Bailey and Watson, with their associates, are those usually known as "the Elizabeth-Town Associates." The names of these associates, as recorded in an old book of records of surveys in my possession, are as follows:

The names of many of these are as familiar as household words in our community, and in East Jersey, down to the present day.

In this "Grant" three townships were soon formed; Elizabeth-Town, Woodbridge and Piscataway; which were soon settled by emigrants chiefly from Long Island; and Governor Nicolls gave to the whole tract the name of Albania,* in honor of his master the Duke, whose title was Duke of York and Albany. The claims of these Associates and those of the grantees of the Duke of York, Berkley and Carteret, came often into terrible conflict, and gave rise to commotions deeply perplexing and seriously injurious to the settlement. Some of the Associates took new deeds for their lands from the Proprietors, but others resisted to the last; and although many suits at law were commenced, the difficulties were never legally adjusted. It is obvious from the meagre history of the times that the Associates were the stronger party, and that public sympathy was in their favor. In 1670 contention raged with great violence. The payment of quit-rents was demanded by the Proprietors and refused by the Associates. Disputes were followed by confusion. And in 1672 the disaffected colonists sent delegates to a constituent Assembly at Elizabeth-Town,† which displaced Philip Carteret as Governor, and transferred his office to the young and frivolous and dissolute James Carteret, who was a natural son of Sir George. Philip was compelled to retire to England, leaving John Berry as a deputy behind him, and James Bollen as secretary. He re

* Elizabeth-Town Bill in Chancery, Gordon, 27.
+ Bancroft, vol. ii. 34.

turned in 1674, bringing with bim a proclamation of the King, and new instrucrions from Sir George, which had for a while a good effect in restoring peace. He continued Governor until his death in 1682.

Although an amiable, and in many points of character an excellent man, Philip Carteret encountered many difficulties and hardships as Governor. His life was embittered by the ceaseless disputes between the Associates and Proprietors. His right to govern NewJersey by the authority of the Proprietors, was called in question by the Governor of New-York, who held his commission from the Duke of York. In 1680 he was seized by an armed force from New-York, and taken a prisoner to that city, where he was imprisoned, tried and acquitted. In partnership with his brother, the proprietor, a little settlement was formed on the bank of the creek, probably on the South side of Water-street, where he built a house for his resi dence, the first government house of New-Jersey. He came to Elizabeth-Town when there were here but four houses, and these but log huts; and in 1682, when he died, there were residing here one hundred and fifty families. He died in this town; and his remains lie somewhere in the grave-yard of the First Presbyterian Church.

In proof that the controversy between the "Associates" and the grantees of the Duke of York continued for a long time, and that it never was settled, we find in an old manuscript book in our possession, a record of a town-meeting held on November 18th,

1729, at which Benjamin Bond, Samuel Potter, Joseph Woodruff, Nathaniel Bonnel, John Blanchard, John Harriman and Joseph Bonnel, were appointed a committee with full powers to act in behalf of the Associates, and to defend their titles held under the purchase from the Indians and the patent from Governor Nicolls. And from the same old book we learn, that, as late as 1735, being seventy-one years after the purchase from the Indians, Joseph Williams, Jeremiah Crane, Samuel Miller, Caleb Jaffrey, John Crane, Joseph Halsey and Joseph Bonnel, are appointed by the Associates to sell on their behalf a tract of land lying West from Baskenridge, held under the same title.

CHAPTER II.

FOR many years after the settlement of the Province, Elizabeth-Town was the largest and most improving town in it. Here were all the public offices, and here was the residence of most of the officers of the government. The place and people are thus described by Thomas Rudyard, in a letter dated May, 1683

"My habitation with Samuel Groome is at Elizabeth-Town; and here we came first; it lies on a fresh, small river; with a tide, ships of thirty or forty

tons come before our doors. We cannot call our habitations solitary; for what with public employ, I have little less company at my house daily than I had in George Yard, although not so many passes by my doors. The people are generally a sober professing people, wise in their generation, courteous in their behaviour, and respectful to us in office among them. As for the temperature of the air, it is wonderfully suited to the humors of mankind; the wind and weather rarely holding in one point, or one kind, for ten days together. I bless the Lord I never had better health, nor my family; my daughters are very well improved in that respect, and tell me they would not change their place for George Yard; nor would I. People here are generally settled where the tide reaches."

Gawen Lawrie thus writes to the proprietors, in a letter dated Elizabeth-Town, 1 Month 2d, 1684:

"Here wants nothing but people. There is not a poor body in the province, nor that wants. Here is abundance of provisions; pork and beef at two pence per pound; fish and fowl plenty; oysters I think would serve all England; Indian wheat two shillings and six pence per bushel; it is exceeding good for food every way, and two or three hundred fold iucrease; cyder good and plenty for one penny per quart; good drink that is made of water and molasses stands in about two shillings per barrel, wholesome like our eight shilling beer in England; good venison plenty, brought us in at eighteen pence per