The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-31
COLOR In OLD G0ULDT0WN.
RACES THOROUGHLY MIXED IN a NEW
JERSEY SETTLEHENT
a Colony TO which Advocates OF Intermnr-
riage Among Races Point, bat which
Others CrItIcIse-Its Romantic neRInnInR.

a Colony 10 which Advocates OF Intermnr-
riage Among Races Point, hut which
Others CritIoIse-Its Romantic BeGinninR.
The trial of the colored man Edward Kin
ney and the white woman Mary Hall. who we're
married in Virginia. despite the law OF that
State in bringing about discussion Of the con-
sequences Of unrestricted matrimony. has
brought the little village Of Goudtown, N j..
into prominence.
Goudtown Is in the heart Of Cumberland
county. 1t is n very old town. II was founded
by a negro named Gould. who espousod whito
woman. and tho intcrmarrago OF whites and
blacks has ever since been tolerated there.
John Fenwick. one OF the original owners OF
West Jersey. brought from England in 1876 two
married daughters and their husbands and
their grandchildren and servants. grand
daughter named Elizabeth soon aitorward
cloped with cOlored man named Benjamin
Gould. This is said to have been tho old origi-
nal Gould Of Gouldtown. There are. however.
two accepted traditions. one being that Gould
settled in what is now Gouldtown. because no
saw an opportunity to live there by farming.
and to escape observation "a well. The other
belief is that Fenwick settled Gould and Eliza
beth there with q house and land. Fenwick
says In his will:
Item, do except against Elizabeth Adams OF having
ewes her aboininabe tansgression against Rim
ss T q he sss ~ F Sa ssT se n at S
and becoming penlsnt for her sns upon thai condition
acres Of land UPON her.
Whether the woman ever did abandon her
husband is not positively known. There are
so many descendants OF this mixed family in
are called "GOulds or "Goulders" by the in
Of the present day married a white woman from
| outside tho colony, but nearly all OF them are
married 20 mulattoes. and are mulattoes them
| selves This Is true OF nearly all who dwell in
Gouldtown, Some OF them betray only faint
traces OF their African coloring. OF the de-
ecendants OF the Pierces, Holmes Pierco and
| Elijah Pierce married German women. and
| Monnoky Picrco welded n Dutch woman.
| There are not more than six or seven white
The Pierces. as we're most OF tho settlers who
| followed tho Goulds. were runaway slaves from
Delaware and Maryland and negroes who
| eloped with white women.
The writer endeavored 10 ascertain how tn ESQ
WHITE WiSes N s Known tSat some ~ he nai
groes bought Holland wives by paying their
passage. Thus the Murrays and Pierces in
| In the village history. or a recent mixed mar
| rage 1t Is known that one OF the Pierces. who
| had lived in Pennsylvania and understood the
Dutch dialect OF that State. undertook to teach
| English to Pennsylvania Dutchman who
farmed some land in Gouldtown. This led TO a
| marriage between tho mulAtto teacher and tho
| Dutchman's daughter. A Gould from Could
| town. with his mulatto wife and children. is
l ~ "
| porous machine shop In Michigan. His chill
dren will doubtless wed Michigan girls.
Gouldtoyn has only one store. and that is only
Methodism. 1t has one school house and the
be nearly all intelligent and apt pupils. The
children are well formed and as healthy as the
| Tho houses in Gouldtown are OF every style OF
| country architecture that has prevailed since
the log hut Of colonial days. Tho houses are
| there is only one house TO farm. On the farms
the negroes, grow wheat. corn, potatoes. and
small truck" which they sell In Bridgcton.
Generally tho settlement is prosperous. but
there are some loafers and few beggars
One Of the PieEces said TO, the writer: d" am
| baggah. sab. Do fact is, I'm a-Rittin' ole and
decrippled. an hev fer to 'ly on my frens." He
both looked and spoke like negro. but there
the complexion and sometimes the eyes OF Al
| binos. Their facial features are those OF white
| mon. They wonr long boards.
| The young women are often very pretty and
nearly white, They dress tastcfully-some-
times gayly. They have long hair. which they
| little of the original kink" Is visible and the
peculiarly white eyes and long pink finger nails
bstray tho origin OF the prcttiest and whitest o
They nrc nstonishingly beautiful young
women Judge Elmer OF Bridgeton said.
have never been without one or more Of them
In my kitchen until lately. Now there either are
not amy more OF them or they are growing toe
comfortable and too proud TO 20 out ~ service.
Judge Elmer il the historian Of Cumberland
County. He does not believe that Fenwick's
800 acres ever descended TO the girl who was
married to the original Gould. Indeed he says
there Is no proof that that white girl Is the
white girl who welded Gould. 1t Is all n tradi-
ton. The Gouldtown people are. he says. hon
est and industrious but short-hved anC
physically n weaker race than either Of tn,
races from which they sprHng.
| No touchdown man or woman or child hni
ever been arrested for a crime No disorder
ever disturhs the settlement, ut least none re
curing the attention OF tho constabulary. Ii
Brldgeton. where the Gouldtowners trade, the
are greatly respected.
A colony OF full blacks has lately been estab
lished near Gouldtown. springtown. near by
Is another negro colony Its houses are huts
| It's land Ia sterile and its inhabitants are verl
troublesome Perhaps tho strongest negrt
character site that the mulattoes OF Gouldtowi
retain IL their liking for long and grand names
Ii II said that ono hid Is named George Wash
ington Jackson Buchanan, and that a middle
aged man who already rejoiced in the name o
Daniel Webster Clay recently added that 0
Charles sumner. In order to effect this add
| tion. he called "a conference OF the grown mel
OF the village and. as they saw nothing unusua
or unwise In the proposal they consented an,
he grayely announced that thereafter his nam
would DO ID. W. C. Charles Sumner.