Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-03-05

dIuls As dill iuLSEeSllHS dCCOuut Vi
the settlement of the German Luther
ans in Morris county. These Palatin-
ate Lutherans sailed down the Rhine,
embarked from Holland for New York
in 1907. After a severe and protract-
ed voyage, violent storm drove their
small ship south of Sandy Hook, oblig-
ing the master to take refuge in the
capes of the Delaware AMI ultimately
land his passengers at Philadelphia.
Determined to continue to the prov
ince of New York, the immigrants left
the Quaker City, journeying overland.
Travelling thitherward, they reached
the crest of the Schooley's Mountain
range in Morris county, New Jersey,
and were suddenly confronted by the
view of charming valley. Below
were the pleasant reaches of the Mus
conetcong, flowing TRANQUILITY between
grassy banks, with rich meadows roll
ing back in gentle undulations, SEEM
ing fairly to invite settlement. To
these tempest tossed wanderers it APP
peared, indeed, land of promise;
what more could they desire in a
search for homes? New York prov
ince certainly would offer no richer or
more inviting locality, so here they
decided to remain. Descending the
mountain side they drove their tent
stakes, and laid their hearth-stones,
as the commencement of a settlement
which has been known from that day
to this as the German Valley" (u)
W.
In May, 1852, the West Jersey prov
ince having become quite populous, the
West New Jersey Assembly divided it
into two jurisdictions or counties, to
each of which they assigned court
of quarter sessions, a sheriff and a
clerk or recorder The jurisdictions
took their names from the only two
towns then built in West Jersey, Bur-
lington and Salem, (r).
Mickle, in his "reminiscences ef-Old
Gloucester writes: THE inconvenience
to which the concentration of the pub
lie business at these distant places
must have subjected the people of the
third and fourth tenths is obvious, and
we cannot wonder that our sturdy
forefathers seized upon the first oD-
portunity offered by disturbances in
the provincial government to admin
lister remedy for themselves.
"On May 26, 1886, the proprietors,
freeholders and inhabitants, generally
Of the territory lying between the Pen
sauken and Old Mans creek, met at
| Arwames, (Gloucester) and formed
what may be called a county constitu
ton. This curious instrument, CON
prising in all but ten short paragraphs
not only regulated the marking OF
| hogs and other cattle, but created the
| two precincts into a county, ordained
a regular court, provided officers sim
| liar to those already employed in the
| jurisdictions of Salem and Burlington
counties This was the origin of old
Gloucester county-the only county in
New Jersey that can deduce it's exist
ence from a direct and positive com
pact between her inhabitants" (r).
In Book A sub initio of Court Min
utes at Woodbury., page /; in Mickle's
"reminiscences, page IS, and in Cor
don's Gazetteer, of New Jersey, page
14S may be found this constitution in
| full. The courts and grand juries
were to sit alternately at Arwames
| (Gloucester) and Red Bank.
1.-THE Government Of the State Of
| Gloucester having now a name, Of
course wanted the other essential Of
responsibility, "a local habitation' This
was fixed by the jeyntt consent of the
proprietors, who during the inter
regnum in the provincial govern
ment, fixed everything at Arwames. A
splendid city, reaching from the Quin
-quorenning or Newton creek to the
/ Sassackon or Little Timber creek
with ten streets running east ant
west, and two north and south, ant
with a famous market place three
chains square-was laid out by Thorn
as Sharp in 1859, (r). And this wal
the origin of Gloucestertown as 1t was
called until it's incorporation as a city
| in 1885. *
| In 1868, the first Assembly in Eas
New Jersey was convened at Eliza
Ebethtown.
On November rs, 1851, the first gen
eral Assembly of West New jersey
was convened at Burlington.
In 1902 the Proprietors Of East anf
West New Jersey having had SO muef
| trouble in governing the inhabitants
in their several settlements surrender
ed the right to govern the colony tt
| the Crown reserving to themselves
only the right to convey the land t.
the settlers. Thereafter the people IL
East and West Jersey were under the
government and control of the Cover
nor of New York, but after 1888 New
Jersey had it's own colonial governor
appointed by the crown of England uD
til In the time of the Revolution, tht
militia of this State under order:
from the Provincial Congress seizet
William Franklin, the last royal gov
ernor and deported him to Connect
cut.
The Indian name for New Jersey il
Scheyichbi, (u).
The Division into Counties.
In East Jersey, Essex county, OF
account of its proximity to Manhattan
Island New York; was first formed
in 1876 and it's boundaries were de
finitely settled in 1909, comprising tht
| territory then known as Elizabeth
town and Newark. This county hac
the largest population.