Life and Destruction to my Famiiy, that I have not the least Malice against any One of them; and that what I have now alledg'd hath not proceeded from Rancour but the Duty of my Office, and the pressing Necessity, of putting an End to these dreadful Beginnings before the whole Province is involved in Ruin and Destruction.

Letter from John Reading, eldest Councillor of New Jersey, to the Lords of Trade-informing them of the death of President Hamilton, and of his having assumed the Government.

My Lords

[From P. R. O. B. T., New Jersey, Vol. V, F 96.]

New Jersey June the 25th 1747

On the 17th Instant John Hamilton Esq: late Presiden of his Majesties Council and Commander in Chief of this Province departed this life after a long and slow illness which for some time before his death rendered him unfit for the discharge of so great a Trust that had fallen upon him But such was the Care and diligence of the Council on that occasion that the Province suffered no injury by his illness Immediatly after his death the Council met and I being the person first named in his Majesties Instructions to the late Governor they Swore me into the Administraion of the Government I think it my Duty to give your Lordships this Information of what has happened in this Province and at the same time beg leave to assure you that I shall endeavour to administer the Government truly and faithfully as long as it shall continue in my hands and as near as may be agreable to the Royal Instructions It is with concern that I mention to your Lordships the internal disturbances of the Province but

shall not trouble you at present with any particular account of those affairs which has already been lay'd before your Lordships by order of the late President and shall only say that my best endeavours shall never be wanting to restore peace & tranquility to the Province to support and mentain his Majesties Authority and to check to the utmost of my Power the too prevalent Spirit of faction now reigning in this Government

With my next I shall Send your Lordships the minutes of the Council and such other publick papers as may let you into the State and Condition of this Province and in the meantime beg leave to Subscribe my Self

My Lords Your Lordships most

obedient & most Hum! Servant

Som Reading &

To the Lords of Trade & ca

Letter from John Deare to Chief Justice Morris-informing him of the Riot at Perth Amboy.

[From Copy among the Alexander Papers in the Rutherfurd Collection, Volume

Sir

II, No. 11.]

Perth Amboy July 18th 1747

A few Days ago I wrote Circular Letters to the Justices Desiring their Attendance here yesterday when I had repeated Information the Rioters would Come & Rescue John Bainbridge, Several of the Justices Came & most of the Constables, We heard in the Morning the Mob were Gathering together about Woodbridge

but according to your Honour's Advice it was Resolved not to make any Resistance. About Eleven a Clock the Justices the City Magistrates & I attended by my Deputies and the constables went to the Market House & Walked thare till between Twelve and one when a mob of about One hundred & fifty, Armed with Great Clubs Came into the Town on horse back, Rode by my door, then alight, Tyed their Horses to M Johnston's fence & Came on foot up the Street with Edmond Bainbridge, Simon Wyckoff & one Amos Roberts at their head and two Fiddles Playing. We mett them at the Corner of the Court house I asked their Business, Commanded them to Disperse, Read the Proclamation, which they Suffered me to do but when I began to Read the Writt by which I had taken Bainbridge I was knocked down & have a Grievous Wound in my head they also Struck the Mayor, broke one of the Constable's head beat several of the others and then violently with a Sledge and Iron Barr & a Hatchet broke open the Outward Door & inward Doors of the Goal took out the Prisoner and Carried him off Huzzaing.

Bainbridge the Father & his Son had (afterwards) the Impudence Attended by a few more to ride through the Town down to the Ferry & Cross the River & then went out of town. After they had broke the Goal & as they were Doing it I believe about one hundred of them Came into Town but the heads of them Staid a few of those who came in were known. After they were gone the Justices Recorded the Riot Incerting the Names of Twenty one. This Sir is our Present Condition of which I thought it my Duty to Acquaint your Honour and am

Your Honour's Most obedient and

Humble Servant

JOHN DEARE

The Honble Robert Hunter Morris Esq

Affidavits relating to the Riot at Perth Amboy, July 17th, 1747.

[From certified Copies among Rutherfurd Papers, James Alexander's Collection, N. J. Papers, Vol. III, No. 4.]

MIDDLESEX

Memorandum That on the 17th Day of July 21st Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain, ffrance & Ireland King &c WE Robert Hude, James Thomson, James Smith, Thomas Nevill, John Stelle, Nicholas Everson, Thomas Gage, Wm Cheesman Esq"-Eight of the Justices of our Lord the King the Peace of our said Lord the King in the s County to keep assigned, & John Deare Esq' High Sheriff of the said County, having Information of a Riot intended to be committed in the City of Perth Amboy, We at the Request of the High Sheriff af together with him the High Sheriff af did on the Day afa in our proper Persons go to his Majestys Goal or Prison in the said City of Perth Amboy in the County afd and then and there did see Edmond Bainbridge, Simeon Wyckoffe, Amos Roberts, Theophilus Burrell, Jacob Shipman Philip

Bodine,

Richie,

Barnet Dewit, Cornelius Dehart, Thomas Clawson, Dolins Hegeman Jun", John Riskies, John Joffers, Cornelius Johnson, John Schermerhorne Abraham Vanwinkle, Henry Hoogland, George Bodine Hopper, John Hopper, and other Malefactors, & Disturbers of the Peace, of our s Lord the King, to Us unknown, to the Number of 150, armed with Clubbs, & being so as af armed, Riotously, unlawfully & at the said Goal, did assemble themselves together & come, & the said Goal did

assault, & with Force & Violence, to Wit, with an Iron Barr, a Sledge & a Hatchet, One Out Door, & two Inner Doors of the s Goal did break open, & thereout did rescue, Sett at Liberty, & carry away one John Bainbridge Jun' to the s Goal legally committed by proofs out of his Majestys Supream Court of Judicature in this Province, & other Harms to his Majesty's s Goal in the sa County of Middx Did, to the great Disturbance of the Peace of our s Lord the King, to the grievous Terror of his Majestys Liege People, & agt the Form of the Statute in that Case made & provid, In Testimony whereof We have put our Seals to this present Record. Given at Perth Amboy the Day & Year above Written

John Nevill one of the Justices in the Record of which the Preceeding is a Copy named do Certify that I have examined the preceeding Copy with the original & that it is a true Copy. Witness my Hand the 20th of July 1747. JOHN NEVILL.

RICH FITZ RANDOLPH being one of the People called Quakers, on his Solemn Affirmation Declares that on the 17th Day of this Instant July being informed of a Riot intended to be committed at Amboy and seeing a Number of People Armed with Clubbs come into Town he followed them to the Goal as a Spectator of their Proceedings & saw them March up to the Goal to abo! (as he thinks the Number of 200 when he also Saw