Early history of Atlantic County, New Jersey

In offering you this initial volume of Atlantic County's History, the Society reminds you this is the product of their first year's work and in no wise a finished history. Its endeavor has been to lay a firm foundation, upon which other books which are to follow can be erected.

You will find within its pages the early history of the State taken from written histories which had their bearing upon Atlantic County. Also articles written by the descendants of those who helped to make the history of the county worth reading. The thread of events will be continued through separate volumes in the future until the history of the present day is recorded. There is found little history in this book later than 1825-1830. It was a somewhat difficult task to separate the history of Atlantic County from that of Gloucester, as they were one until the year of separation in 1837. If you enjoy reading this book as much as the Society has in its compiling, truly the work has not been in vain.

 

Table of Contents

Original Land Grants of New Jersey 8
Titles to Land 9
Letter from William Penn to Richard Hartshorne 12
Proprietors' Instructions to James Wasse and Richard Hartshorne 14
Proprietors' Instructions to James Wasse and Richard Hartshorne 19
The Land System of West Jersey 23
West Jersey Commissioners 23
New Jersey Signers of Independence 23
Newspapers of New Jersey During the Revolution 23
Officers and Men of New Jersey in Revolutionary War 24
War With France 52
War With Tripoli 52
Earl Moral Laws of New Jersey 53
Indians 55
Indian Burying Grounds 56
Cranberry Indian Legend 57
Slaves in New Jersey 58
Slaves at Bargaintowin 59
Some Old Wills 61
Old Gloucester County 67
Daniel Baker 69
The Old Fort at Somers Point 72
Carding Mill 74
Clark's Old Log Meeting House at Pleasant Mills 76
The Calling of the Militia for the War of 1812-1815 78
Artillery Company, Third Regiment, Gloucester Brigade 79
Company of Infantry, First Regiment, Gloucester Brigade 82
Atlantic County 86
The Naming of Atlantic County 91
Origin of Town Names 91
May's Landing 93
Anecdotes of Place Names 95
Naming Uncle Tom's 96
Shore Road 97
Presbyterians in New Jersey 98
Blackman's Meeting House at Bargaintown 101
Head of the River Church 103
History of Tuckihoe Baptist Church 107
Old Church at Weymouth 1O9
History of Friendship Church 114
M. E. Church in Port Republic 124
Catawba Church 126
Zion M. E. Church 130
Frambes School House, Followed by Salem M. E. Church 134
Roman Catholics 141
Quakers — Friends 149
Extracts from Records Friends Society of Great Egg Harbour, N.J. 151
Historical Note 156
The Old Buttonwoods 157
Pulaski's Ride 159
Early Ship Building 161
An Old Stage Line 162
Stage Route from Absecon to Philadelphia 164
Place Names 167
The Whipping Post 171
Black Luce 172
History of the Society 174
Annual Meet of Historians 178

 

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The original grant of New Jersey from King Charles II, when separated from the Netherland. was East and West Jersey. They were united in 1673 and were known as Nova-Caesarea or New Jersey. This work, being the history of Atlantic County, relates only to West Jersey.