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An American Family History |
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Elizabeth Bonham Slater |
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Elizabeth Bonham Slater was born about 1665, Barnstable County, Massachusetts. Her parents were Nicholas Bonham and Hannah Fuller. She married Edward Slater on January 9, 1694/95 in Piscataway. Edward was born about 1644. Edward had been put in prison in 1681 for speaking out against the governor. The History of Middlesex County, New Jersey states that Edward Slater was a freeholder in the township in 1683, and owned a large number of acres. He was the first clerk of the courts of the county. Elizabeth and Edward's children were Filoretta Slater Martin (1691), Phebe Slater Doty (1693), Caleb Slater (1695), Elizabeth Slater (1697), Abraham Slater (1700), and Aleeshia Slater (1702). These dates may not be correct as Elizabeth and Edward married in 1694/95. In 1699/1700, Elizabeth's sister Priscilla' husband, John Langstaff, and Edward Slater were involved in anti-English, pre-revolutionary activities. The court wanted to hold proceedings in the Piscataway Public house. The townspeople were opposed to this and nailed the door shut.The sheriff attempted to break the door open and John and Edward stopped him forcibly. One account of this incident is below and another is on the Priscilla and John Langstaff page. |
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The Story of an Old Farm, Or, Life in New Jersey in the Eighteenth Century
By Andrew D. Mellick
Published by Unionist-Gazette, 1889 |
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| Edward Slater, another old settler, seems early to have "come to grief;" we learn from the town records that he was imprisoned in 1681 for having "uttered very pnishouse and Squerillouse words Rendering the Government of the province, the Governor and Counsell Odyous in the Eyes and hearts of the peopl." Judging from the above entry odd rules as to the use of capital letters must have prevailed. Why should eyes have been honored with a capital, while that more important organ, the heart, was forced to beat with a small letter! Slater did not, apparently, remain in durance very long, as in 1683 he was again apprehended on the suspicion of being an escaped criminal from England, and in the same year was presented by the grand jury in an indictment of nine counts, "as a common nuisance and offence."
Notwithstanding the tribulations of Edward Slater, by 1685 he seems to have been entirely restored to public favor. In that year he, with Hopewell Hull, John Fitz-Randolph, and others, was appointed one of a committee to superintend the building of a church edifice, the selectmen having on the eighteenth of January, 1685-6, passed the following resolution: "At the Towne Meetinge then agreed yt there should be a meetinge house built forthwith, the dimentions as followeth: Twenty foot wide, thirty foot Longe, and Ten foot between joynts." |
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East Jersey Under the Proprietary Governments
By William Adee Whitehead
Published by M. R. Dennis, 1875 |
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At the Court of Sessions held at Elizabethtown, March, 12th 1699/1700, ...Samuel Carter, in the words of the record, " in an Insolent and contemptuous manner Railed and disowned the authority and form of the Court and...and grossley abused the King's Attorney Generall and used and utterred words and Actions wholly unfitt to be mentioned..." The High Sheriff was directed to arrest Carter and not allow him to be bailed and the Court adjourned—"with almost General noise and hollowing, with unseemly actions and Insolent gestures which seemed Rather to Look like a Rebellion than otherwise. ... A week later, on the 19th March, 1700, the Court... convened at Piscataway... but they found the doors of the public meeting house closed against them. On their demanding the keys, they were told that the house belonged to the town, and as entrance was refused the Sheriff was commanded to break open the door. Upon his attempting to do so, he was assaulted by Edward Slater and John Langstaff, while other persons stood by and obstructed him. He finally forced an entrance, as did also Justice Dennis through another door. He also was assaulted and told that they had no lawful authority to hold any courts there, "and so," says the account, ye Justices, finding such Resistance & oposition, withdrew from ye s house and went to ye Constables house of sd towne & made this Record of their proceedings." |
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