To people to whom these presents shall come, I Jacob Arnold Esq.[i] late

High Sheriff of the county of Morris in the state of New Jersey Do send greeting: Whereas

William Hopkins assigned in the term of March in the year of our Lord one thousand

seven hundred & eight eight [March 1788] did recover against Joseph Wager[ii] & Elizabeth Wager admi-

nistrators of Andrew Wager[iii] [1720-1788] deceased sixty two pounds and four shillings [£62 4s] lawful money

of the State of New Jersey aforesd [aforesaid] as also nine pounds four shillings and six pence [£9 4s 6p] lawful money

aforesaid for his costs and charges by him about his suits in that behalf expended.

And whereas a writ of the State of the State of New Jersey of Fieri Facias issued out

of the inferior court of Common Pleas of the county of Morris & State of New Jersey afsd [aforesaid].

Upon the Judgement of the said Court to me Directed being then High Sheriff of the coun-

ty of Morris afsd [aforesaid] whereby it was commanded that of the goods & chattles lands & tenement

which were of the said Andrew Wager Deceased in the hands of the sd [said] Joseph Wager

& Elizabeth to be administered in my bailiwick. I should cause to be made the afore-

said sum of Money and that I should have the same before the Judges of the

said on the first Tuesday in July then next following to render unto the afsd [aforesaid]

William Hopkins for his debt & Damages afsd [aforesaid] as by the said writ of Fieri Facias I

Was commanded And also whereas by virtue of the said writ of Fieri Facias I did

take & serve upon the two following tracts of land situate lying and being in roxbury [today Chester]

afsd [aforesaid] in the county & State of New Jersey asfd [aforesaid] the first of which said tracts of lands

Beginns at a chesnut tree marked P. F. and runs from thence south thirty four

degrees east twenty nine chains & twenty six links to a chesnut tree the corner of

Samuel Swesey's[iv] land and then it runs south fifty six degrees west twenty two

chains & an half to allow mitch [?] and thence north thirty four degrees west

one chains and twenty six links to a spanish oak tree marked G. R. it being

a corner of Daniel Dickerson[v] land and from thence north fifty six Degrees to east to the

place of Beginning sixty two acres and a half of land be it more of less the second tracts

Beginns at Black river south sixty Degrees east forty chains & seventy five links

to white oak tree then south fifty three west twenty six chains to a white oak

Bush thence north thirty four Degrees west thirty eight chains to Black river thence

the several courses thereof up the river to the place of Beginning containing

sixty one acres be the same more or less together with all and singular the house,

outhouses, stills, still Dams, pools, ponds, fences, mines, minerals, oars, appurtenances,

 

 

 

 

privileges and commodities to the same belonging or in any wise appertaining

which said tracts of land & Premises were by me duly advertized pursuant to the

Act of Assembly assembly in such case made & provided to be sold on the thirteenth

day of August in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine

at Public Vendor to holden at the house of Captain Nathaniel Berry in roxbury

in the county of Morris afsd [aforesaid] at which Day and place the said lotts of land & premises

were by Me according exposed to sale at a public Vendor and out-cry & Whereupon

Ezra Wager of the county of Morris afsd [aforesaid] and State of New Jersey afsd [aforesaid] bid then and

these bid for the same the sum of one hundred and thirty One pounds and ten shillings

lawful money of the state of New Jersey afsd [aforesaid] and no person bidding more the

said tracts of land were by me in due manner openly eyed off & sold to the said

Ezra Wager Wherefore know ye now ye that I the said Jacob Arnold in

execution of the Powers trust in me reposed and for and in consideration of the afsd [aforesaid]

sum of one hundred and thirty one pounds & ten shillings Lawful money of the state

of the state of New Jersey afsd [aforesaid] by the said Ezra Wager paid to the plaintiff afsd [aforesaid]

before the sealing and Delivery hereof the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged &

thereof Do acquit exonerate and discharge the said Ezra Wager his heirs executors

and administrators forever by these presents have granted bargained sold

assigned conveyed and confirmed and by these presents do grant bargain sell

assign convey & confirm to him the said Ezra Wager his heirs & assigns and

all & singular the afsd [aforesaid] two tracts tracts of lands & premises bove bounded & Described.

Together with all and singular the houses outhouses stills mill damms Pond

Pools--buildings fences profits advantages privileges & appurtenances

thereunto belonging on in any wise appertaining and also All the estates right

title Interest Property claim and Demands whatsoever of him the said Andrew

Wager Deceased at the time of his Death of in and to the same or any part thereof.

To have and to hold the said tracts of land & premises with all and singular the

appurtenances hereby granted and sale unto the said Ezra Wager his heirs and assigns

to the only proper use benefit and Behoof of the said Ezra Wager his heirs and assigns

forever. And I the said Jacob Arnold for myself heirs executors & administrators do

hereby covenant & grant promise and agree to & with the said Ezra Wager his heirs

and assigns that I have not Done suffered or possessed [?] cause to be done any act

 

 

 

 

matter or thing whereby the said tracts of & premises or any part thereof are or may be

changed or incumbered in estate title or interest or any other wise howsoever or what-

soever. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twelfth

Day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & ninety two.

Sealed & Delivered

in the presence of 2 -

Hannah Arnold

Malcom McLowrry                                                      Jacob Arnold Late Sheriff

 

Be it remembered that on the first day of April in the year of our lord eighteen

hundred personally appeared before me William Woodhull one of the Judges

of the inferior Court of Common Pleas for the County of Morris in the State of

New Jersey Jacob Arnold Esq. the grantor [?] of the herein contained Deed of

Conveyance who acknowledged that he signed sealed and as his voluntary

act and Deed delivered the same for the uses and purposes therein mentioned

                                    Taken before me                      William Woodhull[vi]

 

                                    Recorded July 27th 1800

                                                                                    Caleb Russell    

 

 

 

 

 


[i] Jacob Arnold was a hotel-keeper in Morristown. General George Washington made his headquarters with him while encamped on Mt. Washington (January 3 to May 29, 1777; and the winter of 1779-1780). During the Revolutionary War, Jacob Arnold served as a Colonel, then for many years as sheriff of Morris county, New Jersey. Part of his service included the execution of several horse thieves.

[ii] Joseph Wager (Sep. 1759-April 15, 1844) was Ezra Wager's brother and moved to the Finger Lakes region of New York about the same time.

[iii] Andrew Wager (1720-ca1788) was the father of both Joseph and Ezra. His wife, Elizabeth Dickerson, was the sister of Daniel Dickerson. The Swayze, Dickerson and Wager families moved together to Roxbury, New Jersey, along with several other families about 1745.

[iv] Samuel Swayze, b. March 20 1689, Southold Long Island; d. May 11 1759, aged 70 yrs 1 mo 11 days. His wife was Penelope Wines, b. Feb 14 1690 Southold Long Island; d. Dec 1 1746, aged 55 yrs 9 mo 17 days. In 1747, he was Justice of the Peace. Ezra Wager's first wife, Mary Swayze, was not his daughter, but probably the daughter of his cousin, John Jabez Swayze.

[v] Daniel Dickerson (1718-August 19, 1796) was the uncle of Joseph and Ezra Wager.

[vi] William Woodhull (1741-1824) received an AB from Princeton in 1764 and an AM in 1785. Following graduation he was a pastor at a number of New Jersey Presbyterian congregations between 1768 and 1774. Active in public affairs, he served as a member of the New Jersey Legislature from 1776-1790 and the New Jersey Constitutional Ratifying Convention in 1787. Later, he served variously as a Justice of the Peace in Morris County, Judge of the Circuit Court and Judge of the Court of Common Pleas from 1808 to his death in 1824. He was the first of many members of the Woodhull family to attend Princeton. A book of daily catechism and poetry by him survives at Princeton.