1793 Militia Records of New Jersey
In 1793, thirty-three (33) men of various spelling of Vreeland/Freeland were listed in Essex and Morris Counties, NJ. The five (5) in Morris County were all listed together in Pequanock Township, land in Hunterdon County until April 1740 and he most northern township along the Pequannock River. They were Daniel, Jacob, John, Nicholas, and Richard (Dirck) Vrelandt. The remaining twenty-eight (28) were scattered over several Essex County townships which were not specified by James S. Norton in his book "New Jersey in 1793". However, with a little detective work, nearly all of them can be placed in their township of residence. That snapshot in time can be quite informative and should help others form better speculation about sibling relationships.
The total Essex County list named 2,964 men who were old enough to be in the Militia and appears to have some value in household location. That along with early deeds, wills, inventories, guardianships, marriages and christenings should help others in creative speculation that might be provable.
Most specifically, John Vreeland, brother of Abraham Vreeland, resided in the area that became the Springfield Township. He died intestate in 1770. He had married Yonacy Post on January 2, 1754, and deeds written around 1810 indicate that his widow was still alive and had not remarried. (Officially, he was listed as Johannes E. Vreeland in the marriage record.) Involved in the several deeds analysed were Daniel Vreeland, Jr., Lewis W. Vreeland and a host of Ackermans. Those BELIEVED to have lived in the Springfield Township, Essex County, in 1793, were David, Simon, James, Aaron, Enoch, Daniel and another Enoch. James, Aaron, and one of the Enochs seemed to have been the sons of Abraham, leaving David, Simon, Daniel and another Enoch to be accounted for in other limbs of the tree.
In 1793, Springfield Township was primarily a "farming area" and not nearly as manufacturing oriented as Elizabeth and Newark. Acquackanonk was the most northeastern township in Essex County, plus closest to Paterson, NJ, and by 1834, the Morris Canal cut through the township on its way to Easton and the Delaware River. New Jersey life in 1793 wasn't "backcountry" and the economy was much better than that of a majority of location in our new Republic. The assimilation process for these Dutch-Americans was entering it's final phase after the Revolutionary War.
Proximity isn't everything, but it was/is important. The 1793 list shows some strong sibling connections as well as ties brothers-in law and spouses's family in close proximity in some cases. Hence, DAVID, SIMON, DANIEL and ENOCH who apparently lived in Springfield have specific interest for this researcher who is a featherweight in possessing much proof and a goliath for creative speculation. Interested in investigating those men or any suspected sisters within a specific time period of 1755 to 1830 ?
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Re: 1793 Militia Records of New Jersey
jon vreeland 4/03/07