TITLE-DEEDS Page 1 of 3
By Patricia H. Burke, Curator
Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a division of Ocean County Parks & Recreation
The earliest colonial conveyance on the 1939 HABS title search was located by this writer, on microfilm, West Jersey Deeds, Volume BB-BBB, page 284 (Family History Library US/CAN Film 460048). It reads “Jonathan Fox of Shenton, County of Leicester, of Great Britain called England to Thomas Fox of Springfield, County of Burlington in West New Jersey and his brother William Fox…this Deed of gift…my lands & goods & wares household stuff ready money… ” and is dated December 12, 1712. This document does not contain a description or survey of the property.
The next document listed in the HABS chain of title is a Warrant, Council of Proprietors dated August 5, 1743 (there is no citation). This is followed by a West Jersey Deed, Book H, pg.100, dated October 8, 1743 from Jonathan Fox and Thomas Fox to John Monrow. Book H, pg. 100 was found on microfilm (Family History Library US/CAN Film 460051) but did not contain that deed. This writer searched the West Jersey Deeds, Volume E-F, 1734-1744, because the dates matched (microfilm Family History Library US/CAN Film 460050) with no result. Due to the fact that the property had been in both Burlington County and Monmouth County, and was described as “lying in the angle between East and West Jersey” the East Jersey Deeds, Books A, B, C, & D were researched at the Monmouth County Archives, Manalapan (Monmouth County New Jersey Deeds, Books A, B, C, & D compiled by Richard S. Hutchinson, Heritage Books, 2006) but with no result.
The HABS lists the next deed, dated 1766, and states “it appears that by a conveyance not found on record, this property has passed from John Monrow (to whom it had been surveyed 17 Oct. 1743) to Thomas Foulkes (for whom it was resurveyed 20 Nov. 1766) …and later to John Middleton…”
The deed dated November 2, 1761 is from John Monrow to John Middleton, and George Middleton, West Jersey Deed, Book U, pg. 371 (Family History Library US/CAN Film 460059). The microfilm is very difficult to read. In the description of the property it does mention “Cedar Swamp” several times but not Cedar Bridge. “This Indenture made the Second Day of the Eleventh Month Called November in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty One…Between John Monrow of Mount Holly in Burlington County West Jersey…George Middleton Dwells in Nottingham…County aforesaid…”
The deed from Joel Middleton to Isaiah Heisler dated February 23, 1816 was found on microfilm at the Monmouth County Archives in Manalapan. It reads in part: “This Indenture made the twenty third day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight Hundred and sixteen Between Joel Middleton of Crosswicks in the County of Burlington…and Isaiah Heisler of New Mills in the said County of Burlington…All that
TITLE-DEEDS Page 2
By Patricia H. Burke, Curator
certain Farm or plantation of land commonly called and known by the name of Cedar bridge in the actual possession of the said Isaiah Heisler being situate in the Township of Stafford in the County of Monmouth…John Middleton Junior did in and by his last will and Testament bearing date on the sixteenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety nine devise unto the said Joel Middleton in the words following to wit: I give to Joel Middleton Sedor bridge the farm and improvements…” (Deed Book Y page 635).
The deed from Joseph and Aaron John to William C. Budd dated January 10, 1830 was found on microfilm in the Monmouth County Archives. Joseph and Aaron Johnson were from the township and county of Burlington and William C. Budd was from Mount Holly, in the township of Northampton, and county of Burlington. It reads “John M. Cook, as executor of the last will and testament of John Middleton deceased did by Indenture or deed of bargain or sale…unto Isaiah Heisler…the first tract of land situate in the County of Monmouth and in the angle between East and West Jersey and called Cedar bridge tract…by wading river…by Candlewood run…containing one hundred and one acres of land…and surveyed for John Monrow on or about the seventeenth day of October in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred & forty three…The Second Tract…situate near and adjoining Cedar bridge tract located by Thomas Foulks A.D. 1766…beginning at a pine marked for a corner standing near the west end of the mill dam at Cedar bridge…containing one acre and a half be the same more or less and Joel Middleton claiming to be entitled to an estate for his own life by virtue of and under the will of the said John Middleton deceased…Quit claim under the said Isaiah Heisler…the fifth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifteen…
The deed from Elizabeth Budd & Edwin M. Budd, administrators…of William C. Budd deceased to Moses Headley & others dated March 25, 1836 was found on microfilm at the Monmouth County Archives. “Whereas the said William C. Budd having died intestate…and the court…do find the personal estate of the said deceased insufficient to pay his debts and that it is necessary to sell the whole of the real estate of said deceased for that purpose…on Tuesday the fifth of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty six…all the lands of the said deceased in the County of Monmouth aforesaid would be exposed to sale at public vendue at Cedar Bridge and sold to the highest bidder and whereas the following described tract of land and Saw-mill situate in the Township of Stafford in the County of Monmouth aforesaid and of which the said William C. Budd…seized by virtue deeds of conveyance from the heirs of Apollo Cook and the heirs of John Troth…”
The deed from Moses Headley & others, dated April 8, 1836, was found on microfilm at the Monmouth County Archives. “This indenture made the eighth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six, Between Moses Headley and Harriet his wife, Samuel Rogers and Mary his wife and Thomas Cathcart all of the township of Stafford in the County of Monmouth…and John Wildermuth of the township
Page 3
TITLE-DEEDS
By Patricia H. Burke, Curator
and county aforesaid…all that tract of land situate in the County of Monmouth at a place called Cedar Bridge being in the angle so called formed by having Lawrence line on the east and Keith’s line on the west the former being the present line between the eastern and western proprietors and the latter the line of demarcation between the counties of Burlington and Monmmouth…”
In 1856, the property was sold to Miller Howard of New Hanover Township, Burlington County. Howard and his wife Elizabeth conveyed the property to Mary Woodward of Plumstead Township, Ocean County in 1857. In 1919 Mary Woodward of Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County conveyed the property to Joseph Woodward. In 1926, Woodward and Frederick Moore conveyed the property to the Penn Producing Company of Barnegat.
In 1959, Rudolph Koenig purchased the former Cedar Bridge Tavern and in 2007 he sold it to the County of Ocean.