Richard Bull, Surveyor

December 8, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Bull, Families, Gloucester County, Green, Hunterdon, Reading, West New Jersey Tags: early settlers, land titles, Pauch Farm, proprietors, surveying

The second in the series Hunterdon’s First Settlers

Technically, I should not include Richard Bull in the series “First Settlers of Hunterdon County,” since he never actually lived in Hunterdon, but he certainly qualifies as one of the first landowners. And he surveyed many of the first proprietary tracts here and even further north in Warren and Sussex Counties.

Richard Bull was a land owner in Hunterdon County, well before the county was created. Surprisingly, by the 20th century, even an accomplished student of Hunterdon history like Egbert T. Bush did not know exactly who he was. Bush wrote:¹

“. . . “Bool’s Island” {was} the name of a famous long and narrow island opposite {Raven Rock}, which is said to have taken name from one Bool, who owned the island and much land ashore.”

Daniel Rittenhouse of Locktown

October 22, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Bonham, Delaware Twp, Families, Heath, Hunterdon, Locktown, Myers, Reading, Rittenhouse Tags: alcohol, taverns

One of the most notable people in the neighborhood of Locktown in Hunterdon County was Daniel Rittenhouse. His life makes an interesting story, which we know something of thanks to the collection known as The Rittenhouse Papers, on file at the Hunterdon County Historical Society.

John Rake Jr. and The Evil Influence

September 6, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Twp, Rake Tags: alcohol

Alcohol consumption in the 19th century is always an interesting subject because of how much alcohol was consumed back then. It is one of the ways we measure how much things have changed. We are far more aware now of the dangers of addiction, but in the 1820’s, the county coroner could tell you it was sometimes fatal. Here is the sad story of John Rake, a member of that same family I have written about in other posts.

First Landowners of Hunterdon County

September 2, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Families, Green, Hunterdon Tags: early settlers, land titles, proprietors, surveying, thoughts

Edward Kemp

When I first began my blog in 2009, I thought I would use it as a way to discover more about the life of my ancestor Samuel Green. So I began hunting for traces of him in the earliest days of the Province of West New Jersey. But the history of that place became so interesting in itself, that I began to follow its development year by year, thinking that eventually I would get to 1695 when Samuel Green first shows up. (For an index of stories on West New Jersey, go to my About page.)

Boarshead Tavern in the 18th Century

August 25, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Hunterdon, Raritan Twp, Thatcher Tags: maps, roads, taverns

A follow-up to Egbert T. Bush’s article, “Boarshead Tavern One of the Earliest to be Established”

In 1896, Egbert T. Bush presented a paper to the Hunterdon County Historical Society titled “Croton and Vicinity.”¹ As part of his survey, Mr. Bush gave a brief history of the Boarshead Tavern.

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Delilah Buchanan’s Tavern License Application

August 13, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Hunterdon Tags: Buchanan's Tavern, taverns

I sometimes lose track of the information I have collected in my researches. Today I stumbled across these photographs I took of Delilah Buchanan’s 1829 tavern license application, on file at the Hunterdon County Archives. Delilah Buchanan got a lot of my attention while researching Buchanan’s Tavern. (The series of articles can be found by clicking on the topic in the right-hand column.)

Boarshead Tavern

August 9, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in E. T. Bush, Families, Heath, Historians, Lair, Lake, Moore, Raritan Twp, Rittenhouse, Robins, Thatcher, Warford Tags: early settlers, land titles, taverns

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.

Samuel G. Opdycke Esq., continued

August 3, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Families, Flemington, Hunterdon, Opdycke Tags: crime, debt

For the first part of this story, please visit Samuel G. Opdycke Esq.

Samuel G. Opdycke was a young man of promise. Thanks to the Opdycke Genealogy, we have a description of what he looked like, and, even better, we have a portrait:

Samuel Green Opdycke Esq.

July 13, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Families, Flemington, Hunterdon, Opdycke Tags: debt, Downtown Flemington, politics

“Ascending!

FINDING the room on the first floor of the Court House rather too much confined for an office, and the passage too much obstructed by lockage for the free ingress and egress of clients, I have selected, for a summer office, a beautiful airy chamber in the extreme front of the building. This pleasant apartment is situated immediately over the portico of this lofty edifice, and overlooks the main street of the village; After rising three inclined planes, clients will arrive at the summit level of my office; the door opens toward the east between two windows; No toll demanded until they arrive at the summit. – Passage back, free of expense; Samuel G. Opdycke, Flemington, May 19, 1830.”¹

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