The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-05-17
TRENTON, LONG AGO
Francis B. Lee Lectures on
the State Capital in
Colonial Days.
HABITS AND CUSTOMS OF SETTLERS
Funerals That Lasted Two Hours
Prevalence of Gambling
and Drinking.


Francis B. Lee lectured recently in the
Central Baptist Church, Trenton. before
the Mems Society of the church. His re-
marks were listened to with close atten-
ton by the club.
Mr.. Lee said he was to talk of a young
village, almost on a plantation basis,
with but few industries and only stage
coach communication with the outer
world Colonial Trenton was as the VI
entity now beyond the city at the White
Horse or in Ewing. He. referred to the
suitability of the location for a town by
reason of the soil and the climate. Here,
and across the river, before 100, there
were founded several Quaker meeting
houses which marked the social begin
ming of the vicinity. The Presbyterian
influence of the eastern part of the State
was also an early influence on society
here. These two religious bodies made a
wonderful combination of the government
of church and State. Where the Presby-
terians had laws condemning to death for
fourteen causes, the Quakers. on the
south, had never had an execution in
thirty years. The Presbyterians estab-
~ Ia VAA6 oAA 1AOPS|
well, and soon overcame the Quaker in
1uence.
1t is not strictly true tina William
Trent was the founder of Trenton. The
founder was rather Mahlon Stacy, who,
as a Commissioner, came here, and on
the Assanpink Creek built a mill which
stood until the beginning of the civil war.
Stacy was in general what would be
termed a progressive citizen. He cleared
several hundred acres of land on both
sides of the Assanpink. He was an ap-
proved speaker of the Friends, drew
many people here. and was made the
Postmaster. The name of the place. the
Fails of the Delaware, also designated
the country for several miles round and
places near Lambertyille were called in
some old records as being at the Falls.
The early settlers burned the forests
instead of cutting them, and these trees
included some valuable nut forests. main
tanned by the Indians A ferry was
established where the Pennsylvania Rail-
road bridge crosses the river. Trenton
was settled. by the English before Phila-
delphia. Most of the horses and cattle
We're brought here from England.
The speaker did not put much credence
in the report of horses being driven here
from the West, beyond the Mississippi.
When the white man came to New Jer-
sey there were but about 5000 Indians
in the State, and they quickly decreased
to a small number In the first days
marriages We're frequent between a white
man and a red woman. Slavery was in
vogue There were the whipping posts
and the stocks for the administration of
these events We're regarded as gala days
by the people. It was then a capital
offense to steal over twenty shillings.
churches in the city, city, the there QUAKER ohsy a and
Presbyterian: In the Quaker Church
the men and women sat apart. In the
Presbyterian Church there was but little
singing, and sometimes the singing was
accompanied by music on the bass violin.
William Trent was a man of great power
in the community and entertained royalty
at the mansion now the home of E. H.
tok A vote of the people was taken
as to the naming of the place. Some
wanted It named Yardtown, after the
Yards. Trenton was first made a borough
in 1I45, with Thomas Cadwalader as Bur-
CESS, but the government was not a sue
cess; At that time there was great
as to growth and prosperity. 1t is COM
monty said that the bricks in many of the
old colonial buildings were brought here
from England, but it is only true in a
number of cases. Trenton had a brick
yard and Philadelphia had several. The
only real typical colonial house now
street, which as the barracks in the
French and Indian war, was regarded as
a great building. and travellers went out
OF their way to see 1t.
Funeral services of two hours length
We're common and burial took place
shortly after death. There was a great
deal Of liquor drinking, the principal
liquors being Jamaica rum and Holland
gln. Gambling was common. There is
scarcely an old church in the State but
what was built On the proceeds of a lot
terry. The crest of the coat of-arms OF
New Jersey today is a horses head. in
dicating the respect the horse was held
In during the early days. Horse racing
was FREQUENT, the contests taking place
The entrance of the Chief Justice to
the town was IN elaborate
He came down Warren street, accom-
panied by the Sheriff of Hunterdon
county and preceded by tipstaves. The
entrance to the court was a repetition of
the English ceremony IN such occasions.
European news was -four months old and
obtained from papers of the big cities.
There were but few physicians and
the medicines were chiefly those of the
vegetable nature used by the Indians
Smallpox prevailed and death resulted
IN most cases. If a man broke his leg
the doctors set 1t the best they could IF
a patient recovered it was the doctors
skill, and If he died it was a case Of
Providence. At the time of the Revolu-
ton Trenton was a town of $500. The
old court records and private correspond
ence showed that the habits of the
people We're. after all, much the same as
those OF today similarly situated.
In answer to a question, Mr.. Lee said
that Miss Anna RosselI, of West State
street was the only living descendant
of William Trent. There were a num-
Der of descendants of Mahlon stacy
which included some of the Walkers and
Paxtons.