General Notes

George Mount was the founder of the Mount family of Monmouth County New Jersey. He came to the area from Rhode Island about 1672. It is believed that he arrived in America at Salem in the Colony of Massachusetts about 1650. At what time he removed to Rhode Island is not known, but it may have been very soon after his advent in America. Since the establishment of the Baptist Colony in Rhode Island by Roger Williams, many of the settlers in the Bay Colony removed there to avoid the undue hardship associated with non belief in the religious rule of the Puritans. In addition to the outcast status of the non believer, it became quite dangerous as evidenced by the Witch Trials a few years later. The majority of the women burned for witchcraft were of religious beliefs other than that of the Puritans.

Those who moved to Rhode Island soon became aware that as liberal as he was in religious beliefs, Roger Williams was a Civil Dictator. Thus it is of no surprise to find the name of George Mount among those of the "Association:

which was formed in the late 1660's in Rhode Island to purchase land from the Indians on the Monmouth Tract in New Jersey. This tract was part of the land ceeded to the English by the Dutch in the settlement of the English-Dutch War which ended in 1664. At this date the Duke of York granted the province of New Jersey to two English Officers. One, Lord Berkeley, was an Army Officer while the other, Sir George Carteret, was a Naval Officer. In the establishment of
rules for settlement, one rule which brought more settlers to the Jersey Colony than any other was that of complete religious freedom.

In 1672 Geore Mount's name was connected in joint land purchases with that of Benjamin Borden, son of Matthew Borden of Hedgecorn Parish in Kent County England, the next parish over to the west from that of Boughton Aluph Parish where the Mount family was well established in the 1500's. In Boughton Aluph Parish a Richard Mount married Joan Owre and their son George Mount was born in 1626/27. Again in 1676 George Mount and Benjamin Bordon purchased joint tracts of land in West Jersey at Cohancey. Because of this close association between
the two, many have thought that the wife of George Mount was either a Borden or closely related to the Bordens. There is however no evidence to support this theory.

30 Dec 1667: George Mount received town lot No. 10 and outlying lot No. 19, in the first division of land in Middletown.

22 Apr 1668: George Mount ws one of the two Deputies chosen to the General Assembly to be held in Portland Point. He was chosen again 20 Jul 1669. In addition, he was Town Overseer as well as surveyor and Juryman. In deeds, he was referred to as a blacksmith. Such an occupation made him one of the most valuable men in the Colony, as the cost of metal goods made in Europe shipped to America was prohibitive.

1668: George Mount as one of the Constituent Members of the Baptist Church of Middletown, the first in New Jersey.

20 Jun 1672: Middletown Deed Book 1, page 17: (Patent): 284 acres from the Proprietors of New Jersey, in Middletown.

George Mount and Benjamin Borden again purchased joint tracks of land next to each other at Cohancey, West Jersey.

27 Feb 1677: Salem Co. Deed Book B, page 14 (Surveyed 23 Oct 1677) 500 acres from John Fenwick in "Cohansick" (sic. Cohansey). The yearly rent was one peppercorn.

8 Nov 1684: Salem Co, Deed Book 2, page 150: George and Katherine Mount sold the 500 acres at Cohansey, to John Throckmorton, their Middletown neighbor.

This land was referred to as marshey and swampy, lying between Mounts Creek and the Cohancey River.

30 Jul 1686: Monmouth Co. Deed Book A, page 350: 100 acres in Middletown, from Proprietors of East New Jersey. This deed is again recorded in Book B, page 30 on 15 DFec 1686. The land is described as 100 acres, lying near the Naversink River and adjoining that of Safety Grover.

13 Apr 1698: George Mount conveyed 185 acres of land in Middletown to his son, Richard Mount. Since his son, Richard, is not mentioned to recieve anything in the will of George Mount, his father, in 1702, it is believed that this gift cut him off as an heir-at-law.

14 Feb 1702: George Mount made his will which was proven 31 Aug 1705 (Will Book 1, page 208; Secretary of State's Office, Trenton, New Jersey. His will, found in Vol 11, page 43 of unrecorded wills, mentions his wife, Katherine; daughter, Katherine; and grandsons, Matthias and Thomas, sons of his deceased son, Matthias Mount (to recieve land on the Naversink River) as well as his son Richard.