- Introduction-

 Understanding how Lincroft actually came to be as we know it today is a somewhat complicated, and long story. We must go back to before the settlers 1st arrived there, and that was well before Lincroft or any white man's villages existed. Lincroft as we know it today would be comprised of parcels of land that weren't always part of Lincroft or even the Villages of Leedsville or SandyNew. The "Church Land" or "Church Farm" is one of the well know parcels that started with the 1st settlers from england. Other parcels would be parts of the Old Village of Morrisville, later Everett, are past village names that no longer exist.

 Some would just be parcels of land from other patentee's and their families & relatives just north of Lincroft, in Middletown, and to the east in Red Bank. 

Most property north of West Front and south of Middletown Village, in earlier times , was called Nutswamp,  To the south and west of Lincroft, or Leedsville at the time, was Atlantic Township, and Shrewsbury to the Southeast, which was the other parcel of "church property". There were many notable names of family farming villages or  structures or natural surroundings that would give rise to local area names, surrounding Lincroft proper. Lincroft as we know it today extends to the GS Parkway to the east, Everett Road to the west, Swimming River to the South, and Nutswamp Brook coming off the Parkway, sort of forming a triangle. Lincroft has many pieces of land that make up what we know today. I will start with downtown Lincroft and work to it's perimeter.

  It will come to the interest of some that, The Thompson Families, Relatives of Colonel William P. Thompson of Virginia, and his sons Lewis P.,William P.Jr, and descendant Geraldine Thompson whom donated much of their land around Lincroft, and The Thompson's that owned the 1st Leedsville Store, Joseph W. Thompson, James W., George C., William H., & Robert Thompson, and his son Rev. Robt Rhea Thompson are NOT related to Geraldine or her relatives, not directly, and not from the same family origins. Although both influential in the development of Lincroft. Both families are explained in better detail in later chapters.

Deciphering the land transfers gets more complicated as time goes on, as it still does today, and the land parcels get smaller and more numerous. In this History of Lincroft I will try to cover all the Important Families and Parcels that made up Lincroft's History as best I can.

 

 - Lenni Lenape -

 

The land was 1st settled by the Raritan tribe of the Lenni Lenape Indians, who migrated from the west in search of a natural paradise. Their journey ended up in Monmouth County, and they would be the 1st to inhabit the Lincroft area.

 

  According to Lenni Lenape they claimed that theirs was an ancient nation , originally located in a far away country near salt water. They're are recently discovered historical references to the Great Salt lake as the founding area of the Aztec and ultimately all the native tribes in north America, as being their homeland. There have also been rumored from early explorers that the Lenni Lenape were somehow related to "The Lost Tribe of Israel" possibly even descendants mixed with natives. The Lenni Lenape said they left their home and traveled towards the land of the rising sun, in search of a "red man's paradise" of deer, salmon & beaver. After many years of famine & fatigue they came to "this beautiful country, where the ocean tides forever ebbed and flowed like the waters whose shores they had come". They established their villages in the woodlands to the north, away from the ocean, where they could hunt & store food during the winter. In their travels. they followed the rivers or trails like the Minisink, or Burlington Path (now Sycamore ave in Shrewsbury/Tinton Falls).

 100's of years would go by with the Indians enjoying a tranquil & peaceful solitude. In 1524 they would see Verazzano's ship come into New York Harbor and all tranquility would end. In 1609 Henry Hudson's Half Moon anchored off the Navesink Highlands, and the Indians were no longer solitude in this area. The 1st encounter was brief, somewhat fearful, but amiable. Fear & suspicion grew until a few days later when an Indian's arrow would kill one of Hudson's scouts. Almost immediately. the Half Moon & it's crew left the area. The Raritan tribe of Lenni Lenape wouldn't be disturbed again , except by occasional traders until English settlers came to purchase the land.

 

- Colonization -

 

 The Patentee's would soon come to settle the lands they were given or bought. During the years of settlement in Monmouth County the English always purchased their land rights from the Indians, whom they respected and with whom they lived with peaceably. In 1758, the colonial legislature purchased 3,044 acres (in what is now Burlington County) for the exclusive use by the Indians. This 1st Indian reservation was called Edgepelick, then Brotherton, and finally Indian Mills. The Indians would eventually sell that land and move to Oneida Lake, New York. They subsequently traveled to Green Bay, WI., and eventually the "far west" the "land of their origin". After the Revolution, the NJ Legislature responded sympathetically to a request by an Indian Warrior, named Wilted Grass, who fought alongside the white man to free them from the British domination. Wilted grass was asking they be paid for a debt, so far had been unpaid. For their hunting & fishing rights, and was paid $2000 for that debt.

 From the beginning of the colonial period, the land on which Lincroft "the church farm area" is located, has been a subject of dispute, as it became valuable for both it's natural and political reasons. Ultimately being part of the reason for the Revolution. Both Dutch & English had laid claim to the area. The Dutch surrendered New York & New Jersey to the English in 1664, regained title but eventually yielding permanently to the English in 1674.

  The English meanwhile, during the late 1660's both Phillip Carteret & Richard Nicholls claimed the right to be Governor. Rivalry continuing only to have England step in. In 1702 a government controlled by Queen Anne which would begin a political dissent, among others, up until the Revolution.

 While politicians were vying for control of the colonial government, Monmouth County was becoming a haven for refugees from other early failed settlements. Englishman from Long Island purchased 3 "necks" of land from the Indians and had their rights to the land confirmed by the Monmouth  Patent, issued on April 8, 1665. The original Patentee's were Captain John Bowne, William Reape, John Tilton, Richard Gibbons, Samuel Spicer, Richard Stout, James Grover, William Goulding, Walter Clark, Nicolas Davis, Obadiah Holmes, and Nathaniel Sylvester. Under the patent, these men became the owners of the land encompassing the present Middlesex, Ocean & Monmouth Counties excluding Upper Freehold and the western part of Millstone township. Many of the names of people, and on streets, and areas you see today that are the same are scattered about Monmouth County are descendants of the original patentees.

 The patentees were to parcel and develop the land as they saw fit. They were to make their own laws and try in their own courts all but criminal & civil cases involving sums over 10 pounds. They were to pay no "rents, customs, tax, or levy whatsoever' for 7 years, after which time they would be subject to the same as all the other English territories.  They were to have "free liberty of conscience, without any molestation or disturbance whatsoever in their way of worship." Under the terms of the grant, the 12 patentees were required to attract the settlement of 100 families within 3 years of April 6, 1665.

 From 1665 to the early 1700's, small sailing vessels made frequent trips to Monmouth County, bringing settlers from Long Island and Rhode Island. a note of their trip says

 

"by sloop across the bay to the Wakake Landing, then by road to Middletown, from which place the usual way to Shrewsbury was by the road leading through Balm (Bamm) Hollow... to Ogden's Corner, by the John Bowne-Crawford ford, then through Morrisville....then, turning easterly, over, through or near the present bridge on Leedsville Road, and the general course of the present road to Tinton Falls, and thence to Shrewsbury."

 

This route followed old Indian paths which avoided steep hills, ravines, swamps, and deep streams. It was said that before there was a bridge on Leedsville Road (Swimming River Road) a traveler who attempted to cross the river, found he had to swim his horse to reach the other side, hence the name Swimming River.

 Although the initial settlements were established by those seeking religious freedom, other came to Monmouth County for economic reasons. One of these was Colonel Lewis Morris, a Welshman who had been sent by Cromwell to the West Indies to protect interests there. When his brother's death brought Morris to New York in 1673, he heard about James Grover's profitable iron works at "The Falls at Shrewsbury." Morris persuade Grover to sell him 3,540 acres including the iron works, erected a house there, naming it Tintern Manor after his family's former home in Monmouthshire, Wales.

 

 In 1669, Along with the other Patentee's listed above, these 14 patentee's received land on what was called "The Hay Path" which is now Newman Springs Road or Main Street. These fourteen patentee's were; Richard Salter, Richard Stout, Obadiah Holmes, Jonathan Holmes, James Ashton, John Stout,  Captain John Bowne, James Grover Sr., John Throckmorton, William Chessman, Benjamin Borden, James Grover Jr., William Lawrence and Walter Wall.

 

  Around this time of first settlement the streams and rivers were many times larger than they are presently , and the forests were thick, travel was a slow and dangerous journey. William Penn would document a trip visiting Richard Hartshorne in Waachaach (Belford) in 1672 and continuing on to Shrewsbury via Lincroft and Swimming River Road, which at that time had no bridge. At the time they called Swimming River Road "The Bridle Path" and Wm Penn describes the conditions of the path exceedingly bad and called the area "purgatory" after having crossed, swam with his horse, across the river. The banks of both sides of the Swimming River at that time being steep and sandy with a  cold, deep & fast moving water. Another diary entry from George Fox from June 27th 1672 tells of his party leaving Middletown for Shrewsbury.."We rode for miles through the thick woods, with many bad bogs, one worse than the other. The descent was so steep we were fain to slide down with our horses and then let them lie & breath themselves before they go on. This place the people called purgatory."

 

 

- Church History & Land -

 

 The earliest and most accurate accounts of English settlements come from Church Journals and Logs, which were mostly bias free. The article dives into how the 2 Churches, Shrewsbury and Middletown, came to be, the relevance is that ultimately the churches would be deeded the land that  South & Western Portion of Lincroft resides on. This article explaining the early history of Lincroft-Leedsville-Sandynoo comes via The Red Bank Register Archives at NJ Historical meeting about the specific History of The Christ Church in Shrewsbury, which explains the some of the that would become Lincroft.

 

 The following is from a Red Bank Register Archives documenting a meeting of the Historical Society from the early 1900's.

This was prepared and read at the meeting by Reverend John C. Lord of Locust Point. A very accurate & definitive history. Rev. Lord having all access to Church documents & Investigating other Church matters, he did his homework, and I believe this be the most accurate of early histories about the area. The article as prepared by Rev. Lord is given herewith:

 "Before we enter upon our discussion proper, it will greatly assist us to review those early days when Monmouth County belonged to that division of the province of East Jersey. This probably dates from the year 1665. That year by the Duke of York's charter, Philip Carteret was appointed Governor. He began his administration the same year. Previous to that year New Jersey had been claimed by the Dutch, who partly settled it, but were compelled to surrender this province along with New York, to the English in 1684.

 

 The 1st Settlers East Jersey came from Connecticut & the Eastern part of Long Island in 1668. Comprised of Independents & Quakers and spread themselves throughout Middletown, Shrewsbury and the Eastern Part of the Province. Not long after this several families belonging to Shrewsbury, England & took up residence in Shrewsbury NJ from which they gave their native name of the place in their mother country. The majority of these emigrants from Shrewsbury, England, if not all of them, were Quakers (Friends as they called themselves), and these, together with those who emigrated with the Independents from Connecticut, made those 2 sects the prevailing ones in New jersey at that time. There were, however, a good many adherents of the English Church scattered about in various parts of the county. Among these was John Throckmorton, who was associated Peter Tilton and John Hance as judges of the provincial court. Most conspicuous is the name of Colonel Lewis Morris, who was for several years chief justice of New York, and who then became 2nd counselor of New Jersey. He was named in Lord Cornbury's commission as governor of New York in 1702, and he continued in this office until 1738, when he appointed the 1st governor of New Jersey as a separate province from New York. "Colonel Morris", says his biographer, "was a man of letters, grave in his manners and of a most penetrating mind. He resided near Shrewsbury on his estate at Tintern Falls (spelling correct) (it was Tintern Falls at the time) He was a zealous churchman and was deeply interested in the moral & religious improvement in the neighborhood about him. His name will always be identified with the beginning of the church in this place."

 At this period the entire population of East Jersey did not exceed 3,000 persons, not including the tribe of Lenni Lenape who then inhabited the shores of Shrewsbury & Navesink rivers. It was sadly in need of ministers of the gospel & spiritual ministries.

 

  Colonel Lewis Morris, in September 1701, wrote to the society for propagation of the gospel in foreign parts of England, describing the state of morals & manners then existing in the Province. In this letter Colonel Morris says that " several townships of East Jersey have almost every variety of dissent, but with little appearance of religion among them. Freehold consists of partly Scotch Presbyterians, a sober people, and partly of settlers from New England and New York who are generally of no religion." Of Middletown he goes on to say that it was settled from New York & New England. "It is a large township. There is no such thing as church or religion among them. They are perhaps the most ignorant & wicked people in the world. Their meeting on Sundays is at the Public House, where they get their fill of rum and go to fighting and running of races, which are practices much in use that day all the province over. At Shrewsbury there are about 30 Quakers who have a Meeting House; the rest of the people are generally of no religion." From the information which Colonel Morris's letter affords of the lamentable condition of religion at this time, and from which severe censure he only excepts the Quakers, whom he calls men of best rank and estates in the Province, it must be concluded that religion in general was at a very low ebb, and greatly needed an ordained minister who had received power & authority to administer the sacraments & ordinances of the church of England. The earliest ministrations of the church in these parts were by the Rev. Alexander Innes, a native of Scotland, & as supposed, a Non-Jurist, who for safely fled to this country & settled in Middletown. He preached to the Quakers and other people & held conferences with them, and by his preaching and conversation he succeeded in winning back many back to the church who had strayed from her fold. This good priest of the church of England continued his ministrations in Middletown & Shrewsbury till 1713, when he died, leaving to the 3 churches in the county each 5 pounds. He had previously given the church at Middletown 2 acres of land for a church and parsonage, upon which the church now stands.

 

   About this time the few scattered members of the church of England made an attempt to secure the ministration and maintenance of a clergyman of their own communion, but were defeated by the influence of Richard Hartshorne, the Quaker, and Andrew Bowne, the Anabaptist. However, in spite of the ill-success which attended their 1st effort in that direction, these remained faithful to the church of their fathers. Thought they were opposed on the one hand by the Quakers and on the other by Anabaptists, they were last rewarded by having a minister of their beloved church settle among them. This was Rev. George Keith, a convert from the society of friends. He had been a Quaker preacher but he renounced their doctrine & accepted the teachings & position of the church of England. Mr. Keith had many acquaintances among the Quakers, some of whom were his devoted friends, others his most bitter enemies, and he was an object of universal hatred to the Socinian portion of that sect, while he was loved and esteemed by the Orthodox. Keith was the 1st American missionary maintained by the society for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts. Like Alexander Innes, George Keith was a Scotchman, a native of Aberdeen. He was a fine classical scholar, gifted with the power as a public speaker, and full of burning zeal as a preacher, which made him a  peculiarly successful missionary throughout this community & wherever he went. Under Mr. Keith's ministry, which was very short here in East Jersey (Oct-Nov 1702 and again the following winter) many of the most influential families of the Society of Friends were brought over to the church of England. One entire society, that of Topinemus, now Freehold, came over to the church of England purely through his labors.

 

The visit of Rev. George Keith to this portion of New Jersey, Middletown & Shrewsbury, may be regarded as the beginning of the Angelican church in this community. Mr. Keith had gone to England to receive ordination to the priesthood. He left England late in April of 1702, and arrived at Boston early in June, but did not reach this part of the country till the following October. He been joined in his undertakings by Rev. John Talbot, chaplain of the ship Centurion, in which Keith came to America. Mr. Talbot was afterward the missionary at Burlington, N.J. These 2 missionaries arrived at Freehold (Topinemus) ct. 10th, where they officiated the nest day. On the 17th they visited Middletown, Mr. Talbot reading the service and Mr. Keith preaching on infant baptism, most of the congregation being Anabaptists, whose peculiar tenet it was to deny that holy sacrament to children. On the 27th of October they arrived at Shrewsbury, where they held services for 3 days in a private dwelling near the Friends' meeting house. In Mr. Keith's journal, he says "They had a great congregation generally well affected to the church, and divers of them were of the church." Keith & Talbot remained in Shrewsbury and that neighborhood to the 1st of February, visiting from house to house, preaching and baptizing those whom they converted to the church, the number of whom was 24. Thye holy communion was celebrated by them for the 1st time on Christmas day, 1702, at the house of Colonel Lewis Morris at Tintern Falls. The ministry of Mr. Keith was wonderfully blessed by the ingathering of many into the church, especially those of the Quaker denomination, some of whom were the most prominent people in this part of the Province. One of those was William Leeds of Middletown, who at his death bequeathed his whole landed estate to the churches of Shrewsbury & Middletown, which glebe was recently sold, although the money received from it still applied to the support of these 2 churches. Samuel Dennis and the ancestor of the Holmes families were also both converts from Quakerism as the fruits of Keith's ministries, and these families have ever been faithful adherents of the church.

 In 1702 and for long after, the 2 churches, 1 in Shrewsbury the other in Middletown, together formed one parish and were ministered to by both Rev. Alexander Innes & Rev.George Keith. Mr. Keith returned to England in 1704, where he passed the rest of his duties. of a parish priest.

 

 Mr. Keith had been sent by the society for the propogation of the gospel as its trusted agent to overlook the ground for missionary work & report to the society, and he nobly fulfilled his mission. His good work was carried on by Rev. Alexander Innes, under whose ministry doubtless the 1st church was built at Shrewsbury between 1703 & 1705. Mr. Innes seems to have been a man of considerable property, since he bought a farm in Middletown in 1700, which farm included 220 acres of land. There he lived and though, because he was a Non-Juror he was prevented from taking the rectorship of an English church, he was most earnest in furthering the interests of that church. He offered his own house to Revs. Keith & Talbot on their 1st visit to Middletown and vicinity and it was he who prevailed on Nicholas Brown in 1706 to convey the lot in the village of Shrewsbury on which Christ church now stands.

 

 In an area founded by settlers in search of religious freedom, it hardly surprising  that the earliest social institutions were church congregations. And although the county had been officially divided into townships in 1693, religious divisions had greater impact on the area's development than did geographical ones.

Prior to 1700, the major religious groups, were Baptists (English), Presbyterians (Scottish), and Quakers (English&Scots). The Middletown Baptist Church was organized in 1668 and allied with another church at Baptist Town, which later became Homdel. The Presbyterians organized congregations in Shrewsbury & Middletown. The Quakers Built there meeting house in Shrewsbury in 1673. In 1702, however, the land ceased to belong to the "free-thinking" proprietors and became an English Royal Province

Enter The Angelican Church.. and Rev. George Keith, Lewis Morris, nephew of the Lewis whom purchased the Iron Works at the (falls of Shrewsbury) , and William Leeds Jr. who was left by his father, to care for his family and,  was given his land, in Leedsville.

 

 The 1st communion for those newly converted the angelicanism was held at Tintern Manor, the home of Lewis Morris. Morris had been appointed a judge at the age of 21, and knew politics well, and one can assume he did it for the power, of being influential in the Angelican church, he would be appointed Governor on 1738.

 The Church of England would become part of life in Monmouth County, even though Angelicans were considered outsiders. In 1720 Quakers, Baptists, and Presbyterians constituted most of the population and all were hostile to Angelican missionaries sent from England.

 

  Angelicanism represented  English authority, and as the 18th century progressed, hostility towards  English rule increased. Although religion had no part in the British ministerial policy, religious tensions became inseparable from political conflict between England and it's colonies.

 

 Old Town Book records from Middletown state Jan. 6th 1667 "It is ordered that all fences shall be made sufficiently by the 15th of April next, upon the penalty of six pence a rod, that shall be defective. It is likewise to be understood that all fences shall be four foot and three inches high at the least....."

 

  Some Excerpts from a Letter Richard Hartshorne wrote to a friend in London dated Sept. 12th 1675.

" I live very well, keeping between 30 & 40 head of cows, and 7 or 8 horses or mares to ride upon....The country is very healthful. In Middletown, where I live, in 6 years & upwards there have died but one woman about 80 years old, one man about 60, a boy about 5, and one or 2 infants....The produce of this Province id chiefly wheat, barley,oates, beans, beef, pork, Pease, tobacco, Indian corn, butter, cheese, hemp and flax. French beans, strawberries carrots, parsnips, cabbage, turnips, radishes, onions, cucumbers, watermelons, muskmelons, squashes, and our soil is very fertile, for apples, pears gooseberries, cherries, and peaches in abundance.......You may buy as much fish of an Indian for half a pound of powder as will serve 6 or 8 men......We plough our land with oxen for the most part....The best coming of this country, is at the spring & fall....We make our soap and candles and all such things ourselves.....In short, this is a rare place for any man or others; and I am satisfied that people can live better here than they can in Old England, and eat more good meats."

 

  The  settlers were  living in log cabins with pole roofs and dirt floors, with hide or lines for window cover & doors & a stone fireplace for heat. They would use these until the land was cleared and crops established, then a larger plot and house would be built.

 

 By the mid 1700's the once Indian trails now being used by horses and wagons became widened, tree stumps would be pulled out, rocks moved, and huge ruts would cover the trails used as roads. Every rain would fill the ruts with water, and Summer would dry them to dust, making long trips almost unbearable.

 

- The Revolution -

 

 Tolerance between dissenters and Angelicans came to an end with the outbreak of war; religious differences turned into political ones. Because the Church of England had found fertile ground in Monmouth County, the area became a haven for those against a revolution. The patriots in the County were found among the Baptists, Presbyterians, and Dutch Reformed. The Quakers remained neutral, as they were pacifists.

 

 British ships appeared in Sandy Hook Bay in the spring of 1776. There appearance intensified The Loyalists, most whom belonged to "The New Jersey Royal Volunteers", or "Skinner's Greens." named for their commander & color of their uniforms. Many of these honorable men who had been influential citizens of the province. They did not engage in plundering property , nor cause any physical harm to the patriots, their former friends. There were other Loyalists termed "Refugees," that raised havoc in New Jersey, especially in Monmouth County. Any patriot, former friend or not, became prey to the "Refugees." They camped on Staten Island, and at "Refugee Town" on Sandy Hook. They would be protected by the British Fleets there. From these bases they mounted there raids and harassment against the citizens. There also were "Pine Robbers" whom hid in the pine woods of Monmouth. They murdered & plundered for profit acting as desperados. Keeping as clean as they could with the British who would reimburse them for there Booty.

 All the while the British moved in taking much of New Jersey during the fall & winter of 1776. Washington's victories in Trenton & Princeton in December that year changed everything, and many rejoined sides in the war. here were no more battles but raids from Refugees and British troops from Staten Island thru 1777.

 

 Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware River from Valley Forge to Trenton was on Dec. 25th 1776. This led to crucial battles of Trenton, Monmouth, and Princeton that followed and solidified New Jerseys role as a key player in the Revolutionary War. Troops would ride the roads throughout Leedsville and Monmouth County. Always stopping at the Lincroft Inn (Tomlinson Hotel) as it was called back then. The locals fed and bed the men, took care of the horses while stopping over in the small village. Supplies were bought from local merchants and in nearby Red Bank, many horses from Leedsville served Washington's Army in the Revolutionary War.

 

 May 1778 General Clinton was Ordered by the British to abandon Philadelphia and head his troops to New York. His march would take him right through Monmouth County to Sandy Hook. Washington's Army was right behind them and the Battle of Monmouth was engaged on June 28th 1778 in Freehold. Gen.'s Lee, Washington, & "Mad" Anthony Wayne led the attack. By dawn June 29th, they had discovered that the British had withdrawn to the "Heights of Middletown", then retreating to New York. The Battle of Monmouth was considered an American Victory even though not was battled much.

 Throughout the war many counties would suffer, Monmouth County the worst. Armies trampling the countryside, Robbers stealing & murdering, and families & friends being divided by  having to choose a side. Religion came to a halt, and Angelicans suffered most fleeing to other countries Bahamas, and Nova Scotia, those who chose to remain were branded as Tories and would suffer.

 

 After the war, it may have been the faith that had been so strong, even though it was part of the reason of the war, made peacetime come easily, with farms prospering, tourism developing, and the English sport of Kings becoming a regular pastime for the gentlemen in local Lincroft and all around Monmouth County. Horses were being bred in numbers all over in the county for almost every need, and so, racetracks being built as well. Land would be broken up and farms developed for horses and farming.