corn without labour, nor cattle be got without fomething to buy them, nor bread with idleness; else it would be a brave country indeed; and I queftion not, but all then would give it a good word; For my part, I like it fo well, I never had the leaft thought of returning to England, except on account of trade.

"MALHON STACY."

puty Go

Weft-New-Jersey being now become populous, 1681. and Edward Byllinge chofen Governor by the pro- s. Jenings prietors, in England, he commiffioned Samuel Jen- made Deings, fome time after his arrival, which was in vernor un 1680, to be his deputy. Fenings accordingly cal- der E. Bylled an Affembly, with which, in November 1681, linge, &c. he agreed upon certain fundamentals in government, paffed a number of laws; and, with the Commiffioners for fettling and regulating lands, fixed on proper rules and methods, for that purpose, all which may be seen in S. Smith's history of that province.'

Note. In the year 1683, Garen Lawrie, arriving Deputy-Governor of East-Jersey, under Robert Barclay, writes thus from Elizabeth-town, to the proprietors, at London, viz.

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"There is not a poor man in all the province, nor that wants; here is abundance of provifion; pork and beef at two pence per pound; fith and fowl plenty; oysters, I think, would serve all England; wheat four fhillings fterling per bufhel; Indian wheat two fhillings and fixpence; it is exceeding good for food every way; and two or three hundred fold increafe: cyder good and plenty, for one penny per quart. Good drink, that is made of water and molaffes, ftands in about two hillings per barrel;- -good venifon plenty, brought in to us at eighteen pence the quarter; eggs at three pence per dozen; all things very plenty; land very good as ever I faw: vines, walnuts, peaches, strawberries, and many other things plenty in the woods."

About this time a large number of fettlers, chiefly friends, or Quakers, from Dublin, and places adjacent, in Ireland, arrived at Elfingburg, near Salem; fome of whom, John and Andrew Thompson, and Robert Zane fettled there: others went up to Burlington; and several of them fettled at New-Town creek; where the Indians were fhy, at first, but after becoming more acquainted, they were very kind, friendly and helpful to them.

In the year 1682, the names of the members of Affembly, which was the fecond Affembly, under Jenings, were,

"Thomas Olive, Speaker, Mahlon Stacy, Joshua Wright: John Lambert, Thomas Lambert, William Emley, Godfrey Hancock, Daniel Leeds, Thomas Wright, Samuel Borden, Robert Stacy, Thomas Budd, Daniel Wills, fenior, Thomas Gardiner, John Crips, John White, John

Chaffin,

After this large numbers of fresh settlers conti nued coming into the province;, and, in the year 1682, a fhip of 550 tons burthen arrived at WestJersey, with three hundred and fixty paflengers; who landed between Philadelphia and Burlington, on the Jersey fhore.

The representatives of Weft-Jersey, in general Affembly, continued to be annually elected, till the furrender of the proprietary government to the crown, in 1702; before which time the council, (who were Juftices ex officio) Juftices of peace, and inferior officers of government, were chofen by them; and the Governor was appointed by the proprietors.

Chaffin, Bernard Davenifh, Ifaac Marriott, William Peachy, William Cooper, Mark Newby, Thomas Thackery, Robert Zane, James Nevill, Richard Guy, Mark Reeves, Richard Hancock, John Smith, John Pledger, Edward Wade, George Deacon, and Samuel Hedge.

Thofe of the Council were,

"Thomas Olive, Robert Stacy, Mahlon Stacy, William Biddle, Thomas Budd, John Chaffin, James Nevill, Daniel Wills, Mark Newby, Elias Farre.

Juftices for Burlington,

"William Biddle, Robert Stacy, Elias Farre, Mahlon Stacy, John Chaffin, Thomas Budd, Benjamin Scott, John Crips, Thomas Thackery.

Juftices for Salem,

James Nevill, George Deacon, Richard Hancock, Edward Wade,

Commiffioners for laying out lands, Sc.

"Elias Farre, William Biddle, Thomas Budd, Thomas Gardiner, Mark Newby, James Nevill, Thomas Olive, Robert Stacy, Benjamin Scott, William Cooper.

Sheriff for Burlington, John White.

Sheriff for Salem, Thomas Woodruffe.

Provincial Clerk and Recorder for Burlington, Thomas Revell.

Ditto

for Salem, Samuel Hedge.

Surveyor, Daniel Leeds.

Conftables, Robert Schooly, John Pancoaft, John Burten, William Brightwen, Thomas Sharp."

Among the laws, paffed in Weft-Ferfey, under the administration of Fenings, anno 1683, the following indicates their views and care for an orderly, induftrious and reputable fettlement, &c. viz.

"And whereas, it hath pleased God to commit this country and province into the hands of fuch, who (for the generality of them) are

fearing

in early

As to the religious ftate of the first and early Religious fettlers of West New Jersey, it is obfervable, as ftate of W. before mentioned, they confifted principally of N. Jersey. the people called Quakers; whofe religious princi- time. ples, fyftem, and general practice have been already described: hence on their arrival at the place where Burlington now ftands, and other places, we find it was their firft and great concern publicly to fupport their religious worship; on account of which many of them had fuffered much, in their native country."

Before

fearing God, and painful and induftrious, in the promoting and improving the faid province; and, for the better preventing of fuch as are profane, loofe and idle and fcandalous, from fettling amongst us, who are, and will be, not only unserviceable, but greatly burdenfome to the province: It is therefore hereby enacted, by the authority aforefaid, that all perfon and perfons, who fhall tranfport him, or themselves into this province, fhall, within eighteen months after he, or they, fhall arrive, in the faid province, procure and produce a certificate, under the hands of fuch of that religious fociety, to whom he or they did belong, or otherwise, from two Magiftrates, if procurable, or two Conftables, or Overfeers of the poor, with three, or more, creditable perfons of the neighbourhood, who inhabit, or belong to the place, where he, or they, did laft refide, as may give fatisfaction, that is to say, that he, or they came not clandeftinely, or fraudently away; and if unmarried, that he, or fhe, are clear from former engagements, in that particular; and also, that he, or she, are such as live foberly and honestly, to the best of their knowledge; and that no Juftice fhall prefume to marry any fuch perfon or perfons, who fhall come into this province, before fuch certificate be produced; or that it be laid before the Governor, or two Juftices, and give them fufficient fatisfaction concerning their clearness; and that all fuch person and perfons, who shall settle in the faid province, and shall refuse, or negled to produce fuch certificate, as aforefaid, within the faid eighteen months, fhall be fined at the difcretion of the Governor and Council of the faid province, not exceeding twenty pounds; the fame to be levied by diftrefs and fale on the offender's goods, and to be paid into the hands of the Treasurer of the faid Province."

The following is an extract from a manufcript, written by one of the paffengers, in the Shield, from Hull, in 1678.

"The first fettlers were moftly of the people called Quakers, who were well beloved where they came from, and had valuable eftates: and though while they lived in their native country, they had plenty of all neceffaries, yet their defire to remove to America was fo ftrong, that they could not be content without going thither; and chofe to venture themselves, their wives, children, and all they had, in the undertaking."

-"But, notwithstanding the mafters of families were men of good eftates, yet, before they could get their land in order, and corn

and

At first

they meet under a tent, &c.

Before a house was built on the place, they constantly at stated times, held their religious meetings under a tent, covered with fail cloth, till John Woolfton had got his houfe ready; which was the first framed house in Burlington; at whose house, and that of Thomas Gardiner, they afterwards continued to hold their meetings both for divine worfhip, and the discipline or order, or their religious fociety, till a fuitable meeting houfe was built for that purpofe; which was not till several years after their first arrival there, and a fimilar care and practice appear to have been among them, in other places where they fettled.

Among

and stock about them, they endured great hardfhips, and went through many difficulties and straits; nevertheless I never perceived any of them to repine, or repent of their coming."

66

As it is faid in holy writ, the preparations of the heart, in man, is of the Lord, so it may well be believed, that the hearts of these people were prepared for this fervice; even, to labor for the replenishing of the land; it being a wilderness indeed, and they unacquainted with the nature of the foil, and alfo with the inhabitants; altogether pilgrims and ftrangers, at their first coming among them."

"A providential hand was very visible and remarkable, in many in ftances, that might be mentioned;- and the Indians were, even, rendered our benefactors and protectors!- -Without any carnal weapon we entered the land; and inhabited therein, as fafe as if there had been thousands of garrifons;- For the most High preferved us from harm both of man and beaft:- -and as the English increased more and more, there came fuch a fore diftemper among the Indians that they died so fast that, in some places, their bodies wafted above ground."

Many were the inftances, whofe confideration might be useful to future generations, and the steps of their forefathers and elders, inftructive to pofterity."

"The aforefaid people were zealous in performing their religious fervice; for having, at firft, no meeting-houfe to keep public meetings in, they made a tent, or covert, of fail cloth, to meet ander; and after they got fome little houfes to dwell in, then they kept their meetings in one of them, till they could build a meeting houfe."- -Thomas Olive and Willam Peachy were two of the first fettlers, who had a public Miniftry.

"Samuel Fenings and his wife, Ann, were early comers to America, and of worthy memory, endued with both spiritual and temporal wif dom; -fome part of his time he was made Governor of WeftJerfey; -he was a fuppreffor of vice, and an encourager of virtue; -fharp towards evil doers, but tender and loving to them chat did well; giving good counfel, and wholesome advice to friends and

neighbours;

care in their

&c.

Among the first things that appear to have come First objects under particular notice and regulation, in their of their meetings of difcipline, after their arrival, were, the meetings of taking proper care and fupport of their poor; the difcipline, ordering and paffing of marriages, (thirteen couple having been married among them at Burlington, before the year 1681,) and the discouraging of all their people from felling strong liquors to the Indians.

London,

In the year 1680, in an epistle from their month- They write ly meeting at Burlington, to the yearly meeting in Lon- to the Y. don, which was the first regular correspondence of meeting in that nature, established between the fociety, in this &c. part of the world, and the faid yearly meeting, they were particularly urgent, among other things, that

none

neighbours;- -an able minister of the gofpel; and laboured much therein; to the comfort and edification of many people, both in this province, and other places," &c. M. S.

Note. Among thofe of this fociety, who arrived in this province, before the grant of Pennsylvania to William Penn, in 1681, or foon afterwards, the following perfons appear to be mentioned, as active and useful, not only in their own religious fociety, but most of them alfo in a civil capacity, in and about Burlington, viz.

John Butcher, Henry Grubb, William Butcher, William Brightwen, Thomas Gardiner, Thomas Foulke, John Bourten, Samuel Jenings, Seth Smith, Walter Pomphrey, Thomas Ellis, James Såtterthwaite, Richard Arnold, John Woolman, John Stacy, Thomas Eves, John Payne, Samuel Cleft, William Cooper, John Shinn and William Biles.-And about this time, or foon afterwards, arrived John Skein, Anthony Morris, Samuel Bunting, Francis Collins, Thomas Matthews, Chriftopher Wetherill, John Dewsbury, John Day, Richard Basnett, John Antrom, William Biddle and Samuel Furnace.

Among the women of worthy and eminent character, in the fame fociety, at this time, appear to have been, Elizabeth Gardiner, Sarah Biddle, Elizabeth Hooten, Helen Skein, Ann Butcher, Sufannah Brightwen, Mary Crips, Frances Antrom, Frances Taylor, Ann Jenings, Joan Atkinson, Susannah Budd, Judith Noble, Ann Peachy, &c.

his

John Woolfton is faid to have been a person of good esteem among friends, the Quakers at Burlington; and that during more than twenty years fatigue of a new fettlement, he ever proved himself a ready friend, kind neighbour, and a valuable member of fociety till his death, in 1698.

Thomas Gardiner was a man of eminence among the Quakers and early fettlers in Burlington and Weft-Jersey. He ferved in feveral public offices, in the government, with honor and fidelity;was very fkilful in a variety of business;-a good furveyor, and a very useful member of fociety;-feveral years, one of the Council; Treafurer of the weitern divifion, and the firft Speaker of the Affembly, after the union of the

governments