It is very evident that during the first two or three years of the settlement, there must have been busy times for the little sloops in carrying settlers to and fro and in bringing over their families, household goods, merchandise, lumber, etc.. from their old homes to the new settlement. We may conjecture that after the first settlers landed and had selected their lots or tracts of land that the first work would be putting up shelters, either log houses or perhaps more pretentious dwellings of lumber brought from Gravesend, Newport or elsewhere. Clearing the land and putting up fences was the next serious task. In this work the first year would probably be occupied. Perhaps many of them did not bring over their families to reside permanently until this work was accomplished. In 1667 the settlers found themselves so far advanced, with dwellings erected and lands cleared, that they had opportunity to take measures to establish a local government.

Bv the terms of the Nicolls patent, (the patentees named,) their associates, heirs, successors, and assigns had liberty to elect by the vote of the major part of the inhabitants, "five or seven other persons of the ablest and discreetest of said inhabitants" to join with them in making such peculiar and prudential laws as to them seemed meet.

In pursurance of this permission a General Assembly of delegates from the three towns was held in Shrewsbury on the 14th of December, 1667. This was the first legislative body ever assembled in New Jersey. Richard Richardson was chosen as its secretary, and appointed to record acts, orders and deeds, and hence may be considered the first County Clerk of Monmouth. His record of the proceedings of this Assembly is still well preserved.