"So that if there be any terrestrial
Canaan,
'tis surely here where the land floweth with milk and honey."
--
John Fenwick, speaking of Salem
Salem
is a city rich in history - a history far too broad to cover here. The
very brief history written below is the most significant part of what
made Salem the town it is. Hopefully we can give you a thirst to learn
more - and we'll recommend you start your journey at the Salem County
Historical Society.
The first attempt of settlement in New
Jersey made by the English was in present day Salem county. In 1641,
some English families, (probably emigrants from New Haven, Conn.,) embracing
about 60 persons, settled on Ferken's creek, (now Salem.) About this
period, the Swedes bought of the Indians the whole district from Cape
May to Raccoon creek; and, in order to unite these English with the
Swedes, the Swedish governor, Printz, who arrived from Sweden the year
after, (1642,) was to "act kindly and faithfully toward them; and
as these English expected soon, by further arrivals, to increase their
numbers to several hundreds, and seemed also willing to be subjects
of the Swedish government, he was to receive then under allegiance,
though not without endeavoring to effect their removal." In 1654,
the Swedes yielded their possessions on the Delaware to the Dutch, and
they in turn submitted to the English, soon after the reduction of New
Amerdam (New York) in 1664. (Historical Collections of the State of
New Jersey by John W. Barber and Henry Howe - published 1857 by Benjamin
Olds in Newark New Jersey)
In 1664, the Duke of York conveyed to John,
Lord Berkeley, and Sir George Carteret, the province of New Jersey.
The claim of Berkeley was then an undivided half, subsequently known
as West Jersey; which was, in 1673, purchase for 1,000, by John Fenwickc
and Edward Byllinge, members of the society of Friends
Learning about the city of Salem starts
with John Fenwick. The following is taken from Biographical, Genealogical
and Descriptive History of the First Congressional District of New Jersey,
Volume I., The Lewis Publishing Company, New York and Chicago, 1900.
John Fenwick was born in Northumberland
county at Stanton Manor, in England, in the year 1618. He was a lawyer
and was made a captain of cavalry by Cromwell and took an active part
against the throne. He was a member of the Society of Friends, and,
like man others of that religious faith and their descendants, was imprisoned
for conscience’ sake. About the year 1665 Lord Berkley offered
West Jersey for sale. There appears to have been an understanding between
one Edward Billinger and Fenwick to purchase the whole of West New Jersey
and for Fenwick to have one-tenth of the land. The deed was given for
the land in 1673, Fenwick’s portion being what is now Salem and
Cumberland counties. He then made preparations to emigrate and take
possession of the land in America, and held out inducements for others
to emigrate with him. A number accepted the invitation of Fenwick, most
of them being of his own religious faith. Fenwick’s friends had
great faith in his honesty and some of them purchased land and paid
him before they embarked. The following are the names of some of the
principal persons who embarked with John Fenwick: Samuel Wade, Robert
Windham, Richard Hancock and their families, and several others. There
were several single men, - Samuel Hedge, Jr., Isaac Smart and others.
The servants that hired in England to persons above mentioned and likewise
to John Fenwick and his two sons-in-law, were Robert Turner, Gewas Bywater,
William Wilkinson, Joseph Worth, Joseph Ware, Michael Eaton, Eleanor
Greeve, Nathaniel Chambless, his son, Nathan Chambless, Jr., Mark Reeve,
Edward Webb and Elizabeth Walters.
Smith, in his history of New Jersey, says
in many instances the servants became more conspicuous members of civil
and religious society than their employers. Fenwick’s immediate
family that came with him were his daughter Elizabeth and her husband,
John Adams, his daughter Anne Fenwick, who married Samuel Hedge, Jr.,
the spring following, and his youngest daughter, Priscilla, whose husband
was Edward Champney. His wife, Mary Fenwick, did not accompany him o
his new home in the wilderness, for some cause that has never been explained.
The letters passed between them manifested a sincere and filial attachment,
and they continued to correspond while life remained. They embarked
from London in the ship Griffith, Robert Griffith being master, on the
23d of the ninth month. They arrived at the mouth of Assamhockin creed,
now called Salem creek, and ascended the stream about three miles, and
landed at a point of land. Fenwick and his friends that were with him
thought it suitable location for a town. He gave it the name of New
Salem, because he remarked to one of his intimate friends the name signified
peace; but it did not prove so to him, as the sequel of his history
will show. He, like his great friend and benefactor, William Penn, and
also Roger Williams, found in settling colonies there were more thorns
than roses. On account of the low ground, Salem was sometimes called
Swamp Town.
As soon as it was practicable after the
early settlers of Salem landed, the proprietor held a council with the
Indian chiefs that lived within th compass of Salem county, and purchased
all their land of them, thereby securing perpetual peace with the natives,
and the same kind of treaty was made with them by Billynge or his agents
for the remainder of West Jersey. They reserved certain rights for themselves,
- trapping, fishing, and the privilege of cutting certain kinds of wood
for the purpose of making baskets, also in making their canoes and other
things. The treaty was faithfully fulfilled. About the year 1800 the
few remaining Indians in this state made application to the New Jersey
legislature to sell all their rights and privileges they held in the
state, which was accepted by the legislature, and they were paid the
price they asked. They then removed to the state of New York to dwell
with the Mohawks and other scattering tribes that remained I that state.
John Fenwick, after his arrival in Salem,
issued a proclamation granting civil and religious liberty to all persons
who should settle within his province. In the year 1676, he tuned his
attention to providing homes for his children and accordingly directed
Richard Hancock, his surveyor, to lay out and survey two thousand acres
in Upper Mannington for Samuel Hedge, Jr., and his wife Anne. The said
land was called Hedgefield. He also directed him to survey two thousand
acres for his son-in-law, Edward Champney, and his wife, Priscilla,
which land was bounded on the west by John Smith’s land, on the
north by James Nevel’s farm, and Alloway’s creek on the
south. To his son-in-law, John Adams, and his wife Elizabeth, gave all
that tract of land located in what is now called Penn’s Neck [modern
day Pennsville]. It is known at the present day as the Sapaney. Fenwick
built himself a house in the town of Salem on what he called Ivy Point.
From said house he was forcibly taken in the middle of the night by
a party of men from New Castle [Delaware] and taken to that town, from
thence sent to New York, and there imprisoned by an order of Governor
Andross, under pretense that he was infringing upon the rights of that
state, which they claimed to own to the eastern shore of the Delaware
river. He was soon afterward released.
After two or three years more of perplexities
and trouble in endeavoring to establish a government in the colony,
he wisely abandoned it by selling all the lands he had in the Salem
tenth (reserving one hundred and fifty thousand acres for himself and
family), to Governor William Penn. The deed was given the 23d day of
March, 1682. From that time the whole of West Jersey was under one government.
The legislature met at Burlington, and Samuel Jennings, of that place,
was elected deputy governor at the first legislature afterward. John
Fenwick was elected one of the members of that body from Salem County,
in the fall of 1683, but being unwell he left his home in Salem and
went to Samuel Hedge’s, his son-in-law, in Upper Mannington, there
to be cared for by his favorite daughter, Anne Hedge, in his last days,
for he died a short time afterward, at the age of sixty-five years.
He requested before his death to be buried in the Sharp’s family
burying ground, which was complied with. The said ground was formerly
a part of the Salem county almshouse farm.
On July 11, 1688, John Fenwick issued a
warrant to Richard Tindall, Surveyor-General for Salem county, and to
John Woolridge, his deputy, to lay out one acre of land in Salem on
which to erect a court-house and prison. This was done and the buildings
were erected on Bridge street, afterward called Market street. The town
of Salem was incorporated in 1695.
As early as 1696, the Friends in their
yearly meetings brought the subject of slavery before their society,
and to their credit it is believed, were the first religious sect that
advised its members to desist from and discourage the future [use of
slavery]. From about that time, the traffic in slaves became the subject
of notice in their annual meetings, until about the year 1758, when
they passed a resolution denying the right of membership to any of their
people who should persist in detaining a fellow [man] in bondage.
In Revolutionary war times, the inhabitants
of Salem took a decided stand in favor of the whig cause. When the Bostonians
were suffering from the oppressions of General Gage, at a meeting held
October 13, 1774, Salem County residents agreed that Grant Gibbon, Esq.
would solicit relief from Salem residents. He succeeded in collecting
about $700, a large sum at that time, which was sent for the relief
of the distressed of that city [Boston]. The enemy from Philadelphia
made two incursions into Salem county.
In 1817 an election was held to decide
whether the court-house should be removed from the one-acre lot where
it now stands. The majority of the inhabitants in Piles Grove, both
Pittsgrove, Upper Penn’s Neck and Upper Alloway’s Creek
were in favor of removing the county buildings. Where the place should
be there was a diversity of opinion. Alloway was suggested, while others
were in favor of Woodstown. By a survey of the county, the almshouse
farm was found to be the most central. The election was held to remove
the county buildings to the south end of said farm, or for them to remain
in Salem. It was decided by a large majority of voters for them to remain.
Jumping
back to Historical Collections, which again was published in 1857, Salem
is at that time described as "well built, the houses neat, the
streets beautified with trees, and its general appearance thriving and
pleasant. Considerable business is done here, and a daily communication
had, by steamers and stages, with Philadelphia.
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