Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-12-27

Francis 10 transport himself and all
those who cared 4 cast their lot with
him . About zoo took advantage of
this opportunity, including about 100
of the Dunnotter prisoners. who
were given TO him by the Govern
ment. They sailed from Leith on
Sept. 5. 1855. but were not long on
the briny deep when a malignant
fever broke out among them, and
their weakened condition, due to the
trials and tribulations they had
passed through, rendered them easy
victims of that malady, TO which
about sixty of them succumbed and
were consigned to a watery grave,
including George Scott and his wife.
The sad, sick and weary survivors
of this voyage landed at Perth Am =
boy late in December. 1886, and
were taken care of as best they could
by their fellow countrymen OF that
town, and by the kind-hearted pco-
pie of the adjoining town OF Wood
bridge.
DR.. John tombstone. OF Edinburgh.
was a passenger oil this boat. On
the death of George Scott, his faith
er-in-law. the care of his fellow pas
nge fell on his young shoulders.
He became an active and influential
man in the public affairs of the Prov
ince and in New York. He was Mayor
of New York city for six consecutive
years, was judge of the Supreme
Court of East Jersey. and Speaker of
the General Assembly. and was also
one of the grantees of the City Char
ter of Perth Ambcy and the Charter
of the Saint Peters Episcopal
Church, of that city.
The Rev. Archibald Riddell. n
noted Covenanting preacher. and one
who had suffered imprisonment for
the cause. was also among the pas
9 on that ill-fated ship, and
later became pastor of the Presby-
terrain Church at Woodbridge: an
other passenger was James Dundas,
son of Lord Dundas, of Admission.
who was exiled for his faith, and
who later married Janet, the daugh-
ter of Pastor Riddell of Woodbridge.
They settled in Perth Amboy. where
they resided on Smith street. After
his death his wife and son, Robert.
returned to Edinburgh. the latter
becoming a merchant of that city.
and was father of General Sir David
Dundas, to whom the British Army
is indebted for it's first codified sys-
ANAiA W AotNAN|s ~ II ~
came its COMMANDMENT Chief. Thus,
while Edinburgh has the right to
claim this military genius as its son.
Perth Amboy has equally the right
to claim him as its grandson.
The early history of Perth Amboy
is thus closely identified with two of
the noted Scottish families which
have given distinguished. leaders to
the British Army, who have added
so much to It's efficiency and prestige.
Perth Amboy Is also identified
with another noted family which has
figured, and is presently figuring.
prominently in the arts of peace:
Lord Thomas Drummond, great
| grandson of the first Earl of Melfort,
one of the original Scots Proprietors
of East Jersey. came out in 1858 TO
look after the family estates in Perth
Amboy and elsewhere in New Jer-
sey. and while here was elected the
twelfth President of the st. Andrews
Society of New York. He made per-
sistent but i'll appreciated efforts to
bring about peace between Great
Britain and the American Colonies
in the early stages of the American
Revolution. Another member o.
that family, Sir Eric Drummond. the
present heir-apparent to the title OF
Earl OF Perth, was on the motion OF
President Wilson appointed Secre-
tary-in Chief of the League OF
Nations.
! The East Jersey PrOprietOrs
In the year 1855 the East Jersey
Board of Proprietors va estab-
lished, consisting of the sixteen Pro-
prietors of their Proxies then resi-
!. dent in the Province. who were al
Scotsmen, excepting Rudyard and
Warne, who were Englishmen. This
body still exists and has its head
quarters in Perth Amboy. the Oldest
organization of its kind in America
While some of these early settlers
continued to reside in Perth Amboy,
many of them settled in plantations
in the adjoining counties of Union
Middlesex. Somerset and Monmouth,
The first of these plantations were
located along the banks of Cedar
Brook, extending from South Plain
field to Scotch Plains, among the
owners of which were the Gordons
Fullertons, Forbes, Barclays, Cam
eron, Laing. Frost, Campbell, Bur
nett and Alexanders.
Along the upper reaches of the
Raritan River in Somerset County
plantations were taken W by Lore
Neil Campbell. Earl of Melfort, John
Campbell, Colonel Andrew Hamil'
ton, James Dundas, Sir John Dial
rymple, William Aickman and
Rev. Archibald Riddell. On the
South River. farms were laid out for
Gawen Lawrie, Robert Burnett. I.
Fullerton, G. Gordon. Robert Cor
don, j. Forbes. Robert Hardie. II.
Barclay and David Nude. But y
far the larger number settled on the
fertile plains of Monmouth county,
extending from the Raritan River
south to Freehold. where they es-
tablished the towns Of New Aber
deem (now Matawan). Wi~ckatunck
Toponemus and Freehold.