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Moorestown and Her Neighbors

Historical Sketches

By

GEORGE DECOU

Member of the Burlington County Historical Society
Friends Historical Association

HARRIS & PARTRIDGE, INCORPORATED

PHILADELPHIA

Foreword

THE writing of these historical sketches of my beautiful home town has been in a large measure a labor of love. Having lived in Moorestown for almost forty years I have watched with interest and pride its growth from a quiet and homelike country village to one of Philadelphia’s most attractive suburban communities. The story of Moorestown is lacking in thrills, yet it is not without interest especially to those of us who are descended from the pioneers who settled in the neighborhood during the last two decades of the Seventeenth Century.

 My researches have taken me into many homes the homes of comparative strangers as well as of friends and neighbors and in all instances a helpful hand has been extended. Old friendships have been strengthened and new friendships made which I believe will be enduring. My thanks are extended to all of these but especially to the following: David and William H. Roberts, William R. Stackhouse, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Aitken, Dr. and Mrs. Walter W. Gardiner, Mrs. David R. Lippincott, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Evans, Ellwood Hollingshead and the Misses Martha and Mabel Hollinshead, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel R. Coles, Dr. Joseph Stokes, Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Conrow, Chalkley Matlack, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel R. Stiles, Judge and Mrs. William D. Lippincott, Mrs. Henry C. Herr, John W. Cadbury, Jr. and W. Henry Evans.

Of these the largest measure of thanks is due to William H. Roberts, whose photographs appear on these pages and who has encouraged and helped me in many other ways; to Mr. and Mrs. W R. Stackhouse who welcomed me to their home at all hours and allowed me to use their splendid historical library as freely as though it were my own and to Gilbert Aitken, whose old records, pamphlets and papers and knowledge of the early history of Moorestown have been exceptionally helpful. I would also like to express my appreciation of the many courtesies extended to me by our Librarians, Miss Severns, Miss Wilmot and Miss Earling and by Miss Scott and Miss Hollinshead of the County Library at Mount Holly.

Moorestown, December, 1929.

GEORGE DECOU.

I

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

HENRY HUDSON, an English navigator in the employ of the Dutch East India Company, entered the Delaware River during the latter part of August, 1609 in search of a Northwest passage to India but finding the water somewhat shoal turned about and proceeded Northward along the Atlantic Coast. He anchored the “Half-Moon” near Sandy Hook and sent a party of sailors to the shore near where Jersey City is now located. These men probably were the first Europeans to set foot on Jersey soil. Early in September he weighed anchor and passing through the Narrows started on his memorable voyage up the noble river now bearing his name. The Netherlands, by right of his discovery, laid claim to a large territory in America which included New England as far East as Cape Cod, New York as far North as the forty-fifth parallel and all of the present state of New Jersey. The new territory was called “New Netherland” in honor of the mother country. A few Dutch traders settled on Manhattan Island shortly afterwards but the real settlement of New Amsterdam (New York City) did not begin until 1623 when the ship “New Netherland” with a party of Dutch colonists arrived. A small group of Danes or Norwegians, who came over on one of the Dutch vessels, settled on the Western shore of the North River, as it was then called, in about 1618. A small settlement was established on the site of Jersey City which they called Bergen in honor of the capitol of Norway. This was undoubtedly the first European settlement in the state of New Jersey.

In 1623, Captain Cornelius Jacobsen Mey, for whom Cape May was named, entered the Delaware River which the Dutch called South River, with a small company of soldiers and colonists and erected a fort near the mouth of Timber

 

2 MOORESTOWN AND HER NEIGHBORS

Creek which enters the Delaware a little below Gloucester. This and other early attempts by the Dutch to colonize the lower Delaware ended in failure probably owing to the hospitality of the Indians.

A party of Swedish colonists under command of Peter Minuet in the “King of Calmar” a war vessel and the “Bird Griffin” a small sailing vessel, entered the Delaware in 1638. They settled on the Western shore near Wilmington and purchased a large tract of land from the Indians extending up the river as far as the Falls of the Delaware (Trenton). They named the land New Sweden. John Printz was appointed governor in 1641 and came over with a large body of colonists in 1642 and settled on Tinicum Island which is located in the Delaware about nine miles below Philadelphia. Shortly afterwards Swedish settlements were established on the Eastern shore of the Delaware. Although the Dutch had returned to the Eastern shore, Swedish authority was firmly established on both sides of the river. Suddenly in 1655, Governor Peter Stuyvesant of New Amsterdam with a force of 700 soldiers appeared in the Delaware and the Swedes who were completely surprised and unprepared to resist so large a force surrendered almost without a struggle.

England, however, had never abandoned its claim to this section of the country based on the voyages of John and Sebastian Cabot in 1498. In 1664 an English fleet commanded by Sir Robert Carre entered New York harbor and demanded the surrender of the Dutch. Brave old Governor Stuyvesant stormed and threatened but seeing that resistance was useless wisely surrendered. The Dutch flag was lowered forever in America with the exception of a brief period in 1673.

The permanent settlement of New Jersey by the English began in 1664. In March of that year, King Charles II, ceded a huge tract of land in America, including the present state of New Jersey to his brother, James, Duke of York. Later in the year, the Duke, granted the portion of his                                       

 

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 3

American possessions lying between the Hudson River, Atlantic coast and the Delaware River as far north as the forty-first degree of latitude to Sir George Carteret, Knight and Baronet and John Lord Berkeley, Baron of Stratton as a reward for their loyal services to the Crown during the Civil War. They named the new province Nova Caesarea or New Jersey in honor of Carteret’s Island home. The Lords Proprietors framed a Constitution for the new Colony which guaranteed religious and political liberty to all. Philip Carteret a relative of Sir George, was appointed Governor of the new Province and in 1665, he came to America with a small party of colonists and established Elizabethtown which was named in honor of Elizabeth the wife of Sir George Carteret. A small group of Puritans from New Haven, attracted by the liberal character of our first Constitution, settled on the Passaic in 1665 and set up a theocratic form of local government under which none but church members could vote or hold office. The settlement was first called Milford but afterwards changed to Newark. In 1675 Lord Berkeley apparently tired of his real estate investment in America, sold his half interest in the Province to two English Friends, Edward Byllinge and John Fenwicke for One Thousand Pounds. Byllinge, who evidently furnished most of the money for the transaction, became involved financially and the deed of transfer was made to John Fenwicke in trust for Edward Byllinge. Sharp differences arose between Byllinge and Fenwicke concerning their respective interests in the colony and William Penn was induced to arbitrate the matter. Under his ruling the Province of West Jersey was divided into one-hundred parts, proprieties or shares, ten of which were awarded to Fenwicke. The remaining ninety parts were assigned to William Penn, Gawen Lawrie and Nicholas Lucas, as trustees for the benefit of Byllinge’s creditors. Fenwicke and a party of colonists arrived on the “Griffin” in 1675 and settled the town of Salem. This was the first permanent

 

4 MOORESTOWN AND HER NEIGHBORS

English settlement in West Jersey.  An agreement was made by Edward Byllinge, John Fenwicke, William Penn, Gawen Lawrie and Nicholas Lucas on July 1st, 1676, which is known as the Quintipartite Deed, dividing the State into East and West New Jersey by a line running from the eastern side of Little Egg Harbor to the most northern point on the Delaware River. Under this agreement Sir George Carteret became the sole owner of East New Jersey, and William Penn and other Friends of West New Jersey.

The arrival of the “Kent” loaded with 230 English colonists, most of whom were members of the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers as they were usually called, in Sixth month, 1677, marks the beginning of the settlement of Burlington County. For some unknown reason the Kent anchored at the mouth of Raccoon Creek which is nearly opposite Chester. The nine Commissioners representing two groups of Friends, one from London and one from Yorkshire most of whom were creditors of Edward Byllinge, proceeded up the river in row boats to “Chygoes Island the site of the present city of Burlington. Among the names of these Commissioners we find that of Dr. Daniel Wills, the ancestor of many prominent residents now living in the County. The Commissioners had full authority to purchase land from the Indians and establish a form of government. The Yorkshire Friends selected the land between Rancocas Creek and the Assanpinck at Trenton and the London group from the former stream to Timber Creek below Gloucester. It was their original intention to establish separate towns but as they were drawn closely together during the long voyage from England, they decided to unite in establishing one community. It was too late in the Fall to erect permanent homes and temporary cabins were hastily constructed with the aid of the friendly Indians. Other vessels bearing groups of English Colonists followed the Kent in 1677 and during the next two or three years. Burlington grew rapidly and was a thriving and active community when Philadelphia was established in 1682. Practicaly all of of the towns and hamlets in Burlington County were founded by settlers who arrived at Burlington on the Kent or on vessels that followed during the next few years.