Abraham Van Neste (October 1713 – August 15, 1779) was an American merchant and judge. Van Neste was born on October, 1713, in
Raritan, New Jersey
Raritan is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,835, its highest decennial census count ever and an ...
to Joris Pietersen Van Nest and Marytje Reyniersen Van Hengel, and was baptised on October 17, 1713.
Career
He was one of the nine deputies who met at
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the federal capital, capital of the United States from November 1 until D ...
on May 23, 1775 and August 5, 1775, as a representative of Somerset County in the
Provincial Congress of New Jersey
The Provincial Congress of New Jersey was a transitional governing body of the Province of New Jersey in the early part of the American Revolution. It first met in 1775 with representatives from all New Jersey's then-thirteen counties, to supersed ...
. He was a judge in
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's 13th-most-populous county,Justice of the Peace in 1761 and a Justice of
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a group necessary to constitute the group at a meeting. In a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature), a quorum is necessary to conduct the business of ...
in 1768. He was elected to the
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...
in 1778.
On December 27, 1771, he purchased 52 acres of land on either side of the
Millstone River
The Millstone River is a tributary of the Raritan River in central New Jersey in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002.
The Millstone River begins in western Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth Co ...
. He owned a mercantile business with Frederick Van Liew. He owned two grist mills, known as ''Van Nest's Mills,'' on the eastern side of the
Millstone River
The Millstone River is a tributary of the Raritan River in central New Jersey in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002.
The Millstone River begins in western Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth Co ...
.
On December 15, 1774, he was appointed to the
Committee of Correspondence
The committees of correspondence were a collection of American political organizations that sought to coordinate opposition to British Parliament and, later, support for American independence during the American Revolution. The brainchild of S ...
for
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's 13th-most-populous county,Somerset
Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
Assembly.
Battle of Van Nest's Mill/Battle of Millstone
The
Battle of Millstone
The Battle of Millstone, also known as the Battle of Van Nest's Mill, was a skirmish that occurred near the mill of Abraham Van Neste in Weston, New Jersey (near present-day Manville, New Jersey) on January 20, 1777, during the American Revol ...
, also known as the ''Battle of Van Nest's Mills,'' took place near his mills in Weston, New Jersey in present-day
Manville, New Jersey
Manville is a borough in Somerset County, in the central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough is located in the heart of the Raritan Valley region and is a part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States ...
. A British foraging party began taking supplies from the farm and mills of Van Nest. The foragers were on their way back to
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and a Founding Father of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military expl ...
and his subordinate soldiers occupied Van Nest's home during the war. During their stay at the house, there was a confrontation that required legal assistance, which was brought to the attention of General
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
.
On January 25, 1779, Major
Benjamin Fishbourn
Benjamin Fishbourn (January 4, 1759 – November 8, 1790) was an American soldier during the American Revolution and Aide-de-Camp to General Anthony Wayne. He was also the first ever Presidential nominee rejected by the Senate, also being the fi ...
, the Aide-de-camp to Brig. Gen. Wayne, and Samuel Wright had their sleeping quarters in the same room as Van Nest. They went up the stairs to find the room locked and started an argument with Van Nest. Van Nest apparently threatened to shoot Fishbourn. Fishbourn assaulted Van Nest.
The next morning, on January 26, 1779, Peter Davis, the Somerset County
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...
, attempted to serve a warrant on Fishbourn and Wright for their arrests as a result of the assault. General Wayne prevented the constable from serving the warrant and asked to see the warrant. Brig. Gen. Wayne ordered his subordinate, Samuel Wright to remove the Constable.
On March 9, 1779,
New Jersey Governor
The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...
William Livingston
William Livingston (November 30, 1723July 25, 1790) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the first governor of New Jersey (1776–1790) during the American Revolutionary War. As a New Jersey representative in the Continental Congr ...
brought the incident to the attention of General
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
.
On March 16, 1779, General Washington wrote to Brig. Gen. Wayne and instructed him to return with Major Fishbourne and address the issue with the court.
In a letter to General Washington, dated March 23, 1779, Brig. Gen. Wayne claimed that he was concerned when the constable would not show the warrant to him and was worried about the possibility of him being a spy.
Family and death
He married Sarah Bergen in
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's 13th-most-populous county,Somerset County militia and the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...
as an ensign during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
.
He died on August 16, 1779, in
Raritan, New Jersey
Raritan is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,835, its highest decennial census count ever and an ...
.
His great grandson, John Alfred Van Neste, played for
Rutgers
Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...