A list of Salem County men accused of joining the King's Army as published in the PA Gazette by the courts in 1778.


I have been using various sources to try to get past some of the brick walls created by the the disruption of society during the Revolutionary war. I've seen court record that later quashed MOST OF THESE accusations, which were often based only on hearsay. But the war was on,emotions were running high and so were fears.


Those who did show up to defend themselves apparently were put in goal til they could pay fines. When accused of treason, if they didn't plead guilty, immediate hanging was the alternative. Sort of a catch 22. Those who didn't show up, were automatically found guilty.


Only a handful ever actually forfeited their estates, and were banished from the territory. At least one I know of was able to recover his losses after the war, due to the illegal character of the verdict.

On the other hand, several names were indeed known to be Loyalists, but we have few records that include many others.

Just cautioning the reader, that corroborative evidence in other sources is necessary to prove the charges, one way or another. However, I see many names I've never seen before, so hope this might help bring some light to a difficult puzzle.


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"At an Inferior Court of Common-Pleas held for the county of Salem, on the 15th instant, were returned inquisitions for joining the army of the King of Great-Britain, and for other offences against the form of allegiance,

found against Abraham Saunders, John Murrow, John Booth, Erasmus Kent, junior, Matthew Money, Obadiah Wood, John Booden, John Stallcope, Joseph Munyen, Peter Kearney, Elisha Hall, John Youren, Hugh Copperthwait, Moses Atkinson, Richard Meed, Jacob Van Meter, Philip Adams, William Pearce, James Sutton, John Sutton, Thomas Sutton, Jacob Sutton, Israel Elwell, Reuben Langley, Abdon Abbott, jun. Robert Whitacar, Ananias Nelson, John Cowman, Joseph Kindal, Richard Smith, Jacob Garrison, John Daniels, James Flanagan, Trivis Jenkins, John Sparks, John Sparks, jun. Lewis Reed, Pheneas Dunham, Samuel Davis, Samuel Jamison, William Rawson, Henry Corse, Thomas Clarke, George Johnson, Joseph Hilton, Henry Langbog, Thomas Lamb, Joseph Hewlings, Noah Kerby, James Dougherty, Anthony Noble, Jerman Davis, Michael Miller, James Dean, Moses Sutton, Christopher Raindoleer and George Clark, jun.

Proclamation was made in open Court, and information given, that if they, or any on their behalf, or any persons interested, would traverse, a trial should be awarded and an opportunity of preventing forfeitures given; no traverses were offered:

Therefore Notice is hereby given, that if neither they, nor any on their behalf, nor any persons interested, should traverse at the next Court held for the county of Salem, on the first Tuesday in December next, the inquisitions will be taken to be true, and final judgment entered thereon in favour of the State; their personal estates will then be forfeited to the use of the State, and their lands taken into the hands of the Commissioners, until the Legislature shall take further order therein respecting the lands.

Thomas Sayre, Esq. and William Garrison, Commisioners. Salem county, Sept. 26, 1778. —New-Jersey Gazette, Vol. 1, No. 44, Oct. 7, 1778.
Piles Grove, Salem county, West-Jersey, Oct. 9, 1778.

New Jersey Archives: Documents Relating to the Revolutionary History of the ...
By A M S Press, Incorporated, New Jersey Historical Society; p470
http://books.google.com/books?id=Grl4AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA468&a...
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ps.
I take no glory or shame from any of my ancestor's lives. I get it that both sides in that conflict felt they were doing the right thing...but history is written by the 'winners'. I want to hear the other side of the story, and would like to see the thread developed by any who have further information on any of the names on the list.

Val