Beneath the shade of magnificent spreading oaks near the confluence of the three head branches of the Neshanic, where the beavers "Neath boughs of hazel pendant o'er the pensive stream Built the firm foundations of their domes," about two miles south of Flemington, Adam Bellis and his young wife came as Dutch emigrants, in 1740, or thereabouts, and built their rude log dwelling. Friendly Indians gathered around them and beguiled the loneliness of their forest home. These savages were full of sport and merrymaking, and led harmless, innocent lives. They had wigwams round the settler's cabin and they mingled with the Bellis family without fear of injury. Adam Bellis bought land off Mr. Stevenson, who then owned a tract of fourteen hundred acres, the Bellis portion of about 250 acres being taken from the eastern part. After he had bought the land, Adam Bellis began to feel the importance of his ownership, and the Indians cutting ash saplings to make their bows, as they had been used to, he remonstrated with them by telling them not to cut any more saplings from his land; to which "Nashaway" replied: "It's all my land before white man come here." A mournful truth mournfully uttered by the conscious, landless Indian. In the log hut referred to, William Bellis was born. He was the grandfather of William Bellis now living on a part of the premises, and father of David Bellis, aged 92, and living near the road leading from Kingwood to Quakertown. Shortly after William was born, his father Adam, built a new house, still known as the old Bellis homestead, and moved to it. He had five children: William, who remained on the homestead till his death, in 1826; Peter, who went to Kentucky; John, who lived on a part of the place; Andrew, who moved to Hopewell meeting house; and Adam, who died near Cherryville. Adam, the father, had a brother William who settled where Gideon Quick now lives, but who afterwards sold out and left the neighborhood. Shortly after the Bellis family came to this locality, John Jewell settled on the farm where William Johnson now lives. He also owned the farm now belonging to David Bellis, who purchased the property from Jewell's son. The Jewell farm is frequently mentioned in old deeds of the neighborhood, showing that the Bellis family were among the earliest settlers. The old Housel property lay south of the Bellis farm, where David Conover now lives, and east was a Mr. Trimmer. Farther on was Cornelius Stout's mill, built by him more than a hundred years ago. He was an Englishman and not related to the other numerous family of Stouts. He sold the mill to Henry Bake, from whom Colonel Abraham R. Sutphin bought it, and, in 1812, built the present mill near where George Kuhl now lives. Adam Bellis, Jr., married Mary Rockafellow who lived with her brother Jacob on the old Rockafellow farm, where Gershom Sergeant now lives. William, who took the homestead, married Mary Housel; John married Nelly Williamson, and Andrew married Lizzie Servis from Amwell. The old Williamson homestead was near the Dutch Church at Larison's Corner. William Servis and Mary Housel had five sons and one daughter: Matthais, who bought a part of his father's farm and built the house where his son William Bellis now lives; Adam, who died a young man; William and Peter, who died on the old homestead; John, who lived near Clover Hill; and Eleanor, who married Rev. Mr. Wack, from German Valley, who preached at the old Dutch Church--one half the time in Dutch and half the time in English--and who afterwards went to New York state. Matthias' wife's father, Ralph Sutphin, who came from the Millstone Valley in Somerset County, lived where Andrew Blackwell now lives. William, a son of the third Adam Bellis, once kept tavern in Flemington, in a building that stood on the site of the present Presbyterian church. His sister, Charity, who married Nathaniel Britton, is still living in Flemington, and is over 90 years of age. From what we have written, this seems to have been a Dutch settlement. For about sixty years the people spoke the Dutch language, had it used in preaching and prayers, in the church and in the family. The records were kept in Dutch, counting was done in the Dutch fashion, brides were given away in the manner of the old country, and the marriage service was read and spoken in the mother tongue. <The church at Larison's was German.> Originally published 1869-70. |
| Early Dutch Settlers of Hunterdon |