In the year 1704 Edward Andrews established a Friends' Meeting in Tuckerton, and in the year 1708 he deeded the society two acres of land on which he built a meeting house, and formed a graveyard; and in the year 1709 the meeting house was erected, and in the year 1715 a Monthly Meeting was organized. Some time after the establishment of the Monthly Meeting, there was a Yearly Meeting organized there, and continued to be held until 1772, and perhaps some years after that date.

John Churchman, a noted minister among Friends, in the year 1772, says, "reached Little Egg Harbor on Seventh-day, and the next attended the Yearly Meeting."

The whites had resided in Egg Harbor some years previous to the building of the meeting house, and it is probable that Edward Andrews held his religious meetings in his dwelling house or cave, or else under the canopy of some of the primitive trees that graced the site of the present village of Tuckerton. For one hundred and fifty-four years the meeting house that was built in the year 1709 served the Friends' Society as a church, wherein to await the visits and inspirations of the spirit. In the year 1863 this venerable edifice was taken down and the present building erected.

The old meeting house was a one-story edifice, built in the plainest style of architecture. There was a smaller structure attached to the west end of the principal building, wherein the females transacted the business pertaining to their portion of the society. The roof of the meeting house was a hipped roof, as was the fashion of that primitive age; and the four sides were covered with cedar shingles, and the inside of the house was ceiled with boards, and what they called the gallery was a raised platform; and seats for the audience were long benches with two rows of slats for backs; most of the seats had movable cushions covered with brown holland. On the north side of the church there were large wooden shutters, which, in warm weather, were opened for the purpose of admitting the air. The builders had been sparing of glass, and there were but four windows in the church, and they were about four feet square, with nine panes of seven by nine glass. These were the windows which it contained when it was demolished. The first windows of the meeting house were imported from Old England, and the panes were small diamond-shaped, and the sash was formed of lead; and during the Revolutionary War, the windows were taken out and concealed behind the wooden ceiling, in order to keep them out of the hands of those who would have been likely to have appropriated the leaden sash to the formation of musket balls.

The inhabitants of Little Egg Harbor township used to hold their town meetings in the Friends' meeting house, there being no tavern or other public edifice in the place, until after the commencement of the Revolutionary War, when the inn familiarly known as the "Old Tavern" was built by Daniel Falkinburg, when the town meetings were transferred to that place.

At a monthly meeting held the 9th of the 7th month, 1715, Jarvis Pharo and Richard Osborn were selected as overseers, while the meeting belonged to the Crosswicks Monthly Meeting, and at that meeting Thomas Ridgway and Jacob Ong were added overseers, along with them; and at the same meeting, Jarvis Pharo and Richard Osborn, were appointed elders to sit in the meeting of ministers.

The first monthly meeting of women Friends, held in the meeting house, was on the 14th of the 5th month, 1715, and at that meeting Jean Osborn, Elizabeth Pharo, Elizabeth Ong, and Elizabeth Willits, were appointed to be overseers of the meeting.

As before stated sometime during the youthful age of the meeting house, there was a yearly meeting established at Egg Harbor, which continued for a number of years, and Friends came from distant sections to the yearly meeting at Egg Harbor.

In the year 1772 John Churchman states that there was a large concourse of people at the yearly meeting then held at Little Egg Harbor. Friends who came from the upper section of Burlington county crossed the east branch of Mullica river, at the place now known as Quaker Bridge. After fording the stream they watered and fed their horses, and then sat down in the shade of a venerable and majestic oak tree and partook of the lunch they had brought with them. Fording the stream was not a very pleasant job, especially for people who were dressed in their "meeting garments," and finally Little Egg Harbor Friends and Friends of the upper section of Burlington county, agreed to meet at the east branch of Mullica river, at the fording place,in order to construct a bridge as a more convenient way of crossing the stream. They met at the appointed time, and the banks of the stream being heavily timbered with large and primitive cedars a number of them were cut down and a bridge constructed of them, and thus came about the name of Quaker Bridge, or as formerly called the "Quaker's Bridge." There is a place a distance from the mouth of Mullica river, called "Swimming Over Point," which designation arose from the Gloucester county (now Atlantic county) Friends swimming their horses across Mullica river, when they were on their way to and from meeting at Tuckerton, then called Little Egg Harbor. Friends followed crossing Mullica river in this way until some of them were drowned during their watery journeys, after which they relinquished that dangerous mode of going to meeting. Many of the young men of Little Egg Harbor used to go on courting expeditions to Atlantic county; the Atlantic county "boys" came to Little Egg Harbor on the same errand, both parties swimming their horses across Mullica river; and several wedding parties crossed the river in the same inconvenient way, when they had been to and were returning from the "Old Meeting House," whither they had gone to be married "according to Friends' ceremony." When travellers reached "Swimming Over Point," they came across the salt marsh to the Oliphant farm, and then pursued their course along the "Old Meeting House road" to Tuckerton. This ancient road is now considerably changed in its course, yet still there are indications of a road leading from each one of the Down Shore farms to the Meeting House road along which the primitive colonists pursued their way to that church, which was a new edifice one hundred and seventy years ago. From the same farms and along the same roads, some of their descendants journeyed to the new meeting house of the year 1863, and along the same ways which their ancestors were borne to the grave. Are they likely to be transported, to lie die down to "unbroken slumber" with many generations of their kindred?

Most of the residents of Little Egg Harbor township became converts to Edward Andrews' religious opinions, and ancient chroniclers state that he was instrumental in doing a great deal of good in a religious way.

For about seventy years after the settlement of Little Egg Harbor, the Friends were the only religious denomination in the township, and every one who went to a place of worship bent their course to the Friends' meeting house. But it will be seen that Little Egg Harbor was for a long time the most thorough Quaker settlement ever instituted, and existed longer than any other without the incursions of other denominations.

The graveyard adjacent to the Friends' meeting house was established about the time of the building of the church, and for nearly a century it was the only public burying ground in the township. Beneath its green turf lies the dust of Edward Andrews, Ann Gauntt, Ann Willits, Daniel Parker and others, whose ministerial voices have been heard in the old meeting house.

The Little Egg Harbor Monthly Meeting has produced a number of distinguished ministers, among whom were Edward Andrews, the founder of the meeting, Isaac Andrews, Peter Andrews, Jacob Andrews, Ann Gauntt, Ann Willits, Daniel Parker, Rhoda O.Lamb, and some others who had small gifts in the ministry. In the year 1715 there was a female minister by the name of Mary Jacobs who was then a resident of Egg Harbor, and I am strongly in the belief that this Mary Jacobs was the wife of Henry Jacobs Falkinburg, Sr., the first white settler in the township. At that time he was called Henry Jacobs, and there is nothing to controvert the supposition that Mary Jacobs, the minister, was not his wife.

Edward Andrews is buried in the Friends' graveyard at Tuckerton; Peter Andrews is buried in the city of Norwich, old England, where he died when on a religious visit; Jacob Andrews died at Jacobstown, where it is likely he is buried; Isaac Andrews died at Haddonfield, where it is probable he is buried; Ann Gauntt is buried at Tuckerton; Ann Willits and Daniel Parker likewise; and if Mary Jacobs was Henry Jacobs' wife, she must have been interred at Tuckerton. In the graveyard are buried that first and diminutive colony of Friends who meekly endured the many hardships which are the heritage of settlers in a new country, and around them sleeping the "dreamless sleep" are many generations of their descendants, unconsciously awaiting the morning of the resurrection. No one who is not thoroughly acquainted with the history of the former generations of the inhabitants of Little Egg Harbor can have an accurate conception of the number of silent inhabitants of the inclosure called the Friends' graveyard. This graveyard ought to be a venerated spot to every one who claims to be a descendant of the ancient inhabitants of Little Egg Harbor township. There are also many of the ancient inhabitants of Washington and Stafford townships who are here sleeping their last sleep.

None of the old-time graves have anything to mark their sites, and none of the friends of the departed can stray among the tombs and say, "This is my kinsman's grave." It would be a solemn satisfaction to many (and no detriment to any one's religion) if they could trace out the graves of all their ancestors who are buried beneath the green sod and simple wild flowers of this ancient garden of the dead.

The time was (and a long time) when the Little Egg Harbor meeting of Friends was a meeting of renown, and has been visited by a great number of ministers, both native and foreign, and has produced several of the most eminent ministers of New Jersey. The old meeting-house used to be well filled, but at this time the meeting is very small and gradually decreasing. It used to be thought that honor and justice were personified in the officials of the church, but now the officials of the meeting in the business transactions of the Society utterly disregard the discipline and its principles, and act according to their own interests and prejudices, mammon having trampled honor and justice in the dust. If a poor person is a member of the Society, and a rich member sets out to cheat him, the officials of the meeting join him in his roguery and persecute and oppress the wronged person to the utmost of their ability; and if the abused member persists in defending himself, the officials will not listen to his complaint, but instead thereof, slam the door in his face and utterly disallow him any chance for the redress of his wrongs. I know whereof I write, and also much more of which I could state. Such as I have seen and heard I am ready and willing to testify to at any time or in any place.

In a very few years the final decline and fall of the once celebrated Little Egg Harbor Monthly Meeting will have been accomplished.

In the year 1863, the Friends resolved on pulling down the old meeting-house and erecting a new one on its site. The last meeting held in the old church was on the 14th day of June, 1863. George M. Elkinton, a public Friend, was presnt and addressed the meeting. It is probable that Edward Andrews or Mary Jacobs, or both, were the speakers (if any one did speak), at the first meeting held in the house after its completion, in the year 1709, they then being resident ministers of the place. Friends having decided on erecting a new church, it was accordingly built in the year 1863, and the first meeting held in it was in November of the same year. The old landmark is gone, and the time will arrive when there will not be a person living who remembers the old hipped-roof meeting-house which the primitive settlers built in the infant days of the township. It is now about one hundred and seventy-five years since the Friends established themselves in Egg Harbor, and they are still meeting with as much regularity as they did a century and a half ago, but the end is fast approaching.

Ann Gauntt, Egg Harbor's most distinguished female minister, was a daughter of Thomas Ridgway, Sr., of Egg Harbor, her mother being Ann, daughter of James Pharo, Sr., of upper Burlington county.

Ann Willits was a minister; she was the daughter of Thomas Ridgway, Jr.; and (Mary Ong), his wife, and she was also the niece and namesake of Ann Gauntt. Ann Willits was the wife of James Willits, 2d.

Daniel Parker, Jr., son of Joseph Parker, Sr., by his third wife, Hannah, was one of those whom the Lord ordained a teacher in the Friends' Society. He lived to be over ninety years of age, and many years ago was laid to rest with his ancestors, in the Friends' burying ground, at Tuckerton. He and Ann Willits, the minister, are laid side by side, near by the fence, and on the right hand side of the gate as it leads into the graveyard.

For a number of years Lucy Ann Evans taught the Egg Harbor Friends how to walk in "the straight and narrow way." She was held in high esteem as a minister, and also for her great wealth of amiable qualities. When the separation took place in the Friends' Society, Lucy Ann Evans sided with the new sect, and thus relinquished her ministry and influence among Orthodox Friends. Lucy Ann Evans was the wife of Jesse Evans, the proprietor of the iron foundry known as Martha furnace. Lucy Ann Evans died in the year 1834, aged 65 years, and is buried in a lonely graveyard at Bridgeport, in Bass river township; and when I have passed that lonely place I cannot realize that the dust of Lucy Ann Evans lies beneath the sandy surface of that desolate burial place.

Rhoda O. Lamb is a native of Egg Harbor, and commenced her ministerial career long before her marriage. When the schism was formed in the Friends' Society, her opinions favoring the doctrine of the new Society, she became one of that Society, in which she is a distinguished minister.

About the year 1815 John Halleck came to reside in Egg Harbor, and during his residence there he frequently preached in the Friends' church, but when the separation was instituted he joined the new order.

When separation became the order in the Quaker Society, nearly all of the Egg Harbor Friends clung to the Orthodox creed. All of the resident ministers subscribed to the newly formed creed. At quite an early date the Friends built a meeting house in Bass river neck. It was situated near by the old Methodist church, and on the lower main road from Bass river to Bridgeport, and opposite the Uriah Cranmer place.

Over fifty years ago, (now 1879,) the Friends built a meeting house at Bridgeport, and at the separation of the two sects of Friends, the church at Bridgeport was resigned to the new denomination of Friends or Hicksites. The members of the Hicksite branch of this meeting house soon removed to other sections, and there were no members left to go to this little church, except Lucy Ann Evans, and on meeting days she would go to the meeting house and sit during the usual worshipping hours all alone, herself being sole minister and audience.

Edward Andrews, Jarvis Pharo, Jacob Ong, Thomas Ridgway, Sr., Richard Osborn, Roger Osborn, William Cranmer, Richard Willits, Thomas Ridgway, Jr., John Ridgway, Sr., Joseph Willits, Samuel Andrews, Jacob Andrews, Mordecai Andrews, Jr., Hannah Gauntt, Stephen Birdsall, James Willits, James Belangee, Daniel Shourds, Micajah Mathis, Sr., John Gauntt, Henry Jacob Falkinburg, and perhaps several others, as I have not found a continuous record of such like proceedings.

Jean Osborn, Elizabeth Pharo, Elizabeth Ong, Elizabeth Willits, Mary Jacobs, Esther Andrews, Phebe Ridgway, Ann Andrews, Abigail Osborn, Marjorie Belangee, Hannah Ridgway, Mercy Mathis, Elizabeth Andrews, Mary Andrews, Sarah Ridgway, Ann Willits, Ann Gauntt, Christiana Shourds, Susannah Ridgway, Ruth Ridgway, Phebe Osborn, Sarah Cranmer, Jean Gauntt, and perhaps others.

It is asserted that most of the first settlers of Washington and Stafford townships, and all of the first locators of Little Egg Harbor township were Quakers. If any doubts are felt as to the above assertion, they may be dispersed by examining the following list of names of male members of the Friends' meeting at Egg Harbor, from the year 1715 to the year 1763. There were then a considerable number of men who belonged to the meeting whose names do not appear in the list; only the most prominent members being named. Some of the names in the list do not belong to residents of the above named townships. They are the names of men of other sections, who married women who were members of the Egg Harbor meeting. I am unable to say to a certainty, how far the jurisdiction of the meeting extended. Tradition states that it reached from Shrewsbury, in Monmouth county, to Cape May, it of course being along what is called the sea coast of New Jersey.

Jarvis or Gervas Pharo, Richard Osborn, Thomas Ridgway, Sr., Jacob Ong, Sr., James Willits, 1st, Edward Andrews, Roger Osborn, Thomas Cranmer, William Cranmer, Nathaniel Birdsall, Stephen Birdsall, Moses Embro, Ive Belangee, Robert Allen, Charles Dingee, Robert Smith, John Cranmer, Joseph Willits, Richard Willits, Sr., Joseph Parker, Sr., Samuel Andrews, John Mathis, William Satterthwaite, Peter Andrews, Jacob Andrews, Thomas Johnson, Thomas Ridgway, Jr., Jacob Ong, Jr., Mordecai Andrews, Jr., Joseph Gardiner, Richard Willits, Jr., Isaac Ong, Samuel Somers, Peter White, Jonathan Adams, James Belangee, John Cranmer, Jr., James Pharo, Henry Jacob Falkinburg, Jr., Peter Andrews, Jr., John Ridgway, Sr., Timothy Ridgway, John Butler, Hananiah Gauntt, Nicholas Delaplaine, Solomon Willits, Jacob Conover, Henry Shoemaker, Edward Ridgway, Robert Leeds, Thomas Havens, Jacob Henry (probably be was Henry Jacobs Falkinburg, as he was known by both of these names), John Delaplaine, Nehemiah Andrews, Joseph Parker, Jr., Micajah Willits, Sr., James Willits, 2d, Henry Pearsall, Richard Osborn, Jr., Daniel Mathis, Sr., Levi Cranmer, Nathan Birdsall, Joseph Lippincott, Samuel Belangee, Ebenezer Mott, Stephen Cranmer, Sr., Caleb Carr, Anthony Morris, Marmaduke Coats, Richard Willits, 3d, William Cranmer, Jr., Jeremiah Mathis, Sr., Jacob Falkinburg, 3d, Richard Ridgway, Samuel Parker, Edward Havens, Gideon Scull, John Leeds, George Holloway, Amos Willits, James Cranmer, Joseph Bartlett,Sr., Josiah Cranmer, Richard Ridgway, John Havens, John Gauntt, Jacob Cranmer, Peter Parker, Sr., Ive Smith, Jonathan Petitt, Abraham Cranmer, John Cranmer, Semor Cranmer, Caleb Cranmer, Sr., Abraham Cranmer, Jr., John Pearsall, Joseph Shourds, Sr., Micajah Mathis, Sr., Amos Pharo, Sr., Jonathan Gifford, Sr., Mahlon Wright, Edward Darling, Daniel Shourds, Sr., John Moore, Nathan Bartlett, Sr., John Ridgway, Jr., James Pharo, Jr., Joseph Gauntt, Joseph Parker, Jr., Daniel Cranmer and Thomas Jennings.

In the year 1767, there was a Friends' meeting organized at Barnegat. It was and still is under the jurisdiction of the Little Egg Harbor Monthly Meeting. The following was taken from the Egg Harbor Monthly Meeting books: "Our monthly meeting of women Friends, held at Little Egg Harbor the 11th day of the 6th month, 1767. This meeting appoints Sarah Ridgway and Deliverance Birdsall to be in the place of overseers of Barnegat meeting, and to report the state of the meeting to this meeting." Timothy Ridgway and Stephen Birdsall were the overseers of the men's meeting at Barnegat, these two men being the husbands of the women who were overseers of the women's meeting at Barnegat in the year 1767.