Woodbridge and vicinity. The story of a New Jersey township

Preface

It has been the ahii of the author of this volume to transfer and preserve every fact given in the early records of Woodbridge Township, and to exhibit an authentic pen-picture of the ancient hamlet. It was once a much more conspicuous and important place than it now is, and deserves, tlierefore, all the study we have bestowed upon its interesting histor}-.

The proceedings of the town meetings are comprised in three MS. books, the last of which comes down to our own time in its dates and facts. The first is rapidly going to pieces; but, fortunately, it was copied by Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, Jr. (not the Town Clerk), in 1775, by order of the town meeting; and as the copy was conscientiously made, being diligentlv compared with the original by a committee chosen when it was completed, I have relied upon it in writing my earlier pages. This I have been compelled to do because the leaves of Liber A are, in many places, torn or worn so badly that it is impossible to read their contents. Many leaves are detached or very loose, and nearly all are very much faded and soiled. So that, like the memory of those whose deeds it tells, the old book is passing awa3^ Liber B is full of loose leaves and is also soiled — the dark brown leather cover being almost similar, in color, to the pages within. The last entry in Liber A is dated March 13, 1716, and the first in Liber B bears date March 12, 1 7 17. The third book, which begins in 1799, comes down to our own time.

In the Spring of 1859, a reward was offered for the recovery of the Freeholders' Book of Records, and the matter was reely advertised by the town authorities. The book, a large

IV PREFACK.

and valuable MS. volume, dating from May 30, 1707, to a recent time, was found ; and to this I have had recourse for many facts.

But it would be a tedious task to indicate, in this place, the many sources whence we have derived the material of our history. Reference will be made to them by foot notes. For valuable aid afforded, I am much indebted to William A. Whitehead, the eminent New Jersey historian ; to Abel V. Shotwell, of Rahway ; to T. H. Morris, Jeremiah Dally, Dr. E. B. Freeman,, and many others, to whom due credit has been given.

The first three chapters of this volume, as will be observed, are introductory in character — intended to give a general view of the early settlement. The subsequent chapters will be more satisfactory to the majority of our readers, because they enter more minutely into the history of the town.

I submit these pages, which represent months of honest and earnest toil not unmixed with pleasure, to the candid criticism of those who love to study the ways and doings of the people of "ye olden time."

J. W. DALLY.

W00D3RIDGE, N. J., September, 1873.

WOODBRIDGE AND VICINITY.