SMITH AND DARKIN FAMILIES - Salem County NJ Information located at http://www.rootsweb.com/~njsalem/ On a USGenWeb/NJGenWeb Web site TRANSCRIBED BY JANICE BROWN, County Coordinator in 2007 Please see the web site for my email contact. ---------------------------------- Copyright 2007 Janice Brown The original source of this information is in the public domain, however use of this text file, other than for personal use, is restricted without written permission from the transcriber (who has edited, compiled and added new copyrighted text to same). ======================================================== SOURCE: HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF FENWICK'S COLONY; Bridgeton, N.J., by Thomas Shourds; pub. by George F. Nixon, 1876 page 224 SMITH AND DARKIN FAMILIES The original name of Elsinborough township was Elfsborg, called thus by the Swedes. The name was derived from a fort that was erected on the south side of Assomhocking creek, so called by the Indians. The Swedes named the stram Varickenkill, but it was afterwards called by Fenwick's colony Salem creek. The fort alluded to was built in 1643, by order of Governor Prinz. Ferris, in his history, of the early settlement on the Delaware, which is the most reliable that I know of, says it was erected on the south side of the creek, at its junction with the Delaware river. If that is correct, which I have no reason to doubt, the mouth of the creek must have been a mile or more further down the river than it is at the present time. The Swedes made no permanent settlement there. After they abandoned their fort, which took place in 1651, their settlement was further up and on both sides of the Delaware river; on the Jersey side as far as the mouth of Raccoon creek, on the opposite shore from the mouth of Christiana creek to Weccacoe, where Philadelphia is now located. The first English settlement in the county of Salem was in Elsinborough, on a point of land which now belongs to Amos Harris, and to William, Joseph and Casper Thompson. The said point was called by the aboriginal inhabitants Assomhocking point. An exploring company from New Haven, Connecticut, reached here in the year 1640. They were not over two years in this country, but whilst here they explored a stream about four miles below Salem creek, and named it Cotton river on account of the cotton wood that they found growing in the low ground along the shores of the stream. It is now known as Alloways creek. They were looked upon by the Swedes and Indians with considerable jealousy, and in the winter of 1642 an epidemic broke out among them, which they called the pleurisy, and more than half of their number died of disease, and those that escaped returned in the summer to New Haven again. It does not appear that there was any other settlement in the township until John Fenwick arrived with his colony in the Spring of 1675. Robert Windham, in the fall of the same year, purchased 1,000 acres of land of the proprietor, it being the same that the New Haven colony had partly cleared and left over thirty years before. The said land was bounded on the west by Salem creek, on the east by Alemsbury creek, south by John Smith's land, south-west by Middle Neck, as it was afterward named. Robert Windham and his wife lived there until their death, which took place about the year 1686, leaving one daughter. Her name was Ann Windham. She shortly after married Richard Darkin, who emigrated to this country from England in 1683. He seems to have been a man above mediocrity, and rendered great assistance to the new colony in their civil affairs. He was likewise a consistent and useful member of the Society of Friends. Richard and his wife Ann Darkin had four children-- Joseph Darkin, their eldest son, born at Windham, near Salem, 8th of 1st month, 1688; their daughter, Hannah Darkin, was born 3d of 9th month, 1691; their son, John Darkin was born on the 9th of 6th month 1694, and Ann Darkin was born 31st of 1st month 1700. In 1717 John Darkin, son of Richar Darkin, married Sarah Thompson, daughter of Thomas Thompson. They had two children--Jale Darkin, born 11th of 10th month, 1718. She married John Nicholson, son of Abel Nicholson. John Darkin, son of John and Sarah Darkin left no children, but left his Windham estate to his nephew Darkin Nicholson. In the year 1719 Joseph Darkin, son of Richard Darkin, married Ann Smart, daughter of Isaac Smart. They had one daughter. Her name was Hannah, born 18th of 10th month 1722. John Smith, son of John Smith was born in the county of Norfolk, in England, 20th of 7th month 1623. The said John Smith married Martha Crafts, daughter of Christopher Crafts, of Northampshire. They were married in 1658. The following are the names of their children born in England: Daniel Smith born 10th of 12th month 1660; Samuel Smith, born 8th of 3d month 1664; David Smith, born 19th of 12th month 1666, and Sarah Smith, born 4th of 12th month 1671. John Smith, his wife and children, sailed for West New Jersey on board the ship Griffith, Robert Griffith being master, and landed at a place they called New Salem, 23d of 6th month 1675. The names of their children born in this country are as follows:--Jonathan Smith, born in New Salem 27th of 10th month 1675; Jeremiah Smith, born at Alemsbury 14th of 9th month 1678. John Smith purchased 2,000 acres of John Fenwick, the purchase extending from the head of Alemsbury creek to Alloways creek, and bounded on the east by Edward Champney's land, on the west by Samuel Nicholson. After the townships were laid off, one-half of said allotment of land was in Alloways Creek township. Daniel Smith, the eldest son, bought 1,000 acres in Alloways creek township, near what is now called Quinton. The land lay on the north side of the creek. He built and lived on the property that was owned by the late Ann Simpson. This Alemsbury estate was divided between Samuel, David, and Jonathan Smith. His daughter, Sarah Smith, married John Mason of Elsinborough. (end)