"In 1715 Daniel Wills, son of one of the Commissioners, Dr Daniel Wills, wrote an account of
the founding of Burlington in 1677 in collaboration with William Matlack. A transcription
of this account was published is George DeCou's book, Burlington: A Provincial Capital, Historical Sketches.
"The Commissioners for William Penn, Gawen Lawrie, Nicholas Lucas and the rest of the Proprietors, unanimously imployed Richard Noble to divide the spot where the town was
(to be) which he did to a general satisfaction. Then his work was to divide it into
Lots. After the street called High Street was laid out from both, the easternmost side
of the street was to be divided among the Yorkshire Proprietors, as they were called;
and all the Land Lying on the westernmost side, bounded by the River and Creek, was to
be laid out by the unanimous consent of the Commissioners to those that was called the
London ten Proprietys. So in order to begin a Settlement the Surveyor was ordered to
survey ten Lots of nine acres each, all bounding upon the western side of High Street.
When that was done Daniel Wills, my father, in the month of October, I think toward the
latter end, made what speed he could, winter coming on, to make a Settlement there, So
brought up Servants, also the two John Woolstons, Samuel Clift, and his wife and son,
came up with us. I remember we had a northeast storm of wind and rain for 48 hours,
about the middle of which we came to the landing. And when ashore the first thing to be
done was to draw lots to find which of the ten was my fathers. So my Father wrote down
nine of the Proprietors names in bits of paper and rowled them up, for the tenth he did
not Know; but he rowled up a blank paper for it, and put them all into a hat covered,
and caused an unconcerned person to draw them out. So the blank lot came out first,
which was to be next the River, and in two months after the Person arrived and produced
his right to it, which was Thomas Budd 1st, the second Thomas Hooton, 3rd Daniel Wills,
4th John Penford, 5th Ridges & Rudyard, 6th Thomas Olive, 7th Benjamin Scott, 8th William
Peachy, 9th John Smith, 10th Richard Mew. This being done we took up our packages and
through the Woods we went to find the third Lot. When there arrived, all in the rain, we
set up some forks, and poles upon them, and covered our tents with blankets; but all that
did but little good, for it rained through upon us all night. So that betwixt the rain,
and smoke of our fire, and wet cloths, which never dried untill they dried on our backs,
we was very much benumbed. Had not my father (had) more courage than either his Son or
servants to go out in the dismal dark night to get wood to recruit the fire, we might have perished. But to proceed, The Commissioners after all this betook themselves to dividing
the Yorkshire part of the Island. And after Thomas Olive came up with his family the London Commissioners employed also the said Richard Noble to divide the remaining part of the Island that was yet unsurveyed between the ten Proprietors aforesaid . . . All which Lots aforesaid
by order of the Commissioners was surveyed and appropriated to the Proprietors in the year
1677. Thomas Olive, Daniel Wills, my father, was with the Surveyor always one of the other
of them. John Penford and Benjamin Scott being gone for England before the whole was finished.
Sometime I think about two years after, the Commissioners appointed William Emly to be the Proprietor's Surveyor, and considering it would be necessary for firewood &c to accommodate
the Town they imployed him to survey off so much Land adjoining to the said Town as might
answer to each of the said twenty Proprietors, 400 acres which was called Town-bound Lands
for each Proprietor to take up within the said bounds, and it was not divided, no otherwise
than each Proprietor took it up; but was in general surveyed out for the Service of those
twenty Proprietors, and no others.
We whose names are hereunto subscribed being passengers in the ship aforesaid, and some of the first inhabitants in the said Town, do testify and declare that of our own knowledge the above Relation is true."
William Matlock, aged 68 years
Daniel Wills, aged 57 years
This account of his arrival in New Jersey was given by William Matlack in 1720 before Joshua Humphreys, Judge of the Common Pleas of Burlington County. The record of this account was published on page 51 of John Clement's book, First Settler's of Newton Township NJ.
"William Matlack of the county of Burlington in the Province of West Jersey, aged about seventy-two years, came before me the underwritten, being his Majesty's Judge of Common Pleas for said county, and, upon his solemn affirmation, did declare that he, the said William Matlack, about the latter end of October in the year (1677), came to Burlington along with his then master Daniel Wills, who was one of the commissioners for laying out of the lands in the Western Division of New Jersey, and several others in the first boate that came there to settle the said town of Burlington; and that, as soon as he and the rest were landed, he was present and saw the lots fairly drawn for the nine acre lots mentioned in the next page and on the other side of this leaf in this book; which lots were surveyed by Richard Noble; and that the said lots fell to the ten persons mentioned in said page, and in the three following pages, and in the same order as they are there set down. And further, this deponent says that he is well assured and very well knows that the said Richard Noble was appointed surveyor by the commissioners, and did soon after survey all the remaining part of the Island on the west side of High street, and bounded by the river and creek; and when it was divided, it was lotted to the said ten persons according as in the said two pages it is particularly described.
"Attested before me this tenth day of December, in the seventh year of the reign of King George of Great Britain, Anno Domini 1720. "Joshua Humphreys."
This version of William Matlack arriving in New Jersey is from T. Chalkley Matlack's Book Seventeen, Descendants of John Matlack and his two wives Hannah and Mary.
"William Matlack came in the ship "Kent", Gregory Marlow master. The number of passengers in this ship was 230, mostly of the people called Quakers, and some of them had good estates in England. They landed the 16th day of 6 mo. 1677 at Chesher and also about Rackoon Creek on Delaware River where the Swedes had some scattered habitations but insufficient so to receive
or accommodate them. This was the second ship which arrived at West Jersey with passengers. After their arrival the commissioners viz. Thomas Olive, Daniel Wells, John Kinsey, Joseph Helmoley, Robert Stacy, Benjamin Scott, Richard Grey, and Thomas Faulke proceeded up the river
to the place where Burlington afterwards was built, then called Chygoe's Island, from the Indian Sachem who lived there. Here they treated with the Indians and on the regulation of their settlements. William Matlack being the first man in the company that put his foot on the said Island, and afterward helped Thomas Olive build two of the first houses there, being a carpenter about 20 years of age, and served Thomas Olive four years. The place of his nativity was Cropwell Bishop in Nottinghamshire, England, he married Mary Hancock in 1682 and settled in Penshawken."
EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF WILLIAM MATLACK
The February 20th, 1695/6 meeting of the Court of Session and Court of Common Pleas held at Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey, appointed William Matlock constable of Chester Township, alias Cropwell, for the year ensuing. William also served on the Grand Jury for a number of years.
William was one of the founding trustees of Chester Meeting, now Moorestown Meeting in
1700. The original meeting house was a small log building located at what is now Main St.
and Chester Ave, Moorestown, Burlington County, New Jersey, on the site of the current
Friends Cemetery. The lot on which the meeting house stood was conveyed by James and Esther
Adams to Matthew Allen, John Adams, William Hollinshead, Thomas French, Joseph Heritage,
Thomas Wallis, John Cowperthwaite, William Matlack, Sarah Roberts (widow of John Roberts), Richard Heritage, all of Chester Township, and Thomas Hooten and Timothy Hancock of Evesham Township, trustees of Chester Meeting for fourteen shillings lawful money of Second month
9TH, 1700.
GRAVE SITE OF WILLIAM MATLACK AND MARY HANCOCK
A weathered gravestone in the 500 block of Balsam Road, Cherry Hill, New Jersey marks the
grave of William and his wife Mary. I have visited the grave site. The inscription on the gravestone reads:
WITHIN THIS INCLOSURE LIES THE REMAINS OF
WILLIAM AND MARY MATLACK
WHO CAME TO WEST NEW JERSEY FROM ENGLAND
WILLIAM IN 1677 AND MARY IN 1681
THE FIRST OF THE NAME AND THE ANCESTORS OF THE FAMILY IN AMERICA
HERE ALSO LIE THE REMAINS OF RICHARD MATLACK
A SON OF WILLIAM AND MARY AND PART OF HIS CHILDREN
ALSO
A NUMBER OF THE SERVANTS AND SLAVES OF THE FAMILY
Some sources state that Mary Hancock Matlack is buried in the Chester, now Moorestown, Friends Burying Ground. William was one of the founding Trustees of the Chester Meeting so this is clearly possible.
DEEDS AND LANDHOLDINGS
1684 DEED - WILLIAM MATLACK
The following two documents are records of the first land purchased by William Matlack in New Jersey. This land was located on the south branch of the Pennsauken Creek in what is now Maple Shade, Burlington County, New Jersey. The land was located about one quarter mile north of the Kings Highway bridge over the south branch. This bridge is about one mile west of the intersection of Route 38 and Kings Highway, (Route 41). Portions of this land remained in the Matlack family until the death of Thomas Chalkley Matlack in 1945.
The first document is the deed recorded in the records of the West Jersey Proprietors. A microfilm copy of the original is on page 131 of West Jersey Deeds, S & T, located at the New Jersey Archives, Trenton, New Jersey. Portions are hard to read but have done my best to provide an accurate transcript.
The second document is a deed or agreement between Tallaca, a Lenni Lenape Indian Chief and John Roberts, Timothy Hancock, and William Matlack, recognizing their rights to the land. Harriet Russell Stratton's transcript of the original document was printed on page 238 of her book, A Book of Strattons, Vol. 1, published in 1908 by Grafton Press, New York, New York.
DOCUMENT 1 - 1684 DEED - RECORDS OF WEST JERSEY PROPRIETORS
Thousand Six hundred and Eighty four Between Thomas Olive of Rancocus Creek Haberdasher of the one part and William Matlack of Pensauaquin Carpenter one the other part Witness that the said Thomas Olive for and in Consideration of the four years service and three pounds current County pay to him performed and Secured by the said William Matlack Whereof he the said Thomas Olive
Doth acknowledge himself Satisfied and paid and by these presents Doth Clearly Dequitt and Discharge the said William Matlack his heirs and Assigns forever Hath Granted bargained Sold Released and Confirmed and by these presents Doth grant Bargain sell release and Confirm unto the said William Matlack his heirs and Assigns forever One hundred acres of Land of this Laying out in the Second Tenth Together with the Mines and Minerals Ways Woods fishing Hawking Hunting and fording and all and every the Appurtenances privileges profits and advantages belonging to the said premises To Have and To Hold the said Hundred Acres of Land with the Appurtenances thereof to the said William Matlack his heirs and Assigns To the only use and behoof of him the said William Matlack his heirs and Assigns forever And he the said Thomas Olive Doth for himself his heirs Executors and Assigns Covenant Promise and Grant to and with the said William Matlack his heirs and Assigns That he the said Thomas Olive his heirs and Assigns Shall and will at any time within Seven Years next after the Date hereof at the required Costs and Charges of the said William Matlack his heirs and Assigns Doe and Execute all and every Such Lawful Conveyance or Conveyances as Shall be needful and Necessary for the bettor Securing and Selling all the Interest and Title of him the said Thomas Olive of in and the above Granted premises in and to the said William Matlack his heirs and Assigns forever In Witness whereof the parties first above named to these present Indentures have intentionally Set their hands and seals the Day and Year first above written 1684. Tho Olive Sealed and Delivered in the presence of John Watson, John Masson Tho Eves. Endorsed the 10th of the 10th month 1723 the Thomas Eves One of the witnesses to the within Deed Came before to reaffirm being one of the Kings Council for the province of New Jersey and upon his Solemn Affirmation Did Declare that he is one present and Said the within Named Thomas Olive Sign Seal and Execute The within Deed unto the within named William Matlack and that he Also Said the above John Watson and John Masson Sign as Witness to the Same witness my hand and the day and year above said, John Wills Recorded Decm 16th 1762
(Unreadable signature)
DOCUMENT 2 - TALLACA DEED
Know all people that I tallaca have had and Received of & from John Roberts with the consent of the neighborhood at Pimsawquim one match coate one Little Runlit of Rum and two Bottles of Rum
In Consideration whearof I the said taleca doe hearby grant Bargin & sell unto the said John Roberts Timothy Hancock and William Matlock all those plantations at pimsaw-quin promising for Ever to defend the said John Roberts &c from all other Indians Laying any Claime theareto in wittness whearof I the said talleca have hear unto set my hand and seale the twelth day of April 1684.
"the mark of Z talleca."
DEED - June 15 1689 Walter Humphries to William Matlack
New Jersey Archives West Jersey Deeds Book S Page 132 Microfilm Reel 113
Abstract
On the tenth day of June, 1689, Joshua Humphries alias Powell of the County of Burlington
in West New Jersey, yeoman, and lawful attorney of his father Walter Humphries alias Powell
of Painswick in the County of Gloucester in the Kingdom of England sold to William Matlack
of Pennsauquin Creek in West New Jersey, Carpenter, for twelve pounds current money of this province 100 acres which was purchased from Thomas Kirby.
This deed did not specify where the land was located in West New Jersey.
DEED - March 25 1695 Timothy Hancock to William Matlack
New Jersey Archives West Jersey Deeds Book S Page 127 Microfilm Reel 113
Abstract
On the 25th of March, 1695, Timothy Hancock of Pennsauquin in the County of Burlington, yeoman, sold to William Matlack of the same place, carpenter, for the sum of fifty two pounds current money 100 acres. This land was between the land of John Roberts and William Matlack.
William Matlack's land referred to above was the land he received for his four years service on
7 November 1684. Both John Roberts and Timothy Hancock were parties to the agreement made with the Lenape Chief, Tallaca in 1684. Timothy was the brother-in-law of William.
DEED - October 1 1700 Richard Heritage to William Matlack
New Jersey Patents and Deeds 1664 - 1703 Page 660 Edited by William Nelson Burlington County Library RNJ 974.9 Doc
Abstract
1700 Oct. 1. Deed. Richard Herritage of Sutton New Garden, Gloucester Co., yeoman, to William Mattlock of Cropwell, W. J., yeoman, for 940 acres on the Southbranch of Cooper's Creek, N. and N. W. lately John Willis, now John Haddon, Mordecai Howell, Zachariah Prickett, lately John Bissell's; 790 a. thereof bought of John Sibley and his wife Katharine of Philadelphia June 1, 1696, as part of 6-25 of a share of W. J., devised to said Katharine by her former husband Isaac Martin; 130 a. bought of John Reading February 1, 1695-6, being part of 350 a. purchased by said Reading as the land belonging to 1/8 of a share, from Maurice Trent of Penna., mariner, as attorney for his uncle Maurice Trent of Lieth, Scotland, merchant; 20 a. bought of James Atkinson of W. J., yeoman, June 15, 1700. 143
DEED - October 1 1701 Richard Heritage to William Matlack
New Jersey Patents and Deeds 1664 - 1703 Page 677 Edited by William Nelson Burlington County Library RNJ 974.9 Doc
Abstract
1701 Oct. 1. Deed. Richard Herritage of Sutton New Garden, Gloucester Co., yeoman, to William Mattlack of Cropwell, W. J., yeoman, for 10 acres on to be surveyed out of the 350 a. lot
bought of John Reading February 1, 1695-6. 361
New Jersey Archives Gloucester Co. Rec. of Deeds Vol. 3 Page 361 Microfilm Reel 129
The microfilm copy of the original deed is discolored and very hard to read. The amount
and terms of payment could not be read. It does confirm the above abstract.
DEED - December 21, 1714 William Matlack to son George Matlack
New Jersey Archives Gloucester County Deeds Vol. A 1714 - 1722 Page 9
Microfilm Reel 128
Abstract
On the twenty first day of December, 1714, William Matlack of the Township of Chester in
the County of Burlington and Province of New Jersey, Carpenter, sold to George Matlack,
son of William Matlack, of the Township of Waterford in the County of Gloucester and
Province aforesaid, husbandman, for fifteen pounds proclamation money and for other divers
good causes and considerations 500 acres of land lying in the Township of Waterford and the township of Gloucester This land was part of the 940 acres purchased by William Matlack from Richard Heritage on the sixth day of the eighth month (October), 1700. Richard heritage purchased the land form John Sibley of Philadelphia on first day of June 1696.
DEED - December 21, 1714 William Matlack to son Timothy Matlack
New Jersey Archives Gloucester County Deeds Vol. A 1714 - 1722 Page 12 Microfilm Reel 128
Abstract
On the twenty first day of December, 1714, William Matlack of the Township of Chester in
the County of Burlington and Province of New Jersey, Carpenter, sold to Timothy Matlack,
son of William Matlack, of the same Town & County & Province, carpenter, for fifteen pounds proclamation money and for other considerations 485 acres of land lying in the Township of Waterford and the township of Gloucester 440 acres of this land was purchased by William
Matlack from Richard Heritage on the sixth day of the first day of October, 1700. Richard heritage purchased the land form John Sibley of Philadelphia on first day of June 1696. 10
acres were purchased from Richard Heritage on 1 October 1701. It is not clear how William acquired the other 35 acres he sold to Timothy.
DEED - January 16, 1722 William Matlack Sr. to son William Matlack Jr.
New Jersey Archives West Jersey Deeds Book S Page 125 Microfilm Reel 113
Abstract
On the sixteenth day of January, 1722, William Matlack of the Township of Chester in the
County of Burlington and Western Division of the Province of New Jersey, yeoman, sold to
William Matlack the younger, of the Town County Division and Province aforesaid, blacksmith,
for the sum of one hundred and seventy pounds lawful money of America 300 acres of land
lying in the Township of Chester in the County and Province aforesaid. These 300 acres
consisted of the 100 acres purchased by William Matlack from Thomas Olive on the seventh
day of the tenth (December) month in 1684, the 100 acres purchased by William Matlack from
Joshua Humphries on the fifteenth day of June in the year 1689, and the 100 acres William
Matlack purchased from Timothy Hancock on the twentieth day of March in the year 1694." (1)