John Lambert’s Letters, 1/5/1807

By in Delaware Township, Families, Hoppock, Hunterdon County, Lambert Tags:

Letters from John Lambert to granddaughter Susan Hoppock
beginning in 1807 when Lambert was a member of Congress and ending in 1815 when Lambert was in his last year as a U. S. Senator

In 1807, John Lambert, member of Congress from what is today Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, began a correspondence with his granddaughter, Susan M. Hoppock. She was 9 years old, and John Lambert was 61. He loved her very much, but if he saved her letters, they have not survived. However, Susan Hoppock also loved her grandfather, and the letters she received from him were preserved by her descendants and are now kept at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. I visited there and took pictures of every single letter, because someday I hope to write something about John Lambert’s very interesting career. But these letters are so charming in themselves, I’ve decided to publish them from time to time.

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From a Reader

By in Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, Raven Rock-Saxtonville Tags: , , ,

Barbara Ross recently sent me some very interesting information about the Raven Rock neighborhood. I thought it deserved its own post, so here it is.

Two Mysterious Structures Related to Bulls Island

by Barbara Ross, 8/12/2012

It has been noted that a ferry ran between Pennsylvania and New Jersey at a point near the southern tip of Bulls Island. Painter’s Ferry ceased operation in 1814 when the Centre Bridge was constructed, but a private quarry ferry may have been operated at that location for a much longer time, even after 1835 when the Lumberville-Bulls Island Bridge was opened. The construction of two canals (The Delaware Division canal on the Pennsylvania and the Delaware and Raritan on the New Jersey side), both in 1830-34, would have made ferry landings impossible, a situation that undoubtedly provided impetus for the bridge.

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Old Hunt Farm A Place of Interest

By in E. T. Bush, Stockton Tags: , ,

Ancient “Plantation” Has One of the County’s Oldest Dwellings
Workman Leveled Stones

by Egbert T. Bush, Stockton, NJ
published in the Hunterdon Co. Democrat, June 4, 1931

The following is a transcript of the article written by Egbert T. Bush. My comments and annotations are in the footnotes. Unlike the articles by J. M. Hoppock in the Democrat-Advertiser, there were no pictures published along with the Bush articles in the Hunterdon Co. Democrat. So I have taken the liberty of adding my own.

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Saxtonville Tavern’s First Innkeeper

By in Amwell Township, Barber, Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, Raven Rock-Saxtonville Tags: , , , , , ,

And a Farewell to Nathaniel Saxton

Here is Egbert T. Bush’s description of the Saxtonville Tavern:

“This community was well supplied with taverns in the old days and somewhat later. Far up in old Saxtonville stands an interesting tavern house, with its four stone chimneys and low stone walls. It seems to be at least 150 years old, but has no date stone to prove its age. The builder is unknown, as are also the early keepers. It was no doubt built expressly for that purpose, everything about it seeming to spell tavern. This was evidently included among the Nathaniel Saxton properties. Bryan Rogan is known to have kept the old tavern 75 years ago. After him came one—Kiley, and then Austin Bray. Thomas McAlone bought the property later. It is now owned and occupied by his son Wallace W., teacher of the Sergeant’s School. No tavern has been kept here for about 60 years past.”1

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The Last Chapter of the Saxtonville Mill

By in Amwell Township, Barber, Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, Raven Rock-Saxtonville Tags: , , , , ,

After John R. Hamilton disappeared, leaving James Major, Mindert Wilson and Geo. Holcombe with the mill lot on their hands, the State Bank at New Brunswick sued either James Major or Mindert Wilson (I’m still not sure which) in chancery court for the outstanding mortgage. The court ruled in the Bank’s favor, and issued a writ of fieri facias to seize the mill lot at Saxtonville “whereon Myndert Wilson formerly resided,” along with its appurtenances (dwelling house, grist mill and saw mills), and offer them for public sale. Sheriff John Cavanagh conducted the sale on March 17, 1820. John Bray Esq. bid on behalf of the bank, and the property was conveyed to the State Bank at New Brunswick on April 1, 1820 for $4000.1

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