The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-12-14
LOCAL HISTORY
THE HOLCOMBES


! luS NoouN, anu oHtDt, valley ne
tween two hills.
Toward the close of the Eth cen
fury, in Liverton, England, about
twenty miles south of Bristol channel,
in Devonshire, John and Jacob Hol-
comhe, the subjects of our sketch,
were born. The exact date of their
birth has not yet been learned, hut we
have sufficient data to fix the time from
1919 10 1850, Their father died when
they were quite Young, but through
the influence of good mother their
minds We're stored with useful know
ledge.
Their home influences were such,
that early in life they took decided
stand en- the side of morality and re-
hglon, and We're known To all to he
worthy of the name of "Fricnd. of
which sect they were consistent and
lifelong members This may account
for their migratory movement to this
country as early, il not earlier, than
the year 100, with those of that faith
who continued to further the settle
ment founded by William Penn.
About the year 100, we find John
and Jacob Iolcombe residents of
Arlington township, Philadelphia
County, Pennsylvania, but ON the 18th
of November, l;O5, John Holcombe
purchased 800 acres of land from Rich
ard Wilson, of Bucks Co, Penna.
This land was in New Jersey, and WAS
that tract south Of the Alexsaul1en
| Creek, bordering the Delaware river
ON the west, and Coats line on the
south, running in an easterly direction
through what is now the City of Lam
bertyillc. between Jefferson and Dele.
van streets
The purchase was in this wise: He
paid f100 5s for the property. His
title was lease, and II "release
He paid five shillings for the lease,
and f1O0 for the release, or. in our
own currency $1.10 per acre. As the
township of Amwell Ind only been
purchased two years before of the
| Indians, his purchase as resident
ranks him among the earliest settlers
of this region.
His brother jacob soon took up his
residence ON the Pennsylvania side of
the Delaware, opposite to John, where
on March 18th. Loo, lie bought of
James Logan. $40 acrcs of land, locatz
ed near the Great Spring, looking
toward the north
This property Is now divided into
several farms, and at the present time
is occupied by Ghas Atkinson, John
II. Ely, Jeremiah Ely, Hugh Paxson,
Joseph Matthews. Wilson Pearson,
Lew Black, John krout, and james
Belts. He afterward purchased large
tracts of land i'll that vicinity. Jacob
Holcombe was an able and an enter
prising man The Court records of
Bucks County, Penna,, show that in
locating the main thorough fares,
bordering from the Delaware all of
this region to Philadelphia, he was
either commissioner to locate, or,
an urgent petitioner for the same. He
held many positions Of trust, and the
records Of his work bear testimony To
his worth. Jacob Eolcombe married
in liz He had one son Thomas, and
seven daughters. ! cannot find that
there are any descendants bearing
his name III this part of the country.
He died 9th mo. 30th,1 14s.
To return to our Jersey pioneer,
John Holcombe. The lands he and
his brother bought were valuable
but all wilderness. There was no
clearing, no road, only an Indian path
extending from the RESTRAINING in
Pennsylvania to the encampment of
the Indians along the Rartan in New
Jersey
The surrounding forests were full Of
game. Along these hills the wolf mud
the bear roamed The wild cat and
the panther stealthfully ereuched for
their prey, and the deer browsing on
the thick underbrush furnished nm in
wiling mark for theunerringaim of the
Indian. Foxes, red and gray, the
otter and the beaver, were also found
III tins region. Smith, in his Hist
DRY of New jersey says there were
panthers here as late ns in the year
1913.
As there was plenty of game in the
forests, 80 was there plenty Of fish in
the river and its tributaries. Shad
moved IN immense shoals, and sturgeon
were MS numerous then as shad are
now. An old resident of this Citv
tells us that Just below Frenchtown.
as late as in the early part of this
century, There were caught in one haul
of the net 200 shad Many other
varieties Of fish were found in abund-
ance.
Two years after pioneer John Hol-
combe made his first purchase of land,
he added to it 2G0 acres, and in 1882,
30 acres more. In 1888, he bought Of
John Way 300 acres, and the follow
ing year 200; still later, ll9 additional
acres, making in all, 1853 acres by
original survey
On April 2s, 1907, John Holcoinbe
married Elizabeth Woolrick, of Abiding
ton, Pa. She was an active and in
huential member Of the Society of
Friends. DR.. p. A. Studdiford in his
History of Lambertvilleand vicinity, Z"
says, that she was a preacher among
the Friends, and that she went over TO
Buckingham every lst and every 9TH
day On one of these occasions. he
tells us, the river was very high and
the ferryman begged her not to cross
as it would be most dangerous. "The
Lord will protect me-" said Mrs. Hol-
combe, and went on. She reached the
| naatino aofolxy aud