The "Tory Ascendancy" in Upper Freehold

As noted in a prior article, many people in Upper Freehold Township opposed independence. In July, a low-level insurrection had to be quelled by Burlington County and Freehold militia. But the leaders of that insurrection rose up again with greater vigor when the British Army swept into New Jersey in early December 1776. This was part of a larger movement known locally as the “Tory Ascendancy.” It spawned three concurrent Loyalist insurrections in Monmouth County—in Upper Freehold, Freehold-Middletown, and from Shrewsbury down the shore.

The Insurrection Begins

The second Upper Freehold insurrection lasted about three weeks. Starting on December 10, groups of insurrectionists confiscated property for the benefit of the British Army; gradually, the activity shifted toward administering British loyalty oaths and mustering men for a new Loyalist militia. The documents excerpted below provide a sample of the activities of the Loyalist insurrectionists. In the interest of brevity, many additional documents are not specifically discussed.

On December 10, Joseph Holmes, a member of the New Jersey Assembly, recalled:

Anthony Woodward, Jr., of Upper Freehold, came to my house in said Township, with others, seized my Negro man, two horses and wagon, and sent them into the service of the British Army; and at Trenton. One of my horses was taken up by an officer of said Army.

Lewis Bestedo of Upper Freehold recalled another incident that day:

He, the deponent, was at the house of Arthur Barkalow and there saw Richard Robins in arms & in company with Anthony Woodward, Jesse Woodward & others, all armed except Barzilla Grover, who this deponent said was one of the company. This deponent further saith that his company did at this time apprehend him, sd deponent, and put him under guard, and afterwards the same day compelled him to go to Trenton [held by the British].

William Imlay later testified about an event on December 11:

Robins did take from the possession of him, the deponent, two guns and some powder, which he delivered into the hands of Jesse Woodward... [Robins] did assist said Jesse Woodward in impressing this deponent with his horses and wagons into the British service.... saw the said Robins with the Enemy at Trenton, where he did publicly damn this deponent.

Two New Jersey Supreme Court Indictments summarized two actions against Michael Mount on December 11: First, Robins and two others took "a wagon and two horses… [and] a flintlock, gunpowder & shot, did take & carry away.” Second, John Grover and seven others "with force and arms, to wit, sticks, staves, swords and guns and other offensive weapons… did break open and enter, and a gun and power & shot did take and carry away... and continue armed in a tumultuous manner for the space of one hour."

Thomas Forman testified about an incident at the house of William Hendrickson on December 12:

Anthony Woodward, John Leonard, John Leonard (son of John), Jesse Woodward, John Parent, Nicholas Williams, Samuel Stillwell & others were armed, came up the sd. Hendrickson & enquired of him whether he had any arms & ammunition; and took out of the barn of sd Hendrickson a musket belonging to Christopher Longstreet, whom they called a rebel; after which they took this deponent prisoner, saying he was a rebel who had been very active against the king; and carried him to his own house, which they searched for arms & ammunition - the above persons then obliged the deponent to go with them.

While in custody, Forman further recalled meeting with a second Loyalist group led by John Grover. The Loyalists discussed gathering arms and people to attack the militia at Freehold. The party then took arms from Nathaniel Cook and released Forman on the promise that he would bring them his arms.

John Andrews recalled an incident on December 13, while he was in a wagon at William Tapscott’s mill:

He saw a party of men ahead, whom he took to be Light Horse belonging to the British Army. That upon observing said horsemen, this deponent immediately turned about & drove off, that one of sd horsemen, a certain [David] Heslip pursued this deponent and overtook him and obliged him to return to said party, which he found to consist of Thomas Woodward, William Grover, Jonathan Coward & some others. The sd Woodward accused this deponent of being active against the King & therefore, he, sd Woodward, said he would impress him, sd deponent, with his wagon & horses, and take them off to the enemy at Trenton.

Andrews also stated that “William Grover at the same time declared that, as this deponent had acknowledged he had been a member of the Committee, he would be hanged without a pardon."

Historian David Fowler noted that the Upper Freehold insurrectionists ranged outside of their home township. For example, on December 14, a party of mounted and armed Loyalists captured Samuel Tucker of the New Jersey Assembly a mile from Crosswicks. Tucker later recalled:

He was met by John Leonard, Anthony Woodward and a number more, he believes upwards of twenty, on horseback; Leonard presented a pistol to the deponent's breast, said he had General Howe's order to take this deponent prisoner, and abused him very much with ill language. Tucker was then taken to Trenton and put under British custody.

James Cox recalled an incident on December 15 in which he saw John Lawrence, leader of the first insurrection. Lawrence “did qualify persons to the effect of the declaration contained in the proclamation issued by Lord and General Howe... when any person subscribed to sd declaration or swore thereto, to sd John Lawrence did thereupon deliver out [British] protection." George Hullet also testified to seeing Lawrence giving out protections on December 15. Hullet further recalled being threatened by two Loyalists that if he refused a protection they would “shute [sic] a ball through them, and Jacob Dancer made anger and said that is our orders."

On December 18, Anthony Woodward drove a wagon train to the British at Trenton. He was given a receipt titled: “A list of Wagons & Horses brought into Trenton by Anthony Woodward for the use of His Majesty's Army.” The receipt listed wagons and horses taken from 26 Upper Freehold citizens in addition to four wagons loaded with 50 barrels of pork and 11 barrels of flour. Woodward later claimed he brought the British “seventy six wagons and seventy two horses,” so it is possible that he drove a second caravan after December 18.

Woodward’s actions were supported by the British. John Montressor, Aide de Camp to the Commander in Chief, authorized Woodward and John Leonard to gather up the materials they pressed: “His Excellency, Genl. Howe hereby empowers Anthony Woodward and Mr. Leonard to seize any provisions they may find belonging to the inhabitants & acquaint the Commissary of Provisions.”

Woodward’s caravan did not end the activities of insurrectionists. As Woodward was driving his wagons to Trenton, a Loyalist gang led by Richard Robins broke into the houses of William Imlay and David Brearley, Upper Freehold’s first militia colonel. Per Supreme Court indictments, Robins “did break open & enter, and two gun and a powder horn… and a wagon and two horses, did take & carry away” from Imlay. From Brearley, Robins "did then & there riotously remain, and continued armed in a tumultuous manner for the space of one hour.”

On December 20, a Loyalist gang with Anthoney Woodward, according to a Supreme Court indictment, “with force of arms at the house of the said Rodgers [Isaac Rogers of Allentown].. did break and enter" and "take and carry away" 12,500 pounds of salted pork. Rogers had contracted with the government of Pennsylvania to sell this pork. His finances were ruined by the confiscation and Rogers died in early 1777. The Pennsylvania Evening Post published an angry obituary: 

“Vile Tories! It cannot go unnoticed that through your gross abuse and continual harassing, you brought him a dejection of spirits and broken heart, by which he fell to your villainous conduct."

Raising the Loyalist Militia

As December progressed, the insurrectionists shifted their focus from confiscating goods to establishing a new Loyalist militia. Gilbert Barton, a tavern keeper and militia Lieutenant, recalled being visited by John Lawrence on December 20:

John Lawrence, Esq., of Upper Freehold came to his house and delivered him, sd deponent, an advertisement which he, sd Lawrence, advised him to set on his [tavern] door, which sd advertisement was signed by John Taylor, John Wardell & John Lawrence, the purpose of which advertisement was to warn all inhabitants of sd county to come in & take oaths of allegiance... and more particularly commanding all such as were between the ages of 16 & 50 years to meet at the Court House in Freehold, with their arms, on the Thirtieth day of that month.

James Cox and Thomas Farr also recalled Lawrence administering British Loyalty oaths on December 20. Farr’s description is below:

Thomas Farr, with sundry other persons, went to Bordentown and applied for protections; that John Lawrence, Esq., in company with two Hessians did tender and administer the oath... This deponent further saith that he heard the said Lawrence very urgent with certain persons to bring supplies to the Enemy.

Abraham Hendricks similarly recalled seeing an advertisement at the tavern of Mary Davison at Imlaystown, posted by John Lawrence:

The purpose of the advertisement was to require all the inhabitants of the county aforesaid between sixteen and fifty years of age and capable of bearing arms to meet at Monmouth Court House on the 30th day of December, to take oaths of allegiance to his Majesty, King George.

Turning out men for the Loyalist militia co-mingled with recruiting for New Jersey Volunteers (a provincial corps of the British Army). John Forman recalled meeting Joseph Horner on the road on December 28 and being tempted by "a new suite of clothes and one shilling per day, Sterling.” Forman “told Horner it was not enough.” Horner responded that:

He was listed under Col. Lawrence [Elisha Lawrence] and that they, sd. Lawrence and others, were to meet on Monday at the County House in Monmouth when they were to have the company full; if the people would not [come], they would press them.

The “ascendancy” in Upper Freehold (and elsewhere in Monmouth County) figured into British strategy. On December 14, General William Howe suggested that providing cover to the insurrections was the reason that the British Army extended its winter camps all the way to Trenton: "My reason for extending to Trenton was that a considerable number of inhabitants came in with their arms in obedience to the Proclamation." Later, Howe blamed the need to support the Monmouth insurrection for the defeat at the Battle of Trenton: "The chain of cantonments I own is rather too extensive, but I was induced to occupy Burlington to cover the County of Monmouth, in which there are many loyal inhabitants."

It is hard to know exactly how many Loyalists actively participated in the Upper Freehold insurrection. John Leonard claimed that he, “with near 100 of his friends, in a body armed, joined his Majesty's troops at Trenton.” Throughout the first half of 1777, the New Jersey Council of Safety and the state’s Supreme Court tried dozens of Upper Freehold Loyalists. Documentation is incomplete, but the table at the end of this article summarizes the actions of 56 Upper Freehold insurrectionists named in contemporary documents. None of these 56 were African-American. However, there is testimony that Upper Freehold slaves used the insurrection as an opportunity to prove their owners rebels and thereby win freedom through the British.

Few of these documents provide insight into the motivations of the insurrectionists. Anthony Woodward said he took a leading role in the insurrection because of “a strong sense of duty induced me to join the Royal Army." One of his followers, Thomas Fowler, joined Woodward based on reports that the Revolution was collapsing and the British Army would soon win the war. He “thought it was a fine thing to be a Tory, to be secure.” Dispiriting talk was rampant. Peter Imlay, recalled being taunted by John Lawrence: “The rebels at Freehold had laid down their arms and were quiet, the war would soon be at an end."

An unknown number of Upper Freehold Loyalists went to Freehold starting on December 28 where they were soon sworn into Monmouth County’s new Loyalist militia. They were reunited with and put under command of Elisha Lawrence, who had led 60 Upper Freehold Loyalists into British service a half year earlier. By December 29, Allentown would be occupied by Continentals pushing east after the Battle of Trenton. They arrested five Loyalists and changed the affection of several fickle locals who had backed the Loyalists just days earlier.

On January 2, the ill-equipped and ill-trained Loyalist militia was routed by Pennsylvania Flying Camp in a short battle that was fought roughly where the Battle of Monmouth would occur eighteen months later. After that, the Loyalist insurrection in Upper Freehold quickly collapsed. Pennsylvania and Delaware Continentals occupied Allentown and several Loyalists fled with the retreating British to New York and Sandy Hook.

Upper Freehold’s Known Loyalist Insurrectionaries and their Loyalist Insurrectionist Act(s)

John Backus - Confiscated horses

Richard Britten - Cheered for Loyalist Gang

Solomon Brown - Confiscated horses

Jonathan Coward - Confiscated property

William Fowler - Stood Sentry for Loyalists; Confiscated property

Jacob Dancer - Threatens to shoot Whig

William Ferguson - Confiscated horses

Barzilla Grover - Captain in Loyalist militia

John Grover - Confiscated property

Joseph Grover - Confiscated property

William Grover - Confiscated property

David Heslip - Confiscated property

Fuller Horner - Confiscated horses

Isaiah Hopkins - Confiscated horses

Moses Hopkins - Confiscated horses

John Horner - Confiscated property

Joseph Horner - Recruited by British Army

William Horner - Confiscated horses

Frances Jones- “acted as traitor”

Caleb Jones - Confiscated horses

Caleb Ivins - Confiscated arms

Moses Ivins - Takes up arms for British; Confiscated horses

James Lawrence- Confiscated property

John Lawrence- Administered British Oaths

John Leonard - Confiscated property; leads Loyalists to British

John Leonard, Jr. - Confiscated property

Thomas Leonard, Jr. - Confiscated property

Thomas Limon- Confiscated horses

Jonathan Lippincott - Captain in Loyalist militia

Charles McCoy- Confiscated Continental supplies; took horses

Joseph Miers - Confiscated property

Moses Mount - “acted as traitor”; slandered Continental Gov’t

John Parent- Confiscated property

Moses Robins - Confiscated wagon; burned Continental money

Richard Robins - Confiscated property; Captain in Loyalist militia

Jacob Roter - Confiscated property

Jacob Rowling - Confiscated horses

Isaiah Seaman - Confiscated horses

Samuel Stillwell - Confiscated property

Walter Milton Thorn - Seeks to serve with British

William Throp - Confiscated property

William Wade - Confiscated horses Confiscated horses

Richard Waln - Administered British Oaths; hosts Loyalist meeting

Thomas Watson - Signed receipts as British agent

John Williams - Confiscated property

Nicholas Williams - Confiscated property

Anthony Woodward - Confiscated property

Anthony Woodward, Jr. - Confiscated property; drives caravan to British

Jesse Woodward - Confiscated arms

John Woodward - Confiscated property

Samuel Woodward - Confiscated property; Guide to British Army

Thomas Woodward - Confiscated arms

William Woodward - Confiscated horses

Aaron Wright - Confiscated horses

Robert Wright - Confiscated horses

Samuel Wright (of U. Freehold) - Confiscated horses

Note: Data includes anyone accused of actively participating in the Loyalist insurrection, but it is unknown if all accusations were determined to be true. Table does not include passive Loyalists who signed British protection papers but are not documented as participating in more affirmative acts.

Related Historic Site: Old Barracks Museum

Sources: Earl Miers, Crossroads of Freedom: The American Revolution and the Rise of a New Nation (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1971) p 54; Gregory Palmer, Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution (Westport, Conn. and London, 1984) pp. 344-5; David Hackett Fischer, Washington's Crossing, NY: Oxford UP, 2004, p260; David Hackett Fischer, Washington's Crossing (NY: Oxford UP, 2004) p260, 344; Undated MSS, NJ Council of Safety, New Jersey State Archives, box 2; Memorandum of Some Disaffected Persons, Princeton University, Barricklo Collection, box 1, folder: Misc.; Thomas Fowler deposition, New Jersey State Archives, Bureau of Archives and History, Manuscript Collection, box 38, #36-37; Peter W. Coldham, comp., American Loyalist Claims, Anthony Woodward (Washington, D.C.: National Genealogical Society, 1980), pp. 534-5; Jones, E. Alfred. The Loyalists of New Jersey, (Newark, N. J. 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DH