HISTORY OF HAMILTON, ATLANTIC COUNTY, NEW JERSEY Information located at http://www.rootsweb.com/~njatlant/ On the web site created for NJGenWeb: ATLANTIC COUNTY NEW JERSEY Part of the USGenWeb Project TRANSCRIBED BY JANICE BROWN Please see the web site for my email contact. ---------------------------------- The original source of this information is in the public domain, however use of this text file, other than for personal use, is restricted without written permission from the transcriber (who has edited, compiled and added new copyrighted text to same). ======================================================== Source: "Historical Collections of the State of New Jersey," by John W. Barber and Henry Howe; New York; S. Tuttl Publisher; 1844. ************************ HAMILTON is about 16 miles long by 11 wide, and is bounded NE by Galloway, SW by Cape May county, SE by Egg Harbor, and NW by part of Gloucester county. The Great Egg Harbor river passes through its hwole length,, draining a wide extent of sandy soil and pine forest. The township contains 8 stores, capital $14,800; 1 furnace, 1 forge, 2 grist-mills, 3 saw-mills; capital in manufactures, $22,150; 6 schools, 916 scholars. Population, 1,565. May's Landing, the seat of justice for the county, is on the Great Egg Harbor river, at the head of navigation, 16 miles from the Atlantic ocean and 73 from Trenton. It is divided into two portions about a quarter of a mile apart. Hamilton, the upper village, is on both sides of the river, over which is a bridge. May's Landing is on the west side of the river, and was first settled. There are in the village, and vicinity about 70 dwellings. Its inhabitants are principally engaged in ship building, and in transporting cord-wood and timber to market. The above views [not included here] shows on the right the courthouse and other county buildings. That on the extreme right is the jail. These are handsome brick edificies, situated on the north bank of the river, about 60 rods east of the bridge. There are two churches in the village; a Methodist, (formerly occupied by Methodists and Baptists), and a Presbyterian church lately erected, a handsome brick edifice with a spire, situated near the county buildings, in a grove of venerable forest-trees. May's Landing was first settled in 1710, by George May, who bought the land on which the village stands. He opened a store and supplied vessels which put in here with wood. His dwelling was standing until about 1830, on the north side of the river, about 10 rods above the mouth of Babcock's creek, near the willow-trees. Itw as a small gambrel-roofed building, a story and a half high, fronting on the river. After the American revolution Colonel Richard Westcott removed here from the forks of Egg Harbor, and became a large owner. This gentleman died about twenty years since, at the advanced age of 102 years. A Baptist church was built in the village in 1782, in which the clergyman at Tuckahoe, where there was then also a church of this denomination, occasionally preached. Catawba, 4 miles SE of the courthouse, has a Methodist church and about 20 dwellings. Weymouth, on the river, 6 miles NW of the courthouse, contains a Methodist church, a furnace, forge, saw and grist mill,, and about 40 dwellings. These works belong to the heirs of Samuel Richards, Esq. deceased, and give employment, directly and indirectly to serveral hundred men. The following extracts from the New Jersey State Gazette, published at Trenton in the war of the revolution, relate to incidents off this coast. "March 31, 1779--In the late snow-storm, the transport ship Mermaid, of Whithaven, England, with troops from Halifax, bound to New York, was driven on shore and bilged at Egg Harbor. After being in this miserable situation from five o'clock on Monday morning until noon on Tuesday, a host came off to their relief, and saved only 42 souls out of 187. Perished--Capt. Snowball, Lieut. Snodgrass, 112 sergeants, drummers, and privates, 13 women, 11 sailers and 7 children; total 145. Saved--5 sergeants, 25 privates, 7 sailors, and 5 officers; total: 42. "Sept. 11, 1781--Last week Capt. Douglas with some of the militia of Gloucester co., attacked a refugee boat at Egg Harbor, with 18 refugees on board, of whom 14 were shot or drowned; the others made their escape. "Dec. 18, 1782--Capt. Jackson, of the Greybeard, on the evening of Sunday, last week, with much address captured, within the Hook, the schooner Dolphin, and sloop Diamond, bound from New York to Halifax, and brought them both into Egg Harbor. These vessels were both condemned to the claimants, and the amount of sales amounted to L10,500. "Aug. 25, 1779--By a sailor from Egg Harbor, we are informed, that on Wednesday last, the schooner Mars, Capt. Taylor, fell in with a vessel mounting 14 guns, which he boarded and took. She proved to be a packet from Falmouth to New York. Capt. Taylor took the mail and prisoners, 45 in number; but on Sunday last, fell in with a fleet of 23 sail, under convoy of a large ship and frigate, when the latter gave chase to the packet and retook her. Capt. Taylor got safe into Egg Harbor. The annexed account of a naval exploit of a minor character, performed off this coast in the late war, was communicated by a resident of May's Landing. "In the latter part of 1813, as several small coasters were sailing around Cape May, from the Delaware river, bound for Egg Harbor, they came in contact with a British aruned schooner, lying at anchor off the Cape. She put chase, fired upon, and took the schooner New Jersey, from May's Landing, which was manned by the master, Capt. Burton, and 2 hands. Having placed on board as prize-master a young midshipman, with three men, (two Englishmen and an Irishman), she ordered the sloop to follower her, and continued the pursuit of the other vessels. As they neared Egg Harbor, the approach of night compelled her to desist from the chase, and she then put about for the Cape. The sloop followed, but made little headway, the young midshipman in command being an indifferent seaman. He at length placed the sailing of the vessel under the directions of Capt. Burton, directing him to steer for the Cape. He designedly steered the vessel so that no headway was made. Morning dawned and found them off the mouth of Great Egg Habor. Burton feigned ignorance of the place. Shortly after, a man was send aloft to look out: the prize-master and one of his men went below to examine the charts, leaving the three American and one of the enemy on deck. Burton availed himself of the opportunity. He and his two men secured the one on deck, fastened the two in the cabin, and having thus made them all prisoners, in an hour, with a fair wind, brought his vessel to anchor off Somers Point, within a short distance of home. The prize-master, after a short confinement in prison, was exchanged. The two Englishmen hired out in the vicinity, and the Irishman enlisted on board a gunboat and fought valiantly for the stars and stripes. (end)