Allentown, N.J. its Rise and Progress (Part 36)
From New Jersey Historical Society’s Charles R. Hutchinson collection, deed extracts from property owned by Rev. Joseph Clark, Revolutionary War veteran and Presbyterian minister, east side of Rt. 539across from stately house of Rev. Perkins.
April 20, 1791, "Elisha Lawrence and Elisha Newell, executors of Doctor James Newell, of Allentown, &c, deceased," conveyed the Reverend Joseph Clark, of the same place, for L97, 18, 10, "a certain lot of land near Allentown, &c, which said James Newell purchased from Joseph Stinyard by deed dated November 15, 1762: Beginning at a stump where a maple tree formerly stood, a corner to the land formerly Robert Newell’s and standing by the edge of Doctors Creek: Thence, agreeable to the courses of the above recited deed, along by said Robert Newell’s land, S 34 degrees W, 15 chains to a stake or stone standing by the road that leads to Allentown: Thence along by said road N 72 degrees W, 6 chains to a stake or stone by said road: Thence N 53 degrees W, 4 chains to a stone by said road: Thence N 33 degrees E, 8 chains, more or less, to Doctors Creek: Thence up said creek the several courses thereof to the beginning; containing 11 63/100 acres." Witnessed by Sylvester Bills, James Colvin X his mark.
April 30, 1791, Joseph Clark, of Upper Freehold, &c, and Margaret his wife, conveyed to Sylvester Bills, of the same, Trustee for his son Peter Bills, for L48, 19, 9. "All that tract or lot of land in Upper Freehold, &c, near Allentown and adjoining land of said Sylvester Bills: Beginning at a stone, the southeast corner of said Bill’s lot, on the north side of the road leading to Allentown, opposite to the parsonage: Thence along the north side of the road, (1) according to the present magnatical position of the needle S 57 degrees E, 5 [chains], 17 [links] to a stone for a corner: Thence (2) N 28 degrees E 8 chains more or less, to Doctors Brook: Thence (3) down said brook the several courses thereof, to the said Bill’s land: Thence (4) along said Bill’s line S 33 degrees W, 8 chains more or less, to the said beginning; containing 5 81/100 acres, more or less." This was the westerly part of the above 11 63/100 acres. April 2, 1849, the executors of John H. Bruere, deceased, conveyed it to Joseph Waln, for $313.74 and on the same day "Joseph Waln and Mary his wife, of the township of Hamilton," &c, conveyed it to Wm. Borden Lawyer for $375 when it was described as "All that lot or tenement and tract of land," &c. It was afterwards owned by Rev. Henry Perkins, and later by his son in law, Rev. John H. Pratt. The house and lot which is a part of it is now the tenant house belonging to the parsonage farm, and the remainder of it is, I think in the possession of Alfred Raner.
June 10, 1797, "Joseph Clark, of the city of New Brunswick, &c, and Margaret, his wife," conveyed to "Sylvester Bills, of the township of Nottingham in the county of Burlington, &c, for L99, "All that tract or lot of land in Upper Freehold &c, near Allentown: Beginning at a stump where a maple tree formerly stood as a corner to land formerly Robert Newell’s and standing by the edge of Doctors Creek: Thence (agreeable to the courses of a certain deed from Joseph Stinyard to James Newell, ded’d, Nov. 15, 1762), along by said Robert Newell’s land S 34 degrees W, 15 chains to a stake or stone standing by the road that leads to Allentown: Thence along said road, N 72 degrees W, 5 chains to a stake or stone at the southwesterly corner of another lot of land which was conveyed to the said Sylvester Bills by the present grantor: Thence N 28 E, 8 chains along said Bill’s line to Doctors Creek: Thence up said creek the several courses thereof to the beginning; containing 5 82/100 acres more or less," &c. This lot was the easterly part of the aforesaid 11 63/100 acres. Its later history is found in the following deed:
March 2, 1850, James S. Lawrence and Phebe Ann his wife, of Upper Freehold, &c, conveyed to the Reverend Henry Perkins, of the same, for $285, "All that lot or parcel or land situate on the northerly side of the road leading from Hornorstown to Allentown and opposite the Parsonage farm belonging to the Presbyterian Church: Being that lot which was formerly conveyed by deed June 10, 1797, by Joseph Clark and Margaret his wife to Sylvester Bills; and by the executors of Sylvester Bills to Samuel Bunting, April 1, 1825; and by Samuel Bunting and wife to William C. Lippincott, March 11, 1829; and by William C. Lippincott and wife to John Robbins and John Lawrence Hendrickson, April 2, 1832; and from said Robins to said Hendrickson March 6, 1833; and by Josiah Sinclair and wife to John Bower, Jr. January 2, 1838; and from said Bower and wife to Charles C. Parker, November 5, 1842; and from said Parker and wife to Gilbert Southard, April 7, 1845; and from the said Southard and wife to the said James S. Lawrence, the grantor herein, May 18, 1849: Beginning where a maple tree formerly stood (and where a maple stump stood in A.D. 1762) being formerly a corner to Robert Newell’s land, on the edge of Doctors Creek: Thence along said Newell’s land, on the edge of Doctors Creek: Thence along said Newell’s, afterward John Cornell’s line, as the needle pointed A.D. 1762, (1) S 34 degrees W, over a stone in said first line, eighty four links from where s’d tree once stood, 15 chains to a corner stone standing by the said road, being now the southwest corner of William Stevenson’s (formerly Cornell’s) lot: (2) along by the said road, toward Allentown, N 72 degrees W, 5 chains to a stone standing at the southeasterly corner of the lot formerly Peter G. Bills’s, now Borden Lawyer’s: (3) N 28 degrees E, 8 chains along said Lawyer’s line to Doctors Creek: Thence (4) up the said creek, the several courses thereof, to the place of beginning, containing 5 82/100 acres."
November 1, 1856, William B. Lawyer and Jane his wife, of Upper Freehold, &c, conveyed to Henry Perkins, of the same, for $700, all that lot of land in Upper Freehold &c, on the northerly side of the road leading to Allentown, and opposite the parsonage farm belonging to the Presbyterian Church: Beginning at a stone in the southeast corner of land belonging to the estate of George Middleton, deceased; thence along said road, as the needle pointed in 1791, S 57 degrees E, 5, 17 to a stone in the western most of a lot of land belonging to the said Henry Perkins: Thence N 28 degrees E, 8 chains along said Perkin’s line to Doctors Creek: Thence down said creek the several courses thereof to said Middleton’s land: Thence along his line, S 33 degrees W, 8 chains to the place of beginning; containing 5 81/100 acres, more or less."
January 1, 1870. Henry Perkins, of Upper Freehold &c, and Lydia N., his wife, conveyed to Abel Cafferty, of the same, for $1500, "all that Messuage or parcel of land, in Upper Freehold, &c. Beginning at the edge of Doctors Creek, where a maple tree formerly stood as a corner to land formerly belonging to the heirs of John Cornell, deceased, and which is now a corner to land belonging to Hugh Graham: Thence running along Cornell’s now Graham’s line, as the needle pointed in 1762, S 34 degrees W, 15 chains to a stone standing on the northerly side of the road leading to Allentown and opposite to land formerly belonging to the Presbyterian Church but now belonging to Abel Cafferty: Thence along the side of said road, N 72 degrees W, 5 chains to a stake: Thence, still along said road, N 57 degrees W, 5, 17 to stone at the corner of land formerly belonging to George Middleton, deceased, and now belonging to John (Jonathan) Raner: Thence along said Raner’s line, N 33 degrees E, 8 chains more or less, to Doctors Creek: Thence up said creek the several courses thereof to the place of beginning; containing 11 63/100 acres, more or less." This was the whole tract which Joseph Stinyard sold to Doctor James Newell in 1762, and which his executors sold to Rev. Joseph Clark in 1791. The easterly part, containing 5 82/100 acres is now in the possession of George J. Graham. I do not find that there was ever any house on it. A few years ago it was covered with locust trees, which were sold off in one acre lots as the property of Abel Caffertly. I think William Lawrence, at one time, must have owned all that part of Anthony Woodward’s patent lying between the mill pond and the "saw mill road."