonathan Elmer s house now stands.\\nThere was a bridge across the saw- mill pond, back of the Metho-\\ndist meeting-house lot, over which the road to Fairfield passed,\\nwhich was laid out as a public road in 1763. This road crossed\\nMill Creek near Fairton, at Joseph Ogden s mill-dam, which was\\nlower down the stream than the present dam.\\nSeeley s mill was erected at an early date, but when or by whom\\nhas not been ascertained; but the writer recollects that fifty years\\nago the remains of an old fulling mill were visible near the mid-\\ndle of the dam, and he has heard that Col. Seeley s wife was accus-\\ntomed, in her youth, to ride on horseback as far as Cape May,\\ncarrying with her fulled cloth, and returning with a horse load of\\ncloth to be dressed. At that time nearly all the clothing and the\\nbedding used by the people was spun in the family, and often\\nwoven there also, or by persons who followed the business. The\\nstraight road to Millville, now a turnpike, was laid out in 1805,\\ncommencing at the bridge; and in 1809 Jeremiah Buck erected\\nthe dam and flour and saw-mills now standing, and it may be\\nmentioned that Mr. French, the millwright, from near Bordentown,\\nlost his life at the raising of the saw-mill, having been crushed by\\nfalling timbers.\\nBesides Seeley s mill and house, the old Hancock mill still re-", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0031.jp2"}, "32": {"fulltext": "26 GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.\\nmained in 1748. It was removed to a site just below the present\\nstone bridge, and the existing race-way cut in 1772. This saw-mill\\nand the pond above, upon which the writer has often skated, re-\\nmained until 1809, when Mr. Buck lowered the race-way and pond,\\nas low as the tide would permit, to obtain a better head and fall at\\nhis mills above, and the mill was taken down. There was a house\\nnear this saw-mill on the northwest side of Pine Street, long owned\\nand occupied by Col. Enos Seeley, a relative of Col. Ephraim, and\\ngrandfather of the late Governor E. P. Seeley, which probably\\nstood there in 17-18. It was long occupied by the vidow Jay, and\\nwas taken down about 20 years ago. Col. Enos Seeley, in 1772,\\nowned all the property where the glass-houses now are, his north-\\nern line being about where Jefferson Street now is, adjoining\\nAlexander Moore s line, and included a house standing where Mrs.\\nBuck s house now is, fronting Laurel Street. This house was\\nthere in 1718, and upon the creek, an old wharf, the first erected,\\ncalled in old writings Smith s Wharf, used, probably, in connection\\nwith Hancock s mill. At this time the dam leading to the stone\\nbridge was not made, but the tide flowed up the old channel of\\nMill Creek to the neighborhood of the mill. Col. Enos Seeley put\\nup the dam about the year 1774.\\nNearly opposite Col. Seeley s house, now Mrs. Buck s, was a\\ngood house facing the south, in which a store was afterwards kept\\nby Mr. Boyd and his widow. There were also two or three houses\\nnearly opposite, on the east side of Laurel Street. These are be-\\nlieved to have been all the houses on the east side of the river,\\nuntil Alexander Moore built his dwelling-house, on the north side\\nof Commerce Street, about half way between the hotel and the\\nbridge. His store-house of cedar logs stood where Potter s store-\\nhouse now is. Judge White told the writer he took it down, and\\nfound in it an old horn book; that is to say, a printed card contain-\\ning the alphabet and a short lesson in spelling, which was pasted to\\na piece of board and covered with a horn pressed flat and scraped\\nthin, so as to be transparent enough to leave the lessons visible to\\nthe urchins who were to learn them, and thus protecting them\\nfrom being defaced. Such books, made however after different\\npatterns, were in common use a century ago. Moore is believed\\nto have settled here between 1730 and 1740. He married a de-\\nscendant of Mark Reeve. Most of the site of East Bridgeton,\\nnorth of Commerce Street, was an open woods in 1748, and so\\ncontinued until after the Revolutionary War.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0032.jp2"}, "33": {"fulltext": "GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS. 27\\nOn the west side of the river, a good two-storied house, with\\nwhat was commonly called a hip roof, stood a little south of Com-\\nmerce Street, facing the east, the back part of which was about\\nwhere the east side of Atlantic Street now is, in front of which\\nwas the road which ran a southwest course up the hill, having a\\nsouth fork running down the river, and between the road and\\nriver was a garden. This was built about 1725, by Silas Parvin,\\nand was for several years licensed as a tavern, and stood there\\nabout one hundred years, when it was removed by the late Smith\\nBowen. South of this and near the river, a little north of Broad\\nStreet, at the place now owned by James B. Potter and used as a\\nship-yard, stood a good house fronting the north, owned in 1748\\nby Capt. Elias Cotting. It was afterwards for many years owned\\nand occupied by Enoch Boon, and has been taken down some\\ntwenty years and more. When first erected it was a mansion of\\nconsiderable pretension. Another house stood a little back of\\nwhere the court-house now stands, on a road early used to the\\nmarshes, upon which the early settlers depended almost exclusively\\nfor hay, and belonged to one Jeremiah SajTe, cordwainer. Neither\\nBroad Street nor Commerce Street was opened up the hill until\\nmany years after this period. These three dwelling-houses and a\\nsmall store-house of cedar logs standing north of Parvin s house\\nand a farm-house on the property above Muddy Branch, were all\\nthe buildings on the west side of Cohansey Bridge.\\nThe Court was first held at Isaac Smith s who probably kept a\\ntavern in the Parvin house, in February 1748, old style, and gene-\\nrally met at eight o clock in the morning. Cotting was commis-\\nsioned by the Governor as clerk, at first to hold during the plea-\\nsure of the Governor, but in 1755 he presented a commission to\\nhold during good behavior, which continued the mode until 1776.\\nHe died in 1757, and was succeeded by Daniel Elmer, who died in\\n1761, and was succeeded by Maskel Ewing, who, having taken an\\noath of allegiance to the king, declined to serve under the new\\ngovernment. In 1786 Jonathan Elmer presented a commission\\nfrom Governor Livingston as clerk, and in the ensuing fall he was\\nelected by the joint meeting for five years pursuant to the consti-\\ntution; Alexander Moore and Ephraim Seeley appeared as judges.\\nThe September term docs not appear to have been held. The\\nterms were held four times in the year, and until 1752 the February\\nterm is always entered of the same year as the preceding Decern-", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0033.jp2"}, "34": {"fulltext": "2 GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.\\nber term, it thus appearing that the old style was changed that\\nyear According to the old style, the year commenced on the feast\\not the conception of Mary or Lady day, March 25th, which still\\ncontinues to be the customary day of commencing leases in this\\ncounty, although in other parts of the State it is the first day of\\nApril according to the Pennsylvania usage, and in some places the\\nhrst day of May agreeably to the New York usage.\\nCohansey Bridge is mentioned in the minutes until 1765 when\\nBridgetown is first named. Constables for the town were first ap-\\npointed by the court in 1768. It may be noticed that the whole\\nregion from the source of the river near Friesburgh, to its mouth\\nat the Delaware Bay, was commonly called Cohansey, up to and\\neven after the Ee volution. It was common to write Fairfield in\\nCohansey, or Greenwich Cohansey. Upon the establishment of\\nthe Bank in 1816, its first president, Gen. Giles, had the name of\\nthe town printed Bridgeton on the notes, and this soon became the\\nadopted name. Bridgetown, however, still remains the official name\\nof the port, under the laws of the United States.\\nThe following named persons have been the clerks, after those\\nabove named, from 1776 appointed by joint meeting for five years\\nvacancies filled by Governor, until 1816, and since by election in\\nthe county\\nJames Giles, appointed in 1789\\nDr. Azel Pierson, 1804 died\\nJonathan Holmes, by Governor 1812\\nDr. Edo Ogden, appointed in 1813 died\\nEbenezer Elmer, by Governor 1813\\nEbenezer Seeley, appointed in 1814 died\\nSamuel Seeley, 1333\\nJosiah Fithian, appointed in 1838 died\\nEuos Seeley, by Governor 1842\\nD. M. Woodruff, appointed in 1842\\nelected 1847\\nEpbraim E. Sheppard, 1852\\nProvidence Ludlam, 1857\\nTheo. G. Compton, 1862\\nThe following named persons have been surrogates, appointed\\nuntil 1822 by the Governor to* hold at his pleasure; then until\\n1846 by the joint meeting of the legislature, to hold for five years\\nvacancies happening being filled by the Governor to hold until\\nthe legislature met; since 1846 by election in the county:\u00e2\u0080\u0094\\nElias Cotting, appointed 1748\\nDaniel Elmer, 1757\\nMaskel Ewing, 1761\\nJonathan Elmer, 1\\nlib\\nGeorge Burgin 1804 died 1810\\nEbenezer Elmer 1810\\nJonathan Elmer, 1812\\nSam l M. Shute, app ted 1813\\nTimothy Elmer, lS15diedlS36\\nWm. S. Bowen, 1836\\nH. R. Merseilles, 1837\\nJoseph Moore, elected 1852\\nH. R. Merseilles, 1857 died\\nAlphonso Woodruff, 1861", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0034.jp2"}, "35": {"fulltext": "GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS. 29\\nAt a session of tbe Assembly in 1690, an act was passed that\\nthe tract of land in Cohansey purchased by several people, lately\\ninhabitants of Fairfield, in New England, be erected into a town-\\nship. One of the vessels containing these immigrants came up\\nthe creek now called Back Creek, and gave it the name of the\\nTweed. Their tract was at the head of tbis stream, and between\\nit and the Cohansey, which probably occasioned the extension of\\nSalem County, so as to include them. The precise date of the\\narrival of these New Englanders is unknown, but it was probably\\nfrom 1682 to 1690. The Bellers tract was first surveyed in 1686,\\nand it was from Thomas Budd, agent of that proprietor, they\\nleased. No records of the town-meetings prior to the early part\\nof the present century are extant, but there can be no doubt that\\nthese inhabitants, isolated as they then were, instituted a local\\ngovernment sufficient for their immediate purposes, after the\\nmodel of the towns of Connecticut from which province most of\\nthese came in which the affairs of church and state were curi-\\nously blended, with a most happy effect. Several of them con-\\nsisting of Congregationalists, or Presbyterians and Baptists\\ncrossed the river to Greenwich, and were joined there by settlers\\nfrom England, Scotland, and Ireland, mostly of the Presbyterian\\norder.\\nIt appears by the court records at Salem that at least as early\\nas 1720 Fairfield and Greenwich were recognized as regular town-\\nships. The inhabitants in other neighborhoods, not considered as\\nbelonging to those townships, were provided with precinct officers\\nappointed by the Court of Quarter Sessions. In 1709, the grand\\njury ordered a tax of 75 pounds to be levied, for county purposes,\\nand appointed an assessor and collector for the north side of the\\nCohansey, and the same for the south side. In 1720, officers were\\nfirst appointed for the precinct of Maurice River, and afterwards\\nthey were appointed in like manner yearly, until the county was\\norganized. The Quarter Sessions in England were accustomed to\\nappoint constables, where they were considered necessary, to pre-\\nvent a failure of justice, and the same custom prevailed in New\\nJersey, except where townships were regularly organized and em-\\npowered to choose them.\\nMuch inconvenience being experienced by the inhabitants living\\nremote from Salem Town, several unsuccessful efforts were made\\nto obtain a new county, which were rendered the more difficult by", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0035.jp2"}, "36": {"fulltext": "30 GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.\\nthe desire of the royal governors to keep up the equality of repre-\\nsentation in the Assembly, between East and West Jersey. In\\nJanuarjr, 1747-8, the attempt succeeded, but with the condition\\nthat members of Assembly should continue to be elected in con-\\njunction with Salem. It was not until 1768 that two members\\nwere allowed to be chosen in Cumberland, which were balanced by\\ntwo chosen in Morris County. It was not, however, until 1772\\nthat writs were issued for a new election.\\nThe act divided the new county into six townships, assigning to\\nthem their respective boundaries three on the west, or north side\\nof Cohansey, and three on the east, or south side. At least half\\nthe inhabitants then resided west of Cohansey, although the terri-\\ntory east of that river is about five times larger. Only Deerfield\\nand a part of Fairfield contained more than a few settlers. Fair-\\nfield at first included all the present township of Downe. This\\ntownship was set off by letters patent granted by Governor Frank-\\nlin, in the year 1772, recorded in the Secretary of State s office at\\nTrenton. This power was occasionally exercised by the governors\\nof the province as a part of the royal prerogative, delegated to\\nthem by their commissions. His wife s maiden name was Eliza-\\nbeth Downes, and the new township was named in compliment to\\nher. It is spelled Downes in the record, but by a clerical or typo-\\ngraphical error, the name was printed, in the law passed in 1798\\nincorporating the township, Downe, and has been so printed in all\\nthe laws since.\\nSome of the old surveys call for the line of the township of Pam-\\nphylia, at or near the place where the line between Fairfield and\\nDeerfield was established but this old Grecian name is retained\\nonly by the spring so called on the banks of the Cohansey, about\\na mile below the bridge. Maurice Kiver contained originally all\\nthe large territory east of the river so called. Millville was set off\\nfrom it, including parts of Deerfield and Fairfield, on the west of\\nthe river by a law passed in the year 1801. Bridgeton was set off\\nfrom Deerfteld by law, in 1845 and Cohansey from Hopewell by\\nlaw, in 1848.\\nThe legislature of the colony was convened, adjourned, and dis-\\nsolved at the pleasure of the Governor and his Council, and the\\nmembers of the Assembly were elected by virtue of writs under\\nthe great seal of the colony, directed to the sheriffs. By a law\\npassed in 1725, the sheriff was required to give notice of the day", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0036.jp2"}, "37": {"fulltext": "GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS. 31\\nand place of election, and then to proceed by reading his writ; and\\nhe was not to declare the choice by the view (that is, merely from\\na vote by holding up of hands), nor adjourn without the consent\\nof the candidates; but if a poll was required, proceed from day\\nto day, until all the electors present be polled and he was required\\nto appoint a clerk, who should set down the names of the electors,\\nand the persons they voted for. There was, of course, but one\\nplace of election generally the court-house in the county and\\nthe election commonly closed the first day, but was occasionally\\nkept open several days or even weeks. The voting was, of\\ncourse, viva voce, ballots not being introduced until about 1790.\\nThis power of the candidates to control the election, in some\\nrespects, gave rise to the system of making nominations in writing,\\nwhich prevailed from 1790 until 1839, and was, it is supposed,\\npeculiar to this State. At first the names of candidates were re-\\nquired to be posted up in some conspicuous place the first day\\nthen they were required to be nominated on the election day before\\nthree o clock, by some person entitled to vote the name was then\\nenrolled by the clerk, and fixed up in full view at the door of the\\nhouse where the election was held. Elections being required to be\\nheld in each township in the year 1790, the clerk of the county\\nwas required to attend at the court-house on the first Monday in\\nSeptember, and there receive, from any person, entitled to vote, a\\nlist of the persons proposed as candidates, and the clerk then made\\na general list of all the candidates nominated, a certified copy of\\nwhich was sent to each of the township clerks, and no person could\\nbe voted for unless he had been thus nominated. Of course, many\\nwere nominated who were not expected to be voted for, but occa-\\nsionally the person who would have been preferred was found to\\nhave been omitted. After newspapers became common, it was cus-\\ntomary to publish the list of nominations, often containing many\\nnames of low and vicious characters, nominated by way of joke\\nby foolish persons, and the names of those who declined were so\\nmarked.\\nIn the journal of Ebenezcr Elmer, he enters under the date of\\nSeptember 21, 1775, County met to choose two delegates and a\\ncounty committee. Delegates chosen by poll, when Theophilus\\nElmer had a great majority, and next highest Esq. Jona. Ayres.\\nTheophilus Elmer had been previously elected in 1772. To en-\\ntitle a person to a seat in the Assembly at this time, he was required", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0037.jp2"}, "38": {"fulltext": "32 GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.\\nto have 1000 acres of land in bis own right, to be wortb \u00c2\u00a3500 of\\nreal and personal estate. A voter must be a freeholder, and have\\n100 acres of land in his own right, or be worth \u00c2\u00a350 in real and per-\\nsonal estate. The members chosen for Salem and Cumberland in\\n17-19 were William Hancock and John Brick. In 1751, William\\nHancock and Eichard Wood. In 1754, Hancock and Ebenezer\\nMiller. In 1761, the same. In 1769, Ebenezer Miller and Isaac\\nSharp. In 1772, for Cumberland, John Sheppard and Theophilus\\nElmer. Afterwards one member of Council, and three members\\nof Assembly, w r ere chosen annually. For 1776, they were Theo-\\nphilus Elmer, Council, Ephraim Harris, Jonathan Bowen, and John\\nBrick, Assembly. In 1778, Ephraim Harris, Council, Buck, Bowen,\\nand James Ewing, Assembly. In 1779, Buck, Council, Jas. Ewing,\\nJoel Fithian, and Timothy Elmer, Assembly. In 1780, Jonathan\\nElmer, Council, same members of Assembly. In 1781, Samuel\\nOgden, Council, Joshua Ewing, Joshua Brick, and Josiah Seeley,\\nAssembly. In 1782, Theophilus Elmer, Council, Joshua Ewing,\\nEphraim Harris, Speaker, Jonathan Bowen, Assembly. Theophilus\\nElmer was a member of the Council of Safety during most of the\\nEevolution.\\nThe following persons, residing in the county, have been mem-\\nbers of Congress\\nSenate.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 1789 to 1791, Jonathan Elmer; 1826 to 1827, when\\nhe died, Ephraim Bateman.\\nHouse.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 1776-7-81-82-83-87-88, Jonathan Elmer; 1801 to\\n1806, Ebenezer Elmer; 1815 to 1821, Ephraim Bateman; 1831 to\\n1835, Thomas Lee; 1813 to 1845, Lucius Q. C.Elmer; 1845 to\\n1849, James G. Hampton; 1859 to 1863, John T. Nixon.\\nThe Constitution, adopted in 1776, instead of requiring every\\nvoter to be worth fifty pounds of real and personal estate, required\\nonly that he should be an inhabitant of the State, of full age, and\\nworth fifty pounds clear estate. The word inhabitant was proba-\\nbly adopted instead of citizen, under the impression that as a new\\ngovernment was initiated it was proper to recognize ail the inhabit-\\nants as citizens thereof. Under this broad provision, females and\\ncolored persons were allowed to vote if worth the requisite sum,\\nand cases occurred when the voter presented himself or herself\\nwith fifty pounds, $133 33 in hand in cash. No married females\\nvoted, and few others. Very few colored persons were worth the\\nrequisite sum. In 1807 an act of the legislature was passed, re-", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0038.jp2"}, "39": {"fulltext": "GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS. 33\\nciting that doubts Lad been raised, and great diversities of practice\\nobtained throughout the State, in regard to the admission of aliens,\\nfemales and persons of color, or negroes, to vote in elections, and\\nalso in regard to the mode of ascertaining the qualifications of\\nvoters in respect to estate, to remedy which it was provided that\\nnone but free white male citizens of the State should vote, and that\\nevery person who should have paid a tax, and whose name was\\nenrolled on the tax list, should be adjudged to be worth fifty\\npounds. The late Dr. Lewis Condict, of Morristown, who recently\\ndied at a very advanced age, was at the time an active member of\\nthe Assembly, and had the credit of bringiug forward this measure,\\nwhich, however questionable as to its strict accordance with the\\nConstitution, met the views of a great majority of the people of all\\nparties, and continued the law until the adoption of the present\\nConstitution, which contained substantially the same provisions.\\nIt was, however, occasionally decided by officers of the election\\nthat the law was unconstitutional and void and it was under such\\na decision that at the contested election for the court-house, votes\\nof aliens were admitted in one or more of the townships, and the\\nsame thing was done at a subsequent county and congregational\\nelection, which, with other circumstances, brought on what was\\ncalled the broad seal war in 1837.\\nFrom 1809 to 1845 the polls were kept open two days, and the\\ntown meetings, which then and now fixed the place of holding the\\nelections, were accustomed, in the larger townships, to order that\\nthey should be held on the first day at one place, and on the second\\nat another, much to the convenience of the voters. It may indeed\\nbe doubted whether as many evils have not grown out of the change\\nas have been cured. No careful observer can have failed to per-\\nceive that the practice of bribing voters, by means of direct pay-\\nments of money, confined at first to a sufficient sum to defray the\\nvoter s expenses, but gradually enlarged until there are voters who\\nare known regularly to sell their votes to the highest bidder, has\\ngreatly increased. Forty years ago a candidate for office was ex-\\npected to remain quietly at home; now he would find favor with\\nvery few by such a course.\\nThe county business was transacted by a board consisting of two\\nfreeholders elected in each township, as provided for in an act\\npassed in 1714, and all the justices of the peace of the county, or\\nany three of them, one whereof being of the quorum. All the", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0039.jp2"}, "40": {"fulltext": "34\\nGOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.\\njustices for each county were generally included in one commission,\\nas is the practice in England, and one or more were designated as\\nof the quorum, without whose presence no business could be done.\\nIn case any town or precinct should neglect to elect freeholders,\\nthe justices were authorized to appoint them. The name precinct\\nappears to have been applied to neighborhoods, without definite\\nboundaries, not included within a defined township. The justices\\nwere appointed by the Governor and Council, until 1776, and held\\ntheir offices at their pleasure. A book containing the proceedings\\nof the freeholders and justices is still extant. The boards of free-\\nholders were incorporated and organized, as they now exist, in\\n1798.\\nThe following named persons have held the office of sheriff.\\nBefore the Revolution they were appointed by the Governor and\\nCouncil, to hold for three years or during the pleasure of the\\nGovernor; and since they have been elected yearly, but can only\\nhold the office three years in succession\\nAnanias Sayre,\\nappointed in\\n1747-8\\nWilliam Rose, elected\\n1810\\nSannu-1 Fithian,\\n1750-1\\nJohn Sibley,\\n1813\\nAnanias Sayre,\\n1754\\nDan. Simpkius,\\nu\\n1816\\nMaskell Ewing,\\n(t\\n1757\\nWilliam R. Fithian,\\n1819\\nSilas Newcornb,\\n1760\\nJohn Lanning, jr.,\\nu\\n1822\\nHowel Powell,\\nft\\n1763\\nRobert S. Buck,\\n1S25\\nTheophilus Elmer,\\nU\\n1766\\nJosiah Shaw,\\n(C\\n1828\\nThomas Maskell,\\n(i\\n1769\\nDaniel M. Woodruff,\\n1831\\nJonathan Elmer,\\n1772\\nCornelius Lupton,\\n1834\\nDavid Bowen,\\nK\\n1775\\nDavid Campbell,\\nK\\n1837\\nJoel Fithian,\\nelected\\n1776\\nLevi T. Davis,\\nIf\\n1839\\nWilliam Kelsay,\\nu\\n1779\\nHarris B. Mattison,\\n1842\\nDaniel Maskell,\\nK\\n1784\\nCornelius Lupton,\\n1844\\nJoseph Buck,\\n1787\\nStephen Murphy,\\n1845\\nDavid Potter,\\n(1\\n1790\\nTheophilus E. Harris,\\n(I\\n1848\\nReuben Burgin,\\n1793\\nJames Stiles,\\n1851\\nGeorge Burgin,\\n1796\\nNathaniel Stratton,\\n1854\\nJeremiah Bennett\\njr.,\\n1799\\nJonathan Fithian,\\n1S57\\nEnoch Burgin,\\n(c\\n1802\\nLewis H. Dowdney,\\n1860\\nTimothy Elmer,\\na\\n1805\\nCharles L. Watson,\\nU\\n1863\\nJohn Buck,\\n(l\\n1808\\nSamuel Peacock.\\n1866\\nThe first court-house and jail were small wooden buildings. In\\n1753 money was raised for building a jail, to be of brick, 34 by\\n24 feet, and also stocks and a pillory. In 1755 an account was\\nallowed for digging a dungeon and for stone. Much complaint was\\nmade of the insecurity of the jail, so that in 1757 a petition was", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0040.jp2"}, "41": {"fulltext": "GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS. 35\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0sent to the Chief Justice, urging him to solicit the Governor to\\nappoint a special oyer and terminer, the messenger being required\\nto go and return in five days. Jeremiah Buck was the messenger,\\nwho of course made the journey on horseback, and was paid for\\nsix days at five shillings per day.\\nIn 1759 it was agreed to build a new court-house of brick, two\\nstories, 34 by 24 feet, with a cupola; Ebenezer Miller, David Shep-\\npard, and Samuel Fithian, all north-siders, were the committee.\\nDuring the years 1760 and 61 this house was built, and stood in\\nthe middle of what is now Broad Street, opposite the dwelling-\\nhouse of the jail keeper, and continued to be used until 1846,\\nabout eighty-four years. The bell was purchased by subscription,\\nand for many years the house was used on Sundays and other\\ndays for religious meetings. Evening meetings continued to be\\nheld in it until but a few years before it was taken down. The\\njail yard was inclosed with the walls in 1765. In 1767 the town-\\nships of Greenwich and Stow Creek were authorized to have each\\na pair of stocks. In 1775 a fence was ordered to be put up at the\\nwest end of the court-house, and in 1777 one was ordered at the\\neast end, to prevent ball being played there. In 1790 the present\\njail was built on the site of the old one. About 1809 a market\\nhouse was built by private subscription, and by consent of the\\nfreeholders, at the west end of the court-house. It was never much\\nused, except on training or other public days. The pump in the\\nstreet was put there by private subscription, aided by a donation from\\nthe freeholders, the main purpose being to reach the lower springs,\\nwhich only, in that vicinity, furnish good water. A liberty pole\\nwas put up by the Democrats about 1802, near where the flag-staff\\nnow stands, which remained for many years, and was sometimes\\ndegraded to a whipping-post, when that punishment was in vogue. 1\\nUp to 1815 the clerks and surrogates kept their books and papers\\nwhere they happened to live, which was not always in Bridgeton.\\nIn that year the fire-proof offices on Commerce Street were erected,\\nbeing originally a low one-story building, more like a blacksmith\\nshop than public offices.\\nAbout the year 1830 there began to be a desire to have a better\\n1 Since this was written the old jail has been taken down. It stood a little\\nsouth of the existing brick sheriffs bouse and jail, ereoted in 1867. The Btreet\\nhas been newly graded, and the flagstaff and pump have disappeared.", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0041.jp2"}, "42": {"fulltext": "36 GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.\\ncourt-house; and in 1836 the lot on which it now stands was pur-\\nchased, there being then standing on it a large three-storied house,\\nbuilt and used for many years as a tavern, but, after 1810, occu-\\npied by Bev. Jonathan Freeman. This produced an agitation to\\nremove the county seat to Millville; and r in pursuance of a special\\nlaw, an election was held July 25 and 26, 1837, to determine. the\\nquestion. After a warm contest, the result was 1284 votes for\\nBridgeton, 1059 for Millville, and 214 for Fairton. When the\\nbattle began to wax warm, and especially when it was found that\\nthe jealousy of some persons in Fairton would induce them to\\nthrow away their votes on that place, the people of Bridgeton were\\nfrightened, and issued hand-bills to the purport that the expense\\nof a new building was useless, the old one being good enough.\\nThe result was a long contest in the Board of Freeholders, there\\nbeing eight townships, four of which voted steadily against a new\\nhouse, and the other four not only voted for a new house, but\\nagainst selling the lot lately purchased. In 1843, bv the efforts of\\ntwo or three individuals, a law was passed establishing a new\\ntownship at Shiloh, under the plea that it was a political manoeuvre,\\nand so skilfully was the matter managed, that the real object was\\nnot suspected until it was too late. When the Board of Freeholders\\nmet, five townships voted to build a new court-house, thus over-\\npowering the four who were opposed to it. Finding themselves\\nthus caught, the freeholders of the four eastern townships cordially\\nunited in building the present house, which was finished and first\\noccupied in 1845. The next year the fire-proof offices on Com-\\nmerce Street were raised and much improved. The existing fire-\\nproof record rooms in the rear were added in 1859. All disputes\\nabout the court-house and offices being thus happily ended, the\\ninhabitants of the other parts of the county no longer opposed new\\ntownships being created on both sides of the river, which were\\nfound important for the convenience of a rapidly growing town\\nThe new township at Shiloh, called Columbia, existed but one\\nyear.\\nThe persons of all descriptions inhabiting Cumberland County\\nwhen it was set off, did not number 3000. In 1745, there were\\nonly 6847 inhabitants in the bounds of Salem, as it then existed.\\nAn act of Assembly passed in 1752, affords some means of ascer-\\ntaining the relative positions of the two counties after the separa-\\ntion. Of the sum of fifteen hundred and thirty pounds required", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0042.jp2"}, "43": {"fulltext": "GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS.\\n37\\nfor the state tax, the sum of one hundred and six pounds was re-\\nquired to be raised by Salem, and a very little more than half as\\nmuch, namely, fifty-four pounds by Cumberland and this propor-\\ntion appears to have been substantially maintained until after the\\nRevolution. In 1782, of ninety thousand pounds State tax, Salem\\nwas required to raise three thousand and fifty-seven pounds, and\\nCumberland about one-third less, namely, two thousand and twenty-\\nfive pounds. This last proportion still continues. The State tax\\nof 1868 was 350,000 dollars, of which Salem raised 12,880 dollars,\\nand Cumberland 8079 dollars.\\nIt appears from the census of the two counties taken at different\\nperiods, that Cumberland has gained on Salem in population, but\\nnot in wealth.\\nCensus of Salem and Cumberland.\\n1790\\n1800\\n1810\\n1820\\n1830\\nCumberland\\n10,437\\n8,248\\n11,371\\n9,529\\n12,761\\n12,670\\n14,022\\n12,668\\n14,155\\n14,093\\n1840\\n1850\\nI860\\n1865\\n1869\\nestimated\\nCumberland\\n16,024\\n14,374\\n19,467\\n17,189\\n22,458\\n22,605\\n23,162\\n26,233\\n24,000\\n33,000", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0043.jp2"}, "44": {"fulltext": "3\u00c2\u00b0 BRILGETON.\\nCHAPTEE III.\\nBEIDGETON.\\nIn 1754, Daniel Elmer, who was a surveyor, and the oldest son\\nof Rev. Daniel Elmer, pastor of the Fairfield Presbyterian Church,\\nlaid out for Alexander Moore a town on the east side of the Co-\\nhansey, which it was proposed to call Cumberland. The streets\\nwere laid out at right angles, and the squares contained each 181\\nsquare perches. It extended from what is now Jefferson Street to\\na little north of the present iron works on the north, and from the\\nriver to about as far east as where Orange Street now is Some of\\nthe old title-deeds refer to this plan, but the streets were never\\nopened. Most of the site was then the original forest.\\nThe road to Deerfield was laid out in 1768, upon the old travel-\\nled track from the bridge to near the corner of the present Com-\\nmerce and Pearl Streets, thence northerly, a little south of where\\nPearl Street now is. In 1785, the road to Fairfield was changed\\nand laid out to begin at John Westcott s stone house\u00e2\u0080\u0094 then a low\\none-story stone house\u00e2\u0080\u0094 standing at the southeast corner of the pre-\\nsent Commerce and Pearl Streets, afterwards for years owned and\\noccupied by Mark Riley, the lot extending up to where Orange\\nStreet now is thence southward along the present Pearl Street\\nover the dam made by Col. Enos Seeley, and thence along what is\\nnow the left hand road to the brick-kiln corner, and thence south\\nalong the old road over Rocap s Run.\\nJohn Moore White having been licensed to practise law and\\nmarried, came to Bridgeton in 1791 and erected a handsome dwell-\\ning, now forming a part of the hotel at the corner of Commerce\\nand Laurel Streets. He procured the road to be changed and\\nto run as it does now, called Laurel Street. He laid out himself\\nand fenced some of the other streets to correspond. His lot in-\\nclosed with a handsome fence, and well improved with shade and\\nfruit trees, and an extensive, well laid-out garden, extended on\\nCommerce Street from the corner of Laurel to the present Water\\nStreet, and on Laurel Street from the corner to James Hood s line", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0044.jp2"}, "45": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETON 39\\nThe present livery stables were his barn and stables, the tide in the\\nriver flowing up to near the building. North of him it was an\\nopen woods, in which the laurel was so conspicuous as to give the\\nname Laurel Hill to the elevated ground still called by that name.\\nThe present Pearl Street was by him called Middle Street. Bank\\nwas called Freemason Street, and Washington was called Point\\nStreet. The road to Deerfield, after passing the first run north of\\nthe town, was very crooked. It was made straight in 1796 about\\nhalf way, and a few years later as the turnpike now runs. The\\nturnpike was made in 1852. The straight road to Fairton was\\nopened in 1799 that to Millville in 1805. In 1810, the road to\\nBuckshootem was laid. The turnpike was made to Millville in\\n1853.\\nThe road from Greenwich to Bridgeton, through Bowe ntown, was\\nin use by the early settlers. In 1769, it was regularly laid out as\\na four-rod road, and then passed the court-house, down the hill to\\nWater Street (now Atlantic), thence a straight course to the foot\\nof the bridge. The road, however, was a deep gully below the court-\\nhouse until about 1802, when George Burgin, a prominent citizen,\\nwho had built the stone storehouse at the corner of Broad and\\nAtlantic Streets, made the road passable for carriages, and caused\\nthe wharf it leads to to be erected. In 1800, the present Atlantic\\nStreet was laid as it now is but for several years the old road pass-\\ning in front of the Parvin House continued to be used by carriages,\\nand was the foot-path until that house was taken away in 1825.\\nThe road from the foot of the bridge up the hill, and thence along\\nwhat is now Franklin Street, was laid nearly as it now is in 1771.\\nFor many years, however, this road up the hill was a mere sandy\\ntrack, but little used. In 1825, the late Dr. Ephraim Buck, having\\nhad the office of overseer imposed on him, put it in good order, at\\nan expense much complained of by the tax-payers, but which soon\\nmade it the main thoroughfare of travel, and proved an excellent\\nimprovement. The old middle road down the hill, which was never\\nregularly laid out, was shut up in 1815. The straight road to Roads-\\ntown was, after several futile attempts, laid out and opened about\\n1798. Broad Street was formerly called Main Street. Until after\\nthe Revolution, Bridgeton was but an insignificant hamlet, having\\nnot more than from 150 to 200 inhabitants. The houses built up\\nto that time were in the neighborhood of the court-house, and on\\nVine and Main Streets, and on Commerce and Laurel Streets, south", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0045.jp2"}, "46": {"fulltext": "40 BRIDGETON.\\nof Commerce. The bridge had no draw, and was a subject of con-\\nsiderable contention. The Rev. Philip Fithian, then a tutor in Vir-\\nginia, visited the place in 1774. He records in his journal under the\\ndate of April 26, visited Nathan Leak (in Deerfield). He told me\\nthe beginning and continuation of the quarrel of the magistrates, free-\\nholders, and other officers, about raising money for repairing Cohan-\\nseyBridge. This quarrel grew out of a dispute about its location\\na strong party, headed by Col. Enos Seeley, owner of the property\\non the creek below Jefferson Street, being in favor of putting it\\nopposite Broad Street, while Alexander Moore and his friends in-\\nsisted upon retaining the old site. Nothing but indispensable\\nrepairs was done to the old bridge until after Mr. White took pos-\\nsession of his property. He was desirous of having a draw, so that\\nhe might \u00c2\u00abrect wharves above; and to induce the freeholders to\\nincur the necessary expense, agreed to defray the cost of the draw,\\nand keep it in good repair five years and he also deeded to trus-\\ntees a lot of land on the river, where the rolling and pipe-mills\\nnow are, to be used as a free public landing for wood and lumber.\\nThe lot was so used for many years, but becoming less and less\\nimportant to the community, Mr. White on the ground that the\\nconditions of his grant had not been complied with some twenty-\\nfive years ago took possession of it and sold it. The town is cer-\\ntainly far more benefited by its present use than it could be if held\\nfor its original purpose. From 1799 to 1801, the present stone\\nabutments were put up, and the bridge was built on piles, and\\nraised much higher than it had been, and at this time the dispute\\nabout its location was renewed, George Burgin being desirous of\\nhaving it placed opposite Broad Street* Old inhabitants speak of\\nthe tide having risen above the floor in former times. The draw\\nhas been several times altered. For many years it was raised up;\\nbut it was a constant source of trouble and expense. There not\\nhaving been any previous law authorizing this bridge, one was\\npassed in 1834. The existing structure was built in 1849. The\\nstreet on both sides of the bridge has been raised from five to eight\\nfeet.\\nAn actual enumeration of the inhabitants made in 1792, found\\nthat they numbered 300. About this time General Giles built the\\nNow, in 1869, arrangements have been made for building a bridge at Broad\\nStreet, so that soon, instead of only one, there will be three.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0046.jp2"}, "47": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETON. 41\\nhouse on Broad Street, now occupied by Rev. Dr. Jones, and shortly\\nafter this, several pretty good houses were erected. That occupied\\nby Mrs. Read was built by Ebenezer Miller; but it has been en-\\nlarged and much improved. All the houses occupied in 1748\\nhave long ago disappeared. Among the early business men of the\\ntown was Col. David Potter. His wharf and store-house were on\\nthe west side of the river, next below the Mason line. His dwell-\\ning a wooden structure at the northwest corner of Broad and\\nFranklin Streets was burned about the year 1780, and he then\\nbuilt the present brick dwelling and store at the same place. In\\nhis day, a considerable quantity of wheat, raised in Hopewell,\\nDeerfield, and Pittsgrove, was brought to this place and exported\\nto Philadelphia, and the Brandy wine Mills. He died in 1805.\\nNext after him were Seeley and Merseilles, who had a store near\\nthe southeast corner of the bridge. Merseilles built the store-house\\nat the southeast corner of Commerce and Laurel Streets. He also\\nbuilt a good dwelling-house opposite, now a part of Grosscup s\\nbuilding. The town being at the head of navigation, a considera-\\nble business in carrying wood and lumber to Philadelphia grew up;\\nbut up to the beginning of the present century not more than three\\nor four vessels were owned in the place, nor did the stores fairly\\ncompete with those at Greenwich. In 1780, a letter-of-marque\\nschooner, called Gov. Livingston, was built on the Cohansey, at the\\nplace now occupied as a lumber yard by Messrs. Mulford, which\\nmade one successful trip. Upon her return from her second voy-\\nage, with a valuable cargo, she was captured near the Delaware by\\na British frigate.\\nThe sons of Col. Potter first kept the store at the southwest cor-\\nner of Commerce and Laurel Streets. The most influential citizens\\nin 1800 were Dr. Jonathan Elmer, Col. Potter, Ebenezer Seeley,\\nJonathan Bowen, Dr. Samuel M. Shute, James Burch, Zachariah\\nLawrence, Enoch Boon, John Moore White, and Gen. Giles.\\nEbenezer Elmer, who had been previously in practice as a physi-\\ncian, and was a prominent public man, moved on to a farm at Bow-\\ntown in 1795, from whence he returned in 1807. Col. Enos Seeley\\nhad become disabled by disease, and Judge Ephraim Seeley, son\\nof Col. Ephraim, died in 1799, soon after finishing his house at the\\ncorner of Commerce and Bank Streets.\\nWe have no means of knowing what was the precise number of\\ninhabitants at this epoch, but they may be estimated to have been", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0047.jp2"}, "48": {"fulltext": "42 BRIDGETON.\\nabout four hundred. Nearly every house then existing can be\\nidentified. On the east side was the old Seeley mansion at the mill,\\nnow gone a house on Commerce Street nearly opposite the\\nMethodist meeting-house, built by Mr. Fauver, on a lot at the south-\\neast corner of John Moore White s property the house at the\\ncorner of Commerce and Bank Streets, built by Ephraim Seeley;\\nthe academy on Bank Street, having, as now, the Masonic lodge in\\nthe upper story, and the house on the north side of Irving, front-\\ning Bank, then owned by Ebenezer Seeley a house on the south\\nside of Irving, west of Bank Street; the old stone house at the\\nsoutheast corner of Commerce and Pearl Streets, long owned by\\nMark Riley; five houses on Pearl, south of Commerce; house near\\nthe saw-mill, then owned by Col. Enos Seeley, long known as the\\nhouse of Widow Jay; the house of his son, David Seeley, now Mrs.\\nBuck s, fronting on Laurel; the old Boyd mansion opposite; five\\nhouses on the east side of Laurel, south of Commerce one stone\\nhouse on the west side; store-houses at the south corners of Com-\\nmerce and Laurel Streets a house and a shoemaker-shop a little\\nwest of it, built by James Burch, on the south side of Commerce\\nStreet (now James Potter s) a store-house near the southeast corner\\nof the bridge the old mansion of Alexander Moore, then a tavern,\\nand two houses near thereto; White s mansion house, now the hotel\\nthe house of Eden M. Merseilles, now a part of Grosscup s build-\\ning; a house east of this built by Reuben Burgin; a blacksmith-\\nshop at the corner of Commerce and Pearl a house on the east side\\nof Pearl Street, now S. W. Seeley s; a house where the brick Pres-\\nbyterian church stands; one nearly opposite owned by James Hood,\\na Scotchman, then following his business of making wrought nails,\\nand his shop; a blacksmith-shop on Washington Street near the\\ncorner of Laurel the stone house on the side of Laurel, nearly\\nopposite Irving Street; two small houses near thereto; three houses\\nabove on the same street, and a store-house at the northeast corner\\nof Laurel and Irving.\\nOn the west side were the old Parvin House near the foot of the\\nbridge and a stone house north of it, on Commerce Street, the old\\nCotting House, then Enoch Boon s; four other houses on Atlantic\\nStreet; a house on Broad Street below the jail three houses on the\\nnorth side of Broad near the court-house, one of which was then\\noccupied as a tavern; two houses on the west side of Franklin\\nStreet; Col. Potter s house and store at the corner of Broad and\\nFranklin; two or three houses between that and Giles Street; the", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0048.jp2"}, "49": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETON. 43\\nmansion of Gen. Giles two or three bouses above on the same side;\\nsix or seven houses on the south side of Broad Street three houses\\non the west side of Fayette Street; a large three-storied house\\nwhere the court-house now stands, long occupied as a tavern, and\\nfive or six houses on Vine Street; a one-story school house where\\nthe public school now is, and the old brick Presbyterian church.\\nThe court-house stood in the middle of Broad Street. The only\\nwharves at this time were a small one just below the bridge on the\\nwest side, another of better construction lower down on the same\\nside, belonging to Col. Potter, and one on the east side constructed\\nby Seeley Marseilles, about twenty rods below the bridge, with\\nthe remains of the old Smith Wharf on the property now Mrs.\\nBuck s. The wharves above the bridge were not built until after\\nthe draw was made, so that masted vessels could pass through.\\nAmong the first were those of Laurel Hill, now disused. Goose\\nHill above got its name from the circumstance that the owner of\\nthe farm opposite accused Abraham Say re, who lived at the\\nnorthern end of the town, of plucking the feathers from some of\\nhis geese, and shortly afterwards some of his pigs happening to go\\nastray, he set up advertisements offering a reward for them, and\\nhoping that Squire Sayre had not mistaken them for geese and\\npulled off the hair. This brought on a suit for libel, about 1810.\\nThe suit was settled by an arbitration; but the name Goose Hill\\nbecame the popular usage.\\nAbout the year 1800, Levi Leake, of Deerfield, brother of the\\neminent lawyer Samuel Leake, and a warm Federalist, commenced\\nbuilding a new house on a lot he owned near where the pipe-mill\\nstands. Before it was finished, Mr. Jefferson was elected President,\\nwhich so displeased him that he made a vow that he would not\\ncomplete the building until the Federalists came again into power.\\nAs this never happened, the building remained near twenty years\\nunoccupied, until on his death it was sold and removed, standing\\nnow on the north side of Laurel Street, near to the corner of Wash-\\nington.\\nThe following houses have at different times been occupied as\\ntaverns A house on the west side of Laurel Street above Irving^\\nwhich was burnt in 1826 the hotel, the old Moore mansion, the\\nold Parvin House, the double stone house on the west side of At-\\nlantic Street, the house opposite the jail, the Cohansey Hotel, a\\nlarge house standing on the present site of the court-house, the", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0049.jp2"}, "50": {"fulltext": "44 BRIDGETON.\\nhouse of Dr. Hampton, on Vine Street, and the house at the south-\\nwest corner of Broad and Giles Streets.\\nThe number of families in 1829 was found to be 342, and the\\npopulation 1736. Just previous to this the east side of the river\\nbegan to outnumber the other side. There were then four taverns\\nand ten stores. Twenty-five vessels belonging to the place were\\nemployed principally in the wood trade, besides several oyster\\nboats. Upwards of 25,000 cords of wood were sent annually to\\nPhiladelphia.\\nIn 1838, the number of inhabitants was found to be 2315, of\\nwhom 1513 were on the east side and 802 on the west. The\\ngrowth during the preceding ten years had been almost exclusively\\non the east side. There were still four taverns and about twelve\\nstores. At this time the streets were named as they are now\\nknown. The streets siuce opened are Orange, Pine, Walnut,\\nChurch, Cedar, and Elmer Streets on the east side, and Academy,\\nOak, and Hampton Streets on the west side. In 1850 the popula-\\ntion of the town was 3303. In 1860 it had increased to fully 5000,\\nwhich may be considered as the present population. Two taverns\\nare now found sufficient instead of the four maintained when there\\nwere not half so many inhabitants.\\nThe journal of a young lady who visited Bridgeton in 1786,\\nbefore mentioned, gives the name of the place Cohansey, and it is\\nto be regretted that this old Indian name was not adopted as the\\nname of this town, instead of being only the name of one of the\\ntownships (and since dropped entirely), containing hardly one\\nthird of the inhabitants. She mentions leaving Cooper s ferry\\n(Carndeu) about 12 o clock, part of the company in Mr. Potter s\\nfamily wagon, Mr. Moore and I in his carriage, the latter being the\\nold-fashioned one horse chaise, then lately introduced. They\\ntravelled through Gloucester, Woodbury, Greenwich, now Clarks-\\nboro, to the Pine Tavern, where they passed the night. This was\\na well-known wayside inn, now disused, about four miles beyond\\nthe Pole Tavern, which was also a noted house of entertainment\\nbefore the Re volution. It was cold, and she complained of the\\nscanty clothing on the beds, and that the windows were not glazed,\\nand had no shutters, only boards nailed up, and these an inch\\napart. They left at 6 A. M. and called at Dr. Harris in Pitts-\\ngrove, who married a daughter of Alexander Moore, some of whose\\ndescendants are still living. She records frequent visits to Moore", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0050.jp2"}, "51": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETON. 45\\nHall. On Sunday went to church at New England Town. The\\nnext Sunday Mr. Grier preached in the court-house; visited Mrs.\\nBoyd, mother of the then wife of Colonel Potter, where she was\\nstaying. We strolled about in her garden; it is situated along\\nthe creek, and is really beautiful. Well might a poet sit under\\nthe rural willows and contemplate the beauties of nature and art.\\nThere were many beautiful flowers. Three sloops came up whilst\\nwe stood there, and cast anchor. This dwelling and garden have\\nlong since disappeared. It was one of the old time mansions,\\nwhich the writer remembers to have seen more than fifty years ago\\ndilapidated and empty. It was just above where the new bridge\\nfrom Broad Street is to cross. Mrs. Boyd was one of those excel-\\nlent Christian women whose memory deserves to be perpetuated.\\nHer husband, from the north of Ireland, came over to this country\\nabout the year 1772, leaving his wife and three children in their\\nnative home. After following the occupation of a peddler for a short\\ntime, he succeeded in commencing a store at Cohansey Bridge, and\\nthen sent for his wife and children. They left Ireland in the fall\\nof 1773, but on their arrival, found that Mr. Boyd had recently\\ndied. The widow took upon herself the charge of her husband s\\nstore, and aided by an excellent clerk, James Ewing, the father of\\nthe late Chief Justice Ewing, whose mother was her eldest daughter,\\nshe succeeded in maintaining her family in comfort. Her only\\nson, at the time of his father s death about six years old, was a\\npromising young man, but having entered into business in Phila-\\ndelphia, died of the yellow fever in 1795. The youngest daughter\\nbecame the second wife of Colonel Potter, with whom her mother\\nresided for some years before her death, ending her days in 1812\\nat the good old age of 80 years. The margin of the creek, on the\\neast side, with the exception of the wharf near the bridge, and that\\nof Seeley Merseilles lower down, was a low meadow until within\\nthe last twenty years.\\nBefore the Revolution very few covered carriages were in use.\\nTravelling by men was almost exclusively on horseback, the women\\nriding on side-saddles, and frequently behind their male friends on\\npillions. Sleighs and sleds were used in winter, before carriages\\nwere common. Philip Fithian, whose journal has been referred to,\\ntravelled to Virginia on horseback in 1773, crossing the ferry from\\nElsinborough to Port Penn, Delaware, which was then much in use,\\nbut has beenlono; discontinued. Dr. Jonathan Elmer travelled the", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0051.jp2"}, "52": {"fulltext": "46 BRIDGETON.\\nsame route to take his seat in Congress at Baltimore, in November,\\n1776, returning in February by way of Philadelphia, not being\\nthen able to cross the river lower down in consequence of the ice.\\nA memorandum of his expenses still remains, from which the\\nfollowing items are extracted\\n1776.\\nDec.\\n27,\\nPaid J. Housman,\\n12s.\\n6d.\\nDec.\\n29,\\nat Rogers\\n6s.\\nOrf.\\nat Port Perm,\\n3\\n3\\nat Bushtown,\\n2\\n6\\nat Aiken s,\\n3\\nat Buck s,\\n9\\n(i\\n28\\nat Boid s,\\nat Charlestown,\\nat Stevenson s,\\n6\\n6\\n1\\n6\\n6\\n9\\nat Rush s, (Bait.),\\n1\\n9\\n1777.\\nFeb.\\n15\\nfor keeping horse\\nin the country\\nDec.\\n18\\n20\\nat Marcus Hook,\\nat Indian Queen,\\n3s.\\n.hi\\nfive weeks, \u00c2\u00a31\\n17s.\\n6d.\\n(Phila.)\\n10\\nK\\n17,\\nRodger s ferry,\\n12\\ntj\\nat Sally Westeott s,\\n2\\n6\\nat Stevenson s,\\n1\\n6\\nat Cooper s ferry,\\n3\\nat Bird s,\\n3\\n2\\nat Haddonfield,\\n3\\n6\\nat Christeen,\\n5\\nat Eldridge s,\\n4\\n5\\n(C\\n18\\nat Newport,\\nat Wilmington,\\n6\\n4\\n3\\n3\\nat Pine Tavern,\\n2\\n6\\nThe Charlestown above mentioned was in Cecil County, Mary-\\nland; Kodger s ferry was over the Susquehanna; Eldridge s is be-\\nlieved to be the old death of the Fox Tavern in Gloucester County,\\nnear where Clarksboro now is. The currency was the proclama-\\ntion money at seven and sixpence the dollar.\\nAnother memorandum details the expenses of a horseback\\njourney from Bridgeton to Morristown, the head-quarters of the\\nAmerican army, which he visited as one of the committee of\\nCongress on Hospitals. It commenced March 12, 1777, the first\\nitem being at Champney s 2s. This was at the Pole Tavern, then\\nkept by the Widow Champney, mother of Dr. Champney; then\\ncomes Pine Tavern and Eldridge s 13th was spent in Philadel-\\nphia 14th and 15th visit to Haddonfield, where some of our troops\\nthen were; 16th to Burlington; 17th at Eocky Hill (near Prince-\\nton), 18th at Col. Potter s quarters (he then had the command of a\\nregiment of militia); 20th and 21st at Baskenridge and Morris-\\ntown, 22d to Trenton, and then to Philadelphia, which he left on\\nthe 31st, and home by Eldridge s, Pine Tavern, and Widow Champ-\\nney s. The total expense of the trip was \u00c2\u00a37 10s., or nearly $20.\\nIn April it is noted, paid Tybout for a hat (no doubt a beaver)", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0052.jp2"}, "53": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETON. 47\\n\u00c2\u00a33 5.s., or $3.66. Such a hat of good quality lasted on careful\\nheads five or six, and even ten years.\\nThe land titles in Bridgeton are held under four different sur-\\nveys. A tract called the eleven thousand acre survey was located\\nfor the West Jersey Society in 1686, but was not then recorded.\\nIn 1716 this tract was resurveyed. It begins at a pine tree on the\\nnortheast side of the Cohansey, about two miles below the bridge\\nruns from thence east about two miles; then north, then west to\\nthe Cohansey, some two miles above the bridge, and then down\\nthe river to the beginning. Jeremiah Basse was for some time the\\nagent of this Society, and seems to have had, or claimed to have,\\nsome right to the property; but the right of his heirs and devisees\\nwas released to Alexander Moore, including the old Hancock mill\\nand adjoining property.\\nOne of the London proprietors of West Jersey was named John\\nBridges. The Rev. Thomas Bridges graduated at Harvard in\\n1675, then went to England, and returned in 1682 with testimo-\\nnials from Owen and other eminent dissenting ministers. He was\\nfor a time a merchant, but after he became a preacher went to the\\nWest Indies. He was probably a son or near relative of John\\nBridges. He came to Cohansey, and preached in the old Fairfield\\nchurch. In 1697 Thomas Revel made a deed to him reciting,\\nWhereas the Honorable West Jersey Society in England have,\\nupon the consideration mentioned in their letter to Thomas\\nBridges, dated July 19, 1692, therein and thereby given, or pro-\\nposed to give, to the said Thomas Bridges, in fee forever, 1000\\nacres of land of and belonging to the said Society within the said\\nprovince of West Jersey, in what situation he should please to\\ntake up the same, and that said Revel being seized of 4000 acres\\nby virtue of a deed from Jeremiah Basse, agent of said Society, he\\ntherefore conveys to him 1000 acres. By virtue of this deed a\\nsurvey was at the same date made by Joshua Barkstead for\\nBridges, beginning at a pine tree standing on the north side of\\nMill Creek, about half way between the saw-mill and then going\\nover across the run to the Indian Fields (which was a little above\\nthe present road to Milville); thence north 336 perches to a corner\\ntree. The side lines run east and west, and the tract was surveyed\\nfor 1050 acres, of which 50 acres were for one Collett, to be held\\nin common with Bridges, and he to have a proportional share of\\nthe Indian Fields. This tract was afterwards known as the Indian", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0053.jp2"}, "54": {"fulltext": "48 BRIDGETON.\\nFields tract, and was the first settled in the neighborhood, the titles\\nbeing held under Bridges. The beginning corner was back of the\\nCommerce Street Methodist meeting-house, the only part of the\\nnorth line now marked being the fence between the graveyard and\\nthe parsonage lot, and it runs thence so as to strike the house\\nfronting Bank Street, west of the railroad, and thence (it is sup-\\nposed) to the tree so well known as the umbrella or sunset tree.\\nCol. Ephraim Seeley for many years owned the land east of this\\nline, up to Irving Street he devised it to his son Ephraim, from\\nwhom it descended to his children. Upon the division of the\\nlatter property in 1800, this line, which in 1697 was run due north,\\nwas run N. 4\u00c2\u00a7 W.; and in 1848 it was run N. 2| W., thus showing\\nthe variation of the compass, as practically used, between those\\ndates. Bridges had also a survey made for him on the Cohansey,\\nbounding on Fuller Creek, since called Rocap s Bun. This survey\\ncalls also for the line of the township of Pamphylia. Such a town-\\nship was never formed, but it is probable there was a fulling-mill\\non the run, such a mill being almost as indispensable for the new\\nsettlement as a saw -mill.\\nBridges Indian Field tract appears to have been subdivided for\\nhim into tracts of fifty acres, which he sold out as purchasers and\\nsettlers offered. One William Dare, described as of Cohansey, in\\nthe county of Salem, who probably came into this region with the\\nFairfield people, had located a tract of 100 acres of cedar swamp\\non Lebanon, as early as March, 1695-6. About 1700 he became\\nthe owner of two fifty-acre tracts, as set off by Bridges, comprising\\na part of the farm northeast of Elmer s mill-pond,- recently occu-\\npied by David Dare, one of his lineal descendants, who died April,\\n1863. About 1753 William Dare, son of the William first above\\nnamed, and Col. Ephraim Seeley, purchased of the agent of the West\\nJersey Society several hundred acres lying south of Bridge s tract,\\nand east of the tract sold to Moore. Most of the Indian Field set-\\ntlers, who were the first in the eastern part of Bridgeton, were from\\nFairfield. Among them, besides Dare, were Riley and Loomis\\nor Lummis, as the name has been since written and Hood.\\nHobert Hood s tract was a part of the Society land, purchased by\\nhim at an early date.\\nIn 1752 Alexander Moore, of Cohansey Bridge, purchased of\\nthe agents of the West Jersey Society 990 acres, part of their\\n11,000 acre tract. This purchase begins on the Cohansey, a little", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0054.jp2"}, "55": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETON. 49\\nabove Pamphylia Spring, and runs several courses to Bridges\\nIndian Fields tract, striking it a little east of the beginning corner,\\nthence along said tract, and several courses north of it to the\\nCohansey, something more than a mile above the town. By\\nmeans of this deed, and of a release from one Pigeon, a claimant\\nunder Basse, of the tract connected with the Hancock mill, he\\nbecame the owner of all that part of East Bridgeton lying west of\\nBridges line. That line was probably so run in consequence of\\nthe mill tract being held by Hancock. Moore was of Irish de-\\nscent, and was the first person who transacted much business at\\nCohansey Bridge. His grandson, the late Judge John Moore\\nWhite, thought he came here about 1730, and married into the\\nReeve family. He accumulated a very handsome estate, built\\nhimself a good house near his store, on the north side of Commerce\\nStreet, near the corner of Water, in which a tavern was kept for\\nmany years after his death, and which was removed to make room\\nfor the present brick building about 1830. He died at a good old\\nage in 1786, on the farm now attached to the poor-house, where\\nhe, and his son after him, had an establishment known as Moore\\nHall. At his death there was a protracted lawsuit about the pro-\\nbate of his will. It appears by the depositions on file, that he had\\nbeen paid by several of his debtors in depreciated continental\\nmoney, when it was a legal tender, and he used to carry about him,\\nand very frequently show to others, what he called his rogues list\\nof these debtors. The will, however, was confirmed. He devised\\nhis Bridgeton and much other property to his three grandsons,\\nthe three children of his daughter, a beautiful woman, who mar-\\nried an Englishman, a merchant in Philadelphia, named John\\nWhite, who, during the Revolutionary W T ar, was aid to Gen. Sulli-\\nvan, and was killed in the attack on Chew s house in Germantown.\\nMrs. White died in 1770, leaving an infant, and lies buried witli\\nher father and mother in the graveyard at Greenwich. John\\nMoore White, her youngest child, became of age in 1791, just pre-\\nvious to which time the laud, except that in Bridgeton, was divided\\nbetween the three brothers, by order of the Orphans Court. In\\nthe course of a few years the two elder brothers, Alexander and\\nWilliam, died without issue, so that the Bridgeton property be-\\ncame vested in John. All of the tract within the limits of the\\ntown, lying south of Commerce Street, appears to have been sold\\nby Alexander Moore in his lifetime, or released to persons who", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0055.jp2"}, "56": {"fulltext": "50 BKIDGETON.\\nclaimed it; but all the land north of that street became the pro-\\nperty of John Moore White, who commenced selling lots in 1792,\\nand in 1810 conveyed all the unsold residue to William Potter\\nand Jeremiah Buck.\\nThe titles west of the Cohansey, are held under three different\\nsurveys. The first was made for Eobert Hutchinson, May 27th,\\n1786, for 950 acres. The north line of this tract cornered at a\\nwhite oak on the Cohansey, marked H, standing in the hollow near\\nthe river, above the place of going over to Eichard Hancock s mill.\\nAbove this was a survey made for Cornelius Mason, in 1689, for\\n5000 acres. As originally described it began at the bound tree of\\nEobert Hutchinson, standing in a valley by the west-northwest\\nside of the north branch of the river Cohanzick, thence up the\\nriver, to a white oak tree standing upon a hill near the branch in\\nan Indian old field, thence W. N. W. 800 perches. Mason, who\\nwas a London trader, called this tract Winchcomb manor, after\\na manor of that name he owned in England. The original survey\\nwas taken to England and never recorded until 1764. The farm\\nlying above Muddy Branch, as the stream, now a pond, just above\\nthe iron works was formerly called, appears to have been partially\\ncleared by the Indians, who had a burial place on it, since called\\nCoffin Point. As early as 1697 one John Garrison settled and\\nbuilt a house on it, and about 1715 built a house of cedar logs,\\nnear the bridge, in which Benjamin Seeley lived. About 1734\\nSilas Parvin purchased the land of Garrison south of Muddy\\nBranch, and in 1741 that lying north of the branch. But Parvin s\\nright to the property was disputed by Mason, and about 1741 suits\\nwere commenced which were in some way compromised. After\\nthis the persons claiming to be Mason s heirs conveyed the whole\\ntract to Israel Pemberton, a friend, residing in Philadelphia, and\\nhe commenced suits. In the progress of the controversy the land\\nwas resurveyed, and a jury of view settled the corner to be twenty\\nperches south of the bridge, where it has been ever since held to\\nbe. The south line runs thence through at the middle of Oak\\nStreet, and a little south of the academy. It was supposed for a\\ntime that the Hutchinson survey cornered at the same place, and\\nCotting took a conveyance for a considerable tract under that title\\nin 1739. It was, however, ascertained that the true corner of the\\nHutchinson survey was at the place formerly called the shipyard,\\nnow the lumber yard of Messrs. Mulford. This left a considerable", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0056.jp2"}, "57": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETON. 51\\ntract of land between the two surveys unclaimed, which Ebenezer\\nMiller, a deputy surveyor, residing in Greenwich, and a Friend,\\nin 1749 covered with a survey containing 427 acres, under whom\\nthe titles of the land, from Oak Street on the north to a consider-\\nable distance south of Vine Street are held.\\nSilas Parvin laid a survey of 20 acres on the land where his\\nhouse stood and dying in 1779, his son Clarence remained in\\npossession of the house, and set up a claim to all the land between\\nMuddy Branch and the Mason line, a part of which he transferred\\nto Dr. Jonathan Elmer. During the war of the Revolution, Pember-\\nton, being ranked as a Tory, took no steps to vindicate his title\\nbut in 1783 he commenced an ejectment against Parvin, which\\ndoes not appear to have been tried. In 1788 Parvin died insol-\\nvent, and shortly afterwards Parvin died and his heir proving\\ninsolvent, his property was sold by the sheriff, and purchased b}*\\nJonathan Bowen, who released to Dr. Elmer the part lying west\\nof Franklin Street, and these persons, or those claiming under\\nthem, have ever since been in possession of the property, now of\\ngreat value. It is probable that the Parvin title was also sold\\nby the sheriff, but no deed is on record, or now known to exist.\\nJonathan Bowen conveyed a part of the property, including the\\nold Parvin house, to his son Smith in 1790, and, dying in 1804,\\ndevised the remainder retained by him. including the sites of the\\niron works and grist-mill, to his said son and to his grandchildren.\\nIt is probable that Ebenezer Miller laid out Broad Street its\\npresent width of 100 feet, like the Main street of Greenwich, but\\nthere is no record of either. No law having for a long time\\nexisted authorizing streets so wide, the overseers declined to keep\\nthem in order, and hence a section was inserted in the general\\nroad act, declaring these two streets to be lawful highways. Com-\\nmerce Street, above Franklin, was not opened until about 1805,\\nwhen Dr. Elmer opened it. Since, it has been regularly laid out. An\\nold plan, which was never carried out, proposed to lay out that\\npart of the town west of the river into regular squares.\\nThe first notice of a stage to Philadelphia that has been disco-\\nvered, occurs in the journal of Mr. Fithian, April 22, 1774 he re-\\ncords: Rode to the stage early^or the papers. His father, at\\nwhose house he was then on a visit, lived in Greenwich, near to\\nSheppard s mill. It is supposed the stage stopped at Roadstown.\\nMay 2, he records: Very early I rode over to Mr. Hollinshead a", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0057.jp2"}, "58": {"fulltext": "52 BRIDGETON.\\n(he was the minister at New England Town, and then lived on\\nthe parsonage in Sayre s Neck) at Miss Pratt s request, to carry\\nher to Mr. Hoshel s, to be ready to-morrow morning for the stage.\\nDined at Mrs. Boyd s (Bridgeton), and after dinner we rode to Mr.\\nHoshel s. 3d, I conducted Miss Pratt to the stage this morning by\\n5 o clock.\\nA* letter from Martha Boyd, afterwards Mrs. Ewing, to her\\nmother, dated Allentown, March 16, 1778, says: We left Mr.\\nHoshel s at 12 o clock night; we had eight passengers, middling\\nclever, and arrived at Cooper s ferry at 8 o clock in the afternoon.\\nThe next morning at nine o clock, set sail in the stage boat for\\nBordentown where we arrived at noon.\\nMr. Hoshel lived in Upper Hopewell, not far from the Salem\\nCounty line, and probably kept a tavern, and was the proprietor of\\nthe stage. During or not long after the Revolution, this or some\\nother stage line was started from Bridgeton, making two trips a\\nweek, at first by the way of Roadstown, but afterwards one trip on\\nthat route, and one by the way of Deerfield and so it continued to\\ngo until about the year 1806, when it went up one day and down\\nthe next. In 1809, when Mr. White s house was changed to a\\nhotel, a stage was started from there to run up and down on the\\nalternate days, and to go through in a shorter time. The two\\nlines were afterwards consolidated, and there has always since been,\\nuntil the opening of the railway, a daily stage both ways between\\nthis place and Philadelphia. For many years the time for starting\\nwas at sunrise.\\nUntil after the establishment of the federal government, all the\\ncorrespondence in this part of the State had to depend upon private\\nconveyances. There was indeed before this time no post-route in\\nNew Jersey, except the main road between Philadelphia and New\\nYork. In 1792, while Jonathan Elmer was senator, a post-route\\nwas established from Philadelphia to Salem, and thence to Bridge-\\ntown. Between the latter places the mail was carried once a week,\\non horseback or in a sulky, for ten years, the post-office being\\nkept by John Soulard, at his house on Broad, near the corner of\\nFayette Street. In 1802, after Ebenezer Elmer became a member\\nof Congress, a mail-route was established from Woodbury to\\nBridgeton, Millville, Port ElSabeth and Cape May. The first\\ncarriers, beginning in 1804, were Benaiah Parvin and son, who\\nkept a tavern in the old mansion house of Alexander Moore.\\nJames Burch, who built and owned the house opposite, now James", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0058.jp2"}, "59": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETON 53\\nB. Potter s, was the postmaster; and it is remembered that the letters\\nwere kept in the front parlor and handed from the window, then\\nso high above the walk as to be barely reached by the raised hand.\\nThe mail was carried on Monday by way of Roadstown, and re-\\nturned on Wednesday by the same route. On Thursday it was\\ncarried by way of Deerfield, returning on Saturday the same way.\\nA daily mail commenced about 1816. The postmaster who suc-\\nceeded James Burch was Abijah Harris, who lived nearly opposite.\\nAfter him, Stephen Lupton kept the offiee in his shoemaker shop,\\non the north side of Washington Street, about half way between\\nLaurel and Pearl. About 1818 he resigned, and was succeeded by\\nCurtis Ogden, who held the office longer than any other incumbent,\\nkeeping it in his tailor shop, south side of Commerce Street, about\\nwhere Brewster s store now is. Jeremiah Lupton superseded him\\nin 1842, then Daniel B. Thompson from 1845 to 1850, then S. P.\\nKirkbride until 1854, then Henry Sheppard until 1861, when Geo.\\nW. Johnson, the present incumbent, was appointed.\\nA steamboat company was incorporated in 1845, and a fine\\nsteamboat, called the Cohansey, ran regularly to Philadelphia; but\\nthe length of the water route, about bO miles, made it difficult for\\na dajr boat to compete with the route by way of Salem, partly by\\nstage and partly by boat, and with the regular daily stages, and it\\nwas soon found that the enterprise must be abandoned. The boat\\nwas therefore sold, and after running a year or two by private\\nparties, was withdrawn. Anight boat, which ran for two or three\\nyears recently, was more successful.\\nThe West Jersey Eailroad Company was incorporated in 1853,\\nand contemplated a road from Camden to Cape May but owing\\nto financial and other difficulties, it was at first completed and put\\nin operation only to Woodbury. But in 1859 the road from Glass-\\nboro to Millville was made, and the impetus thus given to the\\noriginal West Jersey Company, brought about the completion of\\ntheir road from Woodbury to Bridgeton, which was opened in\\nJuly, 1861. The terminus of this road, it is supposed, will always\\nremain at Bridgeton, and the original design of connecting Phila-\\ndelphia with Cape May will be carried out by extending the road\\nto the latter place from Millville, now nearly complete.\\nA gas company was incorporated, and succeeded in completing\\nthe present works in November, 1858. Soon after this, the town-\\nship committees of the townships of Bridgeton and Cohansey were\\n5", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0059.jp2"}, "60": {"fulltext": "54 BRIDGETON.\\nconstituted a joint board, with power to raise c for\\nlighting the streets, which is now done, ai power to\\ngrade and regulate the streets. A grai. ^oordingly been\\nadopted, in accordance with which Comn. ,-oe Street, west of the\\nbridge, and other streets in Cohansey were graded in 1861, at ai\\nexpense which has been much complained of, as was the fii\\nat this kind of improvement, made by Dr. Bik- 1\\ntury sooner.\\nIn the year 1814 Messrs. James L ^rt Elizabeth,\\nand Ebenezer Seeley, of Bridgeton, nad purchased from\\nAbraham Sayre, Esq., the land lying on the east side of the main\\nstream of the Cohansey, joined with Smith Bowen, who owned the\\nproperty on the west side of the stream, in erecting the dam, thus\\nforming the water power still in use. Bowen sold his half of the\\nwater power to Benjamin Beeves and David Eeeves of Camden,\\nwho commenced the erection of the iron works the same year, and\\ncommenced making nails in 1815. They were cut for many years\\nof the best Swedish iron, across the grain of the metal. The\\nwriter remembers to have seen, in the year 1805, the first machine\\nfor cutting and heading nails at one operation ever invented. Tf\\nwas on Crosswicks Creek, in Burlington County, and wa\u00c2\u00b0\\ntively very complicated. The patent having been obtai\\nMessrs. Eeeves, was soon very much simplified.\\nAt first the nails sold for from 10 to 15 cents per pound, now\\nthey sell for 3| cents. Very soon the Cumberland nails obtained\\na preference in the market, which has never been lost. In 1824 a\\nfire having consumed the building first erected, the works were\\nrebuilt and enlarged and the whole establishment greatly im-\\nproved. Seeley and Lee not having the capital to use their half\\nof the water power to advantage, were obliged to reconvey it to\\nMr. Sayre. He erected a flour mill on the east side opposite Coffin\\nPoint, which was used as a grist-mill for a few years, but on his\\ndeath in 1820 the mill and water power were purchased by Messrs.\\nEeeves, who then became the owners of the whole water power.\\nThe grist-mill was taken down and removed to the works on the\\nwest side, where after a few years it was burned up.\\nThe rolling-mill operated by steam on the east side of the creek\\nwas erected in 1847 and in 1853 the building used for manufac-\\nturing gas pipe was put up. About the year 1843 a great change\\nwas made in the mode of cutting the nails, by means of which a", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0060.jp2"}, "61": {"fulltext": "BRIPGETON. 55\\nmuch superior nail can be made from inferior iron. The iron is\\nrolled in sheets 12 or 15 inches wide, which are then slit into strips\\nof a width, corresponding with the length of the nail to be pro-\\nduced. Then the nails are cut lengthwise of the grain of the\\nmetal instead of crosswise as before. This establishment has\\nalways been well conducted and has been one of the principal\\nmeans of advancing the growth and prosperity of the town. When\\nin full operation about 400 hands are employed, mostly heads of\\nfamilies, who have been profitably employed, and have contributed\\nin their turn to the business of other mechanics and traders. There\\nare twenty furnaces, two trains of rolls and 102 nail machines, the\\nannual product, in favorable years, being 100,000 kegs of nails and\\n1,500,000 feet of gas pipe.\\nBenjamin Eeeves, one of the original founders, died in 1844.\\nOther partners have been from time to time admitted. In 1856\\nthe concern became an incorporated company, by the name of the\\nCumberland Nail and Iron Works, and is under the management\\nof Robert C. Nichols, Esq. The value of its real estate, as ass\\nis 266,000 dollars; the capital of the company being 350,000\\ndollars.\\nAbout the year 1818 Benjamin Reeves conveyed to the late\\nDaniel P. Stratton the undivided half part of a lot of land, where\\nthe grist-mill stands, and half a sufficient quantity of water to\\ndrive a first class merchant flour-mill, it being the intention that\\nMr. Stratton and Mr. David Reeves should erect the mill together\\nas joint owners. But doubts soon arose whether water power for\\nsuch a purpose could be safely spared, without endangering the\\niron works, and Mr. Reeves declined to build the mill. Mr. Stratton\\nthen applied for a division of the lot, and one half being set off to\\nhim, he proceeded to erect the existing (lour mill in ib22. The\\nquantity of water he had a right to use was adjusted by an arbi-\\ntration.\\nAs the business of the iron works w\u00c2\u00bbas from time to time\\nincreased, and as the quantity of water furnished by the sevi o\\ndistinct streams entering into and forming Oohansey River, dimi-\\nnished, it was found that the water pow r er sometimes failed. To\\nremedy this it was at first proposed to increase the power by\\nputting a dam across the river where the bridge now is that con-\\nnects the works; and for this purpose an act of the legislature\\nwas obtained in 1831). But before this purpose was carried into", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0061.jp2"}, "62": {"fulltext": "56 BRIDGETON.\\neffect, the plan was devised of heating the boilers necessary to\\ndrive a powerful steam engine, by means of the same fires that\\nheat the iron, which fully succeeded, so that the dam was never\\nerected, and after a time the rolling of iron at the works on tire\\nwest side, which, required so great a supply of water, was aban-\\ndoned.\\nAbout the year 1825 those persons in the town who kept a\\nhorse were so much annoyed by applications to lend or hire him,\\nthat a livery stable was started by a joint stock company, and so\\ncarried on five or six years, until like most concerns of the kind\\nit was found unprofitable and the stock was sold at a loss of more\\nthan half the original capital. This start, however, effected the\\nobject, one or more livery stables, kept by different individuals,\\nhave been continued ever since. For several years past the busi-\\nness has been rather overdone, there being now four.\\nThe glass works were established in 1836 by the firm of Stratton,\\nBuck Co. After the death of Mr. Buck, in 1841, the business\\nwas carried on by a joint stock company which did not succeed.\\nFor a time window glass was made. After passing through several\\nhands it was enlarged, in 1855, and is now in successful operation,\\nthe yearly product being about $130,000.\\nIt may be remarked that for about twenty years the firm of\\nStratton Buck carried on the largest business that was done in\\nthe county. This firm and that of Bowie and Shannon from 1812\\nto 1836 in the stone store at the corner of Broad and Atlantic\\nStreets, transacted a heavy retail business, and brought to the\\nplace customers from all the surrounding districts.\\nIt is doubtful whether any newspapers were regularly received in\\nBridgeton until after 1775. In that year an association was formed,\\nof which Ebenezer Elmer, then a student of medicine, was the\\nSecretary, by the members of which weekly papers on various\\ntopics were written, and these being copied, were left at the tavern\\nkept by Matthew Pother (believed to have been the house next\\neast of the present Cohansey Hotel), to be there perused by such\\nas chose. Among the writers of those papers were Dr. Jonathan\\nElmer, Joseph Bloomfield, Dr. Lewis Howell, and his brother\\nEichard, afterwards Governor of the State.\\nPrevious to this time, about 1773, a society existed, which\\ngenerally met in Bridgeton, but of which several young persons\\nresiding in Greenwich, Fithians and Ewings, who were then dis-", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0062.jp2"}, "63": {"fulltext": "BHIDGETOX. 57\\ntinguished for intelligence, and for the beauty of some of tl\\nmales, were members, called the Admonishing Society. Commu-\\nnications were made to this society in writing, anonymously,\\nadmonishing members of faults, and on other subjects, which were\\nread at the meetings. If the members admonished thought it\\nnecessary, they were allowed to defend themselves, or replies might\\nbe made in writing. Of this society, Robert Patterson, from Ire-\\nland, who then kept a store in Bridgeton, was a member. By way\\nof enlivening the proceedings, he sent in written proposals for a\\nwife, giving the requisite qualifications, whieh left one young lady,\\nfrom whom, in her old age, this detail was received, who it was\\nsaid had refused him, too young. Another lady, however, spor-\\ntively answered the challenge, and what was thus begun in sport\\nended in marriage, and a long and happy union. The husband^\\nafter studying medicine for a short time, and serving during the\\nwar for several years as an assistant surgeon in the army, and after\\nsettling for a short time on a farm at Carll Town in Hopewell\\nTownship, was in 1779 appointed Professor of Mathematics in the\\n-University of Philadelphia, and afterwards, by Mr, Jefferson,\\nDirector of the Mint. In 1819, he was chosen President of the\\nAmerican Philosophical Society, ending a long and honored career\\nin 1824, at the age of 82. The writer well remembers him, having\\nhad the benefit of his instruction in mathematics and philosophy\\nmore than fifty years ago.\\nIn 1794 James D. Westcott started a newspaper, which was\\ncalled the Argus, and continued nearly two years. Afterwards\\nhis brother, John Westcott, tried another about 1803, but it did\\nnot succeed. In 1815 a political association, composed of Demo-\\ncrats, and called the Washington Whig Society, set up in opposi-\\ntion to a Washington Benevolent Society formed by the Federalists,\\nestablished a paper called the Washington Whig, published at first\\nby Peter Hay, Esq., now an Alderman in Philadelphia, who was\\nby profession a printer. It has been ever since continued, under\\ndifferent names and under the patronage of different parties. In\\n1817 Mr. Hay sold to Wm. Shalt z, who in 1821 sold to John\\nClark, during whose time the paper supported the administration\\nof John Q. Adams. Clark sold in 1826 to J. J. McChesney.\\nIn 1822 S. Siegfried started a second paper, called The W st\\nJersey Observer. In 1824 he sold out to Robert Johnston, and in", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0063.jp2"}, "64": {"fulltext": "BRIDGET X.\\n_ he purchased the 1 1 consolidated them into one paper.\\nWl g\\nwas then revived, and after several changes,\\nboth being purchased by James M. Xewell, he merged them in\\na new one. called The Bridgetown Chronicle, about 1S37. He carried\\nit on until his death in 1851, and different proprietors and editors\\n3 published it until the present time.\\nut 1846 another paper was started, called at first The\\nJen Tel ~aph, but it was soon changed to The West\\nby which. name 3 still published. This paper\\nhave been conducted as\\n.1 in polil\\n18 _ Payette Pierson. who was connected with the W\\nits lays started the Aurora, now pub-\\na democratic paper; so that there are three papers, where\\ng d one can thrive, this being a case where.\\nthe Stal too much competition has not\\nse the value of the article prod l:\\nAs the :s of Bridgeton were mostly of Puritan\\n3] osition among them to encourage\\nThe rirs: school of which any notice remains, was one\\nI John Wescott in 1773. in which mal re taught.\\nL792 .eir of Ebenezer Miller, deeded\\n3 the lot on G 3 Si school purposes. In 7 5\\njoint stock com-\\nand for mar. _ is taught in it.\\nGen. Hunter, tar_\\nq about the years 17S r to 17S5. The\\n.\u00e2\u0080\u00a2ted in 1\\nnumber of youths j ages of 5 and 16 in the I\\nIn IS 51, the number between 5 and\\n3 687. In 1862 1 une ages\\nhool-hoa\\n241. In 1 number\\nLi _ the number between tl _ l 1 18- was 407\\nscho geton employs 8 tea and\\nI l C y id 1 i\\n_ i\\nan incorporated hod", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0064.jp2"}, "65": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETOX. 59\\nelected by the Presbytery of West Jersey. There is, besides, an\\nexcellent school for young ladies, conducted by Mrs. Sheppard.\\nCumberland Bank was first chartered in 1816, and commenced\\nbusiness in September of that year, with a capital of 52,000\\ndollars James Giles, President, and Charles Read, Cashier.\\nGiles died in 1816, and was succeeded by Daniel Elmer, and he\\nhaving resigned in 1841, James B. Potter was appointed President.\\nMr. Read died in 1844, and was succeeded by the present Cashier,\\nWilliam G. Nixon. About 1857 the surplus earnings enabled the\\ncapital to be raised to 102,000 dollars, without the advance of any\\nmoney by the stockholders and so well has the institution been\\nmanaged from the first, that it has always deserved and obtained\\nthe entire confidence of the community, and maintained its notes\\npar with those of Philadelphia, often continuing to pay specie when\\nthe banks in the city could not. During the first fifteen ye%rs the\\ndeposits averaged about 20,000 dollars then for the next fifteen\\nthey averaged about 30,000, while for the last fifteen they have\\naveraged 50,000, often reaching 100,000 and 150,000 dollars. For\\nthe first thirty years there was a regular dividend of three per\\ncent, half yearly, besides an extra dividend in 1844 of 24 per cent.\\nSince that time 4, 4|, and 5 per cent, have been divided semi-an-\\nnually. The surplus earnings, besides the regular dividends, have\\namounted to about 86,000 dollars, of which near 25,000 remains\\nunappropriated.\\nUntil within the last twenty years there were but few foreigners\\nin the place, and they were persons born in Ireland or Scotland,\\nwho came to America in their youth. One young German who\\ndeserted from a Hessian regiment is remembered, who married and\\nraised a large family. A very considerable number of Germans\\ncame into the county before the Revolution, and settled in the\\nupper part of Hopewell, and in the adjoining part of Salem County,\\nsome of whose descendants took up their residence in Bridgeton.\\nMost of these, it is believed, were glassblowers, who were employed\\nto blow glass at the works early erected not far east of Alloways-\\ntown, said to have been one of the first established in America.\\nAmong these settlers was Jacob Fries, whose two sons, Philip I\\nFriesburg, and John of Philadelphia, became men of considerable\\nwealth. The writer remembers to have heard that when Inde-\\npendence was declared by the American colonies, old Jacob Fries\\nwas much concerned as to the possibility of getting along without", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0065.jp2"}, "66": {"fulltext": ".60 BRIDGETON.\\na king, and advised that one should be brought over from Ger-\\nmany. That country, it is certain, has a plenty of rulers to spare,\\nsuch as they are, but judging from the experience of the Grecians,\\nit is doubtful whether one could be found worth a trial. An excel-\\nlent teacher, a preceptor of the writer in his youth, was quite as\\nmuch impressed with the impracticability of a republican govern-\\nment as Mr. Fries, and predicted that the writer would live to see\\na king inaugurated. The race of these doubters, it would seem,\\nit not yet extinct.\\nAbout 20 years ago a German butcher, named Christian Cook,\\ncame to this place from Salem, and still carries on the business.\\nSince his arrival, the number of families from different parts of\\nGermany has so increased, that it is quite a common thing to hear\\nthe language in the streets, and the total number of that nation is\\nnot lest than four or five hundred. They are in general an indus-\\ntrious, frugal race, and adopting a different usage from that which\\nso long prevailed in Pennsylvania, by encouraging their children\\nto learn and use the American language, it is hoped they will be.a\\nvaluable addition to the population.\\nMost of the original settlers in the region called Cohansey, were\\nBaptist or Presbyterian from the New and Old England, and hap-\\npily their influence upon the religion and morals of the people was\\ngood, and is still apparent. Mr. Fithian enters in that journal, so\\nfrequently quoted, of the date June 26, 1776, while he was engaged\\nin making a missionary tour up the Susquehanna River, in Penn-\\nsylvania I met on the road a tinker, on the way to what is\\ncalled the new purchase. He has been at Cohansey, knows many\\nthere, at Pittsgrove, Deerfield, and New England Town. He told me\\nthat he had been acquainted in seven colonies, but never yet saw\\nany place in which the inhabitants were so sober, uniform in their\\nmanner, and every way religious, as at New England Town, and\\nMr. Ramsey was his favorite preacher. While in Maryland he\\nmentions a collection having been-taken up, and says, There were\\n3-1 pieces of silver in cut money. His summing up of this tour\\nis, Wherever I have been their character is mean, dishonest, and\\nirreligious. A Jerseyman, and an impertinent every way trouble\\nsome scoundrel, seem to be words of nearly the same meaning.\\nUnder date of August 16, he writes: I saw Mr. Farquar, a Scotch\\nPresbyterian he pronounced one sentence from his observation\\nwhich is a most solid truth, and which I will record, I have dis-\\n1", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0066.jp2"}, "67": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETON. 61\\ncovered since my arrival that there are no slaves in America, but\\nthe Presbyterian clergy. In April, 1774, on his visit to Green-\\nwich, after he had spent some months in Virginia, he enters, The\\nmorning pleasant and Cohansie looks as delightsome as it used to\\nbe, and I went to meeting. How unlike Virginia. No rings of beaux,\\nchattering before and alter sermon on gallantry no assembling in\\ncrowds after service to drive a bargain, no cool spiritless harangue\\nfrom the pulpit; minister and people here, seem in some small\\ndegree to reverence the day; there neither do it. In the sue-\\nceeding July, after his return, while residing as a tutor in the\\nfamily of Mr. Carter, a wealthy gentleman, whose large mansion\\nand possessions were on the west side of the Potomac in Westmore-\\nland County, he enters A Sunday in Virginia don t seem to\\nwear the same dress as our Sundays to the northward. Generally\\nhere by 5 o clock on Saturday, every face, especially the negroes,\\nlooks festive and cheerful all the lower class of people and the\\nservants and slaves consider Sunday as a day of pleasure and\\namusement, and spend it in diversions. The gentlemen go to church\\nto be sure, but they make that itself a matter of convenience, and\\naccount the church a weekly resort to do business.\\nBefore dismissing this interesting journal, affording us so many\\nglimpses of transactions in days long past, it may be interesting to\\nmake a few more extracts from it. His journey from home, on\\nhorseback, commenced October 20, 1773, when he left Greenwich\\nby six, morning, rode to Michael Hoshel s, 8 miles, then to Quin-\\nton s Bridge, over toll bridge to Penn s Neck Ferry, then by North\\nEast to Baltimore. Then forded Patapsco to Bladensburgh, ferry\\nat Georgetown, Alexandria, Colchester, ferry at Dumfries, Aquia,\\nStafford C. H., on the 28th arrived at Col. Carter s, Nomini Hall,\\nWestmoreland, in all 260 miles, expense \u00c2\u00a33 6s. 6d. Beturning\\nnext spring, he crossed the Potomac to Port Tobacco in Maryland,\\nand then to Annapolis, and from there in a boat 25 miles to Rock-\\nhall, then to Chester Town and to Georgetown, Delaware. Lodged\\nat Mr. Voorhees had evening prayers; since I left Cohansie have\\nnot heard the like. By Port Penn and Elsenborough to Green-\\nwich. Stopt to see the forsaken Mrs. Ward. Her husband, Dr.\\nWard, had recently died. She was a Holmes, afterwards married\\nDr. Bloomfield, of Woodbridge, father of Gov. Bloom field, ami\\nupon his death came to Bridgeton, where she died, quite i\\nMany had died the past winter a very mortal winter. May 4,", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0067.jp2"}, "68": {"fulltext": "62 BRIDGETON.\\nLast night fell a very considerable snow 5th, last night was very\\ncold, ice two inches thick; 6th, still very cold, the leaves on the\\ntrees are grown black, the fruit must be past recovery. In Vir-\\nginia, he states, the frost of May was very severe, killed the\\npeaches, and in the upper counties the wheat and rye. May 11,\\nan ox killed to-day in Bridgeton which weighed upwards of\\n1000 lbs., supposed to be the largest ever killed in the county.\\nThe poor of Cumberland have for a long time been mostly sup-\\nported in a poor-house, situate about a mile and a half westwardly\\nfrom Bridgeton. The question of having an establishment of this\\nkind began to be agitated as early as 1799, but it was not until\\n1809 that Moore Hall and the property belonging to it was pur-\\nchased. The present building was erected in 1852.\\nDuring the latter part of the last century it was quite common\\nfor persons in good circumstances to own one or two slaves,\\ngenerally as house servants. Acts of the legislature passed as\\nearly as 1713 and from time to time until 1798 had sanctioned\\nand regulated the owning and treatment of them. In 1801 an act\\nwas passed for the gradual abolition of slavery, which declared\\nthat those born after the 4th of July of that year should be held to\\nservice if a male until the age of 25 years, and if a female until\\nthe age of 21 years. After this some of those who were slaves for\\nlife, were manumitted. A few have remained nominally slaves\\nuntil comparatively a recent period. The number in the county\\nin 1790 was 120; in 1800 they had decreased to 75; in 1810 to\\n42 in 1820 to 28 in 1830 there were only two.\\nVery few newly-settled districts of country are healthy. The\\nsouthern part of New Jersey was for many years an unhealthy\\nregion. Fever and ague were almost universal in the latter part\\nof the summer and during the early part of the fall, generally dis-\\nappearing after the nights became frosty. Until comparatively a\\nrecent period, scarcely a young person of either sex escaped the\\nfever and ague. Every other day, and sometimes every third day,\\nthe person would be able to attend school or other avocation,\\nbut about the middle of the second or third day would be taken\\nwith a chill, which in the course of an hour or two would be fol-\\nlowed by a hot fever. Often very violent intermittent or bilious\\nfevers were epidemic. A healthy summer or fall was the excep-\\ntion and not the rule.\\nIn a journal kept by Bphraim Harris, of Fairfield, who was born", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0068.jp2"}, "69": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETON. 03\\nin 1732, and died in 1794, he enters: That fatal and never to be\\nforgotten year 1759, when the Lord sent the destroying angel to\\npass through this place, and removed many of our friends into\\neternity in a short space of time; not a house exempt, not a family\\nspared from the calamity. So dreadful was it that it made every\\near tingle, and every heart bleed; in which time I and my family\\nwas exercised with that dreadful disorder, the measles; but, blessed\\nbe God, our lives were spared. It is quite probable that the dis-\\norder here called measles, was in fact the smallpox.\\nMr. Fithian enters in his journal under the date of July 4,\\n1774, when he was in Virginia We have several showers to clay\\nthe weather is warm, funky, very damp, and I fear will not turn\\nout long to be healthful. With us in Jersey, wet weather about\\nthis time is generally thought, and I believe almost never fails\\nbeing a forerunner of agues, fall fever, fluxes, and our horse dis-\\ntempers. Under the date of August 9, 1775, when he was in\\nWestern Maryland, he enters: News from below that many dis-\\norders, chiefly the flux (by which he means dysentery), are now\\nraging in the lower counties, Chester, etc. I pray God Delaware\\nmay be a bar, and stop that painful and deadly disorder. Enough\\nhas it ravaged our poor Cohansians. Enough are we in Cohansey\\nevery autumn enfeebled and wasted with the ague and fever. Our\\nchildren all grow pale, puny, and lifeless. The dysentery was\\nvery prevalent and fatal in Cumberland County in 1775, and again\\nin 1806.\\nAfter the enlargement of the mill-pond east of Bridgeton, in\\n1S09, and the raising of the new pond northward in 1814, inter-\\nmittent and bilious fevers were common in Bridgeton for succes-\\nsive years. In 1823 these diseases prevailed to a fearful extent;\\nbut after this, in the course of three or four years, they ceased to\\nprevail either in the town or other parts of the county. This\\nimprovement has been ascribed to more perfect draining, and to\\nthe use of lime for agricultural purposes. But while it is proba-\\nble that these causes have had some effect, the change was too\\nsudden, and has been too great to be ascribed mainly to them.\\nAtmospheric, telluric, or other influences far more potent, must\\nhave occurred. What these are we do not know. The important\\nfact, for which our people cannot be too thankful, is, that the pro-\\nvidence of God has, for thirty years past, given us healthful\\nseasons, instead of the sickness formerly so common. ur fall", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0069.jp2"}, "70": {"fulltext": "64: BRIDGETON\\nseasons are now as generally healthful as any other part of the\\nyear. In those years when the cholera was so fatal in many parts\\nof the country, we were mostly exempt. Thirty years ago it could\\nnot be said with truth that Bridgeton was as healthy a place as\\nmost of the towns in the northern part of the State; but now this\\nmay be affirmed without fear of contradiction.\\nBut little is -known of the early physicians in Bridgeton or its\\nvicinity. The first of whom there is any notice was Elijah Bowen,\\nwho, in 1738, was one of the founders of the church at Shiloh, and\\nwho had considerable practice afterwards in that vicinity. He\\nwas of the Baptist family, which settled and gave their name to\\nBowentown. After and partly contemporaneous with him was\\nJames Johnson from Connecticut, who was -a practitioner as early\\nas 1745, and appears to have resided near Bowentown, and died in\\n1759. It may be mentioned as characteristic of the habits of that\\ntime, that among the accounts of his executor are charges for wine\\nfor the use of the watchers, and of wine and rum for the funeral.\\nAfter him was Dr. John Fithian, who in 1751 built the house on\\nthe south side of Broad Street, next above the residence of Charles\\nE. Elmer, Esq. Dr. Jonathan Elmer commenced practice in 1768. 1\\n1 Jonathan Elmer was son of Daniel Elmer second; was born in 1745, and died\\nin 1817. He was one of the first graduates of the Medical Department of the\\nUniversity of Pennsylvania, receiving the degree of M. B. (Bachelor of Medicine)\\nin 17(58, and of M. D. in 1771. In 1772 he was elected a member of the American\\nPhilosophical Society, of which Dr. Franklin was the President, and was con-\\nsidered the equal in medical knowledge of any physician in the United States.\\nHis health being infirm, he turned his attention more to politics, and was much\\nin ofiice until the change of parties in 1800. With all the family he was an\\nardent Whig, and entered earnestly into the measures of opposition to the en-\\ncroachments of the British Government on the rights of the people of America.\\nAlthough not a military man, he took a commission as commander of a company\\nof militia, and was active in organizing measures of defence. He was one of the\\nCommittee of Vigilance, which, in fact, was for some time the governing power of\\nthe county and in 177 3 was a member of the Provincial Congress, and a member\\nof the committee which framed the first constitution of the State. During most\\nof the time the war lasted he was -a member of Congress, and afterward one of the\\nfirst senators. For many years he was the presiding judge of the Court of Com-\\nmon Pleas of the county, and was, in fact, a well-read lawyer. He became an\\nelder of the Presbyterian church in Bridgeton. His descendants in the city are\\nstill numerous and highly respectable.\\nEbenezer Elmer was a brother of Dr. Jonathan, was born in 1752, and died\\nat the age of ninety-one in 1843. Having studied medicine with his brother, and\\nwhen about to commence practice, the Revolutionary War broke out, ami in January,\\n1776, he was commissioned as an ensign, and shortly after as lieutenant iu a com-", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0070.jp2"}, "71": {"fulltext": "BRILGETON 65\\nHe was probably the first regularly educated physician in the\\ncount} unless Dr. Ward of Greenwich, from Connecticut, who\\ndied young in 1774, may have been of that class. Dr. Thomas\\nEwing studied under Ward, and after practising a short time in\\nCape May, returned to Greenwich, and was an officer in the conti-\\nnental army. He died in 1782. His son, Dr. William B. Ewing,\\nafter a thorough education, settled as a physician in Greenwich in\\n1799. Dr. Elmer graduated in the newly-established medical\\nschool of Philadelphia as a Bachelor of Medicine in 1768, and in\\n1771 took the full degree of Doctor, his thesis in Latin having\\nbeen printed. Dr. Eush said of him, that in medical erudition he\\nwas exceeded by no physician in the United States. He built, in\\n1772, a dwelling on the site of Charles E. Elmer s house; but\\nbeing of feeble health, and not able to endure the long. horseback\\njourneys to which a physician was then exposed, he turned his\\nattention to political life, received the appointment of sheriff, and\\nwas a member of Congress, and afterwards of the Senate. His\\nbrother Ebenezer commenced studying with him in 1773, and in\\n1775 began to visit patients in all parts of the county. He how-\\never entered the army at the breaking out of the Revolutionary\\nWar. and did not return to practice until it was over. In 1783,\\nand for a few succeeding years, he was in full practice in Bridge-\\nton and the neighborhood; but he soon became engaged in public\\nlife, and was afterwards only consulted in special cases and as a\\nsurgeon.\\nWhat physicians there were in other parts of the county, before\\nthe Revolution, is not known. There were probably very few.\\nJonathan Elmer, during the first year of his practice, appears to\\nhave gone to all parts of the county and more than once to the sea-\\npany which soon joined the northern army; and in this capacity he served more\\nthan a year. During the remainder of the war he served as a surgeon, having\\nbeen in service altogether seven years and eight months.\\nHe was for a few years in business as a physician in Bridgeton, after the war,\\nbut soon relinquished it, and was much in puhiic life as a member and Speaker\\nof both branches of the legislature of New Jersey, a member of Congress, and\\nsupporter of Mr. Jefferson collector of the customs, clerk, surrogate, and magis-\\ntrate. In 1814 he commanded a brigade of militia called out for the defence of\\nPhiladelphia, and was usually kuown as General Elmer. In early life, as he has\\nrecorded in his journal, he became a believer in the gospel plan of redemption\\nby faith in Jesus Christ; and afterwards was a member of the Presbyterian\\nChurch. He was the writer s father.", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0071.jp2"}, "72": {"fulltext": "6fi BRIDGETON.\\nshore. In 1775 Ebenezer Elmer, then a student with him, visited\\nFairfield frequently to prescribe for the sick, and also Hopewell,\\nGreenwich, and Deerfield. Dr. Otto, from Germany, who during\\nthe war lived in Gloucester County, and whose house and barn were\\nburned by the British troops in March, 1778, and who was known\\nas the Prussian Doctor, was called upon in difficult cases, not only\\nin the neighborhood of his residence, but in other places in the\\nadjoining counties of Salem and Cumberland.\\nBenjamin Champneys, a descendant of John Fenwick, studied\\nwith Ebenezer Elmer in 1793, and after a few voyages to sea mar-\\nried a daughter of Col. Potter, and settled as a physician in Bridge-\\nton. He was much esteemed, but died young in 1814. Samuel\\nM. Shute, who had been for a few years at the close of the war an\\nofficer in the army, studying medicine with Jonathan Elmer, and\\nhaving married his daughter, was a leading physician until his\\ndeath in 1816. They were succeeded by Isaac H. Hampton, whose\\nfather was a physician at Cedarville, but who commenced practice\\nat Woodbury. He married a daughter of Gen. Giles and removed\\nto Bridgeton in 1814, where he was in good practice until failing\\nhealth obliged him to give it up about ten years ago. William\\nElmer, a son of Dr. Jonathan, commenced business as physician\\nin 1812, but gave it up in 1817 upon the death of his father. He\\nacceeded by Dr. Ephraim Buck, Dr. William S. Bowen, and\\nafter some years the present Dr. William Elmer took a large share\\nof the business. Besides these, there have been from time to time\\nothers, whose business was less extensive.\\nFor some time after the formation of the county, the lawyers\\nresiding in Salem and in other parts of the State, were relied upon to\\ntransact the business. An old man named Husted told the writer\\nman}* years ago, that when Geo. Trenchard, of Salem, was the\\nking s attorney, and was examining him as a witness in a case of\\nassault and battery, on trial in the Court of Quarter Sessions, he\\nI him several times how the accused struck him, and that\\nhaving no better mode of explaining the matter he struck Mr.\\nAttorney on the face and knocked him down. The lawyers in\\nthose days, as is still the practice in England, were required to\\nstand up while they examined the witnesses. One of the Salem\\nlawyers named Van Leuvnigh, who was very tall and slender, had\\nthe nickname of the Devil s darning needle. Samuel Leake, who\\njorn in this county but resided in Trenton, and Lucius H.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0072.jp2"}, "73": {"fulltext": "BRIIiGKTON. 67\\nStockton often attended the courts here. Cortland Skinner, who\\nwas attorney-general at and before the Revolution, was in the\\nhabit of granting a nolle prosequi in petty cases, for a fee of half\\na joe, $8. Several are on file in the clerk s office.\\nBefore the Revolution the judges wore gowns and wigs, and the\\nlawyers wore gowns and bands, while in court. The sheriff, with\\nas many justices and freeholders as he could convenient! v summon,\\nmet the Justice of the Supreme Court, when he came into the\\ncounty to hold a Circuit and Oyer and Terminer, which was com-\\nmonly once in a year at the county line, on horseback, and escorted\\nhim to his lodging. This was the practice in England, and was\\nrequired by the Governor s ordinance in this State. It was men-\\ntioned in the newspaper a few years ago, that one of the English\\nJudges had fined the sheriff 100 pounds for neglecting this duty.\\nThe general introduction of railways has, however, abolished the\\npractice in most cases. At the opening and closing of the court,\\nfrom day to day, the sheriff and constables, with their staves of\\noffice, escorted the Judges from and to the tavern at which they\\ndined, to the court-house, a practice which has been only recently\\nabolished.\\nCourts of oyer and terminer and general gaol delivery were,\\nuntil 179-1, held by virtue of a special commission under the great\\nseal, requiring, generally, two justices of the Supreme Court by\\nname, the presence of one of whom was indispensable, and the\\ncounty judges, and sometimes one or more justices of the peace by\\nname, to hold the same for a number of specified days. Until\\n1845, the justices of the peace constituted the court of General\\nQuarter Sessions of the peace, which had jurisdiction in all crimi-\\nnal cases, except those of a high grade. Judges of the Pleas were\\ncommonly also commissioned as justices; but only a small pari of\\nthe ju.-tices were judges. For many years it was the practice for\\nmost of the justices, as well as the judges, to attend at least the\\nfirst day of the term and dine together, all the court fees payable\\nto them being appropriated to pay the expense, and in case these\\nfell short, as was commonly the case, the justices were all assessed\\nwith their share of the balance, whether they attended or not.\\nThe first attorney who is known t have settled in Bridgeton was\\nJoseph Bloomfield, whose father was Dr. Bloomfield, of Wood-\\nbridge, the same who married the widow of Dr. Ward. The former", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0073.jp2"}, "74": {"fulltext": "68 BRIDGETON\\nattended for a time a classical school kept by Eev. Enoch Green\\nin Deerfleld. Having been admitted an attorney, he took up his\\nresidence in Bridgeton about 1770. In the spring of 1776 he left\\nas captain of a company of soldiers. He remained in the army\\ntwo or three years, and then resumed his profession, making Bur-\\nlington his residence, where he married. In 1783 he was appointed\\nAttorney General. In 1801 he was elected Governor by the Demo-\\ncrats, and held the office, with the exception of one year when\\nthere was a tie between the political parties, and the State was\\nwithout a Governor, until 1812, when he was appointed a Brigadier\\nGeneral in the army. Richard Howell, of this county, became a\\nlawyer, and sometimes attended our courts, but did not reside in\\nthe county. He was Governor from 1793 to 1801.\\nAfter the war James Giles, a young officer of artillery, attached\\nto the corps commanded at the close of the war by Lafayette, whose\\nfather was an Episcopal clergyman, studied law, and having mar-\\nried a sister of Gov. Bloomfield, took up his residence in Bridge-\\nton about the year 1787. In 1791 he built the house in which he\\nresided until his death in 1826. He transacted a large business as\\nan attorney for many years. In 1791 John Moore White com-\\nmenced, and continued until 1808, when he removed to Woodbury,\\nwhere he resided until his death in 1862, at the age of 91. Daniel\\nr Elmer was licensed in 1805; in 1808 married a daughter of Col.\\nPotter, and took up his residence for a short time in White s\\ndeserted mansion. He had a large and lucrative business until\\n1841, when he was appointed one of the Justices of the Supreme\\nCourt. About 1809 Isaac W. Crane came from Salem, and con-\\ntinued until 1839. Elias P. Seeley and Lucius Q. C. Elmer were\\nlicensed in 1815. The former was Governor in 1832 and died. The\\nlatter was appointed Attorney General in 1850, and in 1852 one of\\nthe Justices of the Supreme Court. Henry T. El let practised law\\nhere from 1833 to 1837, when he married a daughter of Governor\\nSeeley, and moved to Port Gibson, Mississippi, where he still resides.\\nJames G. Hampton was licensed in 1839, and died in 1861. Charles\\nE. Elmer was licensed in 1842. In 1845 John T. Nixon was\\nlicensed, and he, together with Charles E. Elmer, James R. Hoagland,\\nJames J. Reeves, John S. Mitchell, Franklin F. Westcott, William\\nE. Potter, and J. Leslie Lupton, are now, in 1869, the lawyers of the\\nplace.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0074.jp2"}, "75": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETO T. 69\\nBut little is known of the military organization previous to the\\nRevolution. Upon an old map of the farm lying on the west side\\nof the road to Irelan s mill, as the mill now used for sawing staves\\nwas long called, and north of the run emptying into Jeddy s pond,\\nthere is laid down a lot of half an acre, about where the road to\\nShiloh now goes, marked as town barracks. The precise mean-\\ning of this is now unknown.\\nThe journal of Ebenezer Elmer, kept in 1775, shows that the\\ncounty was alive with military preparations, especially after the\\nnews of the bloodshed at Lexington on the 19th of April. Com-\\npanies were organized and officers chosen, and frequent drills took\\nplace. Richard Howell, afterwards Governor, raised the first com-\\npany of one year men that left the county, by recommendation of\\nthe Committee of Safety, in October, 1775. Sunday, December 10,\\nthe entry is, Went to meeting at Greenwich Capt. Howell s soldiers\\nthere came and went away in form. Coming home, Mr. Bloom-\\nfield proposed to me to send a petition to the Provincial Congress\\nfor himself Captain, Josiah Seeley 1st Lieutenant, and myself 2d,\\nwhich was agreed to. The entry 13th of December is, The sol-\\ndiers went on board the Greenwich packet at evening, to sail for\\nBurlington. 14th, Cloudy day. The soldiers, captain, and all\\nbut eight or ten, went off in the dead of the night, on foot, to get\\nclear of their creditors; their going aboard the vessel turned out\\nonly a sham.\\nIt would seem from this last entry that Capt. Ilowell s men were\\nmany of them, like those that gathered themselves unto David at\\nthe cave of Adullam, in distress, in debt, or discontented. The\\nsuspicions of the journalist, however, may not have been warranted\\nby the facts. It appears from several previous entries that he had\\nbeen desirous of procuring a commission in this company, and his\\ndisappointment may have produced his unfavorable surmises.\\nIn the succeeding spring another company was raised, as pro-\\nposed by Bloomfield, except that Josiah Seeley, having concluded\\nto take a wife and stay with her, another person was commissioned\\nas 1st Lieutenant, whieh marched for the northern frontier in March,\\n1776.\\nSeveral times during the Revolutionary War, fully half the militia\\nof this county was in actual service. Col. Newcomb, of Fairfield,\\ncommanded a regiment, and so did Col. Potter. The latter was\\ntaken prisoner near Haddonfield, but was soon exchanged. John\\no", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0075.jp2"}, "76": {"fulltext": "70 BRIDGETON.\\nGibbon, the uncle of Mrs. Seeley, was also taken prisoner, and was\\namong those who died on board the Jersey prison ship at New\\nYork. The British troops never reached this county.\\nDuring the war with Great Britain in 1814 a brigade of the\\nmilitia of South Jersey was drafted, and encamped at Billingsport\\nfor the defence of Philadelphia, under the command of General\\nEbenezer Elmer, then the Brigadier General of the Cumberland\\nBrigade. During the summer of that year the Poictiers, an English\\nship of the line, under the command of Sir John Beresford, lying\\nin Delaware Bay, succeeded in breaking up the navigation as high\\nup as the Cohansey. No serious engagements, however, took place\\nbetween the hostile forces.\\nThe inhabitants of Bridgeton suffered a terrible fright, which,\\nalarming enough at first, in the end partook more of the ludicrous\\nthan the serious. To prevent boats from the enemy s ship coming\\nup the river in the night, and plundering the town, a nightly guard\\nwas detailed and posted at a point on the river two or three miles\\nfrom the town, but more than twice that distance by the water.\\nAll the vessels and boats passing the guard-house during the night\\nwere hailed and required to give an account of themselves. If an\\nenemy appeared, a messenger was to be sent to a prudent officer at\\nthe town, who was intrusted with the duty, if needful, of giving\\nthe alarm by firing a cannon, and ringing the court-house bell,\\nthat being then the only bell in the place. About two o clock of\\na midsummer night the gun was fired, and the bell rang with great\\nanimation. The scene that ensued may be imagined, but cannot\\neasily be described, and great was the consternation. No one\\ndoubted that an enemy was close at hand. One or two persons\\nthrow their silver down the well- The militia, except some who\\nas usual were among the missing, were assembled, and an attempt\\nmade to organize them for action. Happily, however, their prowess\\nwas not tested. The alarm, although not sounded until all doubt\\nof its necessity seemed to be removed, turned out to be a false\\none, originating in the fright of a family near the guard-house, the\\nhead of which was absent, and in the fool-hardiness of the skipper\\nof a small sloop, who took it into his head to pass the guard with-\\nout answering their challenge, and who succeeded in bringing on\\nhimself and his crew a volley of musketry, and running the risk\\nof being killed by a ball which passed directly over his head.\\nDuring the first quarter of the present century, the annual train-", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0076.jp2"}, "77": {"fulltext": "BRIDGETON 71\\ning day was the festival day next in importance to the fourth of\\nJuly. The companies met for drill twice a year, and the regiments\\nor brigades for inspection and review by the commanding general.\\nOn this latter day there was commonly a great turn out of men,\\nwomen and children. Many evils grew out of the system, so that\\nin South Jersey, although the law remained unaltered, after about\\n1830, the whole system fell into disuse. It is by no means certain,\\nhowever, that the change has been for the better. The evils of the\\nsystem, as happily is the case with most human affairs, were com-\\npensated by many advantages. The habit of bearing arms, and\\nmeeting for exercise, produced a spirit of self-reliance of no\\nlittle consequence, while the holiday, which occurred on the day of\\nthe great training, served to bring the people together and to\\ncultivate kind and generous feelings, at a time when the means of\\nintercourse were far more limited than they now are. It has been\\nwell remarked, in reference to the people of the Northern and Mid-\\ndle States, that the three things which had enabled them to carry\\non a republican government so successfully, were the congrega-\\ntional meetings and preaching on Suuday, the town meetings, and\\nthe training of the militia.\\nBridgeton was incorporated as a city in 1865, with a Mayor and\\nCommon Council, and is divided into three wards, covering the\\nterritory of the former townships of Bridgeton and Cohansey. The\\nnumber of inhabitants is estimated to be about 7,500.", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0077.jp2"}, "78": {"fulltext": "72 MAURICE RIVER, MILLYILLE, AND LANDIS.\\nCHAPTEE IV.\\nMAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AND LANDIS.\\nThe Indian name of the principal river running into Delaware\\nBay was Wahatquenack, and there has been a tradition, which\\nlike many other errors has passed into history, that its present\\nname Maurice, was derived from the circumstance that a vessel\\ncalled the Prince Maurice was burnt at an early date by the\\nIndians, in the reach since called, No Man s Friend. Whatever\\nmay be the truth, as to the burning of the vessel, while she was\\nrepairing, according to one version of the story, it is much more\\nprobable that the name was given to the river either by Mey, or\\nDeVries, captains of Dutch vessels, who visited the bay, the former\\nin 1623 and the other in 1631. A map of Nieuw Nzderlandt\\npublished at Amsterdam in 1676, including New Jersey and Zuyd\\nEevier, or South River, as the Dutch called the Delaware, marks\\nvery distinctly the entrance of Maurice Eiver into the bay. and\\nnames it Mauritius Revier. The same name, evidently the Dutch\\nor Latin name for Maurice, Prince of Orange, was given by some of\\nthe Dutch writers to the Hudson. When the county of Cape May\\nwas established by the legislature of West Jersey in 1692, they\\nbounded it on the east side of Morris River, so spelled in the printed\\nlaw. In the act of 169-4 it is called Prince Morris River. When\\nthe county was set off from Salem, the law describing the township,\\nbounds it on Prince Maurice River; but the township is called\\nMaurice River precinct.\\nIn 1691 John Worlidge and John Budd, surveyors from Bur-\\nlington, in the employment of the principal proprietors of West\\nJersey, visited the streams on the lower part of the Delaware in a\\nvessel, and set off large surveys on both sides of Maurice River.\\nOn the west side at the mouth they set off 10,000 acres for Wasse,\\non the east side one of 20,000 acres for Robert Squibb, most of\\nwhich afterwards became the property of Thomas Byerly. Above\\nByerly s survey, 2500 acres were set off for a town plot and called", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0078.jp2"}, "79": {"fulltext": "MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLB, AND LANDIS. 73\\nDorchester; it includes Leesburg, but no town was built or even\\ncommenced until more than a century afterwards. Above this\\nwas a survey to Bartlett, afterwards John Scott s, located for 10,000\\nacres, but containing more than double that quantity. All the\\nearly surveys contained many more acres than were returned.\\nBut few permanent settlements were made on either side of\\nMaurice River until after the formation of the county. There\\nwere, however, a sufficient number as early as 1720, to require the\\nappointment of a constable for Morris River, by the court of\\nQuarter Sessions at Salem. Ten years after this one was appointed\\nfor the upper part and one for the lower. The old Cape Road, or\\nas it was commonly called the King s Road, originally followed\\nthe Indian paths, crossing the Cohansey and Maurice Rivers above\\nthe tide, that is to say, the former at or near Bridgeton, and the\\nlatter about where the Union pond now is, thence across the Me-\\nnantico at Learning s mill, and the Manamuskin at the mill where\\nCumberland furnace was afterwards placed, now called Manamus-\\nkin Manor, and thence over Dennis Creek swamp, near where the\\nrailroad now crosses the same. The mill afterwards owned by\\nand called Learning s mill, was built as early as 1720 by Rawson.\\nScott commenced selling parts of his tract, about this time, adjoin-\\ning Manamuskin and Maurice River. The site of Port Elizabeth\\nwas sold probably about this time to John Purple.\\nThomas Cbalkley, a Friend from England, who married a sister\\nof Jacob Spicer, states in his journal, 2d Month (April) 1726:\\nFrom Cohansey through the wilderness over Maurice River, ac-\\ncompanied by James Daniels, through a miry, boggy way in which\\nwe saw no house for about forty miles except at the ferry; and\\nthat night we got to Richard Townsend s at Cape May. Town-\\nsend lived in the upper precinct, not far from Tuckahoe, but where\\nthe ferry over Maurice River was, at which Chalklcy crossed, is\\nunknown it was probably below Port Elizabeth.\\nA road was laid out in 1705, from Salem to Maurice River,\\nwhich crossed Alloway s Creek at Quinton s Bridge, the Cohansey\\nat Greenwich, thence to Henry Brooks at Fairfield, then keeping\\nthe road by the meeting-house, on the bank of the river, at New\\nEngland Town to Grimes bridge (probably over Rattlesnake Run\\nat Fairton,) then keeping the old road until it cometh to the road\\ngoing to Daniel England s saw-mill, to two oak trees marked M. M.\\nDaniel England s mill was at Buckshutem, and was afterwards", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0079.jp2"}, "80": {"fulltext": "74 MAURICE RIVER, MTLLVILLE, AND LAXDIS.\\ncalled Carmack s mill. It was probablj r this road that was travelled\\nby Chalkley. Although all the roads were originally laid out for\\nsix rods, or four rods wide, they were seldom opened, and until\\nlong after 1720 were only travelled on horseback.\\nWasse s tract west of the river was not sold out in parcels until\\nafter 1738. Prior to 1750, William Dollas, a Friend, purchased the\\nland at the place since called Port Norris, and for many years a\\nferry was maintained there, this being one of the thoroughfares\\nfrom Greenwich to Cape May, and may have been the ferry men-\\ntioned by Chalkley.\\nJohn Peterson, of Swedish origin, located the land where Mau-\\nricetown now is and settled there in 1730. He laid surveys on\\nseveral tracts in the neighborhood. Subsequently Luke Mattox\\nowned the property, and from him it was called Mattox landing,\\nuntil about 1814, when three brothers named Compton became\\nthe proprietors, laid out the village of Mauricetown, and built\\nseveral handsome dwelling-houses. It is now a flourishing place,\\nthe principal inhabitants being engaged in the coasting and river\\ntrade, which although subject to occasional depressions, has been\\nin the main prosperous.\\nThe site of Dorchester was purchased by Peter Reeve just pre-\\nvious to 1800, and he laid out the town and commenced selling\\nlots. At that time there were but three houses in the vicinity. A\\nsaw-mill had been erected at an early date. Most of the original\\nsettlers here, as has been stated, were Swedes. Some of them\\nappear to have taken leases under the proprietors. The names of\\nPeterson, Lord, Errickson, Vanneman, Reagan (corrupted to Rig-\\ngins) Hoffman, and others still remain.\\nLeesburg was established by two brothers named Lee, ship-\\ncarpenters from Egg-harbor, some time about the year 1800. An\\nold graveyard on the bank of the river, partly washed away, indi-\\ncates that there were several settlers in the neighborhood at a\\nmuch earlier date. William Carlisle, now one of the wealthiest\\nproprietors, went there in 1795, and found only two or three houses.\\nIt has been a place for building coasting vessels from the begin-\\nning. In 1850 James Ward built a marine railway, and now\\nthere are two there, besides one at Dorchester. Vessels are con-\\nstantly on the stocks and undergoing repair at both these places.\\nThis region has advanced during the last year more perceptibly\\nthan any other part of the township. There is much good land in", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0080.jp2"}, "81": {"fulltext": "MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AND LANDIS. 75\\nthe neighborhood, capable of great improvement as an agricultural\\ndistrict. The new railroad to Cape May passes through an uncul-\\ntivated district, where, although most of the land is poor, there is\\nmuch that is good, which it is believed will be settled and culti-\\nvated soon.\\nThe bay shore and up the river for several miles was naturally\\na salt marsh. Above Port Norris it was banked and reclaimed at\\nan early period. And it must be remembered that the first settlers\\nestablished their farms on the banks of the streams, and depended\\non the natural marshes or embanked meadows tor their hay. Laws\\nwere passed as early as 1760 for erecting banks by the joint efforts\\nof the proprietors on the Cohansey. Until within the last thirty\\nyears, since when the introduction of lime and other fertilizers has\\nenabled the farmers to raise hay of a better quality on their upland,\\nthe reclaimed meadows, notwithstanding the great expense gene-\\nrally attending the maintenance of the banks, were almost indis-\\npensable, and commanded a high price. Those on Maurice Eiver,\\nwhich are easily renovated by the muddy sediment deposited from\\nthe water when allowed to flow over them, are of an excellent\\nquality, and are still of much value. The relative price, however,\\nof upland and meadow land has undergone a considerable change,\\nthe former having risen and the latter depreciated in value.\\nAbout the year 1809 Messrs. Coates Brinton commenced an\\nembankment on the east side and near the mouth of Maurice River,\\nabout four miles in extent. In 1816 they extended their bank at\\ngreat expense along the shore of the bay to East Creek, placing a\\ndam at the mouth of West Creek, making a bank about fifteen miles\\nlong and inclosing several thousand acres of land. The promise\\nof remuneration for this great outlay, which was never very encou-\\nraging, was entirely disappointed by the great storm of 1821, still\\nremembered and spoken of throughout South Jersey as the Sep-\\ntember Gale, which swept away the greater part of the bank. It\\noccurred on the first Monday of September, nomination day for\\nmembers of Assembly, and blew down and injured much of the\\nwoodland in the county. Many of the Lombardy poplars, then very\\ncommon around our dwellings, were blown down, but this proved\\nto be no loss, the tree, although for a time very popular, not being\\ndesirable for any purpose. No attempt to repair the bank was\\nmade until 1849, when Gen. Cadwallader, of Philadelphia, who had", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0081.jp2"}, "82": {"fulltext": "76 MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AND LANDIS.\\nbeen owner of the property, inclosed about 1200 acres, at the\\nmouth of the river, which are now of much value.\\nBesides the natural oyster beds near the mouth of the river, this\\nproduct of the waters has been greatly increased, by planting them\\nin the cove. These oysters are esteemed the best that are found in\\nthe Delaware, owing no doubt to the fact that the water which\\nflows out of the river has in it much vegetable sediment upon which\\nthey live and fatten. The proper habitation of a good oyster is\\nwhere the salt water of the ocean is diluted by fresh water from an\\ninland stream, bringing with it a sufficient supply of vegetable\\nmatter. A very considerable business employing many small\\nsloops and schooners, has grown out of the planting, gathering, and\\ncarrying to market of oysters produced in Delaware Bay, which is\\nsusceptible of great increase, and would undoubtedly be far more\\nadvantageous to the citizens of this State, if the property of the\\nsoil under the water, suitable for producing them, could become\\nprivate property. The tenacity with which the privilege of hold-\\ning a right to common property in the upland and in the water\\nhas been held not only in this country, but in Europe, although\\nperhaps natural enough, has always proved detrimental to the com-\\nmunity. Those commons which were adjacent to all the villages\\nin England, and which it cost years of conflict to divide by means\\nof inclosure acts, have entirely disappeared to the great benefit of\\nthe people. And it cannot be doubted that the many thousand\\ndollars expended by this State, in obtaining the decision of the\\nSupreme Court of the United States, in the case of Martin vs.\\nWaddell, decided in 1842 that the land under the navigable waters\\nof the State is public property up to high water mark, and does\\nnot belong to the proprietors, was sadly misspent. Happily, how-\\never, the whole subject is in the power of the legislature, and will\\nsome time be properly regulated. The right of private property,\\nas human nature is constituted, is indispensable to induce an ener-\\ngetic and profitable use of the land, whether covered with water\\nor susceptible of cultivation, and suitable for the habitation of\\nman.\\nThe present site of Port Elizabeth was purchased of John Scott\\nby John Purple, about the year 1720. The land on the west side\\nof the Manamuskin was purchased by different persons soon after.\\nAmong the purchasers was John Hoffman, who made the deed for\\nthe property on which the Swedes church was erected. The grand-", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0082.jp2"}, "83": {"fulltext": "MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AND LANDIS. 77\\nfather of the late Jonathan Lore purchased and moved on to his\\nfarm about the year 1750. At that time lie owned the only horse\\non the creek, and there was but one ox. lie built a barn which is\\nstill standing, the frame of which was cut and hewed at Antuxet\\nand floated down to the bay and to Maurice Eiver, and thence up\\nto the farm. When it was raised, it being about 25 by 40 feet in\\nsize, the people assisting said there never would be enough hay\\ncut on the river to fill it. In 1771 John Bell, who had become the\\nowner of the property, sold it to Mrs. Elizabeth Clark, afterwards\\nBodley, from whom the name of the place originated. A dam was\\nput across the mouth of the Manamuskin, for the sake of the\\nvaluable meadows above before 1782, in which year a law was\\npassed authorizing it. Mrs. Bodley laid out the town about the\\nyear 1785. When in that year the act of Congress was passed\\nestablishing districts for the collection of the duties imposed on\\nimported goods, the eastern side of the Delaware from above Cam-\\nden to Cape May was constituted the district of Bridgeton, and the\\ntowns of Salem and Port Elizabeth on Maurice River were made\\nports of delivery. All vessels requiring a license, the owners of\\nwhich reside in this district, are required by the laws to letter them\\nas belonging to one of these places, or to Bridgeton, which is the\\nonly port of entry. For a few years after this act was passed there\\nwas some trading out of Maurice River and the Cohansey to the\\nAVest Indies; but for the last thirty years or more, this has entirely\\nceased. The tendency of canals, railroads and other modern im-\\nprovements, is to concentrate trade in the great marts of business,\\nwhere there are greater facilities for carrying it on.\\nThe road from Port Elizabeth to Tuckahoe was laid and opened\\nin 1796. In the year 179* an act of the legislature appointed\\ncommissioners to lay out and open roads from Bridgeton to\\nCooper s Ferry, as Camden was then designated, and also from\\nRoadstown and from Port Elizabeth to Bridgeton. These com-\\nmissioners laid these roads, but only that from Roadstown to\\nCooper s Ferry was opened. That from Port Elizabeth to Bridge-\\nton passed through Buckshootem, but it was never opened. One\\nnearly in the same place was afterwards laid in the usual manner.\\nJoshua Brick, a son of John Brick, a prominent citizen of the\\ncounty, who at one time owned what are now Sheppard s and\\nWood s mills, went to Maurice River about 1795. He, and his\\nson Joshua, who died at an advanced age in 1860, were leading", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0083.jp2"}, "84": {"fulltext": "78 MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AND LANDIS.\\ninhabitants of Port Elizabeth, especially the son. He laid out the\\ntown called Bricksborough, and sold lots there in 1807. Neither\\nplace, although they are well situated for trade, has attained the\\nimportance that was expected. They may indeed be characterized\\nas decayed villages. There is no reason, however, to doubt that\\nthey will hereafter greatly improve.\\nJames Lee, of Irish descent, removed to this place from Chester\\nCounty, Pennsylvania, about the year 1797, and in 1801 his half-\\nbrother Thomas came. James, who was an active enterprising man,\\ntoo spasmodic in his efforts to succeed well, established glassworks\\nin connection with Philadelphians, near where they still remain,\\nin the year 1801. They made window glass. He did not, however,\\nlong remain an owner, having after a few years engaged in works\\nat Millville and at Bridgeton. About 1817 he removed to the\\nwest, and died at New Orleans. In 1816 the glassworks at Port\\nElizabeth were purchased by a company of Germans, of whom\\nthe Getsingers were prominent members, who carried them on\\nnearly thirty years. About 1813 works were erected on the east\\nside of Manamuskin, just south of the road, which were carried on\\nseveral years, but have long since been taken down. About 1830\\nglassworks were established at Marshallville, in the extreme\\neastern corner of the township, on the Tuckahoe Kiver, and are\\nstill continued.\\nOne of the well known citizens of this place was Dr. Benjamin\\nFisler, who died at the advanced age of eighty five in 185-1. His\\nfather and mother were natives of Switzerland. Their eleven\\nchildren were remarkable for their longevity, one only dying at\\nforty-five, the others from seventy-three to ninety-three, and the\\naggregate of their ages amounting to 883 years. The Doctor was\\nadmitted as a preacher among the Methodists in 1791, and was for\\na time a missionary in Nova Scotia. He settled in Port Elizabeth\\nin 1798, and was the leading and most of the time the only physi-\\ncian of the place for about fifty-five years being at the same time\\na very acceptable local preacher. His descendants are quite\\nnumerous, but none of them remain at the old homestead. Thomas\\nLee married his sister.\\nThe first tavern stood near the creek, just below Oglee s store.\\nThe present tavern house was built in 1803.\\nIn 1830 the present truss bridge over the Manamuskin was\\nbuilt by the Board of Freeholders.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0084.jp2"}, "85": {"fulltext": "MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AND LAXDIS. 79\\nThe districts of country bordering on the Menantico and Mana-\\nmuskin, the most important tributaries of Maurice River, were\\noriginally covered with pine and other trees, and produced much\\ngood lumber for market. Saw-mills were erected on these streams\\nat an early day. Eli Budd, who was originally of the family of\\nFriends of that name in Burlington County, but who became a\\nMethodist as early as 1785, in this year purchased the property at\\nthe head of the Manamuskin, and afterwards put up a forge for\\nmanufacturing iron. About 1810 his son Wesley, in company\\nwith one or more persons in Philadelphia, established a blast-\\nfurnace at the place now called Manamuskin Manor, formerly Cum-\\nberland Furnace. In 1818 they failed, and the property went into\\nnew hands. Subsequently the iron manufacture was profitably\\nmaintained at this place by Edward Smith, of Philadelphia, and\\ncontinued until 1840, when the coal on about 15,000 acres of laud\\nconnected with the establishment, being entirely consumed, the\\nbusiness was abandoned, and the works went to decay. The large\\ntransportation of ore and other materials consumed, and of the iron\\nmanufactured, was carried on by the channel of Menantico Creek\\nup to Schooner Landing, and thence by the ordinary road. A\\nfurnace was established on the Tuckahoe Paver about 1820, but\\ndid not long continue in use.\\nFor the first forty or fifty years of this century the production\\nof iron in blast furnaces was a very important branch of business\\nin the southern part of New Jersey. The ore used was principally\\nwhat is called bog ore, much of which was dug in the swamps of\\nDowne Township, and other parts of the county, and in Gloucester\\nand Burlington Counties. It appears to have been iron held in\\nsolution by water, and deposited during a long succession of years\\nin the sand or mud of low places. The quantity found in this\\ncounty was not large, and was soon exhausted. Afterwards the\\nore was brought from the State of Delaware, and from Burlington\\nCounty. It was smelted by the use of lime as a flux, either in\\nthe shape of oyster-shells or of stonedime, and was of so good a\\nquality as to be run directly from the furnace into stove and other\\ncastings. The stoves used in Philadelphia, the northern part of\\nNew York, and in the Eastern States, were to a large extent made\\nin New Jersey. What could not be made into castings, was run\\ninto pigs; but this was only an inconsiderable portion of the\\nwhole. As the charcoal used was the most bulky and most im-", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0085.jp2"}, "86": {"fulltext": "80 MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AND LANDIS.\\nportant article, the ore was taken to the places where this was\\nproduced. The manufacture of iron in this manner is believed to\\nhave entirely ceased. Castings are now made almost exclusively\\nby melting pig and other iron, in what are called cupola furnaces.\\nSchooner Landing, on the Menantico, about a mile below where\\nthe railroad crosses that stream, was at one time a place of con-\\nsiderable business. The road from Millville to Port Elizabeth\\npassed through here originally. In the year 1793, Fithian Strat-\\nton, afterwards well known as an energetic but eccentric Methodist\\npreacher, purchased the property, and in 1800 laid out a town of\\nconsiderable size, which he called Stratton Burrough, the last\\npart so spelled for borough. He made efforts to have a bridge\\nover Maurice Eiver, west of the place, and a direct road to Bridge-\\nton; hoping thus to get ahead of Millville. The project however\\nfailed, and although some dozen houses were erected, they have all\\nbeen removed, the borough has disappeared, and the name passed\\ninto oblivion. The bridge over the creek was abandoned and\\nsold, and the road vacated. This was the result of the final estab-\\nlishment, after a long contest, of the present straight road, and the\\nbridge over the Menantico, not far from its mouth, which was com-\\npleted in 1820.\\nThere was no town at the place now called Millville, until after\\nthe commencement of the present century. Until 1756 the road\\ntravelled from Cohansey Bridge to Maurice River Township and\\nCape May, called as the roads laid out by the public officers\\nusually were the King s highway, passed over Chatfield branch,\\nat a dam made by the beavers, and still known as Beaver Dam,\\nwhere, in the olden time, there was a tavern, and thence across\\nMaurice River, above the tide, a little below the entrance of Leba-\\nnon branch, and thence across the Menantico at Learning s Mill.\\nSome time before 1754 a bridge had been built over Maurice\\nRiver where this king s highway crossed, which, at the May term\\nof this year, was presented by the grand jury as a nuisance for\\nbeing out of order; and the Court of Oyer and Terminer, Mr.\\nJustice Neville presiding, ordered the township of Maurice River\\nto pay a fine of ten pounds, unless it was repaired by the next\\nterm. Shortly after, and probably in consequence of this proceed-\\ning, a public road was laid from Berriman s Branch, near Learn-\\ning s Mill, to Shingle Landing, on the east side of the river, a little\\nbelow the present bridge; and a bridge, resting on log cribs, was", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0086.jp2"}, "87": {"fulltext": "MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AND LANDIS. 81\\nbuilt over the river. In 1756 a road was laid from this new\\nbridge, commencing at Lucas Peterson s house, supposed to have\\nbeen the house on the west side of the river, afterwards kept as a\\ntavern, to the beaver dam, which soon superseded the old King s\\nhighway, now entirely disused and forgotten. After this, for\\nmany years, the place was called the New Bridge.\\nPrior to 1790, Henry Drinker, Joseph Smith, and others, form-\\ning a company called the Union Company, had purchased 24,000\\nacres of land, comprising the principal part of the 19,563 acres\\nsurvey laid for Thomas and Eichard Penn, and of their 6000 acres\\nsurvey, and of several small surveys to other persons. The site of\\nMillville is on the first-named survey. This company put up the\\ndam, and raised the pond still known as the Union Mill Pond, and\\nestablished mills. Large floating-gates were put in this dam, and\\nsince maintained for floating down the lumber; and until the last\\ntwenty years a considerable quantity was taken to market in that\\nway.\\nIn 1795 the Union property was purchased by Eli Elmer, Joseph\\nBuck, and Robert Smith, and they sold one-twelfth part to Ezekiel\\nFoster. Joseph Buck, who had been sheriff of the county, soon\\nremoved from Bridgeton to Maurice River Bridge, where he died\\nin 1803. He laid out the town, and called it Millville, the object\\nbeing to bring the water from the Union pond, and to establish\\nthe mills and other works on the banks of the river. This plan,\\nhowever, was not then carried out. In 1801 the township was set\\noff by law as it remained until Landis Township was formed.\\nThe tavern-house at the northeast corner of Main and High\\nStreets was built by Mr. Buck for his residence, but was not used\\nas a tavern until several years afterwards. A house on the west\\nside of the river, near the bridge as it then existed, with a consid-\\nerable tract of land, was owned by Alexander Moore, of Bridgeton,\\nand in this a tavern was kept. In 1813, when it was owned by\\nhis grandson, Alexander T. Moore, a law was passed authorizing\\nhim to dam the river at that place, but the work was never com-\\nmenced. At a later date a law was obtained to authorize the\\nconstruction of a navigable canal from Malaga, but the project\\nshared the same fate as the other.\\nThe tavern-house at the northwest corner of Main and High\\nStreets was built by Bernard M Credy, about 1811. After the\\ndeath of Mr. Buck, his executors sold the lots of the town a.s ho", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0087.jp2"}, "88": {"fulltext": "82 MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AND LANDTS.\\nhad laid it out, of which, however, no authentic record is known\\nto exist. So slight was the prospect then considered that the town\\nwould increase, that several of the purchasers neglected to take\\ntheir deeds, and so the property remained for more than thirty\\nyears, until his heirs claimed, took possession of, and disposed of\\nit. In 1858 a survey and map of the town were completed under\\nthe directions of the township committee, and in March, 1859, a\\nlaw was enacted, that, upon the map being filed in the clerk s office,\\nshowing the location of the different streets, they should become\\npublic highways.\\nUnion Mill, and much of the land originally belonging to the\\ncompany, became the property of Thomas Stone, and in 1806 was\\npurchased by Keyser Gorgas. In 1813 they sold to James Lee\\nand others, and they to Smith Wood, of Philadelphia. The firm\\nof Smith Wood commenced the extension of the canal, which\\nhad been previously begun, and brought clown the water, and\\nerected a blast furnace, which for a time they carried on. In 1822\\nSmith sold out, and the property was owned and carried on by\\nDavid C. Wood until 1850, when it and the appurtenant tracts of\\nland, comprising near twenty thousand acres, became the property\\nof Richard D. Wood, of Philadelphia. Iron castings continued to\\nbe made until about 1849, when the manufacture of iron directly\\nfrom the ore w T as discontinued. The annual product was about\\n600 tons.\\nTwo large establishments for smelting and moulding iron from\\nthe pigs have been substituted, at which very heavy castings are\\nmade, the whole annual product being from four to five thousand\\ntons.\\nThe canal having been enlarged, a cotton mill was put in ope-\\nration in 1854, at a cost of about 250,000 dollars. There are over\\n18,000 spindles, 430 looms, employing 350 hands, to whom wages\\nare paid exceeding sixty thousand per annum. The average\\nmonthly product is about 160,000 yards of cotton cloth, which\\nmay be largely increased. The main building is 280 feet long\\nfour stories in height, lighted with gas, which it is proposed shortly\\nto introduce into the town.\\nAbout the year 1806 James Lee and others started a glass manu-\\nfactory above the bridge, and afterwards the business was con-\\ntinued by successive firms. For several years window glass was\\nmade, but for some thirty years past the establishment made only", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0088.jp2"}, "89": {"fulltext": "MAURICE RIVER, MTLLVILLE, AND LANDIS. 83\\nhollow ware. In 1832 the works at Schetterville, south of the town,\\nwere commenced, and made window glass until 1854, since which\\ntime only hollow ware has been made. The two establishments\\nare now carried on by one firm, who produce annually glass of the\\nvalue of 250 to 300 thousand dollars. Until within the last three\\nor four years these works used only wood, of which, of course,\\nlarge quantities were consumed. Now much the largest propor-\\ntion of the fuel is coal, the annual consumption being about 4000\\ntons, and 1500 cords of wood. There are six furnaces in all, of\\nwhich five are kept in operation, producing about 4000 dozen\\nbottles daily. About 150 tons of sand, 95,000 pounds of soda ash,\\n1250 bushels of lime, and 150 bushels of salt, are used monthly.\\nA manufactory of flint glassware is in the process of erection.\\nContemporaneous with the introduction of glassworks was the\\ndiscovery of immense beds, or rather banks, of fine sand on the\\nwest side of the river, from two to five miles below the town.\\nThis is of so good a quality that besides the domestic consumption,\\nfrom eight to ten thousand tons are annually exported to Boston\\nand other places.\\nUntil 1807 the bridge was without a draw for the passage of\\nmasted vessels. In that year a new one was built, containing a\\ndraw or hoist, a little above the site of the original structure, the\\ntimber and other materials of which were sold. In 1816 it was\\nfound necessary to build a new bridge, and considerable effort was\\nmade to have it placed so as to conform to the main street of the\\ntown, but after much contention the Board of Freeholders decided\\nto build on the old site. So imperfect was the structure, that in\\n1837 a new one was found necessary, and a law having been ob-\\ntained for the purpose, and the road on the west side being laid to\\nconform, it was put as it now stands, in a line with the street.\\nThis bridge as well as that over the Cohansey being much used\\nand having until recently been badly constructed, have been very\\nexpensive affairs. The existing bridge was finished in 1861.\\nThe site of the town was a sandy knoll, so that the roads through\\nit were always bad except a short time when frozen, and the side-\\nwalks were unpleasant, until by the aid of clay and gravel they\\nhave been made good. While swing wells were in use a bet was\\nmade that an excavation large enough to hold a barrel could not\\nbe filled by drawing water and pouring it from the bucket from\\nsunrise to sunset; a wager, the unlucky operator of the swing was", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0089.jp2"}, "90": {"fulltext": "84 MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AND LANDIS.\\nglad to acknowledge be had lost long before the set time expired.\\nUntil after the commencement of this century, there were not more\\nthan five or six houses in the neighborhood of the bridge. This\\nbeing the head of navigation, the same causes that produced a town\\nat Cohansey bridge operated here. Large tracts of land covered\\nwith wood and timber had only this outlet to market. Until the\\nerection of the furnace and the glass-house, almost the only em-\\nployment of the people in this vicinity was the cutting and carting\\nof wood, and taking it to Philadelphia, then the only market\\naccessible. This business still continues to a considerable extent,\\nbut the prosperity of the place is no longer dependent on it, the\\nbusiness of manufacturing iron castings and glass, and more re-\\ncently cotton, being far more important and productive. The\\npopulation, for many years, increased very slowly. In 1840 there\\nwere about 1000 inhabitants, in 1850 about 1500, and in 1860\\nabout 3200, and they are rapidly increasing. Up to 1815 the\\nstage route to Philadelphia was by the way of Bridgeton, since\\nthen by Malaga, and for several years there had been a daily line,\\nuntil the railroad to Glassboro, brought into use in 1860, directed\\nthe travel in that direction. In 1863 the railroad to Cape May\\nwas opened.\\nA steamboat to Philadelphia was started by a joint stock com-\\npany in 1846; but the route was found too long, and the business\\nproving unprofitable was soon abandoned. Recently a steam-\\npropeller has commenced running regularly to New York, making\\nnearly a trip each week, and carrying the various manufactures of\\nglass at Glassboro and Millville, as well as other articles to that\\ngreat market. Considerable capital is also invested in the coasting-\\ntrade, the vessels engaged in it coming to the place for repairs and\\nto winter. The country around, not being naturally very pro-\\nductive, and remaining until recently unimproved, the supply of\\nprovisions was, for many years, by no means abundant, but with\\nincreased demand, the supply has also increased, until there is\\nnow, by the aid of easy access to Philadelphia, no deficiency.\\nThe health of the place, which was once by no means good, has\\ngreatly improved.\\nIn 1857 a bank with $50,000 capital commenced, which at the\\nend of the first year reported $10,000 deposits, and now $100,000,\\nalthough the large manufacturers make but little use of it. The\\ninstitution is well managed, and makes regular half-yearly divi-\\ndends.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0090.jp2"}, "91": {"fulltext": "MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLB, AND LANDIS. 85\\nA town hall was erected in 1856, affording good accommodation\\nfor public meetings, lectures, and concerts.\\nThe graveyard, at the corner of Second and Sassafras Streets,\\ndates back to the commencement of the settlement. About 1800\\na house was erected on this lot which was used as a school-house,\\nand for religous services, the different denominations worshipping\\nthere, the Presbyterians having preaching perhaps more statedly\\nthan the others. The Eev. Abijah Davis, of that denomination, who\\nresided in the township, published a new version of the Psalms,\\nand was no mean poet, and wrote a good deal for the newspapers\\nover the signature of Happy Farmer, ranking among the earnest\\nsupporters of the Democratic administration, was accustomed to\\nhold service there for several years pretty regularly. The first\\nmeeting-house erected was that at the corner of Second and Smith\\nStreets, commenced for a dwelling, but converted into a house for\\nreligous worship by the Methodists in 1822. It was rebuilt in\\n1845. The Presbyterian house on Second Street was built in 1838\\nand enlarged in 1855. The Baptist house on the same street in\\n1843. In 1858 a second Methodist church was finished on McNeal\\nStreet, in the northwestern part of the town. In 1862 the Catho-\\nlics erected a chapel in the same neighborhood. Preparations are\\nmaking to build an Episcopal church; stated worship is maintained\\nin all the houses; and there is besides a Protestant Methodist\\nsociety which holds its meetings at Schetterville, but has as yet no\\nhouse.\\nThe public school-house on Sassafras Street was completed in\\nthe year 1849. In 1832 the number of scholars returned was 124.\\nIn 1863 the number was 1648. There are now three houses occu-\\npied. The number taught in the first named, by a male principal,\\nand six female assistants, was 394. The new house, known as the\\nFurnace School, is situate on Dock Street. There are three teachers\\nwho had in 1863 an average attendance of 124 pupils. There is\\nalso a public school on Second Street, in the southern part of the\\ntown, at the place commonly called Schetterville, with two teachers\\nand 60 pupils. It thus appears that a little more than one-half the\\nyouth of a suitable age are under tuition.\\nMillville was incorporated as a city with a Mayor and Common\\nCouncil in 1866, and three wards, comprising all the township\\nwhich remained after the setting off of Landis. The city has since\\n7", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0091.jp2"}, "92": {"fulltext": "86 MAURICE P.IVER, MILLVILLE, AND LANDTS.\\nrapidly increased in business and population. The inhabitants in\\n1869 are estimated to number 5600.\\nCharles K. Landis, Esq., became the proprietor of a large tract\\nof the land in the upper part of Millville Township, and extending\\ninto the adjoining counties of Gloucester and Atlantic, and com-\\nmenced selling to settlers in October, 1861. The inhabitants then\\nresiding on his purchase probably did not number fifty, and on the\\nwhole of what was set off as Landis Township did not exceed two\\nhundred. He laid out a town situate on both sides of the rail-\\nroad to Glasboro, about two and a half miles east of Maurice River,\\nand about seven miles north of Millville City, which he called\\nVineland. The first house was erected in February, 1862, on\\nLandis Avenue, which has been recently purchased by the Vine-\\nland Historical Society, and removed to Peach Street, to be pre-\\nserved as a memento of Vineland s commencement. A post office\\nwas established upon the condition that Mr. Landis should pay\\ntwenty dollars a quarter for carrying the mail, which he continued\\nto do for nearly two years. The office was kept at the residence\\nof Andrew Sharp, the only good house then in the tract, situated at\\nthe corner of Park Avenue and Main Road. The receipts for the\\nquarter ending September 30, 1862, were $8.50. They have since\\nexceeded two thousand dollars per quarter. Roads were exten-\\nsively opened, so that there are now on the whole tract about one\\nhundred, and sixty miles. At Christmas. 1862, it is stated by a\\nrecent historian of the settlement, that such progress had been made\\nthat seventy-five settlers and one fiddler could, be rallied at a\\nChristmas festival.\\nAn Episcopal church and academy were erected in 1863, and\\na considerable number of private dwellings. Emigration became\\nbrisk, so that by January, 1864, one thousand acres of land had\\nbeen sold. This was mainly the result of an extensive system of\\nadvertising by means of a weekly sheet called The Vineland\\nRural and other publications, whereby the real and supposed\\nadvantages of the location for a prosperous settlement were made\\nknown throughout the Northern and Eastern States.\\nIn March, 1864, a law was passed setting off more than half the\\ntownship of Millville into a new township, to be called the town-\\nship of Landis. This law embodies most of the peculiar features\\nof the system adopted by the founder, which it is believed have", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0092.jp2"}, "93": {"fulltext": "MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AND LANDIS. 87\\naided very materially in promoting its rapid growth and its con-\\ntinued prosperity.\\nBesides the usual powers of the inhabitants and officers of the\\ntownships in New Jersey, this act gives authority to the township\\ncommittee to appoint overseers of roads and authorizes the election\\nof one superintendent of roady, with a salary, whose powers are\\nvery ample, and who is required to have work on the roads done\\nby contract. The side of the roads in front of all improved lands,\\nare required to be seeded in grass within two years, and kept clear\\nof noxious weeds and shade trees are to be planted at such dis-\\ntances apart as the committee shall direct. The committee may\\nrequire all buildings to be set at a distance- not exceeding\\nseventy-five feet from the side of the road outside of Vineland, and\\nnot exceeding twenty feet in the town. These powers have been\\nexercised to the great benefit of the settlement, adding very much\\nto its symmetry and beauty. The roads called avenues are 100 feet\\nin width, and have generally two rows of trees, mostly maples, but\\nin some cases fruit trees on each side, while the other roads are\\nfrom 50 to 6Q feet in width with one row of trees on each side,\\nthe road-beds for carriages being thirty feet in width. No person\\nis required to inclose his ground with a fence, no cattle, sheep, or\\nswine being allowed to run at large. The absence of fences and\\ninclosures about the dwellings is a marked feature of the place,\\ncausing it to present as yet a naked appearance to eyes accustomed\\nto these hitherto indispensable incumbrances, but when the hedges\\nand ornamental trees and shrubbury which are being very gener-\\nally planted shall have time to grow, this absence will no doubt\\nbe found to be a great improvement.\\nThe law also provides that no ale, porter, beer, or other malt\\nliquor shall be sold as a beverage, except at a regularly licensed\\ninn or tavern; and that it shall be submitted to the people annually\\nat their regular town meeting, to decide whether they shall apply\\nto the court for a license for an inn or tavern to sell intoxicating\\nliquors as- a beverage in the township, and that no license shall\\nbe granted unless a majority of the votes shall be in favor of the\\nsame. The result has been that no license has been granted, and\\nat the last annual town meeting the vote against a license was\\nunanimous.\\nTwo other rules were adopted by Mr. Landis in making most of\\nhis sales, which, it is supposed, have materially aided his design.", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0093.jp2"}, "94": {"fulltext": "88 MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AND LAND1S.\\nOne is that be has sold his farm lands in small parcels, of from five\\nto fifty acres each, and most generally not exceeding fifteen acres,\\nso that the engrossment of the soil by speculators other than the\\nproprietor himself has been prevented, persons of small means\\nhave been enabled to purchase, and the number of settlers has been\\nlargely increased. Another is that a full title to the land is not\\nmade until the purchaser has erected a dwelling, cleared up and\\ncultivated a certain portion of his land, usually two and a half\\nacres, and made the required roadside improvements. The com-\\nbined influence of these measures, the extensive advertisements of\\nthe scheme, the favorable reports of invited visitors engaged in\\nagricultural clubs and in writing for the newspapers, and the real\\nadvantages of the place, especially to persons whose residence was\\nin the Northern and Eastern States, and whose liability to lung\\nor other complaints, or other causes, made a change to a milder and\\ndryer climate advisable, caused a rapid growth, probably unsur-\\npassed in any place outside of a commercial centre like Chicago\\nor other cities in the United States, which have astonished the\\nworld.\\nMost of the land comprised in Mr. Landis s tract could have been\\npurchased ten years ago at from two to ten dollars an acre, ac-\\ncording to the growth of timber it contained. Now the unimproved\\n.town lots, having 50 feet front and 150 feet deep, sell for $150, and\\nsome on Landis Avenue have sold at $40 a foot front, while much\\nof the improved land sells at $150 to $200 an acre. A large\\npopulation has collected, and many very handsome dwellings have\\nbeen erected, so that the town is selected by many persons possessed\\nof means as a most desirable residence. Good church buildings have\\nbeen erected by the Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, and\\nBaptists, who have stated preaching and a good attendance, and there\\nare besides, Unitarians, Second Adventists, and Friends of Pro-\\ngress, who have organized societies. Two weekly newspapers are\\npublished. Education has been carefully provided for, there being\\nnow fourteen public schools in the township, and an academy for\\nthe higher branches. The Methodist society has located its semi-\\nnary for South Jersey at this place, and have commenced a fine\\nbuilding estimated to cost about $75,000. Various manufactures\\nhave been established, operated by steam power, and much activity\\nprevails. A leading object of the settlers has been to cultivate\\nfruits, for which the soil and climate are supposed to be peculiarly", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0094.jp2"}, "95": {"fulltext": "MAURICE RIVER, MILLVILLE, AST) LANDIS.\\n89\\nfavorable. While it cannot be affirmed that these efforts have\\nbeen alwa} r s successful, it is certain that there has been a large\\nproduction of berries, grapes, and peaches, and a considerable\\namount of sweet potatoes and tomatoes. The number of inhabit-\\nants in Landis Township at this time (1869) may be estimated to\\nbe 6500. On the whole tract of Mr. Landis in the three counties\\nthere are probably 10,000 inhabitants.\\nThe area of Cumberland County is stated in the recent geologi-\\ncal survey of the State to be as follows:\\nTownship:\\nDeerfield\\nDowne\\n21,517 acres\\n14,170\\n26,656\\n57,043\\n48,192\\n11,360\\n19,2H0\\n46 522\\nGreenwich\\nHopewell\\n4,410\\n1,875\\nMaurice River\\nMillville\\nStone Creek\\n7,174\\n1,158\\n768\\n67,559\\n32,224\\n11,475\\nTotals\\n51,078 330,080\\nArea of the w\\nbole I\\nHate\\n295,474\\n4,849,069\\nPrior to 1851 there was no attempt to assess taxes upon the tax\\npayers in proportion to the value of their property. But in that\\nyear such a sj^stem was commenced, and with some variations has\\nteen since continued. The values returned by the assessors of the\\nseveral townships have been as follows:\\nTownships.\\n1 852.\\n186(1.\\n1S6.-).\\n1868.\\nCohansey\\n$300,000\\n$401,000\\nBridgeton\\n900,000\\n850,000\\n$2 279,000\\n$2,303,000\\nDeerfield\\n44:;. i\\n500,000\\n742,ooo\\n773.000\\nDowue\\n580,000\\n657,000\\n681,000\\n715,0(io\\nFairfield\\n705,000\\n875, nun\\n1,059,000\\n1,11(10,000\\nGreenwich\\n556,1)\\n571,(111(1\\n631,000\\nS56.000\\nHopewell\\n561,1 no\\n686,(Hi(i\\n1,000,000\\n1,200,000\\nLandis\\n650,000\\n800,000\\nMaurice River\\n538,000\\n575,000\\n673,000\\n75o,ooo\\nMillville\\n620,000\\n870,000\\n1,148,000\\n1,681,000\\nStone reek\\n342,0.00\\n55(1,000\\n550,oo(i\\n572,000\\nTotals\\n5,545,000\\n0,535,000\\n!i,!H3,000\\n10,450,000", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0095.jp2"}, "96": {"fulltext": "90 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nCHAPTEE V.\\nRELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nThe first organized church in this region of which there is\\nany authentic record was the old Cohansey Baptist Church,\\nalthough it is believed the Cohansey Presbyterian Church in\\nFairfield was cotemporaneous, if not earlier. Many Baptists and\\nPresbyterians came into the county together from New England\\nand Long Island. Morgan Edwards, who was from Wales, and is\\nmentioned in Sabine s History of the American Royalists, published\\na History of the New Jersey Baptists in 1789, which is now a rare\\nbook. He states that about the year 1683, some Baptists from\\nTipperary, Ireland, settled in the neighborhood of Cohansey in\\n1665, arrived Obadiah Holmes, from Rhode Island. About this\\ntime Thomas Killingsworth settled not far off, which increased the\\nnumber to nine souls, and probably as many more including the\\nsisters; the above nine, with Killingsworth, formed a church in the\\nspring of 1690. The Baptist church from which it sprung in\\nTipperary, called Cloughkatier, was flourishing in 1767 when I\\nvisited it.\\nIn 1710 the Rev. Timothy Brooks, and his company, united\\nwith this church they had emigrated hither from Massachusetts,\\nabout 1687, and had kept a separate society for 23 years, on account\\nof difference in opinion relative to predestination, singing psalms,\\nlaying on hands, c. He continued to be the pastor until his\\ndeath in 1716. As early as 1702 he purchased 107 acres of land\\nat Bowentovvn, comprising the farm on which the brick house on\\nthe hill stands, which was afterwards conveyed to the trustees of\\nthe Coliansey Baptist Church, and held as their parsonage until\\n1786, when it was sold to David Bowen, and was for several years\\nthe residence and property of Ebenezer Elmer. It is said there\\nwas a meeting-house, erected and occupied by Brooks society,\\nRev. Mr. Wright, in his recent historical sketch of the Roaclstown Baptist\\nChurch, says Cloughketin (as he spells it) Church was still iu existence in 1838.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0096.jp2"}, "97": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 91\\nopposite the parsonage, which stood a few rods south of the road,\\nabout forty rods west of the brick house, and was still in use within\\nthe writer s memory.\\nIn 1711 Edwards says, the society put up a building on the lot\\nafterwards occupied, a little east of Sheppard s mill, South Hope-\\nwell. It is supposed, however, that this is a mistake. The Bap-\\ntists about this time built a log house in that part of Fairfield\\ncalled Back-Neck, the graveyard attached to which is still visible,\\nand it is most probable that this is the house he refers to, for he\\nsays the title proved defective and the tradition is that there was\\nno little difficulty in fixing upon the proper location in 1741.\\nAt this time a new wooden church building was erected on the\\nground south of the road leading east from Sheppard s mill, where\\nthe old graveyard still remains. One of the stones has on it this\\ninscription. In memory of Deborah Sweeney, who departed this\\nlife the 4th day of April, 1760, in the 77th year of her age. She\\nwas the first white female child born in Cohansey. Edwards says,\\nthis house was 32 by 36 feet and had a stove. By this is meant\\nthat it had a stove when he wrote in 1789, and this was so unusual\\nas to claim special mention. Very few churches in this region,\\nwere warmed with fires until after the commencement of the pre-\\nsent century, and they were not then introduced without much\\nopposition from old people, who thought them needless, if not dan-\\ngerous. For many years a stove was not to be had and open fire-\\nplaces, which were alone used in dwellings, were not suitable for a\\nchurch. After stoves were introduced, so long as wood continued\\nto be burned, that is to say until about twenty or twenty-five years\\nsince, they did not comfortably warm the buildings, it being com-\\nmon for females to have footstoves in their seats. It is also to be\\nnoticed that most of the early churches were. built near to running\\nstreams, for the purpose of enabling those who attended to procure\\nwater for themselves and their horses. It was common for the\\nminister to hold two services on the Sunday, with an intermission\\nof an hour or half hour; a practice which was continued at Fair-\\nfield within the memory of the writer. The old frame house re-\\nmained until after 1804, about which time the new brick church\\nwas erected at Eoadstown, to which the congregation removed.\\nBrooks was succeeded by William Butcher, who died in 1724,\\nand was succeeded by Nathan Jenkins from 1730 to 1754. Kobert\\nKelsay, from Ireland, came to Cohansey in 1738, became a Baptist", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0097.jp2"}, "98": {"fulltext": "92 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nin 1741, and pastor in 1756, dying in 1789. He frequently, if not\\nstatedly, preached in the court-house at Cohansey Bridge, where\\nthere was no organized church of any denomination until fortj^-five\\nyears after it became the county town. Henry Smalley succeeded\\nhim and died in, 1839. The particulars of the various churches in\\nthe county it is not proposed to continue longer than during the first\\nyears of the present century. This church consists now of 288\\nmembers.\\nEdwards states in his history that Mr. Wrightman, one of their\\nministers, was invited to preach at Fairfield in 171-4, but forgetting\\nhis situation, he talked awa} r as if he had been in a Baptist pulpit,\\nand eight Presbyterians joined the society. But in a note he\\nadds, Since I have been informed but four joined Baptists, the\\nother four were baptized to ease a scrupulous conscience, and then\\nreturned to their own church. Those were days of controversy.\\nHe says, In 1742 a great stir in Cape May but some one of the\\nparty converts joining the other party, caused a howling among the\\nlosing shepherds and issued in a public challenge. Mr. Morgan\\naccepted his antagonist was Rev. Mr. Finley. The contest ended\\nas usual in a double triumph but two things happened to mar the\\nglory of the day. One was a remark that a stander-by (Mr. Lee-\\nman) was heard to make. He was a deist, and therefore a disinte-\\nrested person. He said, The littleman (Finley) is thrown down,\\nand his antagonist will not let him rise for another tussle. Both\\nparties published their discourses.\\nAmong the members of the old Fairfield congregation was Na-\\nthan Lawrence (or as he spelled his name, Lorrance), who was a\\nlarge property owner at Cedarville, on the southern side of Cedar\\nCreek, ne became a Baptist, and was perhaps one of Wright-\\nman s converts in 1714, and was so zealous in propagating his new\\nfaith as frequently to journey with the ministers to Cape May and\\nother places. He erected a meeting-house on his own land, where\\nthe Baptist meeting-house now stands, a little south of the school-\\nhouse. Dying early in 1745, he, by his will, dated November 23,\\n1744, left to his two sons, Jonathan and Nathan, and three daugh-\\nters, several tracts of land and other property, and to his daughter\\nAbigail Elmer (the writer s grandmother) all that messuage called\\nFlying Point, except one acre where the Baptist meeting-house\\nnow standeth, where the Baptist members that liveth on the south\\nside of Cohansey Creek shall think fit to take it, to her or her heirs", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0098.jp2"}, "99": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 93\\nforever by her present husband, Daniel Elmer; they to pay a cer-\\ntain sum to two of his daughters and complying with what shall\\nbe hereafter enjoined. I also lay and enjoin a penalty on all or\\nany of my afore-mentioned children, whereby they, any one or\\nmore, shall forfeit all their lands above mentioned, to their other\\nbrothers and sisters, to be equally divided between them, or pay\\nten pounds current money, amongst their brothers and sisters, for\\nevery time that any of them shall be convicted, or that it shall be\\nmade to appear by any one or more of them, that any one has agreed\\nor obliged him or herself to pay, or has paid any sum of money,\\nor any consideration whatsoever, toward supporting or maintaining\\nminister or congregation of those called Presbyterians, direct or\\nindirect.\\nThis part of the will, however, appears to have been treated by\\nall concerned as mere brutem fulmen, and disregarded. The daugh-\\nter and husband were, or soon became, members of the Presbyterian\\nchurch, and the other children supporters of it. The testator was\\nburied in the ground annexed to the meeting-house, where his tomb-\\nstone was formerly to be seen; but his two sons were buried in the\\nold Cohansey graveyard, on the river side, at New England Town.\\nThe meeting-house does not appear to have been used by the Bap-\\ntists, who were either ignorant of the will, or preferred to concen-\\ntrate their support on the new house recently erected in lower\\nHopewell. During many years after this, those living south of the\\nCohansey were accustomed to cross that river at a place something\\nmore than a mile above Greenwich, which was long known as the\\nBaptist Landing.\\nThe house at Cedarville appears to have been possessed by Daniel\\nElmer during his life, and after the split in the Presbyterian\\nchurch, it was said was frequently used by preachers of the new-\\nlight side, and among others, by the celebrated Whitfield, in 1748.\\nIt was removed by Timothy Elmer, son of Daniel, .and converted\\ninto a barn on his property below the tavern of Cedarville, prior\\nto 1780. The lot was afterwards, about 1828, sold under the Elmer\\ntitle, although then claimed by the Baptists, who soon purchased\\nit, and erected on it the house now in use.\\nA descendant of the Rev. Mr. Brooks, who states that he had\\nbeen a member of the church thirty-two years, and a deacon\\ntwelve, had a bitter controversy in the year 1765 with Jonathan\\nBowen, father of Jonathan Bowen, afterwards of Bridgeton, who", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0099.jp2"}, "100": {"fulltext": "94 EELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nwas also a prominent member of the church, which involved in it\\nthe pastor, Mr. Kelsey, whose daughter had married a son of Mr.\\nBowen. This resulted in the expulsion of Mr. Brooks from the\\nchurch communion, and caused him to print, A plowman s com-\\nplaint against a clergyman, being a letter to the Baptist Associa-\\ntion of Philadelphia. The pamphlet exhibits a sad want of tem-\\nper, and shows that the prevalent habit of freely indulging in the\\nuse of strong drink, which in those days occasioned much scandal\\nin all the churches, had much to do with it. The dispute grew in\\npart out of a controversy about a lot claimed to belong to the par-\\nsonage, at the southwest corner of Bowentown Cross-roads. Mr.\\nKelsey, it appears at length, preached a sermon, taking as his text\\nthe 17th and 18th verses of the 16th chapter of Eomans. This\\nwas of course very offensive to the deacon, who proclaimed before\\nhe left the house, and repeated it in his pamphlet, that he wished\\nthe minister to preach Christ crucified, and not Jonathan Bowen\\ncrucified.\\nEdwards says that in 1716 several of the Baptists embraced the\\nsentiments of the Sabbatarians, who insisted that the seventh day\\nSabbath was of perpetual obligation. This led to the establish-\\nment of the Shiloh Seventh Day Baptist Church about the year\\n1736. The founders were John Sweeney, Dr. Elijah Bowen, John\\nJarman, Eev. Jonathan Davis, Caleb Ayres, and others. About\\nthe year 1790 a considerable number embraced the Universalist\\nsentiments of Winchester, some of whom became in fact deists,\\nwhereby the society was much disturbed and troubled. This diffi-\\nculty has now passed away, and the society, as well as the town\\nitself, surrounded by fertile land, has greatly improved. Their\\ntenets are believed to be the same as those of the regular Calvin-\\nistic Baptists, with the exception of that relating to the observance\\nof the Sabbath. At their first organization they erected a wooden\\nmeeting-house, which, about the year 1761, was superseded by the\\nold brick building still standing on their burial-ground lot. This\\nlatter was in its turn superseded in 185-4 by the present neat edifice\\nof brick, a little nearer to the town than the old one. They have\\nalso a neat and commodious school-house of two stories, in which\\na good school is maintained.\\nAn offset from this church has a building, not very distant, just\\nwithin the limits of Salem County.\\nA regular Baptist Church was formed at Dividing Creek, in", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0100.jp2"}, "101": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 95\\nDowne Township, by members of the old Cohansey Church in the\\nyear 1761, and still continues to flourish, having now 222 mem-\\nbers.\\nThere were also for many years a church called the West Creek\\nBaptist Church, a little west of the boundary between Cumberland\\nand Cape May. The old meeting-house is still standing, but does\\nnot appear now to be used.\\nThe Baptist church in Bridgeton, known as the Second Cohan-\\nsey, was erected by the old Cohansey Church in 1816, during the\\npastorate of Mr. Sm alley, and continued to worship in connection\\nwith them until 1828, when they were constituted a separate\\nchurch, and the Rev. George Spratt was chosen their pastor. In\\n1857 they erected a new and larger building on the north side of\\nCommerce Street. Their members now number 3-18.\\nAnother offset from the old Cohansey is the church at Green-\\nwich, which erected a neat edifice on the north side of the main\\nstreet in 18-1-4. They were constituted a separate church in 1850,\\nand now number 115 members.\\nA church was constituted at Cedarville in 1836, and numbers\\nnow 114 members.\\nMillville Church was constituted in 1842, and has 44 members.\\nThat at Newport was constituted in 1852, and numbers 147 mem-\\nbers. The a^arregate number of members in all the regular Bap-\\ntist churches of the county is 1218.\\nIn 1863 a Baptist church was constituted in Vineland, and a\\nmeeting-house erected. In 1868 the old Second Cohansey Baptist\\nmeeting-house on Pearl Street, Bridgeton, was enlarged, and a new\\nchurch constituted, which is now (1869) very flourishing.\\nNo records or documents remain from which it can be ascer-\\ntained when the Cohansey Church of Fairfield was first estab-\\nlished, although there can be but little doubt that it was not later\\nthan 1690. At first it was like the churches of Connecticut, inde-\\npendent. The Presbytery of Philadelphia, with which it became\\nunited in 1708, was first established in 1705. Before this time a\\nlog meeting-house had been erected at the place known as New\\nEngland Town Cross-Roads, probably on the lot situate on the\\nsouth bank of the Cohansey, where the old graveyard still\\nremains.\\nThe first minister known to have preached here was the Rev.\\nThomas Bridges, belonging to a family of considerable importance", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0101.jp2"}, "102": {"fulltext": "96 KELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nin England, who graduated at Harvard College, and, after being\\nengaged in mercantile pursuits, went to England, and returned to\\nBoston in 1682, with testimonials from John Owen and other emi-\\nnent Dissenters. He appears to have preached for some time in\\nthe West Indies. About the year 1695 he came to Cohansey, and\\nlocated several tracts of land. How long he preached at Fairfield\\nis uncertain; but he is said to have been called from there in 1702,\\nto be the colleague of Mr. Bradstreet in Boston, where he died in\\n1715, at the age of fifty-eight. Whether any one succeeded\\nBridges before 1708 is unknown. Early in that year, at the\\ninstance of his college classmate, Jedediah Andrews, who came to\\nPhiladelphia in 1698, and became the pastor of the first Presbyte-\\nrian church there, being ordained in 1701, Joseph Smith, a gra-\\nduate of Harvard, who had been licensed as a preacher, came to\\nCohansey. Andrews wrote to him that they were the best people\\nof his neighborhood. Smith met the Presbytery in May, 1708,\\nand was ordained and installed in May, 1709; but, complaining of\\nnegligence in making up his support, he soon returned to New\\nEngland.\\nIn 1710 Samuel Exell came to Cohansey, but in 1711 the Pres-\\nbytery wrote to the people that, by the best account they had of\\nhim, they judged him not a suitable person to preside in the work\\nof the ministry. In 1712, John Ogden represented the church in\\nthe Presbytery as an elder, and by him a petition was sent to which\\nno answer was returned. In 1713 Ephraim Sayre appeared as\\nelder, aud asked advice about the choice of a minister. They sent\\nHowell Powell, who had been ordained in Wales, and he was\\ninstalled pastor, continuing until 1717, when he died, leaving\\ndescendants still maintaining a respectable position in the county.\\nAbout this time, or perhaps sooner, the old log meeting-house\\nwas superseded by a comfortable frame building, covered on the\\nsides, as well as the roof, with what in this country are called\\nshingles. It stood on the southeast corner of the old graveyard,\\nand was furnished only with benches, upon which the audience\\nsat. About the year 1775 it became so dilapidated as to be unsafe\\nto preach in, and the benches were taken out, and placed under a\\nlarge white-oak tree at the corner of the lot, which has been cut\\ndown and there, in good weather, the pastor preached. Old in-\\nhabitants of Fairfield have said, and probably with truth, that no\\nperson ever rode to this church in a wheeled vehicle. It was not", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0102.jp2"}, "103": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 97\\nuntil 1780 that the old stone church, now in its turn deserted,\\nwas fit to preach in.\\nHenry Hook, from Ireland, came to Cohansey in 1713, and was\\ninstalled pastor. During his time there was a congregation at\\nGreenwich, to which it would seem that he ministered. In April,\\n1722, Andrews writing to Mather, says: The week before last,\\nby the pressing importunity of the minister of Cohansey, I went\\nthither to heal some differences between the two congregations\\nthere, which being effected contrary to expectation, such charges\\nwere laid against him as have subverted him from acting there or\\nanywhere else. He removed to Delaware, and the New Castle\\nPresbytery met at Cohansey to investigate the case. The judg-\\nment was, that though several things were not proven, yet it was\\ndue to rebuke him openly in Fairfield meeting-house, and to\\nsuspend him for a season. Noyes Parris, a graduate of Harvard,\\npreached to the congregation from 1724 to 172! when having\\nfallen under serious imputations, he in a disorderly manner with-\\ndrew to New England.\\nIn 1729 Rev. Daniel Elmer came from Connecticut, and was\\nordained and installed the pastor. His wife, and the wile of\\nJoseph Smith, who had been settled here a short time twenty years\\nbefore, were connections of the Parsons family, so that it is proba-\\nble Elmer was sent here by Smith. He was a graduate of Yale\\nCollege, and had for some time taught a grammar school at West\\nSpringfield. He found the title of the property at New England\\nTown in a very unsatisfactory situation. lie, however, soon built\\nhimself a comfortable house, near the meeting-house, which was\\nburned down shortly before his death. The church records were\\nthen destroyed. He cultivated the farm adjoining, and it is believed\\nwas sometimes employed as a surveyor, a business to which his\\neldest son Daniel was educated, and which he followed until his death.\\nIn the year 1741 the great schism occurred in the Presbyterian\\nbody, by which it was separated into two parties, called old-lights\\nand new-lights, Mr. Elmer adhering to the old-lights. Whitfield\\npreached in 1740 at Greenwich, and produced a powerful effect on\\nmany of his hearers, including the younger Daniel Elmer, win. was\\nthen married and lived at Cedarville. He joined the new side,\\nand was accustomed, for several years, to pass by his father s\\nmeeting-house, and go to Greenwich, which had a new-light minis-\\nter. When the meeting-house near his residence, built by his", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0103.jp2"}, "104": {"fulltext": "98 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nfather-in-law Lorrance, came into his possession, he was in the\\nhabit of having the prominent new-lights preach there and among\\nthem, the tradition always has been, Whitfield. This must have\\nbeen during his second visit to this country, about 1747-8. It is\\ncertain that the breach went so far, that his children, born in 1750\\nand 1752, were baptized by Mr. Hunter, and not by his father, as\\nthe older ones had been. The writer heard from his father, that\\nupon one occasion, when his son was present, the father preached\\non the subject of the schism, and became so pointed in his remarks\\nthat Daniel left the house. His father, seeing this movement,\\ndirected one of his elders to go out, and require him, in God s\\nname, to return. He refused to obey the summons, and upon the\\nelder being asked if he had summoned him in God s name, he\\nreplied, no; that he did not see that he had any authority to do\\nthat. Thereupon, after a considerable pause, the old gentleman\\nsaid, Perhaps we had better drop the subject, and did so. The\\nminister appears to have frequently complained of his troubles to\\nthe Presbytery. In September, 1754, the Synod appointed a com-\\nmittee to endeavor to remove the difficulties in the congregation\\nbut his death in January, 1755, put an eud to the proceedings.*\\nRev. Daniel Elmer was the grandson of Edward Elmer, who came over from\\nEngland to America as one of the congregation of Rev. Thomas Hooker, in 1632.\\nThey constituted a church at Cambridge, Massachusetts, but in 1636, with Hooker\\nat their head, and carrying Mrs. H. in a litter, driving 100 cattle, for the sake of\\ntheir milk to use by the way, and to stock a new settlement, went across the wil-\\nderness to Hartford, Connecticut. Edward was a magistrate, and purchased a\\nlarge tract of land ou the Podunk River, and was killed by the Indians in 107(3.\\nThe family name was originally Aylmer in Latin, Aimer and were settled in\\nEngland as early as 1306, one of them being a Chief Baron of the Exchequer.\\nJohn Aylmer, who was educated at Oxford, and was a Protestant, was tutor of\\nthe celebrated and unfortunate Lady Jane Grey, and was, in 1568, by Queen\\nElizabeth, made Bishop of London, by the name of John Elmer. Edward is\\nbelieved to have been his grandson.\\nDaniel Elmer had three sons and four daughters, all of whom left descendants,\\nstill remaining in the county, and now become very numerous. His oldest son,\\nDaniel, born in Massachusetts, who died in 1761, clerk of the county court, was a\\nleading citizen at Fairfield, and so was Theophilus. Most of the name now\\nresiding in Bridgeton are descendants of Daniel second, Charles E. Elmer, Esq.,\\nbeing the heir, according to the rules of the common law and his sou Daniel, the\\nseventh oldest son in regular lineal descent, bearing that name.\\nRev. Jonathan Elmer, long a prominent Presbyterian minister in Essex County,\\nN. J., before the Revolution, was a cousin of Rev. Daniel, and has left descendants\\nliving in the northern part of the State and in New York. One of his brothers,\\nwho was a Colonel in the Connecticut line, was commissioned as Samuel Elmore,", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0104.jp2"}, "105": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 99\\nThe people now showed a disposition to unite, and in June,\\n1755, Thomas Ogden, one of the elders, proceeded to New Haven\\nwith a letter from Dr. Alison, of Philadelphia, to Mr. Stiles. He\\nwrites: These wait on you in favor of the church at Fairfield, in\\nNew Jersey, which was formerly under the care of Mr. Daniel\\nElmer. They were divided in his time, but have now agreed, by\\nadvice of our Presbytery, to invite a minister from Connecticut,\\nand, if they can be happily supplied, to bury all their contentions,\\nand to unite under his ministry. No minister was found in\\nConnecticut; but William Ramsey, of Irish descent, who had\\ngraduated at Princeton in 1754, soon went to Fairfield, and was\\nlicensed and ordained, and settled there by the Abingdon Presby-\\ntery, a new-light Presbytery, to which he belonged in 1756. In\\n1758 the breach of the Presbyterian church was healed, and the\\ntwo hostile Synods united; after which Mr. Ramsey and his church\\njoined the old Presbytery of Philadelphia. He was a man of\\nardent piety and eloquence, and succeeded in producing harmony.\\nThe members, as recorded in his record of the Session in 1759,\\nwere 78. In 1758 he married the eldest daughter of Col. Ephraim\\nSeeley, of Bridgeton, his congregation including persons residing\\nthere and at the Indian fields. Col. Seeley was himself a Baptist,\\nbut his wife, in 1761, connected herself with Mr. Ramsey s church,\\nand the family attended his services. Upon the occasion of his\\nmarriage his people purchased a parsonage, consisting of a farm of\\n150 acres in Sayres Neck, about a mile southwest of where the\\nold stone church now stands; and here he resided until his death\\nin 1771. About 1765 a powerful revival of religious feeling\\noccurred, in which, as recorded by Ebenezer Elmer, then about\\nthirteen years old, the young, in general, became very much\\nengaged, and we had meeting at least twiee a week during all the\\nsummer and fall. About sixty new members were added to the\\nchurch.\\nHe was succeeded by the Rev. William Hollinshead, who was\\nquite distinguished as a preacher, and who was installed in 1773.\\nThe troubles and privations produced by the Revolutionary War\\nand having afterwards adopted that spelling, his descendants continue to write\\ntheir names in that way. Several of the name of Elmore have lived in the\\nSouthern States, and perhaps still do; one of whom was formerly a Benator of the\\nUnited States from South Carolina, and one was Treasurer of the Confi\\nStates, when the seat of government was at Montgomery.", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0105.jp2"}, "106": {"fulltext": "100 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nfell heavily on the congregation, and, to increase their difficulties,\\nit became necessary to build a new meeting-house. The ground\\nwas purchased in 1775, and subscriptions obtained to commence\\nthe work. It was, however, suspended until 1780, when, under\\nthe energetic superintendence of Theophilus Elmer, one of the sons\\nof Eev. Daniel Elmer, who resided at New England Town, it was\\nresumed. In September, 1730, Mr. Hollinshead preached the first\\nsermon in it, but a year elapsed before it was completed, and rules\\nadopted for selling and renting the seats. Those down-stairs were\\nrented at the annual rental of \u00c2\u00a365 10s., and those up-stairs at\\nabout \u00c2\u00a336; in all \u00c2\u00a3100, or $266. In 1783 the society was incor-\\nporated by a special act of assembly and in the same year Mr.\\nHollinshead left, having been chosen pastor of the principal\\nchurch in Charleston, South Carolina, where he remained until his\\ndeath. A very signal revival of religion occurred in the winter\\nof 1780-81. The next spring forty-eight new members were\\nadded, and the succeeding winter forty-six more followed by a few\\nothers; in all, during these years, one hundred and fifteen.\\nIn 1786 the parsonage was rented on shares. In 1788 the Eev.\\nEthan Osborn, then 30 years old, of Litchfield, Connecticut, having\\nvisited Philadelphia, was induced by the Rev. Dr. Sproat to extend\\nhis journey to Fairfield. He preached for them on trial, according\\nto the fashion of the day, for six months. March 11th, 1789, the\\ntrustees book records: It was agreed to pay 15s. hard money\\nper week for the keep of Mr. Osborn and horse. This sum was\\nnominally two dollars; but paid in hard money, and making\\nallowance for the difference in prices, was equivalent to five dollars\\nin specie now. Ilaving received a unanimous call to be pastor, he\\naccepted it, and was ordained and installed December 3d, 1789.\\nIn 1791 he married Elizabeth Riley, residing at Indian-fields\\nnear Bridgeton, whose parents formed a part of his congregation,\\nand commenced housekeeping at the parsonage. After a few\\nyears, however, he preferred to follow the New England fashion\\nof having a homestead of his own, and accordingly purchased, and\\nenlarged the house, about a mile from his church, on the northeast\\nside of the road to Cedarville, where he took up his residence in\\n1803, and continued to occupy it fifty-five years; transmitting it to\\nhis family, one of his sons now owning it. His salary at first was\\n\u00c2\u00a3100; soon after his marriage it was raised to \u00c2\u00a3125, but in 1802\\nit was put back to the original sum. In 1803 it was iixed at $300", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0106.jp2"}, "107": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 101\\nand of course included the use or rent of the parsonage farm. In\\n1807 it was resolved to sell the parsonage, and the salary was put\\nat $400. In 1809 the salary was raised to $450, and in 1812 to\\n$500. Upon this pittance he raised a large and interesting family,\\nand although of course always straitened, lived, according to the\\nhabits of his day, in comfort. The writer well remembers calling\\nat his house, with a company of young persons, to see his eldest\\ndaughter, then a young lady of prepossessing manners and appear-\\nance, in the year 1814. Some one asking for water, it was brought\\nin a glass pitcher, but no drinking glasses. With a peculiar\\npleasant smile Mr. Osborn remarked, I would tell you that all our\\nglasses got broken, and in these war times we could not afford to\\nbuy any more, but it rather mortifies Mrs. Osborn (who was present),\\nso I suppose I musn t say anything about it.\\nMr. Osborn was a remarkable man, and obtained a character\\nand influence, not only in his own congregation, but throughout\\nthe county, which no one else can expect to emulate. So scattered\\nwas his congregation, and such had been the effect of the destitu-\\ntion of preaching, following the removal of Mr. Hollinshead, that\\nhe found only 125 members on his arrival. But his labors were\\ngreatly blessed. In 1809 and 1810, there was a special awakening,\\nso that 120 members were added to his church. In 1819 there\\nwas again a revival, 56 being added at one time. Again in 1827\\nthere were 51 additions; and in 1831 about 80 were added. The\\ntotal number of members at that time was 336; and the congrega-\\ntion had so increased that the old stone church had become filled.\\nNot a pew, and scarcely a sitting either on the floor or in the\\nspacious galleries, could be obtained by a new-comer. During his\\npastorate, which lasted fifty-five years, he admitted more than six\\nhundred members to the communion of his church. In 1836,\\nhaving reached his 78th year, Rev. David McKee was installed as\\nco-pastor, and he relinquished $200 of his salary. Mr. McKee\\ncontinued in this relation about two years. In 1.S44 Mr. Osborn\\nresigned, at the age of 86. Ilis last sermon was preached in 1850,\\nin the old stone church, being a solemn farewell to that place,\\nhallowed by so many endearing associations, and to the people so\\nlong under his charge. From this time his faculties gradually\\ndecayed; but he survived eight years longer; at the time of his\\ndecease, lacking only three months and twenty days to make his\\nage one hundred years!\\n8", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0107.jp2"}, "108": {"fulltext": "102 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nThe lower part of the township having, during the fore part of\\nthis century, very considerably increased in population and wealth,\\na disposition began to be shown to establish a new church at Cedar-\\nville. In 1819 the question was brought to a vote of the congre-\\ngation, when 43 voted in favor of the proposition and 45 against\\nit. About 1837 occurred the division of the Presbyterian church\\ninto Old School and New School. Mr. Osborn belonged to the New\\nSchool party, but the preference of many of his church was for the\\nother side. This led to the establishment of the brick church at\\nCedarville, which now numbers 195 members.\\nA New School Presbyterian church was also established about\\nthe same time at Cedarville, which still continues, numbering 120\\nmembers. The congregation worshipping in the stone church soon\\nremoved to the village of Fairton, where a handsome edifice was\\nerected, and the church there now numbers 140 members; claiming,\\nit is believed without dispute, to be the legal successor of the old\\nCohansey Presbyterian Church thus, after near a century and a\\nhalf, multiplied to three; having three pastors and an aggregate of\\n355 members.\\nAt what precise time a Presbyterian church was constituted at\\nGreenwich there is no means of knowing. From the letter of An-\\ndrews, referred to in the account of the church at Fairfield, it ap-\\npears there was a separate congregation there before 1722, to whom\\nthe minister at Fairfield was accustomed to preach. There was a\\nconstant intercourse between the two places, many of the settlers\\nat Greenwich having gone there from Fairfield. Both places, al-\\nthough spoken of for many years as Cohansey, or as in Cohansey,\\nwere named from towns in Connecticut. In 1717 land was con-\\nveyed by Jeremiah Bacon to trustees, for the people called Pres-\\nbyterian on the north side of Cohansey. Although this mode of\\nreferring to them has been thought to indicate that they were con-\\nstituted a distinct church before this time, the language is entirely\\nconsistent with the people being still connected with the Cohansey\\nchurch at Fairfield. Settlers were constantly arriving from Scot-\\nland and the north of Ireland, most of whom established them-\\nselves on the north side of Cohansey, so that while the New Eng-\\nland element prevailed at Fairfield it was otherwise at Greenwich;\\nand when the division occurred, the former, as a general rule, ad-\\nhered to the old side, while the latter were warm supporters of the\\nNew Lights, or followers of Whitfield.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0108.jp2"}, "109": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 103\\nThere is no evidence in the minutes of the Presbytery and Synod\\nof an organized church at Greenwich until 1728, when Ebenezer\\nGould, a graduate of Yale, and friend of Daniel Elmer, was in-\\nstalled the pastor. A wooden meeting-house was erected a little\\nbefore this time, but in a few years was superseded by one of brick\\n31 by 11 feet, which was not finished until 1751, although occu-\\npied for worship several years sooner. It was considered at this\\ntime the largest and most imposing church edifice in South Jersey.\\nAt first the only pews it contained were those constructed around\\nthe walls, each pew being built at the expense of its occupant, the\\narea in the middle being furnished with benches. The galleries\\nwere originally reached by a stairway on the outside of the build-\\ning. It stood on the lot still used as a burial place at the place\\nusually called the head of Greenwich, and remained until\\nwhen one of brick was erected on the opposite side of the street;\\nenlarged to its present dimensions in 1860.\\nGould left in 1739 and went to Long Island. The church re-\\nmained vacant several years, but was from time to time supplied\\nby Teunant, Blair, and other eminent ministers of the new-side.\\nThe celebrated Whitfield preached here in 1710, not in the church\\nbuilding, which could not hold his hearers, but on the side of the\\nhill, northeast of the church, then covered with the original forest.\\nHis journal records that he crossed the Delaware from Philadel-\\nphia in the morning of Monday, preached in the middle of the day\\nat Gloucester, then the county seat, and in the evening at Green-\\nwich, where he passed the night. This was at or near the place\\nnow called Clarksboro 1 then and still the township of Greenwich.\\nOn the next day he rode to Pilesgrove, now Pittsgrove, and preached\\nthere. The next day he preached at what he calls Cohansey, no\\ndoubt meaning Greenwich, from whence on the next day he went\\nto Salem and preached there. At Greenwich, his journal states,\\nThe words gradually struck the hearers till the whole congrega-\\ntion was greatly moved, and two cried out in the bitterness of their\\nsouls after a crucified Saviour, and were scarcely able to stand.\\nAndrew Hunter, from Ireland, an uncleof another Andrew Hun-\\nter, father of the present General Hunter, and of Andrew Hunter,\\nEsq., deceased, an eminent lawyer at Trenton, and formerly Attor-\\nney-General of this State, was settled in 1716 by the New Bruns-\\nwick Presbytery, controlled by the New Lights with which the\\nchurch remained connected until the uniouof the two parties, when", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0109.jp2"}, "110": {"fulltext": "104 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nit returned to the Presbytery of Philadelphia. He was also in-\\nstalled pastor of the Deerfield church, this connection remaining\\nuntil 1760. He died in 1775 of a malignant dysentery, which was\\nvery fatal that year. A vacancy then occurred, during the trouble-\\nsome time of the Eevolution, and the church was obliged to depend\\nupon casual supplies. In 1782 George Faitoute was installed, re-\\nmaining until 1790, when he removed to Long Island. He, how-\\never, occasionally officiated afterwards at Greenwich, the writer\\nhaving been baptized by him there in 1793.\\nIn 1795 a union was formed with the newly-constituted church,\\nat Bridgeton, and William Clarkson was installed as the joint-\\npastor, remaining until 1801, when he removed to Savannah.\\nJonathan Freeman succeeded him in 1805, and remained pastor\\nuntil 1822, when he died. The practice of these ministers was to\\npreach in the morning of the Sabbath at Greenwich, and in the\\nafternoon at Bridgeton. After 1810, when Mr. Freeman took up\\nhis residence in Bridgeton, he also preached in the court-house in\\nthe evenings of Sunday and Wednesday.\\nA parsonage farm was purchased for the Greenwich pastor in\\n1754, near Bowentown, immediately south of the Baptist parson-\\nage. Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Freeman both resided here during the\\nearly part of their settlement, but they both soon removed to\\nBridgetown. It was sold in 1811.\\nThe upper part of Deerfield and Hopewell townships, especially\\nin the neighborhood of the streams flowing into the Cohansey,\\nhaving a fertile soil, were settled at a pretty early date, among\\nwhom were a number of Presbyterians. They, in union with the\\npeople of Pilesgrove, of which Pittsgrove then made a part, took\\nmeasures as early as 1732 to organize a religious society. In 1737\\na log building was erected for worship in Deerfield, and the Rev.\\nDaniel Buckingham preached there, and at Pilesgrove, in 1738.\\nThe Pilesgrove people insisted upon having a distinct organization,\\nand after much contention, a commission of the presbytery acceded\\nto their request, on condition that the house should not be nearer\\nto the Deerfield house than six miles. David Evans was settled at\\nPilesgrove, but the Deerfield Church went over to the new side,\\nand depended on supplies until they united with Greenwich, in\\n1746, and Mr. Hunter became the pastor of the united churches.\\nThis connection, being found too inconvenient, was dissolved in\\n1760.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0110.jp2"}, "111": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 105\\nThe next pastor at Deerfield was Simon Williams, who was set-\\ntled in 1701, and remained two years. In 1707 Enoch Green became\\nthe pastor, and so continued until 1770. when he died. He was much\\nesteemed as a preacher and scholar. For several years he taught a\\nclassical school. In 1777 John Brainerd, a brother of the celebrated\\nmissionary, David Brainerd, was settled. He died in 1781. Both\\nthese ministers were buried there. In 1783 Simon Hyde was\\ninstalled, but he died during the same year. In 1786 William\\nPickles, an Englishman of extraordinary eloquence, was installed.\\nIt was not long, however, before he showed himself unfit for the\\noffice, and he was deposed by the Presbytery. John Davenport suc-\\nceeded him, being installed in 1795, and was dismissed in 1805.\\nNathaniel Reeve was installed in 1795, removing in 1817 to Long\\nIsland. Several others have succeeded, in all not less than seven.\\nThe church is now prosperous, numbering 1-15 members. This\\nchurch is believed to be the only one in the county retaining a farm\\nattached to the parsonage. Besides the farm it owns a considerable\\ntract of wood land, which has been the means, by the sale of the\\nwood, of adding considerably to its resources. The stone church\\nnow occupied was built in 1771 and enlarged and improved in\\n1859.\\nBridgeton remained without any organized church, or any place\\nof worship but the court-house, forty-five years after it became\\nthe county town. The Presbyterians residing there or in the vi-\\ncinity worshipped at Fairfield or Greenwich, and the Baptists at the\\nold Oohansey church, in Lower Hopewell. The question of having\\na church in the town began to be agitated, however, about 177\\nAn unexecuted will of Alexander Moore, on file in the surrogate s\\noffice, dated in that year, contains a devise of a lot of laud Yd by\\n15 perches, lying within and described on the plan of the town\\nmade for him by Daniel Elmer, on the east side of the river, for\\nthe sole use of a Presbyterian meeting-house and burial-ground;\\nand also a legacy of \u00c2\u00a350, to aid in building the house. The lot\\nwas situated on the north side of Commerce Street, a little above\\nwhere Pearl Street now is. In 1774 some subscriptions were made\\nto carry out this plan, and stone was brought on the lot, but the\\nbuilding was never commenced. The stones were used in building\\na house, which used to stand nearly opposite the proposed site at\\nthe corner of Commerce and Pearl Streets, which for many years\\nwas owned and occupied by Mark Riley, who belonged to a family", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0111.jp2"}, "112": {"fulltext": "106 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nfrom Connecticut who settled at an early day on the Indian Field\\ntract.\\nAt this time, and during several years afterwards, the most influ-\\nential, and indeed the larger part of the inhabitants, lived on the\\nwest side of the river. There was no little strife in regard to the\\nsite. Dr. John Fithian offered a lot at the southeast corner of\\nBroad and Giles Streets. Several meetings, to agree upon the place,\\nwere held without any result. At length, in 1791, through the\\ninfluence of Dr. Jonathan Elmer, Col. Potter and Gen. Giles, Mark\\nMiller, the son and heir of Ebenezer Miller, who was a Friend,\\nagreed in consideration of a promise made by his father, to give\\nthe lot, containing two acres, then and still at the extreme west end\\nof the town, to be used, occupied, and enjoyed by the inhabitants\\nof Bridgetown forever, for the purposes of a burying-ground for all\\nsaid inhabitants generally, and for erecting thereon a house for the\\npublic worship of Almighty God. To this lot additions were\\nmade by subsequent purchases.\\nAbout \u00c2\u00a3600, or $1600, were subscribed, and the building com-\\nmenced in 1792, but the money raised was only sufficient to put up\\nthe walls and roof of the house. In 1793 a law of the State was\\nobtained, authorizing the trustees to raise $2000 by means of a\\nlottery, in accordance with a practice then very common. By this\\nmeans the money was obtained, and in 1795 the house was so far\\ncompleted as to be opened for public worship. At this time the\\npublic, or, as it was still called by old people, the King s highway\\nto Greenwich, ran through the middle of the lot, a little south of\\nthe church building but it was now altered by extending to Broad\\nStreet, or, as it was then called, High or Main Street, up to Fourth\\nStreet, as West Street was then called, and the road to Greenwich\\npassed to the north and west of the church lots. The fence around\\nthe graveyard was first put up and the old King s highway closed\\nin 1802. Many of the posts, which were of red cedar, are now,\\nafter a lapse of sixty years, in good condition. In 1792 a church\\nhad been duly constituted by the Presbytery of Philadelphia, which\\nunited with the church at Greenwich, and so continued until the\\ndeath of Mr. Freeman in 1822.\\nBrogan Hoff became the pastor in 1824, and left in 1833. The\\nsession-house at the corner of Commerce and Pearl Streets was\\nbuilt in 1826, and continued to be used there for lectures, prayer\\nmeetings, and the Sabbath school until 1863, when it was removed", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0112.jp2"}, "113": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 107\\nto its present site. In 1834 John Kennedy became the pastor, and\\nremoved in 1833.\\nIn 1835 the congregation resolved to build a new church edifice\\non the east side of the river, which was done, and the house on\\nLaurel Street was opened for worship in 1836. In 1839 Samuel\\nB. Jones became the pastor, and continued until 1863, when he\\nresigned. It contains now 281 members.\\nA second Presbyterian church was organized in 1838, and the\\nstone church on Pearl Street erected in 1840, at first in connection\\nwith the New School Presbytery of Philadelphia, but afterwards\\nunited with the Presbytery of West Jersey. It has 120 members.\\nRecently, in 1869, a new building has been commenced on Com-\\nmerce Street, and a church organized called the West Presbyterian\\nChurch of Bridoreton.\\nA Presbyterian church was organized at Port Elizabeth in 1820,\\nbut was soon removed to Millville. where most of the elders and\\nmembers resided. In 1838 a house was erected in the latter place\\nwhich was enlarged in 1855. There are now 73 members. There\\nis also a new church at Vineland. The whole number of Presby-\\nterian churches in the county at this time being nine, three of\\nwhich are in connection with the New School Presbytery, and six\\nwith the West Jersey Presbytery, Old School, numbering together\\nabout 1250 members.\\nSmith, in his History of New Jersey, published in 1765, describ-\\ning the then condition of Cumberland, states that the places of\\nworship were Episcopalians one, Presbyterian lour, Baptist two,\\nSeventh-day Baptist one, Quakers one. What [dace of worship of\\nPresbyterians besides those at Fairfield, Greenwich, and Deerlield,\\nhe refers to, is uncertain. Probably it was a church erected by the\\nGerman settlers in Upper Hopewell, near the place now called New\\nBoston, about the year 1760, which it appears by the deed was\\ncalled the German Presbyterian Church. It is not known whether\\nit ever had a regular pastor, the building never having been\\nfinished. It stood, however, until about the year 1812, and the\\ngraveyard still remains. The worshippers united with the neigh-\\nboring Presbyterian churches. The Swedes erected a church on\\nthe east side of Maurice River, opposite Buckshootein, in 1 7 1 in\\nwhich worship was maintained by the Missionaries from Sweden,\\nuntil after the Bevolutionary War, when it went to decay, and has\\nlong since entirely disappeared.", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0113.jp2"}, "114": {"fulltext": "103 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nAn Episcopal church was erected at Greenwich, about the year\\n1729, by Nicholas and Leonard Gibbon, of the established church\\nin England, on land belonging to the last named. It is not known\\nwhether it was ever regularly consecrated and received as a regu-\\nlar church edifice, although it was occasionally used for service by\\nthe rector of the Salem church. After the removal and death of\\nthe founders, it seems to have fallen into neglect. The building,\\nwhich was of brick, or a part of it, was for some years occupied as\\na stable, and some thirty years ago was entirely taken down.\\nLeonard Gibbon and his wife were buried in the chancel. Recently\\ntheir remains were carefully removed by some of their descendants\\nand deposited in the Presbyterian graveyard. It was found upon\\nthis occasion, although the gravestones were in the proper positions,\\nthat, either by mistake or design, the husband had been buried at\\nthe side of his wife, with his head in the direction of her feet.\\nA church of the Episcopal order was established in Bridgeton\\nin 1860, which has erected a handsome edifice on Commerce Street,\\nand settled a rector, having members. There are also Epis-\\ncopal churches in Millville and Vineland, in which there are\\nregular services by a missionary.\\nThere are also Roman Catholic chapels in Millville, Port\\nElizabeth, and in Bridgeton.\\nThe German population of Bridgeton to the number of about\\n100, in conjunction with others in Millville, maintain a Lutheran\\nminister, who preaches at the two places on alternate Sundays in\\nthe German language. A new church building has been com-\\nmenced on York Street, Bridgeton. There is also a neatly erected\\nchapel in Upper Deerfield, in connection with the Lutheran church\\nthat has long existed at Friesburg, in which the preaching is now\\nin the English language.\\nMark Reeve and others at Greenwich applied, in 1690, to the\\nSalem monthly meeting of Friends, to assist them in building a\\nmeeting-house, which was erected where the present old Friends\\nmeeting-house now stands, on a part of Reeve s sixteen acre lot.\\nIt was what is termed an indulged meeting, or meeting for worship\\nonly, being under the care of Salem meeting, and continued so until\\n1770, when this and the meeting at Alloway s Creek were united\\nand formed one monthly meeting, to be held alternately at each\\nplace. The number of Friends that settled at Greenwich or else-\\nwhere in the county was never large. At the time of the great", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0114.jp2"}, "115": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 109\\ndivision of the society in 1836, into the two parties generally called\\nOrthodox and Hicksite, the former being the most considerable in\\nnumber, retained the old building where they still worship. The\\nmembers of both sexes number about The other party built\\na new house on the main street about a mile northward of the old\\none, and continue to worship there. They number about\\nmembers.\\nA Friends meeting-house still remains at Port Elizabeth, built\\nin 1800, but the society is now nearly or quite extinct.\\nThe first Sunday school taught in the county was opened in the\\nAcademy on Bank Street, Bridgeton, by Ebenezer Elmer, in 1816.\\nIn the course of a few months a regular society was formed and a\\nschool commenced in the old court-house, which continued to be\\ntaught there until 1829, when it was removed to the new session-\\nhouse at the corner of Commerce and Pearl Streets. AVhile kept\\nin the court-house although most of the teachers and scholars were\\nPresbyterians,, it was a union school. At first, owing to a strange\\nmisconception of the true object of such schools, which is to teach\\nreligious truths and other learning, only as a means of acquiring\\nreligious knowledge, many even religious and well-informed per-\\nsons opposed them. Some thought they would interfere with that\\nfamily and pastoral instruction of youth which Presbyterians\\nespecially had alwaj^s practised, while others held back from that\\nreluctance to understand and engage in a new enterprise which is\\nso common. At first these schools were looked to mainly as a\\nmeans of instruction for the poor. Soon, however, the great good\\nfound uniformly to result from their establishment, not only to the\\npoor and neglected classes but to all the youth, recommended them\\nso strongly that they were gradually introduced at different places.\\nAbout 1830 they were adopted by the churches of all denominations,\\nlost their union character, and are now carried on in connection\\nwith most of the places of religious worship in the county by the\\ndifferent societies using them.\\nThe Methodists made but little progress in the United States\\nuntil after the devolution. Almost all the preachers were from\\nGreat Britain, and all imitated John Wesley in their hostility to\\nthe resistance made by the colonies to the measures adopted by\\nthe King and Parliament. It was not until 1784 that they became\\nan independent society, and adopted the name of the Methodist\\nEpiscopal Church of the United States. Prior to this time the", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0115.jp2"}, "116": {"fulltext": "110 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nsacraments and other ordinances were administered only by the\\nbishops and priests of the Episcopal church, or in rare instances\\nby the ministers of other denominations, to which the converts to\\nMethodism happened to be attached. The first annual conference,\\nwhich was held in 1773, appointed John King and William Wat-\\nters to travel and preach in Jersey. Watters is said to have been\\nthe first native American appointed as a travelling preacher.\\nThe salary allowed in 1784 was sixty-four dollars, and the same\\nsum to the wife if there was one. The preachers, however, were\\nentertained without charge to them by their converts and other\\nfriends, who commonly had some allowance made to them for\\ndoing so by the societies.\\nAs early as the year 1780 there were some converts to Methodism\\nat Port Elizabeth and its vicinity. The first church building in\\nthe county for the exclusive use of this society was erected there\\nin 1786, on ground donated for the purpose by Mrs. Bodley. A\\nMr. Donnelly, who was a local preacher there, died before this\\ntime. In 1798 Dr. Benjamin Fisler, who commenced his ministry\\nin 1791 and preached in Camden, and in 1797 travelled on the\\nSalem Circuit with William McLenahan, which included Salem,\\nCumberland, Cape May, and a considerable part of Gloucester\\nCounty, on account of his feeble health, located at Port Elizabeth,\\nwhere he was an acceptable local preacher for half a century.\\nHe was an intelligent man, who had read a good deal, and although\\na firm believer in the doctrines taught by Benson and Watson,\\nhad no respect for Dr. Clarke s Commentary, which he thought\\ncontained many dangerous errors. He once told the writer he\\nwould not allow Clarke s Life of the Wesley Family, interesting\\nas it is, to be read by his children, on account of the currency\\nit gives to the story of the ghost, thought to have haunted the\\nhouse of John Wesley s father, which practised rappings some-\\nthing like those made by the modern spiritualists. In those days\\nghosts were received with more credit than now Wesley s belief\\nin them having influenced many of his followers.\\nAbout the same time Eli Budd, from Burlington County, belong-\\ning to a family of Friends, who were among the original settlers of\\nthat county, several of whom became Methodists, and some were\\npreachers, purchased land on the upper part of Manamuskin, and\\ncommenced making iron. His son Wesley was quite distinguished\\nas a preacher, and in 1799 rode the Salem Circuit. Afterwards he\\nestablished iron-works at the place long called Cumberland Furnace,", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0116.jp2"}, "117": {"fulltext": "EELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Ill\\nnow Manamuskin Manor; but in the language of Raybold, whose\\nReminiscences of Methodism in West Jersej contains many in-\\nteresting particulars of which free use has been made, he made a\\nshipwreck of his character, happiness and hope, and it may be\\nadded that he also made shipwreck of his worldly prosperity,\\nhaving failed in 1818, and being unable to retrieve his fortune, soon\\nleft the State. His father and brother maintained a good character.\\nEarly in this century a church was built near the iron-works and\\na society organized, which, however, when the works were aban-\\ndoned in soon became nearly or quite extinct. Recently it\\nhas been revived. Fithian Stratton, a famous but very eccentric\\npreacher, also gathered a society at his settlement on Menantico.\\nHe was originally a member of the Presbyterian church in Deer-\\nfield, and fell under church censure for improper conduct appa-\\nrently growing out of his violent temper in 1779, and appears to\\nhave afterwards abandoned that church and joined himself to the Me-\\nthodists. Preachers of this denomination began to gather societies\\nwithin the bounds of the Deerfield congregation as early as 1780,\\nin which and in subsequent years some members of that church\\nwere censured for irregularly withdrawing from its communion\\nand joining the Methodists without a regular dismission. In 1799,\\nMr. Stratton, who had then become a Methodist preacher, sent a\\nwritten request to the pastor and session to be permitted to preach\\nin the church; but this was denied on the ground of his previous\\nconduct. He died in 1811, soon after which his projected borough\\nat Schooner Landing came to an end.\\nThe church now called Woodruffs, in the neighborhood of\\nCarllsburg, was composed originally of several Presbyterians from\\nthe Deerfield church. The meetings were held at first in a school-\\nhouse; Preston Stratton, the class-leader, being a brother of Fithian.\\nIn its best days this class had about twenty members. When\\nPreston Stratton left, his place was supplied by Joel Harris, but he\\nalso soon moved away, and the class went down, the members join-\\ning: another class in Broad Neck. Preaching was resumed in L823\\nand a new class established in 1824, of which the late Judge Wood-\\nruff became the leader. In 1829 a house was built to be used as a\\nschool-house as well as for preaching, and after this there was regu-\\nlar preaching. In 1811 the existing church building was ei\\nthe membership then being twenty-five. This church has never\\nbeen a principal station, but has been either a part of a circuit, or", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0117.jp2"}, "118": {"fulltext": "112 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nof some other station, sometimes Bridgeton, sometimes Willow\\nGrove, sometimes Pittsgrove in Salem County, and now of Cohan-\\nsey.\\nPort Elizabeth circuit has connected with it five other churches\\none of which, viz., West Creek, where there were Methodists as\\nearly as 1790, and a church edifice was built in 1826, is in Cape\\nMay. Some of the members, however, reside in this county. At\\nHeislerville the gospel was preached first in a private house in\\n1800. A meetinghouse was erected in 1828, superseded in 1852\\nby a new and larger edifice. Leesburg society was commenced,\\nabout 1806, and the old church built about 1816, taken down in\\n186-1, and a new and handsome building substituted. It is called\\nHickman Church. Dorchester is a branch from Leesburg, formed\\nin 1856, and a house built the same year. The old church, which\\nwas at one time the place of worship of a flourishing society while\\nCumberland furnace was carried on, but which had become dilapi-\\ndated and the society almost extinct, had its place supplied by a\\nnew edifice in 1862, and the prospect now is that its congregation\\nwill steadily increase.\\nMichael Swing was the pioneer of the Methodists in Fairfield, to\\nwhich place he came from Pennsylvania about the year 1790. He\\nbegan, according to the usual practice, to hold meetings in private\\nhouses, and being a man of property and the owner of a farm\\nadjoining the old Presbyterian graveyard on Cohansey Creek,\\nwhich in his lifetime belonged to the Rev. Daniel Elmer, he in\\n1719, very much at his own expense, built the church near New\\nEnglandtown Cross-roads, which has ever since been known as the\\nSwing meeting-house. It was for a long time the only Methodist\\nmeetingdiouse in the township, and was the third or fourth in the\\ncounty.\\nEaybold tells us that in 1800, R. Swain and R. Lyon travelled\\nthe Salem Circuit, and that on one occasion Lyon announced at a\\nmeeting held in Fairfield, that on that day four weeks he would be\\nthere, preach, pray, work a miracle, and have a revival. Swing\\n(Irving he calls him) disapproved this proceeding, and wrote to\\nSwain to try and meet Lyon at Fairfield, in order to keep him in\\norder. Both the preachers attended at the appointed time, and\\nthere was a great crowd, excited by the announcement of the\\nmiracle. Swain preached then Lyon arose and proclaimed, Lyon\\nis here, and he will yet preach the miracle is there, pointing with", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0118.jp2"}, "119": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION S. 113\\nhis hand; whoever saw the Presbyterian minister and his flock\\nhere before Now, I shall preach, and the Lord will do the resl we\\nshall see the revival. He did preach, and a great revival followed,\\nand the whole affair passed from the minds of the people, who\\nwere too happy in grace to be very critical. This proceeding,\\nstrange as it now seems, was very much in character with many\\nthings done by the early preachers, and the part assigned to Mr.\\nSwing agrees with his character. He was a prudent man, an ex-\\ncellent preacher, and much esteemed not only by his own society,\\nbut by pious people of other denominations. He was a zealous\\nand active member, and officer of the Cumberland Bible Society\\nuntil his death in 1834, at a time when most of the Methodists\\ndeclined to unite with it.\\nThe church he built is now a separate station called from the\\nname of the town near by, Fairton. Formerly it belonged to\\nCumberland circuit, and was then made a station in connection\\nwith Cedarville, where a society was formed in 1883 and a church\\nedifice erected in 1836. Cedarville became a separate station in\\n1861.\\nMethodist circuit riders, local preachers, and exhorters appear to\\nhave established meetings in many different parts of the county\\nbetween 1780 and 1800. The whole county, and most of the time\\nCape May, belonged to the Salem circuit until about 1809, and the\\ndistrict of New Jersey included the whole State and a considerable\\npart of New York. In 1811 the district was divided into two, but\\nwas united in 1816 and so remained until separated in 1823. In\\n1847 the upper part of the State became a part of Newark Confe-\\nrence, the lower part, south of Elizabeth, being the New Jersey\\nConference, comprising four districts, with each a presiding elder.\\nThe labors of the itinerant preachers were very arduous and\\nself-denying, and were greatly blessed in the conversion of many\\nsinners. Iiaybold gives this illustration of what he terms a cure\\nfor the itinerant fever, as related to him by one of the circuit\\nriders Many years ago I travelled Cumberland circuit. There\\nwas residing upon the circuit a brother P a most devotedly\\npious young man, and a local preacher of some few years stain ling.\\nHe resided upon a good farm of his own, where with his small\\nfamily he could live very comfortably indeed, and make money\\ntoo; but whenever I went there he could talk of little else than\\ntravelling to preach the gospel more fully. He was of rather a", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0119.jp2"}, "120": {"fulltext": "114 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nfeeble frame and delicate health, and I informed him, it was my\\njudgment he never could stand constant labor in preaching, while\\nhe could make himself very useful in his present position. The\\nLord, I told him, did not require of men a work for which they\\nwere physically unfitted. All my reasoning would not satisfy him;\\nso at last, during the winter, I requested him to meet me at a cer-\\ntain point and take a tour of two weeks on his native circuit, and\\nafter that he could tell, perhaps, whether travelling and preaching\\nagreed with his constitution. At the appointed time and place we\\nmet. For a week the appointments required two sermons a day;\\nand on. Sundays three sermons, besides meeting classes and other\\nbusiness matters travelling for many miles through the woods\\nand over bad roads on horseback, in weather severely cold, for a\\ngreater part of the time. I kept him at work steadily, occasionally\\nmeeting the class myself. Towards the end of the second week, I\\nfound he was becoming too feeble to go on much farther.\\nOne morning, as we started for the next daily task, heavy clouds\\nhung over, the wind howled among the trees, and snow began\\nto fall quite thickly. Brother P stopped his horse, and said,\\nHad we not better put up somewhere? it will be a storm. A storm,\\nI replied; ,we never stop for a small snow-storm. Poor P\\nwrapped himself closer in his overcoat, and said no more. That\\nnight finished the work of the circuit for the time; we had finished\\nthe two weeks, and he was anxious to start for home, distant some\\nforty miles. The family where we stayed were up at three o clock\\nto start for market, and brother P entreated me to arise at\\nbreakfast and start for home. To please him I did so. We were\\nsoon on the saddle, and in the clear moonlight of an intensely cold\\nmorning we rode about twenty miles without a word of conversa-\\ntion. As the sun arose we came in sight of my residence, but he\\nhad to travel twenty miles farther to reach his home. When we\\nwere about to part, he stopped his horse, and I said, Now, P\\nwhat do you think of the itinerancy? Ah, brother, said he, it will\\nnot do for me; I cannot stand it; I had no idea of the toil and ex-\\nposure, the privations and sufferings. Why, my dear brother, said\\nI, you have been on the lightest work, and in the best part of the\\ncircuit; if this specimen discourages you, I do not know what you\\nwould sa} r to other scenes. Ah, said he, I had better stay at home\\nand attend to ray family and farm, and leave the itinerancy to\\nthose who are stronger than I am; this trial will satisfy me. Poor", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0120.jp2"}, "121": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 115\\nP went home, and had a spell of sickness, but he was cured\\nof the travelling fever.\\nBridgeton was for several years within the Salem circuit. John\\nWalker, one of the preachers, formed a class about the year 1804,\\nseveral Methodists having before this moved into the place.\\nWilliam Brooks, who then carried on a tannery at the southeast\\ncomer of Broad and Atlantic Streets, on the west side of the river,\\nwas the class-leader, and his house was usually the place of meet-\\ning and of entertainment for the preachers. Among the early\\nconverts was Jonathan Brooks, who was for many years a local\\npreacher, and the leading Methodist of the town.\\nHe was a good specimen of an old-fashioned Methodist. An\\nilliterate man, knowing very little but what he learned from the\\nBible, and his own experience as a Christian, of good practical\\nsense in all matters not too much influenced by his prejudices, an\\nearnest exhorter, and maintaining a character above suspicion, he\\nexercised a great and deserved influence, not only in his own\\nsociety, but among the Christian people of other denominations.\\nHe had no toleration, however, for any departure from the early\\nusages of the society; thought a minister would be spoiled by\\nrubbing his back against a college, and opposed till the last, singing\\nin church by note, or with the aid of a choir. Having been him-\\nself ordained as a deacon, and not entitled to administer the sacra-\\nments, he considered himself deprived of a privilege he ought to\\nhave, and was earnest for a reform, which he did not live to see.\\nWhen the first Conference, at which Bishop Iledding presided, was\\nheld in Bridgeton in 1838, he groaned not only in spirit, but very\\naudibly, that only one minister appeared with the old Wesley coat,\\nand but very few exhibited any other than white pocket hand-\\nkerchiefs, remarking to the writer, that the passion for an educated\\nministry, singing out of music-books., c, with which all the young-\\npeople were so taken, he feared would ruin the church.\\nThe building now used as a chapel, and standing at the corner\\nof Bank and Washington Streets, was erected where the brick\\nchurch now stands on Commerce Street, in lb07, and was consecrated\\nby Rev. Joseph Totten, then the presiding elder of the district,\\nwhose residence was on Staten Island. Before long Cumberland\\nCircuit was established, of which this church formed a part until\\n1882, when it became a separate station, and so remains. Tip new\\nbrick church was built in 1833. It deserves notice as showing", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0121.jp2"}, "122": {"fulltext": "116 KELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nthe importance of the two towns; that now the district covering\\nthe southern counties of the State is called Bridgeton district, and\\nSalem ranks as a station. The brick church on Fayette Street,\\ncalled Trinity, was erected in 1854, and that on Bank Street, called\\nthe Central M. E. Church, in 1866. Nothing perhaps marks more\\ndecidedly the change in the Methodist church than that nearly all\\nthe circuits of the county have been abolished, and now most of\\nthe principal churches have separate pastors.\\nMillville contained a few Methodists as early as 1810. Long\\nbefore this time a class existed at White Marsh, distant about four\\nmiles, between Millville and Fairfield. The meetings for preaching\\nin the town were for some time held in a building erected as a\\nschool and meeting-house for all denominations. In 1817 it was\\na regular station of the circuit riders, and about the year 1822 a\\nbuilding of stone, commenced for a dwelling, was purchased and\\nconverted into a church. In 1841: the old church was taken down\\nand the edifice, now called the First Church, erected in its place.\\nIn 1857, the Second Church, in the upper part of the town, near\\nthe cotton mills, was erected.\\nThere were a considerable number of Methodists within the\\nboundaries of the township of Downe as early as 1800, in which\\nyear a class was formed at Haley svi lie, a settlement a little west of\\nMauricetown. In 1811 a church building was erected there, which\\nwas occupied until 1864, when it was superseded by a new one.\\nIn Mauricetown the society worshipped in a school-house until\\n1842, when a church was erected, and this church now gives the\\nname to the station. A Captain Webb, of the English navy, is\\nsaid to have landed at Nantuxet before 1800, and preached a sermon\\nin a barn, and thus commenced a Methodist society, who built a\\nmeeting-house in 1804, which was burned in 1812. The society\\nafter this used a store house. In they erected the present\\nbuilding at Newport.\\nA society was commenced at Dividing Creek in the early part\\nof this century, who erected a house in\\nThere is also a mission station at Port Norris, one at Buckshutem,\\nand another at Centregrove.\\nA class of Methodists was formed and met in the school-house\\nat Jericho, some time before 1\u00c2\u00a342, and in 1^46 they erected the\\nmeeting-house in which they now worship at Roadstown. In 1856", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0122.jp2"}, "123": {"fulltext": "RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 117\\nthe bouse in Upper Hopewell, called Harmony, was erected. These\\ntwo churches are now united in one station.\\nFull statistics of the numbers during the successive years that\\nhave elapsed since its commencement, if they could be obtained,\\nwould present us a proof of the peculiar adaptedness of this society\\nto expand and fill up the waste places in the land, and of the re-\\nmarkable and praise worth} 1 zeal and energy of the preachers and\\nmembers. The number of members returned for Salem circuit in\\n1789 was 680, and in 1790 it was increased to 933. In 1808 the\\nCumberland circuit, which then included Cape May, returned 700\\nmembers. In 1882 Bridgeton station returned 357 members, one\\npreacher, and Cumberland circuit 955 members and two preachers;\\nreturned, being only those belonging to the Conference, and not\\nincluding the local preachers and exhorters, of which there were\\nseveral. The Minutes of the Conference for 1864 returns Bridge-\\nton, Commerce Street, 542 members; Trinity, 220; Koadstown\\nand Harmony, 98; Fairton, 133; Cedarville, 145; Newport, 160\\nMauricetown, 273; Millville (Second Street), 460 Millville (Foun-\\ndry) 175; Vineland, 35; Port Elizabeth, 504; Woodruff and Co-\\nhansey, 86 numbering in all 2831 members, besides those returned\\nas probationers. Some of the members returned as belonging to\\nthe Port Elizabeth Station, reside in the county of Cape May, but\\nthere are others connected with stations out of the bounds of the\\ncounty who reside within it, so that the number in the county may\\nbe safely set down at 2800. Making all due allowance for the\\ngreater facility of becoming members of this society as compared\\nwith some other denominations, this certainly exhibits a wonderful\\nprogress. And when it is added, that the society has constantly\\nemployed about ten regular ministers besides twelve or more local\\npreachers, and that the gospel is statedly preached nearly every\\nSunday and frequently on other days in at least twenty different\\nhouses, the evidence of zeal and industry is wary complete.\\nBesides the white congregations, there are two places of worship\\noccupied by the colored persons, one at Springtown and one at\\nPiercetown, who are supplied by circuit riders appointed by a\\ncolored presiding elder, there being, by a late arrangement, two\\ndistinct districts of colored preachers who belong to the General Con-\\nference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. These two societies\\nhave about 80 members.\\nThe Methodist Protestant church originated about the year 1828.\\ny", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0123.jp2"}, "124": {"fulltext": "118 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.\\nSoon after they built a meeting-house at Cedarville, which, how-\\never, after a few years, was sold, and belongs now to the New School\\nPresbyterians. In 18-17 a society was organized in the old school-\\nhouse called Friendship, on the road leading to Centreville sub-\\nsequently a new building was put up there and it is now connected\\nwith Bridgeton, where a house was erected on Laurel Street in\\n1861. The members of the two number about 160. There are\\nalso small societies and places for preaching at Newport, Port\\nNorris, Millville and Cassaboom, a few miles northeast of that\\nplace. There are about 120 members in these societies, making\\nthe w.hole number about 280 members.\\nThe first African Methodist Episcopal church in this county was\\nformed at Springtown in 1817, and the members then and for some\\ntime afterwards were commonly called Allenites, from the name of\\ntheir first bishop, who resided in Philadelphia. Their first small\\nchurch was burned and was replaced in 1838 by the present edifice\\nof stone. This society has now 126 members.\\nAt Gouldtown a society was formed in 1820, and after a few\\nyears the school-house in which they worshipped until recently,\\nwhich was built originally by Presbyterians at a place about a mile\\nand a half northeast of its present location, was presented to them\\nand moved. The existiug neat edifice was built in 1861 the\\nnumber of members is 85.\\n1 A society was formed at Port Elizabeth in 1836, a meeting-house\\nbuilt in 1838, and there are now 19 members. The society in\\nBackneck, Fairfield Township, was formed in 1838, built a house in\\n1850, and has now 12 members.\\nThe Bridgeton society was formed in 1854, and the next year\\nerected their meeting house in the southwestern part of the town.\\nThere are now 92 members, of which about 27 have been added\\nrecently. A society was formed at Millville in 1864, which is\\ntaking measures to erect a house, numbering now 16 members.\\nIt will be thus seen that the colored race, depressed as they are by\\nman) discouraging circumstances, have the gospel preached to\\nthem, and have about as many church members in proportion to\\ntheir numbers, as the more fortunate whites.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0124.jp2"}, "125": {"fulltext": "CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY. 119\\nCHAPTBE VI\\nCURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY.\\nThe character and amount of the money circulating in a com-\\nmunity is always an important element in determining its true con-\\ndition. It is, however, exceedingly difficult to ascertain what were\\nthe facts of the case a few centuries back in any part of the civi-\\nlized world, and this difficulty is not diminished, but is greatly\\nincreased, when we inquire into the situation of a new settled coun-\\ntry. None of the historians of the American colonies seem to have\\ngiven much attention to this subject, so that they afford us but little\\ninformation in regard to it. All accounts, however, agree in show-\\ning that money was very scarce during the first century after their\\nsettlement. The money of account, as soon as the Dutch govern-\\nment was relinquished, was universally the same as that in Eng-\\nland, namely, pounds, shillings, and pence. A limited amount of\\nEnglish coin, brought over by the immigrants, and a few Spanish\\nand Portuguese gold coins were in circulation, but the most com-\\nmon coins were the pieces of eight, as the Spanish milled dollars\\nwere called, and their subdivisions into halves, quarters, and\\neighths. It appears by some proceedings of the Assembly of Penn-\\nsylvania that pewter and lead coins were used for small change in\\n1698, and there is some reason to believe that a small leaden coin\\nwas used at a somewhat earlier period in New York. Gold and\\nsilver coins cut into parts were resorted to, and were a source of\\nmuch inconvenience and loss up to the period of the Eevolution,\\nand since.\\nAll the coins in use, it would seem, passed in the colonies at a\\nhigher rate than their actual value in England and elsewhere.\\nThey would naturally pass for something above the rate of foreign\\nexchange which varied at different places and times. But legis-\\nlators in those days, as well as some now, supposed that the value\\nof coins or other money might be arbitrarily established by law.\\nThe Assembly of West Jersey, by an act passed in 1681, declared", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0125.jp2"}, "126": {"fulltext": "120 CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY.\\nthat old England money should advance in country pay, viz: The\\nshilling to eighteen pence, and other English coins proportionally,\\nand a New England shilling to fourteen pence, but they declared\\nthe next year that this act should be null and void. In 1693 the\\nsame Assembly, after reciting that it had been found very incon-\\nvenient that money in the province hath differed in value from the\\nsame coin current of our neighboring province of Pennsylvania, to\\nprevent which inconveniency for the future, it was enacted that all\\npillar Mexico and Sivil pieces of eight, of twelve pennyweight,\\nshould pass current for six shillings; thirteen pennyweights, six\\nshillings and two pence, and so on, advancing in nearly the same\\nproportion up to seventeen pennyweights for seven shillings, smaller\\npieces in proportion; all dog dollars at six shillings. In 1686\\nthe Assembly of East Jersey passed an act establishing the value\\nof a piece of eight, weighing fourteen pennyweights, at six shil-\\nlings, and other coins in that proportion, but it was repealed in less\\nthan a year. The two governments were surrendered to the crown\\nin 1702, and the value of money, so far as a law could regulate it,\\nwas established by Queen Anne s proclamation. There is reason\\nto believe that in 1700, or within a few years after that date, the\\nordinary rate of the piece of eight, weighing not less than seven-\\nteen pennyweights, was in Boston six shillings, in New York eight\\nshillings, in New Jersey and Pennsylvania seven shillings six-\\npence, and in Maryland four shillings sixpence.\\nThis variance was much complained of by the English mer-\\nchants, so that in 1704 Queen Anne issued a proclamation for set-\\ntling and ascertaining the currency rates of foreign coins in the\\nAmerican plantations. After reciting the inconveniences occasioned\\nby the different rates of the coin, and that the officers of the mint\\nhad laid before her a table of the value of the several foreign\\ncoins which actually pass in payment in the plantations, according\\nto the weight and assays thereof, viz., Seville pieces of eight, old\\nplate, seventeen pennyweights, twelve grains, four shillings and\\nsixpence; Mexican and pillar pieces of eight, and the old rix\\ndollars of the empire, the same value; and various other enume-\\nrated coins at a value stated, according- to their weight and fme-\\nDog dollars were Dutch thalers, which had on them a figure intended to repre-\\nsent a lion, but more resembling a dog, and hence wore popularly called dog\\ndollars.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0126.jp2"}, "127": {"fulltext": "CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY. 121\\nness. She declares, by the advice of her council, that after the\\nfirst of January next, no Seville, pillar, or Mexican pieces of eight,\\nthough of the full weight of seventeen pennyweights and a half,\\nshall be passed or taken in the colonies or plantations at above the\\nrate of six shillings per piece, and other silver coins in the same\\nproportion. A few years later these same provisions were em-\\nbraced in an act of Parliament, but the proclamation was referred\\nto as fixing the standard up to the Revolution.\\nBills of credit were afterward issued by this standard, each de-\\nnomination being stated to be of the value of a specified number\\nof ounces, pennyweights, and grains of plate, six shilling bills, the\\nequivalents of pieces of eight or dollars, being of the value of\\nseventeen pennyweights and twelve grains of plate the word plate\\nbeing apparently used as equivalent to coin.\\nWhen, and how pieces of eight, came to be commonly called\\ndollars, does not distinctly appear. The name was derived from\\nGermany, there called thaler, in Denmark daler, and earty trans-\\nlated in England, into dollar. The German reicht thaler was of\\nthe same value originally as the Spanish piece of eight reals, a\\nreal being the unit of the Spanish money of account. The Spanish\\nand Mexican pieces of eight, the coin most in use, were probably\\nsoon spoken of as dollars. The first mention of them that has\\nbeen discovered, occurs in the sixth volume of the Records of the\\nProvince of Rhode Island, where, in 1758, the pay of some troops\\nordered to be raised, is stated in dollars, and this designation is\\nrepeated in subsequent years. In 1763 a petition was presented\\nto the legislature of Pennsylvania, from which it appears that a\\nperson living in Maryland had given his bond to a Philadelphia\\ntrader, for the payment of a sum of money in Spanish dollars.\\nThere is no reason to doubt that this designation was in common\\nuse at an earlier date than these records indicate, and it is certain\\nthat in Philadelphia and elsewhere, a Spanish milled dollar was\\nthe standard of value until after the new coinage by the Federal\\ngovernment.\\nSeveral of the colonies established mints for themselves. In\\nMassachusetts, shillings, sixpence, and threepence, were coined as\\nearly as 1652, by a reduction of weight, made to be of two pence\\nin the shilling less value than the English coin, but expected to pass\\nfor the same. Maryland issued some silver coins in L 662, and cop-\\nper half pennies were coined in Carolina, Virginia, and New Jersey,", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0127.jp2"}, "128": {"fulltext": "122 CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY.\\nbesides a few penny and two penny pieces. The British Crown\\nstopped all this coinage except that of copper.\\nThe laws of Great Britain and the provincial acts punishing\\ncounterfeiters of coin, applied only to gold and silver coins, so that\\ncopper coins were frequently made by private individuals. One\\nMark Newbie was an early immigrant who settled in Gloucester\\nCounty, and was a member of the Assembly and councillor in West\\nJersey. A law in that province, passed in 1682, provided that\\nMark Newbie s half pence, called Patrick s half pence, should pass\\nfor a half pence, current pay of this province. A large number of\\nthem had been coined in Ireland, and he continued the coinage in\\nNew Jersey. A report to the New York Assembly in 1787, states\\nthat various kinds of copper coins were in circulation of very\\ndifferent intrinsic values, viz a few genuine British half pence, a\\nnumber of Irish half pence, a very great number of very inferior\\nand lighter half pence, called Birmingham coppers, made there,\\nand imported in casks, and, lately introduced, a very considerable\\nnumber of coppers of the kind that are made in New Jersey, many\\nof them below the proper weight of the Jersey coppers.\\nAmerican traders, especially in the Middle States, were as much\\ndissatisfied with Queen Anne s proclamation, as the English mer-\\nchants were with the colonial rates. Gov. Cornbury suspended its\\noperation in New York, and the other colonies practically disre-\\ngarded it. In fact it appeared then, as it is well known now, that\\nno proclamation or statute can prevent the sale of coin for what it\\nis worth for the purposes of trade, be that more or less than the\\nlegal rates. In 1708 the legislature of New York passed a law\\nfixing the value of silver coins at eight shillings per ounce troy;\\nbut, notwithstanding the law and proclamation, the dollar weighing\\nseventeen and a quarter pennyweights passed for eight shillings,\\nand with some immaterial fluctuations this remained the current\\nrate.\\nSuch, indeed, was the scarcity of coin that there was a great call\\nin the colonies for the issue of paper money, the doing of which\\nwas resisted by the British Board of Trade, to which all questions\\nrelating to the currency were commonly referred by the crown.\\nIt was only on special emergencies, that the governors, who were\\nrestrained by stringent instructions, would sanction them. The first\\nact passed in New Jersey was in 1709, and authorized the issue of\\nbills to the amount of three thousand pounds, for his majesty s", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0128.jp2"}, "129": {"fulltext": "CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY. 123\\nservice, some of which remained in circulation six or eight years,\\nbut were sunk by being paid in for taxes. In 1716 an act passed\\nfor the currency of bills of credit to the amount of eleven thousand\\nsix hundred and seventy-five ounces of plate, or about four thou-\\nsand pounds proclamation money, which were soon paid iu and\\nredeemed.\\nAfter much controversy between the Assembly and Governor\\nBurnet, the former refusing to provide for the support of the\\ngovernment, unless bills of credit were allowed, an agreement was\\ncome to in 1723, by which, as the governor wrote to Lord Carteret,\\nthe Assembly provided for ten years to come for supporting the\\ngovernment, in order to obtain paper money, which their necessities\\nmade inevitable. This act authorized the issuing of forty thou-\\nsand pounds in bills of various denominations, from three pounds\\ndown to a shilling. The preamble makes a long recital of the\\nhardships of his majesty s good subjects within this colony, and\\nstates that though they had enough of the bills of credit of the\\nneighboring provinces, yet to pay the small taxes for the support\\nof the government, they have been obliged to cut down and pay in\\ntheir plate (including, as is believed, silver coin), ear-rings and\\nother jewels. Four thousand pounds of these bills were directed\\nto be paid to the Treasurers of East and West Jersey, for the re-\\ndemption of old bills of credit and other purposes. The rest were\\nput into the hands of loan commissioners in each county, who lent\\nthe money on mortgage of real estate, and on deposits of plate, at\\nan interest of five per cent, per annum, for periods not exceeding\\ntwelve years. The bills were made a legal tender, and heavy\\npenalties were denounced against those refusing them on a sale of\\nlands or goods; and a stay of execution was provided for, until the\\nbills had been six weeks in the hands of the commissioners All\\nthe bills were to be redeemed and cancelled within twelve years.\\nSubsequent laws provided for other issues, amounting in all, pre-\\nvious to the devolution, to about six hundred thousand pounds.\\nThe last act, which was passed in 177-1, was not assented to by\\nGovernor Franklin until an interval of ten years had withdrawn\\nmost of the previous issues from circulation, and not without great\\ndifficulty. The bills under this last act bore date March 26th,\\n1776, and constituted the principal part of the circulation of the\\nState at the commencement of the war. Had the loan system,\\nwhich had been adopted about the same time in Pennsylvania with", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0129.jp2"}, "130": {"fulltext": "124: CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY.\\nsignal success, been rigidly adhered to, the bills would probably\\nhave never depreciated, and would have been easily redeemed.\\nBut some of the acts authorized bills for the expense of the war\\nwith France and other exigencies, and these were only redeemable\\nby taxes which often bore hard on the resources of the colony.\\nMany of the laws proposed by the Assembly were refused the\\nassent of the governor, without which no act could pass, and some\\nthat were assented to by him, the crown refused to sanction. It is\\nsaid by Gordon, in his History of New Jersey, that at one time\\nthese bills were at a discount of sixteen per cent, in exchange for\\nthe bills of New York, and contracts in East Jersey were therefore\\ncommonly based on New York currency. Ebelin, a German his-\\ntorian, whose work has not been translated, states, in reference to\\nNew Jersey, Paper money was first issued in 1709 it had a double\\nvalue; that which circulated in East Jersey had the New York\\nvalue, and in the western part of the State it was the same as in\\nPennsylvania. In the former, the guinea was valued at one pound\\nfifteen shillings; in the latter, one pound fourteen shillings. This\\npaper money circulated in New York as well as in Pennsylvania,\\ntherefore debts could be paid with it in either province. Accord-\\ning to this statement, New Jersey bills passed for a higher rate in\\nYork than in Philadelphia. And this is corroborated by the cor-\\nrespondence of Gov. Morris, who also several times mentions the\\ndifficulty he had in negotiating bills of exchange on London, for\\nwant of a sufficient quantity of currency in specie or in bills to\\nsupply the ordinary necessities of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.\\nHe says, bills for one hundred pounds sterling sold for sixty per\\ncent, in 1741, which was the most he could get in Jersey money.\\nIt may be, however, that at one time the New Jersey bills were at\\na discount in both cities. In 1760 an act was passed authorizing\\nthe Treasurers (for until after the Revolution there were always\\ntwo) to receive the taxes in money as it should pass in the western\\ndivision of the colony and in 1769 an act was passed reciting\\nthat 347,500 pounds in bills had been struck for the use of the\\ncrown in the last war against France, and that the sum of one hun-\\ndred and ninety thousand pounds remained due, therefore directing\\nthis amount to be levied in proportionate taxes yearly till 1783,\\nthe payment to be made in money as it now passes in the western\\ndivision of the colony. As the bills were all proclamation money\\nand receivable for taxes in all parts of the State, this provision", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0130.jp2"}, "131": {"fulltext": "CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY. 125\\nmust have been applicable to payments in coin, requiring them to\\nbe received at the rate of seven shillings sixpence to the dollar\\nand not at the rate of eight shillings.\\nThe bills of 1709 were in the form following, viz This inden-\\nted bill of shillings, due from the colony of New Jersey to the\\npossessor thereof, shall be in value equal to money, and shall be\\naccordingly accepted by the Treasurer of this colony, for the time\\nbeing, in all public payments, and for any fund at any time in the\\nTreasury. Dated New Jersey the 1st of July, 1709. Byorder of the\\nLieutenant-Governor, Council and General Assembly of the said\\nColony. They were signed by four persons named in the law, or\\nany three of them.\\nThe bills authorized by the act of 1723 differed from those before\\nissued. They commenced, This indented bill of ounces of\\nplate due, c. Three pounds were declared equal to eight ounces\\nfifteen pennyweights of plate, and one shilling equal to two penny-\\nweights twenty-two grains of plate, and others in the same propor-\\ntion. Afterwards the form was, This bill by law shall pass cur-\\nrent in New Jersey for ounce penny weights and grains\\nof plate.\\nThe bills issued by virtue of the act of 1774 were of the follow-\\ning form: This bill of one shilling proclamation, is emitted by\\na law of the colony of New Jersey passed in the fourteenth year of\\nthe reign of his Majesty King George the third. Dated March 2(5,\\n1776, and were signed by any two of seven persons named.\\nThe bills of 1780 were as follows, viz: The possessor of this\\nBill shall be paid Spanish milled dollars by the 31st day of\\nDecember, 1786, with interest of like money, at the rate of five per\\ncentum per annum, c, and had an indorsement that the United\\nStates insured the payment.\\nThe bills issued pursuant to the act of 1 781 were of the following\\nform: State of New Jersey. This bill shall pass current for\\nagreebly to an act of the legislature of this State passed\\nJanuary 9, 1761.\\nAll the varieties were printed on coarse paper, with common\\ntype and various devices including, previous to 17*0, the anus of\\nGreat Britain, and were easily counterfeited, which the penalty of\\ndeath was found ineffectual to prevent.\\nThe market price of silver in Philadelphia, which until within\\nthe last century was a more important emporium of trade ami had", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0131.jp2"}, "132": {"fulltext": "126 CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY.\\nmore capital than New York, and, therefore, gave its law in this\\nmatter to the greater part of this State, is stated to have been per\\nounce from 1700 to 1739 various rates from 6s. lOd. to 8s. 9d. The\\nfull weight of a dollar, according to Queen Anne s proclamation,\\nwas 17i pennyweights; but the provincial usage, finally sanctioned\\nby law, was to reckon it at 17 pennyweights. If 17 J penny-\\nweights were worth 7s. and 6d., an ounce was worth something\\nover 8s. 8d. Most of the dollars in circulation did not weigh more\\nthan 17 pennyweights.\\nPaper money was issued in Massachusetts as early as 1690 in\\nNew York and New Jersey 1709 and in Pennsylvania in 1728 but\\nthe subject was a constant source of controversy with the govern-\\nment in Great Britain. The lieutenant-governor of New York\\nwrote to the Duke of New Castle in 1740, that the proclamation\\nand act of Parliament were not enforced; paper bills are the only\\nmoney circulating in New York. In 1746 Alexander and Morris\\nwrote to the duke, that the officers of the government of New Jer-\\nsey had been without any support or salaries to enable them to\\nexecute their offices ever since September, 1744, which they con-\\nceived was chiefly occasioned by the council and late governor s\\nrefusal to pass an act for making forty thousand pounds in bills\\nof credit, which was at several times, passed by the Assembly, and\\noften refused by the council or governor, because they conceived\\nit would tend greatly to the destruction of the properties of the\\npeople of New Jersey and of all his Majesty s subjects, and because\\nat that time the frauds and abuses of paper money in the planta-\\ntions were under the consideration of the British Parliament.\\nIn 1743, Gov. Lewis Morris, of New Jersey, wrote to Gov. Shir-\\nley, Our paper bills being to be destroyed at stated times every\\nyear, and the interest to be paid in that specie every year, makes\\nit necessary for the borrowers to have them, and if they have them\\nnot, to give an extraordinary price for them. The mercantile folks\\nin York and Pennsylvania, and those that keep money in Jersey,\\nhave found their account in this. One effect has been that those\\nin Y. and P. choose to be paid for what they sell rather in Jersey\\ncurrency than their own; a second that the Jersey people rather\\nchoose their own currency than that of their neighbors and as N.\\nY. and Pennsylvania cannot well manage their trade without\\nthe help of Jerse} so they must have in many cases Jersey currency\\nto its nominal value, with respect to New York, it being now", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0132.jp2"}, "133": {"fulltext": "CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY. 127\\nbetween 12 or 13 per cent, better than that, and likely to rise\\nhigher. But with respect to gold and silver its real value is much\\nshort of its nominal value, and probably always will be so while\\nit is in the power of merchants to put what value they think proper\\nupon gold and silver. In a Pennsylvania Gazette of Sept. 1742,\\nthe merchants of Philadelphia, to the amount of seventy-five, pub-\\nlished at what rates they will take gold and silver, and after men-\\ntioning at what prices they will take gold (which not being fixed\\nby act of Parliament they may perhaps have the liberty of doing),\\nthey set the value of French crowns and Spanish milled pieces of\\n8, at 7s. 6d. and all good coined Spanish silver at 8s. 6d. the ounce.\\nTho I believe by the merchants private agreement amongst them-\\nselves, they have always done the same thing since the existence\\nof a paper currency, yet I do not remember so public an instance\\nof defying an act of Parliament.\\nThe amount of bills issued in Pennsylvania was never excessive.\\nThe greatest amount in actual circulation was about 1759, when it\\nwas stated to be 185,000 pounds. The early notes and indeed all\\nthat were issued up to the Revolution, maintained their credit\\nvery well, and but for the expense of the war they would have\\nbeen redeemed at par. In 1753 a struggle began between the\\nAssembly and the Governor which lasted many years. In 1775,\\nGovernor Morris, son of Lewis Morris, states in an angry mes-\\nsage to the Assembly of Pennsylvania, I said the act of the\\n6th of Queen Anne for ascertaining the rates of foreign coins\\nin America was shamefully slighted and disregarded in this\\nprovince, and I say so still. It is known to you and every one\\nthat Spanish pieces of eight, do now and for a number years have\\npassed and been current at 7s. 6c?., when that act requires that they\\nshould pass for six shillings only; and that other coins are current\\nnearly in the same proportion; from whence it appears that though\\nyou call your paper bills, money according to Queen Anne s procla-\\nmation, it is really not so, but twenty-five per cent, worse.\\nIn 1764 the Board of Trade in London made a report to the\\nCrown, in which they assigned six reasons lor restraining the emis-\\nsions of paper bills of credit in America, as a legal tender, one of\\nwhich was that an act of Parliament restraining and regulating the\\npractice in New England had a good effect. Dr. Franklin, who\\nwas then the agent in London for Pennsylvania and New Jersey, pub-\\nlished a paper, entitled remarks and l acts relative to the American", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0133.jp2"}, "134": {"fulltext": "128 CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY.\\npaper money, in which, with his usual ability, he attempted to answer\\nthose reasons, it must be confessed, however, with but indifferent\\nsuccess. He refers to the difficulties that had been occasioned by\\nthe want of a sufficient amount of coin, and the growth that had\\nresulted from the use of paper money. In answer to the sixth\\nreason, which was that in the middle colonies, where the paper\\nmoney had been best supported, the bills had never kept to their\\nnominal value in circulation, he remarks: The fact in the middle\\ncolonies is really this, on the emission of the first paper money, a\\ndifference soon arose between that and silver; the latter having a\\nproperty, the former had not, a property always in demand in the\\ncolonies, to wit, its being fit for a remittance. This property\\nhaving soon found its value, by the merchants bidding on one\\nanother for it, and a dollar thereby coming to be rated at eight\\nshillings in paper money of New York, and seven shillings six\\npence in paper of Pennsylvania, it has continued uniformly at those\\nrates in both provinces, now near forty years, without any variation\\nupon new omissions though in Pennsylvania, it has at times\\nincreased from 15,000 pounds the first sum, to 600,000 pounds or\\nnear it. Whenever bills of exchange have been dearer, the pur-\\nchaser has been constantly obliged to give more in silver as well\\nas in paper for them. It is apparent from these remarks that\\nsilver fluctuated less in value, during the times specified, and com-\\nmanded a less price in paper than is common now a fact which\\nmay be attributed perhaps in part to the much less activity of trade\\nand to the greater expense and risk of sending it abroad. It is\\nmanifest, too, from this history of the currency, that the rates of\\neight shillings in New York, and seven shillings sixpence in New\\nJersey and Pennsylvania for a dollar, instead of four shillings six-\\npence, its real value, or six shillings its proclamation value, origin-\\nated before paper was issued and in part from other causes.\\nThe first notice of money that appears in the minutes of the ge-\\nneral Congress of the colonies, which sat in Philadelphia, occurs\\nJune 14, 1775, when six companies of riflemen were ordered to be\\nraised, and the monthly pay of the officers and privates is stated in\\ndollars and thirds of a dollar. At subsequent times various amounts\\nof money are specified in dollars and ninetieth parts of a dollar.\\nThis shows that a dollar was then understood to be equivalent to\\n7s. 6d. or 90 pennies. Cents or hundredths of a dollar had not yet\\nbeen introduced. At this time the appropriations, paper bills and", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0134.jp2"}, "135": {"fulltext": "CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY. 129\\naccounts of money in all the States were in pounds, shillings, and\\npence, and they so continued until the Federal Government estab-\\nlished a mint. The provincial Congress of Massachusetts Bay, in\\nMay of this year, had ordered 100,000 pounds to be borrowed, and\\nrequested Congress to recommend to the several colonies to give a\\ncurrency to their securities, which were bills for sums not less than\\nfour pounds, promising to repay on the first of June, 1777, the\\nmoney in Spanish milled dollars at six shillings each. What\\ninfluences induced the Congress at Philadelphia to keep their\\naccounts and make their appropriations in dollars and ninetieths\\ndoes not appear, and can only be conjectured.\\nOn the 23d of June, 1775, the Congress resolved to issue paper\\nbills, from one dollar to twenty dollars each, to the amount of two\\nmillion of dollars. They entitled the bearer to receive Spanish\\nmilled dollars, or the value thereof in gold or silver. July 29th\\nthey fixed the quotas of tax each colony was directed to provide to\\nsink its proportion of the bills. Bills of a less denomination than\\na dollar were first directed to be issued Feb. 21, 1776, and were\\nfor one-sixth, one-third, one-half and two thirds of a dollar. Various\\nmeasures were from time to time adopted to keep up the credit of\\nthe continental currency. In June, 1776, Congress requested the\\nseveral legislatures of the colonies to pass laws punishing counter-\\nfeiters. January 14, 1777, they recommended the legislatures of\\nthe States to pass laws to make the bills issued by Congress legal\\ntenders; that debts payable in sterling money be discharged with\\ncontinental dollars at the rate of 4s. 6 per dollar, and all other\\ndebts at the rate fixed by the respective States for the value of\\nSpanish milled dollars. The legislature of New Jersey, as early\\nas September 20, 1776, had made the continental bills a legal tender,\\nand made it a felony punishable with death to counterfeit them or\\nthe bills of the United States of North America. This law said\\nnothing about the rate at which they were to pass, so that they lie-\\ncame legally a tender at the rate of a dollar for six shillings. But\\nan assembly which sat at Haddonfield, Feb. 11, 1777, provided that\\nin all payments and dealings, Spanish mil led dollars weighing 17\\npennyweights, 6 grains, should pass at the rate of seven shillings\\nand sixpence lawful money of this State a dollar, and that con-\\ntinental paper bills should be deemed in value equal to the same,\\nexcept in debts due and payable in British or sterling money, in\\nwhich case they should pass at the rate of four shilling and six-", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0135.jp2"}, "136": {"fulltext": "130 CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY.\\npence. The legislature of Pennsylvania passed a similar law,\\nJanuary 29, 1777. Up to this time, the rate at which the bills of\\nboth provinces were legally to pass was six shillings the dollar\\nbut coin was always worth more. When bills nominally for dollars\\ncame to be made a legal tender as well as those in pounds and\\nshillings, it became absolutel} r essential to designate the relative\\nvalue they should bear. Neither kind would purchase coin at its\\nnominal rate, and very soon the continental money declined in\\nvalue, even relatively to the provincial money.\\nThe New Jersey act of 1777 declared that the Portugal gold\\nhalf Johannes, weighing nine pennyweights, should pass for three\\npounds or eight dollars. This half joe, as it was familiarly called,\\nwhich began to be coined about 1727, must have by this time be-\\ncome the most common gold coin in circulation. The provincial\\nattorne3 T -general, Cortland Skinner, was in the habit of selling a\\nnolle prosequi in assault and battery cases for one of them, and\\nlawyers reckoned their fees in the same coin, until long after the\\nRevolution.\\nIn December, 1777, Congress, by way of aiding the circulation of\\nthe continental bills, after reciting that it was the uniform practice\\nof our enemies to pursue every measure which may tend to dis-\\ntract, divide, and delude the inhabitants of these States, to effect\\nwhich they have promoted associations for supporting the credit\\nof the public money, struck under the authority and sanction of\\nthe King of Great Britain, and thus sap the confidence of the public\\nin the continental bills, they Resolved, that it be earnestly recom-\\nmended to the legislative authorities of the respective States forth-\\nwith to enact laws, requiring all persons possessed of any bills\\nstruck on or before the 19th of April, 1775, to exchange them for\\ncontinental bills or bills of the respective States. This recom-\\nmendation was not complied with in New Jersey until June 8,\\n1771*, when an act was passed declaring that the colonial bills\\nshould continue to be legal tenders until the first day of September\\nthen next, and no longer except for taxes, and that all such bills\\nnot brought into the treasury before the first day of January then\\nnext, should be forever after irredeemable. In consequence of\\nthis act some of the bills issued under the act of 1774, became\\nvalueless in the hands of the holders, and were never redeemed.\\nAt the commencement of the war Congress had no money, and\\nno resource but a resort to paper bills. For a year these were", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0136.jp2"}, "137": {"fulltext": "CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY. 131\\nnearly equal to gold and silver, but the quantity they were obliged\\nto emit exceeded what had been the usual quantity of the circu-\\nlating medium. They began therefore to depreciate, as coin would,\\nhad it been thrown into circulation in equal quantities. But not\\nhaving, like gold and silver, a value in the markets of the world,\\nthe depreciation was more rapid and far greater than could have\\nhappened with them. Legal tender acts, and all other extraordi-\\nnary measures for the support of excessive issues of paper money,\\nwere found to be worse than useless. In two years the continental\\npaper money had fallen to two dollars for one, in three years to four\\nfor one, and in the six months following, that is to say, in 1779, it\\nhad fallen to twenty for one. At this time a circular letter was\\naddressed by Congress to their constituents, signed by their\\nPresident, John Jay. It dwelt on the future resources of the\\ncountry, and insisted upon their ability to make good all their\\nengagements, and even went so far as to urge that paper money\\nis the only kind of money which cannot make itself wings and fly\\naway. It remains with us, it will not forsake us, it is always\\nready and at hand for the purpose of commerce or taxes, and\\nevery industrious man can find it. On the contrary, should Great\\nBritain, like Nineveh, and for the same reason, yet find money,\\nand escape the storm ready to burst upon her, she will find her\\nnational debt in a very different situation. Her territory dimi-\\nnished, her people wasted, her commerce ruined, her monopolies\\ngone, she must provide for the discharge of her immense debt, by\\ntaxes to be paid in specie, in gold or silver, perhaps now buried\\nin the mines of Mexico or Peru, or still concealed in the brooks or\\nrivulets of Africa or Hindostan.\\nBut neither eloquence nor patriotism could hinder the operation\\nof those laws of trade, which, like the law of gravitation, are the\\nlaws imposed by the wise Creator of the universe, and remain un-\\nchanged and unchangeable. The depreciation continued, so that\\nin March, 1780, Congress, admitting that their bills had increased\\nin quantity beyond the sum necessary for a circulating medium,\\nand wanted specific funds, to rest on for their redemption, and were\\nthen passed by common consent, at least 39-40ths below their\\nnominal value, recommended the States to bring them in by taxes\\nor otherwise, at the rate of 40 dollars for one Spanish milled\\ndollar, and that the States issue bills redeemable in six years, with", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0137.jp2"}, "138": {"fulltext": "132 CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY.\\nfive per cent, interest, their payment to be guaranteed by the\\nUnited States.\\nThis recommendation was followed partially by most of the\\nStates; by Pennsylvania in June, 1780. The legislature of New\\nJersey, by act of June 8, 1780, authorized the issuing of 125,000\\npounds of bills in dollars, and in January, 1781, an act was passed\\nreciting that great inconvenience and embarrassment may arise in\\nconsequence of none of the bills of 1780 being of less denomination\\nthan one dollar, and therefore directing that the sum of thirty\\nthousand pounds of equal value should be issued in bills of credit,\\nviz., twenty thousand each of ten different denominations, from\\nseven and sixpence to sixpence each. Both these emissions were\\nknown afterwards as the issue of 1780, and remained for a long\\ntime of greater or less value, being receivable in taxes at par, and\\nafter a time at a discount.\\nThe total amount of continental bills issued amounted in Sep-\\ntember, 1779, to two hundred millions of dollars. During the\\nyear 1780 they depreciated so rapidly, that at the beginning of the\\nyear 1781 they ceased to circulate and died in the hands of their\\npossessors. The total loss to the community, although for the\\ntime great, was not so large as might be supposed. Allowing for\\nthe depreciated value of the bills when they were issued, it was\\nestimated that the actual loss to the people did not much exceed\\nthirty-six millions of dollars; and this loss fell, not suddenly, but\\nby gradual depreciation through several years, so that it did not\\nmuch, if at all exceed, what, had Congress possessed the power of\\ntaxation, would probably have been directly raised in that way.\\nMr. Jefferson calculated the actual expense of the eight years of\\nwar, from the battle of Lexington to the cessation of hostilities, to\\nhave been about one hundred and forty millions, or about seven-\\nteen and a half millions of dollars for each year. The contrast o f\\nthis expenditure, with that incurred in suppressing the late rebellion\\n(not less than a thousand million each year) is very suggestive.\\nAn act of this State passed January 5th, 1761, declared that the\\ncontinental currency should be a legal tender only at its current\\nrates; and in June, a scale of depreciation was established for the\\nadjustment of debts previously contracted, which was somewhat\\naltered in December. By another act, passed in June of this year,\\nit was recited that the several compulsory acts heretofore passed\\nto support the credit of the paper money have not answered the", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0138.jp2"}, "139": {"fulltext": "CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY. 133\\ngood purposes thereby intended, and the acts making the bills a\\nlegal tender were repealed. This act provided that in case of any\\nsuit before May 1st, 1782, the debtor might tender in open court\\nthe bills of the State at their nominal value, which should be a good\\ndischarge of the debt provided that the creditor might demand\\nsecurity for his debt, and if the debtor neglected to give such\\nsecurity, he should be deprived of the benefit of the tender. It\\nappears that the Continental as well as the State bills were very\\nextensively counterfeited. The freeholders of this county, in 1781\\nallowed the several collectors eleven hundred and forty dollars for\\ncounterfeit money received.\\nIn December, 1783, after the peace, the legislature, at the request\\nof Congress, passed an act to raise a revenue of thirty-one thousand\\ntwo hundred and fifty-nine pounds, five shillings, equal to one\\nmillion five hundred thousand dollars, yearly, for twenty-five\\nyears, to be applied in payment of the interest and principal of\\ndebts due by the United States. One of the sections of this act,\\nafter reciting that it will be impracticable to raise the whole or any\\nconsiderable part of said sum in gold or silver, enacts that bills be\\nprinted to the amount of the aforesaid sum, of denominations from\\ntwo shillings and sixpence each, to six pounds, to be received as\\nequivalent to gold and silver in payment of said taxes. The\\ncollectors and treasurers were directed to exchange gold and silver\\nthey might receive for said bills, and all bills paid into the treasury\\nwere to be cancelled. In 1786 these bills were made a legal\\ntender, and were called lawful paper money.\\nIn December, 178-1, the sum of ten thousand pounds was required\\nby law to be raised by tax, to be applied towards the sinking of\\nbills of credit, to be paid in gold or silver, or bills of 1780 and\\n1781, at the rate of three dollars of bills for one of specie. In\\n1786 bills to the amount of one hundred thousand pounds were\\nissued, to be loaned out, interest to be paid annually for seven\\nyears, and then one-fifth to be redeemed yearly. In 1787, it waa\\nenacted that no money should be received by the commissioners\\nof the loan offices, or the treasurer, except gold and silver, and bills\\nunder the acts of 1783 and 1780. In 1788 it was directed that\\nmoney paid into the loan offices should not be re-loaned.\\nLoan offices were first established in this State, in 1723, commis-\\nsioners being appointed for each county, at iir^t by the legislature,\\nafterwards by the boards of justices and freeholders, in some\\n10", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0139.jp2"}, "140": {"fulltext": "134 CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY.\\ncounties two, and in others three, who were constituted corporate\\nbodies. A specific amount of the bills was apportioned to each\\noffice, a certain sum being retained to replace those torn and\\ndefaced. The money was loaned at one time for twelve and at\\nothers for sixteen years, at five per cent, interest, on mortgage\\nsecurity, the interest and a portion of the principal to be returned\\non the 25th of March, yearly. The whole principal might be re-\\npaid on this day and re-loaned but the annual payments of the\\nprincipal were sent to the treasurer s office to be cancelled, or as\\nwas afterwards directed, cancelled by the Board of Freeholders.\\nIn 1735 wheat was authorized to be received at the rate of four\\npence less in value than market price in New York, for the eastern\\ndivision, and at Philadelphia for the western division, to be re-sold\\nfor bills. Gold and silver were to be received at the rates prescribed\\nin Queen Anne s proclamation. The bills were not only made\\nlegal tenders, but heavy penalties were provided for refusing them\\nin payment of debts or produce. Penalties were also enacted for\\nasking or taking any advance or discount on these bills, for bills\\nof New York and Pennsylvania. The business of the loan office\\nin this county was not finally closed until the year 1801.\\nThe act of 1783 was repealed in 1790, and the tax law of this\\nyear requires the taxes to be paid in gold and silver, or notes of the\\nBank of North America. In 1796 such of the bills as were\\nreceivable for taxes, were directed to be paid by the treasurer in\\ngold and silver.\\nIt appears by the proceedings of the Board of Freeholders of this\\ncounty, in 1792, that a settlement had been made with John Mulford,\\nwho had been the county collector, and that the sum of 144 pounds,\\n13s. -id. had been found due to him in old State money. Ebenezer\\nElmer having been appointed by the board to procure this money,\\nreported that he had obtained the same at the following rates, viz:\\n9s. 3c?. old State money, at two for one, 92 pounds 12s. 6c?., at 16s.\\n6(/. for 20s. and 51 pounds, lis. Id. of lawful money at 8s. the\\ndollar; the cost of \u00c2\u00a3144 13s. 4t?. being 125 pounds 2c?. It would\\nseem that all the State bills were redeemed except some of the old\\nemission of 1776, and a small part of the bills of 1780. As early\\nas 1779 an act had been passed declaring that the old bills should not\\nbe a legal tender after September of that year, and if not brought\\ninto the treasury by the first of January next, then they should be\\nirredeemable. The old State money referred to in the settlement", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0140.jp2"}, "141": {"fulltext": "CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY. 135\\nwith Mulford, comprised the bills of 17S0, %nd the lawful money\\nthe bills of 1786.\\nThe first bank established in the State was the Newark\\nBanking and Insurance Company, incorporated in February, 180-i,\\nand authorized to have a branch in Jersey City. In December,\\n1804, The Trenton Banking Company was chartered. In 1807,\\nthe New Brunswick Bank, and afterwards banks were ;iuthorized,\\nin other places. The notes of these institutions, together with those\\nissued by the banks of Philadelphia, New York, and other cities,\\nformed a large part of the circulating medium of the State. They\\nmaintained the specie standard until the war with Great Britain\\nfrom 1811 to 1815, when they depreciated at one time to a discount\\nof thirty cents on the dollar, but during all this time gold and\\nsilver remained the true standard of value, and no attempt was\\nmade to make the paper of the general government, or any other\\npaper, a legal tender.\\nThis very imperfect review of the state of the currency during\\nour colonial state and afterwards, will aid us in appreciating the\\nadvantages we have derived from the currency established by our\\npresent general government, in freeing us from the complicated\\nrates, and inconvenient moneys of account, prevailing in different\\nsections, whatever may be the result of the recent renewal of a\\npaper legal tender currency, as compared with gold and silver, or\\npaper convertible into coin. Mr. Adams, in his report on the\\nsubject of weights and measures, made in 1820, remarks: It is\\nnow nearly thirty years since our new moneys of account, our coins\\nand our mint, have been established. The dollar, under its new\\nstamp, has preserved its name and circulation. The cent has\\nbecome tolerably familiarized to the tongue, wherever it has been\\nmade, by circulation, familiar to the hand. Bat ask a tradesman\\nor shopkeeper in any of our cities what is a dime, or a mill, and\\nthe chances are four in five that he will not understand your\\nquestion. But go to New York and offer in payment the Spanish\\ncoin, the unit of the Spanish piece of eight, and the shop or market\\nman will take it for a shilling. Carry it to Boston or Richmond,\\nand you shall be told that it is not a shilling but a ninepence.\\nBring it to Philadelphia, Baltimore, or the city of Washington,\\nand you shall find it recognized for an eleven penny bit, and if\\nyou ask how that can be, you shall learn that the dollar being of", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0141.jp2"}, "142": {"fulltext": "136 CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY.\\nninety pence, the eighth part of it is nearer to eleven than any\\nother number; and pursuing still further the arithmetic of popular\\ndenominations, you will find that half of eleven is five, or at least,\\nthat half of the eleven penny bit is the fipenny bit, which fipenny\\nbit at Richmond, shrinks to four pence half penny, and at New\\nYork swells to six pence.\\nOne of the articles of the Confederation, which lasted from 1773\\nto 1789, authorized Congress to regulate the alloy and value of coin\\nstruck by their own authority, or by that of the respective States.\\nThe Constitution vested the right of coinage solely in the general\\ngovernment. Early in 1782 a report on the subject of coinage\\nwas made to Congress, by Robert Morris, said to have been the\\nwork of his assistant, Governeur Morris. He proposed as the unit\\nthe fourteen thousand four hundred and fortieth part of a dollar,\\nwhich was found to be a common division for the different cur-\\nrencies in use ten units to be one penny, two pence one bill, ten\\nbills one dollar (about two thirds of a Spanish dollar), ten dollars\\none crown.\\nNo steps were taken to carry this proposition into effect. In\\n1784 Mr. Jefferson reported the plan afterwards adopted. He took\\nthe dollar as the unit, to be of silver, a tenth or dime of silver, and\\na hundredth of copper. In 1785 Congress unanimously resolved,\\nthat the money unit of the United States of America be one dollar;\\nthat the smallest coin be of copper, of which 200 shall pass for one\\ndollar, and that the several pieces shall increase in decimal ratio.\\nIn 1786 they resolved that the money of account should be mills,\\nof which 1000 shall be equal to the Federal dollar; cents, of which\\n100 shall be equal to the dollar; dimes, 10 of which shall be equal\\nto the dollar; and dollars. Eventually, as is well known, this mode\\nof keeping accounts was adopted throughout the Union, except that\\nmills and dimes were dropped, and the accounts were simplified by\\nbeing expressed only in dollars and hundredths. The final arrange-\\nments for establishing a mint and issuing coin were not adopted\\nuntil 1792. The coins authorized were of gold, eagles of ten dol-\\nlars, half and quarter eagles; of silver, dollars, half dollars, quarter\\ndollars, dimes or ten cents, half dimes; of copper, cents and half\\ncents. At later dates one, three, twenty, and fifty dollar pieces have\\nbeen coined in gold; also two cents in copper, the half cent having\\nbeen discontinued.", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0142.jp2"}, "143": {"fulltext": "CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY. 137\\nThe adoption of the dollar was recommended by the circum-\\nstances that it was a very convenient value, was a familiar well\\nknown coin in all parts of the Union, with which the money of\\naccount in use was everywhere compared, and would therefore be well\\nunderstood and readily adopted. The easy mode of reckoning by\\ndecimals was convenient, and capable of being soon understood by\\nall classes. The origin of the mark for dollars, is still a subject\\nof dispute. Some have supposed it to be an imitation of the\\npillars, circled by a wreath, others a combination of U S; and\\nothers, with more plausibility, the figure 8 crossed like the used\\nfor pounds. There seems no reason to doubt, however, that it was\\nadopted in imitation of the same mark used in Portugal, and in\\nsome of the West India Islands. Its origin there we have no\\nmeans of determining. It was not used in the United States until\\nafter the adoption of the Federal coinage. The Ehode Island\\nminutes of the date 1758 are printed with this mark, but an\\nexamination of the original manuscript proved that it was not\\nthen employed, but the word dollars, or the contraction Drs. The\\nearliest manuscript containing it, that has been discovered, was\\nmade in 1795, and the earliest printed book in 1801. After this\\nit became universal; but how it was first introduced, and whether\\nany special means were used to recommend it, seems unknown.\\nAccounts were generally kept in this State in pounds, shillings,\\nand pence, of the 7s. 6d. standard, until after 1799, in which year\\na law was passed requiring all accounts to be kept in dollars or\\nunits, dimes or tenths, cents or hundredths, and mills or thousandths.\\nFor several years, however, aged persons inquiring the price of an\\narticle in West Jersey or Philadelphia, required to be told the\\nvalue in shillings and pence, they not being able to keep in mind\\nthe newly-created cents or their relative value. Even now, in New\\nYork, and in East Jersey, where the eighth of a dollar, so long the\\ncommon coin in use, corresponded with the shilling of account, it\\nis common to state the price of articles, not above two or three\\ndollars, in shillings, as, for instance, ten shillings rather than a\\ndollar and a quarter. So lately as 1820 some traders and tavern\\nkeepers in East Jersey kept their accounts in York currency.\\nTowards the close of the Revolutionary War a considerable\\nnumber of French crowns, worth $1.10, and small sr French\\ncoins, were introduced by the French army, and continued to circu-\\n10*", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0143.jp2"}, "144": {"fulltext": "138 CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY.\\nlate for several years; and since, the French five-franc piece has\\ncirculated to some extent. The principal coins, however, in common\\nuse, continued to be the Spanish and Mexican dollars, and halves and\\nquarters, especially the latter; Spanish and Mexican pistareens,\\nwhich generally passed for twenty cents, although worth only\\nabout seventeen cents; the Spanish or Mexican real or bit, called\\nan eleven penny bit or shilling; and its half called a five penny\\nbit or sixpence. Prices of small articles were adjusted to these 12 J\\nand 6 J cent coins in use, and so continued until within a few years-\\nAbout ten years ago these current coins had become so much worn\\nas to be worth not much more than ten cents and five cents, and\\nfor a short time passed at those rates; but the American dimes\\nand half dimes having been coined to a considerable amount,\\nthey came into common use, and prices were slowly adjusted\\naccordingly.\\nDuring the present century the principal circulating medium\\nhas been bank notes and silver. The gold coin from the American\\nmint having been made of a little more relative value than the\\nsilver, was used for exportation, so that very little was in circu-\\nlation until after 1837, in which year the gold coins were reduced\\nin comparative value, and a few years ago were quite plentiful.\\nThe banks were obliged to suspend the redemption of their bills\\nduring the war commenced in 1812, and for near ten years there\\nwas very little coin in use, small change being supplied at first by\\nthe bills of individuals, and then by those issued by banks and\\nincorporated cities.\\nIn 1815 a temporary law of this State was passed, which provided\\nthat unless the plaintiff in an execution would consent to receive\\ncurrent bills of a bank there should be a stay of the proceedings.\\nIt remained in force about eighteen months; would probably have\\nbeen, held contrary to the Constitution of the United States, but\\nthe question was not raised. The banks have suspended several\\ntimes since for short periods of time. Shortly after the breaking\\nout of the Kebellion the government of the United States issued\\nlarge and small bills, and enacted laws declaring them to be a legal\\ntender in payment of all debts.\\nThe legal interest of money in this State was eight per cent.,\\nuntil 1738, when it was reduced to seven per cent, per annum. In\\n1774 an act was passed lowering the rate to six per cent., but it", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0144.jp2"}, "145": {"fulltext": "CURRENCY OF NEW JERSEY. 139\\nwas disallowed by the crown. The change to six per cent., which\\nnow prevails in most of the State, was made in 1833. Some of the\\neastern cities and counties have special laws authorizing seven per\\ncent.; and appearances indicate that the latter rate will have to bo\\nadopted in all parts of the State.\\nIn 1866 an act passed raising the interest to seven per cent\\nthroughout the State.", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0145.jp2"}, "146": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0146.jp2"}, "147": {"fulltext": "INDEX.\\nAntioch, 20\\nArea and acres of county, 89\\nAssembly, members of, 32.\\nBaptists, 90-95\\nSeventh day, 94\\nBellers survey, 18\\nBoyd, Mrs., 26.\\nBridges, or Indian field tract, 47\\nBridges of county, 23, S3\\nBridgeton, city of, 28, 38, 105\\nCedarville, 21, 102\\nCensus of inhabitants, 37\\nClerks, names of, 28\\nCohansey, 10, 23, 60\\nCongress, members of, 32\\nContinental bills, 131.\\nDeerfield township, 10, 30\\nDorchester, 20, 74\\nDollars, origin, 121\\ncoined by United States, 136\\nmark of for, 137\\nDowne township, 30\\nElections and voters, 31-33\\nElmer, Rev. Daniel, 98\\nElienezer, 15, 64\\nJonathan, 46, 64\\nEpiscopal churches, 108\\nEwing, Mrs., 11\\nFairfield township, 29\\nFenwick, John, 7, 11, 13\\nFithian s journal, 60\\nFranklin on paper money, 127\\nFriends meetings, 6, 108\\nGerman Presbyterians, 107\\nGermans in Bridgeton, 59\\nGibbon tract, 21\\nGlassworks, 82\\nGouldtown, 21\\nGreenwich, 10, 13, 14\\nHancock s mill, 1 6\\nHealth of county, 62\\nIndians, 6\\nIron manufactures, 54, 79, 82\\nLandis township, So\\nLawyers, 66\\nLeesburgh, 74\\nManamuskin, 79\\nMaurice River, 72-74\\nMethodist societies, 110-117\\nMints, 121\\nMillville, 80-85\\nMilitia, 69-71\\nMoney, 119\\nNew England Town, 2\\nNewspapers, 56\\nOsborn, Rev. Ethan, 100\\nOyster grounds, 76\\nPaper money, 119, 130\\nI aterson, Robnrt, 57", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0147.jp2"}, "148": {"fulltext": "142\\nINDEX.\\nParvin house, 27\\nPhysicians, 64\\nProprietors of land, 6\\nPresbyterians, 95\\nPort Elizabeth, 76\\nPotter, Col. David, 41, 69\\nRailroads, 53\\nRoadstown, 16\\nRevolution, expense of, 132\\nReligious denominations, 90\\nSchools, 58\\nSchooner landing, 80\\nSenators of U. S., 32\\nSeeley s mill, 25\\nSheriffs, names of, 34\\nStages and mails, 51\\nSurrogates names, 28\\nSwedish settlers, 5\\nSunday schools, 109\\nTaxes, amount of, 89\\nTea burning, 14\\nTitles of land, 6, 47\\nUnion mill pond, 81\\nVineland, 86.\\nHK195-78", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0148.jp2"}, "149": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0149.jp2"}, "150": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0150.jp2"}, "151": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0151.jp2"}, "152": {"fulltext": "o\\nc, r\\nv", "height": "3296", "width": "1974", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0152.jp2"}, "153": {"fulltext": "*\u00c2\u00b0-v\\ns\\nN MANCHESTER\\nINDIANA", "height": "3296", "width": "1948", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0153.jp2"}, "154": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3420", "width": "2036", "jp2-path": "historyofearlyse00elmer_0154.jp2"}}