Bernards Township Landowners, 1766
Many of the early landowners of Bernards Township are shown on the Morgan-Hills map of Somerset County from 1766 (see section below). The surveyors spell the township “Barnards” and in 1766, it still had its original boundaries, which included Bernardsville, Far Hills, and Warren Township.
The closeup below displays the northeastern portion of the township. To the northwest, Bernardsville, then known as Vealtown, is not marked and much of the area is still assigned to William Penn (Lot 126), who died in 1718. To the east across Harrison’s Brook (called NE branch of Dead River) lies the land purchased (1717) from the Lenni Lenape Indians by John Harrison, agent for the Proprietors of East Jersey. The area of Basking Ridge and Liberty Corner is shown in greater detail, although neither village is named. Basking Ridge can be identified in Lot 153 by the building with a cross labeled “Pres. Mg” (Presbyterian Meeting). Liberty Corner is south by the “D” in Barnards.
The Basking Ridge area has been divided into smaller holdings and the surveyors identify the landholders, their properties by lot number, and the acreage. See table below;
Lot Name Acres
64 Alexander & Dunster 343
88 Elisha Parker 236
89 Elisha Parker 114
99 Antoney Cusart 17
126 William Penn 7500
134 James Alexander 24
135 John Parker 98
136 John Campbels 200
137 James Alexander 353
138 Nathaniel Ralph 83
139 John Harrason 300
140 John Parker 159
141 James Alexander 191
142 Phenias Coxe 707
143 Solomon Boyls 105
144 Robert Crof’s (Cross) 230
146 James Alexander 37
147 John Parker 83
148 Parker & Holinghead 132
149 James Alexander 251
150 James Alexander 133
151 Alexander & Parker 115
152 James Alexander 139
153 John Parker 147
154 John Ayres & Co. 100
155 George Risekers 68
157 James Alexander 38
158 George Risekers 126
163 Sundray Surveys thereabouts
Many of the names were absentee owners who rented out the land to tenants and some of the information is clearly outdated. James Alexander (1691-1756) of New York appears often, even though he was deceased for 10 years. By 1766, his son, William Alexander (“Lord Stirling”) was in possession of much of James’s lands. John Parker (c.1748-1781) was the owner of the Vealtown Tavern and is buried in Basking Ridge Presbyterian Cemetery. John Ayers (Lot 154), is probably related to the Elisha Ayers who operated a forge (Eyre’s Forge) associated with the NJ Brigade Encampment along Hardscrabble Road during the Revolutionary War (see May 2022 Newsletter).
The full map of Somerset County can be found at: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/w/wcl1ic/x-586/wcl000691
Citation: “Plan of Somerset County in the province of New Jersey : Copied from the original by Lieut. I. Hills, asst. engr. / survey’d by Benjamin Morgan in 1766.” In the digital collection William L. Clements Library Image Bank. William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. August 20, 2024.