http://www.amazon.com/Jersey-Midlands-Henry-Charlton-Beck/dp/0813510295 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nick D. Swanstrom" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2008 9:47 AM Subject: Re: [NJHUNTER] Amwell-Hopewell Perhaps of additional interest... "It has been said, that in the earliest days of the colony of New Jersey, two men named Stout came into this part of the province. One settled on the North side of Rocky Hill and the other on the South side. They frequently visited each other. "The usual salutation was, 'I hope you're well.' The response was as uniform, and sometimes repeated, 'I am well-I am well.' In the process of time, the one became designated as the 'Hopewell Stout,' and the other the 'Amwell Stout'." This was the origin of the names of the townships, both formerly of Hunterdon County. (1)" Footnote: "(1) The name Amwell is English in origin. John Reading called his plantation near present-day Stockton, where he settled in about 1703, Mount Amwell, after his home village in Hertfordshire." Source: John W. Lequear, Traditions of Hunterdon: Early History and Legends of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Flemington, NJ: D. H. Moreau, 1957, p. 5. Note: "Originally published as a series of articles on the Early History and Traditions of Hunterdon County in the Hunterdon Republican, Flemington, N. J., in 1869-70 under the title 'Traditions of Our Ancestors.' The author is believed to have been John W. Lequear. Republished in 1956-57 in the Hunterdon County Democrat with the cooperation of the Hunterdon County Historical Society." (Source: Title Page) I acquired this book to help me do further genealogy research on the Bray family of Monmouth and Hunterdon Counties, who married descendents from the Stout family (among many other local families of historical interest). I purchased it from VeraBook.com (Clarksburg, NJ) for a tidy sum. Written inside is "To Mom from Rudy, Happy Birthday 1971." At one time Lequear's work was of interest to this family too... R/Nick D. Swanstrom Sterling, VA On 7/17/08 11:13 AM, "Dane Coefer" <[email protected]> wrote: > Those would be the brothers Jonathan Stout of Hopewell and David Stout of > Wertsville/Amwell. Original settlers of both locales, that would make the > traditional story nearly 300 years old. > > Traditional origin of Amwell is believed to be derived from the Reading > family > who originated there and were among the first (post-Dutch) landowners. > > Dane Coefer > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On > Behalf Of Dee Snook > Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 4:38 PM > To: Hunterdon Mailing List > Subject: [NJHUNTER] Fare to Midlands > > If you ever get the chance to read "Fare to Midlands" (Forgotten Towns of > Central New Jersey, do it. I expected it to be very factual, but instead > it's > a collection of stories and tales about the small towns, many now gone of > Central Jersey. I've just been reading the chapter about Hopewell and > Amwell > and how the names possibly came about. According to Miss Susan Weart > "David > used to come down from his house and Jonathan from his. They'd meet, > usually, > at the crossroads (between Hopewell and Amwell) within hearing of > everybody. > Their greeting was always the same. Jonathan would greet his brother with, > 'I > hope you are well, David!' And David would reply, blusteringly, as if some > doubt of it had been implied, 'I am well, Jonathan!' So, before there was > either Hopewell or Amwell, their neighbors called them Amwell David and > Hopewell Jonathan!" > The book is a treasure filled with little tales of the areas of what are > now > Hunterdon, Mercer and Burlington counties. > > When a person dies, a library closes. > > > > Visit the Hunterdon County GenWeb page at: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes > in the subject and the body of the message > > Visit the Hunterdon County GenWeb page at: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes > in the subject and the body of the message Visit the Hunterdon County GenWeb page at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message