Bulletin 67, The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries, 1606-1968

8. New Jersey Reunited (1702) branch of the river Delaware, between the provinces
Relations became increasingly strained between of New York and New Jersey (which likewise is the
Proprietors, the English authorities and the resi- North partition point between the Eastern and
dents. For about a year, from the middle of 1688 to Western divisions of New Jersey) the latitude of 41
April 1689, East and West Jersey and New York degrees and 40 minutes, upon the East side of the
were annexed to the Dominion of New England said Fishkill branch, is upon the low land in the
under Sir Edmund Andros, governor in Boston. A Indian town called Casheightouch" [or Cashietouck,
commission to this effect was issued April 7, 1688 now Cochectoo] which was then further identified
and proclaimed July 10. Andros visited and by distance and direction from certain homes aml
formally took over the Jerseys in August. The brooks as surveyed. This point was then called Stadethroning
of King James ll in December led to the tion Point. The next year the West Jersey Proprioverthrow
of Andros' harsh rule in April, when the etors declared that money shouhl be raised to run
news reached Boston. 19s the partition-line between the eastern anti western
Proprietary rule, resumed in 1692, seemed little divisions. Apparently they failed to raise enough
better however. Rebellion and violence against anti let the matter drop. In 1743 the East Jersey
authority became so extensive that the East and Proprietors assumed the responsibility anti hired
West Jersey Proprietors jointly gave up their right John Lawrence to run the line, which he did from
to govern to Queen Anne of England on April 15, north to south in Sept. and Oct. of that year. zs The
1702. _ East and West Jersey were reunited and the Lawrence line can still be identified at the northern
governor of New York became governor of the royal end as the northeast boundary of Walpack and Stillprovince
of New Jersey as welll tmtil 1738 when water townships, and in Ocean County as the
Lewis Morris became New Jersey's own governor, ss probable source of the road marking Plumsted town-
The province may be said to have become a state on ship's eastern boundary.
July 17, 1776, when the Provincial Congress resolved West Jersey would not oflScially recognize the
to "assume the style aml title of the Convention of Lawrence line for many years, and when the new
the State of New Jersey" in defiance of the British? 27 north point of the New Jersey-New York boundary
The 1702 reunion resulted in no direct rescinding was established in 1769, the West Jersey Proprietors
of previous civil boumlaries, but an early act of the unstlccessfolly tried to get the Legislature to recogjoint
Assembly, on Jan. 21, 1709/10 (see pages nize it as the northern end of the line between East
30, 32), established rather clearly the boundaries aud West Jersey. 126
of all nine counties, except for a portion of western The Lawrence line gained acceptance and the
Essex County, anti northern Bergen County. These division line was not further altered. It tmsettled, of
were unclear due to uncertainties in parts of the course, many land titles previously granted by the
Coxe-Barclay Province line of 1688. Bergen gained respective proprietors. It was, however, mutually
land from Essex, Cape May lost to Salem, and other agreed that where land grants were shifted from
smaller adjustments were made, but from this date either division to the other, eqtfivalent land should
on county bonmlaries were generally altered rather be given the owners from unsurveyed land on the
than redefined, with a few exceptions where the loss other side of the Lawrence line3 s This line had no
of earlier landmarks required it. effect on county boundaries.
9. The Lawrence Line (1743)
10. The New Jersey-New York Boundary
The discrepancy between the Keith line (often The northern botmdary of New Jersey was still to
be surveyed. Only the northwest point was estabcalled
the Province line) of 1687, as extended by lished, anti it was the culmination of ill-fated
Coxe anti Barclay in 1688, and the partition line as
stated in the Quintipartite Deed of 1676 continued attempts beginning in 1684 anti 1686, when goverlo
be disturbing. Although Jersey was no longer nors of both Jerseys and of New York agreed to
officially split, property deeds were affected by the boundary lines which were never surveyed. Numerdifference.
On Mar. 27, 1719, the Legislature passed ous lines were proposed, ranging from Jersey's claim
an act for appointment of commissioners to deter- to the line from Station Point to 41° N. Lat. on the
mine the true north point of the Duke's deed of Hudson River, to New York's claim to a line from
1664. the mouth of the Lehigh River to 41° on the Hudson.
The disputes, increasingly heated as settlement
On July 25, 1719, a TriPartite Deed was executed increased in northwest Jersey, led both legislatures
between representatives of the "province of New to pass acts in 1764 to ask the King to establish the
York", the "Eastern division of the province of New line. The King appointed seven commissioners who
Jersey", and the "Western division of the said met at New York July 18, 1769.24_
province" to "certify . . . that the said North parti- While New Jersey favored the line from Station
tion, or division point, upon the Northernmost Point to 41 ° of latitude on the Hudson River,
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NEW JERSEY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY