History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey, with biographical sketches of many of their pioneers and prominent men. Edited by W. W. Clayton. Illustrated

Preface

The History of Union and Middlesex Counties, although chiefly a compilation, contains much original matter. It has been the aim of the editor and of his assistants to investigate all original sources of information relating both to the general and local histories of the Counties, and to give due credit for all that has been borrowed, from whatever source. The authorities which have been consulted are numerous, embracing many volumes of history and historical collections, and an almost endless variety of lesser papers and documents, public and private, descending to the minutest details of social, ecclesiastical, and family records, aud covering a period of two hundred and fifty years. That all this matter could be handled and wrought into a volume so comprehensive and exhaustive as the one now before the reader, without any errors or mistakes, would be too much to expect of human vigilance and skill, especially when exercised within the limits prescribed to the compilers.

We have done the best we could under the circumstances. The volume doubtless contains some errors, but we trust that none of them are of so grave a character as to impair the general accuracy and value of the history. Materials have been found for a somewhat larger volume than was originally contemplated in the prospectus. Indeed, such might naturally have been expected from counties so ancient and important as Union and Middlesex, — counties containing the first English settlements in East Jersey, the seats of the Proprietary and Colonial Governments, and the scenes of some of the most stirring and important events of the Revolutionary period. But the work might have been swollen to much larger dimensions, and yet been of less value. For, while it has been the endeavor of the editor to so condense the material introduced as to eliminate all trashy or worthless matter, he has been no less solicitous to conserve all important and valuable information relating to the counties.

The authorities consulted in the volume are chiefly referred to in foot-notes. Due credit has been given in most instances for the borrowed matter. The only exception to this rule is in some cases where assistant writers in furnishing matter to the editor were not sufficiently careful to indicate the sources whence they derived this data. It was afterwards found impossible to accurately insert the proper quotation marks. This explanation will show that, whatever may be the seeming, there has been no intentional plagiarism. Dr. Hatfield's " History of Elizabeth, New Jersey," has been, with his permission, freely used, and has furnished much valuable material relating to Union County and to the Borough and City of Elizabeth. In Middlesex County there is no better historical authority than the gentleman whose accurate and graceful pen has furnished matter for some of the most important chapters in that in FKEFACE.

IV department of the work, — Mr. Charles D. Deshler, of New Brunswick. Mr. Deshler's name is a sufficient guarantee that his part of the work at least has been well done. We acknowledge our indebtedness to him for valuable information and assistance in many ways, also to Dr. Cook, State Geologist, to Professor Smock, and to the members of the press and the county and local officials generally. The countenance and assistance of these gentlemen, and others, have greatly lightened our task in compiling the volume which is herewith submitted to the intelligent judgment of our readers. W. WOODFORD CLAYTON. Philadelphia, July 26, 1882. CONTENTS UNION COUNTY. CHAPTER PAGE XLV.— Township and City of Plainfield . . 297 CHAPTER PAGE I. — Discovery and Occupation of New Nether- XLVL— Township and City of Plainfield (Continued) 302 land . .13 XLVII.— Township and City of Plainfield (Continued) 312 II. — Attempt to Colonize Achter Kull under the XLVIII.— Township and City of Plainfield (Continued) 316 Dutch Rule . . .... 15 XLIX.— Township of Westfield . . . .326 HI.— First English Settlement at Elizabethtown . 17 L. — New Providence 344 LI.— Springfield 362 IV. — Original Patentees and Associates of Eliza- LII. — Union Township 376 bethtown ....... 21 V. — Indian Occupation 40 LIII. — Summit Township 387 VI. — Indian Hostilities 45 LIV. — Linden Township 396 VII. — Physical and Descriptive Features . . 48 LV. — Township of Cranford 402 VIII. — Government of Philip Carteret ... 51 LVI. — Clark Township 409 LVII. — Fanwood Township 411 IX. — Government of Philip Carteret (Continued) 54 X. — Title to Lands 57 XI. — Beginning of the Revolutionary Struggle . 62 XII. — War of the Revolution . . . . 7C MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

XIII.— War of the Revolution (Continued) . . 74 CHAPTER PAGE LVIII. — Organization of Middlesex County . . 417 XIV. — War of the Revolution (Continued) . . 79 XV. — War of the Revolution (Continued) . . 87 XVI. — Early Lawyers, Courts, and Judges . .100 LIX. — A Brief Account of East Jersey . . 420 LX.— Clay District of Middlesex County . . 422 XVII. — Bench and Bar of Union County . .108 XVIII. — Civil Organization ..... 118 LXL— Early Roads 431 LXII. — The Partition Line between East and West XIX.— The Medical Professsion . . . .120 Jersey 437 XX. — Press of Union County .... 135 LXIIL— Courts of Middlesex County . . . 446 XXI. — Union County in the War of the Rebellion. 142 LXIV. — Middlesex County in the Revolution . 452 XXII. — Union County in the War of the Rebellion LXV. — Middlesex County in the Revolution (Con- (Continued) 146 tinued) 462 XXIII. — Union County in the War of the Rebellion LXVI. — Middlesex County in the Revolution (Con- (Continued) 151 tinued) 470 XXIV.— Record of Union County Soldiers, 1861 to LXVII.— Middlesex Men in the Revolutionary War. 492 1865 157 LXVIII.— Bench and Bar of Middlesex . . .496 X'XV.— Township of Elizabethtown . . .173 LXIX. — The Medical Profession in Middlesex XXVI. — Borough of Elizabethtown .... 179 County ....... 511 XXVII.— The City of Elizabeth 184 LXX. — Medical Profession (Continued) . . 522 XXVIII.— City of Elizabeth (Continued) . . .187 LXXL— The Press of Middlesex County . . 528 XXIX.— City of Elizabeth (Continued) . . .191 LXXIL— Middlesex County Civil List . . .532 LXXIII. — Middlesex County in the War of the Revo- XXX.— City of Elizabeth (Continued) . . .195 XXXI.— City of Elizabeth (Continued) . . .217 XXXII.— City of Elizabeth (Continued) . . .227 lution ....... 537 LXXIV. — Record of Middlesex County Men in the XXXIII.— City of Rahway $41 Civil War 539 XXXIV.— City of Rahway (Continued) . . .244 LXXV— Woodbridge 552 XXXV.— City of Rahway (Continued) . . .246 LXXVI.— Woodbridge (Continued) . . . .560 XXXVI.— City of Rahway (Continued) . . .249 LXXVII.— Woodbridge (Continued) . . . .563 XXXVII.— City of Rahway (Continued) . . .251 LXXVIIL— W Ibridge (Continued) . . . . ifl.i XXXVIII.— City of Rahway (Continued) . . .257 LXXIX.— Woodbridge (Continued) . . . .568 XXXIX.— City of Rahway (Continued) . . .258 LXXX.— Woodbridge (Continued) . . . .572 XL.— City of Rahway (Continued) . . .270 LXXXI.— Woodbridge (Continued) . . . .584 XLI.— City of Rahway (Continued) . . .272 XLII.— City of Rahway (Continued) . . .275 LXXXII.— Piscataway 586 LXXXIII.— Piscataway (Continued) . . . .591 XLIII— City of Rahway (Continued) . . .282 LXXXIV.— Piscataway (Continued) . . . .595 XLIV.— Township of Plainfield . . . .296 LXXXV.— City of Perth Amboy . . . .602 V CONTENTS.

VI CHAPTER PAGE CHAPTER PAGE LXXXVL— City of Perth Amboy (Continued) . . 60S XCVII.— City of New Brunswick (Continued) . 711 LXXXVII.— City of Perth Amboy (Continued) . . 614 XCVIIL— North Brunswick 739 LXXXVIII.— City of Perth Amboy (Continued) . . 618 XCIX.— East Brunswick 757 LXXXIX.— City of Perth Amboy (Continued) . . 621 C. — South Brunswick 784 XC— City of Perth Amboy (Continued) . . 628 CI. — Monroe , 797 XCI.— City of Perth Amboy (Continued) . . 631 CII. — Madison 814 XCII.— City of Perth Amboy (Continued) . . 633 CIII.— South Amboy 822 XCIII.— City of New Brunswick . . . .640 CIV. — Raritan Township 839 XCIV.— City of New Brunswick (Continued) . 650 XCV. — City of New Brunswick (Continued) . 656 XCVI. — City of New Brunswick (Continued) . 675 CV. — Raritan Township (Continued) . . 842 CVI.— Sayreville 852 CVIL— Cranbury 862 ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE Adrain, G. B facing 507 Allen, George W., Property of . . . between 394, 395 Appleby, Leonard facing 782 Appleby, Leonard L. F between 782, 783 Ayres, John R. ........ 285 Babcock, John F facing 530 Baker, Aaron M "387 Baker, Henry "342 Baker, James C "384 Barron, John C "584 Bayles, William G "793 Berry, W. H " 582 Bigelow, A. B., Residence of ... . " 402 Boice, Cornelius . . . . . . . .116 Boice, D. J , . . . facing 319 Booream, Henry H. . . . . . . 755 Boynton's Drain-Pipe and Tile Works . . " 570 Brant, William "376 Brown, H. H " 821 Brown, James M. ..... " 578 Buckelew, James ...... " 808 Burnet, Aaron W between 378, 379 Burnet, Daniel " 378, 379 Chapman, James M. facing 510 Clark, A. H. . " 331 Clark, Staats "736 Clark, William, Sr " 328 Clark, William, Jr " 330 Conover, Garret ......

" 738 Coriell, R. R " 321 Coriell, William McD "326 Coriell, William McD., Residence of " 309 Cortelyou, Peter "784 Cory, Joseph "340 Cory, L "334 Crane, John ....... 383 Crane, M. B " 385 Cruser, John S " 796 Cutter, Hampton "580 Cutter, J. C between 580, 581 Cutter, W. H " 580, 581 Dally, Samuel 583 Daly, John J facing 133 Darby, Levi "414 Dayton, Gen. Elias 96 De Forest, W. H., Residence of " 388 Denman, John 408 Dcnman, John C 290 De Voe, Isaao facing 781 Disbrow, Androw J. .... between 782, 783 Disbrow, S. M facing 526 PAGE Doying, I. E., Residence of ... . facing 392 Drake, Lewis "129 Dunham, D. B " 253 Dunham, D. B., Works of ... . " 256 Dunham, H. V 602 Earl, William facing 382 Elmer, John C "128 Essex Felting Mills "410 Excelsior Fire-Brick and Clay Works . between 584, 585 Flatt, William H 286 Freeman, John L. facing 255 Freeman.

John L., Factory of . . . . . . 255 French, Robert ...... facing 341 Hait, Seymour, Residence of ... . " 304 Hall, Alfred "638 Hea.Ney, John S "380 Higgins, D. S. 386 Hill, John B facing 672 Hough, D. C " 132 How, Henry K 756 Howell, Martin A. . facing 655 Hutchinson, John T 387 Hyer, Lewis S. 141 Jardine, Andrew ...... facing 254 Jardine &. Co., Andrew, Factory of . . . . . 254 Jobs, Eugene ....... facing 125 Jones, Evan " 322 Kinch, Frederick A "126 Kirkner, J "324 Kirkner, J., Residence of ... . " 300 Kuhlthau, Philip "757 Laforge, Ira "294 Laforge, I. & J., Works of ... . " 256 Laforge, Joel "294 Lambert, John ...... " 416 Latimer, Henry G between 322, 323 Lee, Thomas facing 415 Letson, Johnson ...... " 660 Leveridge, CA 407 Long, Dennis ...... between 386, 387 Lowry, Robert facing 307 Lufbery, John H "293 Lufbery, Joseph 0 " 293 Magee, Joseph C " 812 Magie, Edwin 385 Male, Job . facing 325 Male, Job, Residence of "298 Map, Outline, of Middlesex County . . . between 12, 13 Map, Outline, of Union County ..." 12, 13 Marsh, S. C. facing 401 Maurer, Henry " 585 ILLUSTRATIONS.

VIII PAGE Mershon, William ■ facing 288 Meyer, Christopher 664 Meyer Rubber Company " 662 Miller, John " 333 Morrogh, Clifford T "522 Munn, George B " 737 National Bank of New Jersey ...... 672 Neilson, John facing 468 New Jersey Rubber Shoe Company ... " 657 Norfolk and New Brunswick Hosiery Company " 658 Ogden, John "195 Osborn, Corra "124 Osborn, Isaac ....... " 292 Parkhurst, A. M " 343 Paxton, John " 811 Pierson, Oliver M " 338 Pierson, Squier ...... " 336 Pillory and Stocks 450 Plainfield Academy 300 Pope, E. R facing 323 Porter, Lucius P "661 Potter, C, Jr " 320 Potter, Jotham 361 Potter Printing-Press Works .... facing 318 Randolph, Asa F "602 Richards, John "374 Rogers, E. Y 117 Rowland, Andrew facing 791 Rowland, Stryker "790 Runyon, Mahlon " 674 Ryno, D. K 295 Salamander Works facing 562 Savage, J. W "287 PAGE Scudder, I. F between 340, 341 Seeley, E. A., Residence and Works of . . facing 413 Smith, Samuel C "375 Snedeker, Thomas S. ..... 788 Spader, Peter . .

" "670 Squier, William C "289 St. John's Church, Elizabeth, 1850 224 St. John's Church, Elizabeth, 1882 226 St. John's Church, Elizabeth, Parsonage of, 1817 . . 225 St. John's Church, Elizabeth, Parsonage of 222 Stites, William facing 373 Street, Robert 383 Sutphen, John C facing 130 Taylor et Bloodgood, Works of . . . . " 410 Teller, Henry W "371 Thompson, John C "524 Thornal, Israel 851 Titsworth, I. D 601 Titsworth, R 134 Townley, J 149 Townley, Robert W facing 185 Tucker, M "332 Tucker, William B "194 TJrmston, John ....... " 252 Vanderventer, J. R " 311 Voorhees, Abraham ...... " 671 Winans, E. P "400 Winans, Job "398 Winans, Jonathan, Jr. ..... " 381 Withington, I. C "786 Witbington, I. C, Residence of " 787 Woodruff, Jonathan "291 Woodruff, Noah "386 I OUTLHSTE MAP Of WŒS&M COTMFfY" s £ * * CO OUTLINE MAP of Kitip'ewed, eæpr&ssZn for t7u_s Work fl v UNION COUNTY.

Chapter I

Flowers and goodly Trees as any they had seene, and very sweet smells came from them." DISCOVERY AND OCCUPATION OF NEW NETHER LAND. Coleman was slain the same day, on his return, by the treacherous arrow of a native, and his body was buried on Sandy Hook, at a place which still bears the name of Colemau's Point. Probably these hos tile savages were of a different tribe from those who met Hudson in so pleasant a manner at his first landing, whom the journalist describes as " Very glad of our comming, and brought greene Tabacco, and gaue vs of it for Kniues and Beads. They go in Deere skins loose, well dressed. They haue yellow Copper. They desire Cloathes, and are very ciuill. They haue great store of Maiz or Indian Wheate, whereof they make good bread. The Countery is full of great and tall Oakes."

Union County, although not organized under this name until the year 1857, embraces territory very anciently known and occupied by Europeans. That portion of it lying along the western shores of Achter Kull, or Newark Bay, was discovered, together with the North River and the Bay of New York, by Henry Hudson and his companions in 1609. Hudson was an Englishman by birth, and previously to sailing upon this voyage had made two trips to America under the auspices of English merchants, with a de sign of discovering a northwest passage to China and the Indies. Failing in these adventures, but not dis couraged, although his former patrons refused tosupply him with a vessel for another voyage, he applied to the rivals of the English, the Dutch East India Com pany of the United Netherlands, by whom he was fitted out with a two-masted " Vlie-boat" of eighty tons burden, called the " Half-Moon."

This adventurous cralt, manned by twenty men, part of whom were Dutch and part English, anchored in Sandy Hook Bay on the 3d of September, 1609. The day following some of the crew landed, who "saw great store of Men, Women, and Children, who gaue them Tabacco at their comming on Land. So they went vp into the Woods, and saw great store of very goodly Oakes, and some Currants. One of them came aboord, and brought some dryed. Many others also came aboord, some in Mantles of Feathers, and some in Skinnes of diverssortsof good Furies. Some women also came with Hempe. They had red Cop per Tabacco pipes, and other things of Copper they did weare about their neckes." 1 Three days later, on Sunday, September 6th, the eye of the adventurous stranger from the Old World first rested on the goodly spot afterwards chosen by the Elizabeth Town Associates as the site of the first colony planted in Union County.

The discoverers were John Coleman and four others, whom Hudson had sent in a boat through the Narrows to explore the harbor, and who, alter finding " very good riding for ships, and a narrow river to the westward between two islands," which they entered and followed a distance of " two leagues to an open sea," must have seen directly before them across that sea, which was New ark Bay, the shores of that beaulilul location chosen ata later time for the first English settlement in East Jersey. The journal of the voyage, kept by Juet, says, " The Lands were as pleasant with Grasse and Returning again through the Narrows, Hudson cast anchor on the llth of September in the harbor of New York, " and saw it was a very good harbor tor all winds." His first landing appears to have been at a point about six miles up on the New York side.

Having thus familiarized himself with the bays and inlets about Manhattan, he prepared next to explore the noble river which bears his name, and which he still hoped might be the long-sought passage to the Indies. With what feelings of joy this thought must have inspired him for a time, and how great must have been the disappointment when he found the 1 Juel's Narrative, in N, Y. HioU troc.Col., i. 135. •2 IS a pearl-merchant of Amsterdam, secured in 1630 and subsequently a tract of land twenty-four by forty eight miles in extent, composing the present counties of Albany, Rensselaer, and part of Columbia, and other wealthy patroons obtained large grants for similar seigniories in other portions of New Netherland. river gradually growing less and less navigable, and saw before him the lofty mountain ranges among which it had its source!

The precise point at which he terminated his voyage northward is not material, though it is believed that he stopped at a point in what is now the town of Half-Moon, in Saratoga County, some eight or ten miles above Albany.1 He returned on the 2d of October, and in consequence of an attack from the Indians at the head of Manhattan Island, "he bore gradually across the river, and an chored in Weehawken Cove, just above Castle Point.2 On the 4th, with fair weather and a northwest wind, he weighed anchor, passed through the Kills to Am boy, and then stood out to sea." The Dutch at the same time were engaged in col onization on the Delaware, which they called the South River, and regarded as a part of New Nether land. This river had also been discovered by Henry Hudson, who sailed into it a short distance prior to entering New York Bay.

The West India Company attempted to settle this portion of their colony as early as the portion on the North River, and to put it all under the government at New Amsterdam. In 1623 the company dispatched a ship under the com mand of Cornelius Jacobse Mey, with settlers fully provided with means of subsistence and with articles of trade. Mey entered the Delaware Bay, and gave his name to the northern cape, — Cape May. After exploring the river he landed, and effected a settlement below Camden, erecting Fort Nassau on a small stream called by the natives Sassackon. Occupation of New Netherland.— The report of Hudson's discovery on his return to Holland created a great stir among the merchants. It had opened a new field for trade which they were eager not only to occupy, but to monopolize. In 1610, it appears that at least one ship was sent hither by the East India Company for the purpose of trading in furs, which it is well known continued for a number of years to be the principal object of commercial at traction to this part of the New World.

Five years after Hudson's voyage, a company of merchants, who had procured from the States-General of Holland a patent for an exclusive trade on Hudson River, had built forts and established trading-posts at New Am sterdam (New York), Albany, and the mouth of the Rondout Kill. The latter was a small redoubt on the site of what is now a part of the city of Kingston, N. Y. It was known as the " Ronduit," from whence comes the name of Rondout.3 The fort near Albany was upon Castle Island, immediately below the present city, and the one at New York was erected on what is now the Battery. It was finished and occupied later than the others, on account of the hostility of the "fierce Manhattans," who were not disposed to allow the Dutch to gain possession of the island. On the expiration of the grant of the United Company of New Netherland, the States-General refused to renew it, but they continued to trade thither until 1623 or 1624, when the Dutch West India Company, a powerful mercantile association chartered in 1621, took possession of the lands temporarily granted to their predecessors.

In 1624, Peter Minuit was ap pointed Director of New Netherlands, built Fort Amsterdam, and brought over colonists who settled on Long Island. Staten Island and Manhattan were purchased of the Indians, and up to 1629 the settle ments were merely trading-posts. In that year the West India Company's Council granted to certain individuals extensive seigniories or tracts of land with feudal rights over the lives and persons of their subjects. Under this grant Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, On the 12th of December, 1630, David Pieterson de Vries left the Texel in command of another vessel, and arrived on the Delaware in the course of the winter. He found none of the Europeans who had preceded him, and Fort Nassau had fallen into the hands of the Indians. Misfortune also awaited the new settlers. Having erected a fort, the commander returned to Holland ; and during his absence a feud arose with one of the native tribes which at length terminated in the massacre of every one of the col onists.

De Vries returned shortly afterwards with a new company, and was only saved from a similar fate by the kindness of an Indian woman. Disheartened by repeated disasters, the colony soon after abandoned the country, and for some years not a single European was left upon the shores of the Dela-ware. The Swedes next visited it, but into their history it is not our purpose here to enter. De Vries, having been driven from the Delaware, next turned his attention to the Hudson, where in a few years he became an influential patroon of New Netherland. About 1640 he purchased of the Indians a tract of about five hundred acres at Tappan, to which he gave the name of " Vriesendael." " It was beautifully situated along the river-side, sheltered by high hills; and the fertile valley through which wound a streams affording handsome mill-seats, yielded hay enough spontaneously for two hundred head of cattle.

Build ings were soon erected, and Vriesendael became for several years the home of its energetic owner." The first attempt was made to plant a colony at Achter Kull, at the close of the year 1651. The policy of the Dutch government had been to encourage the settlement of colonies or manors similar to the lord ships and seigniories of the Old World by men of 1 He explored the river, according to his own account, a distance of fifty-three leagues from its mouth. 2 ..net's Journal, N. T. Hist. Coll., N. S., i. 331, quoted by Winfield. " Brodhead's Hist. N. Y., vol. i. p. 7. ATTEMPTS TO COLONIZE ACHTER KULL UNDER THE DUTCH RULE. 15 large fortunes, known as patroons, to whom peculiar privileges both of trade and government were accorded. These manors were of great extent, aud their proprietors were looked upon as an order of nobility, much like the old barons of the feudal period.

The most desirable tracts, both on the North and South Rivers, had thus been colonized principally by several shrewd and enterprising directors of the Amsterdam Chamber of the West India Com pany. The whole of the neck opposite New Amster dam, as far as the Kills and Newark Bay, together with Staten Island, had been appropriated for years.

Chapter II. Attempts To Colonize Achter Kull Under The Dutch Rule

The lands about Achter Kull and on the Raritan attracted the attention of people in New England and on Long Island, and desiring to found an Eng lish colony there, they applied to Governor Stuyve sant for a grant of land. The circumstances which led to the application were these : Certain New Eng landers from the colony of New Haven, living on the poor and barren soil of Long Island, where they could scarcely gain a subsistence, were desirous of ex changing their situation for the more promising lands of this section of New Jersey. They may also have been actuated by political reasons. Charles II. had been restored to the throne of England, May 29, 1660, and it was but natural that the people of New England, who under the Protectorate had enjoyed the utmost freedom in the administration of their civil affairs, should feel some misgiving as to the se curity of their rights and liberties.

They had, indeed, good reason to apprehend a serious conflict with the new government, and it was with extreme reluctance, especially on the part of the colonists of New Haven, among whom republican seutiments had been most fully developed, that they consented to proclaim the new monarch and to congratulate him on his accession to the throne. It was at this time that the thoughts of the people of Connecticut began to turn to the more liberal Dutch government of New Neth erland, and some of them, together with their friends who had crossed the Sound and settled on Long Island, began to negotiate with Governor Stuyvesant for lands at Achter Kull, on Newark Bay. The first of these was John Stricklan (Strickland), a resident of Huntingdon, on Long Island, who, in behalf of himself and a number of other New England people, addressed the following letters to Capt. Bryan New ton, one of Governor Stuyvesant's Council, by whom they were duly presented to the director-general : Directly west of these colonies stretched for miles along the waters of Achter Kull, and the estuary to the west of Staten Island, one of the most inviting regions in all New Netherland.

To this land was now directed the eager attention of the Hon. Cornells Van Werckhoven, one of the schepens of Utrecht, in Holland. He duly notified the Amsterdam Chamber of his intention to plant two colonies or manors in New Netherland. A commission was thereupon given to Augustine Heermans, of Bohemia, who had made New Amsterdam his home since the year 1633, and had become an influential and wealthy citizen, to purchase these lands from the natives. Accord ingly Heermans negotiated with the resident pro prietors, and purchased for Van Werckhoven the whole of the tract, extending from " the mouth of the Raritan Creek westerly up unto a creek, Mankack kewachky, which runs northwest up into the country, and then from the Raritan Creek aforesaid northerly up along the river behind States Isle unto the creek, namely, from the Raritan Point, called Ompoge,' unto Pechciesse, the aforesaid creek, and so the said creek Pechciesse up to the very head of it, and from thence direct westerly thorowe the Land until it meets with the aforesaid Creek and Meadow Ground called Man kackkewachky aforesaid." '' Possession was given, and the trees in each hook of the tract were marked with the initials of Werckhoven.

The land thus described included the region west of Staten Island, from the Raritan to the Passaic Rivers, and extended back into the country indefinitely.3 "Worthy Sir: after my due respects presented vnto you these few lines Hr to request a keinduess of you. taking you to Le my spetiall frend, and know no other like yuur selff to intrust in such a Case as this: the thing I dezier and sum others with me is this: that you woulde he pleased to take the first and moste sutable oppertunity to speake with the honered gouernor, drziring him to resolue you in these particulars first, whither or no. that place vpon the mayne land which is called Arther Cull be free from any ingagenients: secondly if free: then whither or no he will be plesed to grant it to a Company "f honest men that may dezier to sit doune ther to make a plantasiou voder his gouer nient and that you would be pleased hauing so done to return an answi r by the first, which we shall waight for, and hauing incoragemeut we shall forthwith adres our selues to treat further with him ahoute the mailer thus not doubting of your faithfulluess herin I take leaue ami rest yours lo l.'uuimande Three other tracts, one to the south of the Raritan, and two on Long Island, were purchased lor the same good old Dutchman, with the hope of large gains from each.

But objection having been made on the part of other as greedy speculators against the ac cumulation of so much territory in the hands of one owner, the case was referred to the Amsterdam Chamber, who decided that Van Werckhoven could retain but one of the tracts in question. He chose to locate himself on Long Island, and so commenced there the colony of New Utrecht, so named from his native city in Holland. The title to the land above described reverted, therefore, to the original owners.4 •'.lOHN STl.'KLIN "from Huntington february 15tb 1660. " lett me iutreate you to send the answer to Samuwell Mathie:. at Rus doipe, that it maye tie conveied to me in safety: aud that you woulde be pleased that it muy be kept secret houeuer it goe. "Sr if you can w'h convenience I would intreate you to send me an answer by ye bearer of this, all convenient speede being requisite." i Nuw Amboy, the city of Perth Aniimy. 2 Kasl .lersey Records, lib. i. 9. 3 Hatfield's Elizabeth.