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.

I am not publishing the map here–you’ve got to visit History Now and Then to see it.

Jerseyman points out that these proposed settlements were ignored by the actual settlers, at least in the beginning. But like most people, I had no idea there was such a plan in the works. The instructions to James Wasse are also new to me. This post is a keeper for sources relating to the early history of West New Jersey.