The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-03-15
ST. Peters Church,
Freehold and It's RectOrs
By MAxcY APPLRGATE. sR.
REV. GEORGE KRITH, FOUNDER ar
FREEHOLD
TOPANEMUs.

Most Of the foregoing facts to here
and as indicated, about George Keith
Is condensed from Rev. .Josenl
troopers early Colonial Missionaries
In writing of George Keith 81
snls DAY It is a matter Of pride and sat.
,slaction that ne used his voice and
pen against the slave traffic.
The German Friends about Gar.
LlahtoWn tnow PHILADELPHIA seem
70 nave been the first to send = strona,
protest about 1859 against sIaver77
to the Monthly Meeting against t5e
frame OF "men-body. saving wbaf
thing IN the world can be done worse
toward us, then of men should rob ana
steal us away, and sell us for slaves n
strange countries, separating bnS,
bands from there wives and children
In 1886 the Yearly Meeting advised
that Friends be careful not to enconr-
age the bringing in of any more ne
groes and that such as have neoroas he
carefel of them, bring them fo Mat
ing and have meeting with them in
families and restrain them from loose
and lewd living. as much as in them
lies. and fronl rambling abroad on
nrsf days (Sundays.1 So also about the
same time those who had followed
George Keith charged in their yearly
Meeting that they shonld set theirne-
groes at Liberty. after some reasonable
time ofservice.
The Friend" Vol, XVII. Mem. Hist
Society Penn. Vol v. Moore's His
tory on Slavery, in Mass.
Undoubtedly George Keith's in
huence and activity actuated,the move
ment against the slave trade which
resulted In rule of discipline in
l755 to disown all members of the
Society who persisted in the practice
OF buying slaves. and in 1916 this
advice was enforced by discipline
and Friends were no longer permitted
TO retain their membership if thew
continued slave holders. In this
connection we should add that the
torerunner Of all the agitation against
slavery in the Colonies was William
Southby; a Roman Catholic of
Maryland.
1t may have been Keith received
experience in Monmouth County and
his observations on the traffic of man
body that led him (Keith) to sell
his plantation in Freehold. For in
those early days no other labor
could be obtained on plantations.
IL is certain that after his ex.
perience in Freehold he was a great
advocate OF the abolition Of slavery in
the Colonies andiit may have had some
also to do with his quarrel with Dep
uty Governor Lloyd and Others and
William Penn, who were at that
time large slave owners in Penn
sylvania.
GoRDoN'S ACCOUNT OF SLAVERY AND
KEITH's LINE.
Thomas f. Gordon's History of
New Jersey. published by Daniel
Fenton, Trenton, 1884. says Negro
slavery was unhappily established in
New Jersey, though at what precise
period, or by what class of planters it
was introduced, cannot now be as
certained In spite of the ROYAL pat
which this baneful system re-
ceived, it did not become inextricabiy
rooted. Yet the Quakers here, as in
Pennsylvania, became proprietors Of
slaves but they always treated them
with humanity. and so early as the
year 1896, the Quakers of New Jersey.
united with their brethren in Penn
sylvania in recommending to
their own sect, to desist
from the employment, or at least
from the further importation of slaves,
Clarkson's History of the Slave Trade,
Vol. /, ps- 1S1136.
Gordon says about the year 1857.
the propriety of the quintipartite deed
was questioned by Dr. Daniel Coke.
Under this idea in the year, 1856, an
agreement was made between Robert
Barclay and the Proprietors of East
ersey, and Edward Byllings and the
of West Jersey, for run
ming the partition line so 3 to give a
equal a division of the Province, as
was practicable. Pursuant to which
Lord Neil Campbell. Governor, and
Capt. Andrew Hamilton and John
of East Jersey, and John
Skene, deputy governor and Samuel
jennings and Others of West Jersey.
allsof whom were Proprietors, of their
divisions, entered into
bonds; to stand to the award of John
Reed and William Finley who were ap-
pointed to determine the line. and who
directed that it should run from Little
Egg Harbour N, N. w. and fifty
more westerly, which was
more than twelve degrees westward Of
the aulntipartite line. and was so al
tered. because the umpires as well as
the parties to the bonds, were better
acquainted with the quantity of land
in each division. than the parties to
the quintipartite deed The line so
awarded was actually run in the year
1857, by George Keith, Surveyor
General of East Jersey. from the
South station point to the Raritan.
and now forms the straight line, which
in part, bounds the Counties of Bur
llngton, Monmouth, MiddIesex.
Somerset and Hunterdon. This line