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Manuscript Group 1218, Proprietary Era
Manuscript Collection, 1664 - 1703, 39 items
Call Number: MG 1218
A miscellaneous collection of manuscripts documenting important developments during the proprietary era, beginning with King Charles II's grant of former New Netherlands to the Duke of York. The collection includes indentures, releases, commissions, orders, and patents pertaining to:
| Edmund Andros | William Dockwra | William Penn |
| Robert Barclay | John Gordon | Earl of Perth |
| Lord John Berkeley | Robert Gordon | Clement Plumstead |
| Robert Blackwood | Sir John Gordon | John Reid |
| John Bradbury | Andrew Hamilton | Ambrose Rigge |
| Edward Byllynge | Hugh Hartshorne | Thomas Rudyard |
| Archibald Campbell | James, Duke of York | Viscount of Tarbot |
| Lord Neil Campbell | Gawen Lawrie | Rip Van Dam |
| Dame Elizabeth Carteret | George McKenzie | Robert Vauqellin |
| Sir George Carteret | David Mudie | George Willocks |
| Charles II, King of England |
This collection of manuscripts, chiefly from the seventeenth century, was found uncataloged in the vault of The New Jersey Historical Society in June of 1985. Many of the items have been published in volumes I and II of New Jersey Archives, with The New Jersey Historical Society cited as the repository of the original. Accordingly, the Historical Society has held these materials since the nineteenth century, although precise provenance is unknown. The items were accessioned in 1985 as A. 85-15.
Manuscript Group 2, East Jersey Manuscript Collection
Manuscript Group 3, West Jersey Manuscript Collection
Included in the list below are the volume and page numbers for transcribed versions of the items that were published in New Jersey Archives (NJA), Series I (call number: 974.9 N421).
| Item | Description | Date | Published |
| 1 | Lease: James, Duke of York to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret for New Jersey. | June 23, 1664 | NJA, I, 8 |
| 2 | Release: James, Duke of York to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret for New Jersey. | June 24, 1664 | NJA, I, 10 |
| 3 | Commission: Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret of Robert Vauquellin as Surveyor General of New Jersey. | Feb. 10, 1664/65 | NJA, I, 26-27 |
| 4 | Lease: James, Duke of York. Renewal of original proprietary grant after reconquest from the Dutch. | July 28, 1674 | NJA, I, 161 |
| 5&6 | Release: James, Duke of York. Renewal of original proprietary grant for New Jersey following reconquest from the Dutch (manuscript original and viva copia). | July 29, 1674 | |
| 7 | Instructions: Sir George Carteret. "Directions Instructions and Orders" for governing his province in New Jersey. | July 31, 1674 | NJA, I, 167 |
| 8&9 | Indenture: Sir George Carteret, et al. The Quintipartite Deed among Carteret, William Penn, Gawen Lawrie, and Edward Byllynge dividing New Jersey into Eastern and Western divisions (original and contemporary copy). | July 1, 1676 | NJA, I, 205 |
| 10 | Release: William Penn, et al. to Thomas Rudyard for 1/9 of 9/10 of West New Jersey. | May 2, 1677 | |
| 11 | Will (probation): Sir George Carteret. Exemplified copy of the last will and testament of Sir George Carteret. | Feb. 19, 1679 | |
| 12 | Release: James, Duke of York to Edward Byllynge, William Penn, Gawen Lawrie, et al. for West New Jersey. | Aug. 6, 1680 | NJA, I, 324 |
| 13&14 | Release: James, Duke of York to Sir George Carteret (grandson and heir of original proprietor) for East New Jersey (original and duplicate). | Sept. 10, 1680 | NJA, I, 337 |
| 15 | Indenture: Dame Elizabeth Carteret sells East New Jersey to the twelve Proprietors, among whom were William Penn and Hugh Hartshorne. | Feb. 1, 1681/82 | NJA, I, 366 |
| 16 | Deed: Dame Elizabeth Carteret to the twelve proprietors for arrearages of rents and profits due the estate of Sir George Carteret. | Feb. 2, 1681/82 | NJA, I, 366 |
| 17 | Indenture: William Penn, et al. Agreement among the twelve proprietors that there should be no benefit of survivorship. | June 1, 1682 | NJA, I, 373 |
| 18 | Indenture: William Penn transferring 1/2 of 1/12 of East New Jersey to Robert Barclay. | Sept. 22, 1682 | |
| 19 | Indenture: Hugh Hartshorne transfers property in East New Jersey to the Earl of Perth. | Sept. 26, 1682 | |
| 20 | Indenture: Clement Plumstead transfers a portion of his share in East New Jersey to Robert Gordon | Sept. 26, 1682 | |
| 21 | Fundamental Constitutions for the Province of East New Jersey in America. | 1683 | NJA, I, 395 |
| 22 | Indenture: Sir John Gordon sells a portion of East New Jersey to David Mudie. | Feb. 20, 1683 | |
| 23 | Indenture: Ambrose Rigge transfers shares of his East New Jersey holdings to Robert Barclay. | March 24, 1683 | |
| 24 | Indenture: James, Earl of Perth lease of property in East New Jersey to George McKenzie. | March 28, 1683 | |
| 25 | Indenture: James, Earl of Perth releases portion of his East New Jersey holdings to George McKenzie. | March 29, 1683 | |
| 26 | Indenture: Robert Barclay transfers a portion of East New Jersey to John Gordon. | April 22, 1684 | |
| 27 | Orders: Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey for the laying out of lands and censuring Gawen Lawrie and Thomas Rudyard. | July 3, 1685 | NJA, I, 492-500 |
| 28 | Release: Viscount of Tarbot release of share in East New Jersey to Lord Neil Campbell. | Aug. 13, 1685 | |
| 29 | Patent: Proprietors of East New Jersey grant land to Thomas Rudyard. | July 4, 1688 | |
| 30 | Commission: Edmund Andros, Governor of Dominion of New England appoints Andrew Hamilton and others justices of the peace in Middlesex County, NJ. | Aug. 25, 1688 | |
| 31 | Patent: Proprietors of East New Jersey grant land to Lord Neil Campbell. | May 24, 1690 | |
| 32 | Patent: Proprietors of East New Jersey grant land to Archibald Campbell. | Aug. 23, 1690 | |
| 33 | Patent: William Dockwra to John Barclay (and in case of disability to John Reid) as Surveyor General of East New Jersey. | April 6, 1692 | |
| 34 | Indenture: Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey appointing Rip Van Dam to receive quit rents and make disbursements on behalf of the proprietors. | Dec. 14, 1697 | NJA, II, 194 |
| 35 | Commission: George Willocks as chief ranger of the Province of East New Jersey. | Aug. 27, 1698 | |
| 36 | Patent: Proprietors of East New Jersey grant land to George Willocks. | April 14, 1702 | |
| 37 | Patent: Proprietors of East New Jersey grant land to George Willocks and John Bradbury | April 20,1703 | |
| 38 | Indenture: Lord Neill Campbell leases for one year 1/2 of 1/4 of his 1/24th interest to Robert Blackwood. | n. d. | |
| 39 | Patent: Exemplified copy of Charles II, King of England's patent to James, Duke of York for tract of land in America, including what subsequently became New Jersey (framed). | March 12, 1664 | NJA, I, 3-8 |
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