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By Frank R. Stockton
Originally published in 1896
But this state of things did not continue very
long ; for the English, who, although they had not
yet settled in New Jersey, had never given up their
pretensions as the original discoverers, came in strong
force, subdued the Dutch, occupied their principal
town, New Amsterdam, and took possession of the
country, including New Jersey.
But it seemed to be a good deal easier to discover
New Jersey than finally to settle its ownership. Now
that the Dutch and the Swedes were disposed of,
there arose difficulties regarding the English claims
to the State. Early in the seventeenth century,
Queen Elizabeth had granted an immense tract of
land to Sir Walter Raleigh, which was called Virginia, and that included the whole of New Jersey.
Afterwards Charles II. granted to his brother, the
Duke of York, an immense tract of land, which also
included New Jersey, and which was called New
York. So what is now New Jersey was then at the
same time both Virginia and New York.
The Duke of York, who then owned New Jersey,
leased the whole State – lands, forests, rivers, wigwams, Indians, fisheries, Dutch settlers, Swedish settlers,
everything – to John Berkeley (Baron of Stratton)
and Sir George Carteret for the sum of twenty
nobles per year (thirty-two dollars of our money).
Some authorities, indeed, state that the sum paid was
much smaller.
After a time, however, the claims of Virginia were
withdrawn; and not only did Berkeley and Carteret
enjoy undisturbed possession of the State, but they
gave it a name, and called it Nova Caesaria, or New
Jersey, its name being given on account of Carteret's
connection with the Isle of Jersey. The Latin name
was used for a time; but the settlers preferred English,
and so the name now stands. New Jersey was
soon afterwards divided into two provinces, – East
Jersey and West Jersey. The accompanying map
shows the line of division between the two provinces,
which was made in 1676. It ran from the southern
end of what is now Long Beach, in Little Egg Harbor,
to a point on the Delaware River. Two other lines
of partition were afterwards made, both starting from
the same point on the seacoast; one running somewhat
to the west, and the other to the east, of the
the original line.
After some changes in the proprietorship of the
Colony, West Jersey came into the possession of twelve
men, one of whom was the celebrated William Penn,
whose connection with West Jersey began six years
before he had anything to do with Pennsylvania.
Penn and his colleagues gave West Jersey a purely
democratic government, founded upon principles of
justice and charity, in which the people themselves
ruled. Full freedom in regard to religious views was
insured; trial by, jury was granted; and punishments
were made as lenient as possible, with a view to the
prevention of crimes rather than the infliction of penalties.
The result of this was that for a long time
there were no serious crimes in this Province, and the
country was rapidly settled by thrifty Quakers anxious
to live where they would have liberty of conscience.
In the course of time, East Jersey also came into
the possession of Penn and his eleven associates, and
as the number of proprietors was increased to twenty-four. At the end of the century the two provinces
were united into one, and shortly afterwards they
passed into the possession of the Crown of England,
and became subject to the ordinary British laws. For
a long time afterwards, however, the State was known
as the "Jerseys."
Authorities:
This Web version, edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2003
"History of New Jersey." I. Mulford.
"History of New Jersey." S. Smith.
"History of New Jersey." T. F. Gordon.
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