Mount Holly, Circa 1786. Courtesy of Mrs.· George Wood, L\Loorestown
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Tnll clock made by David Shocnrnkcr, :Mount Holly, Circa 1786. Courtesy of Mrs.· George Wood, l\loorestown. Photograph by Cnrlyle 11. Hill, Colwick, N. J. THE HISTORIC RANCOCAS Sketches of the Towns and Pioneer f-ettlers in Rancocas Valley By GEORGE DeCOU Former President of the DUULING'l'ON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCII~TY Author of MOUN'!' HOLLY nnd VICINITY MOORRSTOWN AND HER NEIGHBORS DURLING'l'ON: A PROVINCIAL CAPITAL COURT HOUSE BELL Courtesy of Dr. Rnymond S. Clnrkc. COPYRIGJI'r, 1040, BY GI~ORGE DcCOU PRIN'J'ED IN TI-IF. UNITED ST A'rES OF AMERICA By THE Nmws CHRONICLE, MOORESTOWN, N. J, 'ro my friend NELSON BURR GASKILL, OF' vVASHINGTON, D. C., a native of Mount Holly and descendant of the pioneer settlers, Eclwnrcl Gnskill and Henry Bttl'r, with apprecintion of his valuable help in the preparation of these sketches. ACKNOWT.F,DGMF.NTS I am ospecia11y indebted to Natlrnnicl R. Ewan, of l\foorostown, · formel' Prcsiclont of the Burlington County Historical Society and to Nelson Burr Gaskill, of vVash ington, D. C. for their valuable assistance in the prepara tion of these sketches. I would also like to thank A. Engle Conrow, of Rnncocas, John J. Buswell, of Lumbel'ton, D. Budd Jones, of Moorestown, Miss Amelia Rougeau, of Bridg·eboro, Mrs. "'ilfrecl B. Wolcott, of \Vestfielcl, and \Villium Grobler, of l\Ioorestown; the latter two being natives of Pemberton, for their helpfulness. I also desire to acknowledge the uniform courtesy of l\fiss Hazel C. Clark, County Librarian and her former assistant i\fiss Mabel E. Hollinshead, Miss Elizabeth Al cott, Librarian of the Mount Holly Library, Miss Hannah Severns, Librarian of the Moorestown Free Library and her assistants Miss Martha Cowperthwaite and Mrs. Henry D. 'l'witchell, Jr., for permitting me to browse freely in their libraries. GEORGE DoCOU. :Moorestown, New Jersey, INTRODUCTION ,vhen I wrote "Burlington: A Provincial Capital" I did not dream of writing this volume or I would not have included sketches of the pioneer families who settled in the Rancocns Valley. However, as they especially belong in this book I will include most of them. I fully realize that my Burlington book, as well as this volume, is too full of historical data to prove popular rending. However, as both wore written primarily to nrouse greater interest in the study of your neighborhood and for the student of local history, who may not have the leisure to search the early records, it may prove useful. Tradition is very apt to be wrong and the written word not always dependable, therefore it is necessury to con sult the early records when available. It is ve1•y difficult to get the true story of an event that occurred one hun dred and fifty or two hundred years ago. The only way .l.-3 to get back of the written word or tradition when . possible. "Along the Rnncocns," well illusti•ated, will include my pamphlets on Mount Holly and Rancocas, published in 1936 and 1937, with the contents re-arranged and the addition of many chapters and materinl. The writing of these books and newspaper articles, mostly appeai•ing in the Mount Hol1~1 H ernld, has been "a labor of love" to the author. GF.ORGE Decou. Moorestown, New Jersey V FORNWORD I first mndc ncqunintnncc with George De Cou when I wns wnncte•ring ·New 'Jersey· to trace the faint records of John \Voolmnn's persona) nnd fnmiJy life, as distinct from his 'Journal' record as n "public Friend." 'l'he Rancocns nren around Mount HoJly has been so changed nnd built upon since thnt early day thnt sometimes only n few bricks or nn unprotected spring in tufts of grnss remain to bcRr evidence of hom-1es and scenes familiar to John 1 \,YooJman's youth. '1 }10 weak ink on the parchment of ancient deeds is n poor guide to one ignorant of local geo graphy. But George DeCou had covered the region like n detective. Eagerly he welcomed a fellow-searcher and .familiarized me with the Jn nch;cape he know nncl Joved tho lnnclscape not of today but of the Jong gone past. Ancl here in this book he offers n like companionship to nJI who come. l\fnnldnd, unnbl~ to control tho extension of his life forward, ht\S been· given tho power-alone nmong tho nnimnl kingdom-to extend it backward as far as he ,viii. Interest in history is n mark of civilization, nncl n cherish ing of tho values of tho past helps for sounder progrom:; in the future, It is very pleasant to shnre with George DoCon his pas• sionnto interest in the intensive study of this small but rich spot of enrth, Rancocas Vn11ey. .Pe1·sons who cnre to visit county records offices or 'historkal societies and mn11 over musty docume.nts nncl mouldering- family volumes m·e fow, But this we}J-printed book wiJl save them tho trouble. All references arc cnrefuJly nuthonticntecl and yonrs of patient work hnve been condensed in these easilr- rencl pages, · He1:e we see estates measured by such ephemernls ns one white onk at the south corner to another at the north, n bend of a stream nt tho west, and n big stone nt tho east; while cnsual bills of sale for parcels of land were delayed two or three years-everyone knew of the transfer, there · vi was no risk. \V c see Stephen Gernrcl's throe ships, in the wrtr of 1812, hiding stem to stern ncross Rnncocns Creek. \Ve see the wlly Indian outwitting the jesting Quaker nncl skillfully coJlecting his bushel-bnsket full of cider. And throughout we observe the prosperity and the natural de mocracy of this modest and happy colony, founded by religious farmers, craftsmen, and artisans. George De Cou hns made the topographical history of his neighborhood a hobby which hns assumed the serious ·proportions of a second career, Not often can a retired business man make such fruitful use of his leisure. All closcenclnnts of the many Quaker settlers mentioned hero wm rejoice to reap his harvest, and many others who take plonsuro in tho concrete fncts which make tho past so tang·il>Jo and real. JANET ,v-I-IITNEY. ,v N-ittown, Pa. December, 1940. vii CON'l'ENTS CHAPTER PAGE 1. Indian Background 1 2. Early Settlers and Old Roads 7 3. The Olive Plantation nncl Famous Gristmill 15 4. Franklin Park Fnrm 20 5. Stokingham: 'l'he Harding Plnntntion 25 CL ,vills Plantation and First l\1eeting House 27 7. ,v oolman Farm: Birthplace of John Woolman 35 8. John ,voolnrnn's Childhood and Youth 38 n. Landmarks 41 10. Rancocas Village 47 11. Historic Background 58 12. Settlement of Mount HolJy and Nearby Towns 64 13. Early Industries of l\1ount HolJy 80 14. Friends Meetings and l\1eeting Houses 87 15. St. Andrews and Later Churches 100 16, Landmarks in and near Mount HolJy 112 17. Herc and There in old Mount Holly 127 18. Revolutionary Days 140 10. Centenarian Institutions 152 20. Woolman and Brainerd 161 21. Along the South Branch 173 22. Indian Lore 100 23. Medford and Vicinity 195 2,1. Navigation on the Rnncocas 205 25. Pioneer Settlers 212 26. 'rhe Indian Mills Reservation 242 V111... ILLUSTRATIONS Facing Pago DAVID SHOJ~l\JAKER CLOCK .................................... (Frontispiece) FRANKLIN PARK RESIDENCE .................................................. 10 S'rOI{INGIIAl\l ................................................................................ 10 MOSES WILLS HOUSI~ .................................................................. 20 AARON WILLS HOUSE ................................................................ 20 ELKIN'l'ON-BORTON nousm ········· .......... ................................... 30 JOSEPH BISHOP HOUSE ............................................................ 30 DR. DANIEL WILLS' CHEST AND WATCH .. ...... .................... 35 RANCOCAS CREEK AT THE FORKS ........................................ 39 ASHER WOOLMAN HOUSE ... ........................................ ............. 89 FRIENDS MEE'fING HOUSE IN RANCOCAS .......................... 40 FRIENDS SCHOOLHOUSE ........................... ............................... 49 JOSEPlI BUZBY lIOUSE ............................... ..... .......................... 67 'l'HOl\fAS BUZBY HOUSE ...... :..................................... )............. 67 SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH IN PEMBERTON ......... .'.............. '70 ,JOHN WOOLSTON HOUSE ..... .................................................... 70 COUN'l'Y COURT HOUSE ................................. ... ........................ 00 COUN'l'Y PRISON .......................................·................................... 00 OLD SCHOOLHOUSE, MOUNT HOLLY .................................... 100 JOHN WOOLMAN Ml!1MORIAL .................................................. 100 JOHN WOOLMAN'S SHOP .......................................................... 110 S'l'EPHEN GIRARD HOUSE ............ ...... ........................ ...... ........ 110 'l'HE BURR l\IANSION ............................................ ~..................... 180 IIUDSON BURR HOUSE . .. .... .. ... ...... ... ......... ... ............ ... ... ... ... 180 FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE IN 1\IOUN'l' HOLLY .................. 160 THE FIRST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, MOUNT HOLLY .... .......... 160 COBBLER'S COTTAGE ................................................................ 180 JOSEPH W, JONES HOUSE .......................................................... 180 LOG STABLE ................................................................................ 100 JOSEPH MOORE HOUSE .................. ...... ............ ........................ 190 EA YRES HOUSE ............................................................................ 210 VINCENTOWN MEETINJJ HOUSE ............................................ 210 INDIAN MILLS