Death of a “Negro Woman Servant”
The Burlington County Court Book has little to offer about Thomas Greene, but there was one incident witnessed by him that tells us a lot about life (and death) in West New Jersey in the 1680s.
The Thomas Green(e)s of West New Jersey
The original post on Thomas Greene included a story about his appearance as a witness in a disturbing court case. It came at the end of a long post, and I realized afterwards that it deserved its own space. You can read it here.
It’s been a long time since I wrote anything about the Green family. It was Samuel Green who got me started on this series of posts about early West New Jersey. Now that I’m up to 1690, it’s time to take another look at the Greens.
West New Jersey, 1690, part two
Coxe’s Letter to the West Jersey Proprietors
In 1689, affected by the uncertainty of the times, the West Jersey Proprietors wrote to Daniel Coxe that they would proclaim him governor if he would just provide his own writ of quo warranto. They “stressed the urgency of the situation” but Coxe, who also felt the uncertainty of the times, delayed his answer for several months.1
Sources for West New Jersey
I am going to collect in this post (and add to it over time) the sources used for the early history of the Province of West New Jersey. It will serve as a way to collect in one place all the sources used, and at the same time, make each post a little less cumbersome to read (I hope).
West New Jersey, 1690, part one
Remember the Resettlement Scheme?
In a previous post related to Dr. Daniel Coxe, I described a lawsuit involving himself and John Hooke. Hooke had hoped to establish a settlement in America for Dissenters persecuted by the popish policies of Charles II and James II. Once the Glorious Revolution had taken place, things took on a different complexion.
The Civil War Tax Assessments
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
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
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
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.