Force

James Force is one of the oldest settlers near Clarksville (now Glen Gardner). His grandfather, William Force, in company with two brothers came from England. One of the brothers settled at Springfield, the other at Bottle Hill, and William, near Rocktown. He married a Miss Wolliver, whose father was from Rhinebeck, Germany. His descendants are now living near Ashbury.

James Force has heard his grandmother tell about visiting the Indian villages near Rocktown, which she said were numerous. She was then a young girl and was much amused at seeing the women take their children, which were fastened to a board, give them a breast and stand them up against a wall.

Thomas Force was a millwright and settled at Rowlands' Mills a hundred years ago. This was the end of the road in that direction at that time. Mr. Force says the first incident in his life that he remembers was going to Mr. Fritz's, eighty years ago, in a new red frock with a pocket sewed on the outside, in which Mrs. Fritz placed a fine large pear. He recollects being at his sister's at Vansyckels, now Pittstown, at the commencement of the Whiskey Insurrection and seeing a troop of lighthorse rush suddenly past the house with sabres, and pistols in bear-skin holsters, shouting and making a terrible noise. That on being told that they were going to shoot men and cut their heads off, he became so terribly frightened that the impression was never effaced.

And from page 202:

The first Methodist church in Hunterdon County was built on the site of the present one in Kingwood, by the efforts of Rev. Manning Force, when he first entered the ministry. Previous to this, however, the first class was organized by Mr. Force with the following persons as probationers: Thomas and Rachel West, William West and wife, father and mother of Thomas, and Mary West, daughter of Thomas and Rachel, aged 11 years.

The venerable mansion where this class was formed is still standing, one quarter of a mile west of the church. It was built by Jonathan Wolverton in 1737. Mary West, the pretty Methodist girl, at the age of sweet sixteen, married Wilson Bray, Esq.. It was a grand wedding for that country in those times. Rev. Manning Force was the officiating minister. Some yet live who witnessed the ceremony and look fondly back to that day as one of Happy associations.

(Lequear's articles were originally published 1869-70.)