Atlantic County NJ Archives History .....Great Egg Harbor Township Book ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nj/njfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 2, 2008, 11:57 am The Township Book of Great Egg Harbor, Gloucester County, Now Atlantic County* * By FRANK H. STEWART. Beginning probably in March, 1777, and extending to 1817, is still in existence and in possession of Miss Sarah A. Risley, in whose family it has been for a hundred years or more. The date is missing from the first page which is copied herewith, but the second and third pages bear the year date of 1777. The first page unquestionably refers to men in the Revolution. "This Day the Town Committee met at the house of James Somers, Esq., in order to consult on some means to support the wives and families of William Finch or Harris ( ?) and Younges Mapes who are gone into the service of this State or of the United States. Whereas the Committee hath agreed that they shall be supported and supplied one peck of Rie or come a week. Each of them. Also it ordered that Thomas Champen supply them with one shillings worth of meats or molasses a piece a week and that James Somers supply them with the Rie or corne. "So the Justices and assessors and freeholders Doe order thirty pounds to be rased for the needs of the poor. JAMES SOMERS JOHN SOMERS, SAMUEL RISLEY Chairman. JOHN SOMERS FREDERICK STEELMAN THOMAS CHAMPAN." March 11, 1777, at a Town meeting held at Great Egg Harbor, County of Gloucester, the "following officers are chosen:" FREDERICK STEELMAN Freeholders JOHN SOMERS, JUNER. Surveyors of Roads JOSEPH MAPES RECOMPENSE SCULL Assessor ELIAS SMITH Collector JOSEPH DOLE Overseers of the Poor ALEXANDER FISH THOMAS CHAMPAN Overseers of the Roads JOHN SCULL JOSEPH SCULL JAMES STEELMAN Inspectors JOHN SOMERS, SR. JAMES SOMERS SAM'L RISLEY Constables JOHN ADDAMS DANIEL STEELMAN Town Clerk SAMUEL RISLEY In 1778 John Somers and Noah Smith were freeholders; Joseph Mapes, Recompense Scull, surveyors; Elias Smith, assessor; John Scull, Joseph Scull, James Steelman, overseers of roads; Thomas Chamberlin, collector. John Conenover and Thomas Thompson, overseers of the poor; John Somers, Jr., John Somers, Sr., Saml. Risley, commissioners of appeal. No record of new township officers appears until the year 1783, when a full list is again recorded. It is evident that during the Revolution township business lagged here, as elsewhere. Jan'y 8, 1779, 150 pounds was to be raised for the use of the overseers of the poor of the township. From 1775 to 1785 are records of the following named children who were placed as apprentices: Apprentices Masters. ENOCH INSELL DAVID SAYRS 1775 ISAAC SCULL ABEL SCULL 1786 JOSHUA LAKE JOSEPH INGERSOLL 1786 HANNAH ADAMS DAVID SOMERS 1785 RICHARD MAPS JAMES DEAL 1784 ENOCH SHAW LEMUEL GARRISON 1785 SAMUEL HEX JAMES ROBART 1785 BENJAMIN HOFMAN PETER FRAMBES 178S SULVANUS HOFMAN ANDREW FRAMBES 1785 A foot note says these indentures may be seen at Jas. Steelman at Stevens Creek. From 1789 to 1792 the names of the following appear: THOMAS CAMPBELL WILLIAM READ ANDREW BLACKMAN ANDREW GODFREY JAPHET IRELAND DANIEL TILTON THOMAS DOUGHTY ELIAS SMITH JONATHON RISLEY JOSHUA SMITH JOSEPH PLUMMER JOHN ENGARSOL JAMES BELANGIE JONATHON BADCOCK JOHN JEFFRIES DAVID SAYRS JOHN STUARD THOS. CARTWRIGHT DANIEL LAKE JOSEPH ENGLISH DANIEL BENEZET, JR. DANIEL STEELMAN THOMAS SOMEOR RICHARD SOMERS and DANIEL LEEDS SOPHIA his wife SAMUEL RISLEY and RICHARD WESCOAT JUDITH his wife SAMUEL ENGLISH JOHN WINNER ARTHUR SELLERS MARK SCULL JONATHON JOHNSON DAVID SCULL, SENR. JAMES WEEMS NOAH SMITH SARAH SCULL RETURN BADCOCK MARY COVENOVER JAMES NELSON SARAH STEELMAN RICHARD PRICE JOSEPH BLACKWOOD JOHN STEWART, JR. TIMOTHY BANDREF JOHN STEWART, SR. NATH. SIPPLE WILLIAM BEASTON ELIJAH BARRET JAMES JEFFRYAS JOSEPH SAWENS JEREMIAH SMITH THOMAS POWNERS From a few pages of indemnifying bonds concerning the poor children of Great Egg Harbor twp., we are able to record the overseers of the poor, also the bondsmen: Overseers Bondsmen Feby 1772 HUGH MCCOLLUM EDWARD HIGBEE AMOS IRELAND EVE SMITH July 1772 DAVID SAYRS JACOB SOMERS ANDREW CARSON AMOS IRELAND ISAAC SCULL ABNER DOUGHTY JOHN AARONS 1774 JOHN INGERSOLL DAVID SAYRS JOSEPH SCULL LEMUEL SAYRS 1776 SAMUEL RISLEY GIDEON BADCOCK JAMES STEELMAN RETURN BADCOCK Throughout the book, which is very dilapidated, are several entries regarding stray hogs and cattle. The reversed rear part of the township book, to the number of about one hundred pages, is filled with copies of Apprenticeship papers carefully made out by the overseers of the poor. The first thirty pages are missing, so that the first of these records now begins in the year 1779 and the last in 1832. The apprentices, as a usual thing, were to be taught to read and write, and in some instances arithmetic as far as the single rule of three. The amount of wearing material due at the expiration of the contract was always carefully specified, and it is noticeable as time progressed that the expiration terms became more favorable for the apprentice. In the later years a suit of broadcloth, a cow or a heifer was not uncommon. The principal businesses to be learned were blacksmithing, wheelwrighting, seamanship, husbandry, housework, spinning. Additional Comments: Extracted from: NOTES ON Old Gloucester County NEW JERSEY HISTORICAL RECORDS PUBLISHED BY THE NEW JERSEY SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA VOLUME I Compiled and Edited by FRANK H. STEWART HISTORIAN OF THE SOCIETY 1917 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/njfiles/ File size: 7.3 Kb This file is located at http://files.usgwarchives.net/nj/atlantic/history/local/greateggharbor.txt