The village of Barnegat derives its name from the inlet, which was originally called Barende-gat by the first Dutch discoverers on our coast. Barende-gat, meaning an inlet with breakers, was subsequently corrupted by the English to Barndegat, and finally to Barnegat.

Among the first whites who settled at Barnegat and vicinity, tradition says, were Thomas Timms, Elisha Parr, Thomas Lovelady, Jonas Tow (pronounced like the word now) and a man named Vaull. Thomas Lovelady is the one from whom Lovelady's island, near Barnegat, takes its name. The first settlers seem generally to have located on the upland near the meadows, on or near the Collins, Stokes and Mills farms. There was a house built on the Collins place by Jonas Tow, at least as early as 1720. The persons named above as the first comers, do not appear to have been permanent settlers, and tradition fails to state what became of any of them, with the exception of Jonas Tow, who it is said died here.

Among the first permanent settlers, it is said, were William and Levi Cranmer, Timothy Ridgway, Stephen and Nathan Birdsall and Ebenezer Mott: and Ebenezer Collins followed soon after. The ancestor of the shore Rulons was also an early settler. Tradition says he lived on the road to Cedar Bridge two or three miles west of the present village of Barnegat and on the place known in late years as the Corlies place.

The first permanent settlers at Barnegat, as well as at other places along shore, appeared not to have purchased titles of the proprietors until several years after they came. The first land taken up from the proprietors, it is said, was the tract of 500 acres, bought by Timothy Ridgway and Levi Cranmer, September 9th, 1759, of Oliver Delancey and Henry Cuyler, Jr., agents for the proprietor, William Dockwra. This tract included the lot upon which the Quaker church is built, but the main portion lay south-easterly. The land along shore was originally divided off into two tracts of about a thousand acres, by John Reed, surveyor, and alloted in alternate divisions to the proprietors; William Dockwra having for his portion a large part of the laud on which stands the village; next north came Robert Burnett's, and then Lord Neill Campbell's. Lochiel brook, between Barnegat and Waretown, it is said, was named in compliment to Campbell's estate in Scotland.

The first Cranmer family at Barnegat lived in the tract purchased as above mentioned, and their dwelling was on or near the site of the one owned in modern times by Captain Isaac Soper, and subsequently by Captain John Russell.

The Rackhow road was laid out by Peter Rackhow, a son of Daniel Rackhow, who once lived in the place now owned by Samuel Birdsall, Esq., Waretown. Rackhow, it is said was a Dutchman, who eventually changed his name to Richards. He had two sons - Peter, above named, who was a reputable young man, and another who joined the Refugees, went off with them and was not heard of afterwards.

The first inn or public house in Barnegat was established in 1820 by David Oliphant, on the site of the present one, at the corner of the main shore road and the road to the landing.

The well-remembered old public house of Eli Collins was occasionally patronized fifty or sixty years ago by distinguished visitors, among them the noted Prince Murat* with quite a train of servants. He was one of the most expert hunters of his day. Murat was a large powerful man and of remarkable powers of endurance - able to tire out almost any other hunter or gunner he met.

Another celebrated personage who occasionally stopped here was Lieut., or Captain Hunter**, of Alvarado fame. Once, as he drove up, an hostler stepped out to attend to his horses and addressed him by name. Capt. Hunter was surprised to find himself addressed so familiarly by so humble a personage, and upon inquiry found that the hostler had once held some office in the Navy, and been on a man of war with him up the Mediterranean, and while there had acted as Hunter's second in a duel. Hunter replied: "Proctor, I know you, but I don't know your clothes!" Proctor had considerable natural ability, but it was the old story, liquor sent him on the down grade. Frank Forrester (William Henry Herbert) the great authority and noted writer on field sports, was evidently well acquainted here, as his writings show wonderful familiarity with this section. Uncle Eli Collins' house and the lower tavern once kept by David Church were old well-known headquarters for gunners from distant places. Speaking of gunners, reminds us of one who stopped once at the lower tavern with a fierce bull dog. The landlord told the gunner to keep his dog away from a yard where he had a loon wounded in his wings, as the loon might hurt the dog. The idea of a loon or any other wild fowl hurting his bull dog amused the gunner, and he offered to bet fifty dollars that his dog would kill the bird. The landlord took the bet, the dog was let in, but in an instant the loon picked out the dog's eyes by suddenly darting his sharp bill in quick succession.

During the Revolutionary war, parties of both Refugees and Patriots, as they traveled up and down shore, would stop at the houses of the Barnegat Quakers and demand victuals, but on the whole, the residents suffered less during the war than did those of any other place along shore, except perhaps West Creek. They had, however, but little reason to congratulate themselves on this score, as they suffered enough after the war; for then in time of peace, on account of their conscientious scruples against militia training and paying fines for non-attendance, they were continually harrassed by lawsuits, arrests, fines and executions, and imprisoned or property sold for non-compliance with militia laws. The once notorious Esquire William Platt, of old Dover township, bore no enviable name among the Quakers for his vexing them with suits on this account.

During the Revolution quite extensive salt works were carried on at Barnegat, on the meadows near the farm of Mr. James Mills, by the Cranmers, Ridgways, and others. The usual plan to manufacture salt was to seek some place on the salt meadows where no grass could grow. By digging wells in these bare places, the water was found to be strongly impregnated with salt. The water from these wells or springs was put in large boilers with a kind of arched oven underneath, in which a fire was built. After most of the water was boiled away, the remainder, thick with salt, was poured into baskets of sugar-loaf shape***, made to allow the water to drain out. One of these curious-shaped baskets was preserved and in possession of the Late Uncle Eli Collins as late as 1860.

The remains of shell beds on the farm of James Mills, Esq., and at other places show that the Indians at Barnegat, long before the whites came, caught shell fish in great quantities. Some of course were eaten here, but the principal object of the Indians appeared to be to prepare a quantity to take back with them. This was generally done by roasting and then taking them out of the shell, stringing and drying them in the sun.