The Coopers of Long Hill

Document I.88 · Published Genealogies and County Histories · transcription: verbatim

Tuttle Revolutionary Fragments, Morris Co., N.J. — No. 9: Some Gleanings (1850) — biographical anecdote of Robert Gaston as a Scotsman + Chairman of Pequannock Committee of Safety + an amusing tale of carrying-through-Rockaway-river bet; later removed to Mendham + erected grist mill there. Also: corroborating reference to the 1773 counterfeiting trial of Budd, Haines, Cooper, and Reynolds with citation to Life of Lord Stirling, p. 99. = primary-source-published-secondary biographical detail on Capt. Benjamin Cooper's brother-in-law.

Transcription and notes

Significance

Tuttle's Fragment No. 9 provides biographical color on Robert Gaston — Capt. Benjamin Cooper's brother-in-law via Rosanna Cooper Gaston (p.54 — Daniel Sr's daughter per A.9). Specifically: Robert Gaston was a Scottish-born Pequannock resident, Chairman of the Pequannock Committee of Safety (corroborating I.87), of portly build (~200+ lbs), later removed to Mendham and erected a grist mill there.

This is the only known biographical-detail source on Robert Gaston in the catalog. The Mendham relocation + grist mill is a strong research lead for Robert Gaston's late-life records (Mendham probate / Mendham land records / Mendham cemetery).

Additionally, this fragment contains an independent corroborating reference to the 1773 Budd-Haines-Cooper-Reynolds counterfeiting case, with citation to Life of Lord Stirling, p. 99 — = a potentially-pullable primary-source-published reference that may have additional Cooper-case details.

Source identification

Element Value
Title Revolutionary Fragments, Morris Co., N.J. — No. 9: Some Gleanings
Author Rev. Dr. Joseph F. Tuttle (1818-1901)
Original publication date 1850 (per byline; serialized in unknown Morris Co. newspaper)
Reprint Bound in Revolutionary Fragments (1896)
Filename on disk (image held in the family archive)
Page range in text-extracted file lines 3054-3406
Tuttle's source David Gordon (nonagenarian Rockaway informant) + Col. Joseph Jackson + traditional knowledge
External citation by Tuttle "{Life of Lord Stirling, p. 99.}" (line 3336) — Tuttle's citation for the 1773 Reynolds execution date

Verbatim — Robert Gaston biographical anecdote

By recurring to the catalogue of the Association of Whigs in 1776, given in the former number, the name of Robert Gaston will be found at the head of the list. He was also Chairman of the Committee of Safety.

An amusing anecdote is still remembered concerning this worthy gentleman, which well illustrates the good nature of the man, and the character of these olden times. Mr. Gaston was a Scotchman by birth, and figured in this community as a gentleman of much influence. He could boast of the aldermanic portliness, which weighed more than two hundred pounds. On some public day, when large numbers had congregated near Mr. Gaston's residence, (now occupied by Freeman Wood, Esq.,) and had no doubt become merry and ripe for a joke by the free use of apple whiskey, one Reuben Clark, a little wag of a fellow, only about four feet in stature, made a bet with the portly Scotchman, that he could carry him on his back through Rockaway river, which flows just in front of the house.

The bet was accepted by Gaston, and called forth great acclamation from the crowd, who all rushed down to the stream to see the fun. Clark, with great gravity, mounted the Scotchman on his back, and commenced the passage. Step by step, he slowly proceeded, until he reached the middle of the stream, when with the greatest gravity he set him down in the water, in spite of remonstrances on the part of Gaston, and amid convulsions of laughter on the part of the witnesses. During this time, Clark's countenance was as grave as an owl's, and after resting a moment, and anointing his hands with spittal — a sure way of preparing for a heavy lift! — he took the burden on his back again, and placed him safe on the other side, but with breeches dripping wet.

The merriment of the witnesses was not a little increased by Clark's remarking that "the bet did not hinder him from setting Gaston down to get a better hold." The good-natured Scotchman paid the bet, which I much suspect was in apple whiskey, for the benefit of all parties present, although in this particular I am not sustained by written or traditional chronicles! The character of the times will justify the guess.

This Mr. Gaston afterwards removed to Mendham, in this county, and erected a grist-mill there. For aught I know to the contrary, he lived the remainder of his days there.

Verbatim — Thomas Millege passage (non-Cooper but contextual)

(Thomas Millege of Hanover Twp = deputy-surveyor by Crown commission, became 1775 JP, joined British as Major, settled Nova Scotia post-war. Not directly Cooper-related but documents the spectrum of Pequannock/Hanover Whig vs Loyalist responses in the 1770s.)

Verbatim — David Gordon's recollections of 1773 Reynolds execution

As I was conversing a few days since with Mr. David Gordon, who is alluded to in Fragment No. 4, he informed me of two events which he distinctly remembers. His mother's brother, Thomas Kinney, was high Sheriff of the county at the time that Budd, Haines, Cooper, and Reynolds were tried for counterfeiting. Mr. Gordon was at that time a mere lad. but says he was present at the examination of Reynolds. He saw him taken from the jail and hung. He said he stood, during the execution, on a grind-stone, which was near one corner of the jail. I allude to this incident, not as important, because Mr. G. was too young to remember very much about its details, but to show by reference to the date of the transaction, how far back my old friend traces his active life.

— Reynolds was executed in the year 1773. {Life of Lord Stirling, p. 99.}

(Followed by the Battle of Monmouth 1778 Bergen grain-seizure narrative, where David Gordon stood sentinel as a young man.)

What this source establishes

What this source does NOT establish

Cross-references

Open research

Status notes