colonist
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area.
A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer.
Settl ...
militiaman
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...
and
East Jersey
The Province of East Jersey, along with the Province of West Jersey, between 1674 and 1702 in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed, were two distinct political divisions of the Province of New Jersey, which became the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...
. In partnership with his uncle, Nathaniel Kingsland of Barbados, he obtained the initial
land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...
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 ...
and he and his family were the first
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
settlers there. He held various civil offices and was involved in several militia engagements.
Early life
Sandford was baptized on December 24, 1637 at the Church of the English Court in Hamburg. His parents were merchant adventurer Thomas Sandford and Elizabeth Kingsland. Probably about 1644, he moved with his mother and siblings to Barbados, where his mother’s brother, Nathaniel Kingsland, was a wealthy businessman.
Career
Before 1660 William moved to Surinam, where his brother
Robert
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
was a plantation owner and government official. The brothers lost a power struggle with Governor William Byam and were tried on charges tantamount to sedition. Robert was
disenfranchised
Disfranchisement, also called disenfranchisement, or voter disqualification is the restriction of suffrage (the right to vote) of a person or group of people, or a practice that has the effect of preventing a person exercising the right to vote. D ...
and
banished Banished may refer to:
* ''Banished'' (TV series), a 2015 drama television series
* ''Banished'' (film), a 2007 documentary
* ''Banished'' (video game), a city-building strategy game by Shining Rock Software
* Banished (Halo), an alien faction ...
, while William was let off with minor sanctions. In 1664 William
leased
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...
and managed a plantation owned by his uncle. He left Surinam after the
Second Anglo-Dutch War
The Second Anglo-Dutch War or the Second Dutch War (4 March 1665 – 31 July 1667; nl, Tweede Engelse Oorlog "Second English War") was a conflict between England and the Dutch Republic partly for control over the seas and trade routes, whe ...
resulted in the loss of the plantation.
In 1668, William acquired the first land grant awarded in New Barbadoes, a tract of 15,308
acres
The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, of a square mile, 4,840 square ...
(23.92
square miles
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90- degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length ad ...
). He and his family settled there in 1670. In 1671, the grant was divided between Kingsland and Sandford, with Sandford becoming the sole owner of the southern third of the tract. That land would remain in his family’s hands for more than six decades and eventually be known as West Hudson.
Sandford served East Jersey as a member of the Governor’s Council. He also served as court president and justice of the supreme court, as well as attorney general. He was commissioned as a captain in the East Jersey militia. In 1680 he commanded the garrison at Elizabethtown in a tense engagement with leaders of New York as they moved to take control over New Jersey. He was promoted to the rank of major in 1683.
Personal life
As he departed Surinam in 1667, Sandford married Sarah Whartman in a shipboard ceremony that was kept secret for at least ten years. While Sandford was recorded in 1668 as a resident of Barbados, the whereabouts of his family from 1667 to 1670 are unclear. The couple would raise five children, as well as a daughter of William’s by another union. He is believed to have been interred in the Sandford Burying Ground in
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny ( ) is a town in the western part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of Newark. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 40,684,Maj William Sandford " ''Find A Grave.'' His descendants include two governors of New Jersey,
William Sandford Pennington
William Sanford Pennington (1757 – September 17, 1826) was a United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, an associate justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, the sixth governor of New Jersey and a United States district judge of ...
and
William Pennington
William Pennington (May 4, 1796 – February 16, 1862) was an American politician and lawyer. He was the 13th governor of New Jersey from 1837 to 1843. He served one term in the United States House of Representatives, during which he served as ...