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Peter Popino:  Salem County, New Jersey

About 1638, Swedish settlers built a fort near what is now the town of Salem on the Delaware River in southern New Jersey.  Later the Swedish settlements along the Delaware became a part of New Netherlands, loosely ruled by New Amsterdam.  In 1664, the English captured New Amsterdam and named the town and colony after the man to whom it had been granted by the King, the Duke of York.  There were some claims on New Jersey but it was soon established as a separate colony.   

In 1675, John Fenwick arrived at Salem and started the first Quaker colony in North America.  Fenwick came from a well-to-do English family and had been a Captain of Cavalry under Cromwell.  In 1665 he and his wife became members of the Society of Friends, for which he was briefly imprisoned by the new government of Charles II.  In 1773 he participated in the purchase of West New Jersey (which, because of the tilt of NJ, is actually south NJ).  His one-tenth share comprised the present counties of Salem and Cumberland. After arriving with his first group of colonists—most of whom were Quakers—Fenwick issued a proclamation granting civil and religious liberty to all persons who should settle within his province.

By the end of the 17^th Century the population of all New Jersey was only about 10,000 and most of West (i.e. south) New Jersey was wilderness.  In 1697, eighteen men from the New Haven Colony purchased 1,000 acres east of Salem. One of these men was Joseph Seeley, a distant cousin of Samuel.  His descendants prospered in the area.  Joseph Miller, Samuel Seely’s step-uncle moved there in 1698.  It may be that Peter Popino was attracted to Salem by these family connections.

Peter had grown up in Orange County, NY and probably moved to New Jersey in the early 1730s, where he married Mary Dickinson, the daughter of their neighbor, Jonathan Dickinson, who was John Fenwick’s great grandson.[1]  Peter was a weaver, but like most people in those times, this occupation was secondary to farming.  Peter had three children: James (ca 1734-ca 1793), Peter II (ca 1736-1790) and Abigail, about whom nothing more is known.  Peter died in 1755 and what little we know about him is based on his will, inventory and various land deeds.  He owned 50 acres on Alloway Creek, which he sold in 1748.[2]  He later lived in Mannington Township, on the south bank of the Salem River, where he had a large "plantation" and a landing on the river through which he and others could ship goods down to the Delaware River and on to Philadelphia or other cities.  His will deeded the land to his two sons but gave a lifetime interest in the rents from it to his widow.  On 31 March 1766, Mary Popino, James Popino and Mary his wife, and Peter Popino sold their plantation of 232 ½ acres.[3]  In later years other people occupied it and Peter’s grandchildren spent many years in the courts (1818 to 1831) trying to get their claims to the land sustained.  Details are lacking but probably the original purchasers never finished paying for it.

A look at the inventory of Peter’s estate shows him to be a man of some substance and gives some inkling of his lifestyle:[4]

His close hors Bridel and Saddel £14—00—00

To cl-s [?--maybe cloths—he was a weaver] 90—10—00

To a Bras kettel and two pots and puter 3—6—00

To two lums a cubbord and Sundries 7—00—00

To Bedding and Sundries 6—9—00

To Meet, weet and corn and other Sundries 17—00—00

To her Saddel wals waggen and gears 11—00—00

To three Barrils of Sider 1—10—00

To fore Stere 8—00—00

To six cows and two caves 23—10—00

To a Mar a calf and five Shep 10—10—00

To two horses and Bees and flax 13—10—00

To Hoghs weet and Rye 24—00—00

Total:  £224

Peter’s first son James lived out his life in Salem County and had the following children:

William (ca 1776-1826).  For most of his life he lived in Salem County, but about 1814 he went to Greene Co, Ohio where his cousin James lived (discussed below), to apply for land in Indiana.  The final defeat of the Indians in the Northwest Territory led to the Treaty of Green Ville, which drew a line across northern Ohio that also sliced down at an angle through Indiana west of the Whitewater Valley to the Ohio River.  The Indians sold their land on the south and east sides of this land to the Federal Government for ¼ cent an acre, thus opening this land up for settlement.  William obtained land in Franklin County, in southeastern Indiana, which was just opening up to settlement after the War of 1812.[5]  He lived there with his first wife, Mary, who died in 1820.  He then married a younger woman, Sarah Thompson.[6]  William was sued for bastardy in 1820 by another woman.[7]  The case went on for several months and ended with the judge siding with Popino and awarding costs against the plaintiff.  William had no children.

George (ca 1778-after 1818). He served in the Quasi War with France in 1799.[8]

Samuel, probably born ca 1779, died before 1804.  In 1793 when his father died, William McNichol became his guardian.[9]   Since guardians were usually relatives, I suspect that McNichol was his mother’s father or brother.  Samuel married Deborah --- and they had one son, John (ca 1798-1825).[10]

Mary, born before 1793, died 1835. She married Thomas Truss.[11]  They had several children and their line continued. None of James’ sons had sons who continued the Popino name.

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