List of Posts – Page 23 – GOODSPEED HISTORIES

In My Library, No. 9

May 12, 2017 By Marfy Goodspeed in In My Library Tags: early settlers, land titles, legislation, proprietors

The Martin Family History, vol. 1, Hugh Martin (1698-1761), Hunterdon County, NJ

by Francie Lane, 2014, in four volumes

This genealogy covers the family of Alexander Martin of Scotland or Northern Ireland, born about 1670, who emigrated to America with his second wife and his eight children. Each of these children gets a chapter describing their families based on Ms. Lane’s extensive research. There is one extra chapter on Rev. Thomas Martin, son of Hugh, grandson of Alexander. Since so many members of this family lived in Hunterdon County, the index includes a list all the towns in Hunterdon that were mentioned, a feature I appreciate.

Like many others, Ms. Lane was frustrated by the lack of a good genealogy about her ancestors, so she remedied the omission by writing her own. Considering how important the Martin family is to Hunterdon’s history, it’s a good thing she did. The second volume will also be of interest to Hunterdon researchers. It covers descendants of Col. James Martin (1742-1834) and Martha Martin Rogers (1744-1825), children of Hugh Martin.

Copies of all four volumes may be obtained at the website www.lulu.com. Type “Francie Lane” in the search box. A fifth volume is in the works.

The Hunterdon Gazette, 1838-1866

April 29, 2017 By Marfy Goodspeed in Flemington, Hunterdon Tags: newspapers, politics

This is a continuation of the saga of the Hunterdon Gazette and its first owner and editor, Charles George. Please refer to Charles George & the Hunterdon Gazette, part one and part two, and 1837 in Hunterdon County.

John P. Rittenhouse, part two

April 14, 2017 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Twp, Flemington, Rittenhouse Tags: 1838, houses, land titles, politics

For three years John P. Rittenhouse owned my small farm in Delaware Township, although he never lived there. As I started to research his life I discovered that, among other things, he was a Hunterdon Co. Sheriff, managed a restaurant at the Union Hotel, and then ran the hotel in Ringoes. He had an interesting life.

In 1859 he sold my farm to Edmund Perry, a successful politician, but a failure as an investor. I published the beginning of Rittenhouse’s story in the previous post, ending with a situation in which Rittenhouse, acting as deputy sheriff, had to take possession of the very farm he had previously sold to his political ally, Edmund Perry, and sell it to the highest bidder. Awkward.

John P. Rittenhouse

April 2, 2017 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Twp, Flemington, Hunterdon, Kugler, Rittenhouse Tags: Buchanan's Tavern, crime, hotels, land titles, politics

Recently I gave a talk at the Hunterdon Co. Historical Society on how to research the history of one’s house. While preparing for the talk, I decided to look over the history I did for my own house back in 1981. It was the first one I had ever done, and I hadn’t a clue about how to go about it. I found most of the owners of my home, but some of them were absentee owners, so I didn’t pay much attention to them. On reviewing my chain of title, I got curious about one of those absentee owners, and began to do some more serious research. It paid off with a pretty interesting story.

1837 in Hunterdon County

March 24, 2017 By Marfy Goodspeed in Flemington, Hunterdon Tags: newspapers, politics, the economy

Following the election of 1836, things got really interesting—so much so that I have devoted this post to only one year—1837.

The Blizzard of ’88

March 12, 2017 By Marfy Goodspeed in Hunterdon

The following is a report, written for the Hunterdon Republican newspaper, on the record-breaking blizzard of 1888. I have taken it from transcriptions of the Republican published by William Hartman (available from the Hunterdon Co. Historical Society). A timely article for the blizzard of March 13-14, 2017, winter’s parting shot.

Chas. George & The Gazette, part two

February 24, 2017 By Marfy Goodspeed in Flemington, Hunterdon Tags: newspapers

Note: As in the previous article on this subject (George & The Gazette, part one), I have depended heavily on the pamphlet written by Hubert G. Schmidt titled The Press in Hunterdon County, 1825-1925 as well as the abstract of the Hunterdon Gazette compiled by William Hartman.

Charles George & the Hunterdon Gazette

February 17, 2017 By Marfy Goodspeed in Flemington, Hunterdon Tags: architecture, maps, newspapers

Thanks to the controversial election of 2016 and recent developments in Washington, people are paying a lot more attention to the news, and coming to appreciate the importance of a free press. This got me thinking about newspapers in Hunterdon County.

Brookville & Horne’s Creek

February 9, 2017 By Marfy Goodspeed in Brookville, Delaware Twp, E. T. Bush, Historians Tags: early settlers, houses, land titles, mills

In 1929, Egbert T. Bush wrote an article about the neighborhood of Brookville, a hamlet just south of Stockton, on the Delaware River. It seems appropriate to publish the article now because it discusses a neighborhood near the homes of John and Gershom Lambert, who’s farms were described in my previous posts (The Two Lambert Farms, Sen. Lambert’s Farm and The Gershom Lambert Farm). It also happens that Mr. Bush himself lived not far from Brookville; his farm was on Sandy Ridge Road close to Route 523, just north of Stockton.

They Cut a Wagon in Half

January 27, 2017 By Marfy Goodspeed in Brookville, Butterfoss, Delaware Twp, E. T. Bush, Historians, Sandy Ridge Tags: early settlers, farming

This is an excerpt from an article by Egbert T. Bush, called “Brookville and Up the Hollow.” Most of that article focuses on the neighborhood of Brookville near Route 29. This excerpt involves an incident that took place closer to Sandy Ridge, so it seemed better to present this part on its own. The rest of the article will be published next month.

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