Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-12-31
NEW JERSEYS COUNTY NAMES.

IN tne trenton IlnleS was divided for
the sake of the transaction of public
affairs. into several important sections
or counties True it was that these
first allotments of land for arbitrary
political nomenclature were indefinite
in their boundaries and that properties
situate upon the division line of two of
these counties was often in dispute
concerning ownership. The reason of
this being that in the early days the
settlements were few and far between,
the surveys inaccurate and ofttimes
wholly wrong, and general lack of
knowledge concerning a new, unculti-
waited country inhabited only by the
red man, was prevalent. Therefore to
accurately locate and describe one or
all of the counties would require much
space and time. Tonote all the changes
in boundaries would be a well nigh
endless task. Suffice to say that in
point of age Essex county is the oldest.
Essex was called for political division
of the same name in England and in
Saxon in its origin, meaning the East
Sex or East People, This county
was created by proprietary law in 1915.
Its boundaries were better ascertained
by law of 1909. In 1741 the county
was further reduced in size. Middlesex
was another of the proprietary count
les. Erected into a county in the year
1902; its boundaries were reduced by
several laws until 1713 Laws of com
paratively recent date have much di-
minished this county in size. This is,
of course, true of all the other proprie-
tary divisions. In 1915 Monmouth was
created as a county, but its limits were
not settled until 1903. Monmouth called
for the Duke of Monmouth, as we'll as
MiddleseX, were names given by loyal
English settlers, and are commemora-
tive of the old country. From Middle
sex, in 1858, the county of Somerset was
formed. Changes were made in the
years 1709 1913 and 1741. This is also
an English name. Cape May is one of
the smallest and one of the oldest coun-
ties in the State. Created by law of
the proprietors in 1899, the bounds were
slightly altered in 1894 and in 1710.
Since that time the limits have re-
manned about the same. This division
was named in honor of Cornelius ia
cobus May, the Dutch navigator, who
came there in 1921. When John Fen
wicke sailedin the placid waters of the
CPsarea river he was impressed with
the beauty, extent and serenity of the
scene and he called the place of his
landing Salem. The name was ex-
tended to embrace the adjoining coun-
try and so in 1894 the county of Salem
was formed Alterations in its limits
were made in 1747, when Cumberland
was erected. Governor iona. Belcher,
executive of this State from 1147 to
1857, named this section in honor of the
Duke of Cumberland. In 1877 Glouces-
ter was laid out and its boundaries
were more definitely ascertained in
1909. Itwas named in honor of Glouces-
ter, of England. Burlington, as a
county, was first recognized in 1894,
! though the name was used ere this for
designating, rather indefinitely. a large
tract of land in central and South Jer-
sey. AS in other instances law fixing
permanent limits was passed in 1909.
Burlington is a corruption of the name
"Bridlington, a name given to the
present town of Burlington by the set
tiers.
Bergen was created in 1S09 and so
remained without much change until a
third of the present century had passed
away. The name is Dutch, and that
region was SO called by the earliest res
idents. Burlington in 1713 was reduced
in size by the erection of Hunterdon, SC
called by Gen. Andrew Hunter, Gov
ernor of New Jersey 171O-2O. Execu
tive Lewis Morris, 1731-32, gave his
name to Morris county; while in 1855
Governor Jonathan Belcher, aforemen
toned, named Sussex, after the seat OF
/
the Duke of New Castle This like
Essex and Middlesex, are names derived
from the Saxon. Sussex means the
South sex or South folk. Then came
the French and Indian wars, the strug
gle for independence, only to be fol
lowed by the war of 1912. During this
time Jerseymen were hard pressed tc
keep together what they made, much
less make anything new, and so we
hear of no new counties until in 1924
when Warren was created as a division
This section was named in honor OF
Gen. Warren. Camden, formed from
seven townships of Gloucester in 1874
was named for an English nobleman
who favored the cause of the colonists
Atlantic, named for the sea, was formed
from Gloucester in 1887. Passaic, ar
Indian name signifying a valley,
created in 1887, and Hudson, named
for Heinrich Hudson, the navigator Of
the Dntch West India Company