The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-06-23
Historica1 Mount Holly.


/ Incident to a visit of the Friends &c
ciety, of Philadelphia, who held picni
, and entertainment in connection with tn
Friends Society, of Mount Holly, at tn
Friends meeting house, corner of Higl
and Garden streets, on Saturday afternoon
and evening, aD interesting historical pa
per, prepared by Charles Engle, OF Gar
den street, was read and enjoyed by tn
large attendance. The paper in part fol
lows:
The persecution of the religious Society
of Friends during the reign of Charles
the II, of England, may be said to have
been the moving cause of the settlement
of West Jersey in 1851. England little
knew then that by her unchristian treat
ment of the Friends, or Quakers, within
her domains, in causing such large num-
bers of her valuable citizens to depart and
seek homes here, that thus she was pro
viding the great leavening power to lay
the foundation for a government that
would become so popular in one century
of growth as to establish its independence
and no longer pay tribute to the crown.
In the several transfers of ownership of
New Jersey from Charles the II, until it
came into the hands of the commission
ers, nothing had been done to extinguish
the rights of the aborigines to the soil,
This the commissioners on their arrival
here set about to do by treating with the
Indians and paying them for their undis-
puted rights. 1t is of record that two of
these treaties covered the territory reach
ing from above Burlington to Trenton,
below Camden and across the state to the
Atlantic seaboard. 1t is said to be a fact
that under the Quaker treatment of the
Red man in obtaining every foot OF the
soil of New Jersey by fair and voluntary
purchase and transfer, not drop of blood
was shed, fact that no other state in the
union-not even the land that bears the
name of Penn-can boast of.
In the year 1875 came the first ship,
the Griffith, to land its passengers at Sa-
lem. Two years later came the ship Kent,
which assembled the Delaware to Bprling
ton, the first to come up that far. These
emigrants were all Friends.
The meeting house at the corner of
High and Garden streets was erected In
1775. The war of Independence soon fol-
lowed, and within Its walls the British
stored their military supplies. They also
had their commissary department there,
as is shown by the marks of the cleaver on
one of the benches, and impressions made
on the floor by the muzzles Of their mus
kets.
The first minute book of this monthly
meeting shows that its first session was
held on the 4th day of the 10th month,
1776, and from that time onward there
were no omissions in its monthly gather
ings in consequence of the house being
occupied by the military. The record
book of burials of this meeting contains
the names of about $50 interments in its
grounds between the years 1776 and 1891.
The fire proof in this meeting house con-
tains a large number of record books of
this meeting, also all the trust deeds from
174S, and a large book of marriages from
1876.
There has been found in this fire proof
the original marriage certificate of VIM.
Boon, colored, the certificate being signed
by twenty-seven persons. Born in 1875,
William was married in 1853 to dido,
who lived near Rancocas, He became |
consistent christian, as helived in fear of |
being killed by the Indians. This is said |
to be the only colored marriage ever per-
formed in this meeting. into whose mem
bership William was admitted. His re-
ligious life was of such character that a |
in his memory was read at the
yearly meeting of Friends, held in Phil
adelphia in 1929.
On the north side of Brainard street |
stands a one-story brick school house,
built in 1859, believed by some to have
been the first house in which free school |
was held in this state. A correct history
Of this house was recently compiled by |
Barclay White, deceased, which shows,
contrary to traditional belief, that this
house was not built by John Brainard,
but its erection was brought about by the
efforts of private citizens. In 1914 the
Female Benevolent Association was or
ganized, and the work of educating the
poor children of the town was carried on |
by its members in this little building.
This town is proud in the belief that it |
United States, it having been organized
in 1862 under the name of the Relief Fire |
Company. I
There has been considerable speculation |
as to the dwelling in which John Wool
man and family resided while residents of
Mount Holly. He came here young |
man from his fathers farm near Rance
cas-, and at the age of 30 years married |
Sarah Ellis. A brick dwelling house on
the Springfield road has wrongly been
called by some the home of John Wool
man, who died in 1771, when in fact this
house was built between 1856 and 1898,
and the letters q. W) thereon stand for
Jabez Woolston. A bill was introduced |
in our last Legislature asking for an ap-
preparation to purchase this dwelling and
it as the home of John Wool |
man, when facts show it was not built
for years after his death. The frame |
house in which John Woolman resided |
was torn down in 1910. 1t stood about
where now stands the brick residence of
George Moore, on the bluff overlooking |
the valley of Buttonwood run, on Branch |
street.
York, England, in which country he was
in the work of the ministry. John
Woolman was distinguished for his purity
Of heart in daily life He has been styled
one of the genuine nobility of the human
race, and his self-sacrificing and conse-
Grated life has not, perhaps, been exceed
ed by any christian life to be found in the
recorded pages of history during the past
nineteen centuries. Were the protesting
christian nations of the earth at this day
led and governed by that same unerring
and Interchangeable power in all the duties
of life that at this age of outward adj
vancement SO loudly call to service, the
great reformation that would come to the
human family can scarcely be conceived
of by the finite mind.
An account is given of an election for
the county of Burlington, which began
on March IA, 1889, for the election of two
members to represent this county in the
Colonial Assembly of New Jersey. This
election continued for five days, and from
the appearance of the record 1t is appa-