West Jersey

Province of West Jersey
1674–1702
The original provinces of West and East Jersey are shown in yellow and green respectively. TheKeith Lineis shown in red, and theCoxe–Barclay Lineis shown in orange.
Status	Colony ofEngland
Capital	Burlington
Common languages	English
Government	Proprietary colony
Lords Proprietor
• 1674	Edward Byllynge John Fenwick
Governor
• 1680-1687	Edward Byllynge (first)
• 1699-1702	Andrew Hamilton(last)
History
• Established	1674
• Disestablished	1702
Currency	Pound sterling
Preceded by Succeeded by Province of New Jersey Province of New Jersey Dominion of New England
Today part of	United States New Jersey

1698 map showing West Jersey andPennsylvania

West JerseyandEast Jerseywere two distinct parts of theProvince of New Jersey.The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. Determination of an exact location for aborder between West Jersey and East Jerseywas often a matter of dispute.

Background

TheDelaware Valleyhad been inhabited by theLenape(or Delaware) Indians prior to European exploration and settlement starting around 1609, undertaken by the Dutch, Swedish and English. TheDutch West India Companyhad established one or twoDelaware Riversettlements, but by the late 1620s, it had moved most of its inhabitants to the island ofManhattan.This became the center ofNew Netherland.West Jersey and East Jersey were two sections of New Jersey.

The development of the colony ofNew Swedenin the lower Delaware Valley began in 1638. Most of the Swedish population was on the west side of the Delaware. After the English re-established New Netherland'sFort Nassauto challenge the Swedes, the latter constructedFort Nya Elfsborgin present-daySalem County.Fort Nya Elfsborg was located between present daySalemandAlloway Creek.The New Sweden colony established two primary settlements in New Jersey: Sveaborg, nowSwedesboro,and Nya Stockholm, nowBridgeport.Trinity Church,located in Swedesboro, was the site of theChurch of Swedenfor the area.

The Dutch defeated New Sweden in 1655. Settlement of the West Jersey area by Europeans was thin until the English conquest in 1664. Beginning in the late 1670s,Quakerssettled in great numbers in this area, first in present-day Salem County and then inBurlington.The latter became the capital of West Jersey.

Before 1674,land surveyorsfor New Jersey considered it as ahundredand partitioned it intotenths.West Jersey comprised five of the tenths. But demarcation of the boundaries awaited settlement, thequit-rentsthe settlers would pay, and the land surveying which the money would purchase. Thus it took years and multiple surveys to settle boundary disputes.Burlington Countywas formed on May 17, 1694 by combining the first and second tenths.At least three surveys were conducted of West Jersey.Richard Tindallwas surveyor-general ofFenwick's Colony,the fifth tenth.

Summary of Boundary Lines

Date	Boundary Name	Description
1674	Original Duke of York Line (did not recognizeJohn Fenwick’s holdings)	Barnegat BaytoRancocas Creekon the Delaware River just north of present-day Philadelphia.
1676	Quintipartite Deed Line (between George Carteret on the East, andWilliam Penn,Gawen Lawrie,Nicholas Lucas, andEdward Byllyngeon the West, except for 10% to John Fenwick)	On the north from a point 41° 40' latitude on theDelaware Riverextending southward on a straight and direct line to the east side of Little Egg-Harbor.
1687	William Emley / John Reid Adjustment (commissioners from West and East Jersey respectively)	Adjusted description on the Delaware fifty minutes more westerly due to magnetic compass variation
1687	Keith Line aka Province Line (Surveyed north only to the south branch of the Raritan River)	Stopped by GovernorDaniel Coxeof West Jersey and GovernorRobert Barclayof East Jersey
1688	Coxe-Barclay Line Survey	Extended the Keith Line from theRaritan Riveralong specific properties that defined the eastern boundaries of present- day Morris and Sussex Counties and the northern border of Somerset County
1696	Thornton Line Survey	Attempted to correct errors from previous surveys
1702	East and West Jersey United	Violence became so obsessive, that East and West proprietors gave up their individual governing rights toQueen Anne
1743	Lawrence Line Survey (Land ownership disputes continued. West Jersey proprietors attempted to fund survey but failed. East Jersey Proprietors then hired John Lawrence)	Adopted by NJ supreme court in 1855 as the final arbiter of all land disputes. Today defines boundary for Walpack, Sandyston, Stillwater, Hampton, and Green Townships

Constitution

See:History of the New Jersey State Constitution#West Jersey Constitution

See also

• Colonial history of New Jersey
• Concession and Agreement
• Lords Proprietor(1665–1703)
• List of colonial governors of New Jersey#Governors under the Proprietors (1665–1674)
• Newton Colony
• Province of New York
• Dominion of New England
• West Jersey and Seashore Railroad

Further reading

• Weslager, C. A.Dutch Explorers, Traders, and Settlers in the Delaware Valley, 1609–1644.(Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1961).
• Johnson, AmandusThe Swedish Settlements on the Delaware Volume I: Their History and Relation to the Indians, Dutch and English, 1638–1664(Philadelphia: Swedish Colonial Society. 1911)

External links

• West Jersey History Project
• Quaker West New Jersey: Democracy in 1677
• 1677 CharterArchived2013-05-07 at theWayback Machine
• 1681 Regulations
• Where was the West Jersey/East Jersey line?
• Colonial Charters, Grants and Related Documents(at "New Jersey" ).