West Jersey Chronology

(a Work perhaps-forever-to-be In Progress!)

(NOTE: All dates in left-hand column are New Style * )

Most of the links to source documents on this page are drawn from the Yale Law School Avalon Project website which has much more than what I have linked to here for the Jerseys and their neighbors. The Project has its own chronology (American History : A Documentary Record) which I highly recommend.

Year Month Day DE/PA & South West Jersey East Jersey/NY England/Scotland/Europe 
1492 Apr 30    Columbus sails the ocean blue 
1497 Mar    Henry VII charges John Cabot and sons to claim land for England 
1497 Jun 24    Cabots claim North America for Henry VII of England 
1578 Jun 11    Eliz I issues 'Letters Patent' to Sir Humphrey Gilbert for any unsettled North American lands 
1584 Mar 25    Eliz I issues charter to Sir Walter Raleigh 
1609 Aug   Hudson anchors in Delaware Bay   
1621 Jun    Dutch West India Company formed 
1624    Dutch may have settled Walloons on Burlington Island (High Island)   
1625    West India Co send Willem Verhulst as "provisional governor" on High Island  Charles I succeeds James I 
1626    Dutch may have settled Ft Nassau (near Gloucester) New Amsterdam founded on Manhattan Island, drawing in settlement populations from the Delaware River  
1631   Swanendael settlement (present Lewes)    
1632   Swanendael massacre by natives    
1632 Jun 20 Caecilius Calvert, Lord Baltimore receives MD Charter    
1634      Plowden receives patent from Charles I (New Albion) 
1634    Thomas Yong vainly notifies Dutch in Delaware River of New Albion; Yong's party removed by Dutch   
1638 Mar  Minuit lands Calmar & Griffen and founds Ft Christina (New Sweden)    
1639     Kieft's war with natives  
1640 Apr  John Ridder arrives to lead New Sweden    
1641    English from New Haven settle at "Watcesit" on Salem Creek (Varckens Kill)   
1642   English from Watcessit try to settle on Schuylkill - driven off by Dutch   War formally declared between Charles and Parliament 
1643 Jan  John Printz arrives to lead New Sweden   Plowden sails to lay claim to New Albion but is stranded by mutineers in VA 
1644   English expedition from Boston, under Aspinwall, turned back from Delaware by Dutch and Swedes    
1647 May    Stuyvesant arrives in New Amsterdam  
1648 Apr  Dutch build Ft. Beversreede near Schuylkill    
1648      Plowden's last attempt to muster a colony fails 
1649 Jan 27    Charles I beheaded  
1651      English Navigation Act 
1651   Dutch erect Ft Casimir just south of Ft. Christina    
1652      Start of 1st Dutch war 
1654 Apr  John Rising arrives w/200 settlers    
1654 May 21 Rising conquers Ft Casimir    
1655 Sep Dutch recapture Casimir; Ft Christina surrenders to Dutch    
1656     Stuyvesant orders settlements on west bank to be compact, defensible  
1656 Dec 19 Ft. Casimir transferred from West India Co to Burgomaster of Amsterdam, becomes "New Amstel"    
1659   Dutch build fort at Swanendael. Now called Hoerenkil    
1659   Dispute between Maryland and Stuyvesant over New Amstel    
1659    Edward Byllynge is a London brewer Esopus settlement attacked by natives  
1660 May 29    Stuart monarchy reestablished with Charles II 
1660 Mar    Van Vleck founds Bergen  
1662 Apr 23   Charter for Connecticut colony includes New Haven colony  
1663   Cornelis Peter Plockhoy from Holland establishes Mennonite colony at Cape Henlopen  Esopus settlement attacked by natives for second time  
1664 Jan     Berkeley and Carteret propose attack on New Amsterdam (Jan 1663/4) 
1664 Mar 12    Charles II grant to James, Duke of York for "Maine" (plus NY/NJ) 
1664 Jun 24    Berkeley and Carteret receive grant from James, Duke of York, and Albany, Earl of Ulster, Lord High Admiral of England, and Ireland, Constable of Dover Castle, Lord Warden of the Cinque ports, and Governor of Portsmouth 
1664 Sep  English conquer New Netherlands; Nicolls gives name "New Albania" to lands west of the Hudson River   
1664 Oct  Sir Robert Carr conquers New Amstel, which is renamed "New Castle"; "destroys quaking colony of Plockhoy to a naile"    
1664 Dec   Gov Nicolls grants land to Elizabethtown associates  
1665 Feb 10   Carteret & Berkeley's Concessions and Agreements (Feb 1664/5)  
1665 Apr   Nicolls issues Monmouth patent without knowledge of Carteret & Berkeley's plan  
1665 Aug 32   Philip Carteret, nephew of Sir George appointed Deputy-Governor  
1666 May    Newark founded as an "orthodox Zion"  
1666 Dec    Piscataway purchased from a Woodbridge associate by four from New Hampshire  
1667 Jun    Assemblies convene in Navesink/Momouth  
1668 May    1st proprietary assembly meets  
1669  Jun        Gov Philip Carteret grants charter for Woodbridge associates   
1671  Sep      Lenape kill 2 Dutch servants on Matiniconck (Burlington) Island      
1672     Rebellion sets up James Carteret as governor Penn-Mead trial concludes establishing jury verdicts 
1672 Jun end   Philip Carteret travels to England and wins support  
1672 Dec  Carteret and Berkeley issue "Declaration of True Intent…", narrowing the liberties in the 1664 Concessions and Agreements   
1673 Aug   Dutch re-conquer NY/NJ  
1673 Aug Dutch retake New Castle    
1673 Dec 24 Lord Baltimore's soldiers burn Hoerenkil houses to "save" them from Dutch    
1674 Feb 19    Treaty of Westminster ends the third Anglo-Dutch War returning territory to England 
1674 Mar 18  John, Lord Berkeley sells his share of NJ to Edward Byllynge (Indenture made out to John Fenwick in trust for bankrupt EB)   
1674 Jun 29    Charles II makes new Proprietary Grant to James 
1674 Jul 29   James, Duke of York, re-affirms grant to CARTERET ONLY - mentions Barnegat-Pennsauken line  
1674 Jul end   Edmund Andros appointed NY governor  
1675 Feb 10  Tri-partite Indenture: Byllynge & Fenwick to Trustees (Penn, Lucas, Lawrie)   
1675 Nov 23  Fenwick brings about 100 colonists to Salem on Griffen   
1676 Jul   Quintipartite Agreement (Carteret, Penn, Lawrie, Lucas, Byllynge) on Boundary  
1676 Sep end  "That there is such a province as New Jersey is certain…" tract by Penn encouraging settlement but recommending caution and circumspection   
1677 Jan   Fenwick arrested by Andros and fined   
1677 Mar  West Jersey Concessions & Agreements (dated 3 Mar 1676, Old Style)   
1677 Aug 16  Ship Kent bound for Burlington with 230 settlers docks at Newcastle   
1678 Apr end  Fenwick jailed   
1679  Mar      Fenwick released     
1679  end  end      Gov Philip Carteret declares East Jersey will not pay customs to NY   
1680  Jan  14      Sir George Carteret dies 
1680 Jul 28    (Jones) Legal opinion that Jerseys do not owe customs to NY 
1680 Aug  James issues 2nd grant for West Jersey vesting government solely in chief proprietor Edward Byllynge  James cancels customs order 
1680 Sep beg  Samuel Jennings, appointed by Edward Byllynge as Dep Gov. arrives in West Jersey   
1680 end end   Andros recalled from NY  
1681 Feb 20    Penn receives grant for PA 
1681 Nov 21  Dep. Gov. Jenings convenes 1st Assembly at Burlington   
1681 Nov 25  Dep. Gov. Jenings signs inviolable Fundamentals (Ollive, speaker; Revell, clerk)   
1681 Nov end  1st WJ Assembly begins to meet (population around 1400) Last EJ Assembly until March 1683  
1682 Feb   Carteret estate sold to 12 EJ Proprietors (11 Quakers) [deed of lease and release]  
1682 Apr 25 Penn's Charter of Libertie    
1682 Aug end   EJ Proprietors double to 24 Penn leaves for Pennsylvania 
1682 Sep end   Robert Barclay nominated as governor of EJ  
1682 Nov end   Thomas Rudyard leaves for East Jersey as resident Dep Gov  
1683 Jan end  Thomas Olive and John Revell reelected speaker and clerk of the Assembly, respectively    
1683 Feb end  Daniel Leeds apologizes to Burlington Friends Meeting for rash statements in his Almanac   
1683 Mar 14   James' grant to the 24 Proprietors (dated in the Old Style Mar 14 1682)  
1683 Mar 23  Fenwick sells interest to Penn   
1683 Mar end   First EJ Assembly since 11/1681  
1683 May 14  WJ Assembly elects Samuel Jennings governor contra Byllynge   
1683 Aug    First boatload of Scot settlers  
1683 Sep 16    Byllynge solvent - trust dissolved, now legal governor of WJ 
1683 Nov 15    Byllynge receives approbation of the King as governor 
1683 Nov 23   Charles II's recognition of EJ Proprietors' rights of Soil and Government  
1683 end end  John Fenwick dies   
1683 end 34   The 24 East Jersey Proprietors' Fundamentals  
1684 Jan    Gawen Lawrie replaces Rudyard as Dep Gov of EJ  
1684 Mar end  Jennings and Thomas Budd go to England to put case; Assembly appoints Thomas Olive Dep Governor in absence   
1685 Jul end  Thomas Budd publishes "True and Perfect Account….of 100 Shares.."   
1684 Oct 11    3-month arbitration between Byllynge and WJ Assembly concludes (George Fox and others decide for Byllynge) 
1684 end 32   NY Gov Dongan pressuring annexation of Jerseys  
1684 end end  Dr. Daniel Coxe begins speculation in West Jersey land 2nd and 3rd debarkments of Scots  
1685 end end  "Good Order Established in Pennsylvania and West Jersey" tract issued by Thomas Budd   
1685 Feb    Charles II dies; James II accedes 
1685 Apr 19   East Jersey Board of Proprietors formed  
1685 Apr end   EJ Assembly meets Crown challenges legitimacy of RI, CT, EJ, WJ and MD government [quo warranto proceedings] 
1685 Aug end Yearly Meeting held in Philadelphia; Thomas Olive and George Keith write outgoing Epistle    
1685 Nov  John Skene presents commission from Byllynge as Deputy Governor   
1686 beg end  Daniel Leed's Almanac again censured and recalled   
1686 beg end   Andrew Hamilton arrives as confidential agent of East Jersey Proprietors  
1686 Jun   Edmund Andros appointed governor of new "Dominion of New England"  
1686  Jun  30     At Ft James 3 Dep. Govs discuss NY/EJ/WJ borders. Name 3 surveyors to meet Sep 1st, to determine North Station Point.   
1686 Jun   Lord Neil Campbell replaces Lawrie as Dep Gov of East Jersey  
1686  Sep  14       Govs Barclay (EJ) and Byllynge (WJ) agree to compromise survey "to make as equal a Division .. as they can" using "Rivers and others the mostt notorious places"  
1686 Dec 20   Andros arrives from England  
1687  Jan     At home of Henry Greenland, 7 WJ officials sign 5000 Pound bond to abide by decision of arbitrators John Reid and William Emley who "declare" boundary will run "north north west and fifty minutes more westerly.": "Greenland Award"   
1687 Jan 16    Byllynge dies 
1687 Feb     Byllynge heirs sell to Dr. Daniel Coxe, now legal governor of WJ 
1687 Mar    Hamilton has commission from Barclay, succeeding Lord Neil Campbell as Deputy Gov  
1687  Apr      Keith runs division line (accurate to Greenland Award, within one-half degree)   
1687 Jun    EJ Proprietors submit answer to legitimacy challenge  
1687 Oct end  Adlord Bowd made agent to Dr. Coxe   
1687 Nov end   CT annexed by Dom of NE [fall]  
1687 Dec    Campbell returns to England; then replaced by Andrew Hamilton  
1688 Feb 14  Agreement made in Burlington to form Council of Proprietors   
1688 Feb 32  Coxe announced as Governor in Burlington Court   
1688 Apr 18 A Minute Against Slavery, Addressed to Germantown Monthly Meeting (Pastorius and German Quakers of Germantown)    
1688 Apr 30  WJ proprietors proffer document of surrender of government EJ proprietors proffer document of surrender of government  
1688 Apr end   Jerseys annexed by Dom of NE [spring]  
1688 May    Andrew Hamilton convenes assembly at request of NY Gov Dongan, for war funds  
1688 Aug end  John Tatham made agent for Coxe when Bowd is ill Andros' ceremonial visits to Elizabethtown and Burlington  
1688 Sep   Agreement on Keith-Coxe Barclay line which continued along N. branch Raritan, Passaic and Pequannock rivers  
1688 Sep  Council of West Jersey Proprietors formed   
1688 Sep 18  Council of WJ Prop. convenes w/6 from Burlington; 5 from Gloucester/Salem   
1688 Dec 11    James II deposed 
1688 end 32   Fletcher appointed governor of NY  
1689 beg end    King William's War w/France begins 
1689 May end  Thomas Olive reelected President of Council   
1689 Dec    EJ Proprietors accept Keith/Coxe/Barclay line  
1690 Apr     Dominion of New England dissolved 
1690 Oct    Robert Barclay dies 
1690 end end   Proprietors appointed John Tatham to replace Barclay as governor.  
1691 end end   Joseph Dudley appointed governor by the Proprietors  
1692 Mar    Coxe sells to 48 who will form West New Jersey Society 
1692 Mar 27   EJ Assembly elects Hamilton as governor of EJ  
1692 Apr 11  WJ Assembly elects Hamilton as governor of WJ   
1692 Jun end  Jeremiah Basse appointed agent to WJ Society & to Coxe   
1692 Nov   WJ Assembly convenes regularly in May and November for next 5 years; Francis Davenport speaker (T. Olive is dying); Revell still clerk EJ Assembly resumes  
1693 Oct 13 George Keith writes against slavery    
1693 Oct end  Nathaniel Westland made an agent for the WJ Society   
1693 end end   EJ Townships formalized  
1695 beg end   EJ Proprietors withdraw acceptance of Keith/Coxe/Barclay line Jeremiah Basse returns to England 
1695 May   John Tatham of WJ Society made President of Council of Proprietors   
1696      Modification to Navigation Act ("Act to Prevent Frauds and Abuses") disqualified Scots from political office) 
1697 Feb end  WJ Society makes Jeremiah Basse Surveyor-General   
1697 May end  Samuel Jennings elected speaker of Assembly   
1697 Jun  WJ Society appoints Jeremiah Basse governor   
1697 Sep beg  Basse appoints John Jewell & Joshua Barkstead Surveyors-General   
1697 Sep end    Board of Trade denies restraint of use of Jersey ports, but insists on customs 
1697 Oct     B.o.Trade insists Duke of York never had power to establish ports and could not grant this to successors 
1697 end end Samuel Jenings serving as agent for Penn  Bellomont becomes Gov of NY King William's War w/France concludes 
1698 Feb     Solicitor General declares NJ is part of NY 
1698 Mar end   Hamilton declared ineligible as a Scot  
1698 Apr  Jeremiah Basse arrives claiming governorship Jeremiah Basse arrives claiming governorship  
1698 May    Lewis Morris II leads rebellion against Basse in Court of Common Right  
1698 Jul end  Hamilton made sole agent for WJ Society Customs officials attacked and jailed in Perth Amboy  
1698 Nov    Basse personally unloads the ship Hester at Perth Amboy  
1699 Jan   "The Case Put and Decided.." tract issued by Tatham, Revell and Westland   
1699 Feb    First Assembly meets under Basse in EJ  
1699 Mar    EJ renounces claim of free ports  
1699 Apr     Board of Trade expands case to attack right to government 
1699 May   Basse announces intention to take case to England  
1699 May 10   Morris and Willocks brought before Court and jailed  
1699 May 13   Mob busts Morris and Willocks out of Woodbridge jail  
1699 May 15   EJ Assembly reconvenes with Morris  
1699 Jun   "Truth Rescued from Forgery and Falsehood.." tract issued by Jennings   
1699 Aug    Basse returns from England  
1699 Dec    Hamilton returns from England  
1700  Jan       EJ Proprietors offer surrender of government in order to save right of ports   
1700 Mar    Riots against proprietors quitrent suits in Middlesex  
1700 May    Hamilton convenes Assembly  
1700 Jul    Bowne and Hartshorne appeal proprietors case to Board of Trade  
1701 Mar    Revolt against proprietors spreads to Monmouth  
1701 May   West Jersey Council of Proprietors petition Board of Trade to approve Hamilton as legitimate governor   
1701 Jun    Bowne claims commission from proprietors for governorship  
1701 Oct 28 Penn's Charter of Priveleges    
1702 Mar    King William dies 
1702  Apr  15   West and East Jersey Surrender of right of Government to the Crown    
1702  May     Cornbury arrives in NY as Governor   
1703  Aug  14     Cornbury takes Oath as NJ Governor   
1703 Sep beg  Lewis Morris made factor of the WJ Society Andrew Hamilton dies  
1703  Nov     First Legislative session for re-united NJ   
1743 end end  John Lawrence surveys line (later affirmed by courts)   
1814 Jun 28  West Jersey Society conveys remainder to Benjamin B. Cooper   

*Note: I have used the modern version ("New Style") for dates falling between Jan 1 and March 24 (inclusive). Prior to 1752 the British year was dated starting on March 25 (i.e. March 24, 1664 was the day before March 25, 1665). Using the "Old Style" dates in lists and tables today can be very confusing. For instance it can indicate an event in February 1660 occuring after July 1660.

Historians will often use the convention of showing both involved years, separated by a slash (e.g., February 10, 1663/4 would indicate the day that was referred to at the time as Feb 10, 1663 (Old Style), but which is now usually referred to as Feb 10, 1664 (New Style).)






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Last updated: 2016 First Month, 4th.