John Fenwick (Quaker)
Encyclopedia
John Fenwick founded the first English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 settlement in West Jersey
West Jersey
West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702...

. In 1675, John Fenwick led a group of English Quakers who emigrated to Salem, New Jersey
Salem, New Jersey
Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 5,146. It is the county seat of Salem County, the most rural county in the state of New Jersey. The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning "peace".The town and...

 to escape persecution for their religious beliefs.

Personal life

John Fenwick, the second son of William Fenwick, was born at Stanton Manor, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...

, England. In 1648, John Fenwick wed Elizabeth Covert and they had three daughters: Elizabeth, Anne and Priscilla. In 1665, John and Elizabeth Fenwick became Quakers when they joined the Religious Society of Friends. For his second wife, John Fenwick wed Mary Burdet, daughter of Sir Walter Burdet, but they did not have children.

Fenwick's Colony

In 1675, John Fenwick became sole owner of a vast territory, known as the Salem Tenth, equivalent to 1/10 of the entire land area of West Jersey. On September 23, John Fenwick and the other adventurers departed London aboard the Griffin, Robert Griffith in command.
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