The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-30
AFTER CHURCH
HISTORICAL
RECORDS
State Society Wants Docu-
rlents Of Value Proper
ly Cared For.

The annual meeting of the New Jersey
Historical Society was held in the Library
building, in West Park street, this after
noon. 1t wal called to order by the presi-
dent of the society. Jonathan w. Roberts,
of Morristown. The Rev. Joseph Folsom
acted as secretary. The meeting was large
ly attended by members from all parts of
the State.
After the invocation by the Rev. ]. De
Hart Bruen, of Bordentown, a descendant
of the old Bruen family of this city, and
the reading Of the minutes of the last ans
nual meeting reports of various officers
and committees were read and approved.
The report of the board Of trustees was
exceedingly encouraging and showed that
many donations of things of a historical
interest had been received by the society
during the past year.
William C Morton, of this city, treasurer
of the society, reported a cash balance
of SO, 442. 80 in the treasury Of the society,
against $751; rs a year ago.
The report of the membership commit
tee was most encouraging, showing a net
gain of ITO during the past year. Among
the deaths of the year, George r. Howe,
of East Orange, chairman OF the MEM
bership committee, reported that OF Cort-
landt Parker. of this city, the last of the
charter members of the society. In all
twenty-five members died during the
wear. OF these, fifteen were life mem
bers and seven contributing members. 1t
shown that the total membership OF
the society is now s24, in addition to
which the women's branch has an asso-
ciate membership of $50.
Charles Bradley, Ernest F. Coe, Frank
lin B. Dwight and Edward Kanounse were
reelected trustees for three years. Justice
Francis j. Swayze was also elected to
the office of trustee. William M. Law
renee was elected to a two-year term 10
fill a vacancy caused by a DEATH, and
another vacancy for one year was niieo
by the election of Charles M. Lum.
Miss Marie Antoinette Quinby, president
of the woman's branch of the society, In
the name Of that branch, presented the
society with two handsomely bound vol
umes of colonial inscriptions.
TIL committee on colonial documents,
through its chairman, William Nelson, of
Paterson, reported much progress in the
compilation of the records of New Jersey
in the early days. He made a special re-
port on the successful efforts of the COM
mlttee in securing the manuscript Of the
Commonplace Book Of John Fenwick,"
which contains much interesting data on
West Jersey history.
Mr.. Nelson. as corresponding secretary
of the society, reported that through Adju-
~tant-General Breintnall he had obtained a
complete muster roll of Sherman's Brigade
and the West Jersey Loyal Volunteers,
who participated in the Revolutionary
War. He also reported that he had called
the attention to the Essex County Park
Commission to a series of articles by Ed
ward @. Keasbey on "Weequahic Lake
and Dividend Hill" and that DIVIDEND
or Dividing is a translation of the Indian
word ,"Weequahic," which means be
tween
In his correspondence Mr.. Nelson, in his
report stated that he had received other
valuable information regarding early New
Jersey history.
tending its efforts toward preserving the
records of all the churches in the State
whose history dates back to colonial times.
In many cases the member of the so
c!ety have found that numerous original
records are in the hands Of private in
dividuals and In many cases unavailable 10
the society. In order that these records
may be preserved and placed in the hands
of the proper authorities the following
resolution. introduced by William Nelson,
was unanimously passed;
whereas, 1t is believed that many
church records, which ought to be in the
custody OF the official authorities of the
churches, are In private hands. where
they are liable to be lost or mislaid; and,
ueTedS, IL is very utSlIdDlS III lhC ~
terest of such churches and of the public
in general that such records should be
placed in the custody of the official board
of such churches;
Resolved, That the several local his
torical societies in this State n all of
the members thereof be earnestly request
ed to ascertain whether or not the records
of churches and friends meetings in their
several localities are in the proper official
custody, and If not, that they take prompt
steps to rave such records placed In such
custody, and that they further urge the
several churches and friends meetings to
provide for the proper safe keeping and
preservation Of such records.
Resolved, That in case such bodies
have no proper receptacle for the safe
keeping of records, this society will gladly
receive them on deposit, and will care for
them properly until such time as the
several bodies entitled to such records
shall provide for their safe keeping.
Resolved, That a copy of the fore
going resolutions be transmitted by the
corresponding secretary TO each Of the
local historical societies in this State"