MIDDLESEX COUNTY GENEALOGY

Woodbridge/Piscataway Timeline

Information contained in Time Line comes from:
Woodbridge and vicinity : the story of a New Jersey township : embracing the history
of Woodbridge, Piscataway, Metuchen and contiguous places, from the earliest times ...
Author: Dally, Joseph W.
City of Publication: New Brunswick, N.J.
Publisher: A.E. Gordon
Date: 1873
Page Count: 391 p.

• 1664 Woodbridge bought from the Indians by Bayley, Denton and Watson
• 1665 The town is inhabited by English settlers
• 1666 The town is bought by Daniel Pierce and associates. Articles of
  agreement are signed between Gov. Carteret and the Woodbridge men.
  Piscataway formed into a settlement
• 1667 Woodbridge laid out. First baby born.
• 1668 First Legislature of the Province held at Elizabeth on 26 May 1668
  
• 1669 The first recorded town meeting held 1 Jan 1669. Woodbridge Township
  created 1 Jun 1669. Charter granted 16 Jun 1669. Strawberry Hill made
  a commons on 27 Aug 1669. First bridge over the creek, 22 Sep 1669
• 1670 Dunham's grist mill built. Samuel Trent, first town minister arrives
• 1671 First Grand Jury in this town. False alarm of Indians.
• 1673 Woodbridge under Dutch rule
• 1675 The town meeting-house begun. Stockade built around the prison
• 1676 Legislature meets in Woodbridge, 5 Oct 1676
• 1677 Lands between Piscataway and Woodbridge bought from the Indians.
  Legislature meets here a second time on 10 Oct 1677.
• 1680 John Allen becomes the town preacher
• 1682 Middlesex County created. Samuel Moore made High Sheriff. First
  overseers of the poor chosen.
• 1683 First tavern in town
• 1686 Samuel Dennis arrested. Reb. Mr. Riddle arrives
• 1688 Death of Samuel Moore
• 1689 First Quaker meeting held here. First school teacher, James Fullerton,
  arrives. Picataway Baptist Church constituted.
• 1690 Alarm of Indians; a ranger appointed
• 1693 Monthly court established here
• 1695 Adam Hude comes to reside here from Staten Island. Rev. Samuel Shepard comes
  to town.
• 1697 Wolves grow troublesome
• 1699 Riot in Woodbridge against the Proprietary Government.


• 1701 The Piscataway boundary quarrel settled. School land laid out 11 Dec 1701.
• 1702 The first Episcopalian missionary comes here.
• 1704 Rev. John Brook begins Episcopal service in Piscataway
• 1705 The first town committee appointed. Parker's grist mill built
• 1706 The first division of common land, 14 Oct 1706.
• 1707 The second division of land, Jun 1707.
• 1708 Rev. Mr. Wade installed
• 1709 Pike and Cutter's grist mill built. Beginning to build Quaker meeting-house.
• 1710 Richard Soper's grist mill begun. Presbyterian Church established.
• 1711 Rev. Edward Vaughan forms an Episcopal congregation and begins to build a church.,br> George Eubanks arrives, the first school teacher on Strawberry Hill
• 1713 Church doors shut against Rev. Mr. Halliday. Weekly worship begun in new Quaker
  meeting-house.
• 1715 Third division of land in Jul 1715.
• 1717 Fourth division of land, 8 May 1717. Rev. John Pierson ordained at Presbyterian
  preacher in this place
• 1720 Fifth division of land 4 Apr 1720
• 1721 Sixth division of land authorized 16 Jan 1721
• 1730 First cup of tea drank in this place.
• 1734 Seventh division of land.
• 1737 End of the Sonmans-Stelle law-suit.
• 1739 Rev. Benj. Stelle became the second pastor at the Piscataway Baptist Church
• 1740 Rev. George Whitfield preached in Woodbridge
• 1748 Prof. Kalm, the Swedish botanist, visits Woodbridge
• 1751 Mr. Parker established the first printing-press in the state at Woodbridge.
  First Quarterly Meeting of the Quakers held here. The Rev. T. B. Chandler arrives
• 1754 The second Episcopal Church built in this place
• 1755 Rev. Nathl. Whitaker installed 10 Dec 1755
• 1756 The Presbyterian Church secures a Charter.
• 1757 Quaker meeting-house begun at Rahway.
• 1758 Military draft afflicts the Quakers; some are imprisoned.
• 1761 Rev. Mr. Roe is invited to Woodbridge.
• 1763 Rev. Mr. Roe installed.
• 1765 "Sons of Liberty" organized in town. Quaker meetings begin to decline.
• 1769 Episcopal Church of this place secures a charter 6 Dec 1769.
• 1776 Continentals encamped in town. Gen. Heard of Woodbridge arrests Gov. Franklin
  at Amboy 17 Jun 1770. Soldiers quartered in Quaker Meeting-house
• 1777 Hessians encamped in Woodbridge. Skirmish with Morgan's Rangers 26 Jun 1777
  Battle of Ash Swamp.
• 1780 Capt. nathaniel FitzRandolph died 23 Jul 1780. Captured cannon brought to Woodbridge
• 1783 Peach proclaimed.
• 1784 Quaker Meeting-house at Woodbridge was sold.