Blackwell Family Papers

The Blackwell Family represented in the papers here are likely the ancestors of the Blackwells who settled in Hopewell in the late 1600's. The Blackwell surname has a long history in New Jersey, and in particular the area in and surrounding Hopewell. Blackwell was one of the five most common surnames in Hopewell Township in 1849, and that period of time is represented in this collection. Genealogical research shows that by 1849 (which is the later portion of this collection), the Blackwell family was mostly concentrated to the east of Pennington along the Stony Brook drainage and around present-day Hopewell Borough. This collection of family papers supports that research. The earlier letters for the members of the Blackwell Family in this collection mention Hopewell often and call it home. However, later letters (approx. after 1800) show that the family residence was primarily in Flemington (even though family members traveled frequently). The Blackwell name continued to be prevalent in the area of Hopewell, with other branches of the family staying in the area. To the present day, the Blackwell name is prevalent on streets and other landmarks.

The name Hopewell has been found by researchers in documents dating back to 1688, and Hopewell officially became a township in 1699.The area was settled in the 18th century, coinciding with the time period represented in this collection of Blackwell Family correspondence. In the mid 19th century, improvements to travel began to significantly change the landscape of Hopewell Township, and that change is very much a part of the letters in this collection. The Delaware-Raritan Canal was completed in 1834 and the arrival of the railroad was in 1851. Both of these changes in transportation are mentioned in some way in the collection, as the family members anticipated the changes.

The correspondence in this collection is primarily between John T. Blackwell, his children and his brother Lewis (b: 1774 d: 1810). John T. Blackwell was born in 1772 and died in 1831. He was married to Susan Hunt, (also one of the most common surnames in the area) and they had six children according to genealogical records. The children's names are: James H., Oliver H., Clarissa, Susan, Elizabeth and John P. It is not certain how many of the children survived into adulthood. Of those children, James H., Oliver, John P., Susan and Elizabeth are correspondents in this collection. John T. Blackwell had one brother (Lewis Blackwell) and two sisters (Elizabeth Blackwell Stillman and Sarah Blackwell) of record. John T., Lewis, Elizabeth and Sarah were the children of the Reverend John Blackwell (b.1738, d. 1811) and Sarah Thomas (b. 1749, d.1803). Aside from the primary family mentioned here, there are many other Blackwell relatives mentioned throughout the collection.

Of particular note in the collection are letters from Samuel Lewis Southard, a politician who served a federal post under Presidents James Monroe and John Quincy Adams, and who also served as New Jersey Governor and State Attorney General. Also of much significance in this collection are the letters from Lewis Blackwell, which depict a little known history of printing in New Jersey during that time period.

Ege, Ralph. Pioneers of Old Hopewell; with Sketches of her Revolutionary Heroes. Hopewell, N.J.: Hopewell Museum, 1963.

Hunter, Richard. Hopewell: A Historical Geography. Titusville, N.J. : Township of Hopewell, Historic Sites Committee, 1990.

Seabrook, Lorraine. Images of America: Hopewell Valley. Chicago, IL : Arcadia Publishing, 2000.

Snyder, John. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries, 1606-1968. Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Resources, Geological Survey, 1988.