Amwell Township was a

Township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

that existed in

Hunterdon County Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous county,New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States, from 1708 to 1846. The Township was established by royal patent on June 8, 1708, from Queen Anne, the first sovereign of the combined kingdom of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

, while the area was part of

West Jersey West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. Determination of an exact location for a border between West Jersey and East Jersey was often ...

.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 153. Accessed November 14, 2012.
accessed March 16, 2007 At the time of its inception, its territory comprised and included the present day Delaware Township, Raritan Township, Readington Township, East Amwell Township and

West Amwell Township West Amwell Township is a township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 3,840, reflecting an increase of 1,457 (+61.1%) from the 2,383 counted in the 2000 Census, wh ...

and portions of Clinton,

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

and Tewksbury Townships. The township was named for

Great Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

and Little Amwell, Hertfordshire in England. On March 11, 1714, it became part of the newly formed Hunterdon County. Lebanon Township was first mentioned on October 26, 1731, as having been created from Amwell Township, though the exact date of its formation is unknown. Reading Township (now known as Readington Township) was created from portions of Amwell Township on July 15, 1730. On February 21, 1798, Amwell Township was incorporated by an Act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...

as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships. On April 2, 1838, both Delaware Township and Raritan Township were created from portions of Amwell Township. On April 6, 1846, Amwell was split into East and West Amwell Townships, and Amwell Township was dissolved.

History

Amwell Militia monument, Raritan Township, NJ

On December 14, 1776, during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, local militia led by Captain

John Schenck John Schenck (sometimes written ''Schanck'') (1750–1823) was a captain in the New Jersey Militia during the American Revolutionary War. Background Schenck was born in the now-defunct Amwell Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey on May 26, 175 ...

ambushed a party of British dragoons returning from a raid on Flemington. The British leader, Cornet Francis Geary, was killed during this skirmish, known as the

Ambush of Geary The Ambush of Geary, also known as the Amwell Skirmish, was a skirmish of the American Revolutionary War fought on 14 December 1776 in Amwell Township of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Cornet Francis Geary, the leader of a company of dragoons, ...

, that took place between Copper Hill and Larison's Corners. The ambush site is now located in Raritan Township. On December 14, 1976, as part of the

United States Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...

, the township dedicated a monument to the Amwell Militia here. A memorial monument to Geary is located nearby along with a plaque describing the Amwell Skirmish.

Notable people

Notable people who resided in Amwell Township include: * William Kirkpatrick (1769–1832), represented New York in Congress from 1807 to 1809. *

(1750–1823), captain in the Amwell Militia, commander of the

References

{{Authority control 1708 establishments in New Jersey 1846 disestablishments Former municipalities in Hunterdon County, New Jersey Former townships in New Jersey Populated places established in 1708

History

Notable people

See also

References