The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1883-03-10
The Origin of William PENIS Ameri-
can Scheme.

NoA ONhNhhCs
When the Dutch province in
came by conquest into
possession of the English crown,
the King had graciously made a
present of the whole of that vast
tract of new-scttled country to his
brother, his Royal IIighness the
Duke OF York. Ills Royal High
ness had in turn gained hat por-
ton of his territory now compris-
ing the State Of New Jersey to his
humble servants Lord Berkeley
and Sir George C%arteret. AT that
time (about 1868 the northeastern
part OF this province had begun to
be sparscly settled here and there.
Elizabethtown had grown to four
houses, and was the capital of the
province. Middletown, too, had
been planted and Shrewsbury.
But all the western part, lying up
on the Delaware River and Bay,
was still untouched, saving by a
few scattered Swedish and Finnish
settlers.
Toward this tract Of country,
comparatively near the ocean coast
upon one side, and washed by a
broad river and bay upon the other,
the attention of certain Quakers
began to be directed. John Fen
wick and Edward Byllinges, the
former of BuckinghNmshire, the
latter a London merchant, both
prominent members of the Society,
purchased of Lord Berkeley all his
rights and interests in the Jerseys
for the sum of one thousand pounds
sterling. The province was then
divided by agreement with Sir
George Carteret into East and
West Jersey, called collectively
in the olden times THE Jerseys"
This was accomplished by q line
drawn from Little Egg lIarbor TO a
point on the Delaware river in the
list degree of north latitude.
But in the meantime the settle
ment of this territory with a regu-
lar provincial government came
practically to naught. Fenwick
seems to have been of a litigious,
disputatious, disposition; bicker-
ings and back-talk ensued between
the two proprietaries. Unable, be-
cause of the rules of their sects, to
have the matter settled by law,
the difficulty reached such a stage
that it became necessary to call for
arbitration to arrange the matter
between them. After casting a.
bout for some one to whom to ap-
peal, William Penn was selected
to finally adjudge the matter. And
SO his attention first became at
tracted to the New World, and
his interest awakened in it. The
matter was satisfactorily adjusted,
but West Jersey was destined new
er to become va proprietary-or
rather a bi-proprietary-govern-
ment. Both Byllinges and Fen
wick became involved in financial
difficulties, and their estates passed
into the hands of trustees, one OF
whom was William Penn. In this
position he became still more inter
eSted in the country; he devoted
his attention wholly to the settle,
ment and improvement of this part
OF the Jerseys, and, as his letters
afterward showed, he thereby made
himself well acquainted with the
resources of that which was to him
heretofore an almost unknown
world. He saw at a glance the
vast possibilities it held forth to
such as would undertake the devel,
opment of them, and finally deter
mined to found a province there
himself, not in the loose, unsyste-
matte way in which West Jersey
was being peopled, but endowed
with a good internal government
for its foundation and support.
1t is Illus that great events move
upon little things, as a heavy door
does upon little hinges. If John
Fenwick had not been of disputa.
tious nature, in all likelihood VIII
liam Penn would never have found,
ed a province -Hovard Pyle II,
HayPer'S Magazjne.
" HL-.Ll