cluding the laws passed from the first legislative meeting in the prov ince, in 1668, until 1685, fails to reveal any organization of counties, either in the whole colony, before the division, or in East and West Jersey after, except that passed in 1675, already mentioned. But four counties, and they were in East Jersey, were created by that act and in that of 1685, three are mentioned and they were in West Jersey.

In the month of May, 1682, the Legislature of West Jersey, at its second session, met at Burlington. It was composed of thirty-three representatives, elected and chosen by "the free People of the Province aforesaid, within their respective Tenths." Justices, Sheriffs, Clerks and Recorders were appointed for "the jurisdictions of Burling ton and Salem"; no constables were selected for these localities, but those officers were appointed for the first Tenth, called "the Yorkshire Tenth"; for the second Tenth called "The London Tenth" and for the third Tenth.

At this same session, it was enacted "that there shall be four courts of session held at Burlington and Salem yearly." These courts would need Justices, Sheriffs, Clerks and Recorders. Provision was also made, but very loosely, for "smaller courts oftner (if need require) both at Burlington and Salem, to be appointed by the Justices, as they see fit." There is no mention in any of the acts of West Jersey, up to 1685, of any counties; no reference whatever to any such creations. Whenever it became necessary to provide for tax to be raised, representatives elected or meetings of citizens, the tenths, not counties, are mentioned.

Burlington was the capital of the province, so declared by special act of the Legislature; Salem was a port of entry, at the head of navigation on the Salem River; and the two towns were the largest and most important in the province. One was near the northern line of division and the other at the southern. It is not at all strange, therefore, that the Assembly should provide courts at two such localities, so as to meet the wants of litigants, at points where they could be most conveniently reached.

By the act of 1685, already referred to, Cape May County was created and its bounds thus defined: "To begin at the utmost flowing of the tide, in Morris River Northerly, being about twenty Miles from the mouth of the said River, and thence by a Line running Easterly to the most Northerly point of Great Egg Harbour, and from thence Southerly along the sea to the point of Cape May and so round the

same, then northerly along the West side of Cape May and so West. erly along the Coast and so up the East side of Morris River aforesaid to the first point mentioned." Cape May County, at present, retains almost the same boundaries as are here described, except that Morris, or, as it should be written, Maurice River, is not now its western boundary. A whole township called Maurice River township, has been taken from Cape May and added to Cumberland.

In the same year and at the same session of the Legislature, the boundary line between Burlington and Gloucester counties was defined. The residents about "Pensaukin Creek" had presented several petitions to the Assembly, representing that there was dissatisfaction relative to the division line between the two counties. A Committee of four members of the Assembly was appointed "to review the place and according to their judgment and discretion to fix the line of partition between the said Counties." That Committee examined into the matter and reported a division line to the Legislature which adopted their determination and passed a law according to the committee's report, but, at the next session, the law was repealed.

At the meeting of the Legislature beginning on the 12th of May, 1694, and ending on the 17th of the same month, five laws were passed relating to the counties of West Jersey. One referred to Burlington County and enacted "that the two Distinctions or Divisions heretofore called the first and second Tenths, be and is hereby laid into one County, named and from henceforth to be called the County of Burlington, the Limits whereof Bounded with the River Derwent (formerly called Sunpink) on the North, and the River Crapwell (formerly called Penisawken) on the South." Another defined the boundaries of Gloucester County in this manner: "That the two Distinctions or Divisions heretofore called the third and fourth Tenths, be and is hereby laid into one County, named and from henceforth to be called the county of Gloucester, the Limits whereof are as follows: Bounded with the aforesaid River, called Crapwell on the North, and the River Berkley, (formerly called Old Man's Creek) on the South." These two acts present grave doubts, notwithstanding the law of 1692, as to the prior existence, by virtue of any act of the Assembly, of these two counties.

Another of the five acts passed in 1694, is entitled "An act for Boundaries of Salem County," and provides "that the Jurisdiction of Salem Court shall extend from the aforesaid [?] Berkley River on the

North, to the River Tweed, formerly called Back Creek, on the south, and is hereby named and from henceforth called the County of Salem."

The title to another of these acts is this: "An act for the Inhabitants above St. Pink, to belong to Burlington County for present." This statute enacts "that all Persons in this Province above the River Derwent, (being the Northern Boundary of the County of Burlington) shall belong and be subject to the Jurisdiction of the Court of Burlington, until further order of the General Assembly."

By the fifth act referred to, the boundary of Cape May County was regulated and Egg Harbour added to the County. The act recited that the bounds of the county had not been distinctly enough described, and for the better regulating thereof, it was enacted that the boundary line should be as follows: "Begin at the mouth of Prince Morris (Maurice) River, from thence to run up the said River so far as the Tide flows, from thence to the middlemost great River that runeth into the Bay of Great Egg Harbour, so far as the Tide flows up the same, and thence down said River into the said Bay, Bounded by Egg Harbour Bay, on the North East, the main Ocean on the South East, Delaware River on the South West and the said Morris River, as aforesaid, on the North West." This description is quite definite and there is very little difficulty in understanding it.

An act passed at the same session settles the fact that there were only four counties in West Jersey, at that time,-Burlington, Gloucester, Salem and Cape May. The law to which reference was last made, provided for the times and places for holding elections in those four counties and for the number of the representatives from each, in the Assembly.

At the time of the surrender to Queen Anne, there were five counties in East Jersey, -Bergen, Essex, Somerset, Middlesex and Monmouth, and, in West Jersey, there were four,-Burlington, Gloucester, Salem and Cape May.

On the 21st of January, 1709-10, the Legislature enacted a law entitled An act for dividing and ascertaining the Boundaries of all the Counties of this Province." The Preamble to this act states the reason of its passage to be that "by the Uncertainty of the Boundaries of the Counties of this Province great inconveniences have arisen, so that the respective officers of the most of these counties cannot know the Limits of them." Bergen's lines were thus defined: "The County of Bergen shall begin at Constable's Hook, and so run up along the Bay and Hud

son's River to the Partition Point between New Jersey and the province of New York and so run along the Partition Line between the Provinces and the Division Line of the Eastern and Western Division of this Province to Pequanneck River and so to run down the Pequanneck and Pessaick Rivers to the Sound; and so to follow the Sound to Constable's Hook, where it began."

The County of Essex "shall begin at the Mouth of Raway River where it falls into the Sound, and so to run up the said Raway River to Robeson's Branch; thence West to the Division Line between the Eastern and Western Division aforesaid, and so to follow the said Division Line to Pequanneck River, where it meets Pessaick River; thence down Pessaick River to the Bay and Sound; thence down the Sound to where it began." Robeson's Branch mentioned in this description, is now called Robinson's branch and empties into Rahway River at the city of that name.

"The County of Somerset begins where Bound Brook empties itself into Raritan River; thence down the stream of Raritan to the mouth of a Brook known by the name of Lawrence's Brook, thence running up the said Lawrence's Brook to the Great Road that leads from Inian's Ferry to Cranberry Brook; from thence South Forty-four degrees Westerly to Sanpinck Brook, thence down the said Sanpinck Brook to the said Division Line of the Eastern and Western Division aforesaid, and so to follow the said Division Line to the limits of the aforesaid County of Essex; thence East along the Line of Essex County to Green Brook; and thence running down said Green Brook and Bound Brook to where it began."

"Inian's Ferry" mentioned in this description was a ferry kept by a man and his wife named Inian and crossed the Raritan at the place where the city of New Brunswick is now situated. The Proprietors leased this ferry to Inian and his wife and to the survivor, on the 2d of November, 1697, at an annual rent of 5 shillings, sterling money. The great road" is probably the road from New York to Philadelphia.

"

"The County of Middlesex begins at the Mouth of the Creek that parts the Lands of George Willocks, and the Land that was formerly Captain Andrew Bowne's, deceased, thence along the said Captain Andrew's Line to the Rear of the said Land; thence upon a direct course to Warn's Bridge on the Brook where Thomas Smith did formerly live; thence upon a direct course to the South East Corner of Bar

clay's Tract of Land that lies near Matchiponix; thence to the most southernmost Part of said Tract of Land, including the whole Tract of Land in Middlesex County; thence upon the direct Line to Sanpinck Bridge, including William Jones, William Story, Thomas Richman and John Guyberson in Monmouth County; thence along the said road to Aaron Robins's land; thence Westerly along the said Aaron Robins's Line and James Lawrence's Line to the Line of the Eastern and Western Division aforesaid, including the said Robins and Lawrence in Monmouth County; thence Northerly along the said Line to Sanpinck Brook, being part of the Bounds of said Somerset County, thence following the Lines of Somerset and Essex Counties, and so to the Sound, and thence down the Sound to Amboy Point and thence to the Creek where it first began." It is difficult to place these boundary lines; they depend too much upon land owned by individuals and not upon natural objects, like a river or a creek. George Willocks and Andrew Bowne were both very prominent men in New Jersey, in their day. Willocks took a leading part in the quarrel between Governor Morris and the Assembly and was one of the commissioners to fix the boundary line between New York and New Jersey. Andrew Bowne was a member, at one time, of the Governor's Council. Sanpinck Brock is the Assanpink, which empties into the Delaware at Trenton. It is called by various names in the records of New Jersey; such as St. Pinck, Sunpink, Sunpinck and Assanpinck; it has borne its present name for a century and more. The name St. Pinck is given to it in the title to one of the acts relative to counties, already quoted.

The County of Monmouth "begins at the mouth of the Creek aforesaid that parts the Land of Captain Andrew Bowne, deceased, and George Willocks; thence following the Line of Middlesex County to the Line of the Eastern and Western Division aforesaid; thence Southerly along the said Division Line to the Sea; thence along the Sea to the Point of Sandy Hook; thence up the Bay to the aforesaid Creek where it first began."

"The Line of Partition between Burlington and Gloucester County begins at the Mouth of Pensauquin, alias Cropwell (Crapwell) Creek; thence up the same to the Fork; thence along the Southermost Branch thereof, sometimes called Cole Branch, until it comes to the head thereof, which is the Bounds betwixt Samuel Lipincote's and Isaac Sharp's Land; thence upon a straight line to the Southermost Branch of Little Egg Harbour River, including the said Sharp's Land in