Early Deeds 1716-1730, Hunterdon County, New Jersey

Early Deeds 1716-1730, Hunterdon County, New Jersey (FHL film #0,818,213, item 1) is available online in digital format at FamilySearch.org. Here is a link. Hunterdon County was formed in 1714 in West Jersey from part of Burlington County. A portion was set off in 1739 to form Morris County.

Image 4 of the film tells us that the deeds in this book were "Not indexed in General Deed Index." While there is not an index, there is, for lack of a better description, a table of contents at image 5, that is arranged by page number, listing the Grantors and Grantees for each deed. It is but one page, there are not a lot of deeds listed, and no persons named Brouwer, Brower, Bruer or Brewer are found.

Index page to Early Hunterdon Co. Deeds, FHL DGS #007902167

 The index only includes those who are principals in the deeds (the grantors and grantees). Others, witnesses, persons whose land bounds the land being conveyed, etc., are found within each deed. Who knows, perhaps there are some Browers and Brewers mentioned within. One would have to go through each deed one by one. The images are, fortunately, fairly clear and easy to read.

This is very early on in the settlement period of Hunterdon County, and so it goes without saying that some of the names here are the earliest settlers. Again, I'm not finding Brewers or Browers in the index, but I do recognize many of the names that are listed in image 5. Most are "English" names, but there are a few "Dutch" names. George Ryerson for one. If I'm not mistaken, I believe that many of the grantors and grantees in this index have their origins on Long Island, from places like Newtown, Flushing, Jamaica, Hempstead, and perhaps Oyster Bay.

The first deed in the book (image 6) bears the date "five and twentieth day of the second month in the thirteenth yeare of the Raigne of William third over England as King and yeare of our Lord according to the account used in England one thousand and seven hundred and one." Keeping mind that England did not adopt the Gregorian calendar, the one we use today, until 1752, this date is based on the Julian calendar, in which the second month would be April. The date here is then 25 April 1701 Old Style (OS). So, this deed is prior to the formation of Hunterdon County and the property being transferred was then within Burlington County. Here, Samuel Davis of Hopewell in Burlington Co., is conveying to Powel Huff of Maidenhead, Burlington County. Also described in the deed is a prior deed by which Mary Davis, widow and mother of Samuel Davis, "by her own hand," on 28 March 1698, conveyed to her son Samuel Davis. The land in Maidenhead and is bounded by land of Jonathan Davis and of Mary Davis. The deed goes on for a couple of pages and describes a bit more than I intend to relate here. Those interested can explore it themselves. The deed is witnessed (image 8) by Johannes Lourences and Ralph Hunt. It is signed by Samuel Davis, and acknowledged on 7 April 1702 (OS). It was entered in the book 31 January 1716/17, which is the convention that is commonly used when we wish to express the date in both old (Julian) and new (Gregorian) terms (although this does not account for the 11 days added to Gregorian calendar in 1752 when England switched)*.

This book of early deeds in Hunterdon County ends at image 55. It is followed by Hunterdon County Deeds Vol. 48, 1830, which is of rather poor quality.

Powel Huff in the deed, is no doubt Powell or Paulus Hoff who is found in 1698 at Flushing, Long Island. The will of Powell Hoff of Hopewell, dated 16 November 1749 was proved 28 February 1750 and is recorded at Trenton**. He was a son of Dirck Poulussen and Eechtje Teunise Covert who lived at Breuckelen (Brooklyn), Jamaica and Flushing, Long Island before removing to Maidenhead. Ralph Hunt, one of the witnesses, is of the Hunt family originally found at Newtown and Jamaica, Long Island. Samuel Hunt's land is also described in this first deed. He was a brother of Ralph. I haven't investigated the Davis family, but there is some preliminary genealogical information in the deed that could provide a start for one so inclined to do so. We know, from the deed, that Samuel's mother was named Mary, she was a widow on 25 April 1701. Jonathan Davis's land adjoins the land being conveyed so he may well be a brother to Samuel. So a start. Genealogical clues can be found in some deeds and they can be helpful in linking families found early on in Hunterdon County to those found on Long Island. Is Johannes Lourences (the other witness) a "Dutch take" on John Lawrence? Perhaps. The surname Lawrence should be very familiar to researchers of early Long Island families.

So, go ahead, have some fun searching through this book of Early Hunterdon County Deeds.

*January is the eleventh month in the Julian calendar
**Honeyman, A. Van Doren. Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, First Series, Vol. XXX, Calender of New Jersey Wills, Administrations, Etc., Vol. II, 1730-1750. Somerville, New Jersey: The Unionist-Gazette Association, Printers, 1918. 239, abstracting Lib. 7:53.

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