Richard Stockton's Grave

Richard Stockton's Gravesite
Stony Brook Quaker Meeting House Burial Ground
470 Quaker Rd
Princeton, NJ 08540

Richard Stockton was a lawyer, jurist, legislator, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence from New Jersey. He was born and lived in Princeton from 1730-1781. In 1776, Stockton was elected to the Second Continental Congress. As a member of Congress, Stockton signed the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey. On November 30, 1776, Stockton and a friend were captured by Loyalists and marched to Perth Amboy where they were turned over to the British. Soon after, Stockton was sent to Provost Prison in New York City, where he was intentionally starved and subject to freezing weather. After five weeks of torture, Stockton was released from prison on parole. He was forced to sign a parole document with General William Howe as a condition of his release. This parole document stated that Stockton would not meddle in the affairs of the war.

Stockton's estate Morven, and property were seized and destroyed by the British in the early years of the war. Following his parole, Stockton resigned from Congress and returned to Morven. He attempted to earn a living by reopening his law firm, and teaching the law to students. Stockton developed cancer of the lip and died at Morven on February 28, 1781. Richard Stockton is memorialized in a number of locations throughout New Jersey. Two of his sons went on to find success in politics and in the military. His son Richard was a lawyer and senator from New Jersey. His son Commodore Robert Field Stockton was a U.S. Navy officer who was a hero of the War of 1812. Robert also went on to serve as a military governor of California and senator from New Jersey.

The Stony Brook Quaker Meeting House is located near Princeton Battlefield (January 3, 1777). Stockton's marker is located on the right hand side of the entrance to the cemetery. Stockton's home Morven is also located nearby in Princeton.

Below are two links with more information on Richard Stockton:

http://www.dsdi1776.com/signers-by-state/richard-stockton/

http://www.revolutionary-war.net/richard-stockton.html

MW

Marlpit Hall

Marlpit Hall
137 Kings Highway
Middletown, NJ 07748

If you are looking for a town that is loaded with Early American and American Revolution history in Central New Jersey, then look no further then Middletown, NJ. Middletown is a location that saw a great deal of American Revolution history in large part due to the town's location in New Jersey. Marlpit Hall sits on a stretch of highway called Kings Highway in Middletown. A trip down this road enables the traveler to see a number of historic sites that are associated with the American Revolution. During the war, the residents were divided over whether or not to remain loyal to Great Britain. The Taylor family who owned Marlpit Hall at the time of the American Revolution was a prominent Tory family in the area. As the war progressed, the family was targeted by local residents with Patriot leanings.

Below is a write up on the home from the official Monmouth County website, along with some photos that I took of the home:

"Marlpit Hall, built circa 1756, was home to the prominent loyalist Taylor family at the time of the Revolution. Edward Taylor endured house arrest for his political position and the family lost much of its fortune and influence. The house was restored, furnished and donated to Monmouth County Historical Association by Margaret Riker Haskell in 1936 when it became the first restored house museum in the region. Mrs. Haskell was one of the most significant collectors of Americana, notably decorative arts, in the United States. Currently it is restored to reflect Mrs. Haskell’s colonial revival plan in half of the rooms and to reflect the Taylor’s 18th century furnishings in the rest of the house. It is a key property in the National Register of Historic Places, Middletown Village district and is listed on the NJ Women’s History Trail in honor of Mrs. Haskell’s preservation work."
(http://co.monmouth.nj.us/documents/58%5C2014WOMBookletWeb.pdf)

MW

The Proprietary House

The Proprietary House
149 Kearny Avenue
Perth Amboy, NJ 08861

I had the opportunity to visit the Proprietary House in Perth Amboy, NJ earlier this month. This building is best known for being the home of the last royal governor of New Jersey William Franklin. Franklin was a prominent American Loyalist during the American Revolution, as well as the acknowledged illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin. This home is an imposing site in a residential area of Perth Amboy. The home is still open for tours to the public throughout the year. The home is also conveniently located close to a number of other historic sites in Perth Amboy and Middlesex County. A quick Google search of the home also results in a variety of websites dedicated to paranormal investigations of the home, to include ghost hunts. The next time you are in Central New Jersey I highly recommend stopping by this historic building!

The official website of the Proprietary House provides an outstanding timeline of the 250 year history of the house, and features a number of events that the building hosts throughout the year. (http://www.theproprietaryhouse.org/index.html)

Below is a brief write up on the Proprietary House from the City of Perth Amboy website, along with some photos I took from my recent visit:

"Perth Amboy is home to the only official Royal Governor’s Mansion still intact since Colonial days, commonly known as the Proprietary House. The Proprietors of East Jersey were responsible for its construction during 1762-1764 for the Royal Governor of New Jersey. In 1774, William Franklin, son of Benjamin Franklin, was Royal Governor at which time he took up residence at the mansion with his wife. However, since he was arrested by the Continental Army in 1776, the house did not remain a Governor’s mansion for long. After the Revolution, the Proprietary House became a private home. In 1809 it became a resort hotel, but business was ruined by the War of 1812. In 1883 it became a rooming house for retired Presbyterian ministers, called the Westminster. Currently, the Proprietary House is owned by the State and maintained by the Proprietary House Association."
(http://ci.perthamboy.nj.us/the-history-of-perth-amboy.html)

MW

Murray Farmhouse and Barn

Murray Farmhouse and Barn
Poricy Park
345 Oak Hill Rd.
Middletown, NJ 07748

A historic site in Monmouth County, NJ that still stands as a reminder to the bitter civil war that took place in this country during the American Revolution is the Murray Farmhouse and Barn in Middletown, NJ. The house and barn are located in Poricy Park. During the American Revolution, the property was owned by the Patriot Joseph Murray. On June 8, 1780, Murray was murdered by Tories for his contributions to the Patriot cause in the war. A marker (shown below) shows the approximate location of where Murray was shot and killed on his property.

Below is a write up on the history of the property from the Middletown Patch website, along with some photos that I took of the property during a recent visit:

"In a five-room, two-story house, the remnants of the 18th century echo through the original plaster and brick walls of the Murray farmhouse and barn.

Simply decorated in what is considered to be a replica of the farming family’s home, light blue paint adorns the original walls and documents hang in simple frames.

The home once living quarters to early Middletown residents, Joseph Murray, his wife Rebecca and their four children, is now open for tours on selected dates throughout the month.

Joseph Murray, a stonemason, came with his mother from Ulster County, Ireland in 1767 with the intent of farming peacefully in the Jersey colony, said Murray Farmhouse Curator Melissa Jackson.

If Murray brought anybody else with him to Middletown that is still unknown.

In New Jersey, he met his wife Rebecca Morris and had four children, three boys, William, James and Joseph, and one daughter, whose name is still unknown.

Murray’s dream of farming peacefully was not has peaceful as he hoped, Jackson said.

In 1776, Murray joined the local Patriotic militia and was a 'staunch' defiant of the British rule, she said.

In 1779, his home was raided, looted and personal belongings were burnt and Murray was sent to prison. Murray was released in January of 1780 and returned to the militia in Middletown.

'At this time, horses were treasured possessions,' Jackson said. 'And Joseph’s militia was ordered to commandeer horses for the patriots.'

Instead of doing this at night, Murray decided to travel to his neighbor’s home 'Marlpit Hall' on King’s Highway during the day to find a horse, according to the Murray family tale.

At this time his neighbor, Edward Taylor, was under house arrest so when Murray was stealing the horse, Taylor heard and saw Murray. In a quick attempt to scare the horse, Taylor threw his fine hat at the horse.

'Now as we know, when family tales are retold, they keep getting better and better,' Jackson said.

According to family folklore, Murray caught Taylor’s hat and rode off with his new hat and horse. At this time stealing a horse was punishable by death, if caught.

Months passed by and on the evening on June 7, 1780 Murray and his neighbor Thomas Hill were active for their militia regiment.

Looking to work on their farms, Murray and Hill were granted permission to leave the next day and tend to their fields, Jackson said. At this time, the area was still dangerous so Hill would stand guard as Murray farmed and Murray would do the same for Hill.

The next day, on June 8, Murray felt safe enough to work in his field alone and let Hill return home for the day, Jackson said.

As Hill returned home, three men had come out of the woods and shot Murray in the back. The shot did not kill Murray so the men used their bayonets to finish the task.

The three men, who most likely arrived by boat through Poricy Brook, were believed to have worked for Edward Taylor and shot Murray in retaliation for horse theft, Jackson said.

Years past and Murray’s wife, Rebecca, remarried and became Rebecca Patterson. Soon after remarrying, it is believed that she moved away from the farm and one of Murray’s sons took control of the property.

The property stayed in the possession of the Murray family until 1861.

In 1840, a Murray grandson added to the house. The addition was retained to afford more room for programs. The property was farmed and the farmhouse inhabited until it was purchased in 1973 by Middletown Township.

The purchase was made at the encouragement of the Poricy Park Citizens Committee to save the land from development. The 250 acres now known as Poricy Park, were acquired by Middletown Township through a succession of land purchases from 1970 to 1973.

The barn was restored in 1978 and the farmhouse in 1981 and are still the property of Middletown Township and maintained by Poricy Park Conservancy." (http://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown-nj/inside-the-murray-farmhouse)

MW

Affair at Cedar Bridge (December 27, 1782)

Affair at Cedar Bridge Marker
Rte. 72 and Old Halfway Rd. South
Barnegat, NJ 08005

One of the most notorious villains in New Jersey Revolutionary War history, and arguably state history, was John Bacon. Bacon was a well-known leader of Loyalists in the state during the war. The first time I saw Bacon's name was as a child on the Long Beach Island Massacre Monument in Long Beach Island, NJ (stay tuned!). Bacon is best known in NJ history as being the leader of a group Tory raiders who massacred Patriot militia Captain Andrew Steelman and his troops while sleeping on the beach on October 25, 1782.

Months later, Bacon attempted another ambush on Patriot militia troops near the Cedar Bridge Tavern. In the shootout that ensued between the Patriots and Loyalist forces, one Patriot was killed, four Patriots were wounded, and four Loyalists were wounded. The wounded Loyalists included Bacon himself.

Below is a write up on the skirmish from the NJ Pine Barrens website, along with some photos that I took back in January 2014:

"In late December, 1782 a party of men under the command of Captain Edward Thomas of the Mansfield Militia and Captain Richard Shreeve of the Burlington County Light Horse were in hot pursuit of Bacon near Cedar Creek. Knowing that they were being pursued, Bacon decided to build a barricade across the south side of Cedar Bridge, opposite the tavern on the stage road to Barnegat. The barrier constructed, all that remained was to wait for the Continentals.

The militia arrived, opened fire, and charged the Refugees. Bacon, knowing he could not expect anything except the executioner should he be captured, urged his men into a stiff resistance that lasted for a considerable time. Finally the militia seemed to be getting the better of Bacon’s men, when suddenly shots rang out from a different direction. Locals, for some reason sympathetic to Bacon’s cause, began firing on the militia. The confusion allowed Bacon and his men to retreat, and the militia could do nothing more than arrest those that had fired upon them and transport them to the Burlington County Gaol. When the smoke cleared, Thomas and Shreeve discovered the militia had suffered two casualties – William Cook, dead, and Robert Reckless, injured. Ichabod Johnson, a refugee who carried a bounty of £25 on his head, was slain. Bacon and three other of his men suffered injury, but escaped." (http://www.njpinebarrens.com/the-refugee-john-bacon/)

MW

  

Burrowes Mansion

Burrowes Mansion
94 Main St.
Matawan, NJ 07747

One of the locations in this country that I largely accredit with developing my passion for history is the Burrowes Mansion in my hometown of Matawan, NJ. I still vividly recall hearing stories about the old home on Main Street from my relatives as a child. I have passed by this house thousands of times throughout my life, and to this day still take the time to gaze upon the house when I pass by.

The Burrowes Mansion played an important role in the local and state history of New Jersey. At the time of the American Revolution, the home was owned by the Burrowes family. The Burrowes family were patriots, and would pay the price for their allegiance to the American cause for independence.

Below is a write up from the "2014 Weekend in Old Monmouth Booklet", along with some photos that I took of the mansion in January 2014:

"The Burrowes Mansion, one of Monmouth County’s most important early Georgian buildings, is dated by stylistic evidence to the c.1750 introduction of the Georgian style to Monmouth County when the 2 ½ story main block was begun as a Georgian three bay side-hall plan. Inference suggests that John Burrowes, Sr. (1718-1785) may have acquired the property at the time of his 1749 marriage to Widow Hope Taylor Watson (1721-1792). An earlier date attribution stems from a 1722 property sale, but this house could not be as early as the c.1723 date cited elsewhere. Burrowes was a major grain and produce merchant who was nicknamed the Corn King. His property backed on Matawan Creek, once a waterway that handled oceangoing ships when the town was the Bayshore’s major port. In 1778 during the Revolution, loyalists attempted to capture Burrowes’ son, John, Jr., a Continental Army captain. He escaped, but his wife was injured and the father was captured, but soon released in a prisoner exchange.

The property was designated for John, Jr. in his father’s will, but documentary history over the next four decades is vague until the house and 15 acres were sold to Joseph H. and Holmes Van Mater in 1825. Later the mansion was a hotel, a dentist’s residence, a tea room and under the ownership of Benjamin F.S. Brown whose family retained the place until its 1974 sale to the Borough of Matawan. The Matawan Historical Society, founded in 1969, furnishes and operates the restored house, one that retains a strong character of its colonial roots."
(http://www.oceanmuseum.org/2014_WOM_Booklet_Web_-_Smaller.pdf)

MW

King of Prussia Inn

King of Prussia Inn
101 Bill Smith Blvd
King of Prussia, PA 19406

One of my favorite historic sites in Pennsylvania is the King of Prussia Inn in King of Prussia, PA. The inn was built in 1719 by William Rees, Sr., and served a variety of purposed over the years. Just minutes away from where I live, the King of Prussia Inn is located near the entrance of the Abrams Run apartment complex. The building currently houses the offices of the King of Prussia Chamber of Commerce. The current location of the inn is not the original location. The inn was moved to the present location in 2000, in order to better preserve the inn for future generations.

Below is a write up from the National Park Service website along with some photos I took during my recent visit:

"The history of the King of Prussia Inn begins in 1719, when William Rees, Sr. purchased 150 acres of land from his father. The Rees's, like most families in 18th-century Pennsylvania, were farmers. There is evidence that the Rees dwelling was a small, frame, two-room, 1½-story structure, typical for farmers of that period.

When William Rees, Sr. died in 1756, his estate passed to his son, William, Jr. Unlike his father, the younger William Rees was not interested in agriculture. He rented out his farmland and began a tavern business in 1769, having constructed a large new stone addition to his parent's farmhouse. William, Jr. was actively involved in running the inn for only three years, after which he turned his tavern license over to someone else. Rees died in April 1776, leaving his family in considerable debt.

By 1770, the place was referred to as “the Sign of Charles Frederick Augustus, King of Prussia.” There are several stories about how the inn received its name. One story said that the name was in reference to Frederick the Great of Prussia who assisted the British in defeating the French in the Seven Years War (known as the French and Indian War in North America). Another story said the inn was named for King Frederick the Great for his support of George Washington during the American Revolution. A third account states that a sign was hung outside the tavern honoring the German king to attract the German contingent participating in the American Revolution.

Over the years, there has been considerable speculation about the role of the inn during the American Revolution, particularly during the Valley Forge encampment. In September 1777, Sir William Howe and 15,000 British troops invaded Pennsylvania and quickly captured Philadelphia after defeating George Washington's army at the Battle of Brandywine. That winter, the Continental Army went into camp at Valley Forge, which was very close to the King of Prussia Inn. According to James Thomas Flexner, in his biography on George Washington, he made the decision to move his troops at an inn about a mile from Valley Forge.

Considering how close it was to the encampment, the assumption that Washington, his officers, and their men spent time at the inn is logical. Local tradition states that George Washington and a number of his officers ate and slept there. The inn was also reputed to have hosted British officers and loyalist spies. Masonic lodge meetings (Masons are part of a universal brotherhood of men dedicated to serving God, Family, Fellowman, and Country), presided over by Washington, are also said to have taken place at the King of Prussia Inn. There is unfortunately no documentary evidence solidly linking the inn to any of the famous names associated with Valley Forge.

The known connections between the King of Prussia Inn and the Revolution are more ordinary than what tradition passed down through the years. James Berry, who managed the business during the war, was in fact an officer in the militia, and Griffith Rees, William Jr.'s son, served as a private and was wounded in a skirmish with British forces near Darby, Pennsylvania, in October 1777.

The family struggled to keep the inn and the farm going, but to no avail. Two years after the official end of the Revolution (1783), the Rees family sold the King of Prussia Inn and surrounding farmland to John Elliot, Sr., who made a series of improvements to the property. Elliot demolished the original log or frame dwelling and constructed a 2½ story stone addition onto the east end of the building.

Elliot and his wife Sophia ran the inn and its supporting farm for the next 35 years, and it was then that the inn reached its height as a social center for the surrounding community. In addition to its role as a place of entertainment, the inn served as an informal town hall where meetings were held and as a collection point for U.S. taxes.

John Elliott, Jr. and his wife also farmed the property and operated the inn, which, by the 1860s, was known as the King of Prussia Hotel. The change in name most likely came about because of pressure from the temperance movement, which sought to restrict the consumption of alcohol. The term “hotel” served to distance the King of Prussia from its less temperate past.

James and Madeline Hoy acquired the property shortly after Elliott died in 1868. They turned the farm into an up-to-date mechanized agricultural operation. The Hoys possibly added the two-story veranda to the front of the building and the porch built onto the rear of the western half of the inn.

James Hoy died in 1886, and for the next 20 years his widow, Madeline, ran the farm and presided over the hotel. After Madeline Hoy sold the place in 1906, the King of Prussia went through a period of relatively short-term occupations until Anna Heist bought it in 1920.

Anna Heist took advantage of the American's newfound love of the automobile and interest in their colonial past, by turning the King of Prussia Inn into a modest tourist attraction. Anna Heist continued to operate the King of Prussia Inn until 1952 when the Pennsylvania Department of Highways acquired the property. Ironically, the automobile, which saved the inn from possible oblivion earlier in the century, now proved to be a threat. The rapidly growing suburbs outside of Philadelphia required improved highways, and Route 202, like many other roadways, was widened and divided to handle the increased volume of traffic.

For nearly 50 years, the inn slowly fell into a state of decay despite local efforts to perform maintenance. By the early 1990s it became clear that additional improvements to the local roadways were necessary to ease traffic congestion and improve safety. Such improvements would clearly impact the historic inn and options to move, demolish, or retain the building were investigated. Because of its connections with the American Revolution and the inn's role in the development of the community, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. This listing required PENNDOT to assess the affects of the proposed highway improvements. After careful consideration, public meetings, and engineering studies, PENNDOT and the Federal Highway Administration determined that the best way to minimize damage was to conduct both archeological and architectural investigations of the inn, and then actually pick it up and relocate it!

While PENNDOT developed engineering plans to move the inn, found a suitable new location, and identified a new owner; researchers investigated the architectural history and archeology of the inn. The hope was that those investigations would provide some insights into the development of the property and shed some light on the daily lives of the people that lived and worked at the King of Prussia Inn." (http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/119king/119facts1.htm)

MW

The Greenwich Tea Party (December 22, 1774)

The Greenwich Tea Burning Monument
Ye Greate St. and Market Ln.
Greenwich Township, NJ 08323

Nothing says civil disobedience in colonial America like the destruction of British tea... When most Americans hear "Tea Party" they either think of the Boston Tea Party or a right wing political group. However, in 1774 colonists in what is now Greenwich Township, Cumberland County had a tea party of their own. Today, close to the location, in which the party took place, stands a monument dedicated to the event and people who made this party happen. I visited this site on a rainy afternoon on November 1, 2014. The monument is located in an area of Greenwich Township that is loaded with 18th and 19th century history. I highly recommend going on a weekend afternoon stroll down Ye Great Street.

Below is a write up on the Greenwich Tea Party from the official Cumberland County, New Jersey website, along with some photos I took on a recent visit to the monument:

"Liberty was not cradled in Philadelphia alone. The spirit was also alive in the inhabitants of Cumberland County when they destroyed a cargo of tea in 1774.

Forty miles from Philadelphia, was (and still is) the little town of Greenwich, the principal settlement of Cumberland County in 1774. It was founded in 1675 by John Fenwick and is older than Philadelphia, which was not founded until 1682. The hand of time has hardly touched Greenwich. It is much the same today as it was three hundred years ago, when the British flag flew high over it. Today you will still find a wide street, which they still call "Ye Greate Street." It was laid out in 1684 and its course has never been changed.

The Cohansey creek is a navigable stream of some size running through the county of Cumberland and emptying into the Delaware Bay. In the autumn of 1774, the quiet inhabitants along the banks of the creek were startled by the appearance of a British brig called the "Greyhound." Sailing about four miles up the Cohansey, the brig stopped at the village of Greenwich, which was the first landing from its mouth. She was laden with a cargo of tea sent out by the East India Tea Company, which was undoubtedly under the impression that the conservative feelings and principles of the people of New Jersey would induce them to submit quietly to a small tax. The result showed that the temper of the people was little understood by the East India Tea Company.

Having found an English sympathizer, a Tory, as they were called, one Daniel Bowen, the Greyhound's crew secretly stored the cargo of tea in the cellar of his house. However, this unusual procedure was noted by the citizens who immediately appointed a temporary committee of five to look after the matter until a county committee might be appointed.

A general committee of thirty-five was later appointed, with representatives from Greenwich, Deerfield, Jericho, Shiloh, Bridgeton, Fairfield and perhaps other places.

News of the Boston Tea Party had already reached Greenwich and the defiant example was regarded by many of the local settlers as worthy of their own contempt for the British. Fate now presented them with a ready-made opportunity to duplicate the act.

On the evening of Thursday, December 22, 1774, a company of about forty young Whigs, disguised as Indians, entered the cellar of Bowen's house. They took possession of the whole cargo, conveyed the tea chests from the cellar into an adjoining field, and piling them together, burnt them in one general conflagration.

 

Thus, the patriots of Cumberland County living in Greenwich expressed their discontent by reacting to oppressive governmental measures. They had clearly taken a stand for independence and democracy.

 

Greenwich has been granted the distinction of being one of the five tea-party towns in America, the others being Charleston, Annapolis, Princeton, and Boston. In 1908 the monument seen above was erected in the old market place on Ye Greate Street to commemorate the burning of a cargo of British tea December 22, 1774." (http://www.co.cumberland.nj.us/content/163/233/403/)

MW
 

Massacre at Hancock's Bridge (March 21, 1778)

Hancock House State Historic Site
3 Front Street
Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038

I visited the site of the Massacre at Hancock's Bridge on November 1, 2014. Below is a write up on the massacre along with some photos I took. The house is in great shape and very well preserved. I was very interested in the brick patterns on the side of the home.

 

From the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry website:

 

"In the 18th century, largely English Quakers who were opposed to violence and armed conflict inhabited Salem County. Yet many supported the cause. This stance inevitably brought the tragedy of war to hearth and home.

 

The winter of 1777 found George Washington and his Army encamped at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The British occupied Philadelphia. Both armies needed food and supplies. In February of 1778, General Washington ordered General “Mad” Anthony Wayne to forage for food, cattle and horses in South Jersey. A month later, Sir General William Howe dispatched 1500 British troops and loyalists under General Charles Mawhood to do the same.

 

Mawhood’s foraging activities met with considerable resistance from the Salem County militia and local patriots. Repulsed at the Battle of Quinton’s Bridge, a key transportation link to the fertile fields of Cumberland and Salem Counties, the British were frustrated and angry with the people of Salem County for their support of the Continental Army.

 

On March 20, 1778, Mawhood issued the following mandate to his British troops: “Go - spare no one - put all to death - give no quarters.” At approximately five o’clock in the morning of March 21, 1778, these orders were carried out.

 

With local Tories (British Loyalists) and their slaves acting as guides, Major John Graves Simcoe and approximately 300 troops attacked the Hancock House where they knew the local militia was stationed. Everyone inside was bayoneted; not a shot was fired. Among the 10 killed and five wounded, was Judge William Hancock. He died several days later." (http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/historic/hancockhouse/hancockhouse-revolutionary.htm)

MW