Gov. Robert Hunter, in a letter to the Board of Trade, dated New York, May 7th, 1711, says:

"I am directed by your Lordships to send you my observations on the past in New Jersey during Col. Ingoldsby's administration." After alluding to other matters he refers to an act for building and repairing gaols, and says "by virtue of this act they have designed a Court House in the remotest corner of the county of Monmouth which will be a great tax upon the people of that county and was meer party pique." (Was this at Freehold?)

About the year 1703 Col. Lewis Morris sent a memorial to England for a missionary to be sent to East Jersey, particularly to Shrewsbury. This memorial contained the following items relating to Middletown and Shrewsbury.

"The population of New Jersey (East Jersey?) is about 8,000. Freehold was settled by emigrants from Scotland. Mr. Keith (George), began the first settlement there and made a fine plantation. One-half of the people were Scotch Presbyterians. There is in town a Quaker meeting house but most of the Quakers had seceded with Keith. Shrewsbury, he says, was settled by emigrants from New England and New York. There is in it about thirty Quakers of both sexes and they have a meeting house."

Oldmixon in 1708 says:

"Shrewsbury is the most southern town of the province and reckoned the chief town of the shire. It contains about 160 families; and 30,000 acres of out plantations belong to its division. There is a new town in the county called Freehold, which has not been laid out and inhabited long. It does not contain as yet above forty families."

1614. The map found by Brodhead in Holland, supposed to have been made October 17th, 1614, has upon it Eyre Haven, (Egg Harbor,) and north of it an inlet not named, meant for Barnegat. The bay now known as Barnegat Bay is laid down with islands, rivers. &c.; so fair a representation of Toms River, Forked River, Oyster Creek and other streams running into it is given that it is evident the map was made by actual exploration.

1616. Capt. Hendrickson's celebrated Figurative 1616 has but one inlet on our coast, probably meant for Egg Harbor and one river.

1614-21. On a map in the Library of the New Jersey Historical Society, 1614-21, Barnegat Inlet is given as Barendegat.

1656. A map of 1656 (Visschers?) has Barnegat Inlet, called Barndegat and Absecon Inlet also called Barndegat.

1656. Vanderdonck's map, 1656, has only river running into Barnegat Bay, and its course southerly; this river is evidently marked at random, not from actual exploration. On this map is named a tribe of Indians about the lower part of Ocean and Burlington; this tribe is here called "Ermomex;" near the line of Ocean and Monmouth is another tribe called the "Aquanachoques." Two Indian villages are also laid down, apparently not far from the lines of this county: the northerly village is called "Amacaronck;" the southerly one "Meotam Karonck." The tribe of Indians on this map called Ermomex in other places is called Armeomexs, Erwomee, Armowamex, Arwaymons, Arwamex, Armeomeks, &c. (See also Barker's Prim. Settlements on Del.)

1698. Gabriel Thomas' map, 1698, locates the above mentioned Indian village of Amacaronck about (I should suppose) the head of Toms River, and Meotam Karonck probably in the vicinity of Maurice River.

One or two writers I notice have doubted whether there ever were such villages; as Ear as the existence of Indian villages is concerned, the travels of Burnyeute alone settle that point; it is immaterial whether or not the names are correctly given, though my impression is they could not be far from correct, as the last syllable of each name, "onck," is a word signifying "place," in the dialect of the Indians in this section.

Tradition says that Abraham Waeir came from the vicinity of the Hurl Gate, where he had a mill washed away in a storm, and then came and settled at this place, where one or two mills were standing in his time; and that he belonged to a singular religious society of which notice is given elsewhere.

Oyster Creek. From the quantity of oysters in its vicinity. In old deeds this creek is sometimes called "McCoys" Creek and "McCays" Creek.

Forked River. From its branches, three in number, shaped somewhat like a fork.

Cedar Creek. From the cedar along its banks.

Potters Creek. The family of the Potters were among the first and principal settlers in its vicinity. The father of Thomas Potter, the founder of the Goodluck Universalist Church, was probably the first.

Toms River. One tradition, quite generally accepted in the vicinity, says that it was named after a noted Indian named Tom who resided on an island near its mouth, and whose name was said to be Thomas Pumha. A map or sketch made in 1740 of Mosquito Cove and mouth of Toms River (probably by Surveyor Lawrence), has marked on it "Barnegatt Tom's Wigwam," located upon north point of Mosquito Cove. (This map is in possession of S. H. Shreve, Esq., Toms River.) Indian Tom, it is stated on seemingly good authority, resided on Dillon's Island, near the mouth of Toms River, during the Revolution. As the name "Toms River," is found about fifty years before (1727,) it throws some doubt upon the statement that the name was derived from him.

Another tradition, and a more reasonable one, says that the place was named after Captain William Tom, a noted man along the Delaware from 1664 to 1674. A manuscript in the Library of the New Jersey Historical Society - I believe the author's name is Henry - says the stream was named after Captain William Tom. One or two aged citizens who spent much time about Toms River about fifty years ago, inform me they saw it also stated in old publications at Toms River or vicinity when they were there. The manuscript above referred to gives a quotation (elsewhere given) from Delaware records which, however, is not conclusive. I do not consider the facts yet presented on either side give satisfactory reasons for deciding either way upon the origin of the name. I will append some few brief items relating to Captain Tom, which show that he was a prominent, trustworthy man, at least, whether the place was named after him or not.

Toms River, as has elsewhere been stated, was often called Goose Creek. The first time it is called Goose Creek (as far as I have been able to find) is in a patent to Robert Barclay and also one to Dr. Johnson, 1699. The last time I have noticed it so called is on Carey's map, 1814, where it is called "Goose or Toms Creek." Toms River was also sometimes called the "Town of Dover" - as in Rivington's Royal Gazette when describing Block House affairs.

Metecunk. Brick Township. Sometimes called Metedeconk, of Indian derivation, probably from the words "Mittig-Conck - a place where there is good, or thrifty, or living timber."

New Egypt. A highly esteemed citizen of this vicinity gives the following and only account I have heard of the origin of the name of this place. A man named Cowperthwaite Kimmons, formerly owned a mill here, and the place was called "Kimmons' Mills." From the amount of corn raised and sold in this vicinity, people at a distance used to speak jokingly of "going to Egypt for corn," and this name thus applied, finally became generally adopted as appropriate for a place so noted for corn.

Collier's Mills. So called after a late proprietor, John Collier. Before him the mills were owned by a man named Shreves, and then called Shreves' Mills.

Cassville. After Lewis Cass. This place was formerly called Goshen - (sometimes still called so.)

Downsville. After Samuel Downs, a resident.

Goodluck. Goodluck Point at the mouth of Toms River, it is said, was so named by some man in ancient times who was pursued by an enemy seeking his life and who escaped by swimming his horse across the river; as he landed he called the place "Goodluck," on account of his good luck in escaping. The village of Goodluck probably derives its name from Goodluck Point.

Double Creek. This Creek upon which Barnegat village is situated derives its name from its double mouth - having two mouths about half a mile apart.

Manchester. After Manchester in England, probably so named by Wm. Torrey, principal proprietor of the village.

Burrsville. After Barzilla Burr, a prominent citizen there many years ago.

In regard to the origin of the Indian names in Ocean county I do not place much reliance upon the definitions given in the before-mentioned manuscript in the New Jersey Historical Library. I have given the meaning after careful examination of authorities, the most satisfactory of which I have found to be Schoolcraft in one of the volumes of the Smithsonian Institute.

In regard to the Indian word answering to our word "place," or locality, I find it variously given in names derived from the Indians as, conck, konck, conk, cunk, onck, con, on, un, ong, onk (Algonquin, Sankikan and Mohican.)

About fifty or sixty years ago a large number of families from some of the villages along the bay, particularly from Goodluck, Cedar Creek, and thereabout, removed to Redstone, Pennsylvania, then called "the Redstone country," considered and called at that day "Out West.".

Among the families who then went were David Woodmansee, William Paul, Samuel Pierce, Abel and Jonathan Platt, John Smith, &c.

About forty years ago a large number of families removed from various places in our county to Genesee, New York, to Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and other States.

The number of "old residents" now living in our county is unusually small in proportion to the population; the reasons are chiefly the removals out of the county of one class, and the attention given by so many of the remainder to coasting affairs which so notoriously shortens life.

It is stated by Societies in New York and other places devoted to benevolent efforts among seamen, that the average life of a sailor is but twelve years, from the time he commences following the sea.

In our county it is a striking fact that out of the large proportion of our population engaged in marine affairs that it is almost impossible to meet with an old sailor or sea captain; I can hardly recall one such, who has followed the sea steadily. Accidents and disasters at sea, and fevers contracted in Southern ports are the occasion of this.

Probably no county in the State presents greater obstacles in the way of collecting historical information than does Ocean county, for the following reasons:

Our ancient local records are at Freehold, Monmouth county (43 miles from Barnegat) or at Perth Amboy some 80 or 90 miles distant; the distance of these places, the expensive traveling and other expenses, present one difficulty.

Public Libraries at New York. Newark, Trenton and other places so distant and inconvenient.

The county of Ocean being one of the largest in territory in the State, is one of the most difficult to travel, through want of public conveyances, heavy roads, &c., rendering it inconvenient to travel for local tradition, &c.

Probably fewer old persons, natives of the county, reside in Ocean in proportion to the population than in any other county in the State. This is owing to the extensive emigration twenty-five to fifty years ago of natives of the county to Western States; and to the fact that so many of our citizens are and have been engaged in the coasting trade, which so shortens life that it is almost impossible to find an old sailor.

(Many of the families removing West have carried family records, family history, &c, with them.)

The early settlers of Ocean county were chiefly Baptists, Quakers, and Presbyterians, or Congregationalists. Before any houses of worship were built in the county traveling preachers of various denominations would hold forth at private houses, as we find from the journals of some of these preachers and from other sources.

From the best information now to be obtained it appears that the first house of worship erected in the county was the church known as the Baptist Church at Mannahawkin. The deed for the land upon which this church is situated is dated August 24th, 1758, and from the deed it appears that the church was then already built.

The second church built in the county was probably the old "Potter Church" at Goodluck, now known as a Methodist church. This church was built by Thomas Potter, originally as a free church, but subsequently given by him to the Universalists with the privilege to other societies to hold meetings in it.

(The history of this church, so remarkable, is given; though probably familiar to many, it should occupy a prominent place in the history of Ocean county. The exact year when it was built is not known, but it probably was from 1760 to 1765.)

The Quaker church at Barnegat comes next. The deed for this church is dated June 11th, 1770, and by it it appears that this church was also built when the deed was made.

Though these were the first houses of worship built in the county, yet there was a religious society at Waretown as early as 1746; of what denomination is now uncertain. A place of worship at Waretown, it is said, was standing about a century ago - probably used as a free church.

Though nearly a century ago we find as yet but four churches along shore, yet this speaks well for the people as we find that there were less than a thousand people, men, women, and children, to attend them.

(Thomas Potter tells Rev. Murray, 1770, that there were 700 within twenty miles.) Probably he meant from Toms River to Mannahawkin where these churches were.