Prallsville, painted by Thomas Whitley in the mid 1800s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe paintings shown in this article were made in the mid 19th<\/sup> century for John Parker Prall. The artist was Thomas Whitley, and the originals\u00ac\u2020can be found in the John Prall, Jr. house in Prallsville.<\/p>\nThere is so much to say about this transaction that I am putting it all at the end of the article, to avoid such a major disruption. The property ran from Route 523 west to Shoppon\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s Run and the mill lot, part of which\u00ac\u2020is now known as the Bodine Farm.<\/p>\n
\nBy deed dated May 1, 1794, George Wolverton and Charles Wolverton conveyed to John Prall Jr. \u201a\u00c4\u00fathe plantation and the Mill taking in some part of the Watcheioke Brook and a lot on the westerly side thereof suitable and convenient for Erecting or Raising a head of Water for a Corn or Grist Mill.<\/p>\n
These lands with others were conveyed by John Reading, Governor of New Jersey, in 1747 and again in 1757 to Daniel Howell, by deed dated Feb. 20, 1719. This deed was later found to be unsatisfactory and by request of Daniel Howell, was made void. A new deed was given by John Reading to Daniel Howell and John Howell February 15, 1744.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
This is somewhat confusing. The original deed, of which there is no surviving copy, was dated 1719, in which John Reading Jr., as executor of his father\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s estate, conveyed the property to Daniel Howell, which had probably been given him years earlier when he married John Reading\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s daughter Mary Else. John Reading Sr. had died intestate in 1717.<\/p>\n
I do not know where the years 1747 and 1757 come from. The deed that Mr. Bush is referring to can be found in Book 2 p. 35, and states:<\/p>\n
\n\u201a\u00c4\u00fa. . . which deed at the request of the said Daniel Howell was made null & void by the said John Reading and a new deed bearing date the 15th day of February 1744 given by John Reading to Daniel Howell & John Howel son to the aforesaid Daniel Howell by a deed bearing date November 14th 1750 conveyed by the aforesaid Daniel Howell & John Howell to Charles Wolverton . . .\u201a\u00c4\u00f9<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Daniel and John Howell were sons of Daniel Howell Sr., and as such were entitled to a share of their father\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s estate. It seems that the deed recital also got things confused. The original deed of 1719 was made after the death of John Reading Sr. in 1717, confirming that Daniel Howell had gotten his square mile of land from Reading. John Reading Jr. conveyed the property as his father\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s executor, not as an owner.<\/p>\n
In 1744, Daniel Howell was dead. He had written a will in 1733 in which he bequeathed his land to his four sons, including son Daniel Jr., and died soon afterwards. So it had to be Daniel Howell Jr. who asked to have the deed of 1719 set aside and a new deed made, which more explicitly stated the terms of their father\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s will.<\/p>\n
The same land was by them conveyed to Charles Wolverton, Nov. 11, 1758. By will dated May 7, 1761, Charles Wolverton devised his land south of the Watcheoike Brook to his son John Wolverton, \u201a\u00c4\u00fawith the mill\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 and a lot of land as above described. By deed dated Feb. 22, 1792, John Wolverton conveyed the same to Charles Wolverton who, with George Wolverton conveyed it to John Prall Jr.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The John Wolverton who inherited the mill lot from his father Charles, wrote his will in 1773, ordering that the mill and plantation be sold and the profits used to support his widow and children. But the property was not sold at that time. It was not until 1792 that sons Charles and George reached the age of maturity, and in that year they took a mortgage out on this property, from John Lambert, for \u00ac\u00a3470.