Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Joseph BORDEN
He was actively engaged from early manhood in his father's extensive business enterprises, especially the stage boat and stage wagon from Philadelphia to Perth Amboy, via Bordentown, until his advancing years caused him to retire from active life, in 1788. In 1748 tickets for a lottery for the benefit of St. Mary's Church, Burlington, were to be had from him. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1749, and a Judge in 1757 and again in 1767. In 1761 he was elected to the Assembly as one of the two members for Burlington county, and served until 1769, evidently occupying a conspicuous position among his colleagues. In 1765 the Assembly elected him as one of the three deputies to represent New Jersey in the Stamp Act Congress, at New York, and he and Hendrick Fisher signed the appeal of that Congress to the King and Parilament, urging the repeal of the Act. The Assembly heartily approved of their conduct. He was chosen as one of the members of the first Provincial Congress, which met at New Brunswick, July 2, 1774, to send delegates to the Continental Congress. In the ensuing February he was selected by his fellow citizens as one of the Committee of Observation for Burlington County, and later as a member of the Provincial Congress held at Trenton in May, June and August, 1775. This body appointed him one of the Committee of Safety, which was vested with executive power during the recess of the Provincial Congress. Early in 1776 he was commissioned Colonel of the First Regiment of Burlington County militia, but he resigned, Sept. 28, 1776, when he was appointed Quartermaster, for which position his business experience and abilities rendered him peculiarly well qualified. He was appointed Judge of the Common Pleas, Sept. 11, 1776, and again Sept. 28, 1781. He was one of the promoters of the episode made famous by Francis Hopkinson in his poem on the "Battle of the Kegs," when it was designed to blow up the British vessels in the Delaware near Bordentown by a rude sort of torpedoes made of kegs filled with powder, which were sent floating down the river shortly before daylight on Jan. 7, 1778, and were expected to explode on coming in contact with the war vessels, having certain mechanical attachments to ensure such result. Unfortunately for the success of the enterprise, the vessels were hauled into their docks the night before the kegs were set loose. The British soon after raided Bordentown, and Judge Borden's handsome residence was laid waste by fire. May 10, 1778. He was liberally educated, had a fine presence, and was highly influential in the community. In 1762-3 he ran a line of stageboats between Bordentown and Philadelphia. It may be noted here that in some works it is stated that Joseph Borden m. in 1750 Elizabeth, daughter of Marmaduke Watson, a widow. But the will of Elizabeth Borden, wid. of Joseph Borden, dated September 15, 1798, proved November 5, 1807, names her dau. Ann Hopkinson and her three daus.; Elizabeth, "dau. of my brother Isaac Rogers, lately deceased," and grandson, Joseph Hopkinson.--Hist. Burlington and Mercer Counties, 467;; N. J. Archives, XII., 442; XVI., 89; XVII., 137, 455; XXIV., 89, 210, 654-5, 683; XXV., 103;
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