Seeking historical background on lower Mullica river life, mid-18th century

[pinelandpaddler]

I had 1689 in my head for some reason, but 1698 seems correct for the Leeds. Pierce places the arrival of the first white settlers at Nescochague in 1707. He implies that they were offshoots of those who fled Charles II's war against the Kirk and arrived in the southern counties after Penn took control of West Jersey... mid-1680's I think.

Pierce also repeats the 1645 date for Eric Mullica's first trip up the river. That would have been something like 7-8 years after the first Swedish colonization on the lower Delaware, correct? That date doesn't seem impossible if Mullica was a Swede. Has it been reliably discounted? Seems strange that nobody would have been up that river in 50 years.

Where'd you read that tale about the sizes of the eggs? That's neat .

Mullica would have only been 9 years old in 1645.

I'm sure there were people going up and down the river before Mullica settled there. We simply have no records of such.

The origin of the term "Egg Harbor" is well documented. It is the Anglicization of the Dutch "Eyren Haven".

 

[MarkBNJ]

Mullica would have only been 9 years old in 1645.

I'm sure there were people going up and down the river before Mullica settled there. We simply have no records of such.

The origin of the term "Egg Harbor" is well documented. It is the Anglicization of the Dutch "Eyren Haven".

You've seen more info on Mullica than I have. So apparently we know when he was born?

How did the river come to have Mullica's name, if we assume he didn't discover it, and was just one of perhaps a few hundred settlers in the region at the turn of the century?

I was aware of the original name of "Eyren Haven," but I hadn't heard the specific story about the size of the eggs being related to the names "Great Egg Harbor River" and "Little Egg Harbor River."

 

[ecampbell]

For purposes of clarification, the terms 'great' and 'little' were originally applied to the size of the eggs found along the shores of the bays. The Little Egg Harbor River (Mullica) is in fact the larger of the two rivers.[/quote

Ok, I'm lost here and am probably going to feel really dumb when I get the answer, but what Eggs?

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Mullica was said to be virtually alone in the wilderness on his farm along the river. Few, if any, whites were living along the river at the time. I'd hazard to guess that this fact, coupled with Mullica's reputation, led to the honor of having the river named after him. But guesswork is all I gots. You will be treated to good info on Mullica on pgs. 407-412 of Heart of the Pines.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Ok, I'm lost here and am probably going to feel really dumb when I get the answer, but what Eggs?

Hehe. The eggs of various waterfowl.

 

[MarkBNJ]

So... Sweetwater. Some of the sources I've read claim that was the original name of Pleasant Mills, but what is labeled as Sweetwater on the map today is south and east of there. What's the story?

 

[pinelandpaddler]

It's all Sweetwater as far as I'm concerned. Not sure why modern maps distinguish between the two.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Eric Mullica's Father-in-law, Captain Israel Helm, was an interpreter between the Swedes and the Lenape. Could he have bought land on the river before Mullica? Perhaps Mullica bought or inherited his tract on the river from Helm? Just thinking out loud here.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

I'm sure there were people going up and down the river before Mullica settled there.

Maybe "sure" is too strong a word. (just talking to myself again)

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Mark,

THE first settlement in what is now known as Atlantic County was made at Chestnut Neck on the west bank of the Mullica river near where the village of Port Republic is now located. In 1637 John Mullica sailed up the river that took his name, landing at Chestnut Neck, Green Bank, and Sweetwater, now Pleasant Mills. From thence he journeyed across country to Mullica Hill where he settled, lived, and died.

What a mess! 1637? That was the date that, according to the Sooy Family Geneaology, Eric's family arrived in America aboard either the Key of Calmar or the Griffin. So Hall, or someone else, was confused on that matter. It has been shown that Mullica actually arrived in America in 1654 aboard the Eagle. It wasn't until between 1693 and 1697 that he relocated to Takohan (modern day Lower Bank). The mistaken 1645 date can also be traced back to the Sooy Family Geneaology.
Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig is to be credited for doing the real research that has dispelled these inaccuracies that have been, and still are, repeated all too often.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Also, Eric Mullica did not move to Mullica Hill. He died by 1704 in his home along the river that bears his name. His sons settled Mullica Hill after his death.

 

[MarkBNJ]

Based on the feedback here I've basically discounted Hall, and the other sources that appear to be derivatives of the same misconceptions. I'm looking forward to Heart of the Pines. Googling Dr. Craig led me to this...

http://nc-chap.org/cranehook/pdfs/census_1671.pdf

Is this the research you're referring to? Looks like it's going to be interesting.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

I was thinking of his work on the 1693 census.

http://nc-chap.org/cranehook/pdfs/census_1693.pdf

Edit: But Dr. Craig provides some good info on Mullica in his work on the 1671 census as well.

 

[MarkBNJ]

Excellent, thanks for that link.

 

[MarkBNJ]

It's all Sweetwater as far as I'm concerned. Not sure why modern maps distinguish between the two.

When you say "it's all Sweetwater" do you mean in the same sense that "The Forks" in actual usage encompassed Pleasant Mills, Batsto, and the houses, taverns, wharfs, warehouses, etc., on the river south of there? Where in the timeline from "Nescochague" to "Pleasant Mills" was the name "Sweetwater" in general use?

 

[pinelandpaddler]

When you say "it's all Sweetwater" do you mean in the same sense that "The Forks" in actual usage encompassed Pleasant Mills, Batsto, and the houses, taverns, wharfs, warehouses, etc., on the river south of there?

Yes.

Where in the timeline from "Nescochague" to "Pleasant Mills" was the name "Sweetwater" in general use?

Apparently the name "Sweetwater" was first applied to the area in Charles J. Peterson's Novel, Kate Aylesford (Pearce, p. 145).

That would be in 1853.

 

[MarkBNJ]

Yes.



Apparently the name "Sweetwater" was first applied to the area in Charles J. Peterson's Novel, Kate Aylesford (Pearce, p. 145).

That would be in 1853.

Lol, no kidding? So no historical basis at all? I'll forget about it then.

 

[JerseyG]

I have come to realise Heston is largely responsible for most of the bad history which has been passed around by Atlantic County historians and historical writers for the past 100 years, which has been insinuated into and thus perpetuated in later works, up to the present. I am constantly amased at the sheer laziness of people who present as fact the rubbish this man seemed to cobble together from old wives tales and half-truths for which he obviously filled in the blanks with whims of fancy.
We need to retire Heston as 'the' authority on Atlantic County History, and begin to rewrite our local history based on primary, and thus 'reliable' source materials.

In my opinion, Heston is really more of a story-teller along the lines of James Fenimore Cooper than a historian.

@Pinelandpaddler You warmed the very cockles of my heart when you pointed out the fact that the so-called "Little Egg Harbour" is actually the greater river vis á vis the Great Egg Harbour River. I'm tired of those EHT folks trying to steal our Galloway Township thunder...lol

JerseyG

 

[relayer]

This is a great thread. I've enjoyed reading it. So I saw this in Bisbee's Sign Posts and decided it was just barely pertinent enough to post.

CAKES SPRUTO (Washington Township). A small mill stream which flows south into the Mullica River just west of Lower Bank. The mouth of Cakes Spruto "upon which Samuel Weeks saw mill formerly stood," is fixed as a boundary point in the formation of Randolph Township when it was removed from Washington Township in 18med prior to 1713 in a survey, this strangely named stream is spelled Cakes Sprater.2 It is again cited in a 1759 survey. In this same year "the pond at the head of Cakesproots" is noted. Road returns of 1808 spell name Caky Sprater.

Weeks Sawmill is listed on the 1849 map. Mr. Ronald Hill, who operates a cranberry bog at Bull Town, claims a gristmill was also located on the stream. When pressed for proof he said, "I helped my Daddy remove the stones!"

Most place name experts this writer consulted suggested that "Cakesproots" is an Indian word.

Origin. Any place name along the Mullica River mentioned as early as 1713 may possibly be associated with Swedish settlers. No settler with this obviously Swedish name can be found in the surveys or archives but, according to Leah Blackman, Joseph Cake, Jr., married Helena Cranmer of Little Egg Harbor around 1758. Assuming the word to be a
person's name, one would suppose that the stream should be called "Cake's Spruto." There is a Swedish word "Spruts" used in the sense of "to sprout out water." A literal translation would be, "Cake's Spring."


BTW - Have you've looked at Vol 21 of the NJ Archive series?

 

[MarkBNJ]

Pinelandpaddler and I were tramping about the muddy banks of Cakes Spruto last Sunday, as a matter of fact. Saw a few interesting things. He felt "Spruto" had something to do with a Dutch or Swedish word, don't recall which.

I picked up "Heart of the Pines" while I was down there. As others have said, worth every penny.