Clinton Township Newsletter

2 5 F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 6 R e v o l u t i o n O n O u r D o o r s t e p : February 1776! A six-part special series marking the 240th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence By Donald Sherblom 1759VoughtHouse.org Thomas Jones kept a tavern near the Vought Farm, on today's Beaver Avenue. Jones had been chosen as a delegate to the provincial Congress. New Jersey's Congress was technically illegal but had an aura of legitimacy since the committees that chose delegates included almost every member of the legal Assembly and new activists like Jones. By February 1776, this extra-legal Congress had usurped the powers of the Assembly and Council and displaced Governor Franklin, now effectively under house arrest. As warfare continued, the question of how people in New Jersey would regain their rights as Englishmen gained urgency. Would they continue to support this 'defensive' war, the boycott of imports, and petitions to Parliament, or follow a growing number of radicals in the Continental Congress pushing for independence? The Continental Congress' importation ban and the militia drills and taxes ordered by New Jersey's provincial Congress brought this question home. Joining the local boycott association and turning out for drills at the iron works indicated allegiance to an increasingly radical Continental Congress. Jones' neighbor John Vought "signed an Association and attended the training of the militia," as he "durst not declare his sentiments." In the midst of political upheaval, people continued making a living on the farms and in mills along the rivers. Water-powered bellows raised the temperature at Allen's furnace until white-hot molten iron flowed out into a large channel and smaller furrows aligned like suckling pigs. The skilled workers who refined this 'pig iron' into high-quality 'anchonies' were often enslaved Africans, since they could not be hired away by rival forges. Caesar, Tom Pipes, Mingo, Joe, and Jack Martin Peter worked overages making anchonies on their free day for payment. At the blacksmith shop, Silverthorne forged iron wares. Water-powered hammers at the slitting mill produced nails and rods. Wagons hauled these products along rutted roads to the Delaware where oarsmen on flat-bottomed Durham boats glided them downstream to Trenton and Philadelphia. Below the grist mill and the dam David McKinney had built on the Raritan, in the Hamden section of today's Clinton Township, Philip Grandin operated a fulling mill where a waterwheel lifted wooden hammers to fall on woolen material, making it smoother, thicker and more durable. Philip's eldest daughter, Mary Grandin, was married to John Vought. Before winter set in, John brought 31 yards of woolens to the mill and specified 8 yards be marked with a V, "dyed red and made flannel for under petticoats." The Grandin family worshipped at the Quakertown meeting, which issued an epistle urging Friends "to keep as much as possible from mixing with the people in their human policies and contrivances and to forebear meeting in their public consultations as snares and dangers may arise..." When war came, most Quakers remained neutral, abstained from fighting and paid their fines. Philip Grandin continued operating the fulling mill, processing fabric for his mother-in-law Cornelia Vought, wife of a loyalist fighting with the British, and for Thomas Jones and Colonel Charles Stewart, commissaries for the Continental Army. The goal of reconciliation with Britain faded quickly in 1776. It would be treason but, declaring the colonies independent –a necessity if Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin were to negotiate an alliance with France – gained support in Philadelphia. In March, Congress decreed that royal authority in each colony should be "totally suppressed and all the powers of government exerted under the authority of the people." In April 1776, General Washington arrived in New York City and ordered first Charles Lee then Lord Stirling, William Alexander, to fortify the port of New York. The expectation that an overwhelming British military force would soon arrive hardened the divergent views of rebels, loyalists, and neutrals. May elections to New Jersey's provincial Congress would be a referendum on independence with, in Hunterdon County, a sharply contested outcome. [references: 1759VoughtHouse.org] (To Be Continued in May.) A v o i d t h e W e d d i n g B e l l B l u e s Planning and preparing for a wedding is an exciting time. However, addressing certain legal and financial practicalities before and during marriage can improve your chances of having a successful, happy union. Here are some things you should consider: • One may assume that after marriage "yours" and "mine" automatically becomes "ours," but that isn't necessarily the case. Marital property is defined as property each individual accumulates during the marriage with the exception of property acquired as a gift or inheritance. Therefore, couples can have both (a) non-marital property (i.e., assets acquired prior to marriage and those acquired during marriage in the form of a gift or inheritance) and (b) marital property. 1. If you want non-marital assets to be separate, keep them separate. Don't deposit money earned during your marriage into non-marital accounts; don't use non-marital funds to pay marital debt. This can compromise the status of non-marital assets. 2. Appreciation of non-marital assets (property, businesses, investments) during the marriage may be considered marital property, especially if the appreciation is active, meaning it resulted from some action on the part of the owner (i.e., managing an investment; renovating a property). • Prenuptial agreements aren't romantic but they can address many of the above issues. Your agreement must be in writing and should contain the following to avoid being declared invalid: — Signatures of both parties, signed without duress, prior to the wedding — Complete and accurate information — No unconscionable terms – meaning neither party should be left with severe financial hardship while the other prospers. Marriage requires work, but it can be worth it. My wife, Cindy, and I happily celebrated our 20th anniversary in December! – Victor Rotolo Victor A. Rotolo is a long-time resident of Clinton Township and the founder of The Rotolo Law Firm. Call The Rotolo Law Firm today: 908.534.7900 to discuss any legal situation confronting you. Your half-hour consultation is free of charge! Their attorneys and staff are ready to serve your legal needs. The Rotolo Law Firm • 502 US 22 West, Lebanon, NJ 08833. www.RotoloLawFirm.com v A l e n t i n e s C e l e B r A t i o n B r e A k F A s t At r o u n d v A l l e y u n i t e d m e t h o d i s t C h u r C h ! Please join us for a Valentine's Celebration Breakfast on Saturday, February 13 from 8:00 am to 11:30 am at Round Valley United Methodist Church, 30 Main Street in Lebanon. Our menu includes: scrambles eggs, pancakes, sausage and bacon, hash brown potato casserole, bagels, toast and donuts! The price is: $9 for adults, $8 for Seniors and $5 for children ages 5 to 12 (children 4 and under are free). For more information please call us at: 908.236.2332. We hope to see you there!

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