Fullwidth – Page 126 – GOODSPEED HISTORIES

Richard Bull, Surveyor

December 8, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Bull, Families, Gloucester County, Green, Hunterdon, Reading, West New Jersey 3 Comments 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 13 Comments 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 3 Comments 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.