I have written about Locktown’s tavern before—in my article on the life of Daniel Rittenhouse. At the time that I wrote it, I thought he had established the original tavern. That turns out to be not true.
Robins
ROBINS. Also Robbins. Daniel Robins (1666-c.1737) came here from Woodbridge, NJ about the time that Amwell Township was created in 1708. He had hundreds of acres surveyed to him, which he granted to his several sons. One branch of the family added a ‘b’ to their name to distinguish themselves.
Robins/Robbins Tree
I have written quite a bit about Daniel & Mary Robins. They arrived in Amwell Township as early as 1715, making the family among the earliest to physically settle in Hunterdon County. Despite the hardship of raising a family in the wilderness, the Robins succeeded very well. So well, that they got the attention of a newspaper writer.
The Barns-Bearder Farm
My previous article discussed the Bearder family and the home of Andrew Bearder, Sr. on the Locktown Flemington Road. Just east of this farm was another tract that Bearder shared with his son Jacob, but whose ownership goes back much further.
Andrew Bearder, Sr.’s homestead farm was part of Jacob Snyder’s plantation. But the farm next to it on the east was part of the 700 acres first sold by the Haddons to Daniel Robins. (For background on the Haddons, see The Haddon Tract, part one.)
The Locktown Christian Church Cemetery
As a follow-up to my recent article on the history of the Locktown Christian Church, here is a list of the people known to be buried in the cemetery adjacent to the church.
A visit to this interesting cemetery will quickly reveal that there are many graves here that are unmarked. So it is impossible to know who might be the earliest person buried here. The earliest gravestone is for Charity Alley who died in 1843, although Cornelius Williamson Carrell might have died a couple years before that. Oddly enough, Ms. Alley comes first on the list. The last known grave to be added was for Arthur E. Jungblut in 1999.
Harmony School Rightly Named
Reunion Revives Interest in Old-Time Folks of That Neighborhood
Many Trimmers in Vicinity
by Egbert T. Bush, Stockton, N.J.
Hunterdon County Democrat, August 21, 1930
Note: In the summer of 1930, the former students of Harmony School in Raritan Township held a reunion. It was a great success and was written about at length in the Hunterdon Democrat. The school was located on Route 579, north of Harmony School Road, at the junction of 579 and Stone Signpost Road, and had been in existence since at least 1810, and probably earlier.
Boarshead Tavern
Boarshead Tavern One of the Earliest to be Established
Efforts to Find How Long It Has Stood Have Been In Vain
Dr. Pyatt’s Varied Career
By Egbert T. Bush, Stockton, N.J.
The Sutton Family Burying Ground
This article is about one of Delaware Township’s most secretive burying grounds, and is part of a series on Delaware Township cemeteries. It is also a follow-up to my series of articles on Buchanan’s Tavern, since Archibald Buchanan was buried here.1
The Two Taverns at Robins Hill, part four
A response to the article written by Egbert T. Bush on August 7, 1930 entitled “Buchanan’s, A Tavern With A Long History”
The three previous articles on this subject and Mr. Bush’s article can be found by clicking on the topic “Buchanan’s Tavern” in the right-hand column.
The Two Taverns at Robins Hill, part three
A response to the article written by Egbert T. Bush on August 7, 1930 entitled “Buchanan’s, A Tavern With A Long History”
(Part One and Part Two)
Daniel and Frances Robins
Continuing on the quest to find Buchanan’s Tavern, let us return to Daniel Robins, who died in 1763. My previous post mentioned that his wife Frances was named administrator of his estate. Surety (“fellowbondsman”) for administration of the estate was Thomas Atkinson, merchant. The Inventory was made by John Mullinner and John Emley. These were all important men in early Kingwood Township, which is some reflection on Daniel Robins. Thomas Atkinson ran an important store in Kingwood.1 John Emley was a wealthy Quaker and large landowner in Kingwood Township. (He was close enough to the Robins family to be named to make the inventory of Daniel Robins, along with Hugh Hicks.) John Mullinner was also a Quaker of Kingwood Township. With these three Kingwood men involved in the estate, one might conclude that Daniel Robins lived there also, but there is no evidence that he did. Perhaps the real connection was their Quaker religion. Sure enough, the minutes of the Kingwood Monthly Meeting show that on the 10th day of the 7th month (Sept. 10), 1758, Daniel Robins declared himself a Quaker.
Daniel Robins’ House
Previously I have written about the old stone house sitting on top of Robins or Buchanan’s Hill, on the old track of County Route 579. In that article, The Two Taverns at Robins Hill, I described this early resident of Hunterdon County, who died around 1737. After the article was published, I was contacted by Carl MacDonald who’s family has owned the property, and he sent me an early picture of the house.
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