Tag Archives: New Jersey

Daniel E. Beards Photograph Collection

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American flags flying at U.S. Flag Plaza at Liberty State Park.

The New Jersey State Library is proud to showcase for the start of 2025 the Daniel E. Beards Photograph Collection as part of our Digital Jerseyana Collection.  This ever-expanding collection features many aspects of life in the Garden State from beach towns, to state and national parks, to historic sites, to places of worship.  He has taken more than 12,000 photos of all things New Jersey and some of these photographs can be found in office buildings, apartment buildings, banks, store, and restaurants.

Trees turning fall colors in Delaware National Recreation Area.
Trees turning fall colors in Delaware National Recreation Area.

Daniel Beards was born in Jersey City and spent 44 years in the Human Resources field, heading those departments for Piedmont Management Company, HBJ Publications, and Cushman and Wakefield, before finally retiring as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Computer Generated Solutions, Inc.  Upon retiring, Dan was gifted a camera, but it sat unused.  Then a few months later, after talking to his neighbor who told him of someone apologizing on their behalf because they lived in New Jersey, he decided to dedicate his retirement to proving that New Jersey is a unique and wonderful state.

A damaged house behind a construction fence at the Jersey Shore after Hurricane Sandy.
A damaged house behind a construction fence at the Jersey Shore after Hurricane Sandy.

Some highlights of the current collection include the following albums:

Currently, the collection contains over 3,200 images across 31 digital albums and is updated on a regular basis.

The NJ State Library serves as the official repository for all Dan’s photographs that specifically relate to New Jersey.  Titles, descriptive text and other metadata have been supplied by Dan. Any errors, omissions, or expressed opinions are the creator’s own and do not reflect the position of the New Jersey State Library.

Saint Catherine's Church in Spring Lake with an American flag to the left.
Saint Catherine’s Church in Spring Lake.

Each photograph within this collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. Therefore, these photos may only be used in a way that is permitted by copyright and related rights legislation. The following terms of use for State Library patrons shall apply. 1. Educational Institution/student use is permitted as long as such usage adheres to all copyright and related rights legislation. In these instances, these photographs may only be used for educational or historical purposes. 2. Non-Commercial use is permitted without permission from the rights holder, as long as such use adheres to all copyright and related right legislation. 3. Under no circumstances may these photographs be used for commercial purposes without the direct permission of the rights-holder. 4. Under no circumstances may these photographs be used for political purposes. 5. Users must always give appropriate credit to the photographer. The credit may not in any way suggest the right’s holder endorses the user or their use of the photographs. 6. Photographs may be copied or redistributed in any medium or format as long as such use does not violate copyright and related rights legislation. 7. Users may remix, transform, and rebuild upon the original photographs as long as it does not violate copyright and related rights legislation.

WEBINAR – The Mysteries of the 1777 Battle of Navesink

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The Mysteries of the 1777 Battle of Navesink

Accounts of the history of the Revolutionary War often overlook the Battle of Navesink. The war was less than a year old when the First Regiment of the Monmouth Militia occupied a hillside lookout station in February 1777. Surprised by British regulars during a cold winter’s night, 25 militiamen were killed, while 72 were captured and sent to the notorious Sugar House Prison where many perished. Although 40 men escaped, some of these died during their flight. It was a disaster for the Monmouth Militia. Please join us for this illustrated talk where Rick Geffken reveals the actual battle site, then and now; the combatants who took part, and the impact on both sides due to this crucial early engagement.

Rick Geffken has authored numerous articles on New Jersey history and presented historical papers at the New Jersey History & Historic Preservation, the New Jersey Education Association, the New Jersey Library Association, and the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton). His latest published book is Stories of Slavery in New Jersey (2021). He is part of a project called the New Jersey Slavery Records Index under the auspices of Rutgers University, (New Brunswick). He joined the New Jersey Social Justice Reconciliation Committee to commemorate the only recorded lynching of a Black man in New Jersey. In 2023, Rick was recognized for historical contributions by The Monmouth County Historical Association, and the Monmouth County Clerk for his efforts in the preservation and knowledge of Monmouth County history.

Click Here to Register!

WEBINAR – The Cape May Bubble: NJ’s Most Unique Climate Zone

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The Cape May Bubble: NJ's Most Unique Climate Zone

Take a trip all the way down the shore and you’ll hear the locals’ say the weather is just a little bit different in Cape May County. Thunderstorms that rumble over the Delaware Bay barely make its mark, snow just doesn’t fall as much and the climate feels different. Some call it the Cape May Bubble, others the Cape May Umbrella. Either way, there is real, scientific proof that Cape May County’s climate is unique compared to the rest of the Garden State. Please join us as meteorologist Joe Martucci explains this unique phenomenon and it’s impact on South Jersey.

Joe Martucci is the President and Director of Meteorology at Cup A Joe Weather and Drone, where he thrives at the forefront of Meteorology in media. A Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and Certified Digital Meteorologist with the American Meteorological Society, Joe is New Jersey’s only meteorologist to hold both certifications. He’s also an FAA-certified Part 107 drone pilot. A born-and-bred New Jerseyian, Joe earned his Meteorology degree from Rutgers University, where he’s frequently on campus for talks and attends nearly every football home game. Having lived and worked in nearly every part of New Jersey, he now calls the shore home. He’s worked or visited every beach town from Sea Bright to Cape May Point, many of them twice. Joe’s expertise hasn’t just been noticed in the Garden State, though. He’s been featured in The New Yorker, Deadliest Catch, and national publication from Rutgers University. As the first Certified Digital Meteorologist in 2023, Joe speaks across the country to other meteorologists on the future of meteorology in media.

Patriots Week 2024 @ the NJ State Library

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Patriots Week 2024 at the New Jersey State Library

Another November is in the books and with that comes less than a month until one of Trenton’s greatest yearly celebrations – Patriot’s Week.  Running this year from Thursday, December 26th – Tuesday December 31st, this week is filled with reenactments,  walking tours, historical talks, and a host of other family-friendly activities that commemorate not only Trenton and New Jersey’s role in the American Revolution, but also the 10 Crucial Days where George Washington and his army was able to take Trenton and Princeton from the British and Hessians between December 25th 1776 and January 3rd 1777.  Whether you are a history buff, genealogist, or just want to learn more about this pivotal time in our nation’s history, the NJ State Library has you covered.  We encourage you all to visit or contact the NJ State Library and hope the following highlights spark a new or reinvigorated interest in this time period.

History Books

New Jersey is often referred to as the “Cockpit of the American Revolution” as our state saw more battles, skirmishes, and encampments than any other colony during the American Revolution.  There have been a host of books written about New Jersey’s role in the American Revolution, especially from notable historian William “Larry” Kidder.  The following books are just a handful of the many works on the American Revolution at the NJ State Library:

Maps

There is no better way to explore the American Revolution than through maps.   Maps can show just how much of the state was embroiled in the conflict and gives you a wonderful visualization of the state during that time.  You can see a list of maps for viewing at the State Library by visiting https://nj.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/njstatelibrary/search/results?qu=New+Jersey+History+Revolution%2C+1775-1783+Maps.  We’ve digitized wonderful map of New Jersey that includes the different boundary lines throughout the colony’s history and the cities and towns around 1777 – https://hdl.handle.net/10929/141733.

Genealogy and Family History

Are you interested in researching a New Jersey ancestor who may have served in the Revolutionary War?  Check Adjutant General William S. Stryker’s Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War.  This volume contains an alphabetical listing of officers and soldiers that served in New Jersey raised regiments in various branches of the Continental Army or the county militias during the war.  You will also find some historical context as to when various units of the Continental Army were raised.  If you find a soldier listed there, you may order copies of their New Jersey service records, maintained by the Adjutant General’s Office, from the New Jersey State Archives.

Some useful print resources in the Genealogy Collection for researching Revolutionary War ancestors.  Please note that the State Library has over 100 books specifically about Revolutionary War genealogical research.  These refer to national, state, and local resources for communities all over the United States.  In addition, there are Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) published resources, including some by New Jersey local chapters, Society of the Cincinnati resources, and the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, which has the transcribed Tax Ratables for 1779-1781.  Some useful print resources in the Genealogy Collection for researching Revolutionary War ancestors include:

Newspapers

Extracts from American Newspapers Relating to New Jersey is a multivolume set of transcribed newspaper articles dating from 1703-1782.  The volumes have been digitized and are available online.  Each volume has an index.  This is a great resource for both historical context and genealogical research.  The articles contain both marriage and death announcements, estate sales, runaway ads, social news, community announcements, in addition to regular news.

Blogs, Webinars, and Other Websites

In addition to our print collections, you can find a wealth of resources on our website and YouTube channel related to the Revolutionary War:

Disability Information Hub

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Logo for the Official Site of the State of New Jersey

WEBINAR – Legacy of Remembrance: A History of WWI Monuments in New Jersey

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A collage of 3 black and white images of World War 1 monuments in New Jersey. The first picture shows 2 soldiers, a child, and dog with one soldier holding an American flag. The second picture is a soldier holding a sword in one had and holding a large flag in the other. The third picture is a soldier holding a rifle with a bayonet attached.

Each November 11th, we celebrate Veterans Day, a day to acknowledge the sacrifices of all of our current veterans. However, this day was originally celebrated as Armistice Day, marking the ending of hostilities during World War 1. Throughout NJ, memorials to those who served and died during “The Great War” were dedicated on this day through the decades. Please join us as Erik Burrow showcases a wide variety of these monuments from his “Legacy of Remembrance” photograph collection. He will discuss the history of some of these monuments as well as their importance to our collective memory.

Erik Burro, a graduate of Rider University, is the founder of Pennjerdel House, Burlington, NJ, a history advocacy supporting public awareness of regional heritage and proponent of landmark preservation. He encourages increased use of historical markers and protection of public art, monuments, and historic sites. Burro has been a principal speaker at a wide range of history-related events, conventions, conferences, and ceremonies in twelve states and five countries. He has addressed the Pennsylvania Assembly five times and also appeared at the capitols of New Jersey, Delaware, and Washington. Erik has been featured at US Park Service sites in Manhattan and Philadelphia and as a Cunard Line guest lecturer during Atlantic crossings.

VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK – Vandalia: The Rise and Fall of Major William Trent’s Proposed Colony

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VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK – Vandalia: The Rise and Fall of Major William Trent’s Proposed Colony

Despite being a third generation merchant and the son of Trenton’s namesake, Major William Trent’s life has been all but forgotten in history. A veteran of three different wars and factor for the most powerful land speculating agency in the colonies, Trent’s ambitions reached new heights just as another conflict brought the world to its knees. On the eve of the American Revolution, this was the story of how William Trent along with Ben Franklin and others went before the “Cockpit” in London to gain approval for a fourteenth colony and cemented his legacy as one of the most influential figures of westward expansion during the eighteenth century. Please join us as author and research consultant for the William Trent House Jason Cherry recounts William Trent’s critical role in this forgotten aspect of our history.

Jason A. Cherry is a native of Butler, Pennsylvania and 2002 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Jason Cherry has reenacted the French and Indian War for over thirty years portraying the group of volunteers hired under William Trent Jr in 1754, a unit known as Captain William Trent’s Company. Currently he is the “research consultant” for the William Trent House in Trenton, NJ and works as an Assistant Group Supervisor for Stepping Stones Children’s Center in Gibsonia, PA. On March 13, 2024 his new book and biography “William Trent: Factor of Ambition” was released and met with rave reviews. He appeared in May of 2019 on Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) as the featured author of “Pittsburgh’s Lost Outpost: Captain Trent’s Fort” recently published in 2019 on the hour-long show “PA Books”. He has also consulted on the nonfiction book Young Washington by Peter Stark a 2019 George Washington Book Prize finalist.

Blog Recap: The Social History of New Jersey Asylums

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1849 New Jersey State Asylum Report

1849 New Jersey State Asylum Report
1849 State Asylum Report Title Page

The reports of New Jersey’s State Asylums to the Legislature are now digitized and available online in our New Jersey State Publications Digital Library. These documents are snapshots of how the State perceived, housed, and treated those with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues. Researchers of the history of medicine, the history of social movements, and the history of patient rights will find these collections of interest.

On Wednesday September 21, Digital Librarian Caitlyn Cook presented “The Social History of New Jersey’s Asylums.” Cook discussed the unique contents of over seventy years of government documents, during a period when the treatment of mental illness was undergoing profound change.

The State Hospital network included facilities in Trenton, Morristown, Ancora (Hammonton), Glen Gardner, Arthur Brisbane (Farmingdale), and Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital. Our collection is incomplete, but you can browse our print holdings in our catalog under the heading Psychiatric Hospitals – New Jersey or by searching the State Library catalog by facility name. The most complete collections of reports in the Library’s collection are from the Trenton and Morristown facilities and these, as well as Ancora, have been digitized. Additional reports will be digitized over time. We actively collect and will add new state documents to the library’s collection when they are made available to us.

Digitized State Hospital Collections

To date, librarians have digitized the following State Hospital collections.

What do Asylum Reports contain?

State Asylum at Trenton baseball team
State Asylum at Trenton baseball team

Report contents varied widely year to year. A budget statement was always included, but in some years you will find photographs of patient activities and treatment rooms, architectural drawings, and renderings of building works. The other persistent feature of asylum reports are patient statistics; these did vary year to year, but they typically include gender, race, occupation before admission, reason for the illness and its duration, and New Jersey county of origin. The eugenics movement in the early 1900s prompted reporting on patients’ ethnicity, level of education, and literacy. In some years, you will find charts that attempted to correlate diagnosis with ethnicity. Some reports contain pathology reports, x-rays, microscopy, and summaries of autopsies conducted at the hospital, including individual patients’ ages and genders, as well as brief summaries of autopsy findings.

Other Sources for Asylum Research

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of the Trenton Asylum, 1908

Plans of the asylums were included in some reports, but can also be viewed on fire insurance maps. State employees and TESU staff and students can access the interactive database Fire Insurance Maps Online with their state library card. Older fire insurance maps are public domain; freely available digital collections can be accessed from Princeton University and the Library of Congress.

Asylum reports did not name individual patients and will be of limited use to the genealogist. Extant patient records are in the collections of the New Jersey State Archives and are unavailable to the public except under extraordinary circumstances. Records of the chancery court (also held at the State Archives) may contain information about the legal circumstances under which patients were committed.

U. S. Federal Census returns include names of all patients and staff residing on the campus. On some returns, resident occupations and ethnicity were included. To find state asylum listings on the Census, try searching for the superintendent at the time the census was conducted. For example see the 1850 record for asylum superintendent Dr. Horace Buttolph; asylum residents and staff appear on pages 30-35. See Dr. Buttolph’s record in 1870; residents and staff are enumerated on pages 47-64.

About the Digital Publications Library

The New Jersey State Library’s State Publications Collection preserves all works published by the State and its entities, whether print or born digital. The digitization of our extensive print holdings is ongoing. Visit our collections in the New Jersey State Library Digital Publications Library. For questions about asylum reports, state publications, and other digital collections, contact Caitlyn Cook, New Jersey Reference & Digital Librarian, or Deborah Mercer, New Jersey Collections Librarian.

Proprietary and Colonial New Jersey Research Program Recap

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NJ colonial records books from our Genealogy Collection.

Thank you to Melissa Johnson, CG, for her deep dive into proprietary and colonial records relating to New Jersey.  It can be very difficult to navigate records during these time periods as a vast majority of them are not digitized.  Additionally, indexes for different record collections may be scattered across a variety of secondary sources.  However, knowing what your are looking for and the historical context in which the record was created can save you a lot of time.  So let’s take a look at what records from the proprietary and colonial periods look like.

Proprietary Period (1664-1703) Records

Historical Context

To understand the records associated with the Proprietary period in New Jersey, it is important to understand the historical context.  New Jersey was originally divided into 2 colonies, East Jersey and West Jersey, and proprietorship was granted to Sir George Carteret and John, Lord Berkley respectively.  Upon their deaths, the colonies were divided up further between the East Jersey Proprietors (12 men) and West Jersey Proprietors (4 men) who were given authority to sell land within their designated areas.

There are some important distinctions regarding places during this time period and the names we associate with towns and boundaries today.  References to obsolete place names can be found in proprietary records, making it more difficult to pinpoint exact locations and some areas today, such as Freehold or Hackensack, were much bigger and considered townships rather than towns or cities.  Additionally, place names were often used prior to their official establishment so they may not appear on certain maps.

Record Collections

The East Jersey Proprietors were dissolved in 1998 and their records were transferred to the New Jersey State Archives.  These records include minutes (published through 1794), deeds, surveys, warrants, road records, quit rent records, dividend records, maps, and other collections.   The West Jersey Proprietors is still and active organization with land, but that is mostly in areas protected by environmental regulations.  Their records are currently housed at the New Jersey State Archives and include minutes, account books, surveys, warrants, Lawrence line division notes, maps, drawings, and other miscellaneous records.

The New Jersey State Archives has many published indexes regarding these collections.  However, there is an online database for Early Land records that covers many of these record collections available at https://wwwnet-dos.state.nj.us/DOS_ArchivesDBPortal/index.aspx.  This project is almost completed so new entries are being added on a continual basis.  Another important resource is the Abstract of Wills: 1670-1730; wills were originally filed with the proprietors, but are now arranged with later New Jersey wills.

Ancestry.com has digitized 2 important New Jersey Archives Series: Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State, 1631-1687 and Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State, 1687-1703, but they are not 100% optimized for searching so it may be necessary to visit the NJ State Archives in person.

There are a variety of county and municipal records for this time period as well.  You may be able to find County clerk deeds pre-1785, sometimes referred to as ancient deeds, County court of common pleas/quarter Session minutes, county-level road books, deeds and mortgages, or township committee minutes.

Colonial Period (1703-1787) Records

In 1703, the two New Jersey colonies were consolidated which did change the structure on how some documents were recorded.  Counties started creating their own records and more private records starting becoming available, such as personal papers, church records, and family bibles.  Additionally, there were colony-wide records such as marriage bonds and court cases that had once been separated by East and West.  Land records, however, were still recorded with the appropriate Proprietors and deeds, while probated in East and West Jersey, were filed with the provincial secretaries.

One of the best ways to start researching this period is through 2 periodicals: The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey and The Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society.  The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey includes abstracts of records, family histories, bible records, and tombstone inscriptions.  The first 50 volumes are indexed in 4 volumes by Stryker-Rodda, however the remainder are indexed individually; volumes 51-63 are indexed by surname only.  The Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society, later renamed New Jersey History, contain indexes of colonial-era records.  Those volumes are indexed by name and produced annually.

The will abstracts for this period function very similar to the those of the Proprietary Period and provide the same level of information.   There is also the Newspaper Abstracts (part of the New Jersey Archives series) under Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, which can include a variety of public notices that can contain personal information.  There are also searchable databases from the New Jersey State Archives, available at https://wwwnet-dos.state.nj.us/DOS_ArchivesDBPortal/index.aspx, for the following collections:

  • Supreme Court Case Files, 1704-1844
  • Colonial Marriage Bonds, ca. 1666-1799
  • Probate Record Search,  ca. 1660-1952

More Information

Melissa has put together a wonderful guide for finding and understanding the records during the proprietary and colonial periods, which can be found at https://www.njstatelib.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Proprietary-Colonial-Research-Handout.pdf.  Additionally, she has more resources available at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/44549yjqpljt8uy/AACD8gfNVVz6j-Lyd-HYcXXIa?dl=0.

You can view a recording of the program on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/jy45AV3MoBI.

If you have any questions, please contact Melissa at mjohnson@johnsongenealogyservices.com.

Abigail Sharp: New Jersey’s One Witch

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A close up of a handwritten letter in cursive.

The colonial province of New Jersey never tried anyone for witchcraft. The only legal record concerning a “witch” is the lawsuit brought by Abigail Sharp of Woodbridge, New Jersey against Abraham Shotwell.

Sharp v. Shotwell

closeup of Supreme Court case file; the handwritten text says "Abig. Sharp v. Ab. Shotwell"
Courtesy New Jersey State Archives ; Department of State

On May 13, 1727, Abigail Sharp sued Abraham Shotwell for trespass on the case in the amount of £500, citing harm to her business, her reputation, and her social life, as well as exposing her to the threat of unwarranted prosecution. Shotwell had publicly accused her of witchcraft, describing supernatural events he claimed he had witnessed, including her taking the shape of a cat on top of his house and bewitching his horse, which died.

Abraham Shotwell pleaded not guilty. There is no information on the ultimate decision of the case.

The three pages that comprise her lawsuit are the only record we have that the events occurred and it seems to have been forgotten until the case became an object of public interest in the 19th century.

The suit was filed in Middlesex County and is in the collection of Supreme Court case files at the New Jersey State Archives. See “Abigail Sharp v. Abraham Shotwell.” Case 38755. New Jersey State Archives Supreme Court Case Files, 1704-1844. https://wwwnet-dos.state.nj.us/DOS_ArchivesDBPortal/SupremeCourt.aspx. A scanned copy is available to download.

A Transcription of the Lawsuit

Spelling, grammar, and line breaks are preserved from the original.

The original handwritten account of the lawsuit
Courtesy New Jersey State Archives ; Department of State.

Superior Court of the term of May in the thirteenth year of
King George
Middlesex: Abigail Sharp complains of Abraham Shotwell in Custody &
For that, whereas the said Abigail is a good true faithfull
And honest subject of our Lord the King now & hath been
Of good name fame conversation & condition & as Such
As well[?] among her neighbors as other faithfull subjects
Of our Said Lord the King always hitherto hath been
Esteemed called & reputed & soberly modestly & Religiously
From the time of her nativity hitherto hath always lived
Without any scandal or suspicion of felony witchcraft
Inchantment or diabolical conversation with wicked
& unclean spirits or another other hurtfull or unlawfull
Crime whatsoever. Nevertheless, the aforesaid Abraham
Not ignorant of the premises but contriving & malitious-
Ly intending the same Abigail unjustly to injure
Her good name fame & reputation to hurt Distract
From & damage & to cause her to suffer & undergo
The pains & penalties by the Laws of England & of
This province upon those that are guilty of witchcraft
& have commerce & familiarity with unclean &
Wicked spirits ordained to be inflicted the Same
Abraham on the last day of March in the year of
Our Lord one thousand seven hundred & twenty
Seven at Woodbridge within the county of Middlesex
Aforesaid in the presence & hearing of many of the
faithfull subjects of our Lord the King now falsely &
maliciously openly & publickly spoke uttered
& spread abroad of the same Abigail those false [??]
& defamatory English words following namely Nab
Sharp (meaning the said Abigaill) is an old witch &
Had been flying all night & that he saw her (meaning
The Said Abigail) as he was coming home early in
The morning & She was just lighted in a [??] of
Bouns & also that the said Abraham of his further
[next page]
Further malice against the same Abigail. Thereon & that
Same Abigail further to blacken scandalize & hurt
in the manner aforesaid afterwards to wit on the day
& year & at the place aforesaid presence & hearing
Of many of the faithfull subjects of our said Lord
the King now falsely maliciously openly & publickly
Spoke uttered spread abroad & with a loud voice
Published of the same Abigail these other false feigned
Scandalous & defamatory English words following
Namely Abigail Sharp is a witch & that he heard a
Noise on the top of his house & he saw her meaning
The said Abigail in the shape of a cat and also that
The said Abraham of his further malice against the
Said Abigail shown & the same Abigail further to
blacken scandalize & hurt in the manner aforesaid
afterwards to wit on the day year & at the place afore
Said in the presence & hearing of many of the faithfull
Subjects of our said Lord the King now falsely &
Maliciously openly & publickly spoke uttered spread
Abroad & with a loud voice published of the same
Abigail these other false feigned Scandalous & Defamatory
English words following namely Nab Sharp that old
Witch (meaning the said Abigail) bewitched that horse
That lies dead in my field. She meaning the said
Abigail, brought him there just now all mealy from
The mill, by Reason of the Speaking uttering
Spreading abroad & publishing of which several
False feigned scandalous & defamatory English words
The same Abigail – not only in her good name found
Credit[?] & Reputation which she heretofore had is
greatly hurt & worsted but hath been put in danger
Of being indicted of felony & witchcraft & is drawn[?]
Into so great hatred & infamy that all the people
Of this Province do refuse to have commerce &
Society with her & in getting of her livelyhood
& doing of her business she is many ways hurt
[next page]
Wherefore the said Abigail saith that she is worsted & hath
damage to five hundred pounds & thereof she bringeth
this suite.
Wm. Smith Quod[?] plg[?]
[Post script]
Middlesex: So Abigail Sharp puts in her place William Smith her attorney
against Abraham Shotwell in a plea of trespass upon the
Case

Who was Abigail Sharp?

Nothing is known of her origins, the outcome of the case, or anything else at all in any source that I can find.

I have not yet found a published genealogy or primary source that includes an Abigail Sharp that could possibly be her, but there are clues in the lawsuit to her possible identity.

Abigail brought the lawsuit herself, which may indicate she was either unmarried or widowed. Shotwell disparagingly called her an “old nab” in 1727; if she was, say, 50 years old at the time, that would have her born about 1675 or earlier. At that age, she could be a New Jersey native born to one of the early Sharp settlers in East or perhaps West Jersey, or she was herself an immigrant.

There are a handful of Sharp families settled in New Jersey by 1727. My current working theory is she is a sister or cousin to a pair of Sharp brothers who immigrated from Scotland and settled in Woodbridge. Abigail was in the same generation as William and John Sharp. William Sharp married a Mary Smith. Abigail’s lawyer was William Smith; I have not yet confirmed his identity.

It’s also noteworthy that Abigail had the means to hire a lawyer to sue Abraham Shotwell. Abigail Sharp was a businesswoman. She claims in the lawsuit that she suffered not only from a bad reputation as a result of the slander, but that “all the people of this Province do refuse to have commerce & Society with her & in getting of her livelihood & doing of her business she is many ways hurt.” Shotwell also claimed that when she brought him to the dead horse, she was “all mealy from the mill”.

What was Abigail’s business? Did she work at the mill? Woodbridge is the site of New Jersey’s first grist mill, founded by Jonathan Singletary Dunham. Dunham’s daughter married Samuel Smith, and it was their daughter Mary who married the immigrant William Sharp.

In other witchcraft cases, it’s been noted by historians that accusers are motivated by fear of the Other, xenophobia, and jealousy. There is sometimes a financial disparity between the accused and the accuser, with the accuser wanting to take down someone of higher financial status.

If Abigail is a Scot, I wonder whether xenophobia played a part in Shotwell’s accusation (as it did in the Pennsylvania witchcraft trial discussed below); her accuser, Shotwell, was a New Yorker of English descent. Scotland and England at the time shared a long, fraught history of distrust.

If I am able to identify her further, I will update this blog.

Abraham Shotwell, being male with an unusual name, is easier to locate. He is probably if not certainly the Abraham Shotwell who was born say 1692 in Long Island and was of Piscataway when he died in 1757. He would have been in his thirties when he made his accusations, which he had to have known endangered her life. It had been only thirty years since the last witchcraft executions in the future United States, the Salem trials of 1692. While we can say today with hindsight it would have been unlikely for Abigail to be prosecuted for witchcraft, in 1727 it remained on the books as a capital crime.

East Jersey Witch Law of 1668

In the general assembly of East Jersey held in May, 1668, among the dozen “Capital Laws,” is the following law authorizing prosecution for witchcraft: “If any person be found to be a witch, either male or female, they shall be put to death.”

closeup of page in Leaming and Spicer's 1758 book "Grants, concessions, and original constitutions of the province of New-Jersey" depicting the law against witchcraft "ITEM.—If any person be found to be a witch, either male or female, they shall be put to death."
“ITEM.—If any person be found to be a witch, either male or female, they shall be put to death.”

This and other works are available in our list of Historical Compilations of New Jersey Law.

West Jersey, which operated independently and published its own laws, had no such mention of witchcraft in its laws. After 1703, when East Jersey and West Jersey were combined into the new province of New Jersey, the witchcraft law was in effect statewide.

Mount Holly Witches?

The other notable mention of witchcraft is a 1732 article published in the Pennsylvania Gazette on the witches of Mount Holly, who are celebrated today with an annual Witches Ball. Read the article here: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-01-02-0056.

The absence of any supporting documentary evidence, the jovial tone of the article, and the absence of any personal names as would surely be expected all point to this being a probable fabrication by the Gazette under its editor, noted prankster and joker (among other titles), Ben Franklin. There are those who were more than willing to believe the story, including the author of an 1894 article in New Jersey Law Journal.

New Jersey’s Enduring Witch Heritage

Margaret Mattson, the only woman tried for witchcraft in Pennsylvania, was bailed out by her husband Nils Mattson and son Anthony Nilsson Long to the sum of 50 pounds. She was tried by a jury of mostly English Quakers who found her not guilty of witchcraft, but guilty of “the fame of being a witch” (i.e. she had a bad reputation). Margaret, her husband, and their son were Finns who had endured a traumatic migration to the New Sweden colony in 1654 on an overcrowded ship in which a third of the passengers died. However Nils Mattson prospered and was a landholder when the English Quakers moved in. While their rights to own property were for the most part respected by the English, there was tension as many of the prime locations were already developed by the Swedes and Finns. Many sold their land in Philadelphia, and a number moved to Gloucester and Salem counties.

In February 1684, she and her co-accused were tried for witchcraft in the new state of Pennsylvania’s Provincial Council, with William Penn serving as judge. In the midst of the accusations and trial, her husband sold off his farms in Pennsylvania. After the trial, he and Margaret relocated across the river to Gloucester County, New Jersey to live with their son. Witchcraft was never a crime in West Jersey. Son Anthony Nilsson Long was a prominent man, serving as constable of Gloucester County the same year his mother was tried as a witch across the river. Anthony had five children and there are surely descendants of Margaret Mattson living in New Jersey today.

Lastly, the accused witch of East Hampton, New York, Elizabeth Garlick, spared at trial by John Winthrop Jr. in 1658, has a strong New Jersey connection; most of her grandchildren left Long Island for Cape May and south Jersey when land became available in the 1680s and 1690s. Widespread endogamy means if you have colonial Cape May roots, there is probably a witch grandmother sitting in your tree.

Further Reading

Burr, George Lincoln (ed). “The Pennsylvania Cases of Mattson, Hendrickson, and Guard, 1684, 1701.” In Narratives of the Witchcraft Cases 1648-1706. Vol. 14 of Original Narratives of Early American History, edited by J. Franklin Jameson, New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1914, pp. 81-88, https://archive.org/details/narrativeswitch03burrgoog/page/n99/mode/2up

Cohen, David S. “Witchcraft.” Encyclopedia of New Jersey, edited by Maxine Lurie and Marc Mappen, Rutgers University Press, 2004, p. 880, https://resources.njstatelib.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=124913

Hanc, John. (October 25, 2012). “Before Salem, There Was the Not-So-Wicked Witch of the Hamptons.” Smithsonian Magazine, October 25, 2012. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/before-salem-there-was-the-not-so-wicked-witch-of-the-hamptons-95603019/?no-ist

Lee, Francis Bazley. “Some Legal Allusions to Witchcraft in Colonial New Jersey.” New Jersey Law Journal 17 (1894): 169-172. https://archive.org/details/sim_new-jersey-law-journal_1894-06_17_6/page/168/mode/2up

New Jersey Outdoors: archive now available online

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illustration of hiker in forest overlooking a road with cars. Caption reads "Green, New Jersey's favorite color. Help Prevent Forest Fires."
illustration of hiker in forest overlooking a road with cars. Caption reads "Green, New Jersey's favorite color. Help Prevent Forest Fires."
Forrest fire prevention poster from the May 1964 issue

New Jersey is far more than just a “garden” state. While well known for its vast network of fields and farms, fresh produce and fruit orchards, New Jersey boasts incredible ecological diversity. Even those who only know New Jersey from the Sopranos have heard of the Pine Barrens. The 1.1 million acre swath of forest and wetland that confounded Chris and Paulie in the episode “Pine Barrens,” was actually the country’s first National Reserve and designated by UNESCO as a single-site biosphere reserve. It is the largest body of open space on the Mid-Atlantic seaboard and home to dozens of rare and endangered species.

Yet even though the Pine Barrens claim some 22% of the state’s land, it is not the only highlight when it comes to New Jersey’s environmental diversity. Our state hosts portions of the Appalachian Trail and the black bears who live along it, streams full of native brook trout, fields where wild turkey roam and song birds compete for blueberries, and homes for marine wildlife all along the Jersey Shore.

illustrated image of a squirrel on a tree
Red squirrel illustration by Reece, from the October 1965 issue

New Jersey Outdoors was created with the idea of highlighting and celebrating New Jersey’s rich environmental heritage. First published in 1950 by the Department of Conservation and Economic Development – the precursor to the modern Department of Environmental Protection – New Jersey Outdoors featured articles on hunting, fishing, and conservation related topics. The combination of photography and illustration by local artists gave each issue a unique personality.

The New Jersey State Library is pleased to provide free online access to its entire collection of New Jersey Outdoors. Issues from 1961-2002 have been digitized in color and are available through the Library’s Digital Collections.

 

Browsing the table of contents reveals the breadth of topics in each issue – from in-depth commentary on particular species, to fishing tips, and profiled conservation projects. The issues also provide a glimpse at how environmental concerns changed over time.

For example, the January 1963 issue features commentary on what could happen to New Jersey’s wildlife and food supply in the event of nuclear disaster. Tensions between sportsman and environmentalists were highlighted in the August 1971 issue – just a year after the first Earth Day and the rise of the new environmental movements. In July/August 1983, an article on urban waterfront restoration projects showed the culmination of years’ worth of work. Peppered throughout the issues are articles on historical and archaeological topics, as researchers explored human interaction with their environment.

Image of man in canoe approaching a campsite
“This is the life”- Harry Grosch.
Camping at Saw Mill Lake in High Point Park, from the July 1961 issue

New Jersey Outdoors was published monthly from 1961-1973, bimonthly 1973-1991, and then seasonally from 1991-2003.  Publication ended in 2003 after the publication of the Department of Environmental Protection’s new magazine, Fish and Wildlife Digest. Fish and Wildlife Digest eventually split into three separate, annual magazines: Hunting and Trapping Digest, Freshwater Fishing Digest, and Marine Digest. These magazines are also available through the Library’s Digital Collections.

Unfortunately, we are missing the earliest published issues (1950-1960) of New Jersey Outdoors from our collection.  Anyone who would like to donate copies of these issues to the New Jersey State Library can contact Deborah Mercer or Caitlyn Cook in Reference Services at refdesk@njstatelib.org.