New Hopewell Cemetery

This cemetery is being indexed by ScoutMom5 and she has been kind enough to allow us to post her work here for all to use.

The cemetery is located on Old Tansboro-Florence Road, nwo called South Grove. The first Quaker Meeting House and school was started near this cemetery. by Thomas Penn, who lived in Burlington. He felt he had spoken too freely at the Quaker Meeting House and felt the Lord disapproved and he should move on. He moved to the wooded area in the vicinity of the cemetery, and started new. His grave is found in this cemetery. He was related to William Penn. Other family names in this cemetery are Norcross, Duble, Beebe, Wares. These are the stones of the first families in the area; Condition of cemetery: Poor, stones are broke in half, some unreadable. Trying to locate who would have complete records.

According to New Jersey Genesis vol 13 page 570 #4 (July 1966) it reads, "As early as March 1759 William NORCROSS from Burlington County, settled in old Gloucester Township, Gloucester County, NJ. He located a survey of land and had it recorded in the Surveyor Generals Office at Burlington, West Jersey, on 6 Feb 1761. The site of this farm is about two miles southwest of Tansboro, in Winslow Township, Camden County, NJ. William built a frame meeting house on his land for use by members of the Society of Friends and adjourning it, he set aside ground for a burying place for himself and his family. It eventually became a neighborhood cemetery and has long been called New Hopewell Cemetery."

NORCROSS family tradition says that William NORCROSS (c 1724-1773) moved to Gloucester Township, Gloucester County, by 1759 and was a Friend. It is said that he donated land for a Quaker Meeting House and a cemetery there called New Hopewell Meeting in present Winslow Township, Camden County. Is there any confirmation that this was an approved Preparatory Meeting? William NORCROSS (c 1724-1773) and his wife Tamar Hough (c1726-1774) were believed to be Quakers by descendants, but their family Bible records (now in the NORCROSS file at Gloucester County Historical Society were written in a Psalm Book printed in Scotland (suggesting Presbyterian inclination) and used the heathen names of the months, casting doubts on their Quakerism and indicating that their New Hopewell Meeting House may have been non-secretarian.