As I continue to read the queries on the Adamson's, it seems that the
many of us are stuck at the same place-JOHN & ANN.  It is
becoming doubtful that any of us has any more information, stuck away in a
box, concerning these two, so I  am hoping that someone will pick up the
challenge and do some real research.  It is tedious, but rewarding.  It is
probably going to require someone who lives in or near New Jersey, or someone
willing to go to some of the places in question, to do this for us. The
internet is wonderful, but nothing beats a visit to the area to check the
resources in the courthouses, libraries, local historical societies, and old
Quaker records.  I have put together some information that many have gathered
through the years.  I've tried to condense it so that it might help someone
know where to look.

It is believed that the settlement which historians have called "The Lost
Village of Newton" was located on the north side of the middle branch of
Newton Creek, Camden (formerly Gloucester) County, NJ.  This area of the
Delaware Valley is sometimes called West Jersey.  A group of Friends had
paddled up Newton Creek in search of a suitable home site. They named the new
settlement for Newton Creek.

Friends Meetings were held in their homes as no Meeting House had been built.
 At Burlington (Gloucester Co., NJ) Monthly Meeting held on 6 Sep 1681, it
was ordered that these (Newton) Friends hold a Meeting every 4th day to begin
at the 2nd hour.  At a General Meeting held on 11 Apr 1682 held at Salem it
was ordered that a Monthly Meeting be held for worship.  Thus was established
the Newton Meeting.  In 1684, the Newton Monthly Meeting House was built and
land was set aside for a burial ground.  As was their custom, graves were to
be unmarked.

After a time, non Quakers bought land and settled on surrounding properties.
Many of the Friends left the settlement in the interest of their Church and
moved to Hadden Township, Camden County (formerly Gloucester), NJ, where they
took certificates to Haddonfield Monthly Meeting House.  The old Newton
Meeting House burned on 22 Dec 1817 and was never rebuilt.  There has been no
trace of its existence for 150 years except for extant Journals in which are
recorded the Procedures of its Quaker Meetings.  In one such Journal is
recorded the marriage of John Adamson to Ann Skew/Skuce in 1716. {The above
taken from History of Camden County, New Jersey by Geo. R. Prowell, 1886, pp.
650 & 651 and Adamson, Duvall and Related Families by Ree Adamson Fraelich,
1974, pp 6 & 7)

In VOL. III, 1927-28, p. 20 of the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, it
states that the Newton Meeting House was located in what is now West
Collingswood, Camden Co (formerly Gloucester).   The old graveyard still
exists (at least in 1928) alongside the Reading Railroad tracks at Newton
Creek.

The Haddonfield Monthly Meeting came into existence in 1721, at which time it
was changed from Newton, same congregation, but new location 2 or 3 miles
away.

BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

On 31 Mar 31 1726, John and Ann and their young family (4 children at that
time) moved to Gwynedd Monthly Meeting in Bucks Co., PA.  They settled about
8 miles from the present Quakertown, PA.  They settled on a 152 acre farm,
next to Richland Manor, which he received from John, Richard and Thomas Penn
in 1730.  Three more children were born here.

Ann died in 1733.  In 1753, John conveyed his plantation to his son Thomas,
and probably died soon after.  Thomas lived on the land until 1775, when he
sold the homestead.  He acquired other property in Bucks Co. in 1751. We know
nothing of his wife.  It is thought that her name was Mary (Burson?). They
married prior to the origin of Richland Monthly Meeting.  At some point,
Thomas became a part of The Richland Monthly Meeting. Thomas and his son,
John took a certificate from Richland Monthly Meeting at Quakertown, Bucks
Co. to Westland Monthly Meeting in Washington Co., PA in 1784.

Other Related Facts:

1.  County boundaries have changed and the records usually stayed in the
original county seat and may not be in the present day county seat because of
boundary changes.
Gloucester Co. was formed in 1686 (original county).  Woodbury is county seat.
Camden Co. formed from Gloucester in 1844.  Camden is county seat.
So, even though, the Adamson's lived in what is now Camden Co., any records
are likely to be in Gloucester Co.

2.  These Quaker Records might show something of interest to us.  Some of
these can be gotten from LDS, but they don't have all of them.
Newton MM., Gloucester (now Camden Co), NJ from earliest (about 1682) to 1721.
Haddonfield MM., Gloucester (now Camden Co), NJ from 1721 to 1726.
Gwynedd MM., Bucks Co., PA, 1726 to 1742.
Richland MM, Bucks Co., PA  1742 to 1784.

3. A Transcript (I haven't seen the original) of the First Quarter Century
Documents of Old Gloucester County, New Jersey, Volume Two,  has an item
dated 22 Jan 1689 that indicates a proceeding with Jeams (who would that be?)
Adamson as foreman.

4.  If anyone  is interested in seeing where John Adamson's original Patent
in Bucks Co., PA is:  Go to Quakertown,  take Richlandtown Pike northerly
through Richlandtown.  In a short distance it intersects California Road.
That is the southeast corner of what was John's land. The land will be on
your left.   Follow Richlandtown Pike northerly to Keystone Rd., then
southwesterly on Keystone Road.  The land continues to be on the left..  It
is an irregularly shaped piece of property, but you can get an idea of what
it's like.  (from Patton's Lehigh-Northampton Counties Map)

Donna Adamson
Feburary, 2001