October 2010

The Civil War Tax Assessments

October 30, 2010 By Marfy Goodspeed in Hunterdon County Tags: Civil War, taxes

Sometimes you stumble upon a source of information that just knocks your socks off. This is one.

I was researching some names in the Holcombe-Riverview cemetery north of Lambertville when Ancestry.com gave me a glimpse of this amazing source of information of which I was heretofore unaware. For learning about mid-19th century New Jersey residents, this just can’t be beat. I’m talking about the Civil War tax assessment lists that the National Archives have allowed Ancestry.com to digitize. Here’s a sample page:

Archival Sources

October 29, 2010 By Marfy Goodspeed in Bibliographies, Burlington County, West New Jersey

This article is waiting for some major updating.

Wills and Estates

“Burlington Records”

In this post [under “Early Estates”], I mentioned a source identified by William Nelson in Abstracts of Wills, N. J. Archives, as “Burlington Records.” This mystified me but I did not pursue it. Fortunately for me, a reader, Jeff Moore, took the trouble to visit the State Archives and ask Bette Epstein about it. She informed him that the record is titled “Burlington Records 1680.” Jeff referred me to this link on the NJDARM website where the Records are listed as Reel 6, GSU #459321. Jeff pointed out that the GSU number is the same as the Family History Catalog film number (“FHL”), and that a film of the records can be obtained from the Family History Library.

The Cemeteries of Delaware Township

October 20, 2010 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Township, Kitchen Tags: "The Post", cemeteries

It’s mid-October and my thoughts turn to cemeteries. Some time ago I published several articles on the cemeteries of Delaware Township on the “The Delaware Township Post.” I would like to publish them here on my website also, with any additions or corrections that occur to me. The following (somewhat expanded) was published on the Post on January 8, 2008.

James Wasse’s Surveys

October 17, 2010 By Marfy Goodspeed in Burlington County, Gloucester County, Other Sources, West New Jersey Tags: early settlers, proprietors

Once again, Jerseyman has caught me by surprise. He has published a fascinating post relating to early maneuvering before the first Quaker settlers arrived in the Delaware River.

The blog is “History–Now and Then,” by “Jerseyman” and the post in question is The Best Laid Schemes o’Mice an’ Men, Gang aft Agley

Under instructions from the Quaker trustees, James Wasse and Richard Guy had a survey made by Richard Hancock, which was published by John Thornton and Robert Green and titled “A Mapp of Virginia Mary-land, New-Jarsey, New-York & New England,” probably around 1677 or 1678. It showed three designated areas for settlement, one being at “Bethlem” which became Gloucester, another called Antioch where Salem was located, and the third was 5000 acres at the Falls.

John Reading’s Diary

October 17, 2010 By Marfy Goodspeed in Amwell Township, In My Library, Reading Tags: land titles, surveying

This past Saturday, a group of Reading descendants, who have joined together as “The Mount Amwell Project,” gathered in Sergeantsville for one of their regular meetings. I was honored to be asked to speak to the group, and took the opportunity to try out on them a first chapter to a history of Delaware Township that focused on John Reading and his discovery of “Mount Amwell.”

West New Jersey, 1689, Part Two

October 5, 2010 By Marfy Goodspeed in Burlington County, Gloucester County, Reading, West New Jersey Tags: Daniel Coxe, early legislation, early settlers, land titles, proprietors, surveying

The Council of Proprietors’ Other Business

During their meetings held in 1688 and 1689, the Council of Proprietors was setting up rules for how surveys would be obtained, and naming registrars for Burlington and Gloucester counties, who were Samuel Jennings and John Reading, respectively. They did not act for Salem County because it was still under John Fenwick’s control. But there were other matters to attend to.