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John Fenwick is considered one of the founders not only
of Salem County, but also of New Jersey. He was a former member of the
parliamentary army in the English Civil War and a Quaker who came to the New
World with the purpose of establishing a Quaker refuge here. He obtained
the land and permission for his expedition by holding the land grants for west
Jersey in trust for the Quaker Edward Byllynge from the original grantor, Lord
Berkeley. His contingent sailed up the Delaware River to what is now the
Salem River (via a tributary now named Fenwick Creek) and founded the city of
New Salem -- the first permanent English settlement in the Delaware Valley (all
previous settlements being those of the Swedes and Finns). Agreements with
the local Lenni Lenape Indians were reached under the famous Salem Oak, which is
still standing in the Friends Graveyard.
Eventually Fenwick had several conflicts with English
land owners over the administration of the west Jersey, most prominently with
Sir Edmund Andros who had Fenwick imprisoned in 1678. After he was
released from prison, Fenwick continued his disputed with other land holders and
proprietors in the colony. These were not settled until 1682 when he gave
up his proprietorship to William Penn (yup, that William Penn) in exchange for
150,000 acres of land he could control as he saw fit.
Today Fenwick's 150,000 acres of land lies within
Mannington Twp. He remained active in the colonial legislature, helping to
establish a courthouse and prison, along with other buildings in his beloved
Salem. He died in 1683 and is buried near this monument, now in the center
of an island at a fork in the roads from Woodstown to Salem, NJ.
The text on the monument stone reads:
Founder of New Salem
1675
First permanent English settlement on the
Delaware
Here at Fenwicke Grove lies buried
MAJOR JOHN FENWICKE
1618-1683
Late Abslolute Lord of Cheife Propriatary by
law and survivership of New Cessaria or New Jerssie and now of Fenwicke Collony
Fenwicke's will, Aug. 7, 1683
The government to stand upon these two basis
or leges, viz.
1. The defence of the royal law of god, his
name and true worship, which is in spirit and in truth
2. The good, peace, and welfare of every
individual person
Concessions 8th, 1, 1674-5
This memorial dedicated July 4, 1924