Somerset County, NJ, in the 17th and 18th centuries is the focus of this fascinating booklet, reprinted from the very rare 1878 book: Centennial History of Somerset County by Abraham Messler, D.D. The 140 page spiral bound 8 1/2" x 11" booklet, is printed on 60# paper. A vinyl sheet protects the front cover.
The booklet is new, but it was reprinted from a very old, poorly printed text, with handset type (in one case an "e" is upside down!). The type varies in density and some leters are broken, but we've enlarged the printing to enhance readability. We are excited to be able to preserve this material, as it is filled with valuable data for genealogists researching this area and period. Names of early residents abound, and there are biographies for Thomas Codrington, John Delavall, Gabriel Minvielle, Richard Hall, Peter Sonmans, Gawen Lawrie, Jacob Bergen, Derrick Van Vegten, Hendrick Fisher, Col. John Mehelm, John Hardenburgh, Philip Van Horn, William Mercer, Rev. Balthazar Bayard, Peter Dumont, Court Vroom, William Churchill Houston, David Kirkpatrick, Gen. Frederick Frelinghuysen, William Paterson, William Alexander, Richard Stockton, and others.
For those more interested in history than genealogy, the chapters on "Scenes of the Revolution in Somerset County," "Simcoe's Raid, and Concluding Scenes of the Revolution," "The Ladies in the Revolution," "Washington in Social Life," and "Washington and Dr. Hardenburg" should prove of useful.
Other chapters of interest include one on "Servitude and Slaves," with several instances of slaves being publicly burnt at the stake. The chapter on Historical Houses concerns the Abraham Staats house, the unveiling of the Steuben Monument, Lord Sterling's mansion near Baskingridge, White's Tavern, the McCrea/Lane home, the Miller house -- where Gen. Washington and his wife spent a winter, the parsonage of the Rev. John Frelinghuysen, the Paterson House, the Berrien mansion where Washington wrote his farewell to his army, and others. Education in those early days is described in a chapter on "The Little Red School House" and in a section of the chapter on Somerville, called "The Academy." Other chapters concern Bound Brook and briefly, Baskingridge and Lamington.
Wouldn't this make a unique gift? |
