The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-04-13
WEST JERSEY
PROPR PRIETORS
Ancient Historic Society
Held It's Two Hundred and
Thirtieth Annual Meeting
In Burlington
SEEKS TO PRESERVE ACHlvEs

AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE
CARE OF BUILDING AND PA
PERs
In the belief that the State is soon to
make an appropriation for the better pre-
servation of the building and records of
the West Jersey Propnetors in Burling-
ton, more than unusually interest was
taken by the people of this vicinity in
the 230th annual meeting of that old or
ganization, which was held there Tues
day. While this organization has but
little significance in the eyes of the law,
and is continued more for its historical
connections than for any other reason, At
has in its possession records and maps of
the utmost value to the State of New
Jersey. These papers, while carefully
preserved in the surveyor generals office
in Burlington, are constantly exposed to
loss from theft or fire and should they
ever be lost or destroyed could never be
replaced.
A movement to secure these papers for
the State was defeated a few years ago
when bill was introduced in the Legls-
lature authorizing the purchasing from
the proprietors of all their claims by the
State. The bill never passed, and as the
proprietors have refused to surrender
these papers to the State the present bill
calling for an appropriation of S2,OOO to
be expended for the placing of better
safeguards about these relics OF the earl
ier days of the commonwealth The
measure is said to meet with popular ap-
proval and will probably be passed.
The home of the proprietors and also
the place of storage for the maps and
records is in the surveyor generals office
/ Ia little one-story building of red brick,
| located near the centre of Burlington.
Iron gratfngs enclose the windows and
give the place general air of seurcity,
| A few years ago this little building with
| its valuable records was threatened with
destruction, when FIRE destroyed large
hall and skatink ring on adjoining prop
erty. 1t was saved by firemen, who con-
scentrated their efforts in driving the
flames from that quarter.
| At the meeting of the proprietors
Tuesday the most important business
\ transacted was the electing to member
ship of Frank D'Oher, to fill the vacancy
-eaused by the death of his uncle, the late
Mayor Franklin G. Woolman. The
other members of the Council in Burling-
ton and vicinity are Waiter E. Robb
Richard Mott, of Burlington; Frank
Earl, of Pemberton; Henry j. Trick, Of
yincentown. and Henry S. Haines, OF
Burlington, the present surveyor general
BENJAMIN Cooper, of Philadelphia, 6
member of the Glouster division, is now
the oldest member and largest sharehold
er in the proprietary Council.
Among the records that the most cher
ished by the proprietors is their origina
constitution, under which the State wa:
! governed during the early days Of its set
tlement, more than two centuries ago
There are also the sets of minutes of tht
society and other papers rich in historical
interest. The West Jersey Proprietor
are almost as old as the commonwealth
of New Jersey itself, and are inseparabll
connected with the early history and col
onization of the State. The Council wa
organized in 1878, and it's members wer'
| large property owners who had come int
possession of certain grants in New Jer
sey or New Ceasarea, as it was theI
known, either from the crown or through
/ purchase. For few years prior to thi
the land was held by Lord Berkley ant
! Sir George Cartaret, who received thei
grant to the tract from the Duke o.
York.
Later, however. Berkley became dis
satisfied with the financial prospect in th'
new colony and sold out his undivided
moiety of the State to john Fenwick. {
Quaker. The purchase price was 1,00(
pounds stirling and a royalty of forty
beaver skins annually. The money wa
supplied for this purchase by Edward
Byllynge. Byllynge soon became finan
cially embarrassed and his creditors thel
laid, claim to Fenwick's grant, which HI
had purchased from Lord Berkley. vii
/ liam Penn was made one of the arbitra
/ tors to settle the dispute over the owner
/ shin of the land He decided in favor o.