John Manning Johanis Poulse IP dit ist mark van Jan de grodt Pierer da grodt M. Verlant Richard Salter Isaac Bounell Samuel Carter From Messrs Andrew Bowne and Richard Hartshorne, relating to the disorders in New Jersey. [P. R. O. B. T. Proprieties, Vol. 5, C. 43.] The Disorders in New Jerssy. EAST JERSIE MIDDLETOWN ye 23 July 1700 Yours of the 6th Aprill Last come to our hands itt heing the first we received from you for wch we thanke you but could have wished you had sent us a more certaine acco' of the Settlement of the Government which never so much as now wants to be settled. Since the departure of Mr Slater Col Hamilton hath put M' Morris' into Commission of his Councill & Justice beleiving him to be the onely man that can make the province Submit to him as Governor without the King's aprobation & in Order to Effect itt they turned out an Englishman who was Sherif & put in a Scotchman who they thought would Obey them without Reserve & itt is saide Morris hath given out that he will carrie his point in makeing the people submit to Coll Hamiltons Goverment or he will Embrue the province in Blood in order to which they seised oppon severall persons intending to force them to Give security for their good behavior which one of them Refused and so Continued in the Sherifs Custody this the people tooke Greaviously itt being Harvest time & they had given outt warrants to seise Richard Salter & Others & the Sherif had like to have taken him wch some of his neighbors onderstanding went & met the Sherif banged him broake his head and sent him packing uppon which as we are informed the people Resolved to meete on Friday the 19th July in order to goe & featch home him that was in the Sherifs hands uppon the which Morris & Leonard dispatched an Express for Coll Hamilton who imediately came to them & they pressed about men & came on the 19th July in Armes to Middle Towne & came to the Ordinary And theare Inquired for the said Salter & one Bray. And then marched of the people of Middletown ware Assembled to the number of aboutt an hundred but without armes onely Stickes yet had itt not been for the persuations of some much in the peoples favor theare would have been broaken heads if not further mischeife the saide Justices had perswaded the person in the Sherifs hand to give security for the good behavior the day before this meeteing In this posture things stand in this 1 Lewis Morris. County & we beleive Including the Scotch that throughoutt the province theare is six to one against owneing Col Hamilton Governor and almost all biterly against Morris, whome they looked uppon as the first man as Indead he was that opposed Goverment & Signed ANDREW BROWN [BOWNE] RICH HARTSHORNE' one of y Council Letter without signature to Jeremiah Basse, giving an account of the disturbances in East Jersey. S? [From P. R. O. B. T., Proprieties Vol. 5, F 43.] To Mr. Basse. You may Remember how you left the afaires of Government in this province we are Sorry to Informe you that they doe not Continue in so good a Condition we were in hopes things would have Rested quiet ontill we had heard how his Majesty had been pleased to dispose of us & that all people would have Endeavored to keepe the peace ontill such time, but contrary to all Expectation Col Hamilton hath put in M' Morris pres Andrew Brown as President of the Council had been left by Basse in the exercise of the 'chief authority, but his title thereto was questioned, and hence his hostility to the administration of Hamilton who succeeded Basse. Richard Martshondr was of Monmouth County and came to the Province from London in September, 1699. He was a Quaker by profession, of good reputation and benevolent disposition, and soon rose to distinction among the people of the Province. He was one of the Commission appointed in 1676 to lay out West ersey. See Vol. 1, p 220. East Jersey under the Prop. Gov'ts, 2d Edit. pp 46, 56, 189, 198 &c. "Minutes of Council."-ED. 207, 219, 232 &c. Smith's History of New Jersey. ident of the Councill & ordered him by what means he could to Subdue all that oppose his authority & Settle the country in his Obedience oppon which Commission & orders M Morris hath undertaken the worke & threatned that he would Obtain his end (which is to settle Col Hamilton in the Government Notwithstanding he is in no wayes qualified for Governor) or he would Embrue the Country in Blood Complaints ware made to Col Hamilton and Captain Leonard against the saide Morris but they were so farr from disowning such inhumane actions that they on the contrary rather justified & ridiculed itt. But it went further then words for just as harvest began Morris & others gave warrants to an Indigent Sherif to Apprehend severall men in Monmoth County who in their owne just defence beate the saide pretended Sherif to the Shedding of blood on boath sides Col Hamilton who resides cheifly att Burlington was sent to immediately who came & raised betwixt fourty & fifty men & armed them and marched from Shrewsbury to Middletowne, to meete the Country who opposed him with one hundred & Seaventy men butt without armes he when he came up to them askedfor t wo men but they not being theare he withdrew his men without further harme butt swore biterly he would have them if above ground left orders with his friend Morris not to disperse ontill he had got them and then returned to Burlington the Ambition & folly of Morris being known to the people of Monmoth they sent to advise with their neighberring Countys Middlesex & Essex what was best & most convenient to be done who generaly advised to secure themselves & oppose Morris & the rest that assert & would endeavour to set up Col. Hamiltons arbitrary & illegal power & withall have promised assistance if ocation requires Justice Bishop & Dennis utterly disowns their procedings & say they never was att Councill butt once since Hamilton came and then gave no such advise to make disturbance in the Country but that all might remaine quite ontill we heard further from England we feare what may be event of these things you know how hot headed Morris & Leonard are & itt may be feared their pride & mallis may cause great trouble if not prevented. It is the generall resolution of the Country that if they make future disturbance to apprehend Hamilton Morris & Leonard & secure them ontill his Majesties pleasure shall be known concerning them in the mean time the Country desires some care may be taken of them & that some other person may be appointed to keepe the peace ontill his Majestie shall be pleased to send over a Governor or otherwise settle this province at preasant we are in great Confusion their worked instruments have been so buissie in harraseing of some & haleing others to prisson who have showen their dislike to their arbitrary prosedings And the Country on the other hand are Riseing by whole townes against them Resolveing to putt a Stop to their arbitrary precedings although itt be with the hazard of their lives & fortunes Theise Officers of theirs are so bold as to attempt the drinkeing of Kinge James health Others have given out very suspitious words which makes the Generality of our thinkeing men be of opinion that itt is not for the Kings interest that any of these men should be in Offices we expect you will improve this to the best advantage for the good of the Country. East Jersie 30th July 1700 |