Correction on how the property was acquired for Meadtown. The Chapter in the History of Kinnelon Ive correct so many mistakes with sources and proof and have seen heard the book is full of wrong information. It was not given to the Mead family by any King nor was it a Grant. The Book stated it was 10,000 acres the Meads received as a Grant, but in other documents it stated 5,000 (which might be possible but then again, I haven’t located all the acreage. I have a copy of the ruff draft or notes to that Chapter found at the Kinnelon Historical Society and in it the property is repeatedly labeled in one sentence as a Grant, in another as Patent land and then again in another as a Deed. If you look up the definition of these documents they are 3 different Legal Binding Contracts! The Kinnelon Historical Society asked me to do and update on The History of Meadtown obviously because the information is wrong. I’ve been tracking the acres for about 16 years even before this request when I realized the info in the book was wrong. Jan Pietersen John Mead “Meet”, aka John Mead was one of the 8 Associates that bought land off the Indians 06 June 1695, known then as Pompton Valley. This was known as the Upper and Lower Pequannock Patent. This purchase was for the area known as Pompton Valley; Pequannock, Beavertown (Lincoln Park), Towaco, Jacksonville, Bloomingdale and Pompton (Riverdale). The 8 Associates divided the land among themselves. Of the 8 Associates, Bayard a Merchant in NYC never lived on his portion, it was an investment. The 2 Patent, The Pompton was land bought off the Indians again for the sole purpose to sell it to others wanting to live in that Settlement. On 04 Aug 1710 John Mead, Hendrick Mandeville, George Ryerson and Paulus VanderBeeck purchased additional land in what is now known as Morris Co. in the area of Pompton Plains, Riverdale, (Bloomingdale was Pompton Twp. Passaic Co and this was George Ryerson’s land) and Kinnelon. Reading all I could find regarding the Upper and Lower Pequannock Patent and the Pompton Patent, this land was described in a book they bought if I remember right was written by William Nelson as “being on the Morris County side of the Pequannock (River)”. John Mead and his father Peter Mead married two of Hendrick Mandeville’s sisters. Hendrick Mandeville’s lands were located Rt. 23 Southbound and Northbound side, where the gated Senior Living Community is his house stood up on the hill and across the highway where BJ’s, Staples, and Target and Walmart are. I need to go through Hendrick’s deeds to find out the full location of land owned in that area. I know Meadtown went as far up as High Crest Lake Bridge and over to where Aaron Decker School is located because the Orchards are described as being located there; the area now Stop n Shop; as far as The Church of Nazarene, located on the street before Decker road, but I’m not sure how far down Kiel Ave, Butler the land went; as you come South on Rt. 23 from the bridge, I’m still not sure how far in the land went; from the Main Farm house, pictured it went up as far as Ricker Rd. There were at least 5-6 Mead houses totaling, possibly a 7th one. Three remain today, 1 located in the Meadtown parking lot with the UPS store attached to it and as you go into Kakeout Ave on the right, the house that was later known as the Banta house and the house that sits behind that and can be seen from the parking lot of the Kinnelon Historical Society. I use to be able to locate the one on Kakeout, but it has been alter so much from the original Dutch Architect I’m not sure which one it is anymore. Mandeville’s Property aligned with both the Mead to the North of Rt. 23 and to the west of Ryerson’s land located in Bloomingdale and some of Riverdale where they owned a Saw Mill. My problem right now is I don’t know how far South of Rt. 23 the Mead property went. Having a Serious Blonde Moment it only just dawn on me to go through Hendrick Mandeville’s Deeds to try to figure out his lands location. By accident I found part of the land, at Ancestry’s under s New” when they added the Wills. English would buy land then turn around and sell it for a profit, whereas Dutch families would hold on to their land 200 plus years. I now believe with what I always thought, some of the land was part of the Patent land and some of it is from the additional land bought 04 Aug 1710. The land passed 95 years down through the Wills to Jacob,to his son, Peter Jacob Mead, the first settler of Meadtown. Jacob (my 5th great grandfather) never lived at Meadtown (I had stated “I think his father, Jacob J Mead Meet built the main farmhouse sometime in 1780s, but it was probably Peter Jacob, his son) but according to his Will, he left to his son, Peter (My 4th great grandfather) the land… “1790 Nov 22 Mead, Jacob, Pequannock Twp., Morris Co., will of. Wife Anna (Post)… and to remain in possession of land and tenements bequested to son, John, while my widow. (John Jacob Mead was at sea, where he eventually died according to ‘The Mead Family of Northern New Jersey’). Eldest son, Peter, land on west side of Kikewit Brook, except ½ of lower part of 14 acres next to Derrick Freeland. Son, John, all land and tenements on east side of Kikewit Brook, and other ½ of the 14 acres joining Derrick Freeland. Son, Garret, reforms, he is to have only interest. Remainder of Personal, after wife’s marriage or decease, to be equally divided between my 3 sons.” To date, I have not been able to locate any info on Garret. I contacted Morris County Deed Office and when my pain behaves this Spring, my friend and I are going there to find any info on the Patent land; the Deed or to find out if the land bought 04 Aug 1710 is part of The Pompton Patent and all the Deeds I can locate regarding Meadtown. I’m not sure if the total acreage was 5000 but I do not think it was nowhere near 10,000 as stated in the History of Kinnelon, I’m guessing maybe 1500 to about 2000 (3000?) acres. So far I’ve located 710 acres.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 09:13:08 +0000
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