Toms River, Ocean, New Jersey

Toms River, Ocean, New Jersey.

Tom's River, Ocean County, New Jersey

An unsigned pencil sketch dated 30 Apr 1864 in the Rutgers University Library, compliments of Vivian Zinkin, Place Names of Ocean County, New Jersey, 1609-1849, (Toms River: Ocean County Historical Society, 1976), title page.

Toms River Beginnings
Toms River is part of Dover Township, named presumably for the town of Dover, England. In Place Names of Ocean County, New Jersey, 1609-1849, (1976), Vivian Zinkin says it was:
"Set off on 24 Jun 1767, the municipality was taken from Shrewsbury Twp., whose citizenry had petitioned that a new township be erected to remedy the 'many and great difficulties' occasioned by 'the large extent' of their community. Dover Twp. has been considerably diminished from its original size, when it included all of present Manchester, Berkeley, Brick, Lakewood, Jackson, and Plumsted to the North. Today it is bounded on the North by Brick and Lakewood Twps., on the West by Manchester Twp., on the South by Berkeley Twp., and on the East by the Atlantic Ocean except for the boroughs of Lavallette and Seaside Heights, located on the Barnegat Peninsula."

The Revolutionary War in Toms River
     The Revolutionary War in Toms River was strongly supported by hopeful Americans-to-be. One instance of British attack upon the rebels at Toms River is discussed by author William S. Horner:
     "On Sunday, March 24, 1782, the village of Toms River, a very valuable base of patriot operations, was attacked and captured by a mixed force of about 100 Loyalists and Refugees, commanded by Captain Evans Thomas, Lieutenant Blanchard and Lieutenant Owen Roberts, of Pennsylvania, and convoyed by the British armed brig "Arrogant." This force is said to have been augmented by a party of pine-robbers and shore-pirates under command of the notorious Captain Richard Davenport." (William S. Horner, This Old Monmouth of Ours, (1974), 222.)
     This same account is described later in his book as an "Immolation" of Toms River. He writes:
     "On Saturday evening, March 23, 1782, Toms-River, then often called Dover [because it is part of Dover Township], lay quietly at the mouth of the considerable stream from which it took its name, a hustling, bustling little hamlet and harbor of some thirty or forty houses, stores, mills, saltworks, and shipyards.
     The village was defended by block-house and barracks for the housing of a small garrison. These were surround by a "seven-foot" palisade of sharpened stakes, at the four corners of which, on raised platforms, were mounted a like number of small brass swivel-guns.
     The garrison consisted of a roll of honor, Captain Joshua Huddy, commanding; Seargeants David Landon and Luke Storey; with matroses David Applegate, William Case, David Dodge, James Edsall, John Eldridge, John Farr, James Kennedy, James Kinsley, Cornelius McDonald, James Mitchell, John Mitchell, John Morris, John Niverson, George Parker, Joseph Parker, John Predmore, Moses Robbins, Thomas Rostoinder, Jacob Stillwagon, Seth Storey, John Wainwright, and John Wilbur. To these effectives must be added the names of Garret Irons, Bart Applegate, Isaiah Weeks, Major John Cook, Captain Ephraim Jenkins, and others, who served as volunteers either within or without the works, and some of whom lay down their lives on that red day.
     On Sunday night at sunset the lately thriving village was but smoldering ashes, glowing embers, reaking ruins. Two houses alone were exempted from the torch, the one belonging to a cousin of the Tory Dillon, the other spared by freakish remorsefulness of the outlawed Bacon. It belonged to the widow of Joshua Studson, whose husband Bacon had but lately slain.
     Toms-River had been baptized in flame, bathed in blood, devoted to destruction. She had undergone the ordeal of fire. Her defenders had been killed or captured. Her houses, stores, barns, mills, and shops had been given over to the flames. Her most prominent and useful citizens had been carried away to British prison-ships. She lay prostrate in her ruin.
     Yet, none the less, did she once more rise, Phoenix-like, from her sackcloth and ashes, and soon again enrobe herself in peace and plenty."(William S. Horner, This Old Monmouth of Ours, (1974), 417-18.)
     As far as the Huggins and Akers families are concerned, since neither has been established soundly enough to know their involvement in the Revolutionary War, there are a few possibilities. With the Akers family, Michael S. Adelberg in his Roster of the People of Revolutionary Monmouth County [New Jersey] lists a William Aikers as a private in the militia (7), who could possibly be the father of Stephen Akers, b. abt 1790 in Toms River. The Huggins family, on the other hand, had more diverse possibilities. The purported German origin of the Huggins family could mean that the Huggins' of New Jersey may not have arrived in America until after the Revolution. The other possibility is also listed by Michael S. Adelberg in his Roster of the People of Revolutionary Monmouth County [New Jersey]--John Huggins as a private in the militia; Mary Huggins of Freehold Twp as household head and a seller of produce to the Continental Army; and William Huggins, also a seller of produce to the Continental Army (141).

Religion in Toms River
     Religion in Toms River was at least present, according to Elizabeth M. Morgan, ed., Christ Church: Toms River, New Jersey, 1865-1965. Toms River was home to both an Anglican and a Methodist Church, as well as Presbyterian. The Presbyterian connection to Toms River was established in 1761 by the Toms River Preaching Place, for the people of Toms River, as a stop in the preaching circuit of Enoch Green, Presbyterian minister. (Vivian Zinkin, Place Names of Ocean County, New Jersey, 1609-1849,(1976), 170.)
      The Methodist Church existed in Toms River before the city moved to Ocean County from Monmouth in 1850. Not much is known to me about the Methodist Church in Toms River at this time, except that in 1799 the 'Toms River Preaching Place' for the town of Toms River was established. This was merely a point in the circuit of Reverend Sneath, Methodist Minister. (Vivian Zinkin, Place Names of Ocean County, New Jersey, 1609-1849,(1976), 170.)
     The Anglican Church, or Christ Church, is described thoroughly in the book by Elizabeth Morgan mentioned above. From 1745 to 1751, the Reverend Thomas Thompson visited these parts four times an an English missionary. He was a 37-year-old Cambridge don when he heeded the call to preach the Gospel in Monmouth County. The vast stretches of pine forest which later became Ocean County were included in his territory, assigned by the English Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
     The Reverend Mr. Thompson strengthened the existing parishes in Shrewsbury, Middletown, Freehold, and Allentown, and also found time to work with 'the inhabitants thinly scattered in regions of solid wood.' He concluded, 'I gained a few to the communion and baptised, besides children, 17 grown persons of which number was Nicholas Wainwright, nearly 80 years of age.'"
     The seeds of Mr. Thompson sowed in Ocean County grew strongly. The probable descendants of Nicholas Wainwright are recorded early in the parish register of Christ Church. Nor was this the only fruit of his labors. One of the churches strengthened by the Revered Mr. Thompson was Christ Church, Shrewsbury, which founded Trinity Church in Red Bank. The first resident Rector of Trinity Parish was the Reverend William N. Dunnell, who was also the founder of the mission in Toms River in 1865. However, Christ Church in Toms River was not a mission of the Red Bank church. Mr. Dunnell was a supervisor of the missions along the seacoast.
     There is a gap of one hundred years in Episcopal ministrations here which requires explanation. The original Diocese of New Jersey, which dates from 1785, included all of New Jersey. The Episcopal Church suffered great setbacks during the Revolution because of its association with the English hierarchy. Other denominations also suffered, though to a lesser extent. Jamisons' Religion in New Jersey points out that all churches were at a low ebb in 1800, 'when less than 8% of all Americans were members of any church body.'
     At the beginning of the episcopate of George Washington Doane, in 1832, there were only 27 parishes and missions in his diocese. When this great bishop died in 1859, there were 85. During the episcopate of William Henry Odenheimer (1859-1874), Toms River's mission began. In his time, the diocese grew so rapidly it was necessary to divide it in 1874. Bishop Odenheimer chose the Diocese of Newark.
     The first mention of Toms River in the Diocesan Journals occurs in 1861: 'Toms River Ocean Co. Mission 1860. Church building 0, Parsonage 0, School House 0, Rev. W. Forgus.'
     The Reverend Wellington Forgus was Olden Missionary in the "Pines" and worked out of Grace Church in Pemberton. He may have reported that Toms River deserved more attention than he could offer, for in 1863-64 the Reverend Thomas J. Taylor of Shrewsbury officiated at Howell Works (Allaire), Englishtown, and Toms River. (Elizabeth M. Morgan, ed., Christ Church: Toms River, New Jersey, 1865-1965, 11-12.)