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George H. Cook,
STATE GEOLOGIST.
Edited by GET NJ
Copyright 2003
New Jersey was first constituted and named as a distinct colony or
province in the year 1664, when its territory was sold by James, Duke of
York (afterwards King James second) to Lord Berkeley and Sir George
Carteret.
Staten
Island, though to the west of Long Island and only separated from the main
land of New Jersey by a small and indirect channel, while the deep and
direct channel of the Hudson is to the east of it, and though none of the
water of that river finds its way behind the Island to the main sea, was
early claimed as a part of New York. And her title to it was finally
confirmed by the action of the Legislatures of the two states, and of the
U. S. Congress in 1834.
But differences of opinion arose very soon, in regard to the precise
meaning or intent of several of the words used in the description, and at
least two questions of public interest have been involved in them.
In the deeds of lease and release dated respectively 23d and
24th of June 1664 it is described as "That tract of land adjacent to New
England, lying west of Long Island and Manhattan Island; and bounded on
the east, part by the main sea, and part by Hudson's River; and hath upon
the west, Delaware Bay or River; and extendeth southward to the main
ocean, as far as Cape May, at the mouth of Delaware Bay; and to the
northward as far as the northernmost branch of the said bay or river
Delaware, which is in 41 deg. 40 min. of latitude; and crosses over,
thence, in a straight line, to Hudson's River, in 41 deg. of latitude;
which said tract of land is hereafter to be called Nova Csesarea, or New
Jersey." In this description, all the boundaries are natural features
except the straight line which separates it from the State of New York.
Wm. A. Whitehead, Esq., of Newark, contributed a
paper to the N. J. Historical Society on "The circumstances leading to
the establishment, in 1769, of the Northern Boundary line between New
Jersey and New York," which was read May 19th, 1859, and printed in the
proceedings of the Society for that year, pp. 159-186. Much of the
material for the historical matter sof this report is taken from Mr.
Whitehead's paper, and where other facts have been obtained, it is his
preparatory work which has pointed out the way to secure them.
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