Description:

New Jersey Officials Sell Loyalist's Plantation

In this deed, Peter Dumont, an agent of the State of New Jersey, conveys a plantation of 290 acres in Somerset County to merchant Abraham Duryee of New York City. The land and buildings had been the property of Benjamin Thomson, a Loyalist who had joined the King's Hussars.

[REVOLUTIONARY WAR.] Peter Dumont, Manuscript Document Signed, Deed to Abraham Duryee, August 16, 1784, Somerset County, New Jersey. 1 p., 19" x 28.25". On vellum; paper and wax seal still present; some soiling; very good.

Excerpts

"To all People to whom these Presents shall come,
"Peter Dumont, Agent appointed according to Law, for the County of Somerset, in the State of New Jersey, on the part and behalf of the said State, to take and dispose of, for the use and benefit of the same, the Estates of Certain Fugitives and Offenders in the said County, Doth send Greeting'
"Whereas lately, to wit, on the thirty first day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and seventy nine, by Virtue of, and Pursuant to the Directions of an Act of the Council and General Assembly of the said State, intitled an Act for taking Charge of, and leasing the Real Estates, and for forfeiting the Personal Estates of Certain Fugitives and Offenders, and for Enlarging and Continuing the powers of Commissioners Appointed to seize and dispose of such Persons Estates, and for Ascertaining and discharging the Lawfull Debts and Claims thereon, passed the Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and seventy Eight, a certain Inquisition was in due Form of Law taken and found against Benjamin Thomson late of the Township of Hillsborough in the said County, for offending against the [?] form of his Allegiance to the said State of New Jersey...."

"And whereas agreeably to the directions of another Act of the said Council and General Assembly, intitled, an Act to direct the agents of forfeited Estates in the Respective Counties in this State to proceed to the sale of said Estates, and to Repeal an Act to Suspend the Sale of Real Estates, which have or hereafter may become forfeited to, and Vested in this State passed the Sixteenth day of December in the year of our Lord, One thousand seven hundred and Eighty three, a Certain Writ or Process was Issued from the said Court, bearing Teste at Hillsborough the Second day of January, in the year of our Lord, One thousand seven hundred and Eighty four, directed to the Agent Appointed in the said County, by which same Writ or Process, the said Agent was commanded and enjoined to sell and dispose of all the Estate Real, of what Nature or kind soever belonging, or lately belonging to said Benjamin Thomson within the said County of Somerset."

"Whereupon Abraham Duryee party to these presents, did then and there bid for the said Plantation Tract of land and Premises the sum of Two thousand three hundred and twenty pounds, and no person biding more, he the said Peter Dumond did thereupon openly cry off and sell the said Plantation Tract of Land and premises to the said Abraham Duryee...."

Historical Background

New Jersey Loyalists included royal Governor William Franklin (1730-1813), the son of Patriot Benjamin Franklin, Attorney General Cortlandt Skinner (1727-1799), and other prewar leaders. Perhaps as many as one-third of New Jersey's inhabitants were Loyalists at the beginning of the conflict, and approximately 3,500 New Jersey men served in Loyalist units during the Revolutionary War. At the end of the war, most New Jersey Loyalists fled to Great Britain or Canada.

On February 8, 1780, commissioners Jacob Bergen, Frederick Freelinghuysen, and Hendrick Wilson declared that "Whereas inquisition hath been found, and final judgement entered thereon in favour of the state, against'Benjamin Thomson, of Hillsborough'Notice is hereby given that the plantations, tracts of land and premises, with the appurtenances belonging to each of them, will be exposed to sale at publick vendue to the highest bidder.... On the 17th of said month [March] will be sold, a plantation at Somerset court house, late the property of Benjamin Thomson, containing three hundred acres of good land...."

On April 6, 1784, Peter Dumont, as agent for the State of New Jersey, sold this plantation at public auction to Abraham Duryee. In March 1790, Duryee sold the property to Peter Ditmars.

Peter Dumont (1744-1821) was born on Staten Island, New York. He moved to Somerset County, New Jersey, where he lived during the Revolutionary War. He served as a captain in the Second Battalion of New Jersey volunteers, and he ran flour mills "day and night" to help the soldiers at Valley Forge. He served as sheriff of Somerset County from 1777 to 1779, and as agent of the county from April to December 1784. He married Mary Lowe (1750-1841) in 1770, and they had nine children. He later moved to New Brunswick, New Jersey; then Saratoga, New York; and finally, Vevay, Indiana.

Abraham Duryee (1743-1814) was born in New York into a prominent Dutch Huguenot family. He lived at the Narrows separating Staten Island and Brooklyn. He was a merchant and a member of the first Colonial Council, the Sons of Liberty, and the Committee of One Hundred that managed the affairs of New York City.

Benjamin Thomson (b. 1759) was born in Somerset County, New Jersey. He studied medicine under Dr. John Cochran, who attempted to persuade him to join the American forces. Although underage, he joined the Royal Army in 1776 and served as an aide-de-camp to General Cortlandt Skinner of the New Jersey Volunteers. In 1779, he became a cornet in Diemar's Hussar Troop, consisting almost entirely of Germans. In April 1781, the troop became a part of the Queen's Rangers, which was commanded by Lt. Col. John G. Simcoe. After the war, he claimed losses of '891, and the British government allowed him '800.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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