Eaely  Settlees. — At  ihe  latter  place,  which  is
partly  in  Gloucester  County,  the  first  improve-
ments of  a  business  nature  were  made.  In  1701
George  Ward,  of  the  town  of  Upton,  bought  a
tract  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land  of
Thomas  Bull,  of  the  same  place,  and  soon  after
improved  the  water-power,  which  was  on  this
land,  by  erecting  small  mills  at  what  is  now  Good
Intent,  the  buildings  being  just  below  the  present
bridge.  On  the  16th  of  July,  1705,  George  Ward
conveyed  to  John  Royton  two  acres  of  the  above
tract,  "  together  with  one-half  of  the  grist-mill  and
the  fulling-mill ;  also  one-half  of  the  stream  and
bank-race  belonging  to  said  mills,  and  the  houses,
buildings,  press,  coppers  and  the  other  utensils
proper  and  necessary  to  be  used  for  carrying  on
the  said  works  of  grinding,  fulling,  dyeing  and
pressing."  On  the  18th  of  April,  1741,  George
Ward  sold  ninety-five  acres  of  the  aforesaid  tract.
of  land  to  John  Blackwood,  and  on  the  24th  of
the  same  month,  in  1752,  Blackwood  bought  one
hundred  acres  more,  which  included  what  is  now
the  site  of  the  village,  which  was  known  many
years  as  Black woodtown.  It  is  probable  that
Blackwood  settled  here  about  the  date  of  the  first
purchase,  for  in  1750  he  was  the  chief  supporter


684


HISTOKY  OF  CAMDEN  COUNTY,  NEW  JERSEY.
of  and  contributor  to  the  building  of  the  Presby-
terian Church  on  part  of  liis  lands.
